Disclaimer: FF7 is 100% owned by Square Enix

A/N: This story takes place on the premise that two of the characters have read a lot of fanfiction. Due to this, there are many events and character quirks inspired by other authors. This may become obvious in some sections, and we encourage you all to read other stories as well. When there is a specific reference we will try to have it in here for you to go find. Enjoy!

Chapter 2: Turks? You have got to be kidding!

Later on the first night in Midgar, after everyone had turned in for the night (the Turks were staying since there were strangers in the rooms) Ryu rolled onto her side and stared at the window. The lights of Midgar shone through it. She could just make out the shine of Alanna's eyes as she too stared out the window. The others appeared to be sleeping peacefully. Morgan rolled over in his sleep and landed against her back.

Ryu cuddled her head down deeper into her pillow and, even though she knew it was useless, prayed that she'd either wake up or fall asleep. She didn't want to think too much.

"Ryu, you awake?" Alanna whispered. Ryu suppressed a giggle, it was like a sleep over, and the last time all of them had slept in the same room was when they'd celebrated Christmas together before going home for the holidays.

"Yeah." She replied.

"Can we go and talk?" Alanna asked.

"Sure." Ryu said getting up.

"They seem so sweet." Alanna said. They were sitting in the hall just outside the room. Ryu grinned and nudged her with her shoulder.

"And you're sweet on one of them too." She said. Alanna grinned.

"Yeah." She admitted.

"What are we going to do?" Alanna asked suddenly serious. Ryu looked down at her linked hands.

"Whatever we have to do. We can't let what happens in the games happen here. I know that's cold, but I know you'd rather know he was alive then dead or miserable, even if you can't see him." Ryu said. Alanna sighed.

"So Sephiroth really is a sugar addict." She said. Ryu laughed.

"Yeah, he really is. And Angeal is a great cook." She patted her stomach content. The meal though a bit strange to them had been delicious. And they'd all eaten to their fill. Matti and Morgan had packed away as much as the SOLDIERs had.

"Zack really is that hyper." Alanna said with a shake of her head laughing. Ryu nodded and rested her head on 'Lanna's shoulder.

"It's not home 'Lanna but I don't want anything to happen here, I like them, even Genesis and Reno despite them being asses." Ryu admitted.

Morgan woke to someone shaking his shoulder. He grunted and rolled over.

"Morgan where's Ryu?" He heard Piper whisper.

"Probably the bathroom," He muttered half asleep.

"With Alanna?" His eyes snapped open. Morgan rolled over and looked around. Both Matti and Mary were already awake. Alanna and Ryu were missing. He felt beside him, checking the mattress for her body heat.

"She's been gone a while." He noted as the mattress was cold.

"Let's go look" Mary said. Morgan got up and opened the door. He grinned.

"Found them." He said. Leaning against the wall opposite the door, were Alanna and Ryu. They were sitting side by side, heads leaning on each other, fast asleep.

"They must have come out here to talk and fallen asleep." He said. He knelt down by Ryu. He shook her shoulder.

"Wake up sleeping beauty." He murmured. Ryu grinned sleepily and opened her eyes.

"You're the only who calls me that." She said. He laughed.

"Come on back to bed, you fell asleep out here." He said.

"We didn't mean to." Alanna murmured sleepily. Shaking Ryu had awoken her as well.

"We came out here to talk because we couldn't sleep." Ryu explained as she stood.

"Well you're sleepily now" He pointed out.

XXX3XXX3XXX

They followed the SOLDIERs through the crowds. They had decided to take their new charges out to get them something to wear, other than someone else's clothes. It had been a few days and the group had adjusted fairly well to the world around them. The Turks and SOLDIERs had learned that the group had been dressed as they had been because they were truly like the person they had been dressed as.

Mary was strong, but had a strong sense of order and conduct; she also had quite a bit of patience, putting up with Ryu, Alanna and Piper starting a pillow-fight one morning. The guys had slept through it but not Mary.

Piper was indeed an energetic person, she loved being on the go and doing things. If she sat still she fell asleep. She was also for the most part brightly optimistic and happy.

