Smoke and Shattered Mirrors,

By Ealinesse

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Final Fantasy, just the plot to this story, and a couple of painfully annoying original characters. And a rusty truck that, apparently, Reno and Yuffie don't want any more… not to mention a couple more trashed vehicles, the shards to a broken locator… and well, not a lot else. Go me!

Summary: A stakeout doesn't go as planned, and the two people least happy about it are the same two who have to drop everything and work together to keep themselves alive… and sane.

Warnings: Language, (Kiwi Spelling), More Language, a little Violence.

Category: Action/Adventure, Bad Humour, Angst, Reno and Yuffie being prats… Reno and Yuffie being prats… Reno and Yuffie Arguing… Nothing too unusual, really.

Chapter Eleven: Return…

Reno's eyes snapped open, the remnants of the dream slipping from his mind as he forced himself to sit up, to wake up fully. Sleep wasn't going to do any good right now, he knew, as the images left over swirled inside his head in a confusing haze of memory and reality. He closed his eyes briefly, a knife, mischievous hazel pools superimposing over wide, innocent, warm blue eyes, and a cold grin that had always meant trouble appearing momentarily, before fading back out. Then came the inevitable key, and the crate... With a muffled curse Reno ran a hand over his face, scrubbing away any doubts about whether he was going to get back to sleep as he realized his other arm was gripping the chain around his neck fiercely.

With a scowl he looked down at the offending appendage, and consciously forced it to let go of the thin ornament. He let his hand drop to the bed, and without another thought he turned to face the digital clock on the small cabinet beside him. 11:30. In the morning. Reno felt his scowl deepen.

Great, he thought bitterly. You've only been sleeping for about three hours and already your twisted mind has managed to conjure up something else for you to think about…

With a halfhearted curse Reno pushed the covers aside and went to the curtained window. Tugging at the drapes slightly he pulled the fabric away a crack, and peered out to the street below, his eyes catching on the two cars parked by each other. Without thinking his hands snaked into the pocket of his pants, to the keys to the red car that had inadvertently followed him. He picked them out, twirling them idly in his grip around the small metal keychain, before letting them drop to the ground. He didn't need them – didn't want them.

Reno let the curtain go, watching as it swayed closed, then lifted his arms in the air, a stretch capturing him and forcing him to work the kinks of the past three days from his no-doubt knotted muscles. The movement shuffled him backward a step, and he felt the back of his knees connect with the bed's edge. He turned around when he was done, eyed the rumpled sheets with disgust at his inability to even doze, and left the room.

Reeve could order him to sleep all he wanted, it didn't mean he would. He was exhausted, but also overtired. What he really needed was more coffee.

He headed down the hall, slipping quietly with long paces past the closed doors, smirking slightly at the faint snores that rose from the rooms. He was just about at the entrance to the lounge when a faint splinter of light caught his eyes, filtering through the otherwise darkened hallway.

Reno glanced to his left, to the partly open door to the last room. Without really thinking he felt his legs take him first to the door, where he lounged for a second against the frame, and then all the way in. He tipped his head to the side at the sight of the slumbering figure, momentarily envious at her ability to simply drown everything out and sleep. He was about to leave when something caught his attention.

He took a step closer to the bed as a muffled noise escaped from Yuffie's parted lips. Puzzled, he eyed her more carefully, thinking her to perhaps be caught in the middle of a dream. It wasn't until she lifted her arm slightly and covered her eyes with it that Reno realized what was wrong. He winced. Walking over to the curtain without second thought he drew the two drapes closed more tightly, successfully halting the blinding sliver of sunlight that had been slipping in through the window and onto the bed.

He turned back to the bed, raising an eyebrow as a faint mumbled thanks issued from the mouth of the semi-conscious girl. The arm that had before been shielding the closed eyelids fell back, and Reno watched as her movements stilled. Shaking his head in disbelief he cast his eyes over the room, looking for anything else that was off, before settling his gaze on the glass of water that Elena had placed there earlier. It was empty.

What the hell.

Not really knowing why, and not particularly caring, he retrieved the drained glass and headed out to the kitchen. He'd been going that way anyway. Boiling the jug, he brewed some coffee, filling the oversized mug he'd long ago claimed as his own to the top with the steaming water. Not bothering with the milk, he snagged the glass he'd just filled, his ridiculously strong coffee, and headed back into the room where he'd found Yuffie.

The first thing he noticed was that she'd moved. Again. Reno placed the glass quietly down on the bedside table and straightened up. Taking a sip of his coffee, he felt the reassuringly hot bite of the strong liquid as it burned its way down his throat. Lifting the mug away for only a second before bringing it back, Reno glanced at Yuffie as she rolled restlessly to the side with an unreadable gaze. When her movements didn't stop, Reno frowned.

"Yuff?"

Nothing.

Reno placed his coffee down beside the glass and placed a hand on Yuffie's shoulder, shaking it slightly. After a moment, cloudy hazel eyes slipped open.

"… Turk?"

Those eyes… A flash of brown, replacing blue…

Reno blinked, ignoring the urge to frown. He'd been doing too much of that lately. "Awake?" he said at last.

"… Yeah."

Reno sat down in the chair beside the bed, leaning in to examine her pupils in the dim light. They seemed to be focusing a little better. After seeing what he'd wanted, he leaned back, snagging his coffee and draping one long leg over the armrest in a comfortable slouch.

"Better?" he asked.

"A'little." Yuffie's eyes were puzzled. "Where're we?"

"Junon. The safehouse."

"What… "

Reno shook his head. "I'll explain later. What was the last thing you remember?"

"… You… knocking out that… poor guard, I think."

"Well that was about four hours ago. We've woken you up a couple of times since, but you haven't really said anything useful up until now."

"Oh. Sorry."

Reno smirked as Yuffie lifted a hand to her temple. "Headache?"

"Nearly gone," was the quiet reply.

"Sleepy?"

"'course."

"What about the drug?"

