Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Heart's Desires ❯ Chapter 2

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Automatic Disclaimer: We do not own the rights to the following anime series, video games, or any other referenced copy righted material. This is a work is with delusions of grandeur. This will never, ever happen in our lives (damn it) and this basically is a dream we want to share with you.

Toby’s Note: Well, now that the depressing setup chapter has been done we hope you folks enjoy the insanity to follow. As you can see this is a Mass Effect & Final Fantasy reverse self-insert. We hope you enjoy, I know I’m having fun! What about you ladies?

Belle’s Note: Are you seriously asking us questions in our notes? Anyway, setting the stage in this chapter, enjoy the mental eye candy…and you are welcome.

J’dee’s Note: I'm surprised Rufus hasn't shot me yet T_____T but I bet you by the end of chapter 3 I will have at least had the shot gun drawn on me once. >>

“Start talking!” Yuna demanded as soon as Tobias hung up the phone. He sighed before turning around to find his surprise house guest glaring at him, her right hand impatiently tapping the handgun strapped to her right hip. Not a very encouraging sign.

“Look if you can just wait a few minutes, my friends will be here. They had some people drop in on them too and I think I know what happened but I don’t want to explain it twice.” Tobias said. When Yuna huffed and crossed her arms, Tobias breathed a sigh of relief.

“Fine.” She muttered, taking a good look at her surroundings for the first time. She wrinkled her nose it disgust. “You live here?”

“It didn’t always look like this.” Tobias muttered, scratching at his beard. He looked around the living room, really paying attention for the first time. It wasn’t so much dirt as it was trash that was making the place look so bad. Six months of not caring had turned his parent’s home into this trashcan. He sighed, imagining what they would say. He made his way into the kitchen and winced at the sight of it. The sink was piling over, as was the trash can, and there were numerous take-out boxes scattered everywhere. It was a wonder that he hadn’t gotten the start of a pest problem. Then again, considering it was only the first week in April, spring hadn’t woken most of the pests up yet.

Tobias made his way over to the cabinet under the sink and fished out a large box of black garbage bags. He carried it out to the living to find Yuna peering curiously at the remote for the television.

“That’s for the TV.” He said, gesturing to the large 52” fastened to the wall. “It was my father’s. He loved to channel surf.” Tobias shook out the trash bag and peered at the trash-covered coffee table. He picked up his keys and a couple of other things he didn’t want to toss, and placed them on the recliner that Belldandy had cleaned earlier. Then he held the opened trash bag the edge of the coffee table and began to shove the trash into the bag. When the coffee table was cleaned off, he repeated this process with the love seat and entertainment center.

“Do you need help?” Yuna asked. Tobias glanced at her and saw for the first time since she got here, she wasn’t glaring at him angrily. This time she was looking at him with pity.

“I’d appreciate that.” Tobias responded, tying off the trash bags. “There’s a vacuum in the kitchen closet, I think. You do have those, where you come from, right?”

“I know what a vacuum is.” Yuna sniped, heading into the kitchen. Tobias just sighed.

~*~*~

“You do realize that you are an unwelcome guest?” Belle sighed as Rufus looked at the various coffees for the fifth time. Kaidan was smirking as he sipped his Colombian roast.
“It is an extremely limited selection,” Rufus stated and Belle rolled her eyes.
“Noted,” Belle sighed as she started the hot chocolate for herself.
“It’s rude to serve oneself before their guest,” Rufus commented and Belle gave him a look.
“It’s also rude to stare at a woman wrapped in a towel but you did plenty of that, now didn’t you?” she stated. “You’re taking forever to pick and I’m feeling jittery so get over it.” Rufus made a noise before looking over the coffee selection again.
“Thanks for the coffee,” Kaidan said with a crooked grin and Belle quickly turned to hide her blush.

~*~*~

J'dee let out a breath as she splashed more water on her face. She was hoping she was going to wake up, find it was really a weird dream. But nope. Rufus and Kaidan.
“At least I know that we have some good shooters on our side for the next alien invasion.” She drawled to herself.
Sucking in a breath she stepped out of her bedroom wearing her cut off denim shorts, compared to where she was from everywhere was a warmer climate. She wore a black singlet top with a red and black pin striped red shirt over top the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, a silver anklet on her right ankle and she wore her mother's wedge shoes
Rufus was sitting on the couch and he had a cup of espresso coffee in his hand.
She looked to Belle who handed her a hot chocolate. “You look like you need the sugar.”
“I need guranna and caffeine.” J'dee downed the hot chocolate and rinsed the cup out.
“You ready?” Belle asked.
“Ready to slap Toby, sure who wouldn't be?” She growled. But she knew the news wasn't going to be an easy fix. The cosmos was telling her that already.