Matti was quiet for the most part; being a poly-sci major he had a certain turn of mind that made him similar to Tseng. No one would flat out say Matti would manipulate people to get what he wanted or coldly follow orders, but…

Morgan was also quiet but in a different way. He just rarely spoke, he couldn't ninja himself into card locked buildings like Matti could. Morgan also liked explosives, a lot. He and Rude hit it off when it was mentioned how he had adapted fireworks once for 'Lanna's birthday. They'd been pretty but highly illegal.

Alanna, aside from knowing all of LOVELESS by heart, was a bit vain and arrogant she just hid it well. But she was also a very caring person and terrible prankster.

Ryu was also a prankster, usually at Alanna's instigation. She was quiet around strangers usually unless her temper got fired up then she was loud. In the friend group she was cheeky, impish, loud, and usually laughing. Being an ex-dancer she was probably the most flexible and possibly the nimblest. But it was really how she and Morgan squabbled, joked, teased, and in general treated each other around others that made them act like Reno and Rude.

Zack had Piper in tow behind talking animatedly; somehow the doppelgangers, as they had dubbed themselves, had had their model drifting to them. That's why Angeal was walking beside Mary as they talked about of all things cooking desserts. Morgan and Ryu found themselves with Reno and Rude following them. Genesis had decided to walk beside Alanna, much to her dismay. Tseng walked with Sephiroth and had somehow managed to force Matti to walk with them. Cloud was with Zack and Piper.

"Yo, Little Me, do you even know how to fight?" Reno asked her suddenly. Ryu looked up.

"I can shoot." She admitted. Morgan laughed.

"She's got a mean kick. Nailed her ex and dropped him to the floor for fifteen minutes." He said. Ryu grinned slightly.

"I was pissed; I don't make a habit of kicking people." She protested.

"Most don't." Rude noted as Morgan snorted in disbelief.

"Well other then you, but I am trying not to even though you earned those!" She protested, as Reno laughed at Morgan's long face.

"Piper Puppy, look." Zack said pointing to a street vendor.

"Zack you can't be hungry already." Cloud said. With a smaller group he was more relaxed. Zack grinned.

"No, that's not a food vendor, it's a plushie vendor." He grabbed Piper's hand not hearing Matti's quiet growl of protest behind them.

"Come on every girl needs a plushie." Zack decided pulling her to the vendor.

"Zack we're getting clothes."Tseng protested.

"And hands off." Matti muttered.

"I swear, this one pan it never burns. I can leave it in for like twenty minutes too long and…" Mary trailed off as she watched Zack pull Piper to a vendor. Angeal saw it as well.

"I need to curb my puppy's enthusiasm." Angeal said. Mary nodded and followed him.

"I think I should save Piper before Matti has a fit." She said.

Ryu walked over to where Zack, Angeal, Piper, Cloud and Mary stood. Zack was talking excitedly.

"Why not? They should have something that makes them feel at home." He argued. Ryu noticed the vendor was selling dolls of the SOLDIERs. She picked up a Zack doll and resisted the urge to hug it.

"Do you even know if they want one?" Angeal asked.

"They're girls. Girls like plushies." Zack pointed out grinning.

A hand reached around Ryu and gave the vendor some gil. Ryu looked up at Reno who was grinning like an idiot.

"He's right, yo. Girls do like plushies, and you went right for that one." He grinned. Ryu scowled at him.

"Don't get any weird ideas. It's just Zack looks the cutest as a plushie." She said, "And thank you."

"SEE!" Zack said pointing to Ryu holding the plushie, "Wait is that me?" He asked confused. Quickly Ryu hid the plushie behind her back.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." She deadpanned her face red.

"It was me," He said pouncing at her. Morgan grabbed her arm pulling her away from the exuberant SOLDIER, causing him to crash into Rude. Rude merely grunted and pushed him away.

"AWW! Lemme see." Zack protested chasing after her.

"EEK No" She said laughing and glaring at him at the same time. After hiding behind various people she finally whaled him in the face with the plushie.

"ACK" He said. Everyone laughed.

"Zack is being beat up by Zack." Reno said. Taking advantage of Zack's confusion Ryu ducked behind Reno and sticking her head around him stuck her tongue out at Zack, the plushie dangling by an arm from the hand gripping Reno's sleeve.

"Why don't you buy Piper a Cloud plushie and then Cloud will finally be able to beat you up when she hits you with it." She said. Cloud flushed as the group laughed. Reno twisted his head to look at her behind him.

