Chapter Five

Reno hurried up the street toward Aura's house as the sun rose. He gave a slight shiver and turned his collar up, wincing as his hand accidentally brushed against the heavy green and purple bruise along his cheek from where Elena had belted him across the face the previous day. Hurrying up her path to her door, he was just about to knock when it opened and he came face to face with Maati. Blinking, he stepped back as the older man came out.

"Hello." The man greeted.

"'Sup, yo." He replied, wondering what he was doing coming out of Aura's house first thing in the morning. Surely this wasn't her secret lover. No. That was ridiculous.

"Reno?" Aura asked, stepping outside and immediately wrapping her arms around herself. "What are you doing here? Come inside. It's freezing." She turned and hurried back inside and over to the fireplace, standing before the flames to warm herself. He looked at her in her flimsy nightdress.

"What was Maati doing here so early?" He asked, keeping his tone casual.

"He's going to Junon." She replied, "He was asking what I'd like him to look for. Ingredients for my potions." She blinked. "He's not been able to find this one root I need for a few weeks now. I can't make some Potions without it."

"Oh." He said, taking his jacket off now that he was inside where it was warmer.

"Sweet Shiva, what happened?" She breathed, moving straight across the room to him and looking at his face.

"Oh." He said again, raising his hand to the bruise and wincing again when he touched it. She pulled his hand down, away from his face, so that she could see better and Reno watched her frown. He then allowed her to pull him over to the couch where he sat slowly.

"What happened?" She repeated, tilting his face for a better look.

"Just a little exercise gone wrong..."

She made a noise that told him she knew there was more to it, but would not ask.

"Alright," she murmured, "Don't move."

"Okay." He nodded as she quickly went into the kitchen. He heard her going through some cupboards and then she returned with a small container. "What's that?"

"Something I made..." she replied, setting it on the armrest of the couch. He watched as she took hold of his chin and again turned his face to inspect the bruise. He winced when her fingers ghosted lightly over it.

"Ow."

"Sorry..." She murmured, "This is nasty..."

"I know."

"Mmm..."She let him go and picked up the container, undoing the lid and dipping her fingers inside. "This should work..." she said, lifting her fingers out with what looked to him like green goo on them. "It's a healing salve." She told him, catching his look.

Reno closed his eyes as she gently smeared the salve across his cheek. A cool tingling sensation began where the salve rested on his skin and he smiled.

"That feels better..." he said softly. She smiled at him, putting the lid back on the container and then taking it back into the kitchen. She returned a few minutes later with a wet cloth. "If you write down the ingredients you need, I may be able to get some of them for you..." he told her, raising a hand to her hip when she came to stand over him again.

"Thanks." She nodded, her cool fingers moving back up under his chin to tilt his face up once more. He closed his eyes again as she carefully began to wipe the salve off his cheek with the cloth.

"It doesn't even hurt..." he said, surprised.

"Good." She murmured. He opened his eyes when he felt one of her fingers trace lightly over the tattoo beneath his eye. "You're all better." She then said, stepping away.

"Really?" He raised a hand to his cheek, and upon feeling no trace of pain, he got up. Walking over to a mirror by the door, he looked at himself and blinked in surprise. The bruise was gone. "Aura..." he turned to look at her. "You made that stuff?"

"Yeah."

"What's in it?"

"A bit of this and that, really..."

"Wow..." He grinned, looking at her. He was impressed. He'd never seen anything that could get rid of a bruise like that. If she could make something like this, who knew what else she could create? "Do you sell it, too?"

"Not yet. It was just an experiment. I only have a small amount."

"You're so clever." He smiled, putting an arm around her shoulders. He sank back onto the couch, taking her with him. "So," he began, "I actually came this morning to warn you."

"Warn me?"

"Yeah." He looked at her, his arm still around her shoulders. "From what we found out the other night, there's gonna be some trouble around the marketplace areas..."

"Yeah?"

"Mmm." He nodded, his hand running lightly up and down her arm, "Look, Aur... I don't want you to get caught up in anything that happens... So, I want you to stay away from that area for a while..."

She looked at him and he met her green eyes straight on. "Really?" She asked.

"Yes." He blinked, "You understand?"

"I get what you're sayin', yo."

"You'll stay away?"

"If I can."

"Okay." He kissed her cheek lightly and got to his feet. "I'd better get to work."

"Yeah."

He watched her as he put his jacket on. "Write that list. I'll be back for it in a few days."

