Elena spent close to four hours running around different stores, frantically obtaining everything she thought she would need for her trip to Garin. By the time she returned to her small apartment, she was exhausted.

Scanning over the list she had made prior to shopping, she was convinced she hadn't forgotten anything. She had bought a few outdoorsy outfits and an array of camping accessories. She looked at the clothes she'd bought, and put on a light blue tee shirt and a pair of cutoff jean shorts.

Mussing up her normally immaculate hair into a disarray of blonde locks, and pulling on a pair of hiking boots over a pair of white socks, she looked at the reflection in her floor length mirror. Nodding to herself in approval, she went to her bathroom to take a hot shower.

After Elena had left, there really wasn't much else Tseng, Reno or Rude could do. The lab tests on the letter would take at least another day, and so little was known about AGP that there wasn't even any research to do. As night began to fall, Reno and Rude walked out to the parking deck together, ready to go home. Rude could sense that something was bothering Reno, but her couldn't tell exactly what was on his mind. He decided against asking, knowing that Reno trusted him enough to talk to him on his own.

Their footfalls echoed ominously in the empty parking deck. After a few minutes, they reached Reno's parking spot.

"'Night, Reno," said Rude. He turned to walk to his car, but stopped as he felt Reno's hand grab the crook of his arm. Rude turned around, facing his friend.

"What's up, Reno?" Rude's eyes widened behind his sunglasses as he saw the genuine concern in Reno's face. Even when Reno was fleeing death, he never showed any sign of worry.

Reno looked away. "You think she's going to be okay?"

Rude tilted his head. "Elena?"

"...Yeah."

Rude nodded. "I think she'll be fine."

"She's kind of like a little sister to all of us, 'ya know?"

"Is that why you tease her so much?"

Reno hung his head. "Do you think I ever really hurt her feelings?"

Rude pondered the question. There were a few times that the two would get into a name calling spat and Reno would deal her a low blow. Elena would excuse herself to the back washroom, emerging a few minutes later, sniffling with slightly red eyes. But it seemed the rookie Turk had grown accustomed to Reno's caustic attitude, and began to throw back insults just as mean and nasty as his.

"Nah, Reno. She just wasn't used to it. She was an only child who grew up on the outside. It's better she be a little more jaded and a little less naïve, especially in this job."

"I tried to apologize to her this afternoon. For teasing her about Tseng."

"...And?"

"I ended up saying 'good luck'. Smooth, huh?"

"I'll bet she knew what you meant."

Reno looked up. "You think so?"

"Yeah. Every time I screw up the computer and I try to explain what happened, she knows exactly what I'm trying to say before I even finish."

"Geez, Rude, what do you expect? She's got a degree in computer stuff. Of course she knows what you're talking about when it relates to computers."

Rude shrugged. "So tell her again."

"When does she leave?"

"As soon as she gets to work tomorrow."

Reno paused as his face lit up. "Thanks, man. Hey, I'll see you tomorrow!" With that, Reno slapped Rude on the arm and quickly walked back to the Shinra building.

Rude shook his head as he headed towards his car. "What was that all about?" he asked himself. Pulling a key from his pocket, he got in his car and headed home.

Reno raced up to his desk and looked around for a piece of paper. There were empty paper cups, a magic eight ball, a tie, a paperclip chain, and lots of used papers, but no blank pieces.

Looking around, he noticed the notepad on Tseng's orderly desk. Ripping of a piece of the paper, he began his note, right underneath the embossed Shinra logo. After scrawling his note, he stapled it shut and addressed it to Elena. Leaving it on Tseng's desk, along with another note, asking him to give it to her before she left, he finally left the building satisfied.

Elena arrived back at work the next morning with butterflies in her stomach. She was a combination of nervousness, excitement, edginess and anxiety. Taking a deep breath as the elevator neared her floor, she tried to put her emotions aside and look professional.