~*~*~

“This is your car?” Rufus asked with more than a little disgust in his voice.
“Hmm, I’ve never ridden in a combustion engine car,” Kaidan commented and Belle pinched the bridge of her nose.
“How about chicks up front?” J’dee suggested as she recognized the annoyance on Belle’s face.
“That’s an excellent idea,” Belle stated as she quickly hit the unlock button and got in. “I’m going to love this drive.”
“Do you usually keep trash in your car?” Rufus said.
“Yep, but if you like the trunk is immaculate,” Belle replied and he shot her a look as Kaidan covered a snicker in a cough.

~*~*~

Letting out a breath it was an awkward drive to Toby's place. J'dee spent most of the time looking out the window. She was glad she signed up for the two year work visa not the one year one otherwise she would have to leave while Rufus remained behind. 'They' had told her he wasn't going to be here over night, but who knew maybe Toby was told something else completely.
She pinched the bridge of her nose trying to hold in a sigh. She could feel it the cosmos or those on the other side were chatting rapidly all trying to get her attention suddenly.
“Something wrong?” Belle looked to her.
J'dee looked at the two in the backseat via the rear vision mirror. “Just an overload of that kind of communication.” She replied.
Belle nodded. “You can tell me later.”

~*~*~

“I thought I heard you say, Kaidan on the phone.” Tobias said, closing the door after his friends. He eyed the bigger man in armor. “I guess you arrived the same way Yuna did?”

“If she appeared out of nothing to crash down on you sofa, then yes, I did.” Kaidan replied. Tobias turned to look at Rufus Shinra, who smirked at him.

“Nice place you have here.” The blonde man drawled, making Tobias glare at him. Before he could respond, J’dee clipped the Shinra President on the back of the head with her hand.

“Play nice!” she scolded and Tobias smirked.

“This is a big improvement, Toby.” Belle called happily from the living room. Tobias ushered the others ahead of him into the cleaned living room. Belle was looking around with a smile as Yuna appraised the new arrivals from the recliner.

“I figured if you were coming over here to talk then I should clean up. Besides, I didn’t want you to faint into any trash when I showed you this.” Tobias retorted, reaching into his pocket to pull out the Goddess help line card. He blinked, when he saw it. It had turned completely blank.

“See what?” J’dee asked, and Tobias sighed.

“Sit down and I’ll tell you.” He said, the others moved about the living room to grab a couple of seats.

“It started when I got home and I found this card, which has now gone blank, taped to my door by you two…”

~*~*~

Rufus only quirked a blonde brow as this friend of the two girls explained what happened. It would have sounded ludicrous, if he didn't know about the power of a Goddess. His own world having one, he had heard the rumors that Zack Fair had fought against the Goddess herself. So it would stand to reason each world had an equivalent. But why would a Goddess from another dimension grant the wish of someone from this dimension and cross the lines of balance, that part he didn't get.
He glanced to the red head whose room he had landed in. She just lent forward in the seat her elbows resting on her knees her hands clasped together in a praying motion.
Those hands clasped the hair pulled back off her face, with familiar bangs framing her face. She looked sort of like her. Cloud's deceased Cetra friend. But he knew she wasn't her, she just partially looked like her. Especially with her hands clasped together like that. The spiked leather wrist band on one wrist and silver bangles on the other, it screamed a completely different personality.

J'dee was listening to Toby taking it in. She was aware of something else that crossed over with them. She glanced to the side suddenly looking to the wall, she only saw the flash of glasses and a lab coat before the image seemed to disperse.
She could hear the chattering telling her that not only physical but astral and ethereal entities had used the Goddess' dimension vortex to venture into this world as well.
It was at that moment she caught Rufus looking at her and she looked away.
“Well that makes sense I suppose most spells are done via circles.” She stated. “My spells I do for a cycle and a day-” She stopped raising a brow looking to Toby's hallway.
There was a flash of transparent white moving down the hall.
“So if I was able to pull this off it would probably only have worked for a week and a day or a month and a day.” She let out a breath. “I maybe able to cast spells but it draws a lot of my energy out, this is definitely the power of a Goddess.”