"Sure." She nodded, pulling a shawl around her shoulders. He blinked, unsure of what had just happened. Reno could usually read most people fairly easily, but he sometimes had trouble with Aura. He could always tell when she was happy, and sometimes it was pretty obvious when she was upset, although more often than not he had no idea why. When they were younger, for the first few years they were together, he would simply ask and she would tell him. As the years passed, sometimes she began to not answer. She would simply shake her head or change the subject. He began trying to work it out himself, and sometimes he even succeeded. Other times, however, he had no idea. Those times became more frequent after he'd begun to work for ShinRa and wasn't with her every day. He had no way of knowing what was going on with her unless she told him. He couldn't just see what was happening and go and take care of it. That bothered him.

He frowned as he moved toward the door. If he managed to find some of the ingredients she needed, that would surely cheer her up. He watched her as she got to her feet and followed him to the door, pushing it closed when he tried to pull it open. He blinked, confused for a second before she threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. His own arms went quickly around her waist holding her firmly to himself.

"Aura?" he breathed, "What is it?"

"You make me promise to stay away from somewhere because it'll be dangerous... but I know you're just going to walking right on in..." She replied softly, her voice half muffled by his shoulder. "That's not fair."

"I know..." He replied gently. "But... I'm trained."

"You're also the target!" She looked up at him. "Every day when I turn on the news there are more... and I keep thinking I'm going to see you..." She gestured at the TV, "Dead."

"You won't." He said firmly. "I'm not about to sacrifice myself for my job. Trust me."

"You promise?"

He closed his fingers gently around her wrist and bent to press his forehead against hers. It was their own version of an unbreakable promise that they used to use whenever they had truly meant something. Reno didn't know why he'd suddenly remembered it as they'd not used it in years, but it worked. He saw the moment she believed him and she smiled. "I promise."

Elena punched Rude in the face. The big man barely blinked before he'd lifted her off her feet and tossed her onto her back on the mat. She was on her feet again in an instant, trying to force her lungs to draw breath around the pain in her chest. Unlike when she was sparring with Reno, honing her speed and agility, fighting Rude was more about building strength and being able to take a hit.

He knocked her off her feet again and she blinked up at him, on her back on the mat once more.

"Elena..." he said evenly, "Maybe that is enough for one day."

"No." She said, forcing herself to her feet, "I'm good." She drew a painful, shaky, breath, and attacked him once more.

She'd woken up angry this morning. Time and time again she kept screwing things up and reinforcing how inexperienced she was. Just a rookie. She was through with that. She was sure Tseng was pissed at her. He'd not said a word to her yesterday, relaying orders to her through other people, and last night at 7th Heaven, he'd not even looked at her. Of course, he had been on his date with Zena. But, he'd spoken to Reno and Rude, so why not her? The only reason that made sense was that he was pissed at her for the other night.

She coughed when her back hit the mat again. She forced herself to her feet, coughing roughly as her lungs tried to refuse air. Rude regarded her silently. "C'mon." She coughed, motioning for him to attack her again.

"I don't think..."

"C'MON!"

He sighed and moved forward again.

"Elena!" Reno's voice startled both of them and they turned to see the redhead enter the room. "What are you doing?"

"Training."

"That's not what it looks like."

"I don't care how it looks." She muttered.

"Go and get checked out in the infirmary."

"No."

"Excuse me?"

Elena blinked, hearing his voice change and she realised that she was now talking to her superior. She looked at him again.

"I don't need to be checked out." She said softly, "... sir."

"Don't misunderstand, Elena." He replied, "I'm not telling you to go up there for fun. You'll do it because I need you functional."

"Yes, sir." She muttered. Straightening her shirt, she turned and headed for the door. Halfway there, Reno spoke again and she turned to look at him.

"Zena isn't working this morning."

"Great." She growled, turning back to the door and striding out.

Reno turned to look at Rude. "Laney needs to get her some."

"She's very angry." Rude agreed, nodding simply.

"I can't tell what pissed her off more." Reno told him, stretching himself slowly. "Getting drugged the other night, or Tseng on a date with that woman."

"I'd say one hurt more than the other."

"Yeah, but the thing is... what're we gonna do about it?"

Rude shrugged silently, looking at him.

"Yeah..." Reno straightened up, "Nothin' much we can do." He paused to think for a moment. "Maybe if she's given the chance to prove herself again..."

"That could take some of the edge off."

"We have to go check out the marketplace tomorrow." He told his partner with a smile, "I'm sure there'll be an opportunity or two for Laney to show off some of her fine abilities..."

"One can hope."

"But right now... Not too tired, are you, Partner?" Reno asked, moving into a ready stance facing Rude on the mat.

"Never."

