Reno sighed. Paperwork sucked. Normally, Triss was here to take care of the worst of it, but she had taken the day off to move into her friend, Lore's apartment. The Turk frowned at the wave of guilt that washed over him. My fault she's moving in the first fucking place, he sighed.

Triss's hands were still bandaged so tightly, she couldn't type, so she spent her days in the office helping the Turks with their paperwork. They would laugh and joke and it was obvious that even Tseng enjoyed her company. The Wutaian man said that, once she was healed, he was going to put in a request that she was made the Turk's private secretary, which made her smile. The Turks were the closest thing to family Triss had now.

No one knew that Reno had overheard when Tseng had asked if she would be able to work around the redhead after what had happened. Triss had smiled sadly and said that, as long as someone was around, she would be fine. That, as much as she hated to admit it, she was scared to be alone now.

Reno was glad she was out and about though. He had been so worried she would hole up and die, which, in retrospect, was kinda concieted of him. She was a big girl. She didn't need him and he knew that.

He jumped as his phone rang with a very familiar tone, jerking him out of his thoughts.

Huh. Must not've been able to get a hold of anyone else. Need help with those boxes after all?

Thankful for a distraction, the redhead expertly spun his desk chair on a single leg and answered his phone, "Triss? I didn't expect to hear from you. What's up?"

"Reno?" he barely heard the whisper.

"Triss? Babe, you gotta talk louder."

"Reno? Help! Please!" she begged softly.

"Triss? What's wrong?" the Turk asked, rising to walk towards the door.

"He's- NO! LEAVE HER ALONE! NO! NO!" Reno heard a blood curdling shriek of pain and then an awful, but very familiar gurgle. The redhead had been responsible for that noise many times. That particular gurgle was the sound of someone's lungs filling with blood while they were still trying to breathe.

"FUCK!" Reno yelled as he bolted out the door.