#Elena and Tseng are personally still good looking just not my type

[mazu-art]

help I love twinks!!!

Rufus Shinra. Babe with slut lips. Rude: Hot bald head with dad bod energy. This is good. Reno: Dumb twink YES!

[silverselfshippingchaos]

[Dorky-self-shipper] Free Pass to talk about any s/i you want? 👀

Thank you so much for this @dorky-self-shipper!!! Made me smile a LOT!!!

The FF7 world has been living in my head rent free ever since I played Remake for the first time. So I’m gonna talk about my FF7 s/i. She’s... really something. She’s not completely fleshed out yet, but I still think she’s pretty cool. 

Let’s gooooooooo!

My self insert for the ff7 world is a Turk working under Shinra Inc. Shinra are the villains for the most part, and the Turks do some pretty morally-gray stuff for them.  She looks pretty much identical to me/my fe3h s/i. Tan skin, red glasses, black hair, and the signature Turks suit. She doesn’t have anything too special going on with her suit. Just a white shirt along with a black tie, a black coat, and black pants paired with some black boots. She occasionally leaves the buttons on her blazer open.  She’s also pretty short (I’m around 5’2 😭). Tseng and Rude both stand at around 6 feet, so she always looks pretty small next to them. 

Since she’s a Turk, she sometimes has to fight her way out of sticky situations.  Her main weapon of choice is the same as my fe3h s/i! She’s a spellcaster!

She’s a Materia specialist and fights using different kinds of orbs of Materia, and is always sure to keep many on her so she’s always prepared. She mainly keeps elemental types of Materia with her, but she’s sure to keep some healing ones along with a Time Materia. She’s not against a few summons either. She has a little belt of them that she wears because carrying around that many fragile glass-like orbs without it + her clumsiness? ...Yikes.  (Also she can, will, and does do the fe3h Trickster thing where she shoots magic out of fingerguns. One of my favorite classes in the game for sure. Felix in a suit with fingerguns is one of the best things I’ve ever seen.) 

She doesn’t use a physical weapon very often whatsoever, but when she does, it’s usually a handgun. Swords are cool and she likes them. She’s not too skilled with then and isn’t keen on the sight of injury, but she has an admiration. They’re usually too bulky for her to keep on her suit, though, so she usually just has her Materia along with a gun. Please don’t be surprised if she whips out a sword every now and then though. She sometimes pairs her Materia with her gun as well because ✨elemental bullets✨

One of my headcanons (but wait.. if it’s my s/i... wouldn’t that be canon...? anyways-) is that Materia can be embedded in tattoo ink which is then applied to the body to infuse the person with the power of that Materia very slightly. Now, it can’t be anything major because in the Turks side game, one of the characters has shards of Materia in her arm, and it slowly eats away at her life force. So let’s, uh, avoid that. I like to think that maybe (I’m still thinking about this one) Ash has some very small hand-tattoos embedded with either Cure or Fire Materia. The Cure one helps her both cure very small wounds on herself and/or on others when she doesn’t have her full Cure orb on her. As for the Fire one, there’s a lot of handy situations in which just a little bit of fire can be useful, so that’s that. Again, this is just a thought, but I think it’s pretty goddamn cool! Also would explain why I’m so tired all the time lmao!

Also Materia is pretty and I love it. The colors are interesting too. 

Adding onto that, she also really likes jewelry. Materia infused jewelry was something I thought of, but I’m not quite sure about that? She already has a wide assortment on her, so I think she would just settle for normal jewelry. Just like many of the other Turks, she’s always wearing small earrings. However, on missions where she can’t have all her gear on her, she will have Materia infused jewelry. Also, sometimes it’s just cute so. It depends on the day. Also! Since part of the uniform is gloves (she prefers fingerless), she doesn’t really get a chance to wear rings, unfortunately. When she’s not wearing gloves, though, she usually has some rings on. 

Is part of the Turks initiation process a trip to Claire’s?

I like to think that she’s pretty friendly and that she gets along well with her team. She’s either very serious or a total goofball depending on the situation. Expect many bad puns and snarky comments. She tries her best to fulfil her duties as a Turk, but they can sometimes be difficult for her since her emotions can sometimes cloud her judgement. She’s a very emotional person. The Sector 7 Job screws her up quite a bit. I’m not sure if she’s a Turk then or not, but just knowing that her team was responsible for that many deaths puts a bitter taste in her mouth. 

When combat can be avoided, she will take that route. She’s no pacifist, she would just prefer to do things with her words than with her flames. However, there are exceptions to this (*coughs in Don Corneo* She will gladly rip that man apart.) When she’s not on the active field during missions, she’ll stay back with Tseng and go through information, helping him guide the team. Her and Tseng are pretty close, despite being so different. 

Being completely honest, one of her favorite parts of her position is having access to so much information. She enjoys reading a lot, along with gaming. 

As for relationships with her team, they’re all pretty strong. 

Her and Tseng have some differing values, but they get along fairly well. She’s very cautious about her wording around him at first. He’s a scary guy, and him being leader doesn’t help. He can be very cold sometimes, but he’s a good listener. She relaxes around him eventually, and he becomes someone who she goes to very often for support. I like to think that she goes to him after the Sector 7 situation to talk about her feelings about it. I also think that he may have been the one who recruited her into the team in the first place? She owes a lot to him, and looks up to him a lot. Learning about how caring he was when he was younger only increases her admiration. She sometimes doesn’t agree with some of his more twisted logic, but she also understands that he has duties to fulfil and a team to manage. He’s trying his best to comfort them. 

Her and Reno are bros. Reno brings out her more wild side, and those two together are the very definition of chaotic. They’re always cracking jokes with each other and for them, being together is a blast. He was one of the first who reached out to her back when she was still new on the team, and when Rude isn’t available, he talks to her a lot. He appreciates how easy she is to talk to. They share the same braincell, and their jokes are very stupid. Their team missions are pretty fun. I also like to think that they play video games together in their free time! I love their friendship SO much!!! Ash definitely has her smarter moments, and is very knowledgeable on a lot of things, but together, they share a singular braincell.  An important thing to add about them is that sometimes she can be a bit of a mom-friend towards him when they’re not fooling around? She knows when enough is enough and when to rein him in. They both have their more serious moments, and their understanding of each other definitely helps on more serious missions. In a nutshell, they’re just two bros and I love them a lot. They understand each other.  Also, their fighting styles compliment each other quite a bit, so that’s fun. 

Ash and Rude is a friendship I really appreciate. Rude is not a man of many words, and Ash is very talkative. However, you quickly learn that Rude is very caring and prefers to show his affection in smaller gestures and actions. It takes a while for Rude to become more open with her, but it happens. He always listens to her rambles and although he might not say much, he remembers every single detail. She reminds him a bit of Reno, and he’s been dealing with a Reno for the past 7-some years. Their relationship is very wholesome, and Ash always encourages him to voice his thoughts. Also, he gives very good hugs when she needs them. She’s very sensitive and can be very affected by some of the stuff she sees while on duty, and he’s very protective of her. Her attitude and rambles confuse Rude sometimes, but he tries to be a good friend. Also they can kick ass together big time.  In conclusion, Rude and Ash = big soft hours. 

Okay, let’s talk about Ash and Elena. Elena is a character that I personally adore so much because it took me a while to like her. My initial reaction to playing the original ff7 and seeing her was simply, “Oh, great. Yes, make the only female Turk super clumsy and shit at her job- And give her no personality outside of that and crushing on Tseng. I mean, mood, and same, but really?”  But then I researched the Turks game.  (I have yet to read the novels btw)

And I realized that me and Elena are similar in so many ways other than being very clumsy and simping for Tseng (he’s hot, okay- then again, I simp for all the Turks. they are VERY fine.) We have very similar personalities, constantly want to punch things, and also have similar relationships with being the youngest sibling. I really understand Elena and I love her. You look into her character and realize that she’s super strong and dependable, smart and gorgeous. She’s amazing. 

Ash and Elena, like I said, are pretty similar in terms of personality. So they really understand each other and get along very well!! They’re very close friends, and kinda live on the same mental wi-fi. They click very well on first meeting, and that click stays for very long time and only gets stronger as time passes. Ash feels as though she can discuss anything with her because Elena gets it. Also, missions in which they’re paired up together are always fun. They’re both pretty smart, but have a tendency to let their emotions cloud (heh, cloud-) their judgment. But when they’re together, they can keep each other check and in turn, kick ass together. They also have a mutual hatred for Don Corneo. I hate that man. Fighting together is pretty fun since Ash can stay back and spam her spells while Elena punches the crap out of their target.  In conclusion, these two are very close and they’re besties. They have a mutual understanding of each other in a lot of different fields. 

Thank you SO much for the opportunity to spill my thoughts about this, my friend!! Was a very very fun time! The Turks are always living in my head, so I’m glad to speak about them anytime. This definitely helped me organize my thoughts a bit and helped sorta motivate me to write about Ash and her Turk friends?? I can feel my half-written Felix fics in my drafts glaring at me, but regardless, I’m very excited. They have a super fun dynamic.  Thanks for listening!

[aerlths]

boundaries. tseng (18+)

request: Your first Tseng request was bliss! Can we have a Tseng smut oooof

: thank you so much and thank you for requesting! I’ve been wanting to try writing smut for a while, I hope this is okay! I was very sad because most of this imagine was deleted by tumblr and I had to rewrite everything, but I really wanted to deliver you this so I pulled through.

[reminder that requests are open for headcanons, imagines or fake text messages, all characters and pairings.]

(tumblr isnt allowing me to add the gif right now, i’ll do so later)

Tseng wasn’t one to lose sight of boundaries between his work and personal lives. Such strictness often served as the last protector of his sanity, and he found that balance to be essencial whilst working as a Turk.

Though it would usually only fuel his image as the consummate perfectionist, his tendency to cast aside his feelings while on the job had some negative repercussions in you, his fiancé.

Your relationship hadn’t been as long as one might think at the mention of that title, but taking into consideration your line of work and the years of longing stares, it came with no surprise.

What was surprising, however, was how mechanically he interacted with you when on the clock. To a certain extent, it made sense - he was your superior, the highest ranking of the Turks, and blatant favoritism would should put the two of you in trouble. However, it did seem as if you had moved backwards as a couple, growing colder by the day.

For a long while, you weren’t affected by this whatsoever. You knew the man you loved, and though you weren’t fully confident in yourself, you knew better than to question him. After all, work hours were for working, and you never lacked affection outside them. He was passionate, thoughtful - an all-round nicely presented package of a man, and you couldn’t possibly ask for more. Even if he lingered around other people, if you had lunch with different groups, if he barely looked up from his paperwork - you never felt yourself waver. Of course, there had been some occasional instances when you’d been a bit too sensitive and required his attention, but they never amounted to much.

Until now, that is.

You’d woken up craving for his attention, having yet again dreamed of him. The last couple of days had been particularly overwhelming, the entire squad a mess with the latest case - in sum, you were touch starved.

Groaning, you swung your barren legs from the bed and prepared yourself for another day at Shinra. With your jet black suit, hair hanging lazily behind your back and a mechanically shrunk weapon resting on your pocket, you made your way outside. Just down the hall was Tseng’s own apartment, close by as were all the other Turks’s per the company’s order,  and you walked towards it with no other thought.

It obviously wouldn’t be the first time you met in the early morning like this, and you were certain that a nice tight embrace and even the brief touch of his lips would be enough to fill that little empty hole in your chest. You weren’t even halfway through when Reno stepped out of his own door, yawning loudly.

The fiery red-headed grinned at the sight of you, waving exaggeratedly. “(Y/N)! If it isn’t the best girl!”

Humming a greeting, you continued past him. He called after you, “Ya know he’s not there right?”

You turned around, head tilted in question. Reno shrugged, “At the office with Elena.”

With Elena?

Your first instinct was tugging you towards a more protective, upset response, but you made an attempt at shrugging it off. You were engaged, he loved you, he deserved your trust and respect. It’s just work, you work too, some things need to be done. Such response didn’t linger in your mind for long - by the time you entered the building, you were a bit preoccupied. Tseng was well aware that Elena had feelings for him, and he was also aware of your thoughts about her. He obviously did not need to ask for permission to do anything, but he could’ve informed you that he was going to spend the night with her, of all people.

Trying to bury such an unhealthy mindset, you went out of your way to get the two of you coffee before walking up to his office. It must be the need for affectionate recharge, you just need to convince him to sneak in a couple of minutes for you. And so you went, hot cups in hand, only to find the blond turk sitting on his desk as he typed, knees nearly brushing his chest. Atop the desk were too halfway-done cups with the same dark liquid you carried - you instinctively hid yours behind your back.

She noticed you at the entrance, and you must’ve looked quite the piece, because Elena immediately moved off the desk. With her slender fingers lightly gripping Tseng’s shoulder, she whispered something, and moved away, greeting you as she passed. The apparent presence of someone was what made him look up from his computer, piercing dark eyes falling upon you.

“Good morning.” You said, and it was much softer than you had intended. Why was your chest so tight?

