Saving Fenrir

“Saving Fenrir”
(An “Alliance” universe ficlet)
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(Warning: Possible spoilers for all FF7 game/movie titles)
*Disclaimer: Final Fantasy and all related characters belong to Square-Enix. This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can’t get enough of this world and the characters.*
~***********************************************~

It started out as a normal day. Cloud left the secluded home that he and Zack were building together to make a delivery, as he did three to six times per week. Zack kept busy overseeing the construction of the house and doing some touch-ups himself here and there. He’d chosen to accept the severance pay offered to him by ShinRa and the WRO—at least until he could find other work that brought in enough to help enough with the living expenses. Given the frequency of disasters that seemed to strike their world, Zack reasoned he’d be back in service again some day anyhow.

The only thing different about today was that Reno was visiting. It hadn’t been easy to convince him to come out for the weekend because they still didn’t have a completed bedroom in the house. The living room, kitchen and main bathroom were finished but the noise from the construction kept them from spending much time in the finished rooms and they were still sleeping in the barn. It was only because Reno hadn’t spent time with them in two weeks that Zack was able to coax him to come and stay over the weekend.

A large pan sat on the top of the stove and the fish filets resting in it were beginning to sizzle. A few steps away Zack and Reno stood lip-locked, having forgotten about the meal they were cooking together. Zack had the Turk backed up against the counter island and Reno had one hand down the fighter’s pants. Their breathy groans of passion almost drowned out the sound of the sizzling fish, but thankfully Zack’s sense of smell was sharp enough to pick up the warning smell as the meat began to burn.

“Hold up,” Zack murmured against his companion’s lusty mouth. “The fish…it’s about to burn.”

Reno muttered in frustration as he allowed Zack to disengage his hand from down his pants and see to the food. “I say we put the fish away and finish cooking it later,” he announced while he admired the view of Zack’s ass.

Zack snorted as he grabbed the spatula and turned the fish over in the pan. “It’ll taste like shit if we stop halfway through and finish cooking it later.” He sprinkled a little lemon juice and pepper on the meat and then checked the oven beneath to see how the vegetables were baking. “We don’t have your boss’s cooking skill, Red. Rufus might be able to rescue a meal but once I ruin it, there’s no turning back.”

Reno smirked and came up behind him, sliding his hands around to the front and under Zack’s muscle shirt. Zack tensed instinctively at first but soon relaxed, not protesting the exploration. Reno leisurely stroked, kneaded and caressed his stomach and chest while Zack worked over the stove. He pressed his hardened crotch against the other man’s backside shamelessly, demonstrating his arousal. The redhead smirked when Zack’s motions became clumsy and he cursed under his breath.

“What’s the matter, Feathers? I’m not distracting ya, am I?” Reno wasn’t much shorter than Zack so he was able to speak the question into Zack’s ear from behind, tickling it with his breath.

“Quit that,” Zack growled, but his demand lacked bite.

Reno’s lips pulled into a full, sly grin and he nibbled the fighter’s earlobe, knowing the effect it had on him. He was rewarded with a low groan and suddenly Zack was turning around and backing him up against the counter island again. Reno parted his lips as the other man’s mouth descended to his and he gladly accepted his tongue, returning Zack’s groan of need with one of his own. The battle-roughened hands cupped his ass and lifted, hinting that Reno might soon find himself getting fucked right there on the island. He certainly didn’t mind but Zack might get a little embarrassed if one of the construction workers passed by the window and happened to see the two of them going at it.

A polite person would have reminded him of that risk. Reno was neither polite nor modest. The Turk grabbed handfuls of Zack’s shirt and pulled it upwards as he was set on top of the island. He winced when his head bumped into the overhead cabinets but he was too horny to let it get in the way of what he was after. He snarled in frustration when he couldn’t get Zack’s shirt over his head—the other man’s arms were in the way and Zack was too busy trying to get Reno positioned to cooperate.

The burst of lust was rudely interrupted by the cheerful tune of a cell phone. Zack reached awkwardly for the item, which was sitting on the counter island beside Reno. His mouth didn’t leave the Turk’s until he brought the phone to his ear and he only broke the kiss reluctantly to answer it.

“Zack, here.”

There was no immediate response, save for the sound of wind in the background. After a moment, a familiar voice spoke on the other line. “It’s me.”

Zack grinned and put his hand over the phone for a moment. “It’s Cloud,” he informed Reno, who was nibbling his ear.

The Turk stopped and leaned toward Zack’s phone. “When are ya coming home, Blondie? You’re missing out on the fun.”

Zack brought the phone to his ear again. “I’ll echo what he said. When should we expect you, Chocobo-head?”

“I need you to come and get me,” Cloud answered. His voice sounded strangely flat.

Zack’s smile faded immediately and he gave Reno a look that warned something was wrong. “You don’t sound right, kiddo. What happened, did Fenrir break down or something?” It didn’t happen often but even a sleek, state of the art vehicle like Cloud’s bike wasn’t immune from hitches now and then.

“Fenrir…” Cloud’s voice cracked oddly as he spoke the name he’d given the vehicle. “Fenrir’s gone.”

Zack’s brows furrowed and he began to grow alarmed. “What do you mean, ‘Fenrir’s gone’? Did someone bike-jack you?”

“No. There was an accident. The cliff collapsed under us…I had to jump off or go down with Fenrir. I’ll give you my coordinates. Come and get me, Zack.” Cloud’s voice had a dismal quality to it and Zack imagined that he was in a mild state of shock.

Putting aside his own surprise and anxiety over the news, Zack nodded. “Tell me where you are, Cloud. Reno and I will come get you right away.”