It was Yuffie's turn to frown. She sat up slightly, propping herself up slightly against the nest of pillows that Elena had no doubt created, lifting an arm to trace along her collarbone, feeling for the faint scar. Reno watched the progress with approval, as the fact that she was able to now get up at all spoke for itself.

"It's not… really burning, anymore. I'm just… I have no energy."

"Well sleep, then."

"Will… do. Not my fault you keep… waking me up…"

The yawn that Yuffie affected before her half-lidded eyes fluttered closed caught. Reno slapped an annoyed hand over his mouth as his jaw stretched against his will again, and before he got the chance to let it convince him he was still tired, he took another sip of the coffee, settling back in the chair slightly.

He didn't know how long he sat there, but it couldn't have been any longer than about five minutes – he still hadn't finished his coffee – when there was the creaking of a door in the distance, followed by the distinct shuffling of feet. Reno looked up, watching as moments later the tousled figure of his blonde partner crept around the corner, her dark eyes washing over the scene in sleep-fogged recollection.

"Thought I heard someone," she muttered, trudging into the room with a sleepy smile. "What are you doing out of bed?"

"What are you doing out of bed?" he countered.

"Getting a coffee. Can't sleep."

Reno lifted his mug, tilting it forward and offering the cup, but Elena just shook her head.

"Ugh, no thanks. I don't care what you say, your coffees have ten times the amount of whack as mine."

Reno shrugged and finished off the drink, placing it down on the table. He turned back to Elena. "Everyone else asleep?"

"Yes. And you should be too." Then Elena shook her head again with a derisive snort, flicking a stray blonde hair out of her face in annoyance. "What am I thinking? You don't listen to anyone. Is she all right?"

Reno glanced at Yuffie, then back to Elena. "Yeah. Woke her before."

"Oh. So did I. I was just gonna do it again. How was she?"

Reno smirked. "Bitching that I was waking her up again. A little more lucid than last time I saw her, though."

Elena nodded. "Good. Better than before, then. Gimme your cup."

Reno handed the empty mug over and smirked as the blonde looked disgustedly inside.

"Gross," she said. "You used half the tin. That stuff at the bottom's going to be tough as cement if you don't wash it out, and we'll have to throw out another cup." She turned away and began to leave, then seemed to think better of it. She paused, raised a blonde eyebrow as she looked back at them, whispering something under her breath. Eventually, she just offered a short laugh and walked away, out into the kitchen. Reno watched with a raised eyebrow. "Strange woman," he muttered.

"Heard that," came the call from the kitchen.

"Right," he retorted, getting to his feet and following her out. He pulled out a chair and sat down at the small table. He hadn't even realized that he was looking out the hallway to Yuffie's room until Elena spoke up, placing another full mug of coffee down beside him.

"It's not your fault, you know."

Reno glanced sharply up at Elena, expression wary. "What do you mean, 'it's not my fault'?"

"That you turned around and Donovan got to her."

Reno didn't answer, only sat back in the chair slightly. He lifted the mug to his lips, peering callously at Elena over the rim.

"I wasn't… with the Turks when you were partnered with Donovan, Reno. But… I know that Rude was paired with you just after that. He doesn't say much about it, but when you were gone… and when you came back, I-"

Reno scowled. "You're too nosy for your own good, you know that, 'Laney?"

The blonde shrugged, meeting his eyes levelly. "I do. Comes with the lack of Shinra training, trust me. But seriously," she added. "It's not your fault. I know you'll never admit anything like that, but… you have to know that. And, I don't care what you think, It's good to have you back."

Reno raised an eyebrow. She was right about that – he wasn't going to discuss it. He wasn't going to let her know that she had been a little too perceptive. Again. "Whatever, rookie," he mused, getting to his feet and going over to the couch, climbing easily over the back of it instead of going around. "Stop acting so weak and just drink your damn coffee."

There was the sound of a chair scraping against the linoleum ground, and Reno tilted his head backward just in time to see an open hand descending above him. He ducked, but the soft blow ruffled against the hair on the top if his head anyway. He turned away, smirking.

"Stubborn ass."

"Sleep well, 'Laney," he replied with a brief laugh as he heard her steps recede down the hall.

"Go to bed, jerk," was the mirthful reply, just before the hall door closed and he was left alone.

He hadn't realized he'd fallen asleep again until the soft click of a door woke him. Reno didn't open his eyes, merely raised an eyebrow as someone sat down just beside him. From the amount of noise the person had made by merely walking across to the other side of the room, he could guess who it was.

"Reeve," Reno acknowledged.

"Ah, so you're 'awake' now, are you? Didn't I order you to go to bed?"

Reno shrugged, cracking open an eye. "Nice try. Won't work, though."

"Well, I tried."

"You should give it up," Reno retorted carelessly. "Orders don't work."

"No, I've gathered that much."

There was a short silence, then Reeve got to his feet and walked to the window. Reno watched him go, scowling as the slightly shorter man pulled a curtain open, letting the bright afternoon light spill haplessly through the room.

"I talked to Godo a while ago."

Reno opened the other eye, sitting up slightly. "What about it?"

"He was… understandably relieved. The missing persons reports have been dropped, and he is sending two of his aides over this afternoon to gather her since he has business to attend to." Reeve glanced momentarily at him. "I said there was no hurry, and that she was perfectly safe."

Reno shrugged. "Which aides?"

"Staniv… and Shake, since they are the only ones not detained."

Reno let a smirk play onto his face. "Great. Guess who's going to get blamed again."

Reeve shook his head with a slight roll of his eyes. "No. Last time was a one-off. Apparently Shake has been reprimanded for interfering with you, and not only that, he regrets his actions. Godo has assured me he won't try anything this time."

"Uh-huh. Brilliant." Reno let his eyes slide closed again.

"Godo also doesn't blame you. He, of course, knows Yuffie better than nearly anyone. Apparently it's in their lineage to be… troublesome."

Reno snorted, but otherwise didn't reply.

Reeve fixed him with a pointed stare. "Godo also said you're getting a lot better at saving lives, rather than ending them."

