Aurora's note: You know the drill. Please no flames. We don't own either creation. Pairings: CloudXTifa, VincentXLucrecia, CidXShera, and RenoXElena, (I'm sorry, I just think it works). Sorry it's taken so long. Niara's work has gotten in the way. Don't blame her. Don't blame me either. Hopefully there will be a little more of the SHMs in the subsequent chapters, (along with more Vincent! Yea Vincent!)Enjoy.

Behind the Demon

Chapter 2

By Aurora M. Tepes and Niara A. Tepes

The train thundered into the station at Edge, coming to a squealing halt in front of the platform as the driver slammed on the breaks. "CITY OF EDGE!"

The doors on the train opened and several people hurried off the giant machine, clutching their bags as they hunted the crowd for their family and friends. Two of the last to disembark were Rei Hino and Hotaru Tomoe, their dark, violet eyes scanning the crowd for one specific person. Rei finally sighted who she was looking for and let out a sigh of relief, grabbing Hotaru's wrist.

"I see her." Hotaru didn't say a word as Rei dragged her through the mediocre sized crowd to where a tall young woman with long brown hair and brown eyes stood waiving at them, a smile on her beautiful face. Rei waved back, a smile splitting her normally serious face. "Tifa!"

"Rei!" Tifa cried. She embraced Rei warmly, causing the fiery Scout to tense ever so much. But then, family affections won out and Rei returned the favor. "I've got to introduce you to my friends! So much has happened since we last met, you wouldn't believe half of it."

"Believe me, I think I would," Rei replied. "Oh, and this is my friend Hotaru Tomoe. She'll be attending the wedding too." Tifa shook hands warmly with a slightly scared Hotaru. Then, the expert fighter led them over to a small group of people.

"These are some of the friends I've met in the last few years. This is my fiancé Cloud Strife, you remember him, don't you?" Tifa said as she gestured to a tall man with slightly glowing eyes and unnaturally spiky hair. Rei smiled and shook hands with Cloud. "This is Reno. He's a Turk, still works for Shin-Ra, but he's on our side. He's our best man. Don't ask me why." Tifa gestured to a slightly taller man with bright red hair, spiked at the top, but pulled into a long ponytail at the bottom. Reno scowled at Tifa as he shook Rei's hand.

"Hey! If you don't want me to be in it, yo-!" Reno started.

"Nonononononononono!" Cloud burst out. "You have to be the best man! I would rather you be the best man than-than-than…Barret or Cid or…(dare I say it)…Cait Sith! And we all know that Vincent won't do anything of the sort!" Reno tried not to laugh. It didn't work. In seconds he was rolling on the dirty ground, laughing his head off.

"Anyway," Tifa interjected. "This is Yuffie Kisaragi. She's a 'materia hunter,' and also the princess of Wutai." Yuffie grinned and shook Rei's hand.

"So…you're a thief?" Rei questioned. Yuffie's grin disappeared.

"I AM NOT A THIEF!" Yuffie exclaimed, drawing a little too much attention.

"Well, seeing as you stole our materia the first time we met you…" Cloud murmured. Hotaru rolled her eyes, a feeling of dejá vu washing over her. This reminded her almost too much of Rei and Serena in high school.

"Another group of sugar-happy young people," she muttered, her voice a monotone the reminded the FF7 people an awful lot of a certain red eyed man in a red cape. Rei shook her head, too used to Hotaru's personality swings to care about how she sounded.

"Behave, Hotaru," she said calmly. "We can't have you going insane. Again." Hotaru glared at her for a second, but she relented in the glare when she saw the teasing smile on Rei's lips. Reno was staring at Hotaru, his eyes a little wild.

"You sound like that ex-Turk…uh, what was his name, uh…Valentine!" he said.

"Speaking of Vincent, do you know if he was awake…or even there this morning?" Cloud asked Tifa. Tifa shook her head.

"I don't know. He's probably somewhere else. All I expect from him is that he be at the wedding. I'll be surprised if he's at anything else," she sighed.

"So how many new friends do you have?" Rei asked in genuine curiosity. Tifa thought for a moment.

"Quite a few," Tifa answered. "Let's go back to the bar so we can get everybody introduced."

---

The group pulled up in front of the bar and got out of the Shin-Ra provided car. They all entered and Hotaru and Rei left their bags in the entrance as Marlene and Denzel sprinted to Tifa and Cloud. Tifa laughed as she hugged both of them, Cloud smiled and gave them each a one-armed hug.

"This is Marlene. She's Barret's adopted daughter, but she stays with us most of the time," Tifa explained to Rei. "And this is Denzel. He was orphaned during Meteor and we're adopting him." Rei nodded, smiling. She always knew her cousin would end up running something like an orphanage.

"Red's around here somewhere, he may've gone out back," Denzel informed Cloud.

"What about the others?" Tifa inquired.

