Author's Notes: Ha, another for my kitten. This time what happens after Tseng meets up with his mentor turned into the Reeve we all know and probably love. I picked a song myself this time. Now Way Back by Foo Fighters is my background music. I feel it works well with the odd feeling of nostalgia and such Reeve is being stuck by at every turn.

Theme: How?

No Way Back

All he wanted to do, in all honesty, was curl up under his desk and fall asleep. The day had been that bad. Sure, it was great and all to have gotten here, to finally be recognized for his abilities, and even to work as an assistant to the Head of Urban Development of Shin-Ra, but it had all been a bit much for just one day. For most of the day he'd been escorted around by some SOLDIER utterly lacking a personality who pointed out the varied offices and functions of floors in a type of monotone that had almost put the excitable young man to sleep on various occasions. Then there had been the mound of paperwork left by his predecessor that had to be completed before he could go home. And let no one forget the odd looks he'd been getting all day, including people walking slowly back and forth past his office door attempting to get a glance at the new employee.

Reeve was about a minute and a stare away from ripping his own hair out. Couldn't people just leave him alone? Was he nothing more than a toy for their amusement? Last time he checked he was as qualified, if not more so, than any other low level employee in the building. Which meant he was nothing to be gawked at. Right?

If the sound of someone shifting their weight at his door was any judge, then no. He wasn't right.

The tired man raised his head from behind the stacks of impossible paper work to try and glare his new unwanted visitor away. But the eyes that met his, dark eyes heavy with confusion, weren't much like the ones that had been following him earlier. There was concern there with the shock… Something that stirred an odd feeling of familiarity.

"Ret…?" the man, Wutain most likely, clad in a black suit said as Reeve looked up. Even more hesitance rested in the voice than there was in those eyes.

"I'm sorry," Reeve said with a grin as he stood and moved to that oddly familiar face. "I suppose the person who had this job before me was a friend of yours?"

"Uh, well…" the Wutain shook his head and Reeve could see that the smile was forced as the man held his hand out. "My name is Tseng. Would I be correct in believing you are the new assistant to the Head of Urban Development?"

"Yes. My name is Reeve. Reeve Tuesti."

The new employee took the offered hand and ignored the odd feelings that came with it. He'd been having them all day anyway…

--------

All day he'd been hearing whispers he hadn't heard in over a year and a half. Maybe that wouldn't have bothered Tseng so much if it had been limited to the secretaries. Those women gossiped like no one's business and when there was nothing new they would bring up old news. Ret himself had taught Tseng that. But when the whispering had spread to Tseng's underlings in the Turks, when the whispers had the name 'Ret' in them, even the stoic Wutain had to pay attention.

Ret had been missing for over two years now. Gone without a trace. Everyone said he'd probably off and gotten himself killed. While it was likely, Tseng had never believed it. He'd always known that somewhere, somehow, Ret was still out there.

Nothing could have prepared Tseng for 'out there' actually being 'in here' though.

He'd just followed the whispering of 'Ret' and 'Tuesti', followed it all the way to the Urban Development department. To the door of an office that had been empty for almost a month. To the sight of a man sleeping behind paperwork.

Tseng considered walking off, knowing that there was no way the person could have heard him almost enter the room. But the person's head came up quickly, and Tseng could do little more than stare. The hair wasn't some impossible color like purple or teal. It wasn't cut really short and spiked. The eyes weren't hidden behind blood red sunglasses. The suit was too crisp, the whole look of this person too clean cut. Tseng knew though…

"Ret…?"

Quickly the man grinned and rose. Could this really be Tseng's mentor? The one that had given him a life?

"I'm sorry. I suppose the person who had this job before me was a friend of yours?"

Except even though it was Ret the man obviously didn't know it himself. Tseng forced a smile onto his face and held his hand out.

"Uh, well…"

Tseng didn't know what to do. This was more definitely the man he'd looked up to. The one who had taught him how to be a Turk. A man who had been missing for years for no reason. How could Reeve not remember that?

"My name is Tseng. Would I be correct in believing you are the new assistant to the Head of Urban Development?"

When the hand closed around his, when the man smiled, Tseng's heart gave. There was nothing he could do. This wasn't his Ret. Hell, it was practically the polar opposite.

"Yes. My name is Reeve. Reeve Tuesti."

"The pleasure it mine sir."

They stood there in silence for a little while before Reeve looked at the Turk, a flash of confusion in his eyes.

"Have we… met before?"

--------

Reeve couldn't help but be amused by the look of hope that was in the Wutain's eyes at that question. Even the way the man was carrying himself changed. He stood straighter, his eyes seemed to glow just a bit. There was hope there.

Of course the man didn't know why, but who was to guess the motives of the Turk? Because something told Reeve that this was a Turk.

"Uh… I don't think so."

"Shame," Reeve said with a smile as he returned to his over crowded desk. "I was sure I'd seen you before in my dreams."

--------

Tseng watched the 'new' employee with a smile. At least the man seemed happier like this. Not once had Tseng ever seen Ret really smile. Maybe this was for the best.

"I suppose I should leave you to your work then. If you ever need anything just ask around for me…"

Again Reeve smiled before returning to his paper work. For a moment Tseng watched before backing out of the office. All the while he tried to keep telling himself that it really was for the best. For Reeve.

Maybe if he kept telling himself that, he could move on.