"That man is even blunter than you, and what he says is also a matter of debate."

"Perhaps," Reeve said with a slight shrug. "But he's grateful that you've brought her home alive. Again."

"Not my fault she decided it'd be fun to come along. I told her to leave."

Reeve smiled, and Reno decided it was one he didn't like. "Yes, I know. But apparently, as Elena said, she shares the same regard for orders as you."

"I feel so appreciated."

Reeve just shook his head. "Whatever, Reno." There was a pause. "I suppose you're wandering what happened to the rest of Donovan's men, then?"

He opened his eyes again and cocked his head to the side. That was something he'd forgotten about earlier, though who knew why. Perhaps he was still tired… "Just slightly."

"Well they've been caught and… dealt with."

Reno sat up. "Dealt with?"

Reeve shook his head. "No. Let me rephrase that. They're in custody in Midgar under heavy Shinra guard. They face a trial of the state in no less than a month, under the charge of treason. Also, some of those out searching located the original car you stole – Donovan's."

"Find something?"

"A trunk full of the powder compound of the drug, in its original form. Perhaps another reason why Donovan was so hot on your heels to begin with. It's being destroyed as we speak. As far as we know, it's the last shipment he had."

"What about the river?"

"They're clearing it up now, also," Reeve replied. "Donovan has been taken, and the rest of the mess is being cleaned up and stored as potential evidence. You'll have to go over it before you make your report, I'm sorry."

Reno smirked. "No you're not."

Reeve laughed and tugged at his goatee with a raised eyebrow. "No. You're right, I'm not. It's a rare sight, seeing you do paperwork."

They fell silent for a while before Reno saw something spark in Reeve's eyes.

"Are you aware the signal on your locator failed just last night?"

Reno blinked, then frowned. "That was… in the bag you gave me originally? The one with all the loose change?"

"Yes. You don't know why it died?"

"I can't even remember having it with us a lot of the time. I mean… it was with me until Trent, I know that. But after that… I'm not sure it came with us."

Reeve shook his head. "It must have. Its signal cut out where you fought Donovan, the men have pinpointed that with their own location. Here," Reeve pointed to a place on the digital display by the cameras.

Reno got to his feet and walked over to the monitor, glancing briefly at the GPS and then up at Reeve. "Then I've got no fucking idea. I didn't move it, or deactivate it."

"That's confusing," Reeve mused with a slight frown. "Perhaps there was a glitch in the software."

"Oh, that's real reassuring for the future," Reno muttered, heading back to the couch.

"We'll see once we get all the items back. Perhaps it was damaged somehow, with all that tree climbing."

Reno scowled at the tone, but his eyes glinted in amusement. "Stick you out in the forest for two days and see how you like it."

"No thanks, my office is jungle enough."

Reno glanced at the paper-strewn table and stretched himself out more with an exaggerated sigh, lifting an arm and messing up the already haphazard papers even further, not bothering to stop them from falling to the ground. "Better you than me."

"We'll see," Reeve said, turning to leave and pointedly ignoring the mess Reno was making. "I'm going to go and make a few phone calls. Have fun planning that report later… "

Reno growled at the suited back as Reeve left, and was about to close his eyes again when something obscured the light from the curtain that Reeve had opened. He looked up and shook his head at the bald man, who at least knew how to be silent. Now here was someone he could count on to not talk much…

"Why aren't you sleeping?"

… Or not.

Reno scowled. "Why is everyone asking me that? You've had just as much sleep as me."

"We weren't running around with injuries through a dense forest for most of that time."

Reno rolled his eyes as Rude just shook his head. A sudden weight on his chest caused him to look away, and Reno blinked down at the items that had just been dropped on him. Sitting up, he let a wide grin spread across his face as he eyed the two sets of objects. "Now that's more like it."

"Thought you'd agree with me."

Reno pulled on his leather combat gloves quickly, his fingers slipping comfortably and familiarly through the gaps at the end. That done, he adjusted the clips on them slightly, and examined the handiwork with a brief nod. He gathered up the other item left there and ran his fingers over it lightly. There was only one uniform he'd ever had to wear in his life, and it was now complete again. Nearly. Without a word he got to his feet and stepped away from them, flicking one of the hidden switches on the side and watching as his nightstick flared to life without a hitch.

Flicking it off, he turned to his partner, who was watching him quietly. "Where'd you find it? Some asshole knocked it away in the alley – was it there?"

Rude nodded. "Reeve's men found it that night, after detaining the others. The gloves Reeve took off you earlier, before the mission. He thought you might like them back."

"How kind of him."

"… "

That was better. No questions. He was about to shift his feet off the couch so his partner could sit down when he was saved from having to do so. Reno just shook his head as his legs were lifted, then dumped unceremoniously onto the ground. He only just managed to stop himself from slipping off when Rude took a seat beside him, before grabbing the television remote from the top of the papers and sitting backward.

"Nice," Reno commented. "Asking ring a bell?"

"Not with you," was the blunt reply.

Reno laughed and shook his head. "Right."

The comforting hum of the tv echoed through the room for a while, but like usual there was nothing on except the average daytime crap. Reno turned the remote down when Rude offered it to him, and the bald man shrugged before flicking the screen off.

"Reeve tell you that Donovan has been taken care of?"

"Yeah. Where'd they take him?"

"Midgar."

He tried not to sound interested. "Ah. Great. Slumming, where he belongs."

"… Elena woke up and talked to you earlier, didn't she?"

Reno rolled his eyes. "Of course."

Rude shrugged. "She was just concerned. She doesn't know a lot about it, but she's just-"

"Being a woman," Reno finished for him. "A nosy woman who worries too much." His hands found their way to the small chain, and he fingered it idly, the soft rustling jingle breaking the silence. Now that he knew Donovan had been taken to Midgar, the pull was stronger. He'd managed to avoid the thoughts before, but since that dream…

Reno quelled the urge to shake his head in frustration, and dropped the chain. There was nothing for him to see there, especially since Meteor had leveled everything that had still been standing, not to mention his chances of finding Ashley in one piece. But that no longer mattered. It was more the principal than anything, the feeling that it seemed right to go back, to prove to himself that it was all over, and to lay his demons to rest...

