6

Lovesick

The children stalked off with the contents of both Reno's and Yuffie's pockets, but with the same number of bullets that they left with. Reno gathered the petite ninja up into his arms and solemnly carried her back to the hotel. He took her up to her room, the Children had at least left her the room keys, which he prized from her pocket and struggled to open the lock as Yuffie's slumped form was filling his arms. Once the door was open he set her down in her bed, shaking out his arms, she was heavier than she looked. The dart still stuck out from her arm, a little trickle of blood had ran down her arm from the wound, but other than that it seemed to have not caused much damage.

"Must be poisoned or drugged…" he muttered out loud "…at least she's quiet for once." He looked down to her sleeping form, she looked so peaceful. He guessed the dart was drugged rather than poisoned, given the few seconds the stuff took to knock her out and she wasn't dead, so it wasn't snake venom or anything. He plucked the dart out from her arm and checked her temperature using the back of his hand on her forehead. She wasn't cold or hot, so he had to assume she was just drugged and would wake in a few hours. His eyes fell onto her mini bar, a smile crept onto his lips and he leant down, opening the clear door and grabbing some ice-cold beer. He collapsed into the chair and used his teeth as a bottle opener, spitting the metal top out and taking a much-deserved swig. Once he was nicely settled he fished around in his pockets for the cigarettes that the children had left with him. He lit up and took a long, satisfying drag, narrowing his eyes as he did so. Three cigarettes and two beers later and he finally stood up, opening Yuffie's door and disappearing downstairs to the bar.

It was fairly busy again; none of his co-workers were about though. Despite Reno being the one who had got most seriously wounded he was the only one now not in bed recovering from his injuries. Originally he intended to ask more questions about the Children, but he had got distracted with beer once he was sat at the bar.

An hour, maybe more passed by, he had lost track of time really, a figure came over and sat next to him.

"You all right?" A feminine voice asked him, he snapped his head up and met eye to eye with Jennin.

"No actually. Your little friends have not only almost killed me and my little friends today, but have also mugged me of a majority of my possessions and knocked out the last remaining member of the team I am travelling with." It was more the fact he had fallen for the girl who seemed to be in the middle of this whole Children thing that pissed him off. But he couldn't help how he felt towards her, his heart rate had already doubled and palms got clammy against the cool pint he was clutching with her being so close to him.

She lay a soft hand on his shoulder, "I really am sorry Reno. The Children are hard to control sometimes, there are many of us, and word doesn't travel as fast as it should…" A soft, but bitter chuckle rose into his throat, he didn't like being played for a fool.

"You seem pretty good at communicating with one another from what I saw. You don't even need to open your mouth.

"–And don't look at me like you don't know I'm talking about, it's no light feat getting into the Turks, we do need to pass a string of intelligence tests." There was a short pause while Jennin looked deeply into the bottom of the drink she was clutching.

"I suppose I wouldn't fall for a guy who wasn't intelligent enough to pick that up. But so what, it takes energy to communicate telepathically. We only do it in front of Inferiors and in emergencies." The first part of what she said struck a cord with him, she'd fallen for him? The child like excitement he suddenly felt was difficult to push down.

"There's that word again, Inferiors. What do you mean by that?" He was surprised that he wasn't actually angry with her, how could he be? She was too perfect to get angry at.

"I have said too much. I am sorry Reno, but I'm not supposed to talk to anyone about the ways of The Indigo Children. I came here to see you. As far as I'm concerned you and me need not let The Children complicate our friendship. Let's just have fun together hey?" He found himself nodding rather than demanding she get his and Yuffies materia back as the logical side of his brain screamed out he should be doing. Instead he found himself dancing with her again as the music had got louder and the dance floor cleared.

How was it that every woman before her had failed to make him feel as alive as Jennin made him? The blood pumped round his body like an electric current and his stomach felt light and fluffy as she stroked his pale cheek and pressed her body close to his. She nibbled at his ears again, which sent him crazy for her; she muttered soft words into his ears as she did so and he gripped her tighter to him.

"Let's go for a walk." He let her pull away from him. If he was honest with himself, he'd much rather continue dancing close to her with her gently nibbling his earlobe whispering sweet nothings into his ear than go for a walk, but he found himself gripping her hand and being led out of the bar into the fresh night air. She slipped an arm around his waist and he did the same back to her as they walked in silence. As they walked together he tried to remember the last time he had just been close to a woman in such an innocent way. He couldn't remember, he wouldn't usually be this into a woman unless she was undressing herself in front of him. But now he walked arm in arm with this girl and he felt twice what he felt for any other woman.