His response was as brief as yours, and his eyes were trained back on the screen ahead when he added, “Is there anything you need?”

Your lips parted to respond, to say what you had been needing for the past week, but your throat seemed to have shut off on you. Instead, it allowed you to croak out a “No”, and walk away from the room.

Was he seriously not aware of what that scene had looked like? Did he not understand that, while she was barely permitted to stand five meters from him without he practically bolting, he had another woman leisurely sitting atop his desk, nearly clinging to him? Not only that, he couldn’t even drop his cold facade for a minute or two when you hadn’t talked to each other in a week? You were only left with the impression that he didn’t love you that much, or else how couldn’t he even show a glimpse of need? It had you second guessing just how much of his work attitude was because of his boundaries, and how much of it was because it was you.

You touch the cold metal in your left hand and inhale. No, he loves you, don’t overthink. It’s all a misunderstanding.

Mechanically inhaling and exhaling once more, you move to the desk nearest to yours, Reno’s, and offer him the second coffee you were carrying. His brow perks up in surprise, and his tone is undeniably teasing as he lifts the cup. “Hey, I’m a man with principles, (Y/N), you shouldn’t try to seduce me like that.”

You role his eyes at his theatrics and sit beside him, gladly distracting yourself with work. Morning became afternoon, and though the blond circling past your desk from time to time had you flash with fury, you kept burying your feelings over and over until night time arrived. It can wait, you told yourself, this subject can wait until we’re off work.

But, it turned out, it actually could not wait.

You wouldn’t have known if it wasn’t for the red-headed whispering over your ear, “I just heard Elena say she’s gonna pull the same shit tonight”. The look he gave you was sort of apologetic, but you could tell the true purpose of delivering this information - get her ass.

But you didn’t go up to her at all, instead, you went straight for the office of the only person in that entire building that owned you anything. The man you were engaged to.

The door - that was always ajar - was locked behind you, and you gave him no time to think before speaking.

“What the hell was that this morning?”

You went straight to the subject, but that seemed to throw him off guard. He shook his head slightly, brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”

There was no breathing technique that would get you to calm down at that moment. “Are you actually serious right now? You spent the night in here with a woman that very clearly likes you, without even telling me-”

“It was work related, I don’t believe I have to report on that.”

“-and then, I get here, to see her sprawled across your desk like she owns the fucking place, all touchy, whispering in your ear with your damn fiancé standing in front of you and you barely bat an eye. Now I hear she’s staying with you again?”

“She wasn’t sprawled across my desk, she was there to look at the monitor with me. And yes, we might need to stay in tonight as well. Is there any problem?”

His tone was so overwhelmingly flat and controlled, it only clawed at that empty hole you’d been building up.

“Couldn’t she stand up like a regular person, pull a chair? Do you really think any of that is appropriate?”

Tseng sighed into his palm. “More inappropriate than you barging in your superior’s office, locking the door and discussing personal matters? No.”

At that point, his words physically hurt. You felt your chest tighten again, as if it was caging your heart in its attempt to flee. Fuck.

“You know what? You’re absolutely fucking right. There’s nothing wrong with any of that, I’m just acting like the crazy jealous girlfriend.” You paused, taking a moment to flash a small, provoking smile at him. His own expression was still as stoic. “Now that I know what the boundaries in our relationship are, I’m going over to work at Reno’s apartment. I’m sure he’ll let me spend the night there. Perhaps he’ll let me work in his bed, we’ll be more comfortable.” 

It was a low blow, but it’d gotten a reaction out of him - though albeit not what you were expecting, if possible, his face had only grown colder. “No, you won’t.”

“It’s work related, I don’t believe I have to report on that.” You countered. His eyes flashed as you continued. “The shift’s just ended, and I’m sure your new sweet companion has something very important to work on with you. If you don’t mind, I have to find mine. Excuse me.”

You turn around, just barely in time to avoid cracking right in front of his eyes. It was too much for you, the man you loved so deeply blatantly ignoring your feelings and going as far as belittling them. He didn’t even make an effort to understand why you would, for the first time, cross the line to talk to him like this. It hurt you the more you thought about it, and predicting the translucent liquid pooling up behind your lids, you made way for the door. 

As you were about to touch the handle, a firm hand gripped your wrist, turning you around. You weren’t aware he had speed materia on him, and that was certainly besides the point, because the eyes glaring down at you were quite harsh. “You’re not seriously about to do that, are you?” 

“It doesn’t concern you.” You responded, biting the inside of your cheek to restrain yourself. 

He pressed you against the cold wall, towering over your much shorter form. “Do you have any idea how hard it’s been for me, (Y/N)? I’ve been working non-stop, I spent the night working with Elena, not whatever the hell you’re suggesting you’ll do with my friend. I’ve barely been home, and instead of helping me you’re only making it worse?” 

“That’s not fair.” You began, and as the first couple of tears rained down your face he seemed to significantly soften, though his grip remained. “I’ve been working too! The only thing I wanted was to be with you for at least five minutes! We haven’t even spoken! I was going to your apartment this morning to spend some time with you, now that we’ve gotten that case behind, only to learn that you were with someone that you know I hate being near you, without at least a heads up. And I wasn’t going to say anything about it! I came here, hoping you’d at the very least discreetly hold my hand for a couple of seconds, just to see her sitting nearly on top of you when I can’t even be near you! And you know I have that...fantasy...and you still let her behave like that. Perhaps if you loved me a bit more, or even at all, you’d miss me as much as I am.”

You wiped away at your stained face and groaned, he stepped back, releasing your arm. “You think I don’t love you.” 

“That’s the only part you took away from everything that I just said? Fuck this.” You went for the door again, only to find yourself pressed against it, this time with a pair of lips assaulting your mouth. 

It was an open-mouthed, uncontrolled, desperate type of kiss. In spite of your self, your toes curled underneath your heels and you couldn’t help the soft mewl that escaped your throat once he broke away. His eyes were focusing on yours again, this time so close you could point out each speckle of color. 

His voice was raspy as he spoke. “Don’t...don’t ever say I don’t miss you.” He buried his face in your neck, “I’m sorry for being harsh. (Y/N), you know why I don’t want to be near you at work. There’s nothing I’ve been wanting more than pressing you against something and having my way with you...nothing I’ve wanted more than making you squirm under me, hear you call my name...” 

“What’s stopping you?” You taunt, and he presses a soft kiss where his mouth lingered. As the idea pops into your mind you feel yourself flush. “You could...make it up to me.”

He instantly knows what you’re referring to because he attempts to - half heartedly, at that - dissuade you. “We could get in trouble...” 

“I don’t think Rufus would mind if it ever reached his ears.” You mutter, and he shakes his head.

“Still...”

You’re starting to feel embarrassed, being declined after spending the entire week without even a kiss, so you inch away from him. “I thought it was harder for men than for us, I guess I must not be at-”

Tseng could see where you were going from miles away, to which he pressed his body against yours, the very prominent bulge flat against your stomach. “Stop saying things like that.” He murmured against your ear, his breath sending a pleasurable chill through your skin. 

You had the urge to drop down to your knees right there, but couldn’t, as you were effortlessly picked up by your thighs. 

He placed you on his desk, having made up his mind, and your hands immediately covered your face as you realized what was about to happen - your simple little fantasy, being pounded against Tseng’s desk, was about to be fulfilled. He tore them away as quickly as you put them up, invading your mouth once again with a kind of hunger you had yet to see from him. His hands were already tugging at your suit pants, and you promptly followed his lead by shimmying out of them. 

His mouth never left yours as he worked to undo your jacket, your shirt and your tie, and his fingers only halted to deepen the kiss even further, or to support your head as he swirled his tongue in unison with yours. 

Once you were stripped down to your underwear, he took a step back to admire the black set you’d chosen this morning, as you’d thought you might get some alone time with him. His eyes raking up and down your body didn’t make you as self conscious anymore, but they never failed to feed the hot knot in your stomach, especially so when he, as he was doing now, lowered himself in front of you. 

He moved one of your thighs to grant him better access, and you couldn’t help but shudder in anticipation. The kiss he pressed against your clotted vulva had you gripping the mahogany you sat on, and you could hope everyone had indeed left as he slipped that fine piece of cloth down. He looked up at you first, head between your thighs, and the blatant smirk that ripped through his lips had you on the verge of passing out.

He started with a small stroke of his tongue against your clitoris, a chuckle in his throat at the first sweet mewl that escaped from you. He moved slightly down to your entrance, just how you liked it, and began lapping right at it, the intensity of his ministrations making you tremble. He occasionally took your clit between his lips, softly, and sucked at it, just to stop and hear your desperate moan. It wasn’t long before the practiced strokes undid the knot in your stomach, leaving you a panting mass as he keep lapping you up after you high, swallowing down the excess of your juices.

You pulled him up by the collar and brought his mouth to yours again, tasting the salty substance. Tugging at his suit, he promptly shrugged it off of him to reveal his toned muscle, product of years on such a job and your favorite thing to touch - and so you did. You ran your hands through his chest, his arms, his back as his mouth explored yours, and only when you were satisfied did you move to fiddle with the waistband of his boxers, excited to feel just how much he’d missed you. 

And he surely did - missed you, that is - because he denied your attempts at playing with his cock. He wanted it inside of you, he’d said, and you were way over cloud nine by the time he positioned it in line with your entrance and slipped inside. 

Tseng was always quite the gentleman, making sure you were feeling just as good or better than him, but you could see just how much he had been longing for you when he barely waited before pushing back his hips and slamming into you again. He leaned into you as he did so, biting and sucking on the skin of your chest, licking the sensitive buds of your nipples whilst he pounded into you in a smooth rhythm. 

Your moans and cries and his grunts filled the room in a symphony that screamed pleasure in more ways than one. You found yourself slowly losing your grasp of sanity as he hit deeper, just in that perfect spot that made your legs tremble and your voice get more and more strained and incoherent. 

He pulled you even closer to him, holding you in place by the waist, and quickened his pace as he too began to reach the very brink of heaven, and with a couple more strokes he twitched inside of you, a flash of white hot bringing you into your own demise as you clawed for nothing with his name on your lips.

Tseng brought his mouth to yours again, this time in a sweet, lazy kiss, and he stayed inside of you a little while longer as he regained his breath.

Wordlessly, he found a cloth to clean you up, and it wasn’t until a bit later that you came out of the office, with the promise he’d be to the apartment complex as early as possible, and that he’d be entering through your door that night, not his. 

[writteninsunshine]

The Right Way - SLIGHT Tseng/Reno - SFW

Title: The Right Way Author: Donnie Fandom: Final Fantasy VII Remake Setting: ShinRa Electric Power Company Pairing: Lightly Implied Tseng/Reno Characters: Reno, Tseng, Rude, Elena Genre: Humor/Romance Rating: T Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 1253 Type of Work: One-Shot Status: Complete Warnings: Very lightly implied Tseng/Reno, Dumb Headcanon Stuff Disclaimer: I don’t own anything. Summary: Reno didn’t have the ability to lie to Tseng’s face about anything, much less something as stupid as this. AN: Hey guys, it’s me again! Just thought I ought to say, if you want vague updates and to talk to me more, I have Twitter and Tumblr, too! Twitter is Sunshinecackle, and Tumblr is Writteninsunshine! I also have a writing Discord that is currently pretty dead. xD I can PM it to people who want it on FFN, for everyone else, it’s here: discord.gg/FyaWw25 Alright, first up, you guys can tell me if you want me to continue this. I know that it’s a one-shot but I might add some more to this if people are interested. At any rate, I’ve been trying to write more and this one finally needed to be finished, so I hopped on it after finishing You Drive Me Crazy. I hope you guys enjoy it!

Final Fantasy VII Fic Masterlist The Right Way ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ “I think I’m gonna hit Wall Market after work, I could use a chance to--” Having been focused on Rude instead of where he was going, Reno crashed into the door leaving the Turks’ bullpen. Turning a venomous glare on the mottled glass, he pushed against it again, only to become more frustrated. “What the Hell, man?”