He snorted softly as his thoughts turned mocking. Principal, moral… Since when had a Turk needed those?

"You're going to Midgar soon, aren't you?"

Reno glanced up at Rude, but didn't say anything. He shouldn't really have been surprised. Of all the people in the house Rude would be the one who knew, and it wasn't just the man's scary knack for uncanny intuition, either. Rude had been his second partner – the one after Donovan, and the only one ever since. He knew all the details, he was sure; and what he hadn't told him, Tseng certainly had.

Reno let his head drop back on the arm of the couch, and he looked at Rude with a shrug. "Yeah."

There was a short silence, and Reno frowned. Rude wouldn't stop him, but…

"I suppose you want me to make your excuses for you?"

Oh. Reno smirked, shaking his head at what that implied. "Elena is going to kill you if you do."

"Too bad. The helipad is already cleared - I checked - and it leaves when you're ready. You really think Reeve hadn't already planned that week-long holiday?"

He shrugged. "Who knows what Reeve thinks? Personally, I think he's dying to see my report."

"See you actually finish it, perhaps."

Reno pulled the fingers at Rude, then got to his feet, retrieving his nightstick. Ignoring the lingering effects of the past few days' ordeal, he cracked his neck and reached for his keys that hung on the hook in the kitchen. Pocketing them, and gathering his wallet Reeve had placed on the kitchen counter, he turned to the bald man. "You're sure?"

Rude shrugged, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly. "I'll just take the bullets out of her gun."

Reno snorted. "She won't shoot you."

"She'll probably try."

Reno raised an eyebrow and feigned contemplation. "Probably," he said after a moment. He turned and began making his way to the stairs at the other end of the hallway. It wasn't until his hand began to twist the handle before he realised he'd forgotten something. Again. He froze for a moment, headed back, catching Rude's expression, and stopped by the door to Yuffie's room.

She was still sleeping, he noticed with some amusement, though that was hardly surprising. At least she was looking a little better, and that gash on her cheek hadn't scarred. He eyed the tangle of sheets and the bundle underneath for a moment, before turning away without so much as a shake of his head.

"And what do you want me to tell her?"

Reno frowned. "Her aides pick her up this afternoon. I don't even know if she'll be awake by then. Who knows, I might even be back early. It's Elena you have to worry about." Feeling eyes on him, Reno glanced up at Rude, who managed to eye him dubiously even through the glasses he'd placed back on. "What?"

"You don't want me to say anything?"

"It's probably better if you don't."

"You just know Elena's going to."

Reno scowled. "She meddles too much."

"Nothing?"

"Tell her…"

That she can't afford to hang around me anymore…

"… to …"

Stay away…

"… Have an entertaining trip home on the skycab without those motion sickness pills, to watch out for attacking red dragons, to check the brakes of any fucking car she gets into, and that this 'asshole' will probably see her the next time I tell her not to tagalong on a dangerous mission."

Rude smirked. "That all?"

Reno walked toward the door, opened it, then walked straight through it. "That's all." Glancing back over his shoulder, he grinned. "Owe you one."

"Two," was the reply he received as he closed the door. "You owe me two."

Reno headed down the steps two by two and out onto the street. Fishing the keys out of his pocket, he looked up at the small Shinra-owned 'inn', unlocked the vehicle, and got in. The car started a lot easier than the ones he'd driven not long before, and he pulled away from the curb without a glance back, reveling in the comfort of his plush leather seats and the padded steering wheel. U-turning the car, he wheeled in the direction of the Junon airpad, sliding with ease into the increasing bustle that was the city's traffic during the daytime. It was so busy, in fact, that he didn't have time to think about what Yuffie was going to say when she found out he'd left, or what words he'd passed on as he dodged between lanes, skipping traffic. Nearly.

If she found out. If she woke up before he got back. If—

"Fuck it, you are going soft!" Reno slammed his hand against the steering wheel and squared his jaw. Midgar was calling, and it certainly wasn't part of his job description to feel guilt, no matter what Elena said. No matter what anyone said. He scowled, veering the car sharply into the left lane, then to the right again as a truck got in his way. It was time for another cigarette. Or a beer - he hadn't had one of those in a while, and deprivation was starting to addle his brain.

Fuck Donovan, sometimes it just didn't pay to be human; he'd never been all that good at it anyway.

Yuffie knew more than felt the hand as it was placed on her forehead. With a slight groan she rolled onto her side, pleased to find that even just out of sleep her body was behaving itself a little better. She felt the cool hand move away as she lifted her own to rub wearily at her eyes, letting a slight yawn slip out of her mouth before cracking open her eyes to half-mast.

"… Turk?"

There was the sound of light laughter. "Not the one you're thinking of, at least."

Yuffie sat up slightly, the voice coming out of the haze familiar but not placeable. She frowned a little, then pushed herself up on her elbows and opened her eyes fully, the mist beginning to clear.

"Elena?"

The blonde woman seated beside her nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "How're you feeling?"

Yuffie did a quick once-over, surveying the strength of her muscles by lifting an arm, and then a leg. The pain was gone, she noticed, and only a slight headache remained – nothing that more sleep and a Cure wouldn't heal. "Much better," she said, grinning as she realised it was true.

Elena nodded. "Good. Water?"

Yuffie looked at the proffered cup blankly for a second then nodded. With hands that obeyed with more dignity than they'd held in a while Yuffie took the glass from Elena and held it to her lips, not really knowing how thirsty she actually was until the cool liquid began to trickle down her throat. She finished off the glass quickly, aware of the blonde's appraising gaze, and when done she placed the item down on the table.

"Thirsty, huh? That mean you're hungry, too?"