Rufus finally spoke up. “I don't really foresee any outcome that would be beneficial for us.
“I wonder if you call up the telephone place and get a record of the Goddess number if we could call it again.” J'dee offered. “Or you hit star triple six or whatever the code is here for the numbers of the last five calls made.”

~*~*~

“That won’t work, J’dee and you know it,” Belle stated as she studied the card Toby had waved around.
“How do you know?” Kaidan asked as she twirled the card.
“This is the card,” Belle said as she pointed to the corner. Kaidan stared for a moment before he noticed a fingerprint.
“How do you know it is yours?” he asked and she smiled.
“I burned my finger in chemistry class…more accurately my idiot lab partner burned my finger, there’s a fold in my fingerprint from the scar. This is identical, it has to be mine,” Belle said as she placed the card down. “If the card is blanked, do you really think that the number will work?”
“Nope,” J’dee sighed. “Bullocks.”
“Agreed,” Belle muttered as she looked at Toby. “So what do we do with three undocumented aliens?”
“I have citizenship,” Kaidan stated and Belle smiled.
“You’re a member of the Alliance. We’re in the United States, at best you would be Canadian,” she said before shaking her head. “They can’t work without social security cards.”  

~*~*~

“So what do we do now?” Yuna demanded. “Do we have to wait a year for this Belldandy to come back?”

“That’s the only thing I can think of.” Tobias said. “When she comes back I’ll just repeal this wish. This certainly isn’t what my heart desired.”

“I still say you worded it pretty badly.” J’dee retorted. “What if my heart’s desire was to turn the whole world purple?”

“Then we’d all be color blind in a month.” Belle said. She got a pensive look on her face. “We’ve got to figure out how we’re going to take care of these three for year, though.”

“I don’t need anyone to take care of me.” Rufus sniffed. “I do that just fine.”

“Right so how are you going to make a enough money to get by without any ID current to our world?” J’dee asked. Rufus scowled. “Hey I’m just pointing out the obvious.”

“I could get by on my own.” Kaidan said. “Long term survival training would be a snap, especially here on Earth. I could just camp in the woods until next year.”

“Then get a move on.” Rufus sneered. “You’ll need to set up camp by dusk.”

“Or we could all just move in here!” Belle cried out, snapping her fingers. Everyone turned to stare at her, but Tobias’s eyes got really wide at that.

“Oh hell no!” He cried, shooting to his feet. “That is so not happening!”

“Toby it’s perfect! My lease is up in two weeks and J’dee and I were going to sign up for that bigger place closer to town but this is better! Our rent can go to the utilities, and split three ways that’s not too big of a drain. You’ve got the space and if we shuffle a couple of rooms around, we should have enough rooms for everyone!” Belle said.

“And we have the extras we need with our furniture!” J’dee agreed, getting excited as well.

“This place is a sty.” Rufus declared pompously.

“Oh it’ll be a snap!” Belle said, waving his statement away with a flick of her hand. “Look how easy it was for Toby to clean up the living room.”

“I’m not sure I’m comfortable with this.” Yuna said, eying them. “I just met you all and I’m supposed to live with five strangers for a year?”

“It’s like one of these bad sitcoms from Earth.” Kaidan agreed.

“Look its not like we have much of a choice.” Belle said, giving them a look. “It’s this or camping outside.”

“I’d rather camp.” Rufus muttered.

~*~*~

“I can’t believe how much that cost!” J’dee grumbled as Belle drove the rental moving van to the apartment Yuna was against the door, J’dee was between Yuna and Kaidan and Kaidan was between Belle and J’dee. It was like a confusing math problem.
“Why are you complaining, I’m paying for it?” Belle teased.
“It’s because you save like a squirrel,” J’dee shot back with a grin and Belle nodded.
“That I do,” she replied. “J’dee and I actually had most of our non-essential stuff boxed up, if you two could start moving that and the furniture onto the van we’ll shove the last of our stuff into boxes before helping out.”
“Sounds easy enough,” Kaidan said. “Wouldn’t it have been more helpful to have more men?”
“Yeah, I would have voted for that, but Yuna needed to get out and you are the male least likely to go through our unmentionables,” Belle replied and Yuna looked shocked. “That was a joke.”
“No it wasn’t,” J’dee grinned and Belle wished she could have elbowed her friend.