“Reno,” Rude tried, squaring his shoulders and adjusting his tie; this wasn’t so out of the norm that he didn’t expect what was coming after he spoke, “Try pulling.” “I don’t-- Why would I--” Reno began, obviously incredulous at the mere notion that he’d been doing it wrong. Shoving the door in frustration, he bared his teeth when it simply jerked against the doorjamb. “Rude--” “‘Scuse me!” Elena chirped, slipping between the other two Turks and taking hold of the handle. Tugging the door open, she gave an almost sheepish smile before disappearing down the hall, nearly running towards the elevator to avoid Reno’s inevitable breakdown. Rude sniffed audibly, shifting his weight from his right to his left leg, and clasped his hands in front of him. Expression unreadable, he waited for the explosion that didn’t come. Instead, Reno simply sighed, reaching out to hold onto the handle. “Pull. I swear I fuckin’ know that.” And, now, he felt like the biggest idiot in the room. Rude, however, didn’t skip a beat, clapping Reno on the shoulder and nodding towards the door. The redhead glanced between the silver handle in his death grip, and then his partner, before finally yanking it open and gesturing forward with his free hand, “Well? Don’t keep me waiting, I’m not getting any younger.” Rude nodded curtly, stepping through the door and down the hall a little bit, before turning to watch Reno. The redhead paused, glaring at the door once more, before finally walking through and doing his damnedest to slam it behind him. Taking a few steps forward, he was feeling good, until the door swung open again and a throat could be heard clearing behind him. With wide blue eyes, he bit his lip, turning to catch Tseng's wordless, emotionless scowl. "Is there a particular reason why you slammed the door in my face?" Sucking both of his lips into his mouth, Reno hissed slightly between his teeth and shrugged, lifting his hands and giving stilted gestures before finally dropping them and slumping his shoulders. "I was..." Whatever Reno said after that was obscured by how he mumbled, and Tseng crossed his arms, leaning his weight on one leg and tilted his head just slightly. The disappointed look was enough to turn even Reno's bones to jelly, and he knew there was no escaping it, now. Taking a deep breath, he sighed through his nose, "I was mad at the door." “...Mad at the door.” Tseng repeated, blinking a couple of times in rapid succession before shaking his head just enough to deter the thought from sticking. “You were angry at a door. Why?” Something about those intense amber eyes awakened something in Reno’s chest and he couldn’t quite draw his own away. Instead of just saying what was necessary and moving on, he found his lips loosened by the simple crook of Tseng’s eyebrow. “I pushed it instead of pulling again,” Tseng was ready to question Reno saying ‘again’, but was interrupted, “And I have a pocket full of staples and paper clips from the supply closet.” That floored everyone still waiting for the elevator into silence and Reno shrunk beneath that steady gaze. Despite himself, his heart was pounding and he knew the fear wasn’t the only thing doing it. He offered a sheepish smile, taking a step backward towards Rude, who had turned to join Elena at the elevator. There was barely a second that her rapid-fire pushing of the ‘down’ arrow didn’t sync up with the pounding in his chest. “...Why do you have a pocket full of staples and paper clips from the supply closet?” That was probably a far more interesting story than slamming doors at work, but Tseng wasn’t exactly sure he wanted to know. Knowing Reno, it was simply because it was something he was capable of doing. Those striking eyes leveled on Rude and Elena at the elevator, and he made a mental note to speak with Rude about Reno stealing office supplies later. “I, uh-- I mean, I--” With those eyes off of him and the spell broken, Reno tried to think of a good lie, and all he could come up with was, “They’re useful.” That had a glare cutting back to Reno and the redhead wanted to take a step back but both legs were unresponsive. Where could he even go? Tseng could probably have his house crushed just for sneezing out of the crook of his elbow! “I use them to repair shit at my house.” “I see.” Tseng’s eyebrow rose slightly and he took a deep breath in through his nose. “So you steal from the office in order to keep your own home running?” Something about that didn’t sit right with him, if only because he had been under the impression that the other Turks weren’t in total poverty. The ding of the elevator finally arriving caught Tseng’s attention and he gestured for Reno to go ahead. Turning and taking the fifteen paces to the elevator as though there were an angry guard dog on his tail Reno reached the elevator and put his hand over the door. He didn’t fully enter until Tseng was finally inside, and the man regarded him with a barely noticeable nod. “Reno,” Tseng spoke softly, voice stern, “I want to see you in my office in the morning. We need to discuss your…” He paused for a moment, testing the flavour of each of his options on his tongue before finally settling, “Work-related habits and things we can do to keep the supply closet stocked properly.” “I-- Uh, yes, Sir.” Reno nodded emphatically, settling beside Rude as the elevator fell silent. Elena was the first person off when the doors opened, and she made a beeline for the stairs to the main floor. Tseng hung back, allowing Rude and Reno out ahead of him. The disjointed threesome headed for the door and Tseng only brushed past them to push the main door open for Reno. The redhead ducked his head as he walked through the door, “Thanks, Sir.” “Have a good night, Reno. Rude.” Tseng headed back into the building to walk to the garage with that, leaving Reno standing stock still, staring at the door behind him. “I… I think I’m going to be known as the Door Guy, now,” Reno muttered, pursing his lips as he placed both hands on his hips. “There are worse things to get rumors about, Reno.” Rude replied, leading the way down the street, “You wanna get food?” “Hell yeah! And then I guess I gotta go home and sleep if I’m going to get a lecture first thing in the morning.” “At least it doesn’t sound like you’re going to get fired.” Reno was important enough that stealing office supplies and slamming a door on Tseng wouldn’t be enough to get him discharged. That thought was enough to keep his anxiety at bay until he laid his head on his pillow. Tseng’s words continued to bounce off the empty halls of his skull until he finally fell asleep two hours before his alarm went off. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ AN: Welp, there we go! I’ve actually been getting through some good stuff, hopefully, and I hope you guys like them! Funny but this was originally supposed to be Rude/Reno, and it just turned into Reno’s thirst for his boss. xD

[incorrectshinraquotes]

Fanfic: Tattoo

Summary: Elena wakes up one morning and finds a strange tattoo on her arm. Soulmate AU, kinda.

Main Characters: Elena, Rufus

Ships: Elena/Rufus

Also read on: Fanfiction.net   AO3

That morning was typical. I got up at 6 a.m. like I always did, made myself a cup of coffee, and got in the shower. As I was showering, I noticed my arm had a tattoo of flower designs on it. They started at my right wrist and wove all the way up to my elbow. They looked like ink drawings, like when someone gets so bored and the only surface they have to draw on is their arm. It was a very elegant pattern, but I was confused as to how the tattoo got there. I hadn't been drinking or anything the night before. I was home all evening. And the markings didn't hurt, they were just… there.

I tried scrubbing the tattoo off my arm, but it wouldn't fade. Eventually, I decided to just ignore it and get ready for work; I would be late if I spent any more time trying to get the ink off.

I stepped out of the shower and dried off. I brushed my hair, put some pants on, and as I was pulling my white button-up shirt on, I noticed new markings appear on my arm.

Meeting with Tseng 10 a.m, discuss Elena's recent performance issues.

What?

I stared at my arm for a good five minutes, evaluating the words. Why were they there and what were they supposed to mean? It was almost as if someone were writing reminders on their arm and the note were transferring to my arm. But if that were the case, how did that person know both Tseng and myself? Why were they planning on speaking with Tseng about my performance issues. Sure, I've made a few mistakes on missions recently, but I was nervous and distracted! I've been a Turk for only a few months and I've been trying very hard to prove myself. Sure, my weaknesses are inexcusable, but I don't feel like my mistakes should cost me my job.

The only person I can think of that would have a meeting like that with Tseng is Rufus Shinra, but he doesn't seem like the type of person to write notes on his arm. Or doodle flower patterns… The whole situation just didn't add up.

I shook all my thoughts away from my head. I would solve this whole tattoo mystery later. I was running late for work.

When I got to the office, I headed straight for the break room, determined to get my hands on some more coffee. The entire commute to work was spent theorizing about the strange markings on my arm. Naturally, I came to so many conclusions that I might as well have none. Luckily for me, my Turk uniform covered up my arm, so all the doodles on my arm wouldn't look unprofessional in front of my coworkers.

I entered the break room, noticing how my three fellow Turks were all gathered there as well.

"Good morning everyone," I said in my most cheerful voice. Nothing was on my mind. Nothing at all.

Reno looked over at me, confusion on his face. "How the hell are you so chipper in the mornings?"

I shrugged and nudged him out of the way of the coffee machine. Filling up a paper cup with the drink, plus some cream, I was content.

I could feel Reno's eyes on me the entire time I was making my coffee. I chose to ignore it, seeing as how Reno always had a habit of staring at people he was trying to figure out. I had taken a sip of my coffee and set the cup down, about to ask our commander if there were any missions today, when Reno grabbed my arm and pulled the sleeve back, studying the flower designs that were still prominently there in blue ink and the word in a contrasting black. He chuckled to himself and released my arm. "Get bored on your drive here?"

I pulled my arm protectively against my chest and glared at him.

"No," I said defensively, "They just showed up this morning."

That last part I said in more of a concerned whisper.

Reno chuckled again and took a sip of his coffee, shaking his head.

"What do you know?" I accused. He wasn't telling me something.

Reno ignored me and watched as our commander headed towards the door.

"Going somewhere, Chief?"

"I have a meeting with Rufus," Tseng said calmly, "I'll be back before too long. Make yourselfes busy in the meantime."

I checked my PHS, noticing that the time was 9:45. So that reminder on my arm was written by Rufus. His handwriting was a lot more… average than I imagined it to be. Simple printed letters, very unlike the elegant cursive I imagined he wrote in. But why were Rufus's reminders on my arm?

"You think they're going to talk about you, like it says on your arm?" Reno asked from over my shoulder. I jumped slightly, forgetting that anyone else was in the room.

I looked at Reno in a manner that I hoped said "tell me what you know, or else."

"Ok, look," Reno started, holding his hands up defensively, "I didn't wanna say anything because its probably not true, but I've heard of people who, when they meet their soulmate, whatever their soulmate writes on their skin, it shows up on the other person's skin."

"Say what now?" He sounded totally crazy!

"Look, I'm not saying its true. I've just heard rumors of it happening."

"So you're saying Rufus Shinra is my should mate? And that he draws on his arm when he gets bored?"

"Not gonna lie, I didn't know that last part. Only way to find out is to look at his arm and see if it's the same."

"What if I wrote on my skin? Would it show up on his?"

Reno shrugged, "Don't think so. I think it's a one way thing."

I sighed. I really didn't want to confront Rufus, especially not about something so… trivial? Childish? It sounded ridiculous is what it sounded like. Rufus would probably laugh at me, show me that nothing was written on his perfect skin, and fire me because of the meeting he had with Tseng. Nothing good could come out of this confrontation.

I waited an hour after Tseng got back from his meeting to walk myself up to Rufus's office. The elevator ride seemed to take forever, even though it was only about ten floors.

I stopped by the secretary's office and asked her to let Rufus know I was there. I wouldn't tell her the reasoning, but she didn't question it. She recognized me as a Turk and knew not to ask too many questions, a fact I greatly appreciated.

As soon as she told me I could go up, I walked with purpose up the stairs and to the metal, air-locked doors that would lead to Rufus's office. They opened the second I reached them.

As I strode into the office, I was taken aback. I had never actually been there. It was plain elegant. Black and white metals for the desk and a bar in on corner. It must have taken a lot of work to change the office from President Shinra's gaudy style to this.

I heard Rufus clear his throat and I realized I had been standing in the middle of the room, looking around, transfixed in my own little world. I stepped forward and, per Rufus's request, I sat down in one of the black leather chairs in front of his desk.

"What brings you here, Elena?"

I was utterly stumped at the question. How did I explain the weird tattoos on my arm? I stared at him for a moment, probably looking like a deer in headlights.

"Well?"

I shook my head a regained my compostre. "W-well…" I managed to stammer out. This was going to be a lot more difficult that I thought it would be.

"Ok, well, you see, I was talking with Reno and he said that I should talk with you because a really weird thing happened to me this morning. I was in the shower—"

"Elena, I really don't need to know much about your personal life. I'm believe any advice from Reno should be wisely ignored."

"No, you don't get it, look at this!" Without hesitation, I pulled up the sleeve of my jacket and showed Rufus the markings on my arm. Rufus furrowed his brow and studied my arm, obviously perplexed.

"Elena, I don't—"

I interrupted him, "Look, I know this is stuff you've been writing on your arm because Tseng said he had a meeting with you and it was at the exact time that this note says that a meeting with Tseng was going to take place and Reno said it was some kind of weird soulmate thing and I don't know if I completely believe that but I can't ignore the markings on my arm, like they're there, and I just—"

"Elena," Rufus looked at me with a look that clearly said I needed to stop talking. "I admit that this is very strange, but I highly doubt this connects us in any…" he was choosing his words carefully, "romantic way."

"Maybe not, but I just thought it was something I should point out."

Rufus looked thoughtful, studying the drawings on my arm. When he finally looked at me, he smirked. "Well, I appreciate that."

"Yeah…" The conversation got awkward because I had nothing else to say, so I did what I always do in awkward situations: I said the first thing that came to mind, "Why were you and Tseng talking about me?"

I could have phrased that more elegantly, but Rufus just chuckled. "I promise, it wasn't as bad as the reminder on my arm makes it sound."

I nod. That's an acceptable answer I guess. I have a feeling I won't get a more detailed answer from him.

And again, the conversation grows awkward and I blurt out the next thing on my mind: "Why do you draw flowers on your arm?"

I can see a tinge of pink on Rufus's cheeks. I'm sure that was something he thought no one would ever find out about. Now he was the one who looked like a deer in headlights. One point to Elena for catching President Rufus Shinra off-guard.

Rufus cleared his throat and regained his composure, "I just always find myself drawing them. I like the simplicity of the patterns."

"They're really pretty." I say, still not thinking about what's coming out of my mouth.

I can tell Rufus doesn't know what to say. I give myself another point for that.

