'Elena should have been back by now.' Rude frowned as he leaned against the metal railings glancing up at the cloudless sky.

'Maybe she got sick of you and moved on to Tseng. I mean our little Elena loves to climb the career ladder.' Reno teased pulling his ear away from the door, where he'd been listening to Rufus giving Cloud 'the speech'. Rude didn't dignify the red head with a response instead he glanced down at his watch.

Reno was bored monumentally bored and he wanted someone to play with, frowning a little he wondered how he could get a rise out of his partner.

'She probably has you know, Tseng is just one rung down from the boss and you know how the boss and Elena use to get on they use to get on real well.' Reno grinned his eyes flashing mischievously as he spoke.

'Can it Reno, I'm one step from pushing you over the edge of this cliff.' Glancing down at the sheer drop bellow them Reno gulped hard; he didn't like the sound of that.

'Relax Rude I'm just messing with you besides I don't think Tseng's interests run that way if you know what I mean.' Rude said nothing going back to his characteristic shrug; he'd heard things like that about Tseng before. However relaxing was one thing that he couldn't do not when he remembered the torch Elena had always carried for the leader of the Turks.

'I'm not interested…' The sound of Cloud's voice floated through the door causing Reno and Rude to glance at each other in concern.

'I'm going in there, someone needs to do something.' The young red haired man motioned moving towards the door jumping before he had a chance to think his actions through as always, reaching out Rude caught him by the fabric of his creased shirt.

'Let the boss handle this, he's got a plan.'

'The boss has always got a god-damn plan Rude; the problem is will it work.'

'I'm not going to beg for you help Cloud.' Rufus motioned his voice as cold and clinical as ever.

'I wouldn't expect you to.' Cloud whispered turning his back on his old advisory who'd been reduced to a wheel chair.

'I'm sorry you know,' Rufus called out as he watched Cloud turn and start to walk away. Cloud stopped suddenly in his tracks 'sorry' was a word he'd never expected to hear from the ex-Shinra president.

'…I'm sorry for the pain I caused you and yours.' Cloud wished that Tifa and the other AVALANCHE had been around to hear Rufus' apology.

'I'm still not interested.' He breathed enjoying the rush of power that he felt as he turned the ex-president of Shinra down. Turning on his heels Cloud pushed the door of the lodge open coming suddenly face to face with Reno and Rude.

'I'm leaving.' He announced coolly, glancing past Cloud Reno looked for reassurance from his boss.

'It's alright Reno, you and Rude can take Cloud back to Rocket town now.' From the way that Rufus said it, it was clear that his plan had failed and that Cloud hadn't agreed to help them.

'But Sir I…'

'Take Cloud back to Rocket town, now.' Rufus ordered without even raising his voice he managed to strike fear into the two men who worked for him. He still had his edge.

'Yes Sir.' Reno sulked his head falling a little as he closed the door to the lodge, he'd never questioned Rufus discussions before it wasn't his placed but this time he through that the way his boss was handling things was wrong. There was a lot more at stake now not just their lives, Cloud was weak he had three weakness and in Reno's opinion all they had to do was drive to edge and pick them up. It wasn't about being the nice guy Reno wasn't a nice guy it was about results at any cost.

'Reno, why don't you start the chopper I'm gonna call Elena before we leave.' Rude informed passing the keys to the helicopter to the red head who simply shrugged still sulking. Following Reno Cloud passed Rude who was dialing numbers into his mobile phone. Pausing for a moment Rude listened to the sound of the ringing hearing the pause at it clicked into Elena's machine her phone was off alarm bells suddenly started to ring in his head her phone was never off she even answered it to Reno. In the pit of his stomach he knew that something was wrong it had felt wrong for hours, silencing the feelings that he felt he suddenly remember where she was and the fact that in the creator she probably couldn't get a signal so her phone would still be on Elena would still be safe. Kicking himself Rude frowned realizing what a fool he had almost made of himself and what Reno's response to his sudden panic would have been he would never have been able to live it down.

'Hi Lena it's me, umm I'll see you later okay.' Mentally he kicked himself again what kind of a message was that he sounded more like a stalker than a…her…boyfriend?

The buzzing in his pocket had started to annoy Cloud pulling his mobile phone out he answered it curtly expecting it to be Tifa knowing that when he got back they'd have another row over the way that he spoke to her.

'You've left me thirty messages already what is it Tiff?'

'Tifa, know it's me Cloud it's Barrett.' Raising his eyebrows Cloud could tell from Barrett's subdued tone of voice that something was wrong.

'Barrett is it Cid…Tifa or the kids?'

'No Cloud its Marlene and Diesel they've gone when I got back…they've been taken man just like Shera and Molly.'

'Elymra?' The blonde warrior question, his voice thick with a mixture of worry and confusion.

'No they didn't take her she's fine her with me.' In the background Cloud could hear Elymra's sobbing he hadn't heard her cry like that since…

'Cloud, what am I going to do?' He didn't have an answer he thoughts were somewhere else.

'Tifa.' He whispered softly under his breath concern suddenly gripping him for his wife and his own children. They'd be okay as long as they stayed together; Yuffie was there they'd be okay.

'I need to go home now, take me to Edge.' Cloud shouted out to Reno who nodded mutely.

'Thanks for holding the fort, Yuffie.' Tifa smiled as she strapped Zack and Aeris into their pushchair.

'It's not a problem Tifa it's not like I've got anything better to do.'

'We can have that talk when I get back from the market.' Tifa motioned as she straightened up smiling at the young Ninja whose eyes suddenly fell at the mention of a 'talk'.

'You'll be the centre of attention don't act like you won't love it.' Tifa giggled trying to promote a smile from Yuffie, she didn't smile.

'Any problems call me okay, and call me if Cloud gets back.'

'You guys aren't going to fight again are you?' Yuffie questioned, frowning as she felt her eyes starting to water.

'I hope not.' Tifa answered the question truthfully.