Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Mark of the Phoenix ❯ Chapter 10

“Mark of the Phoenix”

Chapter 10

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*Disclaimer: The world that this story is set in and all characters therein 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.*

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Rude knelt beside the body of the Turk on the floor and checked his ID while Reno approached Cissnei and the crying child she held in her arms.

 

“Are either of you hurt?” Reno asked, looking them both over for signs of injury. There were tiny drops of blood scattering Cissnei's pale face but he was sure that was from the dead man lying on the floor behind him.

 

Cissnei shook her head jerkily and instinctively bounced Sadie in her arms to try and comfort her. “She's just scared,” she whispered. Her pallor and the visible trembling of her body told him that she was just as scared as the child.

 

Reno's eyes went to Sadie and his expression softened slightly. “It's okay, kid. We're friends.” He looked at Cissnei, his eyes holding hers for a moment before he reached into his blazer and produced his cellphone.

 

“If you're really here to help, you shouldn't use that,” Cissnei warned in a small voice.

 

“These ain't our regular phones,” Reno explained as he searched for a number and hit the call button. He turned his attention back to Cissnei once he put the phone to his ear, watching her as if he thought she'd bolt for it the minute he took his gaze off of her.

 

“Yo, Elena. We've got her. How far away are ya? Couple of blocks? Yeah, just barely…the babysitter copped it and we've got one Turk down.”

 

He glanced over his shoulder at Rude and addressed the bald man. “What's the ID say, partner?”

 

“Chaz,” answered Rude. “Black Ops. Sound familiar to you?”

 

“Yeah,” Reno nodded. “Didn't know him very well but I recognize the name.” He put his ear to the phone again and turned his gaze back to Cissnei as he repeated the information to Elena. “Yeah, the bullets are scrubbed. They'll probably still pin it on us but we can worry about that later. No, they're both okay. How's the situation over there? Uh-huh. All right, wait for us there. If you see `em come back you call one of us right away. See ya soon.” He hung up and replaced the phone in his pocket.

 

“M-Mommy?” Sadie whimpered, trying to twist around in Cissnei's arms.

 

Cissnei held her tighter and stroked her hair, coaxing her to keep her face pressed against her chest. “Shhh, it's okay Sadie. Just close your eyes and hold on to Buster, okay?” To Reno, she asked, “What are you going to do?”

 

His tourmaline gaze was level and cool as he replied. “We're taking you both someplace safe, until this blows over. Elena's been keeping an eye on your house. They've already come and gone from there so we've got a little time to get you there so you can grab some things. After that, we're going for the chopper and getting you outta here before the rest of `em come to join the party.”

 

Cissnei licked dry lips and looked at Rude, who had gotten to his feet again and was calmly retrieving the child care bag that Marie had dropped when she got shot down. “So Elena's in on this too? Why are you all doing this?”

 

Reno cocked his head to one side and studied her, his lips parting. “Ya know, I could ask myself that same question…Emily.” He sneered the fake name and a flash of anger lit his eyes for a brief moment.

 

Cissnei's heart ached even as it pounded fiercely with fear and powerful feelings she'd never been able to forget. She realized then that her disappearance had hurt him far more than she would have thought possible. She'd known Reno for a couple of years before they got together and things always seemed to just roll off his back. Nothing ever stuck with him and she honestly thought he'd grieve for a while and then move on.

 

~He hasn't asked about Sadie yet. Did Tseng tell him, or is he assuming she's another man's child? Oh gods, does he think I jumped straight into a relationship with someone else as soon as I faked my death?~

 

It was odd, the things that ran through a person's mind when faced with impending panic and a strong risk of death. The last thing she should be worrying about right now was why Reno wasn't questioning Sadie's parentage. Common sense told her that the man was focusing on priorities right now and who fathered Sadie wasn't one of them.

 

“I've got the kid's stuff,” Rude said as he shouldered the bag holding Sadie's toddler supplies. “We should head out. They'll be looking for this guy soon.”

 

Reno nodded. “Yeah, let's get going.” He stepped aside and gestured at Cissnei with a cold expression on his face. “Ladies first, yo.”

 

Cissnei steeled herself and shifted her daughter in her arms to ensure that Sadie wouldn't see the bodies as she carried her out of the house. The little girl had one arm around her neck and her other hand was clutching her stuffed chocobo. She was still crying softly against Cissnei's shoulder but she wasn't trying to disobey and look around. As they walked past Reno, she dropped Buster and started reaching for him as he fell.