"Let's just keep this between us, shall we?" He finally says, still obviously a little embarrassed. I nod in agreement, despite the fact that Reno already knows.

I got home that night, much later than I had intended. I decided to stay late at work to get some extra papers filed and I was ready to pass out the second I walked through my door.

I noticed as I was changing my shirt that the ink on my arm had faded considerably. Rufus must have washed it off earlier.

After eating a quick dinner and watching a few epicodes of a TV show I liked, I headed to my bedroom and climbed under the covers on my bed. I looked at my arm again, still baffled by how strange that whole situation was. I noticed that a fresh set of words were written on my wrist:

Goodnight, Elena.

I smiled to myself and turned off the light on my nightstand. I know Rufus said there was no connection between us because of this, but maybe he was wrong about that. Maybe he could end up being my soulmate.

[kalta79]

That’s A Wrap!

“Well, that’s fine. Hey, you’re my publicist, make it public that I’m just like everyone else, I have to work for a living like everyone else, that’s why I wasn’t on the campaign trail during the filming. Now I have to go to the wrap party. We’ll finish this discussion tomorrow morning, alright?” Elena hung up the phone and turned to her husband. “Are you ready to go?”

“Just a minute.” Rude grabbed the baseball cap he had bought after he picked her up from her doctor‘s office and shoved it on his head. Elena smiled at that, let her election staff complain about the movie only slightly improving her poll numbers in the target demographic, it had improved her in more important ways.

                                        ***

“Does this dress look alright?” Yuffie asked Reno.

“It looks as nice as the others did.” Reno gestured to the four dresses laying on the bed.

Yuffie frowned. He was back to being as distracted as he was when they first started filming, and she hadn’t missed how he kept looking at his watch. She was worried he might not forgive her for keeping secrets. He had come back to bed that night she told him the truth, which was a great relief to her, but things had been different since then. She was eager to get this wrap party over with and get back home to their regular lives, hopeful that would help mend things between them. “Let’s go.” Yuffie said, and headed out the door.

                                        ***

“Is that what you want to do?” Cid asked Shera.

Shera nodded. “Not only can I make more money as a gofer on film sets, the benefits are better, and it’ll be safer. Plus the variety will be a nice change...there are only three kinds of passengers to deal with as a stewardess: the drunks, the whiners, and the virgin fliers. The faces change, but not the personalities. It’s just the same old, same old…each film would be like a new adventure. The money we’ll get from Advent Children will let us put a down payment on a nice-sized house between town and the airport, right on the monorail line, so you’ll be closer to work, and if I need to fly out to film locations, it’ll be easier for me too.”

“I suppose you’ve got a house picked out already.” Cid said as he casually lit up a cigar.

“It’s got four bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, and a large fenced backyard.” Shera handed the flyer to Cid.

                                        ***

Reeve was ecstatic…Rude had called him earlier and asked if he was still available to be hired as a private driver, and promised to discuss terms at the party.

                                        ***

“Oh! I didn’t expect to see you until the wrap party.” Aerith exclaimed as Rufus walked into their apartment.

“You’re moving out?” Rufus looked the boxes everywhere.

“Yeah.” Aerith taped up the box she was holding. “That’s the last one. Oh, before I forget, here’s my share of the rent for the next two months.” She handed him a check.

“Vincent Valentine? The teacher? He gave you this check?”

“Once I get paid for the movie, I’m going to pay him back.” Aerith put her box on the stack, then got them on the handtruck.

“Are you going to move in with him?” Rufus asked.

“He feels I might get bored with him if I’m around him all the time, so we agreed on a trial period before he gives me his answer.”

“Answer? You asked him to marry you? I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, though I bet he was. He’s been good for you.” Rufus had noticed the change in her wardrobe since she got involved with Vincent. The simple dress she was wearing now managed to be demure but extremely attractive at the same time. Aerith had shifted from nightclub to country club, and had quit pissing off every attached woman in the immediate vicinity.

“I could say the same about you and Scarlet.” Aerith smiled at him. She had noticed Rufus’ behavior becoming more mannerly, and Scarlet becoming less prissy. “Could you help me out to the van?”

“Sure thing.”

When they got down to the minivan she had rented, Aerith turned to face Rufus. “I would suggest that you ask Scarlet to move in with you, but I don‘t think she‘s the type.”

“Not without a wedding ring.” Rufus agreed.

“So propose to her! Who’d have thought that I’d end up with a high school English teacher who’s nine years older, and you with an older socially correct virginal nanny?” Aerith opened the sliding door and started putting her remaining boxes in the van.

“What?!”

Aerith laughed at the expression on Rufus‘ face. “You didn’t know? Boy, do you have a lot to learn about women!” She put the last box in the van, and then put the handtruck in as well before closing the door.

“I just thought she didn’t think it would be ‘proper’ for too much affection in public, or to be alone with a man without a marriage certificate.

“Well, I’ve got to go to Vincent’s and unpack and return this van to the rental place before the wrap party, so I guess this is goodbye. At least as roommates, I’ll probably see you at the wrap party and the premiere.”

“Good luck with Vincent.” Rufus told her.

“And you with Scarlet.” Aerith went to kiss him on the cheek, but Rufus turned his head, and they were both pleasantly surprised to feel nothing when their lips touched. “That was a naughty boy!” Aerith wagged her finger at Rufus. “You better wipe that lipstick off your face before Scarlet sees you.” Aerith got in her van and waved at him before driving off.

                                        ***

“Smile, everyone!” The photographer said as the cast and crew huddled around the wrap party cake so he could take their pictures. “Okay, now just the cast.” He snapped pictures of them, then just the crew.

“My face was going to freeze that way if I had to keep smiling any longer.” Yuffie commented to Elena as she massaged her cheeks to relax the muscles. “Why is Rude wearing a hat anyway?” Yuffie asked as she saw him talking to Reeve, who left after Rude handed him a piece of paper. She had been upset that the children weren’t there, but maybe it was for the best.

Elena smiled. “My official doctor confirmed my pregnancy this afternoon. And that there’s more than one fetus, but he didn’t know how many yet. Rude freaked out momentarily at the news and accidentally hit his head. He’s got a cut on this head that looks worse than it is, didn’t require any stitches, but he bought a cap to hide it instead of explaining it.”

                                        ***

“I’ve got something to do, I’ll be right back.” Zack told Shalua before walking towards the exit, stopping when he saw Sephiroth and his cousins. “Hey Sephiroth, I heard you want to be a director. You want to be my assistant for the next film?”

“Really?” Sephiroth was excited.

“Definitely. Talk to Shalua, she’ll give you the info.” Zack said, and then went out the door, heading upstairs to the special effects lab.

“Who’s there?” the man focused on something on the screen of one of the computers asked.

“Hey Biggs, I thought you’d be up here, since you weren’t downstairs for the pictures.” Zack said.

“Just making sure what you asked me to do is error-free. I don’t know why you wanted it done, but…” Biggs waited a few moments, then took a disc out of the computer and put it in a case before handing it to Zack. “There ya go.”

“Thanks buddy, now will you come downstairs and party with the rest of us?” Zack put the disc in his jacket pocket.

“Sure!” Biggs hurried out the door.

Once Zack was sure Biggs was gone, he found the files that he had burned onto the disc, and deleted them from the computer before heading back downstairs.

                                        ***

Yuffie suddenly realized she didn’t know where Reno was. Looking around, she saw him off in an alcove, talking seriously to Elena, who had a large manila envelope in her hands, which she handed to Reno. Full of curiosity and dread, she approached them. “What’s going on here?” she asked.

“Follow me.” Elena took Yuffie by the hand and led her outside. “Any minute now…” Elena said, looking at her watch.

Suddenly a fancy town car with tinted windows in the back pulled up to the curb, and Yuffie was surprised to see Reeve come out of the driver’s seat, and walk around to the back door facing her, and opened it. Her jaw dropped when Denzel and Marlene got out.

“Yuffie! Yuffie!” they exclaimed together as they ran to her, hugging her. “Reeve said we were going home with you…can we?” Marlene asked.

“What?” Yuffie looked from Elena to Reno as she held her children. Reno handed her the manila envelope, and Yuffie opened it, taking the papers out. “These are adoption papers…”

“Already signed and approved by Judge Gast. He’s an old friend of my family.” Elena explained as Reno took the children to their car. “What’s the fun in being a Mackintosh if you can’t throw your weight around? You helped me get a family, I can help you get yours.”

“Do they…” Yuffie felt herself getting choked up.

“They know only what you told them. Judge Gast was hesitant about signing off on this until they told him how nice you were to them during the filming. Now why don’t you go home and get them settled in?” Elena suggested. “I’ve been to enough socially required parties to tell you that there’s no reason to hang around now. Unless you want to get hassled by reporters, that is.” Elena went back inside.

                                        ***

Tifa wasn’t feeling much like a party, but she was determined to make the best of it. Cloud had shown up, with some girl who introduced herself as Lisa. She seemed to be quite hyper. It made her feel less guilty about attending with Tseng, but Cloud still wouldn’t talk to her unless he absolutely had to.

“How is your wrist, Barret?” she asked, seeing him alone at the punch bowl.

“It’s healed, and wearing that damned prop is over for good, thankfully.” he grumped. “Say, would you be interested in investing some of your earnings in real estate?”

                                        ***

“Um, I have a confession to make.” Rufus said as he and Scarlet were eating their pieces of the cake.

“What is it?” Scarlet was worried he was going to tell her they’d never see each other again now.

“Aerith and I were roommates, but for a one bedroom apartment, and we shared the bed.” Rufus admitted.

“Oh, I knew that.“ Scarlet breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

“What?” Rufus was surprised.

“You don’t know much about women, do you?” Scarlet asked, then realized his choice of words. “Were roommates?”

“Yeah, she moved out this afternoon.” Rufus looked over to where Aerith was trying to take some selfie pictures of her and Vincent next to what was left of the cake, but people kept coming to get more and ruining her picture.

“So what does that mean? Are you going to be homeless?” Scarlet asked.

“Oh no, I just…uh…was thinking that maybe someday, it might be a good idea to…uh…” Rufus wasn’t even sure what he really wanted to say, so he had no idea how to say it.

“Well, maybe someday it might be a good idea for me to give you an answer, once you properly ask.” Scarlet smiled at him.

                                        ***

“I’ve never worn a tuxedo before.” Vincent said, feeling uncomfortable to be so dressed up.

“Well, consider this a trial run for our wedding.” Aerith smiled up at him. “Everyone will be staring at us, so we need to look our best. And you do…I can‘t wait to see everyone ogling my handsome husband-to-be.”

“They’ll be staring at you, not me.” Vincent couldn’t believe how beautiful she looked in the formal dress she had picked out. It was cream-colored silk with a subtle floral pattern handpainted on it that gave it an Asian feeling. The neckline that was only low enough to be teasing with cleavage, especially with the black pearl necklace she wore, having a pendant that dangled provocatively between her breasts, and the skirt went down to just above her ankles. Brand name three-inch black heels and a evening purse that matched the dress completed her outfit.

“Well, they can look all they want, but only you get to touch now.” Aerith was about to kiss him when the doorbell rang. “That must be the limo the studio sent, let’s go!”

                                        ***

“The limo’s late!” Kadaj complained as he paced back and forth in front of the window.

“Might be traffic.” Yazoo said.

“Or construction, or an accident.” Loz chimed in.

“It’ll get here when it gets here. Just calm down or you’ll ruin your tux.” Sephiroth told Kadaj.

A few minutes later, it pulled up. “There it is!” Kadaj would have bolted out the door if Sephiroth hadn’t suddenly blocked his way.

“What are you doing?” We’re late already!” Kadaj exclaimed.

“I’ve got a confession to make. The limo’s late because it picked up a special guest for you. So calm down and don’t make a fool of yourself.” Sephiroth explained, then opened the door and serenely walked out to the limo, standing in front of the back door until all his cousins were there. He waited until he saw Loz discreetly get out his camera to begin the surprise. “In honor of your first red carpet as a major character in a movie, I present to you…” Sephiroth opened the limo door. “Your mother!”

Loz snapped pictures repeatedly as a slow flush creeped over Kadaj’s face and neck as his mother got out of the limo.

“Oh, doesn’t my little man look so handsome!” she exclaimed. “I was so excited when Sephiroth called and told me that you wanted me to come to the premiere with you. I wasn’t sure what to wear to such a fancy event, but he told me to wear my bingo best.”

Kadaj took in her dowdy floral print dress that resembled a muumuu. And her shoes looked more like slippers than shoes. He felt his face go numb as she pinched his cheeks. The whole ride to the premiere, he couldn’t bring himself to speak, but he was able to glare at his cousins. How could they do this to him today?