~*~*~

“I freaken hate camping.” J'dee let out a breath as she loaded what she could carry onto the truck. She stopped seeing Kaidan go past carrying a computer desk in his arms. She tried not to stare, but couldn't help but oogle sexy men. It wasn't often they were in stock where she came from.
“Ohmigod... it's so nice to have a man around, with muscles.” She felt the back of her head clipped. “Ow!”
“No bad pervert.” Belle pointed at her. “Go help Yuna she mentioned something about loosing a grid or something.”

J'dee chuckled and she walked inside, she saw Yuna. “Are you okay?”
“I can't really wear this while I help you move.” The ex-summoner stated.
“I have a pair of jeans and a shirt you can borrow. Follow me.” J'dee smiled.
Yuna nodded. “I lost my garment grid. I can't believe it. I must have dropped it somewhere.”
J'dee frowned as they entered the remains of her room. “When did you have it last?” She looked over her shoulder seeing Yuna's face and J'dee knew instantly Yuna knew then and there where she must have dropped it. “That's not a good sign is it?” She asked.
Yuna shook her head. “It must have been after Vegnagun.”

J'dee nodded remembering the battle and frowning. “Did you know anything else happen after that?” She wanted to ask and see if Tidus had returned. He was one of her favorite characters.
“No... do you know something?”
J'dee shook her head quickly. “Oh no nothing just I'm like a big blitzball fan. Normally I hate sports but that looks epic. I'd like to have tried it one day. I was wondering if there was a match or something.”
Yuna smiled. J'dee handed her some clothes forgetting that on her left hand she wore a ring with Tidus' symbol on it.
Yuna looked to her ring. “That ring... where did you get that?”
J'dee looked down to the ring. “As I said Blitzball fan, I saw one of the players in your world wear it once. Then it kinda just popped up here so I bought it.” She cleared her throat. “Anyway... jeans shirt I'll leave you to it.”

J'dee was outside quickly and she let out a breath slapping her forehead. “Stupid stupid stupid... take off all associated fandoms before...” She glanced to her right wrist and found herself staring at the ShinRa logo tattoo and groaned.
“Okay wrist band...” She began to rummage through her stuff. She could do it. She could hide the logo for an entire year from Rufus... it was, do-able, kinda.

~*~*~

“Yeah, I knew that before,” Belle commented as she walked by with a box of her stuff.
“Hey!” J’dee cried covering her wrist.
“Can I be there when you show Mr. Stick Up My Ass that?” Belle asked as she kept walking. “It should be good for a laugh or two.”
“You’re no help!” J’dee snapped and Belle smirked as she headed into the living room.
“Whoa, talk about efficient help,” she muttered as Kaidan appeared. The Alliance sentinel was sweating slightly and it made his light brown skin glisten. Belle’s mouth water and she began to try and think unsexy thoughts.
“Here let me get that,” he said and she managed to nod as he grabbed the box and headed back out the door.
“You might want to wipe the drool off your chin when he comes back,” Yuna stated and Belle blushed.
“Yeah…got it,” she said before heading to her room.

~*~*~

While, Belle, J’dee, Kaidan and Yuna went off to rent a moving truck, Tobias was stuck at home to clean with a sulking Shinra Executive. Tobias ignored the moping man, giving him the remote to the TV and letting the blonde channel surf as Tobias cleaned. He was half-assing it at best, just dumping trash and even some dishes into trash bags. He even went out into the garage and grabbed the snow shovel, scooping up the trash and dumping it into the trash bags. Since Tobias hadn’t bothered using any rooms he didn’t need, the trash was confined to the hallway, bedroom, kitchen and bathroom. The hall, bedroom and kitchen weren’t too bad, mostly trash. The bathroom however was a disaster. Tobias decided to save it for last.

After dragging the trash bags to the garbage cans and stuffing them in, Tobias tackled the rooms one by done. As he scrubbed the kitchen floor, he felt his muscles begin to ache. He hadn’t worked like this in half a year and his body was protesting. His mouth felt dry and he was aching for a drink, but he forced himself to scrub. He made another mistake and now he had to make up for this one.