They came to a stop at the edge of the forest; Jennin sat down and beckoned him down to join her. She lay flat on her back, looking up at the stars

"Aren't they beautiful?" She sighed happily. Reno had to admit; the sky was pretty at night out in the country where no street lamps hazed the view.

"Reno…Where did you grow up?" Usually he wasn't someone who talked openly to anyone about his past. His past brought up memories he'd rather leave in the back of his mind, hidden away. But somehow Jennin brought it all out of him. He began telling her all about growing up in the slums of Midgar, his mother dying, not even knowing who his father was… and for once he didn't feel as bitter about it as he had done before. Because it was behind him now, the past was in the past; the future was all that mattered now. He was about to ask her about her past. But he saw she had drifted into sleep. A soft smile appeared on his lips as he lovingly smoothed a stray hair away from her eyes and kissed her cheek softly, lying down beside her and snuggling into her, quickly having sleep wash over him.

When he woke the next morning the sun streamed through the trees nearby and the birds chattered in dawn chorus. Jennin was crouched at a fire, holding a stick that had meat and plants stuffed onto it.

"Morning Reno. I'm just making breakfast. Freshly caught Mu and some beets I found growing nearby." He chuckled to himself lightly, she was a tough nut. Part of him would have rather gone back to the hotel to get some cereal, but the soft part of him that he never knew existed till now wanted to spend as much time around Jennin as possible.

It wasn't as bad as he thought it might be, the meat was tender and moist and the beets were sweet tasting. They sat by the fire as the sun slowly crept up further in the sky, Reno couldn't think of anywhere he'd rather be, everything was just perfect for once in his life. He felt like someone else whilst he was with Jennin, he felt younger somehow, more innocent; she helped him forget who he really was.

"Where do you live Jennin? With all those kids?" She nodded, not wanting to say more on the subject.

"What do you do with your life then? Look after them all?" He had leant back on his elbows feeling full and content.

"The Children look after themselves. I survive, that's what I do; catching food and foraging for herbs and medicines. Surviving in the wild is a full time job."

"Why don't you live in a town then?"

"I did once. As a kid. In the slums like you…" She cocked her head to one side like a bird might hold its head, staring intently at him, making him feel a little uncomfortable. What was she thinking?

"Reno…have you done anything you truly regret in your life?" That was an odd question to ask a Turk, or at least Reno thought it was. Perhaps here out in the forest she didn't know what the Turks really did.

"Of course I have."

"I mean really regret, one thing that stands out over all the smaller regrets?" There was something he did regret over all the other things he had been made to do in his job. But he was so ashamed of this he couldn't even bring himself to tell Jennin he had even done it in the first place.

"I have too many regrets to list them all now. Why do you ask?" Her eyes were narrowed and lips pressed together as if she were angry with him for not answering. But a smile replaced the dark looks and she shrugged.

"No reason." She stood and stretched, "I should get going Reno. But I'll see you later though yeah?" He scrambled to his feet in a fluster, not wanting her to go.

"Er, yeah." She stepped towards him and gently slipped a hand behind his head, caressing his hair as she leant close to him and pressed her lips against his, he kissed back, warmth filling his body as he closed his eyes and let the rush of excitement and attraction he felt for her wash over him. She pulled back and rushed off leaving Reno alone like a lovesick puppy. He cursed to himself in anger at getting soft and doused the fire, scattering the ashes and heading back to Mideel.

Elena was still asleep when he went back to the hotel at about lunchtime; he sat beside her and lightly shook her, concerned he'd have to buy Phoenix down after all. Relief spread over him when she stirred.