 

Reno caught the plush toy before it hit the floor and he quickly put it in the little girl's groping hand. “There ya go. Mind your Ma, kiddo.”

 

Sadie turned her head just enough to look at him with one teary eye, identical in coloring to his own. She nodded silently and buried her head against Cissnei's shoulder. Cissnei looked up at him with silent thanks in her soft brown eyes and continued moving past, stepping carefully around the bodies lying on the floor. She caught her breath on a soft sob as she moved past the babysitter and she paused.

 

“We should cover her up or something,” Cissnei said in a small voice.

 

“Don't have time,” Reno came up behind her, urging her with his eyes to keep moving. “Sorry about your friend but her problems are over with. Go to the car with Rude, Cissnei.”

 

There were no affectionate pet names, now. He didn't soften the end of his sentences with “doll”, “baby” or “toots”. She might as well have been a stranger he'd been assigned to as a bodyguard. She felt shamed and deserving of his cold treatment. Rude was a comforting, protective presence before her and Reno was like a dangerous flame at her back.

 

She tried to reach for her purse as she passed through the foyer but it was hard to hold onto her daughter and retrieve the bag at the same time. Reno wordlessly picked it up and carried it for her and she thanked him softly.

 

They wiped down the interior of Rude's rental car and did the same with his keys, trying to make it more difficult for a connection to be made. All of them had rented the vehicles under false identities but the organization would piece things together sooner or later. They left the bald man's car behind and took Reno's to Cissnei's house. The brunette sat in the back seat with her daughter and she focused her attention on keeping her calm, talking softly to her and rocking her against her chest. She said nothing to Reno or Rude, knowing that it wouldn't help and explanations could come later after they were all relatively safe.

 

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

 

Reno didn't bother instructing her not to waste time grabbing belongings she didn't need. Cissnei was a practical woman and she still thought like a Turk, even if she was scared out of her wits. He and Rude stood outside at the front door to keep watch while Cissnei went in with her daughter and Elena to pack up some clothes and some things that the little girl would need. The two women shared a brief, warm moment of greeting, neither of them wasting time on questions or explanations.

 

“You okay?” Rude mumbled to Reno as they waited alertly by the door of Cissnei's little home.

 

Reno shrugged. “About as good as I can be right now. Why, am I acting unhinged or something?”

 

“Not exactly.” Rude frowned. “Just not how I expected.”

 

“What's that supposed to mean?” Reno looked uncomfortable.

 

Rude looked at him sidelong and shrugged. “It's Cissnei, man.” He said it as if it explained everything.

 

“Yeah,” Reno blew a sigh and scuffed his shoe on the cement walkway. “It's Cissnei. It's the girl I couldn't get over and the mother of my kid. I'm pissed off at her…how'd you expect me to act?”

 

“I'm not expecting you to smother her with kisses but you're like ice, Red. Maybe you should let off a little steam once we're out of the hotzone. Maybe even talk to her and get some of that poison out of your system.” Rude straightened his tie uncomfortably, not usually one to chat about matters of the heart.

 

Reno didn't answer him. His auburn brows drew down and his mouth was set in a stiff line as he stared blankly out at the street.

 

Rude decided to try and lighten the mood, at least a little. There was at least one consolation for Reno in all of this and he thought he should point it out. “She's a cute kid,” he murmured.

 

Reno looked mildly startled by the compliment, but he relaxed after a moment and his mouth curved into a faint, crooked smile. “Yeah, she is, isn't she?”

 

Rude nodded and reached up to pat his left breast pocket as he remembered something. “That reminds me,” he said as he reached into the pocket and produced two premium quality cigars. “I almost forgot.” He handed one to Reno, who was giving him a curiously amused look. “Congratulations, partner. It's a little late but…” He shrugged and tore off the end of his cigar.

 

Reno chuckled. “Thanks, man.” He followed suite and put the cigar in his mouth as he fished out his lighter from his blazer. He lit his cigar and then held the lighter for Rude to do the same. The two of them puffed their stogies and stood in companionable silence.

 

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

 

Cissnei kept one eye on her daughter as she and Elena packed clothing with brisk efficiency. Being at home again calmed Sadie down, though she sensed the urgency in the air as she watched her mother and the blonde woman pack. She behaved herself well and played with some of her toys on the floor as they worked.

 

“Can I ask you something?” Cissnei inquired as she selected some shirts from her closet and laid them on the bed.

 

“We came because you're not a traitor and sometimes, even Turks can put the job aside for loyalty,” Elena answered without missing a beat. The flaxen-haired woman neatly folded some jeans and put them into the suitcase laying open on the bed. She glanced at her companion and smiled a little. “I'm guessing that's what you were going to ask.”