~************************************~

Reno didn’t want to believe what he’d heard. He thought Cloud had to be exaggerating or in such a state of shock, it just seemed worse to him than it was. Surely, a bike like Fenrir could survive a little tumble off a cliff side. They went to collect Cloud in Zack’s truck, since it was more suitable to driving on the rough terrain outside of Midgar. Apparently, he was on his way out of Edge with a package to be delivered to Junon, when the cliff gave out from beneath him and forced him to choose between his life and a hopeless effort to maneuver Fenrir to safety.

“I see him,” Reno announced with squinted eyes as the truck drove over the dismal landscape. He recognized the shock of blond hair on the small figure huddled up ahead.

Zack’s eyesight wasn’t as sharp as the Turk’s but as he drove in the direction that Reno pointed, he too spotted the lone figure. When they got close enough, he could see that Cloud was leaning against a rock outcropping with his head bowed and his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket. It looked like he was still wearing his shaded goggles and though Zack couldn’t make out his expression from his vantage point, the blond’s stance was huddled and tense. Cloud didn’t look up until Zack stopped the truck a few feet in front of him and got out.

Both Zack and Reno hurried to their lover’s side, equally concerned for him. His jacket was torn in places and so were his jeans, but other than some dirt smudges on his face and dust in his hair, Cloud appeared to be uninjured. Zack reached his side first and he gently eased the blond’s goggles off of his face and peered searchingly into his dilated sapphire eyes.

“Cloud? We’re here. Are you okay?” Zack swallowed, worried about the detached expression on the smaller man’s youthful face.

Cloud nodded absently and glanced over his shoulder, around the rock he was leaning against. “He’s at the bottom of the cliff behind me.”

Zack and Reno followed the glance before sharing a grim look between them. Reno noticed the dazed look in Cloud’s eye too and he was surprised by how much he empathized with the blond. Ordinarily he’d wonder what the fuck someone’s problem was, to be that attached to a piece of machinery. He loved his choppers but he didn’t think of them on a sentient level the way Cloud did his bike. Fenrir was like the blond’s child…or a beloved pet. Reno was on the verge of making a caustic remark about his lover’s attachment to the vehicle but instead, he found himself swallowing a lump the rose in his throat.

~I’ve got some nice memories with that bike too.~

Sometime in the course of his relationship with Cloud, Reno had unconsciously started to think of Fenrir as more than just a motorcycle. He didn’t know if it was a sympathetic reaction brought about by Cloud’s love for it or if the bike just had so much character it happened on its own, but the thought of Fenrir lying broken at the bottom of the cliff affected his emotions more than he was willing to admit.

“Get him to the truck,” Reno suggested to Zack. “I’ll go check it out, yo.”

Zack nodded and put an arm around Cloud, supporting him with the strength that Reno knew the blond probably needed right now. He waited for a moment while the brunet guided Cloud away toward the truck and once they were both inside, Reno walked to the edge of the broken cliff side and peered over carefully. He could feel how unstable the ground was beneath his feet and he kept himself ready to jump away if it started to give. He could see Fenrir, far below at the foot of the cliff. Reno grimaced. Cloud’s sexy bike appeared to be little more than a broken heap of twisted metal. He stared helplessly, his mind assessing the damage and calculating the likelihood of repairing it. He didn’t hear Zack come up behind him and he yelped in reaction when the sable-haired fighter spoke.

“That’s…pretty bad.”

Reno took a couple of steps back and nodded. His throat was tight and he didn’t trust himself to speak. To his horror, he realized that his vision was getting blurry and he hastily wiped at his eyes. Zack noticed the motion and studied him with warm sympathy in his amethyst eyes.

“Red, are you crying?”

Reno averted his face swiftly. “Nuh-uh. Got some dirt in my eye or something, man.” He sniffed and tried to regain control over his emotions. “How’s Blondie holding up?”

“He’s just sitting there like a doll. I’ve got him sipping hot chocolate from the thermos I brought.”

Reno nodded. Zack was always conscious of other’s needs and the minute he found out what happened, he’d made up some of the drink to bring with them. Reno thought it was a pointless gesture but Zack’s kind nature was part of what had drawn him to the brunet in the first place.

“We’d better not leave him alone for long, yo,” Reno suggested grimly. “Losing this bike is a heavy blow for him.”

Zack gave the Turk a quizzical look and Reno frowned right back at him, wondering why he seemed so confused by his words. Someone as sensitive as Zack should realize that this was going to be like losing a family member to Cloud. “You know how much Fenrir meant to him,” he persisted. “Ya saw his face.”

“I know,” Zack agreed with a nod. “But who says he has to ‘lose’ Fenrir?”

Reno stared at him. “Did ya see the damage, Wolfy? I can promise you as a mechanic, that bike’s a goner.”

“I saw the damage.” Zack glanced down at the bike’s remains again before looking at Reno with a frown. “Tell me something, Foxy…how many cars have you saved from the crusher? How many helicopters have you gotten running when everyone else was ready to write them off as useless? How many freaky maneuvers have you pulled off that other pilots swore couldn’t be done?”

Reno shrugged. “Lots. I don’t see what that has to do with—“

“It has everything to do with this,” Zack interrupted stubbornly. “If that was Cloud lying down there, would you give up on him so easily?”

Reno sighed. “Cloud’s a person and he’s one of my babes. Fenrir’s a machine, remember?”

“But you just said yourself that Fenrir’s more than that,” Zack reminded him. “And I know how gifted you are with mechanics. You’ve made my piece of shit truck run like new and you’ve told me yourself how many cars you’ve brought back from ‘the dead’. Why are you so willing to write off Cloud’s bike?”