                                        ***

“The stars have started to arrive for the world premiere of Advent Children, the latest film put out by Avalanche Films. Everyone is eager to see the results the director, Zack Fair, was able to achieve with a motley crew of novice actors. With the exception of Cloud Strife and Tifa Lockhart, that is.” Celebrity reporter Genesis Rhapsodos spoke into his microphone. “Word is the well-known couple has finally called it quits for good. And here she is, Miss Tifa Lockhart with her manager Tseng.” Genesis hurried over to them. “Miss Lockhart, is it true that you and Mr. Strife are no longer together?” he asked, then shoved the microphone in her face for an answer.

A sad expression came over Tifa’s face as Tseng put an arm protectively around her. “We’re here for Miss Lockhart’s film career. If you have questions about that or her outfit, we’re happy to answer them. But her personal life is off-limits.” Tseng coldly told Genesis.

“Yes, my dress is a Rosso original, obviously. She made it specially for this premiere” Tifa referred to a fashion designer known only for working in shades of red. She modeled her dress for the cameras. It was dark red with a tight fitting bodice, only one sleeve, and a loose flowing skirt, embroidered tastefully with crystal butterflies. She wore a matching diamond necklace and earring set that had been a birthday present from Tseng.

“Oh, here’s the newly elected Mayor, Mrs. Elena Mackintosh and her talented chef husband, Mr. Rude.” Genesis announced into the camera, walking away from Tifa and Tseng, who went over to Tifa’s fans so she could sign autographs for them before heading inside.

“Mrs. Mackintosh, do you have any plans to continue in the film business?” Genesis asked Elena.

“No, I’m fully committed to improving the lives of the citizens of Midgar. And making Midgar more attractive as a filming location might help with that, I didn’t know how many people needed to be employed to make a movie until now.” she replied, flashing a smile at the cameras.

“Fascinating.” Genesis drawled, wondering why he even bothered asking a politician a question like that. “May I ask who you’re wearing?”

“Certainly, Nero custom-made this dress for me, to accommodate some recent changes.” Elena ran her hands over her growing belly, a genuine smile spreading over her face as she did so.

“How far along are you in your pregnancy?”

“I’ll be five months tomorrow.”

“Are the rumours true that you’re carrying septuplets?”

Elena frowned, and Rude stepped between her and Genesis, towering over the reporter. “Back off.” Rude said before offering his arm to Elena and leading her inside.

“Jerk…” Elena muttered under her breath. “That was a cheap tactic to spout a false rumour so I’d automatically correct him.”

“Don’t stress yourself out, Elena.” Rude said. “It’s bad for the babies.”

“I’m fine, I won’t do anything to risk them.” Elena told him as they took their seats. The studio had a special chair for her to sit in so she’d be more comfortable. It was also located closest to the ladies’ bathroom. Elena sighed as she gratefully sank into the chair. She was glad she wasn’t carrying septuplets. The quintuplets she was actually carrying were enough for her. She could already tell they had separate personalities based on the movement she felt in different areas at all hours of the day and night. The advantage of having so many children at once, there was no need to fight over names, there was enough to go around.

                                        ***

:”Good to see you again, Mr. Strife. Who is your date, and what is she wearing?” Genesis asked, putting the microphone in front of Cloud.

Lisa grabbed the microphone out of Genesis‘ hands, resisting his attempts to reclaim it. “I’m Lisa Fields, and this silk patchwork dress was made by my two nieces, Jean and Louise. Hi mom and everyone back home in Sioux Falls! I love you all!” Lisa blurted out and then gave the microphone back, following Cloud as he went to sign autographs.

“Yes, well, that’s very nice, I’m sure. Oh, and here’s the custom-painted limousine that is owned by the director, Zack Fair. Let’s see who is gracing his arm this time.” Genesis walked towards the limo with film reels painted on all the doors, and a director’s chair on the hood.

“Zack, we’re here. Zack! We’ve got to get inside.” Shalua half-heartedly protested his nibbling on her neck.

“Let me just get inside you first.” Zack said, sliding his hand up her thigh. “Besides, it’s always best to appear that you’ve got more important things to do than what you’re doing, and they won‘t start the premiere without me. You know that.”

Shalua had just started giving in to his desires when they were interrupted by a knock on the window.

“The world awaits, Mr. Fair. Care to come out and tell us what we can expect tonight?”

Zack and Shalua both groaned in disgust as they recognized Genesis’ voice. “I’m sorry, babe. I promise we’ll try again on the ride home.” Zack straightened his tuxedo before opening the door, leaving Shalua inside to put herself back together.

“So, how proud are you of this film?” Genesis asked Zack.

“All I’m going to say is that this will be a night to remember for years to come.” Zack smirked, then turned to help Shalua out of the limo, now that she had made herself presentable again.

“Is that a hickey on your neck?” Genesis held the microphone up to Shalua’s mouth.

“Let’s get inside now, Miss Rui.” Zack said, taking her hand and pushing past Genesis, not even stopping to sign autographs.

”Maybe we’ll have better luck with this next group.” Genesis muttered under his breath as he moved on to Sephiroth and the cousins, with a much older woman accompanying them, who stared around in awe at everything as she clung to Kadaj’s arm.

“Is it true that none of you have acted professionally before this movie?” Genesis asked as he approached them.

“Oh, they’ve always been little actors when they got in trouble. I remember their stunts when I used to babysit them when I would visit my sisters. This one was the sneakiest one though.” Kadaj’s mother patted Sephiroth on the arm. “Do you remember me having to constantly scold my little Sephy-Wephy?”

Kadaj started instantly feeling better as his mother started humiliating his cousins as well, but then she changed topics.

‘To all you single women out there, my son needs a wife. He likes sandwiches for lunch with the crusts cut off and hot dog casserole for dinner. He usually doesn’t eat breakfast. And when he gets sick or hurt, you just have to rub his big toes while reciting the Three Little Pigs to make him feel better.” Kadaj’s mother said directly into the camera, not noticing how her nephews were smiling.

“That’s very good to know, but…” Genesis started to say before she started again.

“Oh, and my nephews also need a woman…Sephiroth needs his food divided into bite sized portions before you give it to him, Yazoo will only take a bath if you sing to him while he’s in the tub, and Loz can’t sleep without a nightlight and his Silly Billy Goat stuffed animal.”

Genesis was feeling so embarrassed just by witnessing that scene that he decided to leave them alone and move on to the next couple. “And here is Miss Scarlet, being escorted by Rufus Shinra. Miss Scarlet, which designer are you wearing? I’ve never seen a dress like that.” Genesis remarked.

“This dress is…” Scarlet was about to explain her disdain for ‘fashion’ and that she just used the dress she wore to her high school prom, with the barest amount of alterations, when she heard her name being called. She turned to see Marlene and Denzel running towards her, Reno and Yuffie following at a slower pace. They threw their arms around their former nanny, and she hugged them back.

“We missed you, Scarlet.” Marlene said.

“Ah, here are the child stars of the film. Is it true your parents died during the filming of this movie?” Genesis asked Denzel and Marlene.

“Sir, please leave the children alone.” Scarlet requested angrily, tightening her arms around them as she felt Marlene start to tremble.

“How does it feel to have to have been adopted twice?” Genesis persisted, sticking the microphone in their faces.

Rufus and Reno started to charge Genesis, but Scarlet was quicker. Genesis wasn’t sure exactly what happened, but the next moment he was laid out flat on the red carpet and the right side of his face hurt bad, with Scarlet standing over him with a balled fist.

“A gentleman is never supposed to refuse a request from a lady. You sir, however, are no gentleman, so I don’t need to be a lady.” Scarlet declared, giving him a good swift kick in his ass with the pointed toe of her high heeled shoe.

Rufus stared at Scarlet for a moment, in awe at her sudden violent rage. He never thought she had it in her…when she went to kick Genesis some more, he reluctantly tried to stop her, and Scarlet accidentally kicked his leg hard.

“Oh, I’m so sorry Rufus!” Scarlet exclaimed as Rufus fell down on one knee, and something tumbled out of his tuxedo jacket pocket. “What’s that?” she asked and went to pick it up.

“No, don’t open it!” Rufus protested too late as Scarlet opened it, then dropped it in shock.

“Well, I guess it’s too late for the surprise I had planned for later this evening.” Rufus grabbed the little blue velvet jewelry box off the ground. “Since I’m already on bended knee, Scarlet, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?” Rufus held the box up, presenting her with a two carat diamond engagement ring.

Aerith and Shera, who had just arrived separately with their respective partners, squealed when they saw Rufus proposing to Scarlet, and hurried over to her.

“Say yes! Say yes! You two already look like those figurine couples on wedding cakes! That was so romantic…well, except for the whole beating up the reporter thing.”  Aerith excitedly told Scarlet, hugging her from the left.

“You can have the wedding at our new house…it’s got a large enough backyard, and it’s fenced to keep out trespassers. Oh and the actual house is big enough for lots of guests too…please say yes, I want to prove to Cid that it can handle being a high traffic house for when we start our family!” Shera blurted out to Scarlet, hugging her from the right side.

Still on the ground in pain, Genesis brought the microphone to his mouth. “There you have it, ladies and gentleman, assault and battery with a surprise proposal right here on the red carpet. The whole world is awaiting Scarlet’s answer.” Genesis announced as security showed up to escort him off the premises.

Reno helped Rufus up, who kept his eyes on Scarlet, who remained stunned by it all. “Please say something, Scarlet.” Rufus pleaded.

Scarlet opened her mouth to say something, but no sound came out as she fainted. Luckily Aerith and Shera were still holding onto her so she didn’t fall onto the ground. “Is…is that a maybe?” Rufus asked, looking around at everyone for an answer.

                                        ***

Rufus carried Scarlet inside after Yuffie checked her vitals and assured him she was okay. The change in temperature as they entered the building revived her, but she was disoriented for a moment and thought Rufus was carrying her over the threshold.

“My husband.” Scarlet murmured, putting her arms around his neck. Then as Rufus put her gently in her chair, she remembered his proposal. She must have passed out, and she felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment. It wasn’t so much that he had proposed to her in front of worldwide cameras, it was that she had lost her temper and acted very unlady-like, injuring Rufus and forcing his proposal, then Aerith and Shera had mobbed her, and Aerith had whispered in her ear how much she was going to love having sex with Rufus on their wedding night, and it had been too much for Scarlet, especially when she couldn’t think of any proper etiquette to handle situations such as that.

                                        ***

“I don’t see Barret anywhere.” Tifa said, looking around at the other tables.

“I heard something that he’s got something in the works that changed his plans for tonight.” Tseng told her as he inspected the appetizers on their table. “Dammit!” Tseng suddenly swore, and Tifa looked sharply at him, then realized he was looking at something, and she turned her head to see an usher guiding Cloud and Lisa to their table.

“This is so exciting!” Lisa exclaimed as she and Cloud sat down at the table opposite from Tseng and Tifa. “Oh, I’m Lisa Fields, it’s nice to meet you.” She stuck her hand over the table to them, keeping it there until they both shook it. “I probably shouldn’t say this, but I’m so happy that you left Cloud for him.“ Lisa blurted out, looking first at Tifa, then at Tseng. “Otherwise I wouldn’t be here with Cloud,” Lisa paused to smile adoringly at him. “And you two look so cute together…you have matching hair!”

They all just stared at her for a few moments until they noticed a hush falling over the room, and saw Zack Fair walking up the steps to the stage with the huge screen behind him. Taking his place at the podium, he began speaking into the microphone.

“Thank you all for coming! Before we begin, the appetizers on your table were provided by one of our stars, Mr. Rude, whom you all know is a very talented chef. Those of you with allergies, the blue platters have nuts in them. The red platter is vegan, so there’s no dairy. And for the first surprise of the evening, I’d like to welcome Barret Wallace to the Avalanche Films family. He is now in charge of filming locations. For those of you who don’t know, he graciously allowed us to use his properties to film Advent Children. Let’s give him a big round of applause!” Zack started clapping, and everyone joined in.

Barret came out on stage, to the podium where Zack moved so Barret could use the microphone. “Thank you everyone. I hope our esteemed Mayor meant what she said, because I’m looking forward to finding many more good filming locations in Midgar.” Barret said before nodding at Zack and leaving to sit down at his table.

“And now, let’s welcome the man responsible for this all, Mr. Hojo!” Zack started clapping again.

After a few moments of applause, Hojo stormed to the podium, annoyed that Zack had taken so long to introduce him. “You skeptics who don’t think great film can be made without great talent in front of the camera, don’t understand the risks and experimentation needed to create cinematic history! Start the film!” Hojo yelled and headed back to his seat.

                                        ***

As soon as the end credits started rolling, Zack excused himself to Shalua. “I’ll be right back.” he said before quickly leaving the room and heading up to the projector room. “Hey, can you do me a favor?” he asked the worker.

“What’d ya want?” the woman asked as she took a swig from her soda can.

“I’m going to go get on stage for another little speech, and when I’m done, please start playing this.” Zack took a plastic case with a DVD inside out of his jacket pocket. “Thanks a million.”

“Whatever.” she said as Zack left, hurrying back downstairs to the stage.

“I hope you all enjoyed the show. I have one more surprise for you all, a special thank you to Hojo! ROLL IT!” Zack yelled, then went back to his seat.