 

“That's the gist of it, yes,” Cissnei answered. “It's just…by helping me you're all making yourselves targets, too.” She lowered her eyes and clutched at a jacket she'd chosen from the closet. “And Reno has every reason to let them take me.”

 

“Like hell he does,” scoffed Elena. It was on the tip of her tongue to remind the brunette that the two of them had a daughter together, but a quick glance at Sadie changed her mind. She was pretty sure Cissnei hadn't explained to the little girl that Reno was her father and she didn't even know if the redhead had confronted her about it yet. For all she knew, Cissnei didn't even know he was aware of it yet and Reno's temper was too unstable these days for her to risk overstepping herself.

 

“You two were great together before all of this happened,” Elena said tactfully, “and even before that he always had good things to say about your work. Whatever your reasons for disappearing, we all knew betrayal wasn't one of them. We can work all of that out later, Ciss.”

 

Cissnei was grateful, even as she wondered how much the others knew about her reasons for defecting. She spotted a familiar sealed box on the shelf in the closet and she bit her lip and reached up to take it down. While Elena watched curiously, the brunette opened the box and reached in. She pulled out a large crimson shuriken, which was wrapped in protective cloth. She unwrapped it slowly, her slender fingers stroking the cool metal with affection.

 

“Wow, you held onto Rekka for all this time,” Elena said with a smile. “It still looks brand new, too.”

 

Cissnei gave the blonde a rueful smile as she placed her weapon of choice in a large handbag at the foot of the bed. “Sentimental value, I guess. It's too big to keep lying around when I've got a curious toddler to worry about but I couldn't abandon it. The handgun is easier to keep out of Sadie's reach and easier to conceal, but it's not the same.”

 

Elena nodded, understanding. Her weapon of choice had always been a gun but she'd always been a little envious of Turks that mastered more exotic weapons. “Is it weird that I'm glad you kept it?”

 

Cissnei chuckled at her.

 

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

 

Some time later, Reno started getting impatient.

 

“Maybe you should check on them,” Rude suggested when he noticed Reno checking his watch. “I'll keep an eye out while you help them haul everything out.”

 

Reno grimaced, silently wondering if he should trade places with his partner. He didn't know how much longer he could be near Cissnei without flat-out confronting her and now wasn't the time for that sort of thing. Regardless, a part of him wanted to go in and help speed things up because standing still and waiting was just making him more nervous.

 

~You also want to be near Cissnei, you poor, sad bastard.~

 

Reno sighed heavily and nodded. He was screwed no matter what he did and he might as well satisfy his pathetic need to look at her some more. He went inside and followed the sounds of activity into the kitchen. He also heard someone moving around in the bathroom further down the hall and he guessed the girls had divided packing tasks to make things go faster.

 

Sadie was lying on a blanket on the floor outside the little kitchen and Reno stopped and looked down at her before he could help himself. She was sleeping on her side with her stuffed chocobo hugged tightly to her chest and a blue pacifier in her mouth. Her chubby little toddler legs were pulled up close to her body and her diaper pull-ups had little pink butterflies on them. Cissnei had dressed her in a plain, pink cotton pj gown and she cut quite the picture of sweet innocence.

 

~My daughter. I still can't fucking believe it.~

 

Reno started grinning before he could stop himself, while at the same time his eyes burned warningly.

 

~Shit, don't start crying, ya pussy!~

 

He hastily scrubbed his eyes with his fingers and swallowed his emotions before walking through the archway into the kitchen. Cissnei was there, digging through the pantry. Her back was to him and his gaze roved her slender body admiringly. He realized what he was doing and his anger returned. She had power over him without even having to try and it made him resentful.

 

“How old's the kid?” Reno asked impulsively, startling her a bit. Cissnei gasped and whirled to face him, her hand reaching for a weapon she didn't have on her. He gave her a feral grin, amused. She would always be a Turk and no amount of deception and plotting could change that. She wasn't any better than him.

 

Cissnei lowered her gaze and didn't answer the question.

 

“How old?” Reno repeated, approaching with slow, deliberate steps. He wanted to see if she would come clean with him, even though he knew the truth already. He wanted to hear it from those pouty lips of hers.

 

She looked up at him and she could tell by his eyes that he knew something. “Three,” she answered truthfully.

