ShinRa

By: Quistis & Xu

Disclaimer: We don't own anything but our minds and our own sanities.

Authors' Notes: This is the Sequel to "Diary of the First Lady" by General Quistis.

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Chapter 10: Elena

            Reno let out a belch after drinking a can of root beer. "Well, this ain't real beer but I'll get used to it… for this trip only…" he said with a pleased tone before turning his gaze to the woman seated beside him. "So, would you like some?" he asked.

Tifa turned back to him and raised an eyebrow. She looked away. "I don't like carbonated beverages, they ruin my diet." She fibbed with a low tone.

Cliff rolled his eyes as he shook his head in disbelief. "Of all the passengers that could sit with us, why him?" he thought miserably, dreading every moment that passed by as long as Reno was in their booth.

"Okay, you don't have to be too cynical." Reno stated with a keen smile on his face as he placed the can of root beer on the floor beside him.

"I don't see anything cynical from what she said," Cliff stated flatly while keeping his eye on Reno.

"Oh, so you're awake? What's your name?" Reno asked, turning to Cliff with a cool look on his face.

"Cliff." The young man replied with a stiff tone.

"I see…" Reno said, thinking of something more to say.

"This is so out of character for him… why is he so talkative?" Tifa thought silently as she stared at Reno's reflection on the glass window.

"So, where are you working?" Cliff asked.

"Good kid… he's probing him…" Tifa realized as she turned her gaze to Cliff.

Cliff quickly gave her a reassuring look that he would do anything to make Reno ignore her.

"None of your business, kid." Reno said as he leaned back on the seat.

"ShinRa?" Cliff asked.

Reno stared at him for a while. "Yeah." He replied.

"What position? Are you the general?" Cliff asked with an inquiring tone.

Reno did not bother to answer the question but he just started to count the money inside his wallet and then see whether the blank checks are in order, but upon closing the wallet, a small picture of a woman fell off from inside. Cliff caught a quick glimpse at the photo and his eyes grew wide in surprise. "Who's that?" he asked as Reno reached down to the floor to pick it up.

"No one in particular." Reno replied.

Cliff began to think and then stood up. "Oh well… I'm going to buy a drink over there…" he said before he left.

Tifa wondered what was going on in the boy's head.

Reno sighed heavily as he took one last look at the picture of the blonde woman and then placed it inside his wallet again.

After five minutes, Cliff returned with 20 cans of beer.

Tifa's eyes grew wide behind her dark glasses as she saw the 20 cans of beer. Cliff placed the 20 cans beside him as soon as he sat down.

Reno was staring at him unbelievably. "They have beer?" he asked.

"Yeah. I got 20 because I thought I needed a drink or something… want some?" Cliff asked with a calm smile on his face.

Tifa just crossed her arms and looked away.

Reno got a can of beer, pulled off the tab and began to drink, literally gulping down its contents.

Cliff offered him more after he finished one and another, while he barely drank his share. While Reno wasn't looking, Cliff got a tablet from his pocket and dropped it inside the can that he was supposed to be drinking. He began to shake it carefully as Reno finished the 19th can. After he did so, Reno belched again and let out a loud laugh.

Cliff smiled calmly at him and offered him the spiked drink. "Hey, I didn't finish mine. Want to have it?" he asked.

Reno eagerly took it and gulped down its contents in a matter of seconds. "Thanks, kid." He said.

"Don't mention it, sir." Cliff replied with an eager smile on his face before turning to Tifa and giving her a wink.

Tifa finally realized that Cliff was going to do some interrogation. "This kid's good…" she realized with a slight smile on her face.

"Hey, you know what?" Reno asked, leaning forward and patting Cliff's shoulder.

Cliff still managed to have a straight face as he looked at Reno. "What?" he asked, pretending to care.

Reno smiled at him. "The girl in the photo is the one that I really love so much…" he said.

"Really?" Cliff asked.

Tifa turned to Reno and studied him. "He's very drunk… I wonder what Cliff did to his drink…" she thought silently.

"Well then, what's her name?" Cliff continued.

"Elena," Reno replied before he finally collapsed to the floor.

Cliff and Tifa were silent as they observed whether he could still move or not. Finally, after 10 minutes of silence, they looked at each other. "That was a really mean trick, but I congratulate you," she told him with a proud smile.

Cliff shrugged. "No problem, Mrs. ShinRa." He said with a proud smile as he bent down to get all the blank checks from Reno and placed everything inside his pockets.

"Next stop, Nibelheim," the announcer said.

"Finally!" Tifa said.

After five more minutes, the train stopped.

Cliff and Tifa got off the train, leaving Reno there, sleeping soundly.