"What are you doing?" He asked. She looked up at him.

"Meat shield." She said impishly pulling his rat tail before moving to stand by Morgan.

"At least it wasn't me this time." Morgan said as Reno glared at her. She didn't even seem to notice, leaning against Morgan getting her breath back after her run from Zack. It had been brief, but out running a SOLDIER even one who wasn't trying hard is difficult.

Zack bought Piper a Cloud plushie. Angeal looked at Mary, wondering if the girl who seemed so masculine wanted one as well. She was critically studying an Angeal plushie, finding that the buster sword was plastic and came out of the sheath.

"Would you like one?" He asked politely.

"I couldn't ask." She said putting it down. Angeal picked it up. He examined it.

"Not bad." He admitted. He handed the vendor some gil and then handed her the plushie.

"Zack can be right on occasion. Girls do tend to like plushies, and they make people feel at home." He said pointedly since Genesis was standing nearby. Genesis glared but then turned to look at Alanna who was talking with Piper laughing at Zack. Ryu saw Genesis standing at the cart staring at the plushies. She came up to his side, picked up a Genesis plushie and handed it to him.

"This is the one she'd like." She said before walking away. Genesis caught the back of her shirt.

"Urk." Ryu said backing up to avoid being choked, "What?" She asked as Genesis paid the vendor and handed her the plushie.

"Could you give it to her?" He asked. Ryu studied his face briefly then took the plushie.

"Sure, but you know 'Lanna doesn't bite." She said before skipping over to hop up behind Alanna hugging her around the shoulders.

"Look what Genesis bought you." She said dangling the plushie in front of her. Alanna took it.

"He didn't," She protested.

"Oh yes he did." Ryu said giggling as Tseng cleared his throat.

"Let's get moving." He said.

After going through store after store, mainly because Genesis refused to buy Alanna anything he considered unfashionable, they were done. The day was coming to a close as they headed to where they'd parked Angeal's truck. Everyone was carrying a small bag with a change or two of clothes.

One minute the group was laughing the next they were being thrown flat to the ground by the Turks and SOLDIERs as gunfire erupted nearby.

During a lull in the shots, they were pulled to their feet and dragged to a safe spot. The four Turks stood in front of the group drawing their guns.

"Don't tell me you don't know how to shoot." Morgan said to the SOLDIERs they grinned sheepishly.

"Never saw a need to learn before now." Sephiroth said. Morgan and Ryu shook their heads.

"Stay behind us."Tseng told them.

"No arguments there." Alanna muttered. Matti happened to look up and saw the sniper lying on the fire escape above them. How he hadn't heard or seen them he didn't know.

"Sephiroth," He hissed. The general turned to look at him.

"There's a sniper above us." He said calmly still watching the sniper. Sephiroth looked up, and there was indeed one.

"Zack," he said softly and pointed. Zack nodded his head and started to climb the fire escape silently. He positioned himself so he was standing over the sniper and then plunged his sword down through him. The man gasped and then died. Zack clamored back down the stairs just as efficiently as the fighting broke out in front of the alley. The little group of six stayed close together.

"Sephiroth, you guys are going to have to go out there, there are too many." Tseng said. The SOLDIERs drew their swords, loaded their materia and charged out.

"Hand over your spares to the civilians, in case of a back attack." Tseng ordered the Turks. Two hand guns, and two long daggers were handed over.

Alanna took the two daggers. Casually she walked over to a drain pipe nearby and slashed both the top and the bottom. Catching the pipe she handed it to Mary.

"For you, oh brute." She said. Mary took it and hefted it.

"Nice." She said. Ryu standing next to Morgan pulled on his sleeve and pointed up at the sniper's dead body.

"He had a sniper rifle. Bet it's still up there." She said. Morgan grinned and headed to the stairs to climb up.

"If you find anything throw it down, carefully." She called. He quickly nodded his head.

"I guess you guys get to fight over the guns." Mary said to Ryu, Matti and Piper.

"He's got a shot gun. Anybody want it?" Morgan called down.

"DIBS." Piper said, her hand shooting into the air.

"I'll come down half way and meet you." Morgan called. Piper nodded and started up the ladder.

"Want one?" Matti asked Ryu offering her a gun. Ryu shook her head and turning came up behind Rude, her hand digging in his coat pocket.