 

Reno seemed to consider that information. “Hmm, three,” he repeated, his heated gaze briefly slipping away from her. It snapped back abruptly and his tourmaline eyes were intense. “Say, it's been about three and a half years since you `died'. Ain't that an interesting little coincidence?”

 

Cissnei started to move past him but he blocked her and moved closer, until she was backed up against the counter and their bodies were only inches apart. “She's my kid, isn't she?” He said it in a low, purring voice.

 

She had lied to him enough. Cissnei nodded and her vision blurred with tears. “She's yours.”

 

He gave her a cold, cruel little smirk. “What's the matter, honey? Upset that I finally found out?” His anger and hurt bubbled to the surface and he pressed his body flush against hers and cupped her chin in his hand. “What'd you think I was gonna do if you told me, shove you down a flight of stairs? Tie you up and drag you to get an abortion? Smack you around a little?” He took a deep, shaking breath, her tears making his own emotions flare brighter. “What the hell do you think I am, Cissnei?”

 

“You're a Turk,” she answered after a breathless pause. She immediately regretted it, cursing herself for saying the wrong thing. It implied that she thought he would have done everything he'd just described and more, but that wasn't what she'd meant by the statement. Though he was intimidating in his anger, she knew in her heart that he'd never raise an abusive hand to her.

 

He froze for a moment, his pupils dilating. He gave a humorless little chuckle and backed away, releasing her chin. “Right. I'm a Turk,” he said softly. He bared his teeth. “Well guess what? So are you.” He turned his back on her, his shoulders tense as he went to the pantry she'd been going through a moment ago. “So what kind of shit are you grabbing, anyway?”

 

Cissnei bit her lip and struggled to stop crying. “Food,” she answered. “Mostly canned stuff and as much of Sadie's baby food as I can fit into a bag.”

 

He peered into the pantry and picked up a jar of strained peas. He flipped it lightly in his hand to turn it around and he looked at the label and grimaced. “She eats this crap?”

 

“She can't exactly chew steak just yet,” Cissnei answered sarcastically. Now she was getting angry too and her tears were drying. “I'm still in the process of weaning her onto more solid foods.”

 

He glanced at her and some of the frost melted in his gaze. His lips even curved into a brief grin that was so much like the ones he used to flash at her that it made her heart skip a beat. “Whatever gets the job done, I guess,” he said as he started pulling more jars out of the pantry and putting them in the canvas bag she had sitting on the counter.

 

Cissnei hesitantly joined him and their hands accidentally brushed against one another's as they reached in at the same time for the same can of soup. Reno looked at her with parted lips and his eyes grew warmer on her. She stared up at him and a soft flush of color spread over her cheeks.

 

“I see one of the boys decided to come in and help.”

 

Reno and Cissnei pulled away from each other abruptly as Elena walked into the kitchen. Elena took in the scene and realized how close they had been standing together before she opened her big mouth. She suppressed a grin. They were like a pair of magnets, helplessly drawn to each other despite the hurt and resentment.

 

“Sorry if I snuck up on you,” she said coolly as she dropped a bag full of various personal hygiene products on the floor. “I think I got all of the essentials,” she informed Cissnei. “You may want to have a look yourself before we go to be sure I didn't miss anything.”

 

“Thanks, Elena,” Cissnei said through a tight throat. Her face felt hot and she was very aware of Reno's lean body, standing close to hers. “We're almost through here.”

 

“I'll start hauling the stuff to the car,” Reno said. He picked up the bag Elena had just set down and he made his retreat from the kitchen, somehow managing to hide the growing tent in his trousers without stumbling.

 

When he made it outside, his face was turning red and Rude looked at him with raised eyebrows. “Don't say a damn thing,” Reno snapped at him as he hurried to the car with his burden.

 

Rude cleared his throat and focused his attention on a squirrel that was busily digging in the yard.

 

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

 

Soon, they had everything loaded in the trunk of Reno's rental car. While they finished organizing everything so that it would all fit, Rude did a cleanup of Elena's car, just like he'd done with his. They were off to the airport to retrieve the chopper after that and Elena sat in the back seat with Cissnei and Sadie. Rude drove and Reno sat up front next to him.

 

“What did you do with your cat?” Elena asked as they drove through the city.

 

“I found a home for her before I left,” Cissnei answered. She nuzzled her daughter's hair as the child stirred in her arms and settled into a more comfortable position. “Actually, I gave her to Zack's parents in Gongaga.”

 

“Smart choice,” Elena said. She looked from Reno in the front to Cissnei, wondering what to say next. She didn't have to worry about it because Reno twisted around in the seat to regard his ex.