"Hey 'Lena." He smiled as she groaned and shifted her position in the bed to get more comfortable. "Are you still alive? You've been out long enough! I thought I was gunna have to sell my body just to get enough money to buy you a Phoenix down…" He waited for a reply, but she just groaned some more. "Yeah that's right, I got robbed, that includes my wallet. So did Yuffie. I better go and see how she is, she's gunna be pissed, they took all her materia. Serves the little brat right really." He thought Elena probably could do with a little longer resting, but at least she wasn't unconscious anymore. He had been beginning to worry that he would be alone for the rest of their stay in Mideel. 'What am I thinking!' he thought to himself as he closed Elena's door and went across the hall to Yuffie's room, 'I'd rather be alone than have to put up with these losers I've been thrown together with. I'd probably get this mission completed easier on my own.' But he was already stooping over Yuffie's slumbering form, poking her. She did not stir as easily as Elena had, in the end he decided a few more hours in blissful Yuffieless peace would do him some good. He sauntered out of her room, and crossed over to Cid's door, knocking on it.

"PISS OFF! I'm trying to get some FUCKING rest!" Reno raised a brow and stepped away from the door, guessing that Cid was probably fine.

Reno spent the remainder of this day asking questions of Mideel people who came into the hotel bar, but learnt nothing more than he knew already: People died and slipped into comas, the Children mugged and robbed almost every night and they seemed to be much stronger than any one in Mideel. Reno was a little concerned that they were too strong for himself, his fellow Turk and the two AVALANCHE members with them. As yet he had no clue why they were there and what was being planned.

Jennin stayed true to her word and saw him again, implanting her into his thoughts even deeper, yet their physical relationship did not go beyond hugs, kisses and one or two wondering hands. It was this that surprised Reno the most, she had been in his thoughts constantly for the last three days and he had neither slept with her, nor got bored of her. For him this was a long term relationship he was in, and it scared him a little that he could grow so attached to one woman so quickly.

The next day was almost exclusively spent with her, just talking, kissing, embracing and enjoying one another's company in the fields surrounding the town. To his disappointment she had to go 'home' in the afternoon.

He went back to the hotel to find that Cid was finally downstairs again and Yuffie was no where to be seen. Reno hoped she hadn't been stupid enough to seek out the materia that had been stolen from her, but somehow suspected that was where she had gone. By the late evening Elena was sat at the bar with him having only just got out of bed.

"Reno." He looked round, recognising that smooth sounding voice to be Jennin's. A large smile crept onto his face as he embraced her, his stomach turning to mush again.

"Do you wanna come for a walk?" She asked, already taking his hand and pulling him towards her. He parted his lips, wanting nothing more than to spend the evening with her, but duty called to him now his associates were finally mobile again. He looked over to Cid and then Elena, almost to ask their permission to go with her. Cid turned his nose up and buried his glare in his pint, but Elena gave him what he wanted, a little nod and light squeeze on the arm.

"You go off and have a good time…" He smiled in thanks and pulled away, she called him back once he was a little way from the bar.

"Hang on a sec" he asked Jennin, quickly returning to see what she might want. She put her head close to his and whispered in his ear.

"Be careful Reno. And try and find out something useful this time eh?" He scowled at her and returned to Jennin. Jennin had been right, it was better if their relationship didn't get tangled with The Indigo Children. Hell, he knew that was selfish as far as the Turks and AVALANCHE would be concerned, but he had a life to lead and he wasn't about to ditch the first person he ever felt worth being around for long periods of time for the Shinra.

They walked for a long time, into the forest and onward further, deeper into the trees. They occupied the time with gentle conversation and occasional kisses and the odd hug. Sounds that did not belong to a forest at night started to drift into his ears, and lights began to shine through the trees. He furrowed his brows and looked down to Jennin.

"Where are we going?" She split off from their arm in arm embrace and walked beside him with a glint in her eye and a smirk he had not seen her use before.

"Home, Reno. My home. I have some things I want to make clear to you." She came to a halt at about a hundred yards from where the sound of chattering children and drums beats came from.

"First, I need to know, how do you really feel about me? Be honest now, none of this cold, hard Turk exterior."

He sighed, not really wanting to expose his inner feelings that had never been exposed to anyone before. It felt odd, telling her those things, like he was somehow naked in front of a gang of strangers, it made him feel vulnerable in a way he had never felt before. But she was about to show him her home where the Indigo Children were, he felt that she was sacrificing things she had promised to herself to keep secret, it was only right he do the same.

As he told her how he felt, that he had fallen head over heels for her, that she made him feel so alive and free and hopeful for the future, her smirk grew. He brushed it off as paranoia after putting his feelings out in the open as she led him towards the sounds, towards her home and The Indigo Children.

TBC…

Authors note: If anyone out there is reading this could you please review! Cheers. Izzia.