Reno averted his eyes. “I just know a hopeless cause when I see one, man.”

Zack smirked at him. “I don’t think that’s it at all. I saw the look on your face a minute ago and I know Fenrir’s more than a bike to you. Know what I think?”

Reno’s lips drew into a hard line of irritation. He hated it when Zack got into these “can do” modes. “I know you’re gonna tell me what you think whether I wanna hear it or not. Ya might as well say it, Fair.”

Zack wasn’t offended by the Turk’s tone. “I think you’re giving up so fast because you’re afraid of failing. It’s easier to grieve now and move on than try to save Fenrir and be disappointed, right?”

Reno winced. Zack had already gotten to know him far too well for his liking. “Just give it up, man. Look at that mess! It’s impossible to fix, okay?”

Zack shook his head and gazed at him levelly. His blue-violet eyes were determined and he replied: “Nothing’s ‘impossible’. If anybody knows that, it’s me.”

Reno sputtered and tried to find a response to refute what Zack said. The problem was, the man was right. He’d come back from the dead—his spirit melding with a new body that was a cloned experiment. Reno himself had survived seemingly impossible odds after falling into a stream of natural Mako and drifting for Gaia knew how long before being found. He still had a few holes in his memory but for the most part, he was recovered from the incident and even better for it. After everything he’d seen and experienced, he was forced to admit that few things—if any—were truly impossible.

“Fine,” Reno groused, “Nothing’s impossible and the world is a fun-filled happy-land full of rainbows and puppies. Have it your way man, just don’t be too disappointed if you’re wrong about this.”

Zack smiled at him. “That’s the spirit. Our biggest problem right now is getting Fenrir from the bottom of the cliff and to a repair shop. We can worry about the rest later.”

“That won’t be a problem,” Reno shrugged. “Getting him is gonna be the easy part. I can get a chopper and you can fly down and hook the bike up to the lift. What are we going to tell Cloud, though?”

“Nothing,” answered Zack immediately. “I don’t want him knowing what we’re doing…just in case you’re right. We’ll find some way to keep him busy while we work on saving Fenrir.”

~**************************************~

Cloud was listless from that point forward. They got him home and he stood around looking like a typical crash victim, with dazed blue eyes and a confused expression on his face. Zack and Reno shared a look and silently came to the same decision. They escorted their bereaved lover to the “bedroom” in the loft of the barn and for once, Reno didn’t complain about the surroundings as he helped tuck Cloud in. The blond offered no resistance or comment and he obediently lay down and stared at the wall while Zack and Reno fussed over him. They took his shoes and socks off before covering him with the blanket.

Once they had him settled in, the two of them looked at one another again with equal helplessness. They needed to get started on their plans but Cloud’s behavior was troubling to both of them. Guessing that Cloud wasn’t going to go anywhere soon, Reno jerked his chin in a meaningful gesture towards the ladder and gave Zack a look. The other man nodded and leaned over Cloud’s reclined form to nuzzle his cheek with his lips.

“There’s some fish in the fridge—“ Zack began to offer.

“I’m not hungry.” Cloud said it flatly, without any emotion whatsoever.

Zack exchanged another worried look with Reno but he forced lightness into his tone when he addressed Cloud again. “Okay buddy. If you change your mind just let us know. Get some rest, okay? If you need anything, just holler and we’ll come running.”

Cloud nodded mutely and shut his eyes. With a little sigh, Zack stroked his fluffy hair before straightening up and following Reno to the ladder. They climbed down to the first floor of the barn—which was furnished to serve as a living room until the first floor of the house was finished. Reno unconsciously brushed imaginary bugs off of his button-up shirt, making Zack smirk with amusement despite the depressing situation they were in.

“You’ll find more fleas in your apartment than you’ll find here,” Zack promised, having grown used to the redhead’s unease with country living. “We don’t like bugs anymore than you do, Cinnamon buns.”

Reno stopped and shot a grimace at the other man. He hadn’t even realized he was doing it and though he trusted Zack to be honest with him, his skin was still crawling. “Yeah, yeah.” He spoke in a low voice, so that their companion upstairs wouldn’t overhear him. “So how are we gonna get this done? We’ve got to come up with some excuse to leave and I’m not keen on leaving our boy alone right now. I can call Rude up and see if he’ll help but we probably need you to fly down and get the bike hooked up to the lift cables.”

Zack thought about the problem for a moment. “Maybe I can have Tifa come out and stay with him while we take care of this. We’ve just got to come up with an excuse that won’t make it too obvious and Cloud always picks the wrong moments to get sharp about things.”

Reno smirked. Zack’s observation was unfortunately true. As air-headed as Cloud Strife seemed to be at times, he was nobody’s fool. He was going to be suspicious when they left and there was no getting around that. The trick was to make an excuse believable enough that he wouldn’t guess right away. Counting on the blond’s state of grieving to dull his observation, Reno came up with a Plan.

“You’re still more or less employed by the Alliance,” mused the redhead. “We can tell Cloud that Reeve has a job for us and we don’t know how long we’ll be gone. That ought to be good enough for now, yo.”

“Good idea,” Zack approved. “I’ll call Tifa up and see if she can get here. Maybe the kids can come with and go swimming or something.”

Reno’s nose crinkled. “In that pond? What about leeches?”

“There aren’t any,” Zack chuckled. “Relax, I’ve already taken a few dunks myself. I even tied a rope to one of the trees to swing into it. You should try it sometime…it’s fun!”