 

“Okay, here's the skinny. We've got time to tell you what's going on and you can decide what ya wanna do before we get to the chopper.”

 

Cissnei met his eyes and listened to him as he told her what Tseng and Rufus were up to and what the conditions of her salvation were. “You don't have to come back to work right away,” he finished. “Nobody would expect you to with your memories all jumbled anyhow. You can take a month to get settled in and then we'll ease you back in to your job gradually. We've gotta make it look convincing so it's important that you stick to your role and act like someone that's recovering from amnesia, got it?”

 

Cissnei held her daughter more tightly and gave him a dismayed look. “I don't know if I can go back to it, Reno. Can't I just keep the amnesia instead?”

 

Reno's mouth twitched and he coughed to cover up the laugh he couldn't control. Damn her, why'd she have to be so cute? He shook his head and sobered, looking her in the eye. “Amnesia clears up eventually and the company ain't gonna let you go because of the security risk. You've got to come back, Cissnei. You don't have to take your old job but you've got to stay with the organization, understand? We'll put you on light duty…mostly paperwork and nothing dangerous. The pay won't be as good but it'll be safe and your name will be cleared.”

 

He leaned over a little, his gaze gentling ever so slightly on her. “This is your only choice, toots. It's either this or a short life as a fugitive and I don't think you want that for yourself or our…uh…your kid.” He failed to catch himself before he referred to Sadie as “theirs” but he didn't think the little girl would understand the reference. If Cissnei intended to come clean with their daughter, she'd have to sit her down and explain to her that Reno was her father in terms she could understand.

 

Cissnei bit her lip and glanced down at Sadie. She hadn't missed his reference of the little girl's parentage and she felt awful that he'd stammered over it like that. What's more, he'd called her “toots” and he hadn't said it in a sardonic way. She might have imagined it but she thought she detected masked affection in his tone and it made her ache inside.

 

Things would never be the same, but at least if Tseng and the president pulled this off she could finally stop running and hiding. She didn't fool herself into thinking she'd ever have a loving relationship with Reno again but the man deserved to be a part of his daughter's life. She sighed heavily and looked up at him again.

 

“You're right,” she murmured. “I don't have a choice. I'll cooperate.”

 

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

 

When they arrived at the airport they passed a ShinRa helicopter on their way to the landing pad that Reno had left his aircraft. They peered at the familiar chopper as they drove down the access road and Cissnei began to tense up.

 

“Looks like the other team's been here for a while,” Rude observed. “I don't see any Turks near the landing pad so they're probably already out looking for Ciss in town.”

 

“Do you think they recognized our chopper?” Elena said, shooting a worried glance at Cissnei.

 

“They probably recognized the make, but since it's unmarked and not sporting company colors I don't think they'd have paid much attention,” Reno said in a confident tone. “ShinRa ain't the only place that uses that model, yo.”

 

“I'm more worried about whether they've found the guy we shot yet,” Rude said. “If they have, they might have started asking questions that could lead them back here. If the airport people describe us to them they won't need our real names to figure out who we are. They could be waiting at the chopper for us right now.”

 

Reno drew a deep breath and turned around to look at the two women in the back seat. “Elena, when we get there, you come with me to check it out. Cissnei, you stay in the car with Rude and keep your head down.” He turned to his partner again. “If there's any trouble, you haul ass and get them out of here okay? I'm counting on ya, partner.”

 

Rude nodded silently, understanding the significance of Reno charging him with keeping his kid and ex safe. It was the ultimate expression of trust and the big man was touched by it.

 

In the back seat, Cissnei also thought on Reno's orders. She wondered if his determination to get she and Sadie to safety was only fueled by the urge to protect his own offspring, or if he still truly cared for her. She could tell he was already getting attached to his daughter and he seemed to have no trouble being kind to the little girl, but she wasn't sure if his feelings extended to her.

 

~The only reason he's worried about protecting me is because I'm the mother of his child…that's all. He's not doing it because he still has feelings for me. I'd better not fool myself into thinking otherwise.~

 

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

 

Cissnei waited tensely in the car with Rude as Reno and Elena went to check on the helicopter. Sadie spit her pacifier out and began to fuss, restless from being cooped up and overly tired from all of the excitement. Cissnei apologized softly to Rude as she tried to calm her daughter down.

 

“Kids get restless,” Rude shrugged stoically. “At least she's not a squealer.”

 

Cissnei managed a smile at the bald man. “She can be if it escalates,” she warned. She reached for the bag at her feet and opened it, searching inside for a juicebox. She found one and got it out, punching the straw through the seal in the top and holding it for her daughter.