Aura was just sitting down on her couch, about to turn on the television to check the news, wondering how many ShinRa employees had been killed during the day, when a loud pounding on her door made her jump. Getting to her feet, she hurried to the window to check who was on her doorstep, the way Reno had insisted she do. Seeing a man standing there, holding a child in his arms, she moved to open the door. It had become more frequent of late, people bringing those in need of healing directly to her house. She wasn't sure how it had started, but she wouldn't turn those in need away when she could help them.

"Please..." The man breathed, carrying his child inside the moment the door was open. "Please... my son."

"What happened...?" Aura asked, clearing space on a low table for the man to set the boy down so she could look at him.

"He's sick." The man replied, standing back up when he'd put his son on the table. Aura bent to look at him. "It's the sickness." The man continued, "The one that has been spreading..."

Aura moved quickly to a nearby cupboard and got out a pair of thin gloves. The last pair, she'd have to go into town to get some more in the morning. Moving back to look at the boy, she held her breath. Sure enough, when she pulled back the old blanket he'd been wrapped in she saw that familiar black substance that marked the disease that was becoming more and more common. Quickly putting the blanket back, she stood up and turned to face the boy's father.

"There is no cure for this..." She said gently, "At least, not that I'm aware of."

"You can't fix it?"

"No..." She looked at him, "They're calling it Geostigma. It's been on the news lately. Nobody has a cure..."

"How can that be?"

"I don't know. I'm sure the ShinRa scientists are working on something... They'll be able to help before long..."

"ShinRa!" The man spat, turning sharply toward her, "As if this isn't their fault!" Aura blinked, moving slowly back. She knew her neighbourhood was filled with those who hated ShinRa, and clearly this man was one of them. "Every one of those bastards has something to answer for!" he continued, "If given half the chance I'd cut every one of their throats!"

Aura tried not to picture that. Red.

Blinking, she turned back to her cupboard and took out a small container.

"You'd best not put your hopes on ShinRa, girl." The man continued, looking at her, "Unless you work for 'em?"

"I look like I work for ShinRa, yo?" She snapped, pushing the container into his hands. "Here. This should be applied to the infected area twice a day. It will help with the pain."

She watched him look for the container to his son.

"The pain." He murmured.

"That's all that can be done... I'm sorry." She said softly.

"Yeah, thanks..." He replied. "How much?"

She closed her eyes. It didn't feel quite right to her, charging desperate people. Especially when she couldn't cure them. But she was running a business, and it cost her money to make the ointments they needed. She opened her eyes and looked at the boy. "Ten Gil." She said quietly. It would cost her nearly that much to buy what she'd need to make more of the ointment she was giving them, and she would need new gloves. It still hadn't been proven if touching those infected with Geostigma would result in infection, but she wasn't taking any chances.

The man handed her the money and picked up his son. She opened the door to let him out and watched as he headed down her path back onto the street. She then closed the door and went to the kitchen, getting some disinfectant. Then, heading back into her livingroom, she began to clean the table the boy had been laying on. Then, after a moment of consideration, she opened the door and cleaned that, too. When she was done, she took her gloves off and tossed them into the fire. She really needed to sort out a treatment room of some sort. Get a sterile environment happening, like some sort of lab. She almost laughed. The idea of her having a lab was ludicrous. A girl didn't go from the slums to having her own lab. Even with the way the world was changing lately. The best she could do was clear a space out to use for treating people who needed her help. Then she wouldn't have kids with Geostigma lying on the table she ate dinner off.

Sitting back on her couch, she took a sip of wine from her glass and wondered just how close ShinRa was getting with a treatment for Geostigma. If anyone was going to find a cure, it was going to be them. Maybe she could ask Reno about it. She bit her lip. She'd always avoided asking him anything too specific about ShinRa. She didn't want to pull at his divided loyalty more than she already did.

Making a face, she realised that she would fail in her promise to him to attempt to avoid the marketplace. She needed to go and get more gloves. If somebody brought another patient with Geostigma to her, she needed gloves to look at them. There was no avoiding that. It was unlikely anyway that he would even find out, so there was no need for him to worry. If he had any sense anyway, he'd avoid it himself. She shook her head. That wasn't the kind of sense Reno had. He'd always seem to run right toward wherever trouble was about to happen and it had always scared the shit out of her.

With all these attacks on ShinRa employees recently, Aura just hoped that Reno was being kept busy and off the streets. Surely all of ShinRa's employees were being kept off the streets as much as possible. Yet, still, everyday more were being attacked. Where were they finding them all?

She didn't want to know. She didn't want to think about it. It would just result in her lying awake at night worrying. If she asked him not to go back, would he stay? She closed her eyes and finished the rest of her wine. She wouldn't think about that either. She'd never do it.

Getting to her feet, she headed for her bedroom. The sooner she got some rest, the sooner she could get into town before all the morning crowds hit. In and out before anything could happen.