“Thanks, but no thanks,” Reno said dryly. “So anyway, say we get Tifa out here to look after Cloud while we’re trying the impossible. I’m gonna need some help, yo. I’m good but I’m only one guy and you can only help so much, yanno?”

Zack took it stoically. Between the three of them, he was the least talented with mechanics. He considered it for a moment and remembered whom they were going to be using as a scapegoat for their plan. “Well, since we’ve got to get in touch with Reeve and get him to back us, why not ask him to help? He’s an engineer, right? That’s got to be handy for something.”

Reno snapped his fingers. “I like the way you think, Wolfy. Reeve knows his shit when it comes to tech stuff and he can help with all those weird features Fenrir’s got. While you’re at it, might as well give Highwind a ring, too. He’s a pilot so he’s gotta have some know-how, too. We’ll need all the help we can get if we want to get this done fast and right…if we can do it at all.”

“We’ll do it,” Zack said with determination. “We have to.”

Reno sighed. Zack’s optimism was obviously meant to inspire confidence but in truth, it just put more pressure on him. He didn’t even want to think of the disappointment they were all going to be in for if this couldn’t be pulled off. Trying to dampen his reservations about this whole thing, Reno called Rude while Zack started making calls to Tifa, Reeve and Cid. The Turk suspected that he had a long, hard week ahead of him.

~**************************************~

“I’m not stupid guys,” Cloud informed his lovers as they stood over the bed after telling him what was going on. The nervous look they swapped between them wasn’t lost on him, despite their effort to be subtle. “I know Tifa’s coming over to ‘keep an eye’ on me. You don’t have to lie.”

Their expressions of discomfort faded a little and he found that curious. “Okay, you’ve got us,” Reno admitted, spreading his hands. “Tifa’s not coming to check out the progress on the house. You’ve got us worried about you, man. Zack and I don’t want to leave you alone right now. So sue us.”

Cloud shrugged, unsurprised and even a little understanding. If it were either of them in his place, he’d probably feel the same. “I don’t mind. I just want to sleep right now.”

Zack bit his lip. “Maybe you should try to get out and do something,” he suggested. “You’re depressed.”

Cloud gave him a level stare. “So? Maybe Fenrir was just ‘a bike’ to you but I think I’ve got a right to be in the dumps for at least a few hours.”

“You know better than that,” Zack said gently. He sat down on the edge of the bed and stroked Cloud’s arm comfortingly. “I just think you should try to keep yourself occupied so it doesn’t get worse. There’s nothing wrong with feeling sad and grieving, kiddo. It’s falling into a pit of depression so deep you can’t climb out again that’s got me worried.”

“I’m not falling into any pit,” Cloud insisted, losing his temper. “I’m just resting.”

“Fine,” Reno said, crossing his arms over his chest. “You do that, Blondie. I’m warning you though, I’m going to call tomorrow and if you haven’t gotten your ass out of bed and joined the living for a while by then, I’ll fly back here and kick it out for ya.”

Cloud smirked and shrugged. “Whatever.” He felt underneath the pillow and closed his hand around the keychain he’d placed under there. It was a bittersweet comfort to him as he traced the keys to his beloved motorcycle. “Don’t do anything stupid while you’re away, guys.”

~***************************~

Reeve easily agreed to help when Zack called him and explained what was going on. He insisted that they bring Fenrir to the ShinRa/WRO headquarters so that they could make use of the company equipment—which was a blessing because Zack was wondering how they were going to get their hands on everything they’d need. Rude put his plans with Genesis on hold to help transport the bike and though it took a few tries to get in touch with Cid, the pilot finally answered his phone and agreed to fly to Junon to help out.

The only thing left to do was get Tifa over there before they left. Zack called her up and told her what was going on. She was distressed by the news, obviously just as aware as they were of how much Cloud cared about his bike.

“This must be tearing him up,” Tifa said over the phone. “How is he coping so far?”

“Not so good,” admitted Zack. “He says he’s okay but you know how Spike gets when he’s hurting.”

“All too well,” she agreed. “Well, I’m happy to come and stay with him but I’m sure you won’t have it all done in one weekend and I don’t want the kids to miss school. Barret’s away on a mining job so I can’t send them to stay with him.”

“No problem,” Zack said, thinking quickly. “The kids can come to Junon with us and stay at Headquarters while we’re taking care of this. Reno can fly them to and from Edge if he has to.”

“He can?” Reno interrupted with lifted eyebrows.

Zack pulled the phone away from his ear and gave him a look. “You can if you want to help Cloud. It’s only a few short trips and we might even finish before the weekend is over with.”

“Not friggin’ likely,” Reno muttered, but he shrugged. “I guess I can swing that. I’ll probably have to take some time off so my work doesn’t get in the way but Rude might cover for me.”

Zack nodded and put the phone back to his ear. “So how about it, sweet stuff? Can you help us out?”

“Of course,” Tifa answered readily. “Tell Reno not to worry about flying them back and forth just yet, though. Now that I think of it, I might be able to get the kids’ assignments from their teachers ahead of time if I say there’s a family emergency.”

“Then why not just bring them with you out here?” Zack queried in confusion.

“Because if Cloud’s anything like I think he is,” Tifa answered grimly, “I don’t want the kids seeing him right now. They’ll worry and they need to focus on their school work.”

“Smart lady,” Zack praised. He wouldn’t have considered that, himself. “So how soon can you get out here?”

“I can leave right away,” Tifa promised. “I’ve just got to get some things packed and explain what’s going on to the kids. I know the route to take to get there faster and the kids can leave with you guys.”

“Cool. Thanks for this, Tif.”

“My pleasure.”