Images of Hojo dressed like a baby girl complete with pink bonnet and slippers, in one of the actors’ trailers, appeared on screen. “Where’s that damned Shera with my bottle? I need a diaper change when she gets here!” His ranting was interrupted by a knock on the door. Hojo immediately curled up on the floor. “Gaga!” he exclaimed before sticking his thumb in his mouth.

“Stop this right now!” Hojo stood up so fast his legs were stiff and he hobbled to the podium. “This is a lie! I only recorded the actors in their trailers, never myself! And pink isn’t my color, I only wear blue baby clothes! You will never work in this town again!” Hojo yelled at Zack, unaware of the mob of angry actors that started heading towards him when they heard him admit to spying on them.

“Shame on you, you bad man!” Kadaj’s mother snapped at him, causing Hojo to turn to face her when he heard her, and was rewarded by being backhanded by her purse.

“Do you know the criminal and civil charges that can be filed against you for that invasion of privacy?” Elena’s eyes glinted dangerously as the actors backed him up to the edge of the stage. “Judge Gast would be very happy to rule over your cases.”

“You all are nothing without me! I made you all! Don’t threaten me!” Hojo turned to leave and fell off the stage. Yuffie ran to check him out, and then took out her cellphone to call 911.

“I have a broken arm and possible concussion at 5671 Silver Screen Drive, please send an ambulance.” Yuffie told the dispatcher before hanging up. “He’ll be fine, he’ll just need to spend a couple days in the hospital.” She said as she looked up to her cast members peering over the edge of the stage.

“He’s the one who will never work in this town again.” Elena stated, taking out her own cellphone. “Reeve, we’re ready to go.”

                                        ***

“Hey, can I grab a ride with you guys?” Barret asked Cloud and Lisa.

“Of course!” Lisa exclaimed. “Right, Cloud? Pleased to meet you, Mr. Wallace. I’m Lisa Fields.”

Barret smiled as he got into the limo seat opposite them. Cloud didn’t say anything, he had kind of learned that was the best course of action with Lisa, because she was such a chatterbox that he rarely had a chance to say anything anyway. He wasn’t sure if he had done the best or the worst thing in his life when he called her after Tifa confessed about her relationship with Tseng. He frowned over thinking about her with another man. As if divining his thoughts, Lisa took hold of his hand and squeezed it, then kissed him on the cheek. His frown faded as he thought about how the only way he could usually get her to stop talking was to have sex with her, which really worked for him except that he didn’t feel like actually talking then either. And she was a nice girl who was obviously devoted to him alone, which didn’t hurt one bit. He squeezed her hand back, wishing they could have some privacy right now.

“Wasn’t that such a romantic proposal on the red carpet? Do you think Scarlet will say yes?” she asked Barret and Cloud, who both just stared at her, then shrugged.

“I don’t even know her.” Barret said.

“Isn’t she a few years older than him?” Cloud asked.

“That just means Rufus really loves her.” Lisa stated emphatically. “They should rent a yacht and take a month long private cruise for their honeymoon, just the two of them and the world.” Lisa sighed dreamily.

Barret was relieved when they stopped in front of his house. That girl’s nonstop chatter, especially about romance, made him feel like he was trapped in a nightmare. How could Cloud stand her?

“Hey, this isn’t home.” Lisa said a little while later when the limo stopped again, this time in front of a classy hotel. “Why are we here?”

“You’ll see.” Cloud said, taking her hand and leading her inside to the front desk.

“Oh my God, this place is beautiful.” Lisa let go of Cloud’s hand and turned in circles, taking in everything in the lobby.

“I’ve got a reservation, Mr. and Mrs. Cloud Strife.” he told the clerk, as Lisa stopped moving and looked at him with her mouth open in surprise.

“Oh yes, the honeymoon suite.” the clerk said after typing the names into the computer. “Will you be using the credit card you reserved the suite with to pay for your stay?”

“Yes.”

“Alright, here are your two keycards, everything you requested is in the suite waiting for you. Enjoy your stay with us.” The clerk flashed an artificial smile as he handed Cloud the keycards and went to ignore him in favor of the next client when the other clerk, a woman, nudged him.

“What’d you do that for?” he asked his coworker.

“Don’t you know who that is?” the woman replied under her breath to him, before turning to Cloud and smiling winningly at him. “Please forgive him, Mr. Strife, he lives under a rock. I can’t wait to see your new movie!”

“No problem, Miss…” Cloud peered at her nametag. “Miss Crescent.”

“If there’s anything you need at all, please let us know.” she called after them as Cloud took hold of Lisa’s hand and led her to the elevator.

On the ride up to their floor, Cloud was pleased that he had managed to surprise her into stunned silence with his secret holiday he had planned for them. The elevator came to a stop and he led her to the door of their suite when she finally regained her voice.

“What is all this?” she squeaked out as Cloud opened the door and she followed him inside, staring at the rose petals on the bed and strewn around the sunken marble bathtub nearby.

“I planned this two weeks ago.” Cloud admitted. “There’s a wedding chapel on the first floor, fully licensed. Of course, this might seem less romantic to you after watching Rufus proposing to Scarlet, but…”

“Rufus has nothing on you!” Lisa blurted out excitedly as she flung her arms around Cloud’s neck and kissed him.

                                        ***

“Where is this?” Rude asked as Reeve pulled to a stop in front of an unfamiliar house.

“This is where Hojo lives. Give me your book of matches and stay in the car. I’ll be right back.” Elena put the matches in her purse and grabbed the two bottles of champagne that she had grabbed from the premiere party before managing to get out.

“Do you think the video recordings from our movie trailer are here?” Rude asked. Against his better judgment, he wondered what it would show of their attempts to conceive, and wished he could watch it just once. Of course he didn’t know she was trying to get pregnant then, he just thought it was due to the movie set atmosphere and wanting to make sure he wouldn’t be tempted by Aerith’s flirtatious ways with every man on set. All those mornings he had woken up feeling so drained from her when he knew the level of shape he kept himself in, made him want to see the video evidence of how she did that to him.

“Trust me. Just stay here, I’ll be fine.” Elena replied, and headed to the side of Hojo’s house. Peeking through a window, she realized it must be a guest bedroom. Breaking the window by hitting it repeatedly by one of the champagne bottles, she then broke open the bottles by hitting them on the window ledge. She doused the thick curtains, then threw the bottles into the room, one landed on the floor, one on the bed. Lighting a match, she threw it onto the carpet. “Let those video recordings burn!” Elena declared as she hurried back to the limo as fast as she could.

“Take us back home fast, Reeve, but stay under the speed limit.” Elena ordered as Rude helped her back in.

“What did you do?” Rude asked.

“What my pregnancy hormones told me to do.” Elena said with an enigmatic smile. “Oh!” She suddenly clutched at her stomach.

“What‘s wrong with the babies?” Rude paled.

“Nothing’s wrong, don’t worry.” Elena relaxed and kissed him on the cheek. “It’s just I think I have a boxing match going on in here.” Elena patted her stomach, then closed her eyes and leaned against her husband. “I’ll be glad when I don’t have to feel them fighting for space anymore.”

                                        ***

Marlene and Denzel had fallen asleep between Reno and Yuffie on the limo ride home, worn out the by the day’s excitement, which was a huge relief to Yuffie. Reno had been subtly pushing her to tell them the truth, but she kept putting it off, unsure how they would handle it. If Hojo had been recording her and Reno in their trailer, then it would have recorded her telling him that Marlene and Denzel were her children. She would have to tell them tomorrow before they found out from someone else. Yuffie hoped they wouldn’t run away when she told them…it had been hard enough losing them away the first time, it had taken a year for her to not hear Denzel crying for her when she gave them away every time she closed her eyes, and until the day they came back into her life, she still heard it when something happened that deeply upset her, like losing a patient.

                                        ***

“How come you didn’t tell me you were all playing such bad men in that movie?” Kadaj’s mother asked her son and nephews.

“You didn’t ask.” Sephiroth muttered, and she slapped his hand for his impudence.

“You asked for it…this was your idea after all.” Yazoo smirked until she slapped his hand too.

“I see I’m going to have to call your mothers when I get home.“ she told her nephews.

The atmosphere was far from cheery as the men all sulked and pouted while the limo drove to a hotel near the airport where Sephiroth had reserved a room in advance for his aunt to stay in overnight before returning home, and it didn’t get any better without her in the car. Kadaj was still mad at them for their prank, and they were all feeling upset to be treated like they were five years old again, and realizing they were acting like little children again didn’t help at all.

                                        ***

Rufus and Scarlet were silent as the limo started driving them back to their separate apartments, both lost in their own thoughts about Hojo‘s revelation that he had been spying on them. Rufus didn’t want any sex tapes of him and Aerith surfacing to ruin his new life. Scarlet was just upset at the thought of someone spying on her, it was just so…improper. She shuddered at the thought of someone watching her shower or change clothes or use the toilet. Scarlet felt dirty and violated, and she didn‘t know what to do about it.

“Would it help if I kill him?” Rufus suddenly asked, startling Scarlet, who didn’t realize she had spoken aloud.

“I don’t want to visit my fiancé in jail!” Scarlet snapped without thinking.

Rufus brightened. “Does that mean your answer is yes?”

Scarlet opened her mouth to say it was a slip of the tongue, but she looked at his hopeful expression and realized that was a lie, she did want to marry him. Scarlet nodded to answer him. “You did ask properly, after all.”

                                        ***

Tifa laid her head against Tseng as soon as they were in the limo, and his arm automatically went around her. “That was without a doubt the most interesting premiere I’ve ever been to.”

“Hojo will pay for what he did, don’t worry.” Tseng promised her.

“I’m not worried about that anymore, I’m worried if I’ll be able to fulfill my contract to film Jade Locket next.” Tifa confessed.

“You mean because of this?” Tseng put his hand on her as-yet flat stomach and barely squeezed.

Tifa smiled at him. Her pregnancy seemed to her as a blessing and sign that her life was exactly as it should be. She had tried on infrequent occasions to conceive by Cloud, hoping to salvage their relationship by having a child, but had never succeeded, and now without even trying, she was having Tseng’s child. And she was getting better film offers, and hints of her own TV show. “I don’t want to jeopardize our child.”

“Everything will be fine.” Tseng reassured her.

“Everything is fine.” Tifa corrected him as she curled up against him. She couldn’t remember ever being happier, especially because despite his sullenness at their table during the viewing, Cloud had occasionally looked at Lisa in a way that Tifa had once wished he would look at her.

                                        ***

“Well babe, I’ve got a promise to keep to you, don’t I?” Zack gave Shalua a wicked grin as the limo started heading back to Zack’s place.

“Are you sure we won’t be interrupted this time?” Shalua asked as he slid his hand between her legs again.

“Definitely. I gave the driver a hundred to take an extra hour on the return trip.” Zack said before kissing her.

Shalua enjoyed being with him, but she wondered how long it would last. She knew his reputation, and gave it two more months before he got bored with her.

                                        ***

“Why did you tell that Scarlet woman that we would have her wedding at our house? The backyard is only big enough for my workshop!” Cid protested as he and Shera were let off at their house, and the limo returned to the rental agency.

“You are not building an aviation hangar in our backyard! You can have a barbecue and a horseshoe pit, and that’s it!” Shera exclaimed. “We already talked about it when we signed the papers, remember?”

Cid wanted to sulk, but he knew he really couldn’t build his own plane, because there was no runway for him to take off with. And he liked grilling his food…playing with fire made him feel so manly.

                                        ***

“I bet Scarlet has already told him yes.” Aerith told Vincent as he unlocked their front door.

Vincent only nodded. They didn’t talk on the ride home, because they had both fallen asleep almost right away. He was a still a little groggy, and was looking forward to some more sleep. He headed straight for the bedroom, and Aerith closed and locked the front door before following him. “Care to help me take my dress off?” she asked him, presenting her backside to him as he sat on the bed taking his shoes off.

Once he unzipped her, Aerith carefully took it off, and rezipped it before hanging it up in the closet, then she sauntered over to Vincent. “Can I help you undress now?”

As they lay entwined a little while later, Aerith drew circles on his chest with her finger. “I’m glad you have tomorrow off, cause I was thinking we could try something new then.”

“What do you want to try?” Vincent was nervous…he was always worried that somehow he would disappoint her and she’d leave. He had been lonely when they met, but he had gotten used to it. Now he had gotten used to seeing her smile at him first thing in the morning.

“Getting pregnant.” Aerith informed him.

“What?!” Vincent was suddenly wide awake.

“I want to have a child with you.” Aerith calmly said.

“But we’re not married yet…”

“So? Think of it as getting more ‘street cred’ with your students.” Aerith suggested. “Imagine their shock upon realizing their stuffy and boring old English teacher is living in sin with a younger woman.” she couldn’t resist teasing him.

Vincent mulled that over for a moment because his students had been nicer since word got out that he was in an action movie, and when Aerith had occasionally dressed up in one of her clubbing outfits to bring him his lunch when he forgot it. And the thought that she actually wanted his child was amazing.