"Sorry for reaching." She said as she pulled out his EMR, "But you never use this." Extending the rod with a flick over her wrist, she grinned. Rude cut her a glance.

"Can you use it?" He asked. She shrugged,

"This little button triggers the EMR, make sure electrodes are touching a subject otherwise pretty much use it like a night stick." She said pointing out the button. He grunted and turned back to the fight.

"I'm taking that as permission." She muttered before turning back to the others.

Checking the others she saw Morgan settling in on the fire escape, after pushing the sniper's body off the landing. Piper was checking the shot gun, as Matti was doing the same with the guns. Mary was practicing swinging the pipe. Alanna was testing the weight and length of her daggers. Ryu gave a quick couple of flips with the EMR in her hand before the first of the enemies came around the corner. Piper blasted the first away without blinking.

"Save your bullets." Matti told her nodding to Ryu, Mary, and Alanna to go.

"On it." Alanna said. She and Ryu flanked Mary, darting out from her sides to strike the opponents as her swing passed. Alanna quickly got the knack for slashing as she turned, slitting throats or hamstringing her opponents. Ryu quickly learned where to hit for maximum shocking. And Mary went right for their heads. From behind them, Matti, Piper and Morgan picked off those who got too close.

Finally the fighting was over. Mary, Ryu and Alanna straightened slowly from the crouches they'd dropped into and turned around. The Turks and SOLDIERs were staring at the carnage behind them. The girls were covered in blood. Ryu shifted the goggles she'd pulled down over her eyes back up on to her forehead, blood beginning to drip down her forehead. Alanna wiped her face on an equally bloody hem of her shirt; she was covered in arterial spray. Mary was covered in blood and bits of brain, from bashing skulls in.

"Did we do that?" Ryu whispered staring at the bodies around them. She could see several who'd had their heads beaten in with a pipe, and the ones with bullet holes or slash marks weren't much better.

"Why didn't you call for help?" Tseng asked as he and Sephiroth bore down on the group. They all traded looks.

"Didn't think of it." Matti admitted, appointed for the time being as leader of the group. None of them wanted to deal with Tseng or Sephiroth in a rage.

"You could have been killed." Sephiroth snapped, "You're civilians, not SOLDIERs or Turks." He added. They all shrugged.

"We aren't babies." Mary pointed out.

"Where's Morgan?" Rude asked suddenly. Ryu jumped, startled that he had spoken. The bald man was very quiet. She pointed up to the fire escape.

Morgan was stretched out on the landing, his eye to the scope of the sniper rifle watching the alley around them. He was completely still, not moving a muscle.

"He won't come down until you clear the area." Ryu pointed out to Sephiroth, hoping they'd go away.

"Does he know how to use that?' Tseng asked. Ryu nodded.

"His Dad taught him how to shoot pretty much anything," She said with a wistful grin on her face. She remembered all the times they'd gone out to the range with his dad. Tseng turned back to Matti.

"You should have called for help." He said severely, "As it is." He began. He then noticed the EMR Ryu had propped over one shoulder.

"Where did you get that?" He asked. Rude coughed.

"She borrowed it." He admitted. Tseng held his hand out for it. Ryu shook her head.

"Uh-uh." She said backing away.

"Not until I know we're safe. I can use this and I will if I have to." She said. Reno came up next to Tseng.

"Bossman, you ain't gonna get it away from her." He said.

"I can get another one." Rude pointed out.

"She'll get one of her own. I am making them all Turks." Tseng snapped.

"Really?" Alanna asked, skeptical. Tseng pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Yes really." The others stared at him, Mary looked slightly horrified. Piper and Matti looked confused. And Ryu was trying to keep the small grin off her face.

"All clear." Zack called waving up at Morgan. Morgan saw him and waved back before he eased away from the rifle. He quickly packed it down and brought it with him. When he descended he went right to Ryu.

"You all right?" He asked her. She nodded.

"I'm fine." She told him. He nodded his head.

"The others are all right too?" He asked. She nodded her head.

"Can we go home? Clean up is here." Genesis said.

"Yes." Tseng said.

XXX3XXX3XXX

A/N: Fun, fun… Sorry this chapter was so short again. This was the most natural place to break things up. We will try to make things a little longer in the future.

Keep reading and reviewing, we would love to hear from you all.