~************************************~

Rude showed up before Tifa and he had a couple of beers with Reno in the house while they waited. Zack stayed in the barn, ready to go to Cloud’s side if the blond so much as whimpered in his sleep. He ignored the jokes Reno threw at him concerning his “mother hen” behavior, knowing it was all bluster on the Turk’s part as well as an attempt to show off in front of Rude. Reno always acted a little tougher around the bald man—probably because he didn’t want to seem weak to a fellow Turk. Zack suspected that some part of Reno also didn’t want Rude to worry about him, so he forgave the redhead’s seeming insensitivity.

Tifa showed up a little over an hour after Rude and encouraged them to get going. “I’ll take it from here, guys. Just do what you can.” She looked at Zack and bit her lip. “Do you really think you can fix Fenrir?”

“Won’t know until we try,” Zack said with a confident smirk. He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek before taking Marlene’s hand and leading the little girl out the front door of the barn. Denzel followed, shooting worried looks over his shoulder toward the top floor of the building.

“Don’t worry kid,” Reno said as he passed by them on his way into the barn to say his goodbyes to Cloud. “Your foster Dad’s a tough nut to crack, yo.”

Denzel nodded and put an arm around Marlene. Reno continued past while Rude went to the chopper to get it started up. The redhead greeted Tifa before climbing up the ladder to the loft. Cloud was still lying exactly as he’d left him and Reno frowned and shook his head as he approached the bed. He leaned over and allowed himself a lingering kiss of the soft, slack lips. Blue eyes opened to stare into sea-green ones and Reno forced a cocky grin.

“We’re heading out now, Blondie. Remember what I told ya…if you aren’t up and at ‘em tomorrow you’re getting my shoe up your ass.”

Cloud snorted and gave him a brief return kiss. “We’ll see.”

~************************************~

They returned to the area where Fenrir lay at the bottom of the cliff and Zack flew down and got the vehicle attached to the cables with minimal problems. Once he and Rude got the bike safely into the cargo hold, they flew to the Junon headquarters and had Fenrir transported to one of the company workshops. To their surprise, Yuffie came along with Cid. She’d been visiting him and Shera when they got word of Fenrir’s condition and she insisted on coming with to help. Marlene also informed Zack that Barret was on his way from Corel.

“I called him while you were unloading Fenrir,” she explained, “He says he doesn’t know how much help he can be, but he wants to try.”

Zack smiled and ruffled the girl’s hair. “Well, we could probably use his muscle, if nothing else. Why don’t you and Denzel go to the rec room or something while we get started?”

“No way,” she protested with a stubborn frown. “I want to help!”

“Yeah, me too,” Denzel agreed. He was watching Reno and Rude get the damaged bike set up in the center of the workroom.

Zack almost refused them but he knew the kids had some emotional investment in the bike too. Reeve approached with Vincent and he overheard the argument. The engineer smiled at the kids and came to their defense.

“I don’t see the harm, as long as they stay out from underfoot and keep away from the heavy machinery. You kids can do that for us, right?”

Marlene nodded enthusiastically. “Sure we can!”

“We can bring stuff to you when you need it,” Denzel offered. “You know, tools and things.”

Zack shared an amused look with Reeve before heaving a staged sigh of defeat. “I guess you win. Just promise me you’ll both stay out of trouble, okay? Tifa and Barret will kick my butt good and hard if anything happens to you guys while I’m watching you.”

“We promise,” Marlene vowed solemnly.

~**********************************~

“Cripes! Where’s the damn burn ointment?” Cid shook his singed hand and winced. He’d tried to start the engine and a gout of flame shot up from an exhaust pipe and got his palm before he could pull it away. Reno looked up from the parts he was looking over a few feet away and he reached for a tube and tossed it to the pilot. Cid caught the ointment thankfully and applied some to his small burn.

“I can’t figure out what these storage compartments are made of,” Reno muttered, scratching his chin. They’d stripped the outside of Fenrir to make it easier to replace or repair separate bits. The hard substance that made up the weapon compartments that normally attached to either side of the gas tank had Reno stumped. How was he supposed to replace parts when he didn’t know what they were made of?

Next to him, Reeve shook his head in equal confusion. “Some kind of chitin, maybe?”

“Here, let me have a look,” Yuffie offered, jogging away from Cid’s side to peer over the redhead’s shoulder.

Reno glanced at Reeve but didn’t argue with the ninja. He had his doubts that the girl could figure it out when a mechanic and an engineer couldn’t, but Yuffie was usually full of surprises. He moved aside to give her room and she put her palms on the worktable and stared down at the compartments thoughtfully. She reached out and touched the surface of them experimentally and then she nodded.

“It’s made of shell,” she announced. “I know that pattern, too. It’s off an Adamantaimai…you know, one of those giant turtles? I think you can only find them on the west continent, though.”

“How’d you guess that?” Reno asked, surprised.

Yuffie grinned and held out her left arm, showing off the armor strapped to it. “I’ve been making my own armor for years! Our only problem is getting another shell.”

“I’ll go,” Vincent offered. “I know where the creatures can be found.” He was all but useless here anyhow and this would give him the opportunity to do his part.

Reeve nodded at his lover thankfully. “I’ll call the airport and arrange for a pilot to fly you.”

With that settled, Reno turned his attention back to the other parts lying on the table. Across from him, Zack heaved a sigh and the Turk regarded him curiously. “What’s wrong, Wolfy?”

“I just realized this is going to cost a lot more than I thought,” Zack murmured. “Cloud built this bike up over time and we’re trying to restore it all at once.”

