Disclaimer: Final Fantasy does not belong to me...however much I may like it to. I own no characters, places etc. etc. so please don't sue me! I'm a nice person :)

Author's Note: Chapter Twenty-Seven...PLEASE review as I really enjoy reading your views and they inspire me to get better! It would make me very very happy! Anyway stop reading this and get on with reading the fic! Hope you enjoy! :)

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Pointed Guns and Jealous Boys

Reno drew in a breath as quietly as he could, as he attempted to lift himself into a more comfortable position on the bed; the small motion gaining a sharp, threatening glare from the 'Doctor'.

Being held captive was not the most desirable situation at the best of times, but being held captive by someone who was presenting himself as more and more unstable with every passing second was definitely pushing the tension to a whole new level.

No-one had said anything for hours now. They'd just sat there. Waiting, though for what exactly he wasn't sure. Trying to ask their captor anything only resulted in inaudible mumblings; it seemed even he hadn't planned for this particular turn of events and now the only thing he could come up with was to hold them there until a solution presented itself.

He just paced up and down the room, but although he seemed lost in his own little world, his trigger finger was ready and waiting to for the chance to bury a bullet in each one of them.

Reno was used to being in dangerous situations, but the thought that he'd gotten Tifa involved in this was something he couldn't stand. Especially since this felt undeniably like his fault.

* * * Flashback * * *

The brunette seemed to recoil in place as she took in the scene before her. Her companion on the other hand appeared, as always, completely composed.

The threat of death seemed to take no effect on him whatsoever, though Reno thought there was something of a darkening within his usually cold, blue eyes.

"Now you are all going to do exactly as I say."

There was an uneasy silence before the only calm male there, took a small, firm step forwards; flicking a strand of hair from his eyes in a typical 'Rufus' style.

"And why would we do that?"

Their captor chuckled in a rather unhinged fashion.

"Well I've got the gun pointed at your chest so I'm feeling like I could pretty much get you to do what the fuck I like."

Tifa's faltering gaze darted over to the red head, her voice soft, almost forced, as if fighting an internal choke-hold.

"Reno...what's going-"

The unknown male swung his gun around to the young woman, his wrist beginning to shake with a degree of frustration.

"HEY! Did I say you could talk?"

Tifa scowled; her gaze narrowing intensely as she battled between her feelings of fear and complete detestation. After taking a moment to untie the knot deep within her stomach, the young female took a deep breath and latched gazes with the unstable male, before speaking as calmly as she could manage under the circumstances.

"Why are you here?"

Their gun-wielding captor displayed a somewhat sarcastic smile before drawing his sharpened gaze towards the red head.

"Your little friend here stole something from me."

The young brunette seemed to forget their situation for a moment as she turned to scowl disapprovingly at her friend.

"Reno!"

The young Turk's eyes widened; the expression likened to that of a child after being caught at the scene of some unauthorised ice-cream consumption by a rather disapproving parent.

"No I didn't! I couldn't have..."

He turned his desperate gaze on his accuser.

"I've never even seen you before!"

The 'Doctor' took two large strides over to the red head's bedside and made roll his eyes over the various monitors and tubes in a rather pointed manner, murmuring under his breath as he did so.

"But you've seen my work.."

And then dawned on Reno; this man's 'work' was inside him.

The 'Doctor' ran his free hand over his forehead; his breathing becoming more and more laboured as he began to lose whatever control he had on his already shaky composure.

"I had hoped this would be simple. I've already taken your blood...I just had to give you a little something to make that lovely work of mine finish you off...it was all going to be so damn simple...BUT THEN YOU TWO HAD TO GO AND MESS IT ALL UP!"

* * * Flashback End * * *

Reno bent his head back onto the pillows. He knew his mistakes would one day come back to bite him in the arse.

I suppose this is where being clumsy gets you...

Yes, this really did feel like it was all his fault.

The silence that hung around them was suffocating her. She was certain the whole room could hear her heart beat; the heavy thud, thud, thud against her chest seemed to reverberate in her head with an almost painful mockery.

Both her and Rufus were seated, rather uncomfortably, upon the cold, tiled floor. Half of her wanted to fall asleep from the stillness of it all, though the adrenaline that pumped through her veins put a stop to her getting any reprieve.

Tifa tilted her head back slightly; her warm, crimson-tinted gaze soon finding Reno's form. He was just as motionless as them, though her current position left little other to be observed as the angle made to cut any view of his face.