At least he could correct this one.

~*~*~

“You look hot,” Belle said and Kaidan blinked before she blushed. “I meant temperature.” Kaidan grinned.
“Yeah, a little,” he said and she held out a t-shirt and some shorts.
“The t-shirt is one I bought accidentally in men’s size and the shorts are my father’s, I use them to work out in,” she explained. “The armor is a little much.” Kaidan smiled as he took them.
“I’ll go change,” he said. “Thanks.”
“No problem,” Belle managed as he headed to the bathroom and she quickly headed back to her room to finish packing.

~*~*~

J'dee could hear the car stereo blaring out 3OH!3 as she brought her boxes down to the truck, she looked to Belle who just smiled.
“I blame you for getting me to like these guys.” She pointed at her friend. “I managed to get by a year without hearing them...”
“Paybacks a bitch you anime crack peddler.” Belle taunted.
J'dee laughed and set the box down.

She looked to her wrist glancing at the ShinRa tattoo and for that moment she truly regretted it. There had been no wrist band for her and luckily for her during the meeting Rufus had sat to her right so her wrist had been faced inward.
“You okay?” Yuna asked walking past.
“Huh oh yeah just need caffeine. A lot of it.”

J'dee was in a daze as she packed what she could into the truck. She was nervous as hell, normally her hearts desire was perverts, but instead it was Rufus. She was truly convinced Toby worded it wrong that or her hearts desire had truly changed in the past two years.
Rufus was not what she went for, she tended to like her men slightly dumber than her. Cute but dumber. Rufus by far was not dumb, he was conniving, manipulative and when he wanted to be, down right evil. A Ruthless businessman who she gathered from the lack of a black turtleneck was trying to right the wrongs ShinRa had done to Gaia, in his own calculating ways.

It was on their lunch break on moving that J'dee stood at the edge of the apartment property standing in solitude enjoying her cigarette break.
She stopped when a random guy paused to ask her for a light and she pulled out the lighter from her pocket, when he planted one right on her lips sliding the lighter from her fingers before he lit his smoke, he winked at her and gave the lighter back.
Her mouth moved in shock.
“See ya darling.”
“Was that someone you knew?” Yuna asked stepping up beside her.
J'dee shook her head. “No.”
The summoner looked at her. “Does that happen often?”
“Alot lately.” J'dee looked down at the combo of her clothes. “Why is it always happening when I look like shit?”
“Maybe your Hearts Desire is to ward off that happening?” Yuna offered.
J'dee let out a breath.
“The in real life Gojyo strikes again.” Belle teased as J'dee walked back up to the truck.
“Reverse Gojyo! Reverse!” J'dee felt the urge to point out she didn't hit on anyone. But left alone it seemed to happen that she was hit on instead.

~*~*~

Belle was placing items around in the truck when there was the sound of her headboard being dropped off.
“The apartment is empty,” Kaidan said and Belle turned to look. Even if the shirt was baggy on her, it was nice and tight on Kaidan. The shorts were from the seventies and were short enough to show off how muscular his thighs were. Belle’s mouth went dry as she looked at Kaidan.
“Great!” she managed and turned to secure the headboard.
“You need help?” Kaidan asked and Belle knew her pride would probably be shattered.
“Yeah, hold this side…I need to use the rope to keep it steady,” she said.
“No problem,” he said completely unaware of how hot he looked. Belle tried her hardest to think unsexy thoughts as she did her best not to stare at the corded muscles of Kaidan’s arm.

~*~*~

“Holy shit, Toby.”

Tobias jerked up, banging his head on the bathroom sink. He cursed and got up off the tiled floor, wincing as his knees cracked loudly. He turned to see Belle staring at the bathroom and him in surprise. He’d tied a strip from a torn t-shirt around his head for a sweat band and was covered in grime.

“Well, since you guys would be living here now, I figured I’d at least clean up after myself.” Tobias said, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.

“I’m impressed.” Belle admitted, looking everything over.

“Well you guys have been gone all afternoon.” Tobias said. Belle shrugged.