“Don’t worry about the cost,” Reno insisted. “Just pitch in what you can and I’ll cover the rest.”

“It’s going to be a lot,” Zack reminded him with a frown.

Reno shrugged. “So what? If we can pull this off, it’ll be worth it.”

Zack didn’t argue further but Reno could tell by the tense set of his shoulders that he was feeling guilty. There was no way to convince the stubborn, noble fool that he shouldn’t feel bad about the money, so Reno shook his head and concentrated on his task instead.

While Vincent was out procuring the parts for Fenrir’s storage compartments, the others worked diligently. Reeve worked out where odds and ends were meant to go and Zack was thankful that Reno had thought to get him involved. Cloud’s bike was far from average and Reeve’s insight concerning all things mechanical was a big help when they ran into a hitch. Yuffie assisted when she could and the kids worked as the “go-to” people, bringing tools on request and fetching refreshments for the adults when they got thirsty or hungry. It was close to midnight when they finally stopped for the day and retired to the suites that Reeve booked for them.

~********************************~


Reno called Cloud the next morning, as soon as he was awake enough to speak coherently. While he was on the phone with him, Zack used the suit phone to order breakfast and had a shower.

“How you doing, Blondie?”

“Okay.” Reno could hear the shrug in Cloud’s voice.

“Keeping yourself busy?” Reno persisted.

“I guess,” answered the blond. “How’s the job going?”

“It’s going okay,” replied the Turk cautiously. “With any luck, we’ll be done in a week.” He disliked the dull tone of Cloud’s voice but he wasn’t very surprised by it.

“Did you get the kids back to Edge okay?” Cloud inquired, “and did Barret come home to watch them?”

“It’s all cool,” Reno assured him. “Barret’s with ‘em so you don’t have to worry.” That had been another little lie they formulated. If Cloud thought it was strange that the kids just wanted to ride along with Tifa and fly back home, he hadn’t said anything.

“Good.” Cloud sighed and Reno heard something jingle in the background.

“You’re holding Fenrir’s keys, aren’t you?” Guessed the Turk.

“So what if I am?” Cloud’s voice regained a little life as the question made him go into defensive mode.

Reno shrugged. “Just wondering. If it makes you feel better I guess I’ve got nothing to say about it.”

“I can’t find the spares,” Cloud muttered. “I thought I left them on the key rack in the kitchen but they’re gone.”

“They’ll turn up somewhere,” Reno assured him, even as his eyes shot to the set of keys lying next to his on the little table a few feet away. “I’ll give you a call tomorrow, baby. Take it easy, okay?”

“Say ‘hi’ to Zack for me,” Cloud said in closing.

“Will do. Talk to you later, Cloud.” Reno hung up the phone and sighed. As casual as Cloud had attempted to sound, he could hear the pain in his voice. Reno hoped Zack was right about them being able to save Fenrir, because he hated the thought of their lover being so despondent permanently.

~****************************~

When Rude wasn’t on assignment or out with Genesis, he stopped into the shop to help out. It didn’t come as a surprise to Reno that Genesis declined to come. He doubted the man had any mechanic smarts anyhow. The weekend came and went and by the middle of the week, Reno was starting to believe they might actually pull this off. Cid got Fenrir’s engine running without backfiring and he and Reno listened closely before he turned it off and they worked together to fine-tune it. Vincent had been successful in his hunt for the chitin material and with Reeve and Yuffie’s help, Zack cut it, polished it and used it to replace the broken sections of the storage compartments.

It wasn’t until they started working on the exhaust pipes that Reno started to worry again. The cost of the replacement parts was much more than he’d expected. Just as he was about to ring his bank and do some money transfers, he got a call from Rufus. Reno cursed and answered the cell phone, hoping it was a leisure call and not an assignment.

“Yo, Reno here.”

“Reno, can I see you in my office?”

Reno grimaced, unsurprised that the man knew he was in the building. “Sure thing, boss. I’ll be right there.” He hung up the phone and told Cid and Barret he had to step out for a minute. Zack gave him a questioning look as he passed him and Reno told him Rufus wanted to see him.

“You aren’t going to get in trouble, are you?”

“Doubt it,” answered Reno. “Just keep working, man. I’m sure it’s nothing.” He wished he felt as confident as he sounded. Reno had marked himself down for a week’s leave without clearing it first. As second-in-command of the Turks, he could afford to do things like that more than others but Rufus wasn’t exactly predictable. Thinking of this, Reno hastened his steps so that he wouldn’t keep the president waiting for long.

Rufus was standing by the huge window in his office when Reno arrived. The president turned to look at him and his tail swished briefly. “Hello, Reno.”

“What’s up, bossman?” Reno kept his stance and voice casual as he shut the door behind him and joined Rufus at the window. After all these years, Rufus was still imposing despite Reno’s familiarity with him.

“I noticed you’ve taken the week off,” Rufus began calmly. “That isn’t such a strange thing, but I have to wonder what sort of operation you’ve got going on in the workshop.”

Reno winced. He should have known Rufus would get wind of all the activity before they were finished. “Okay, ya got me. It’s not a vacation. Me and Zack are working with Reeve and some friends to try and save Cloud’s bike.”

Rufus regarded him with curious gray eyes. “Strife’s…bike? Care to elaborate on that?”

Reno told him what happened and explained what they were trying to do. “I didn’t think you’d care, or I’d have told ya sooner.”

Rufus pondered the situation. “I see. That explains the expensive parts that have come up missing from the company inventory.”

“I’ve been paying for all of it,” Reno promised. “I’d never steal from the company, yo.”

Rufus’s lips quirked. “Unless it’s a helicopter, you mean.”