Yuffie blushed as her stomach let out a slight gurgle. Bunching a fist, she aimed a light punch at the offending area, which elicited a laugh from Elena.

"It's certainly not your fault you're hungry," Elena said with a grin. "It's not your fault you were stuck in a forest with Reno for nearly three days without food, either. Don't worry, Rude's cooking us all some food now. Do you think you're up to coming out to the kitchen for a while now that you're awake, or would you rather stay in bed?"

Yuffie thought it through. She'd probably been sleeping for ages, and she really was hungry. If they were going to the trouble of cooking some extra food, then the least she could do would be to at least try and get up to eat it. "I think I'll get up," she said after a moment. "How long have I been asleep?"

"Since you've arrived? Well, It's about one-thirty now, so perhaps… seven hours?"

It wasn't enough – not nearly enough even with the hours she'd been sleeping in the car. But she didn't think she wanted to sleep anymore right now anyway, not with the prospect of food beckoning. She pushed at the blankets and they came away easily, then slipped her feet to the ground. In the back of her mind she noticed that her shoes and socks had been removed, but that she was still clothed in everything except the hoody she'd been wearing earlier. She began to get up, shoving at the bed in her rush to stand.

"Okay?" Elena asked, hands raised at the ready in case she wasn't quite as prepared as she thought. "You got it?"

Yuffie blinked away the residual dizziness that came with the concussion and nodded, wincing slightly as her head reminded her that that wasn't such a good idea. She shuffled forward, glad at least she'd regained the ability to walk at a slow pace. "Ugh… concussions suck."

"Oh yeah," Elena replied in an all-too knowing way, a pang of sympathy in her voice. "That they do. Come on, let's go get some food, I'm famished too."

They made their way out to the kitchen slowly, the blonde hovering slightly but not enough to annoy. Yuffie smiled as a seat was pulled out for her at the table, and a blanket was placed around her shoulders. Who would have thought Turks capable of such hospitality… Perhaps it was just Reno that lacked feeling, or maybe it was simply that they'd finally gotten a chance at a normal life…

"Here."

Yuffie blinked up at the large man as he placed a plate of food in front of her. Lifting the fork that was placed beside it, she felt her mouth begin to water at both the tremendous amount of food there, and how good it looked.

"Ruins his image, doesn't it?"

Yuffie couldn't help but grin as she caught the look Rude shot Elena at the comment. "Just slightly," she said between bites.

"I've tried to get him to wear an apron for the hell of it, but I think he's paranoid that Reno'd get a photo of it and do something awful with it."

"Eat, Elena."

Yuffie snorted at the tone in Rude's voice, but Elena only winked at her, her grin widening. They ate the remains of their meal in relative silence, and she briefly contemplated asking where Reno was since there was a fourth steaming plate sitting out, untouched. She must have been staring, because the next thing she knew there was a laugh from behind her.

"You want my plate too, Yuffie?"

Yuffie blinked and spun in her seat. "Reeve?" she asked, incredulous, as he took a seat at the table.

"That's my name, I believe. Feeling better, now?"

Yuffie nodded, smiling. "What are you doing here?"

"Well up until this morning we were all waiting for Reno to come back - and you, it seems. Now I'm catching up on paperwork, and sorting through the last of the mission details that are yet to be cleared up, slowly working my way through that..."

Yuffie glanced over at the stack of papers littering the coffee table, wincing at the haphazard way in which they were strewn everywhere. "All that…?"

"All that. Well, actually, some of that Reno will be working through when I get my hands on him, but up until then…"

Yuffie blinked, noticing the distinct lack of a fifth plate as she ate her meal. She was sure Reno had woken her up earlier, and that they'd been here when he had, so... "Where… ?"

"Is Reno?" Elena finished for her.

"Yeah."

"Midgar by now, apparently." Elena scowled, jerking a thumb at Rude. "This idiot let him pilot to Midgar, on a helicopter, by himself, without any sleep."

She could have sworn she saw Rude wince. "Oh," she said after a second, not sure why she was disappointed. She'd spent three days in the wild running around, arguing with him, carrying his sorry ass around… why should she care? But even with that logic, she found herself confused. It just seemed so… hollow, that he'd gone. It wasn't that she minded the company of these three – or really deliberately sought out Reno's - even though she barely knew two thirds of them. She'd worked with Reeve plenty of times, had had a fairly amusing conversation with Elena once while tied to Da Chao, and Rude… well, she'd seen him when they'd come to collect Reno from Wutai after the last incident, and despite who they were, they weren't all that bad. But…

"I called your father a while ago, Yuffie."

Yuffie's head snapped up and all thoughts of the elusive Turk slipped from her mind. "My… father?" Now that everything was over, that she could afford to sit back and just let herself think, the thoughts that had been buzzing around on the edge of her consciousness for days came rushing in. She grinned up at Reeve. "Did the old man have a heart attack while I was gone?"

A smile twitched Reeve's mouth, and he covered his lower face with his hand, tugging idly at the bristly black beard. "Something like that," he replied. "And while he wasn't surprised that you'd managed to find trouble, he was surprised with who you managed to find it with. Again."

Yuffie forced her grin to stay. "So… he's not too mad, then?"

"Not really. He's removed the missing persons' report, and the bounty."

Yuffie's jaw dropped. "He put a… bounty…?"

"Well, after you didn't turn up at Tifa's birthday function, and then again after you didn't turn up at home later the next day, Godo put out a missing persons report after talking to Tifa. He'd received no ransom for you, or anything like that, but he had people out searching. He really had no idea what had happened."

"Heh… oops."

"He also said to ask you where your PHS was during all this?"

Yuffie blinked, and for the first time in days she wondered what had happened to her bag, which contained her materia, PHS, and extra clothes. Then she thought about Tifa's present, the small wooden music box which she'd been carrying separately. "It must still be in the alleyway," she said slowly. "After I chased that kid I kind of got caught up in it all, and I must have forgotten it."