Her heart gave a dull pang as her eyes drifted back towards the floor.

Why hadn't any other hospital staff come to check on Reno already? Had this 'Doctor' done something? Or was this because of Rufus? Perhaps they had learnt of his visit and had chosen not to disturb him? Either way the feeling of isolation was growing with every passing second of silence.

Their captor's breath was the only thing that cut through the air with its constant, almost rhythmic inhalation; the heaviness of his outward breath creating a low rumble which seemed to vibrate through the atmosphere itself.

Tifa curled her bottom lip between her teeth, beginning to chew softly; her eyes gliding across the pristine white tiles.

She hadn't made eye contact with Rufus since they'd made their entrance, and he had not made any effort to get her attention. Not even once.

What was he thinking? Surely he, the President of Shin-Ra, could get them out of this? Didn't he have other Turks at his command? Couldn't he send some secret message by pushing the big red panic button in his jacket pocket like they did in the movies?

For someone with so much pride in himself, he sure was playing the coward now. She wanted to ask him why. Why he hadn't even tried. The closer she got to him, the less she understood; a recurring pattern with this man.

And I thought we'd finally made some progress...

She was beginning to lose all feeling in her butt now.

This is ridiculous. How long are we just going to sit here for?

Her face crinkled as she attempted to reposition herself. That immediately appeared to be a mistake however as the small, really rather insignificant movement drew their captor's gaze.

"What did I tell you about moving?"

"I'm sorry, I just-"

"I told you DON'T MOVE!"

The male took a step towards her; forcing Tifa to push herself harder against the wall in instinctive defence whilst the gun's barrel shook unsteadily in its owner's over-zealous grip.

"Damn it, stay still!"

The cold metal blurred into a grey mass before her eyes at it drew ever closer.

It had been a while since Tifa had felt such a stillness in her heart. It was something one could only experience when faced with the real possibility of imminent death. This man could end her life at any point, and she'd be gone. She wouldn't even have time to scream.

"Maybe I should just shoot you and be done with it..."

His voice echoed in her like a whisper, as though his lips were but an inch from her ear.

She couldn't move for the sheer tension weighting on her body, like a great, black mass surrounding her. Part of her warned to leap forward lay one of her trademark punches straight into his gut. Though of course there was the other part of her that refused to move no matter how much she willed it to. Her eyes began to glaze over as her fear overtook the need to blink. It felt like she was being choked by her own internal strain and no matter how hard she tried to, she couldn't seem to take a breath.

"Don't! She's got nothing to do with this."

Tifa jarred out of her paralysis with an unpleasant chill, as her skin began to release all its withheld shivers. Reno's voice had broken through the silence, and now their captor had turned his gun on him.

"You know this is all your fault!"

Reno's aquamarine gaze fell to his blanket.

"If you had just kept out of my business then things would be so much easier! You Shin-Ra lot think you own everything don't you! You're just a bunch of-"

Tifa wasn't listening any more.

Why hadn't Rufus said anything? Why hadn't he tried to stop the gun? Wasn't he suppose to care what happened to her?

She turned her head ever so slightly to glance at her silent companion, though what she found was not what she had expected.

He was staring straight at her. Blank, frozen. Scared? In fact, he looked like she had felt a few moments ago.

"If you had just kept out of my business then things would be so much easier! You Shin-Ra lot think you own everything don't you! You're just a bunch of filthy, degenerate-"

Reno's brow furrowed as he scrunched his eyes shut in some attempt to deflect the verbal onslaught.

-stinking low-lives!"

You're one to talk...

The young Turk couldn't help but think this 'Doctor' was a little too self-righteous for someone whose 'work' seemed to be nothing but a destructive, torturous weapon.

The unnamed male continued in his rant, though by now it appeared as if no-one was listening.

The outside corridor seemed to have darkened somewhat, though it was hard for Reno to tell if it was from poor weather or if night had begun to fall. His cubicle blinds were always drawn shut, though one of the slats seemed to have become detached from the rest of the fitting and left a small, thin window to the outside. The pale, grey light poured through and left a trail through the shadows.

His eyes travelled over the fallen light and soon came to the two people sitting upon the floor. They were staring at each other. Just staring.

Why had she come here with him anyway. He couldn't understand it. It wasn't like he had just escorted her. No. When they had arrived they had been laughing, talking, enjoying themselves.

Tifa could swear that she knew this guy.