“That was years ago and I didn’t know it was yours!” protested Reno.

The president chuckled softly. “True.” He walked over to his desk and looked at the screen on his laptop. He had the company invoice list pulled up on the screen and he scanned it with an unreadable expression on his sculpted face. “These are quite expensive parts, Reno.”

The redhead blew a sigh. “Tell me about it. I’ve still gotta special order some other parts and that’s going to hit the wallet even harder.”

Rufus glanced up at him. “You’re paying for all of this? Isn’t Strife or Fair pitching in?”

“Cloud doesn’t know,” Reno explained, “and that’s how we wanna keep it, in case we can’t save the bike. Zack’s pitching in what he can, though.”

“I imagine Zack’s salary isn’t offering much help in the way of funds,” mused Rufus. “And yours can only stretch so far before you’re broke, Fox.”

Reno shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. I know it sounds stupid but that bike means something to me too, Sir.”

Rufus straightened up and studied the redhead shrewdly, making Reno shift on his feet like an adolescent. “I suppose it does,” he murmured. With that said, he reached into his trouser pocket and produced his wallet. “How much would you say this endeavor is going to cost, in the end?”

Reno ogled the sandy-blond, hardly believing where this was going. “Uh…a lot?”

Rufus began to write a check and he glanced up briefly at the Turk with a faint smirk on his lips. “Give me a number. I can write the check out for ‘a lot’ but I doubt it would result in much cash when you take it to the bank.”

“S-sir, are you really—“

“Yes,” Rufus answered coolly. “Give me a number and round it up. You can return the difference to me if I give you more than you need.” He paused and gave Reno a level stare. “There’s one condition, however. Strife isn’t to know about my part in this…understood?”

Reno nodded convulsively, unreasonably shocked by his boss’s charity. He gave him an estimate that was a couple thousand gil larger than he suspected it would come to, as he was advised. Rufus finished writing the check and he tore it off and approached the Turk to hand it over to him. Reno took it, his eyes never leaving the president’s.

“You do love him, dontcha bossman?”

Rufus sighed. “Shut up, Reno.”

~*******************************~

“Cloud, we need to go to Junon.”

It was the weekend again and Zack and Reno were still out on their assignment, as far as Cloud knew. He looked up from the newspaper he was reading and blinked at Tifa. “Why?”

Tifa grimaced, disliking the next part of the ploy. “Zack got a little hurt on the job and he’s in the medical ward at the Alliance headquarters. We need to go and pick him up.”

Cloud got out of the armchair he was sitting on and dropped his newspaper unceremoniously to the floor. “Is it serious?”

She shook her head hastily. “No, don’t worry. He just got a little banged up in a fight with some monsters. They’re releasing him today. Come on, let’s get going.” She caught hold of his arm and urged him toward the barn door, knowing that it was best not to give him too much time to think.

“All right, let me just get my jacket and keys,” Cloud said. He grabbed the jacket off the coat rack, his keys and Zack’s spare truck keys before followed her out the door. “Why didn’t they call me?” he wondered aloud as he and Tifa crossed the gravel driveway to Zack’s truck.

“They didn’t want to worry you,” Tifa fabricated. “You’ve been through a lot this week.”

“People can stop walking on eggshells,” Cloud muttered. He unlocked the truck and slid into the driver’s seat before leaning over to unlock the passenger door. Tifa climbed in and got her seatbelt on while he started the engine and checked the rearview mirrors.

“They’re just trying to look out for you,” insisted the brunette as the vehicle went into motion. “You’ve had us all worried since Fenrir—“

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Cloud interrupted flatly.

Tifa sighed and lapsed into silence.

~*********************************~

“This isn’t the way to the medical ward,” Cloud observed as Tifa chose one of the top floors.

“Um, it’s temporary,” she explained. “The old wing is under construction, so they’re sending patients to the temporary one until its finished.”

“On the same floor as the flight hangers?” Cloud thought it was an awfully strange place to set up temporary medical quarters, but Rufus and Reeve had some strange logic at times.

“There’s more room there,” Tifa said with a shrug. They reached their floor and she urged Cloud to follow her once the elevator doors slid open. The sound of machinery echoed in the halls as they passed mechanic hangers on the way.

“I don’t think this is right,” Cloud said, raising his voice over the noise. Why would they expose recovering patients to this kind of racket?

“You’ll see,” Tifa promised, continuing to drag him with eagerness that made him even more suspicious. They took a left turn and Tifa checked the glowing numbers over the doors they passed until she found the one she was looking for. “Okay Cloud, here we are.” She opened the door and he swore he saw a smile on her face before she stepped aside and ushered him into the warehouse-style shop room.

Cloud stopped in confusion as soon as he stepped through the door. Both of his lovers stood in the center of the room, looking at him. Most of his friends and the kids were there, too. His eyes flicked between each of them and he couldn’t hide the confusion on his face when he noticed that Zack looked perfectly uninjured and whole.

“What’s going on?” Cloud tried not to sound accusing but the way Denzel flinched a little indicated that he’d failed.

“Got a nice surprise for you, Goldilocks,” Reno announced with a sly grin. He looked at the others and nodded. The line of Cloud’s allies parted to reveal a familiar motorcycle, standing in the middle of the room and gleaming in the light.

Cloud stared helplessly and he wondered if his knees were going to give out on him. “F-Fenrir?” His voice sounded thin and wheezing to his own ears.

“Come have a look, kid,” Cid offered as he produced a cigarette and stuck it between his lips.