"Well, my men will look later for you. They've already contained all of Donovan's men, and retrieved the things Reno left behind – they have to go back and search again this afternoon anyway." Reeve looked pointedly at her. "Godo has sent Staniv and Shake over on the skycab, and they'll be here later this afternoon to pick you up and take you back, since he is detained himself."

Yuffie nodded, twirling her fork with the scraps left on her plate, knowing the lecture that awaited her as soon as her two aides arrived. Her father had tolerance, but his servants tended to be… very straight-laced and disapproving, despite their fondness for her. "Man, they're so going to kill me… "

Yuffie flicked the channel a few times, biting back a yawn as she dumped the remote. Of course, it didn't help that she'd turned the volume down to prevent giving herself a worse headache, and that each time something remotely interesting came on it, for some pathetic reason, required sound to make it worthwhile. "Nothing, nothing, nothing," she sighed, pulling the blanket tighter around her shoulders and flicking the screen off.

"Nothing on tv, I take it?"

Yuffie looked up at Elena and pulled a face of disgust. "Nothing at all."

"Like usual. I'll say one thing – the networks were the only good thing that Meteor destroyed out of Midgar. Tv just isn't the same. Coffee?" the blonde asked, switching on the jug.

"Sure," she replied. "I can't remember the last time I had any."

"Well, my last cup was about half an hour ago, and the one before that, too. I don't get how you're still awake, myself."

Yuffie shrugged. "I slept in the car, too."

"Slept?" Elena's tone was dubious as Yuffie watched her pour the two mugs. "From what Reno said you were practically out cold."

Yuffie smirked. "And did he tell you the condition he was in through the Junon forests for most of the time?"

Elena shook her head, exasperated. "Only a little, but the rest of us are smart enough to guess." Elena turned to face her, her mahogany eyes suddenly serious. "I know you weren't supposed to interfere, Yuffie, but it's a good thing you did. Chances are that stubborn asshole wouldn't have even made it out of the forest without someone dragging him out of there. The mission botched, and we don't know why or how Donovan knew we were there."

Yuffie accepted the coffee with a duck of her head and took a sip, not really sure how to answer a thanks from a Turk. Her eyes flew open at the taste, and she took a tentative second sip.

Elena laughed nervously. "Oh… um, sorry. I like my coffee strong, I forgot to ask-"

"No, it's all right," Yuffie cut in. "Strong is good. At least it's not Cloud's… I swear, there's something about the Mako that made him drink the stuff like a fish… "

Elena blinked, then shook her head. "You haven't tasted Reno's coffee yet, obviously."

"… Strong?"

"In every sense of the word. If it sets to the cup, it's like cement."

"Jeez…"

They fell into a comfortable silence, the only other noise apart from the faint slurping of coffee being the slight breeze that filtered in through a partly open window. Yuffie finished her drink quickly, definitely sure she wasn't going to sleep for a while now, and placed the mug in amidst the stack of papers on the coffee table.

"Gods… I'd hate to be Reeve," she muttered.

Elena must have heard the comment, because she laughed. "More like I'd hate to be Reno. Three days away and he still has to write a detailed mission synopsis. It wouldn't have been so bad, only the mission went wrong…"

"…Sucks," Yuffie said. "When we got to the Wutaian station last time after the dragon attacked the skycab, he tried to burn the reports. I guess he's not overly fond of them, huh."

Elena's eyes visibly widened over the rim of the coffee cup, a delicate blonde eyebrow raised. "Again? He didn't tell us that! I know he's done it once, but surely…"

"It didn't work this time." Yuffie smirked. "They had a second set of insurance papers waiting for him, and locked us in the office until it was finished."

A thoughtful look passed onto the blonde Turk's face. "Perhaps I should mention that to Reeve; he always does seem to get away with some excuse for not doing paperwork. Tseng was stricter and Reno would listen to him – to a point - but Reeve… I think this time he feels a little guilty for the whole mess."

Yuffie grinned. "All right, try it, but don't tell Reno I told you because he'll kill me."

"Deal?"

Elena gripped her mug with one hand, and then extended the other one. Yuffie blinked down at the offered arrangement then took the hand, shaking it firmly before letting it go. The blonde grinned openly at her, said something about new methods, then turned back to her coffee. Yuffie dropped her hand to her lap, unable to prevent the way her grin widened at the thought. It occurred to her briefly that it was odd that she was here, on level ground with the Turks, making mundane little deals while she was supposed to be with Avalanche. But… well, did it really matter? She'd never harbored anything extremely personal against any of the Turks except Reno, for obvious reasons, and now that the whole mess with Meteor was over and they were working with Reeve on their side, what did it really matter that she'd helped them with something?

She frowned, and shoved the thoughts away. Now was not the time to think about it. Letting out a low whistle under her breath, she wrapped her arms around her knees a little tighter and moved backward so that the blonde on the other end of the sofa would have more room.

"Reno reached Midgar safely."

Yuffie fairly jumped, one hand flying out to stabilize herself on the back of the cushy chair. If it had been anyone else she would have glared up at them, but seeing as it was Rude who had just crept into the room so silently…

Elena distinctly bristled after glancing briefly at Yuffie. "Good."

"Good?" Rude returned.

"Yes, good, because when he gets back here, I'm going to kill him."

Rude shook his head slightly and walked over to the table, retrieving the two dumped cups and carrying them back up to the bench. "You know he had to go."

Elena sighed, and Yuffie caught the hard glint fade from her chocolate eyes, replaced by something a little softer. "I know, but he could have waited until he'd had some sleep."

"No he couldn't. He took the key off Donovan before he died, it's just something he had to finish off. He does as he pleases, you should know that by know."

Yuffie frowned, confused. Why had Reno gone to Midgar, anyway? By the sounds of things he had to file a report for the archives, and now that everything was over the Turks had a week of vacation to do anything they wanted. Why now? Why not wait, as Elena had said? "Why did… he go?"

The two Turks turned to face her, and Yuffie couldn't help but feel that she'd just pried into something that didn't involve her. "Sorry," she said quickly. "It's nothing to do with me."