“Kaidan wanted to load the truck up this afternoon and he was a big help.” Belle said, her gaze locking with Tobias’s. “I’d stay away from Yuna awhile, though. She tried to use something she calls a garment grid to change into something to help and she discovered it was gone. She said she must after dropped it after she fought something Vagagun, Vagund? Something like that.”

“Gotcha, she say anything else?” Tobias said, thinking. That meant Yuna was whisked away after the final battle in Final Fantasy 10-2.

“Well she muttered something about how she should have said yes instead of no, but I have no idea what that meant.” Belle said, crouching down to pick up a box by her feet. She missed Tobias’s wince as she did.

“So how are we going to go this?” Tobias asked, following her into one of the two guest bedrooms. “I only have four bedrooms.”

“Didn’t your father finish remodeling the basement shortly before he died?” Belle asked, quietly. Tobias blinked, remembering.

“Yeah, he did. He divided it up into his work room with the furnace, an entertainment room, a weight room, a second bathroom and a storage room.” Tobias said.

“Well the weight room and storage rooms are empty.” Belle said, and Tobias blinked again.

“Belle, there are no windows in those rooms.” Tobias said and she grinned.

“Kaidan said he’d be fine with that and J’dee said she’d convince Rufus to take the other one.” Belle said, grinning. Tobias just sighed.

~*~*~

J'dee sat on the bed in the room, it wasn't too bad. Granted there were no windows and Rufus was probably used to windows. It didn't mean he had to live in the room just sleep in it.
She raised a brow as Rufus set the shotgun down in the corner and her brow quirked up.
“Uh question. Where the hell where you hiding that this entire time?”
Rufus just smirked. “In my coat. I never leave home without it.” He sat down next to her.
“Oh.” J'dee let out a breath. “So will you stay here please I know it's not much.”
“I guess I can mingle with the common folk, it might help my perspective a bit.” He looked thoughtful for a moment.
“Well I have some saved up cash. If you need to buy some clothes.”

Rufus looked at her he saw her left hand was holding onto her right wrist.
“Do I make you nervous?”
She jumped up and shook her head. “No it's just. That's awesome that you can do that for us common folk and all that jazz... also I'm really sorry you were kidnapped and stuff.”
Rufus stood up he took her wrist pulling her hand away from it. “I don't call this kidnapping.” He looked down at her wrist and he couldn't help but smirk as he tapped his company's logo on her wrist. “But we will talk later. For now I'll play the good guest.”
J'dee nodded. “Thanks.” She let out a breath. “Guess we better go and be social.”

~*~*~

“There we go,” Belle purred as she tightened the nut to secure her bed. The box spring was a pain to maneuver but she managed to get it in place alone. “Man, my back is going to hate me tomorrow.”
“Here,” a voice said as a beer appeared in front of Belle and she yelped in shock. Kaidan chuckled as he held out the cheap, Canadian beer. Belle smirked as she took it.
“Thanks,” she said. “Where did you find this?”
“You had a case in your fridge, I brought it, not as good as the stuff from home, but not bad,” he said and she chuckled.
“This won’t help the back ache I’m going to have tomorrow,” she said before taking a sip.
“Want some help?” he asked as he put his beer down on her nightstand.
“Pride be dammed, I don’t want my back to go out again,” Belle said as she pointed at the mattress. “I need to get the mattress in place and make my bed.”
“Can do,” Kaidan said as he pulled the mattress over with one hand and she tried not to enjoy the view as she placed the mattress in place across from Kaidan. She tossed the fitted sheet across to him.
“So…what’s it like coming back in time almost a hundred and seventy years?” Belle asked and Kaidan smiled slightly.
“It’s weird, but not as bad as if you went back hundred and seventy years,” he said.
“True, if I did I would be totally subjugated and or placed in a mental hospital with horrific treatments,” she said as she tucked the sheet over her mattress on her side. He mirrored her and she tossed the sheet across and they quickly covered the bed.
“This is nice,” Kaidan said as he ran a hand over the sheets.
“Yeah, it’s jersey, very nice. Thanks, Kaidan,” she said and he nodded as he headed out of the room. Belle sighed and fanned herself.  

~*~*~

“I’m glad we decided to do all this tonight, it’s already 2 in the morning!” Yuna moaned. She’d borrowed a pair of jeans and a t-shirt from J’dee, and hung up her clothes in the room she was using, which happened to be Tobias’s parents’ old room. Now she was sitting with the others in the living room, looking around sleepily.

