Reno was still staring at the green glow in the distance, arms crossed, when his mobile rang. He fished his phone out of his pocket and flipped it open.
"Yo."
"We're refuelled and ready to transport Tseng."
"All right." Reno snapped his phone shut. "Rude, Johnny… let's go."
The two men followed Reno back to the clinic. Elena was still sitting beside Tseng looking tense and somewhat pale.
"What are you worrying yourself for, Elena? Tseng is going to be fine." Reno said.
Elena's jaw went rigid and she didn't reply. Reno had a few words with the doctor then they moved Tseng onto a stretcher and wheeled him out. As they left Mideel people peered out at them from their tents. The Turks took Tseng to the Gelnika II and, with the help of the co-pilot, got Tseng inside and settled on one of the couches.
"We'll have to strap him down while we take off." The co-pilot said.
"Like a piece of luggage…" Elena snorted.
"Would you rather we not secure him and let him roll around the plane?" Reno snapped.
Elena didn't reply. Rude and the co-pilot made sure Tseng was securely held in place before they went back to their seats.
"So…he's going to be okay, right?" Johnny asked as the plane rolled along the ground.
"Yeah." Reno nodded. "He'll be fine."
"Good."
Once the plane levelled off Elena left her seat and went to unstrap Tseng. She sat on the floor beside the couch and watched Tseng sleep.
"We won't reach Junon until morning." Reno said. "So get some sleep."
Rude and Johnny nodded. An hour passed before Rude left his seat. He found Elena asleep on the floor and smiled, shaking his head. He scooped the woman up and put her on the second couch, covering her with a blanket. He then got a blanket and pillow and made a bed for himself on the floor.
Reno sighed, "Top Shin-Ra employees and there's no decent place to sleep on this tub."
"Mmm…" Johnny replied, half asleep in his chair.
Reno smirked and closed his eyes, trying to make himself more comfortable in his seat.
-------------------------
The plane jolting woke Johnny up. He blinked and looked at his watch. It was nearly seven-thirty in the morning, they'd reach Junon soon. He yawned and looked over at Reno. The redhead was fast asleep with his mouth hanging slightly open. Johnny smirked and stood up, walking back into the living quarters. Rude was still asleep but Elena was sitting on the floor beside Tseng again.
"Morning." She mumbled as he walked into the kitchenette.
"Morning. Want some coffee?" He asked.
"No thanks."
"Did you eat breakfast?"
"No."
"You should at least eat a little bit, Elena…"
"I'm fine, Johnny. Thank-you."
Johnny got the coffee machine going and stood there staring at it, waiting for the coffee to brew. He was still half asleep so he didn't hear Reno come up behind him until the redhead's arms had slid around his waist.
"Coffee for me? I love you…" Reno murmured in Johnny's ear, teasing smirk apparent in his tone.
"It's too early in the morning to be horny." Elena said.
"I agree." Johnny smirked. "First cup is for me…"
"Hmph. Bitches." Reno smirked, releasing Johnny and moving to sit on the counter.
Once the coffee was brewed Johnny filled a cup for himself and moved to sit on the floor to drink it.
"Top Shin-Ra employees and we don't even have a decent place to sit down…" Reno muttered.
The redhead poured his own coffee and sat beside Johnny.
"So, how's he doing Elena?" Reno asked, motioning to Tseng.
"Good…I guess. I can't really tell. He hasn't moved all night. The only way I know he's alive is because his chest moves when he breathes…"
"Well…he's breathing. That's always good." Reno said, sipping his coffee.
Tseng grunted, making Elena and Johnny jump a bit. The woman sat up on her knees to get a better view of Tseng's face but he wasn't waking up.
"Dreaming I guess…" She murmured.
Rude walked up, sunglasses still on, and got himself a cup of coffee before sitting on the floor with everyone else.
"How's Tseng?" He asked.
"About as good as he can get." Reno replied.
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Tseng appeared to be waking up when they touched down in Junon. His eyelids fluttered a bit and he made noises that almost sounded like speech. Reno wasn't surprised to see Rufus waiting on the tarmac for them, his usual barrage of bodyguards surrounding him. Rude and Reno rolled Tseng's stretcher over to him and lowered it so the President could look at him. Johnny and Elena hung back. Rufus leaned over Tseng, some of his robes brushed against Tseng's face.
"Hello Tseng…" Rufus said.
Elena barely stopped herself from jumping when Tseng's eyes opened.
"Mr…Pres…i…dent…" Tseng replied weakly.
"Yes." The blonde smiled then looked up at his bodyguards. "Uzul. Riza. Take Tseng to the medical wing. Make sure his case is top priority."
"Yessir!"
The two bodyguards saluted and wheeled Tseng off.
"May I go with him, sir?" Elena asked.
Rufus' one visible eye gave her a sharp look, "You may not. You're still on duty."
"Y-yessir…" She replied quietly.