But Elena's look changed. "No, you're wrong. It does have a little to do with you, and I'd imagine you're another reason why he left so quickly."

Yuffie blinked.

"Elena."

"Hmm?"

"Reno said to pass on to stop being so damn nosy."

"Did he now?" Elena's tone indicated she didn't care. "Well tell him that next time he has something to say, he can say it to me before he leaves."

"I'd imagine he'd have no problem with that, normally."

"Not normally, no."

"Elena."

The blonde rolled her eyes. "Fine," she sighed. "I won't be nosy, but I will tell her what's going on."

"Some, of what's going on. Some."

Yuffie looked up at Rude, watched as he picked up a turned-over chair and settled on it, facing the two of them. She met his gaze, confused. Admittedly, she did have questions, and it looked like they were willing to answer – to a point – but what did anything Reno was doing have to do with her? It wasn't like she'd even known him that long, or even knew anything about him apart from his penchant for drinking, smoking, and otherwise being an all-round pain in the ass.

"What did he tell you about Donovan, Yuffie?"

She bit her lip in concentration, then lifted her arm in a so-so gesture. "Who he was, that he was his ex-Turk partner, some of what he did, about the drug, some about the final mission and… what Donovan was planning to do."

"Anything else?"

… Ashley is dead, brat. And by the way, if you're going to go and pry into the charming little details of my life that I've been trying to fucking forget, then you'd better know that Ashley isn't a she. He's a he. Someone I got involved in the whole mess, and that I shouldn't have – just a kid…

She shrugged. "Only a little about the kid – Ashley."

Rude took his glasses off, frowning, dark eyes curious. "He told you about Ashley?"

"A little. Not much. I asked."

"I see."

"What about the key?" It seemed it was Elena's place to pick up the questions. "Did he tell you anything about it?"

Yuffie shook her head. "Nothing. What  key?"

Elena smiled, shaking her head slightly. "That seems to be where he stops telling people who pry."

"What is this… key?"

"I take it Reno didn't tell you what happened with Ashley?"

"Only that he got too close, and that he should have seen it coming. Something about seeing an opportunity and taking it… not think about the cost?"

Rude nodded somberly. "That's how Tseng explained it to me, and what he had found out from Reno. The key… was the only thing stopping him from getting to Ashley on time."

"On time?"

"He didn't tell you what happened to the kid, did he?"

"No, but-"

"You already know the drug was used on Reno for testing," Elena cut in.  "That in itself didn't turn out well. Donovan had Reno for just under a week. During that entire time, Reno was subject to not just one, but dozens of rounds of testing of the toxin. But instead of injecting it, like had been planned when Hojo had begun developing the chemical, Donovan took a sick kind of joy in using his knife. Not only that, but the idiot slashed right beside Reno's eyes – how he got his scars, I'm sure he told you that much. You see, normally a wound wouldn't scar that badly, not crimson like Reno's, like some kind of strange tattoo, especially when cured. But because of the knife, and the repetitiveness of the 'injections', as well as the drug's reaction to Mako, they healed like that.

"One day before his daily 'treatment', he was finally given food and water. The lot of good that had done him. Without anything up until then, his body hadn't been able to cope with the stress of the drug, even with Mako infusions, and he was weak. Reno hates being defenseless. As soon as he saw who was getting him food, however, and when it became apparent that these weren't because of Donovan's orders but just because Ashley had pitied him, Reno saw a way he could exploit that weakness…" Elena's voice trailed off.

"And then he broke rule number one."

Yuffie looked to Rude. "What is rule-"

"He got too close."

Elena nodded. "Instead of keeping his distance, instead of staying back and analyzing the situation for what it was, he grew too close to the kid. Ashley, who was just a gofer for Donovan, got caught trying to help Reno out – trying to make a diversion toward the end. But Reno didn't know that, and the kid, too young to know what he'd gotten himself into, told Donovan about everything that Reno had asked him about without even realising what he'd done wrong. When Reno finally got to the exit of the vents, was nearly out and was ready to gather the kid where he'd told him to wait, Donovan found him."

"Reno said… Donovan took you hostage with that knife?" Rude asked when the blonde had finished.

Yuffie nodded. "I don't remember clearly, it's all a blur, but… yes. Before I pushed him away, made him trip, and before Reno tackled him…"

"Well that's what Donovan did with Ashley," Elena continued. "Reno was still under the effects of the drug, and by the time he'd realised what had happened Donovan had the knife to the kid's throat, and Reno had been restrained. Before he could do anything else Donovan cut him a 'deal'." The blonde scoffed at the word, and Yuffie's eyes widened slightly.

"Cutting through all the chitchat Donovan probably gave Reno, he basically made him choose. When Reno refused, Donovan set further terms, if not slightly crueler ones."

"What kind of terms?"

Rude scowled, the first really negative expression she'd ever seen appear on his face. Even in battle he'd been so calm, so blank, but now he seemed genuinely annoyed. "Donovan said since testing the drug on Mako-injected patients had proved to work a little too well, he'd try it on something else. From what we can gather, Donovan cut Ashley with his laced knife. After that… well, the kid was placed in a large box - the coffin that had been meant for Reno, apparently, had the experiments failed – and it was locked shut. As if that wasn't bad enough, Donovan set terms for the kid's release – terms Reno could never have agreed to even if he'd wanted to – and when that didn't work Donovan loaded the casket up onto the back of a truck and drove it down to the plate - to the salvage yards in the slums."

"Which plate? In Midgar?" Yuffie asked, catching the look in Elena's eyes. "Do you mean-"

"Sector Seven."

Yuffie felt a cold pit of realization form in the base of her stomach, and her blood ran cold. "But Reno was the one that… "

"Blew up the plate there?"