Something about him seemed so familiar, but not in a particularity pleasant way. Had she served him at the bar once? No. Had she ran into him at Shin-Ra Headquarters? No, that couldn't be it either; she doubted very much that he would try to infiltrate that building. He clearly wasn't the most 'slick' of characters. After all he had practically fallen apart from the moment herself and Rufus had entered. He hadn't even thought up an alternative plan in case something unexpected happened.

Someone like him would never have survived in AVALANCHE...

That being said, there was little she could do. He had a gun and he was unstable. That was always a dangerous combination. If she tried to defend herself, he could end up shooting Reno or Rufus and she wasn't confident in her abilities to protect them.

I've been out of the fight too long.

"Mr Shin-Ra, you've been very quiet."

She blinked rapidly as she forced herself to refocus.

Rufus slowly drew his gaze up to the 'Doctor' with an almost placid confidence.

"Well Miss. Lockhart and myself just walked in on you and Reno here. It seems your business is with him, so they'd be little reason for me to get in your way. Though I would appreciate it if you'd hurry up with whatever it is you're doing...this is hardly how I wanted to spend my day."

The young brunette threw her companion a heated glare.

"What the hell is wrong with you!"

Rufus's gaze faltered for a second, but narrowed soon after.

"Nothing is wrong with me Miss. Lockhart. What I said is perfectly correct. He didn't come here for us so why should we get involved?"

'Miss. Lockhart'...Hadn't we passed that already?

If she hadn't have thought it would only make the situation worse, she may very well have head-butted him.

"How many times do I have to say this! He's your Turk! And he's my friend! I thought you understood that I care-"

"Well maybe it's time you began to think with your head, instead of leaving everything up to how you feel."

The young woman slammed her palm down upon the icy tiles; her anger overtaking her fear, or even awareness of their captor.

"Do you really still believe that feelings are a weakness? We talked about this damn it!"

Rufus was practically seething. His fists clenched tightly at his sides as if his insides were boiling.

"Are you saying...my life isn't as important to you as his?"

What? Does he think I'm not just as worried about him? Does he think I don't care?

Her brow furrowed in a mixture of confusion and embarrassment, though her pause must of looked like more of a falter. Something her companion didn't fail to notice as he let out a low, almost primal growl.

"Why..."

"Why what?"

"Why is it ALWAYS Reno!"

A/N= I'm a bad, bad girl...

This took way too long to post...and I don't really have much to say in my defence, I just had reeeaalllllyyyy really bad writers laziness. It's a very serious condition. I feel lucky not to have lost any limbs to this terrible disease. Though on a plus point I bought a new messenger bag, and it's black leather with the Shinra Logo printed in gold on the flap *smiles* its soooo pretty.

Hopefully I'll get the next update posted before my birthday in August XD plus all my friends are away over my birthday and the two weeks before it, so I'll have a lot of free time...

So onto the chapter!

I've actually split this chapter into two parts because it got a little too long and I really wanted to work a bit more on the second half and I didn't want you guys to have to wait any longer than you already have! The next chapter will also be significantly longer ^_^ and there's a possibility of mature content so you have been warned.

I really wanted to create the right atmosphere for their situation; the fear Tifa was feeling and the annoyance/irritation of being in such a situation and not having any control.

I wanted this chapter to feel disjointed and there not to be a real sense of time or the world outside Reno's cubicle because in this situation they wouldn't really be able to keep track of anything. That's why I had them jumping from Reno's POV to Tifa's. I wanted to keep Rufus's train of thought private for now seeing as the next chapter is going to be completely in his POV ^_^

Which brings us to Rufus. Yes, Rufus was back to his old self here ^_^ although I did say that he wasn't gunna go all squishy and limp like a trampled pansy XD I think he's still very much 'President Shinra' at this point, and although he's 'worked out' stuff with Tifa, he's still 'him'.

Reviewers are always commenting on the jealous issue between Rufus and Reno concerning Tifa and I just had to let that come to the boil here. XD The next chapter will, like I said, be in Rufus's POV so we'll get down to the nitty gritty details of him, Tifa and Reno.

And if you were wondering why the 'Doctor' didn't just shoot Reno, Tifa and Rufus and get out of there, Rufus is the President of Shinra so killing him would be rather serious, and if he shot all three of them it would of course look like murder (his original plan obviously looking quite natural under the circumstances) so he'd have less chance of getting away and would probably be pursued relentlessly.

Oh and the last line was actually taken from a review by Bluejay917 ^_^ as soon as I read it I knew I just had to use it!