“If that’s not a good enough reason, just consider it lazy sex.” Aerith continued, trying another tactic.

“Lazy sex?” Vincent asked in surprise.

“Yeah, because we don’t have to take the time to take any precautions. We can just have sex whenever we want, and just enjoy ourselves.” Aerith started caressing his chest. “Let nature take its course…”

                                        ***

Scarlet sat in the special chair Aerith had told her to sit in, wondering why she had agreed to this. She had chosen Aerith to be her maid of honor at Rufus’ suggestion, he was hoping it would cheer her up some. He had been worried when he had seen an article in a tabloid at the checkout line about Aerith, someone had leaked her recent medical records, and told the whole world that she couldn’t have children. Rufus had called Vincent and got them invited over for dinner. Scarlet wasn’t exactly fond of Aerith, but she had been startled by the change in her. Despite any lingering feelings of jealousy she might have towards Aerith, she had to admit that the woman was naturally upbeat and friendly, but as they ate dinner, it quickly became obvious that Aerith was seriously hurting...she had only barely smiled once. So now here Scarlet was at her bachelorette party, wondering with a certain amount of dread as to what Aerith had planned.

“Don’t you think you’ve had enough coffee?” Shera asked Elena, startled when she saw the bags under the mayor’s eyes.

“Five babies who all have their own sleeping and feeding schedules, even with  day and night nannies…no, I don’t think I’ve had enough coffee.” Elena said as she took a sip from her fourth cup. She wasn’t looking forward to Scarlet being on her honeymoon and losing her day nanny for two weeks. The only thing that she was looking forward to was Rude taking time off from work to be take care of their children in Scarlet’s absence. The nannycam would give her priceless entertainment as Rude found himself knee-deep in dirty diapers and baby spittle. After all, if it wasn’t for his stamina in the bedroom, they’d probably have only had two or three children.

“Even one sometimes feels like one too many when you‘re not sleeping.” Tifa chimed in, waiting to get some coffee for herself. She wasn’t really complaining though, she loved her infant daughter more than anything. She and Tseng had named her Joy, because that’s what she was to them.

“Are you okay?” Aerith asked Tifa as she took her cup of coffee and sat down in a corner, almost as if she was trying to hide herself.

“Just the regular obsessed fan issues that come with being an actress.” Tifa told her in an offhand way, not wanting to admit how worried she and Tseng were. Whoever had been sending her letters that seemed to get more threatening as time went on, they knew things that meant they had been spying on her, but she couldn’t see how, they were very careful at home, and when word reached Elena about the problem, there had been a sudden increase in police patrols in the neighborhood Tifa and Tseng lived in.

Aerith wondered if there was some truth to the rumours that the cast of Advent Children was cursed. Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo had died when a drunk driver hit their taxi on the way to the airport. She couldn’t have children, and now Tifa had a stalker…

Listening to Tifa and Elena talk about sleepness nights, Shera was glad she and Cid had decided to wait to start their family until they had enough of a nest egg to afford Shera’s maternity leave. She wanted to stay home in the final months of her pregnancy, as well as the first year of their baby’s life. So they wanted two years of her income saved up to make sure they were covered in case of emergencies. And tomorrow’s wedding would give her a taste of what babies were like in a social setting. She had suggested to Scarlet and Rufus that they get married exactly one year to the day after he proposed, so she and Cid would have time to settle into the house and then get it ready for the big day, and they had talked it over and agreed. It would double as a reunion for the cast of the film as well.

A knock on the door caught everyone’s attention, and Aerith smiled. “The entertainment’s here!” She hurried to the door and opened it just enough for her alone to see who it was, and when she just stood there, the rest of them came over, and when Tifa opened the door all the way, they all got rooted to the floor as well by shock and disgust.

“Ah, so we again!” Hojo exclaimed. “I’ve been hired to provide the night’s entertainment. Which one of you is the lucky girl?”

“Get out of here now!” Elena ordered, having found her voice.

“Uh-uh, I have a signed contract. If…” Hojo took the contract out of his pocket and looked at it. “Aerith Valentine refuses my services, the cancellation clause means she owes me $1000.”

“Let me see that.” Elena grabbed the contract out of his hand. “Dammit! He’s right, everyone. We have to pay him $1000 if we want him gone.”

Hojo smiled grotesquely as they pooled all the money they had and paid him off. “Pity you didn’t want to save some money by letting me perform. After all, I’ve already seen all you naked.”

Some time later, he woke up bruised in a nearby gutter. He was relieved to find his money safe. After he was blacklisted by the film industry, he come up with a new scheme…he’d get women to pay him to leave them alone. It was perfectly legal, and because each event he got hired out for only took him ten minutes at most to get asked to leave, he could easily get ten grand a night in cancellation fees. He’d be back on top in no time.

                                        ***

“Are you ready?” Aerith asked Scarlet as she helped the bride into her wedding dress, as Shera, Yuffie and Tifa got into their bridesmaids’ dresses in the adjoining room.

“I hope so.” Scarlet replied.

“Well, I never gave you my present at the bachelorette party last night because it wasn’t anything tangible, so I‘ll give it to you now.” Aerith told her.

“What is it?” Scarlet was nervously curious.

Aerith whispered into Scarlet’s ear so the bridesmaids wouldn’t overhear, and a few moments later, Scarlet’s cheeks turned bright red. “That’s what you can expect from Rufus on your wedding night, and what he really likes.” Aerith concluded. “Trust me, you’ll enjoy it.”

                                        ***

“Okay, I think the women are ready now, let’s get your bachelorhood over with.” Cid told Rufus.

“I’m ready.” Rufus stated.

“Are you sure the women are ready?” Vincent asked. All the women who attended Scarlet’s bachelorette party had come early, and their men had been worried about them, because when the men started to undress for bed, each woman’s face turned Christmasy, being an unique mixture of green and red coloring.

                                        ***

“Doesn’t she look beautiful?” Lisa blurted out excitedly to Cloud as they watched Scarlet walk down the aisle from their seats in the front row. “Of course, our wedding was the best.” She smiled at Cloud and kissed his cheek, then they sat down as Scarlet took her place next to Rufus. Lisa was imagining her and Cloud up there getting married again when she noticed something on top of the fence behind the bridesmaids that seemed funny to her.

“What’s that?” she asked her husband.

“Probably the paparazzi.” Cloud said, frowning as he watched it move as the minister asked if anyone had objections. “Oh shit, that’s not a camera, it’s a GUN!” Cloud yelled out the last word and total chaos erupted.

Yuffie, on the bottom step of the special gazebo that had been rented for the wedding, grabbed Marlene who was standing on the ground next to her in her role as flower girl, and threw her down on the ground, covering her daughter’s body with her own as a single shot rang out.

Cid and Rude had started running for the fence as they saw where the shooter was, who tried to escape by clambering down the other side. They just about vaulted the fence to catch him, and the guests heard sounds of a fight, then another gunshot.

“It’s okay, he’s dead!” Cid yelled over the fence. “Is everyone okay?”

The guests picked themselves and looked around, freezing when they heard Shera scream. Everyone turned in her direction, seeing Aerith and Tifa unmoving on the gazebo steps, covered in blood.

“Dammit!” Yuffie cursed as she examined them. “They’re still alive, but barely…somebody call an ambulance and tell them we’ve got two female gunshot victims with massive blood loss.” Yuffie looked up as Tseng and Vincent stood over here, looking dreadful. “Give me your jackets. They’re going into shock, and we need to keep them warm. Tseng, put your hands on Tifa hard to stop the bleeding. It looks like the bullet went through her before hitting Aerith. Both wounds need to stop bleeding.” Yuffie was more worried about what internal damage Aerith had, since the bullet had entered where it could damage multiple organs. Shera had brought a dozen hand towels, and Yuffie was doing what she could to control the bleeding with the help of Vincent and Tseng, though their hands were trembling so much that it was hard for them to keep the pressure on the wounds.

Finally the ambulances arrived and the police moments later. IVs were quickly set up for Aerith and Tifa before they were loaded onto the gurneys and into the ambulances, their men riding to the hospital with them, Yuffie speeding behind them.

Aerith briefly woke up during the trip when she felt Vincent’s hands take one of hers in a viselike grip. “You don’t look so good.” she told him. “You don’t have to worry, it’s just the movie curse, remember?” Aerith smiled at him before closing her eyes again.

                                        ***

The ambulance carrying Tifa pulled over, and Yuffie barely slammed on her brakes in time to avoid hitting it. She got out and ran to the ambulance. She banged on the door.

“What’s wrong?” Yuffie demanded to know when the door was opened by Tseng, who looked like he was going into shock as well.

“She’s crashing!” the paramedic tending to Tifa exclaimed as he got the defibrillator ready.

Yuffie was grateful that Elena had been able to get some grants to upgrade Midgar’s ambulances recently with better diagnostic equipment. She glanced at the monitor with Tifa’s dropping vitals clearly visible. “Charge to 300!” she ordered the first paramedic before focusing on the driver. “Get us to the hospital!” Looking at Tseng, she realized he was about to collapse from stress. She took out her cellphone and handed it to him. “Call Reno and tell him where I left the car.” Yuffie hoped that would distract him long enough to calm down.

They successfully stabilized her, and as the ambulance pulled into the emergency bay of the hospital, Tifa had regained consciousness. “Tseng?” Her voice came out as a whisper.

“I’m here, honey.” Tseng responded, squeezing her hand.

“Why can’t I feel my legs?” Tifa asked.

                                        ***

Two plain-clothed police officers knocked on the Highwind‘s door, and Cid answered it, staring at them almost rudely. “I’m Detective Hewley, and this is my partner Detective Hollander. We’re here to investigate the shooting today. May we come in?” The taller man asked.

“Sure.” Cid said as he stepped aside, noticing the shooter’s body being loaded into the medical examiner’s vehicle.

He led the two detectives onto the patio where all the guests and the wedding party were waiting to be questioned and released. The crime scene investigators were all over the two scenes, the first being the fence and surrounding area where the shooter was when he fired the shot that hit Tifa and Aerith and then was killed, the second being the gazebo where Tifa and Aerith were hit. The whole area was taped off.

“We’re trying to identify the shooter.” Hollander said after introducing themselves to the crowd. Hewley went to see what the CSIs had turned up as Hollander showed a picture to the crowd. “Do any of you recognize this man?”

“That’s Biggs!” Shera exclaimed.

“Biggs?” Hollander asked, writing the name down.

“He did the special effects for the movie we were in. Well I wasn’t in the movie, I was the on-set gofer, so I’d take him things every so often. Sometimes he‘d seem nice, other times he seemed a bit creepy.” Shera explained.

Hewley came back. “Well, there isn’t any evidence yet that there were more than two shots fired from the gun recovered next to the body. And the M.E. said from her preliminary exam here on scene, it looks like he died during a struggle. Anyone care to tell me what happened?”

“I will.” Elena said, walking out of the house holding one of her babies over her shoulder, obviously trying to burp them.

“Oh, Mayor, I didn’t know you were here.” Hollander said as Hewley asked her for her story.

“I was upstairs tending to the babies since Scarlet was their day nanny and she was the one getting married. I was changing a diaper when I heard the first gunshot and I ran to the window, where I saw Cid and my husband jumping the fence to tackle a man who was trying to run away on the other side, then that man collapsed. Then I heard Shera scream and Yuffie started working on Aerith and Tifa.” Elena told the detectives.

“Okay, well then we’re going to need to test Cid and your husband’s hands for gunshot residue.” Hewley said.

“Fine, but please hurry up, I’d like to get to the hospital now.” Elena requested as Hollander waved over one of the CSIs to administer the test.

“Ma’am, we’re also going to need to take their clothes for examination.” Hewley said.

“No one watches my husband strip but his doctor and I.” Elena coldly snapped. “My lawyer will meet us at the hospital to make sure we cooperate legally with your investigation. I shall leave you gentleman to it.”

                                        ***

The wedding party found Yuffie trying to calm down Vincent and Tseng in the waiting room, all of them still in their blood-stained formal wear.

“Any news?” Shera asked hopefully.

“No, they’re both still in surgery. I know both of the doctors operating on them, and they’re in good hands.” Yuffie replied. “I’m thinking Tifa will be out of surgery first. The bullet most likely missed any vital organs based on her entry and exit wounds.” Yuffie refrained from mentioning her fears about Tifa’s spinal cord being damaged, based on the bullet’s entrance wound being so close to her spine, and Tifa’s comment about not being able to feel her legs.

“Aerith Valentine?” a bloodied doctor asked as they came into the waiting room.

“That’s my wife!” Vincent stopped pacing and looked at the doctor. “Is she okay?”

“She’s very lucky. The bullet somehow didn’t damage any organs, it just bounced around inside her causing bruising on them, and it took us a while to find it. The blood loss was the main issue. We’re going to keep her for a couple more days to make sure there’s no sign of infection.”

“Can I see her?” Vincent asked.

“She won’t be awake yet, but she’s in room 219 if you want to wait til she’s conscious.” The doctor shrugged and left.