"Louder!" Rufus snapped.
"Yessir!"
The President turned his harsh gaze to Reno. "Keep those in your charge under control, Reno. Do not make me regret your promotion."
"Yessir." Reno replied.
"I am building a city at the edge of Midgar." Rufus said. "You will be going there to guard construction against monsters, Cloud, and his merry band. You leave tomorrow. Today you will be preparing for this while attending to your other duties. Rude. Elena. You will empty Palmer's account for me. Reno, you take Johnny to the swordsmanship expert to be evaluated. Once those responsibilities are complete you're off duty and are welcome to do whatever you wish. Except…" He shot a look at Reno again. "You may not visit Tseng until I say so. Is that clear?"
"Yessir!" The Turks replied in unison.
"Let's go."
The remainder of Rufus' bodyguards wheeled him off.
"Rufus needs to get laid. He's bitchy." Reno muttered.
Johnny stifled a chuckled behind his hand and Rude smirked. Elena however was already walking off to attend to her duties.
"See you two later." Rude said, waving and jogging off after Elena.
"Well…let's go home and get your sword…then it's off to the expert."
"All right."
---------------------------
Reno stood, arms folded, as he watched Johnny do a routine for the expert. He bit his lower lip slightly. The brunette was shirtless and sweaty and…hot.
Fuck…I need to get laid… Reno thought, looking elsewhere to keep his mind off things.
Once Johnny was finished he mopped the sweat from his brow and looked at the expert.
"Hmn…" The man stood. "You're good…but not good enough. You need to practice more."
"Yessir." Johnny replied.
"Come and see me again in a month. Until then you'll have to use a regulation gun."
"Yessir."
The expert bid farewell to Reno and Johnny then left. Johnny stood there with a grim expression on his face. Reno smirked and walked up to him.
"The bastard failed me five times before he let me use my precious night stick."
Johnny looked at Reno and smiled weakly.
"C'mon. We should go pack and get ready for our big trip."
Johnny nodded and pulled his shirt back on. The pair made their way back home. While Johnny washed his and Reno's dirty suits Reno packed the things they'd need.
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Rufus was wheeled into Tseng's room. Tseng was looking better already now that he was under Shin-Ra's care. The man was sitting up in his bed gazing out the window.
"Hello Tseng."
"Hello Mr. President." Tseng replied, looking at the blonde.
"How are you feeling?"
"Better than I ever have."
Rufus waved one hand dismissively at his bodyguards and they left the room, closing the door behind them. He noticed Tseng looking him over and smiled bitterly.
"Diamond Weapon nearly ended my life."
"I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you, sir."
"That's all right, Tseng." Rufus leaned forward a bit. "I came here because I'm interested in hearing your version of the story."
Tseng nodded, looked briefly out the window, then looked back at the President.
"After Cloud, Aerith, and Cid left everything went cold. I don't know how long I sat there. Everything went black and I closed my eyes…and then… I heard her. Aerith's voice. She was telling me to get up. To get out of the Temple. I opened my eyes and I was in a forest. Aerith was standing in front of me holding her hand out to me. She told me to get up and to leave again. She looked transparent but when I took a hold of her hand she felt solid and she pulled me to my feet easily. She pointed to a light in the distance and I started stumbling through the forest towards the light. Once I reached the light I found myself on a beach and I collapsed. I don't know if it was a hallucination or I was sleep walking or if Aerith really saved me…" The man trailed off.
"Do you remember anything after collapsing on the beach?"
"Just waking up with people standing over me asking me who I was and who they should contact. After that…I don't remember much until I woke up here." Tseng looked at Rufus. "If you don't mind telling me, sir… what happened after I fell into my coma?"
Rufus leaned back in his wheelchair and spent the next two hours filling Tseng in on everything that had happened. The color faded a bit from Tseng's cheeks when Rufus mentioned Aerith's death but he didn't say anything. Once Rufus was finished speaking his throat felt dry and scratchy. He cleared his throat and Tseng instantly poured a glass of water for his President. Rufus smiled bitterly again.
"I cannot hold a cup, Tseng."
Tseng immediately leapt out of bed. His muscles had been strengthened and repaired by the Shin-Ra's strong magic but his legs were still shaky. Rufus watched as Tseng walked slowly over to him.
"Here…" Tseng held the glass to Rufus lips.
Rufus drank his fill then waved Tseng away. The man put the glass down then hauled himself back into bed.
"Azure!" Rufus barked.
Rufus' biggest bodyguard came into the room and started to wheel the President out.
"It's good that you're alive, Tseng." Rufus said before Azure wheeled him out into the hallway. As he was wheeled along to his Healing appointment Rufus frowned. He pulled one sleeve of his white robe up to reveal splotchy, oddly colored bruises.
These bruises... they have not faded since my treatments began...
TBC
Kind of a short chapter but I have writer's block. Rufus is such a bitch XD;; R&R Please :)