"Daddy's gone to finish up some business, Mr. Reeve had to go see Mr. Rufus, Mr. Vincent left just after you guys. He said something about visiting…Lu…Lu…" Marlene said.

"Lucrecia?" Tifa suggested.

"Yeah! Her!" Marlene replied happily. "But he said I couldn't come!" Marlene crossed her arms and pouted. Tifa gave Rei a look that clearly said, 'typical.'

"So…Where are Loz, Yazoo, and Kadaj?"

"They're straightening around the house. They said not to let you guys upstairs until they finish. Oh! And Ms. Elena, Mr. Rude, and Mr. Tseng are here! And Cid and Shera had to go and pick up a few more things in Rocket Town." As Marlene said this, she brightened up considerably, grinning as if she knew something the others didn't. "So we get to take your bags up."

"Sorry, Marlene, but you aren't allowed up yet either," a voice said softly. They all looked to the stairway. A tall youth with long silver hair stood leaning against the wall. He had come in so quietly that no one had noticed him. He wore a long, leather coat, black gloves, black pants, and black leather boots. "And neither is Denzel." Denzel snapped his fingers, looking disappointed.

"May I at least introduce our guests before your haul their belongings up to the extra room?" Tifa asked sarcastically. The youth cocked his head to the side and waited. "Rei, Hotaru, this is Yazoo. He's…" Yazoo shook his head, as if to say, 'nevermind.'

"Nice to meet you. I apologize that the rooms aren't ready yet, but I'm sure you can make yourselves comfortable while you wait," Yazoo said with a slight bow. He stepped forward and grabbed their bags before stepping back, pulling Denzel off the staircase, and swiftly and quietly making his way up the stairs.

As Yazoo disappeared into the second floor, a younger man with shorter silver hair bounded down the stairs and spread his arms wide, as if protecting the wooden structures. He grinned.

"Not ready yet! No one's allowed up until we're finished!" he announced happily…a little too happily. Tifa exchanged a worried glance with Cloud.

"It's not something…weird…is it?" she asked hesitantly. The man shook his head.

"Now into the bar! All of you! We'll come get you when we're ready!" He herded the group into the bar before bouncing back up the stairs, humming brightly.

"Well, that was Kadaj. There's one more of them up there, Loz. But you should meet him later," Tifa explained as she sighed. "Oh, and be glad that Yazoo actually spoke to you without Kadaj and Loz around him. He's a little shy."

Hotaru stopped when she entered the room, trying to remember the exact structure of Kadaj's face, but then, Yazoo's looked a lot more like...

"What's wrong?" Rei whispered.

"He looked so familiar…I can't place it," Hotaru murmured. Running a hand through her short hair, Hotaru let her breath out in a huff before she followed the others into the bar, sitting down in a corner so that she could just observe what was going to happen. Rei sat beside her cousin, throwing a glance at the three people standing by the bar, each one with an annoyed expression on their faces.

"So," Rei said carefully, "what have you been doing lately?"

Tifa shrugged and glanced at Cloud, clearly unsure as to what to say. Cloud merely shrugged in response and went back to studying Hotaru, a frown on his lips. Tifa punched him, lightly, in the arm, and scowled. "Oh, you're a big help."

Hotaru shook her head, a tiny smile gracing her lips, before she pulled a small notebook out of her satchel and flipped it open, raising a brow at Cloud, clearly amused about something. "Is there something you needed, Mr. Strife?"

Cloud leaned back and stroked his chin thoughtfully. Then he shook his head.

"You just remind me of someone…that's all. I just can't think of who," he answered.

Reno took this moment to intervene. He came silently up behind the occupied Hotaru and slid an arm around her waist. He grinned as Hotaru looked at him in annoyance.

"Get OFF!" she commanded, backhanding him. Reno fell onto the slick floor.

"What was that for, yo?" he demanded angrily as he got to his feet. One of the three by the bar, a tall, bald man whose dark sunglasses shaded his eyes, walked over to Reno and helped him up.

"You're too aggressive, partner," the man said in a low voice. Reno dusted himself off.

"I almost forgot to introduce my friends, yo!" Reno announced, suddenly. "This is Rude, my long-time partner and very good friend," he said, gesturing to the bald man. Rude nodded. "This is my boss, Tseng." Tseng was a tall man with long, slicked-back, black hair. He nodded. "And this is my co-worker, (and girlfriend), Elena." Elena blushed. She was of medium height and had short, layered, blond hair.

"Reno, if you have a girlfriend, why were trying to hit on Hotaru?" Tifa said sternly. Reno blushed.

"Well…I…uh…I wasn't trying to hit on her! I was…Just being friendly!" Reno shot back. Tifa rolled her eyes and stepped behind the bar.

"So, who'd like a drink?" she asked happily.

Aurora's Note: Sorry it took so long. Niara is swamped…I think… So don't expect rapid updates. Please no flames. Better stuff to come soon.