Tseng was leaning against the wall near the elevator waiting for Elena. He pushed himself off to greet her as the chime rang. Holding back a smile, he gave the rookie a once-over; she had on a dull blue tee shirt with the sleeves rolled up, a fringy pair of blue jean shorts, a large pair of hiking shoes, and her hair looked like she had slept on it wet and hadn't even bothered to comb it out.

"Nice work, Elena."

"All she needs a sign that says, 'Save the Planet' on it," said Rude from his desk.

"I'm sure that the AGP will provide her with one," laughed Tseng. He glanced at the clock and his smile fell. "Are you ready?"

Elena nodded, anxiety overwhelming her again. Tseng pressed the button on the elevator and the doors opened.

Rude leapt up from his desk and half jogged to Elena. "Take care of yourself, Elena," said Rude as he held out his hand.

Elena reached up and put her hand in Rude's. "Thanks!" she smiled.

Tseng and Elena stepped into the elevator and made their way to the private Shinra airfield in the back of the building. Tseng turned, giving her last minute instructions.

"Your plane should be ready by now. It will take you to Gongaga, and from there, you're on your own. Garin is about a mile northwest. There will be a map in the plane, but you shouldn't have any trouble finding it. Here's an alpha-numeric pager. If you ever need to get in contact with me, use this." Elena took the pager and placed it in the twine bag she was carrying.

They got off the elevator and walked outside to a small plane. Two Shinra employees stood by it; one loaded Elena's small suitcase on the plane as the other made one last check on the plane. Suddenly Tseng remembered the letter in his pocket.

"Oh, Reno left this on my desk for you." Tseng held out the folded piece of paper.

"What is it?"

"I didn't read it. It was just on my desk this morning with a note from him asking me to give it to you."

As Elena took the note from Tseng, her hand brushed up against his. Against his better judgment, Tseng placed his hands on her shoulders and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. He looked her in the eye for a few seconds before quietly whispering, "Please be careful."

Gazing up at Tseng with eyes wide and her mouth agape, she tried to answer him, but nothing came out. Nodding mutely, Tseng smiled and stepped back, quickly breaking the moment for Elena. She snapped out of her trance and regained her composure. "Yes, sir!"

Without looking back, she boarded the small jet and buckled herself into the seat.

The plane taxied out to a runway, and they began their ascent, high into the south west sky. Once the plane was level, she remembered the note Tseng had given her. She ripped the stapled piece of paper open and looked at it. There was no doubt in her mind that it was, in fact, from Reno. The sloppy handwriting and numerous scribbled-out mistakes were a telltale signature of the redhead. Smiling as she shook her head, she began to read.

"Elena- Yesterday in the elevator, I meant to apologize for some of the things I've said to you during the past few weeks. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, ever. I never really had a family, and I guess I kind of adopted you as the little sister I never had. Good luck, and be careful. It would be too much trouble to have to go out and find another surrogate little sister. Your hunk of flaming hotness, Reno. P.S. If you ever mention this letter to anyone, I will hunt you down."

Elena set the letter in her lap as she stared out the window into the sky. She knew he had meant to say this to her yesterday.

'It must have been bothering him pretty bad to make him write this,' she thought. Folding the note back up, she neatly put it into her bag.

Rene Shinra had no idea where she was. Her hands were tied behind her back and there was a thick blindfold covering her eyes. She guessed she was in some type of cell; she could feel the cold cement against her back and hear the empty echoing of a leak, rhythmically dripping into a puddle. She didn't even know what time it was; as best as she could guess, it had been at least twenty-four hours since she was taken from the guesthouse.

Shivering, she pulled her knees closer to her chest as she heard a door open and heavy footstep walk her way.

"Ah, you're awake. Don't worry. Your uncle knows what to do. As soon as the Garin reactor is torn down, we'll give you a one way ticket outta here."

Any hope Rene had quickly dissolved after hearing that. She remembered how Shinra scientists had known there was an impressive mako site around the Garin area, and how long it had taken the company to pinpoint the best site. Her uncle wasn't one to let years of effort and many millions of gil go down the drain so easily. Resting her chin on her knees, she sat in her cell, the epitome hopelessness.