“But the boxes are unloaded and everyone has a place to stay.” Kaidan said wisely. He was the only one who didn’t appear worse for wear. Even Rufus had started to help after J’dee had unplugged the TV and practically thrown the spoiled exec at the moving truck.

“I’m getting a drink and then I’m going to bed.” Tobias muttered, heading for the kitchen. He missed the looks J’dee and Belle shot each other as he shuffled into the kitchen. He opened the liquor cabinet and pulled out a bottle of whiskey. He popped the top and was about the raise the bottle to his lips when some one spoke up behind him.

“Are sure you want to do that again?”

Tobias spun around to find Rufus staring at him thoughtfully from his chair next to the kitchen.

“Of course I do. Why, do you care?” Tobias retorted.

“About you? Not in the slightest.” Rufus smirked. “But I care that the person whose house I’m forced to stay in is two steps away from becoming a full blown alcoholic.”

“I am not a drunk.” Tobias snapped. Rufus’s smirk only got wider.

“Not yet, but you will be soon. Right now you have firm grip on that bottle.” He said nodding to the bottle clutched in Tobias right hand. “Soon though, it’ll have grip on you. You’re drinking to forget, fine. I saw plenty of Midgar government officials turn into you when we finally bought the last rights to the city. What I won’t have is you turning into some drunk while we need to be under the radar. You’ll have to work to keep this together for a year. You’ll drink to unwind from work, you’ll drink to get ready for work, you’ll drink to wash down dinner, and you’ll drink to go to sleep.”

Rufus chuckled now.

“And then you’ll start getting caught. Caught driving, caught at work, caught walking, and they’ll come here to find out why. And then they’ll find us.”

Tobias looked at the bottle in his hand, feeling a chill run up his spine.

“I just don’t want to remember what I’ve done.” Tobias said, and Rufus shrugged.

“You obviously still do, drunk or sober. Try something else to forget or better yet grow up and deal with it.” Rufus said, getting up. “If you were my employee I’d have fired you already.”

Tobias watched the blonde walk out and sighed. He capped the bottle and put it back. It was cold day in hell when a bastard like Rufus Shinra thought Tobias was in trouble.

Tobias shook his head and headed for bed sober for the first time in months.

~*~*~

End Chapter 2

~*~*~

After chapter comments: Well the first day is done and all our players are together for a year! Let the insanity begin!

~*~*~

OMAKE

~*~*~

“Here, Kaidan, have a soda,” Belle purred as she offered the Alliance soldier a drink.
“Thanks,” he said as he took the can and pulled on the tab. The soda exploded, soaking his skin and getting all over his armor.
“Oh no! I didn’t know it had been shaken! I’m so sorry! Let’s get you out of that before you get covered by insects!” she cried as she hustled Kaidan into the bathroom.

Kaidan sighed as he exited the bathroom dressed in a tight t-shirt and short shorts.

The three girls watched from the door as Kaidan carried a box into the van.
“Double or nothing,” Yuna said to Belle and Belle smiled.

10 Minutes Later

“Oops!” Belle cried as she tripped over the rug, tossing the plant she was carrying into the air, right at Kaidan. It hit and covered him in soil. “Oh Kaidan! I’m so sorry! Here let me get you some clean clothes.” With that Belle pulled Kaidan back into the bathroom.

Kaidan sighed as he exited the bathroom dressed in a super tight tank top and far too tight shorts.

The three girls watched from the door as Kaidan carried another box into the van.
“Double or nothing,” J’dee said and Belle smiled again.

Hours Later

Belle was counting a pile of money as she walked into the house. Toby stared in shock both at Belle and behind her.
“Um…tell me that Kaidan is wearing more than a towel right now,” Toby asked and Belle smirked.
“I could…but I would be lying,” Belle stated. “Want to know how I made $400 in less than four hours?”
“Does it have to do with Kaidan stripping?” Toby asked.
“Oh Toby, if Kaidan was stripping there would be way more than $400 in my hands…actually I would have donated to his take,” Belle grinned. “But it does take into account J’dee and Yuna’s ability to underestimate me.”
“Can I borrow some clothes?” Kaidan asked.
“I don’t know if I trust you to keep them,” Toby muttered as Belle hid her money behind her back.