Everyone was feeling more hopeful as they waited to hear about Tifa, and a little while later her doctor came out.

“Miss Lockhart came through the surgery. She’s recovering from the blood loss, unfortunately the bullet nicked her spine, and there’s no way to tell if the damage is permanent or temporary. We‘ll keep her for observation for a week to have a better idea of her condition. She’s in room 335, but only immediate family visitors please.” he told Tseng, and as he left, Vincent came back.

“Aerith is asking for you two.” Vincent told Rufus and Scarlet, who looked at each other in surprise, and then followed him to their room.

Aerith managed a weak smile when she saw them come through the door. She was still quite pale, but the monitoring machines she was hooked up to all seemed to be alright. “Vincent told me what happened, and I was wondering if you two could do me a favor?” Aerith asked Rufus and Scarlet, who had to listen hard because she was still recovering from the anesthesia and was slurring her words a bit.

“What?” They asked together.

Aerith looked at Vincent, who went and opened the bathroom door, and the hospital chaplain came out. “I want you two to get married right now. You’ve waited long enough already.”

                                        ***

A few minutes later, Rufus and Scarlet walked back to the waiting room with bemused expressions on their faces.

“How is she?” Everyone asked them.

“She’s still weak, but I think she‘s going to be okay.” Rufus said.

“She had the hospital chaplain marry us.” Scarlet blurted out. After their first failed attempt with a fancy wedding with all the trimmings that ended in near tragedy, it felt so anticlimactic and unbelievable to succeed in less than five minutes with an impromptu ceremony by a chaplain who had been hiding in the bathroom.

The members of the wedding party congratulated the newlyweds, and Elena suggested they go back to Scarlet’s room in the Mackintosh mansion for their wedding night. “Everyone’s okay now, and you’ll be safe from the police and media there until this is all sorted out. Of course the babies are two rooms down, but that might remind you to be careful.” Elena explained. “Reeve, would you take them back home now?”

“Yes ma’am.” Reeve said, and led the couple out to the limo.

                                        ***

“This is a nice room.” Rufus said as Scarlet opened the door to her suite of rooms. “Wait!”

Scarlet froze mid-step. “What is it?”

“I’m supposed to carry you over the threshold, remember?”

Scarlet breathed a sigh of relief. “Don’t do that to me again, I thought there was another shooter!”

“Nope, just proper behavior.” Rufus picked her up and carried her inside, kicking the door shut and finding the bedroom. “Now it’s time for improper behavior…”

An hour later, a slow flush was spreading over her face as Rufus collapsed on top of her. “And that’s what sex is like.” he said as soon as he caught his breath.

“That’s not what Aerith told me it would be like.” Scarlet heard herself say, distracted by her body still tingling with excitement and pleasure.

“Well, that’s because Aerith didn’t rate the wedding night special. That’s something only you get.” Rufus explained, kissing his bride. “And I have quite a few other specials to show you tonight…”

                                        ***

“I’m ready.” Tifa told Tseng once she had her dress on. “Where’s Joy?”

“I’m here, Mommy!” She ran into her parents’ bedroom and plopped down on the bed. “Are we really going to a movie party?”

“Well it’s not really a party, it’s the 10th anniversary of Advent Children, the film I was making when I got pregnant with you.” Tifa lovingly stroked her daughter’s hair.

“That’s where that bad man who tried to kill you came from.” Joy frowned. “And that’s why you’re in a wheelchair now.”

“Just when we go out for long periods of time. I can walk with my canes around the house, don’t forget.” Tifa pulled her daughter into her lap, hugging Joy. Her daughter had been her main motivation for all those painful months of physical therapy to try and get some mobility back. No one but her family and her therapist knew what a triumph it had been to just be able to get out bed on her own steam.

“And don’t forget that bad man is dead so he can’t hurt your mommy anymore.” Tseng told their daughter as he checked his tie in the mirror. He would have killed Biggs himself anyway. The police had searched his apartment and found evidence out that he had been stalking Tifa for years before she started filming Advent Children, and that he was the one recording the stars’ trailers on set, turning it over to Hojo. Except for the footage from Tifa’s trailer, he had edited it to take Cloud and then Tseng when they were with her, and put himself in their place.

“And now it’s time to leave or we’re going to be late.” Tifa said, and Joy got off her lap as Tseng picked Tifa up and gently put her in the motorized wheelchair. “Come on honey, get back on my lap and Mommy will give you a ride out to the car.” Tifa patted her lap, and Joy climbed back on, excited as Tifa sped them through the house to the garage as fast as she safely could.

                                        ***

“You look so pretty, Mommy!”

Aerith nearly jumped. “Oh, Hope, don’t sneak up on people like that. Where’s your sister?”

“She’s having Daddy put her shoes on.” Hope explained. “Are you ready?”

“I just have to finish putting on my makeup.” she told her young daughter. It was hard for to believe her twin daughters were already five years old. The doctors had no explanation for how she got pregnant finally, it just became the accepted view that something happened when she got shot, and then was operated on, that made her able to have children. Aerith hadn’t needed to even think of names for them, Hope and Faith seemed perfect. “Alright, let’s go get your sister and your daddy, and go to the reunion…I’m sure there’ll be ice cream there.”

As they walked down the hall to the twins’ room, Aerith had to stop for a moment and catch her breath. Even though they said there was no permanent damage from the bullet, sometimes she would suddenly feel serious pain in the area the bullet had been found and removed. But if that’s what she had to deal with in order to be a mother, it was a small price to pay. Regaining her composure, she and Hope found Faith chattering on to Vincent about butterflies and fairies as he tried to convince her to put her dress back on.

                                        ***

Elena was grateful for the suggestion that getting a van for transporting the quintuplets around would encourage the voters to see her less as the Mackintosh heiress and more like them. Today not only did she and Rude have to go to the cast reunion, but Rufus and Scarlet as well, with their four year-old. Reeve was driving. An oversized passenger van is the only thing that was suitable for this excursion.

                                        ***

Cid and Shera were trying to get out the door with their two year-old son when Cid’s cellphone rang.

“Yeah? I’m off today, I’ve got…no, I understand. Fine, I’ll be there.” Cid hung up the phone, with an angry expression on his face. “Roberts is drunk again, and there’s no other pilots available to take his flight.” he told Shera, who sighed.

“Well, I’ll drop you off at the airport and then head to the reunion. But you’ll miss out on cake.” Shera told him.

“Save me some.” Cid said as they got into their car. “But no fruity cake nonsense.”

                                        ***

“They’re all dressed and ready to go.” Lisa said, referring to their daughters, as she walked into her and Cloud’s bedroom, where he was getting dressed. “They’re looking forward to being stars for the day. We’re not going to be late, are we?”

“If we are, it’ll be expected.” Cloud replied. He couldn’t believe it had been ten years…his relationship with Lisa had been such a whirlwind because of her naturally high energy level, that before he knew it, they were married, then she started getting pregnant about every couple years. After she gave him three children, he got a vasectomy so he didn’t have to worry about changing more diapers. He sometimes had the uncomfortable feeling that Lisa knew exactly how to manage him, but his marriage had been a happy one, so he never made an issue of it.

                                        ***

The auditorium was packed with reporters and fans, and the noise level subsided when the announcer strolled out on stage, stopping in front of the tables for the cast to sit at. “Thank you all for coming to the cast reunion of Advent Children.” he spoke into his microphone. “You will all have an opportunity to ask questions, but please be respectful of them, and no requests for pictures or autographs, there is time set aside for that afterwards. But you will be searched if you want your picture taken with one of our guests. Now let me welcome our guests, the cast of Advent Children!”

The applause was deafening as the cast filed out onto the stage and took their assigned seats, each with an assistant to fetch them anything they needed. Tifa was at the end of the table to accommodate her wheelchair. The video cameras were set up so the stars could be seen on the giant screen behind them by the attendees in the nosebleed section.

”Now who would like to ask the first question?” the announcer asked.

“Before we start, I’d like to request a moment of silence for my cousins who died just after filming ended.“ Sephiroth spoke into his microphone, and Shalua squeezed his hand under the table, sitting next to him as his assistant. When Zack started having starlet hopefuls come around, she had taken up with Sephiroth, who had constantly been around as Zack’s protégé. And she knew how guilt-ridden he felt about the prank he had pulled on Kadaj by inviting his aunt to the premiere to humiliate his cousin, and having his cousins die the next day.

The other cast members quickly seconded his idea, and after the cameraman was handed a promo group shot of Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo in their costumes, he put in front of the camera so it showed up on the big screen. The moment of silence was then started. “Thank you.” Sephiroth spoke again, concluding the tribute.

A hand was raised in the audience, and one of the security guard ushers handed the man a microphone to speak into.

“Do any of you feel there’s any truth to the rumour about the curse haunting the cast of the movie, given the tragedies many of you suffered?” Genesis asked.

A gasp was heard from an attendee in the front row, as Hope and Faith ran naked onto the stage, wearing eye patches and waving their dresses behind them, which each had a skull and crossbones drawn on them obviously with a thick black permanent marker.

“We’re pirates! We’re pirates!” they shouted as one of the daycare workers hired to take care of the actor’s children appeared as well, trying to chase them down. Vincent and Aerith each grabbed one of their daughters.

“There is no curse, just a blessing in disguise.” Aerith loudly proclaimed as she smiled at Vincent putting their daughters’ dresses back on them as they protested being clothed again. With a warning to them to behave if they wanted ice cream, Vincent handed them back over to the daycare worker, who took them backstage again to the temporary playroom.

“Where are Denzel and Marlene?” a reporter asked.

“They’re in college studying for finals.” Yuffie answered. She couldn’t believe that Denzel was getting married after he graduated in the summer. Yuffie found it hard to think that she might become a grandmother in the next few years.

Another hand went up, and when the microphone was handed to the woman, she rolled her wheelchair out into the aisle. “I’d just like to thank Miss Lockhart for her work on behalf of disabled actors trying to break into the industry.“

“Thank you.” Tifa replied. Once she was recovered as much as she was going to, she had been amazed at how hard it was to find acting roles without being able to walk more than a few steps at a time, and it went against her sense of fair play, so she had established an advocacy foundation to fight the idea that only people in perfect health could act. Her former cast members had supported her, and Elena had used all her connections to get tougher anti-stalking laws enacted. Tifa was willing to believe that Aerith was right about a blessing in disguise.

“Is it true that Avalanche Films and Shinra Corporation are involved in real estate disputes?” a reporter asked next, addressing his question to both Barret and Rufus. “My business is not limited to the film industry.” Rufus said. After he had gotten his business degree, he had decided to start his own company that his children would eventually inherit. Scarlet had given him a son that he hoped would want to follow in his footsteps.

“I signed all my properties over to Avalanche Films, we have all the filming locations we’ll ever need.” Barret added.

                                        ***

After the two hour Q&A session was over, a cake that Rude had prepared in secret was brought out. It was a model of the Bahamut summon with the faces of the cast airbrushed on the back. A professional photographer snapped a few pictures of the cake and the cast, then the right side of the auditorium was set up for pictures with the cast, and the left side for autographs.

“Where is Cid?”  a little boy asked Shera as he approached her in the autograph line.

“He had to fill in for another pilot as we were leaving to come here.” she explained.

The boy frowned. “I wanted to give him this.” He held up a little model of the airship. “I made it myself.”

“Oh, that’s very nice. I can give it to him for you, if you want. What‘s your name?”

“Brian.” the boy said as he reluctantly handed his creation to her.

Shera whispered something to her assistant, who went and talked to Brian’s mother.

The autograph and photo sessions lasted two more hours, and then the cast headed over to Elena’s where the cast could catch up on the last ten years in private.

                                        ***

“You made it!” Shera exclaimed as Cid showed up at Elena’s estate.

“Yeah, I sobered up Roberts really quick after the first flight.” Cid replied with a nasty grin.

“Well, I have something for you.” Shera handed him the airship model. “A little boy named Brian made it for you. I got his address from his mother if you want to send him a thank you note.”

“I think we’re outnumbered by the kids here.” Reno told his wife as they put their eight year-old son in the playroom with all the other kids of their former cast members.

“Just remember, when we get home he’s going to be on a sugar high from the dessert buffet Rude made for the dinner party.” Yuffie reminded him.

They took their places at the formal dining table, and Elena showed them the monitor she had for the children’s playroom so they could all keep an eye on them while eating dinner. One of the maids would be bringing the children the dinners and desserts their parents picked out for them.

“A toast to the next ten years being as successful as the last ten have been.” Rude lifted his champagne glass.

“Hear hear!” the other cast members exclaimed.

Tifa took a sip from her glass, then suddenly spit it out. “Are you okay?” Tseng asked her worriedly. She just pointed at the children’s monitor in response, and everyone turned to look. Elena turned on the volume with the remote.

“We’re pirates! We’re pirates!” All the children were waving their dresses or shirts around, each marked with skull and crossbones on them, except for Hope and Faith who were just clapping and giggling in the middle of it all.

“There’s the next generation of actors.” Zack remarked as the parents just stared dumbfounded at the screen.