"… Yeah. Why would he…"

"He didn't have a choice then, or before that; to a Turk orders are supposed to be orders. The scrapheap under sector seven, the one where Donovan sent Ashley, was still operating at the time. Donovan was a little too fond of games. Shortly after the kid had been taken away, Donovan gave Reno a key, and told him to 'catch up with the brat before he gets pounded into a pulp by the metal compressor'. If he got the kid out, they both went free. If not, then… well, you can guess for yourself – it was just the one of them walking away."

Yuffie felt her already wide eyes bug out, and horror filled her. "How… did he…?"

"Make it there?" Elena shrugged, a bitter expression on her face. "He made it all right, despite the fact that he'd been forced to walk. But Donovan had been a little too snide. The key we mentioned? There were two of them, and both were needed for the coffin. Reno already held one – the one he'd been given - but the other Donovan kept around his neck. Reno didn't even find out until it was too late that there were two."

"You mean… this second key is the one that he snatched off Donovan last night? He didn't get the other key…"

"As Elena said," Rude cut in. "He didn't even get the chance. When that was over… Tseng found him by the plate. Donovan had just left him."

Yuffie lowered her eyes, and her hand raised to run over the faint pink scar across her collarbone in a morbid kind of fascination, then lifting to trace the now nonexistent gash on her cheek. It all seemed like some kind of sick, twisted fairy tale, and no matter the kind of person she knew Reno could be, this was a different man they were talking about. It was almost more than she wanted to know, despite it all.

Almost.

She looked up. "Ashley died… even though he tried, didn't he?"

Elena nodded. "He learnt the wrong way – the hardest way possible, that as a Turk it's best to trust only yourself. To not get close. It didn't help that he'd only been a Turk for a year, that he was just out of training."

"So Sector Seven was because… "

Rude shook his head, and Elena glanced at him briefly before doing the same. "I think that's up to Reno for discussion. You'll have to ask him sometime, though he most likely won't tell you. There are some things that are best left buried, and that is perhaps one of those things. He's already going to kill us for telling you that much."

Yuffie nodded, feeling mildly dazed. Even without the prospect of Sector Seven's demise, the trickery that Reno had endured was confusing, to say the least, and strangely… tragic. It was strange, to think that something like that could happen to a man who hadn't had anything to lose to begin with. But then again, as she'd told herself earlier, there had to be a reason for it all, and who was she to know…

"He said he was tying up loose ends," Yuffie said after a moment, slowly. "Donovan and Ashley, and going to Midgar… he's finishing it all off, isn't he? Getting rid of everything, like Donovan was trying to do."

A nod in reply. "Did he say something to you about it?"

"No, to Donovan right before… right before he killed him. I don't think I was supposed to hear it."

"It's what he told Tseng, too, after it all happened."

Yuffie was about to say something, about to ask a question, when a loud, demanding knock resonated through the room. Yuffie blinked, startled, watching as Rude and Elena again shared a knowing glance. "Reeve?" she asked after a second.

"No, he's in his room catching up on phone calls. I'd wager that those are your aides."

Yuffie felt a wave of joy fill her, then almost immediately after, a wave of mild panic. They were right, that was Staniv's knock. The thoughts of Reno and the events she'd gotten herself tangled up in were temporarily pushed to the back of her mind as Rude got up to open the door as the knocking grew more insistent. And louder. She winced, realising the lecture that was coming, and realising that in coming home like this she'd merely traded one life-threatening situation for another.

Author's Notes: Well, yes… another chapter… again, a little slow… But it was necessary to tie it off. Again, as promised, it's next-day posting! The thirteenth and final chapter will be posted tomorrow.

Eternal Wanderer: Yeah, Reno can be an asshole… but I felt it was necessary, as you said, to relieve some of his tension. It's been a tough right for the both of them (no pun intended) and it was about time for an ice-breaker. We'll see what you think of the character development… Though the last chapter will truly tie in with that, and any possible sequel, depending on interpretation. Thanks for the compliment on my (only recently-renewed) update speed – I'm glad to see some people appreciate it, and it is always a good feeling to get a longish story complete relatively quickly. Thanks for reviewing!

Tijuana Pirate: Haha… yeah, it occurred to me to put the warning at the start of the chapter about the added length… but then I thought, 'no, I'll give them a fright'. Obviously, it worked slightly, even if it was amusing only for me. Lol. I can be a bit like that sometimes… my apologies. Hrm… capitalising the Reffie relationship. Well, we'll see when we get to the ending, and when there is talk of a sequel… we'll see also. I can't really say anything without giving it away, but I'm sure you'll know what I mean when I get there. I'm glad you enjoyed my characterisations of the others – I had hoped to keep them similar, if not a little more in-depth, than their brief appearances in Word of Mouth, so it is good to see that that effort is appreciated. And sorry for the uber-long 'overview' but I felt it was necessary after such a long period of confusion – I also wanted to show Elena, Rude, and Reeve's reactions toward it. Thank you for your lovely reviews – they're always thorough, and they're a great booster to my big head.

Alixen: Thank you for your review, and no worries, suggestions and criticism are always appreciated! Regarding your first point – their difference from the game – I decided that I would make the appearance of the characters more human. I'm not saying that I'm trying to turn them into a bunch of babies, but during the game we never really got inside their heads. I always perceived the characters in the game, and in the fandom, to be two quite different things – simply because in fanfiction we have the opportunity to make them less linear. In Word of Mouth, it was Yuffie that was threatened, in Smoke and Shattered Mirrors, it is dealing with Reno's past, as well as their relationship. Collaberating any story, and dealing with the characters in relation to emotions and physical strength in any way compared to the game, is going to bring them down a notch. However, this also ties in with your second point regarding Avalanche. In my head, I see Cloud and Reno as being as stubborn as each other… But I also don't like characters being infalliable – it helps to give a reader something to be able to relate to, as well as giving a character a weakness; which is what my two stories have also dealt with so far. And as to your third point… Reno and Yuffie getting together… Yes, it is a definite, but sometimes it is just all a matter of when… I hope you like this chapter!

Again, thank you for you reviews, and your patience. See you all next update for the last chapter (tomorrow)!

Ealinesse (who doesn't want to end this fic. )