Cloud stumbled forward on weak legs, his eyes latched on his beloved motorcycle. Fenrir looked as good as new. He could see that some of the parts were fresh out of the shop and somehow, they’d managed to restore the weapons compartments to look exactly as they were before. As he drew closer, he could see some minor details that weren’t as he remembered them but he could fix that himself. Zack was grinning from ear to ear and Yuffie had her small hands clasped together with excitement. Denzel and Marlene looked quite pleased with themselves and Barret gruffly patted Cloud on the shoulder as he passed him.

Cloud squatted down beside his bike and ran his hands over the body, hardly believing what he was seeing. “There was never a job, was there?” he said over his shoulder to his lovers.

“Oh, there was a ‘job’ all right,” Zack answered happily. “It just wasn’t official WRO business.”

“How…how did you do this?” Cloud whispered, struggling for words past a sudden ache in his throat. He tested the catch on the weapons compartment and it opened smoothly, revealing most of the swords that had been stored on Fenrir when the accident occurred.

“With a few white lies, a lot of determination and some help from your buds,” answered Reno cockily. “We picked Fenrir up and brought him here. I think ya might be missing one or two of your swords but we couldn’t find ‘em in the wreckage.”

Cloud hardly cared about the loss of a couple of blades. Fenrir was saved and he had his friends and lovers to thank for it. He got to his feet and looked at them each in turn, flushing as he stammered his thanks. “I…this is…I don’t know what to say, guys.”

Reeve gave him a fond smile. “There’s nothing that needs to be said, Cloud. Fenrir’s carried you into battle for all this time and personally, I felt I owed him. If it’s possible for a machine to have a soul…well…” He trailed off, seeming embarrassed by his own words. Vincent stood beside him and the gunman nodded silently in agreement.

Cloud was about to comment to Barret when a slender body was suddenly pressed against his. Yuffie hugged him tightly and he smiled a little when she sniffled before she could help it. “I’m the one that figured out what the compartments were made of,” she informed him before breaking away.

“Thanks, Yuffie.” He said it with total sincerity. He looked at them all and repeated himself. “All of you. Thanks.” He knew that they each had some part in reconstructing the bike and he guessed that if any one of them hadn’t been there, Fenrir might not have made it.

Reno shrugged. “Hey, I was ready to throw in the towel,” he admitted. He glanced sidelong at Zack and nudged him. “This guy wouldn’t give up, though. He’s the one you should be thanking, Blondie.”

Cloud gave Zack a soft smile as the dark-haired fighter looked away modestly and mumbled about it being for a good cause. “Knowing you, that doesn’t surprise me.” He looked at Fenrir again, his mind taking notes now that his shock was clearing up. He approached the bike and considered the new parts. Doing a quick estimate in his head, he gave Reno a suspicious look. “These are expensive parts,” he murmured. “I mean, really expensive. Some of them you can’t even get around here.”

Reno shrugged. “So?”

Cloud approached the redhead and looked him in the eye. “I scavenged a lot of those parts from Old Midgar,” he went on softly. “There’s no way I could have afforded them unused but these are brand new. How much did this set you back, Reno?”

Reno shifted uncomfortably and the others busied themselves elsewhere, sensing the private moment. “Not as much as ya might think,” the Turk mumbled.

Cloud raised his eyebrows. “You didn’t steal them—“

“No way!” Reno defended with a glare. “I could have but I knew you’d never go for it, man. Everything on that bike was paid for, nice and legal.”

“Okay,” Cloud nodded, “So tell me how you managed to afford all this at short notice? I know your salary’s better than mine and Zack’s combined but I’m not sure it’s enough to afford this much all at once.”

Reno sighed and combed his bangs out of his eyes. “Let’s just say we had a corporate sponsor,” he admitted in a low voice. “Just don’t go making a big deal out of it, man. He didn’t want you to know, got it?”

Cloud blinked as the realization struck him. “Rufus?” he murmured, hardly believing it.

Reno nodded. “Bossman figured out what we were doing and he footed the bill for the most expensive stuff. I mean it Cloud…I know you ain’t into big emotional scenes but since it’s Fenrir, ya might feel different. Rufus wanted me to keep it under my hat. Don’t embarrass him, kay?”

Knowing how prideful the president was and knowing how tenuous their relationship had always been, Cloud nodded in understanding. “I won’t make a big deal out of it,” he promised.

~That doesn’t mean I can’t thank him, somehow.~

~***********************************~

Rufus had just gotten off the phone with Tseng and he was finishing up the weekly figures when a small, square envelope shot under his office door. He saw the movement from the corner of his eye and he stood up with a frown, approaching the thing curiously. He was on the verge of calling for security, having been the subject of more than one terrorist scare in his lifetime. As he approached the mystery envelope, he saw his name scrawled on the top of it and he changed his mind about calling security when he recognized the handwriting.

With a puzzled frown, the president stooped over and picked the envelope up. He opened it cautiously, suspicious yet oddly eager. Inside was a simple “Thank you” card, commonly purchased from the gift shop in the lobby downstairs. He pulled the card out of the envelope and turned it over, reading the brief message on the other side.

“Thanks.
Cloud Strife”

Rufus sighed. He should have known Reno wouldn’t be able to keep his part in Fenrir’s restoration a secret from Cloud. Despite his mild irritation, he found himself smiling softly as he walked back to his desk with the card in hand. He hovered the item over the trash bin for a moment before shaking his head and smirking. Instead of throwing it away, he opened the top drawer in his desk, replaced the card in its envelope and gently placed it inside the drawer. He shut the drawer and patted it as if it were Cloud’s fluffy head.

“You’re welcome, Strife.”

~************************************~

-The End