"BOB": I would really like to thank you especially for your reviews because when I was starting the story my main concern was for the characters to…well stay in character. Thank you so much for enforcing that I'm actually doing a better job of it than I thought myself.

Beyond the Reflection

Disclaimer: I do not own FFVII.

Summary: When Reno takes on the investigation of a case in Wutai, he gets more than he bargained for. Mainly: one obnoxious, spoiled, sarcastic, and infuriating brat. (Among other things of course.)

Of Ice and Forests

By:ClassicLit

Thank you so much for the reviews; they were absolutely wonderful. Thank you, Thank you , Thank you. I hop you like this chapter.

Within two hours of the incident Reno found himself sitting next to the bed that he lay upon, about a day ago, after his, and Yuffie's, escaped in the forest. He tried not to show it; but he was relieved that she seemed to be back to her annoying self. Currently, for instance, she was complaining rather loudly about the medication that the doctor made her gobble down. Reno was only happy that she would fall asleep soon enough due to the particular medication.

"What are you staring at Turkey?" she asked him agitated after he spent about two minutes starring out of the window on the left side of the room. He snapped out of his reverie and looked at her with an annoyed expression. Perhaps, he thought too soon when he said he was happy about her being back to her annoying self. The injury obviously didn't do anything to deter her over-exuberant temperament.

"Anything except your ruffled feathers, brat." He said and pointing to her hair that was in a state of complete chaos. Being so short it was sticking up in strange and unnatural angles. All in all, at that point in time, one Yuffie Kisaragi made for one comic character.

"You should talk Turkey." She said bitterly while trying to smooth out her black locks. "Your hair's just as bad…at least I have a GOOD REASON for having mine a mess. What's your excuse?" She gave up on the futile attempts to get her hair to stay down and instead opted for glaring at the red head.

"For your information" Reno said, running his hand through the red locks. "my hair's not a mess…it's in a state of artistic chaos." He finished drawling with a triumphant smirk on his lips. Yuffie snorted bitterly.

"Is that what your rabid admirers tell you?" she asked folding her arms over her chest.

"Bitter Snookums?" he asked with a lopsided grin. She growled and almost punched the arrogant red-head when he leaned forward and placed his hand on her forearm, in a comforting manner, with the most innocent look on his face. "No reason to be jealous, babe. You know you're my one true love." He said while giving her pout. Yuffie, unbeknownst to the aforementioned red-head, decided to take another way out. If she couldn't punch him, because of her arm; she could smile innocently at him…and then spill the water that was standing on her bed side table over his head.

If you're doubting the legitimacy of the previous statement, doubt it no longer. Yuffie did in fact grab the glass of water that was placed on her bedside table and pour it over Reno's head. Reno, for his part, jerked back out of shock and his chair tipped over an almost strategically-placed cushion that was situated behind the red-head. Well…you can guess what happened afterwards. Crash, boom, profanities, and Yuffie's laughter.

Reno jumped up and whirled around to look at Yuffie. By the time that happened she had composed herself somewhat, but his appearance made her dissolve in laughter once again.

"Ha ha very funny." He said sarcastically while analyzing his wet suite and running a nervous hand through his wet locks. "If you weren't shot brat…you really don't want to know what I'd do to you right now." Yuffie disregard this statement completely and gasped through her sporadic fits of laughter.

"You look like a wet cat." She said composing herself for a moment and regarding Reno mischievously. Then she put on a look of mock-horror with big innocent eyes. "Did I just do that?" she asked pointing to herself. When Reno growled in response she shrugged her shoulders and gave him a mock-apologetic grin. "Oops?" Reno sighed and shook his head dejectedly. Wasn't she supposed to asleep by now? He picked up his chair and sat back on it sliding down slowly to the point that he almost looked like he was lying down. He sat like that, in silence, for about a ten minutes until he heard a soft snore come from the bed in front of him.

"Hey brat?" he asked quietly, getting no answer. He stood up and tried again, but the silence greeted him for the second time. If anyone would be standing next to Reno at that moment, they would most likely jump away from him due to the unnerving grin that found its way to his face. He looked like a man with a rather lethal piece of weaponry at his disposal. There was the nagging feeling at the back on his head(conscience was it?) telling him that he should continue with the case. Did he ever listen to that thing, however? Of course not. So what became his primary concern? Revenge.

Cat-like, he slowly tip-toed out of the room and turned left down the hallway. He entered a door at the very end and was gone for a few minutes. If there was anyone there they would have seen the wet, red-head slowly making his way down towards room number 666, or more popularly known as Yuffie's room, with a white container in his hands. They would also see him walking out ten minutes later with a camera in his hands and a drying photo, grinning like a cat. They would also see him walking out of the hospital through the back door admiring the small print that he held in his hands. Luckily for Reno no one did see him.

No one also noticed the rather sadistic, yet amused, grin that settled over his features when an ear-piercing girlish scream was heard echoing, almost throughout the whole hospital. And certainly, not a soul saw the picture of Yuffie covered in ice from head to toe, lying sprawled in bed, with whip cream sprayed over her features in his hand.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&Forest in Wutai

Reno distinctly remembered thinking that, in the forest, the attack by the Leviathan summon was meant to scare Yuffie and himself off. That is exactly the reason that he found himself, in the forest, trying to retract his footsteps on that day. Result: he got himself utterly lost. He has been wondering in the forest for the past half hour and that one spot looked oh-so familiar. He sighed and sat down on a rather large rock next to the large tree that Yuffie and himself were circling around about two days ago. He shook his head and leaned against the large trunk. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to go looking for some secret cave in an area that he knew nothing about…ALRIGHT it was the WORST idea he's probably ever had (if you don't count jumping out a plane while still putting on a parachute and almost crashing).

He sat there for a few minutes before deciding that the search was futile, and his time would be better spent looking for a way out of this death trap. With that in mind he stood and brushed himself off; but before he could go on, something caught his eye. There on the ground at the base of the tree was a sparkling red orb. He approached it and picked it up gingerly. It was, as he guessed, a summon material. What was it doing here though? Perhaps, it's the Leviathan summon?

"I thought you'd never come." Reno heard a sinister voice from behind his kneeling form…Demetri.

"And I suppose you were waiting for me?" Reno answered casually while standing up and turning around to look at the antagonist.

"Why certainly. I would think you'd figured as much." Demetri answered with a note of amusement to his voice.

"Sorry to disappoint." Reno didn't sound apologetic in the least. Who would be? Demetri smirked with an almost manic gleam in his eyes.

"Turks were never too bright." He said whilst folding his arms over his chest. Reno only smirked.

"At least we're not traitors." He shot back. Demetri's grin turned into a scowl almost immediately. He was no longer enjoying himself, while Reno slacked his stance and gave him an innocent grin.

"I wasn't a traitor."

"Or really? Perhaps, you would like to elaborate?" Reno said a bit bitterly.

"You think that the dead SOLDIER on the steps on ShinRa was my doing, don't you?"

"Actually, I know it was. You were taking orders from FIST as much as from SOLDIER." Reno shot back casually.

"You're right the body was my doing, but the orders weren't from the man you think." Demetri said with an expression akin to regret on his handsome face.

"You mean…."

"Let me tell you."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&Hospital

Yuffie has been moved to another room. One with a less coughdevilishcough number 665. She was sitting in bed and thinking of all the painful and gruesome ways in which she could kill the red-head, when who but the source of her irritation should walk into the room. She was about tackle him when she noticed how pale he was.

"You look like death itself." She said scrunching up her nose. He simply nodded and fell into the chair next to her bed. "Wanna talk?" she asked tilting her head to the side.

"You sure you wanna hear it?"