 

Sadie drank from the box but she continued to whimper and fuss. Rude reached out and turned on the radio, fooling with the digital controls until he found a station playing soft, classical music. The little girl calmed down, soothed by the music. Rude turned around in his seat and shared a conspirative grin with Cissnei.

 

Sadie curled her fingers into her mother's hair and sighed as she drank from the juice box. Her eyes started to drift shut, but she spotted Reno heading towards the car and she perked up. She put her palm against the window and spread her stubby fingers, smiling at the flame-haired man as he approached.

 

Cissnei also saw her ex jogging toward the car and she noticed her daughter's reaction. A little pang struck her heart. ~She already knows he's her Daddy. I don't know how but she knows.~

 

Rude rolled down the window as his partner approached and Reno bent over and flung one car over the hood. “Okay, it's all clear. I've started her up and Elena's keeping an eye on things. Just drive the car up to the chopper so we can get everything loaded onto it.”

 

He saw his daughter smiling at him and he grinned, reaching in to briefly squeeze her reaching hand. “You're about to fly, kiddo. How do ya like that?”

 

By the look on Sadie's face, she liked it very much.

 

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

 

“Any idea where we're going?” Rude asked after he finished helping Cissnei secure her daughter in the back. He strapped himself in and looked at Reno questioningly.

 

“Somewhere remote,” Reno shrugged as he pulled back on the stick and lifted the chopper off of the pad. “Maybe around Icicle?”

 

Rude thought about it for a moment. “Icicle's good but they'll probably expect us to hole up in some cabin in the middle of nowhere. I think we need some place less obvious. Besides, if they send air teams out, you'll show up like a bloodstain.”

 

Reno smirked at that and ran his fingers through his gel-stiffened hair. “Yeah, good point,” he sighed. He mused over the problem, tapping into his imagination for solutions. One finally came to him after several minutes.

 

“What about the Forgotten City?” Reno suggested. “The place is creepy, but they aren't likely to guess we'd be hiding there.”

 

Rude considered the idea thoughtfully. It was remote and hidden enough and Reno was right; the organization probably wouldn't guess that they'd choose it as a hiding spot right away. It would be hard to get supplies but he didn't have a problem with long walks. He nodded at his partner. “Sounds like a pretty solid plan to me, Red.”

 

Reno secured his headphones and called up Tseng on the secure line. “Hey boss, we've got her. There were some problems, though.”

 

“I know,” Tseng answered. “I've just gotten word that we've got one Turk down.”

 

Reno winced. “Yeah, from where we were standing, it looked like he was getting ready to shoot Cissnei and my kid. We didn't really have a choice, boss.”

 

“I understand,” Tseng sighed. “There will be inquiries about that when this is over, however. I think we can work around it.”

 

Reno nodded. “I hated to do it but our options were kinda slim. We're heading for—”

 

“It's better that I not know,” Tseng interrupted before Reno could give him the information. “Just be sure it's somewhere you won't be found. We're working as quickly as we can but I estimate it will be at least a month before the progress is complete. I'll check in on you when I can, until then.”

 

“Okay, catch ya later,” Reno said. He ended the call and started the engine. Once they were in the air and at a good altitude, he set his course. When he was satisfied with his heading, he turned on the auto-pilot and unbuckled his safety belt. “I'll be right back,” he said to Rude as he got out of his seat and went into the back.

 

Sadie was securely strapped into the seat next to her mother and she was squirming as she tried to look out the window. Cissnei was chastising her and trying to get her to sit still, while Elena was on the other side of the cabin, reading a book. Cissnei looked up as Reno approached and he might have imagined it, but he thought he saw an expression of longing before she schooled her face into a polite mask. He kept his eyes on her for a moment as he squatted down in front of their daughter, then he looked at Sadie and smiled.

 

“How are your ears doing, toots? Do they feel funny?”

 

Sadie shook her head and smiled shyly at him. Reno was a little surprised. Most people's ears popped when flying, especially during descents. She was definitely his kid if she wasn't having any discomfort.

 

“That's good,” Reno said. “If they start hurting, ask your Ma for something to chew on, okay? It'll help.”

 

“Kay,” Sadie agreed with a nod.

 

Reno reached out and ruffled her hair playfully before turning his attention to Cissnei. “How about you? I guess it's been in a while since you've been in the air, right?”

 

“I'm fine,” Cissnei answered softly, looking a little surprised by his concern. “Where are we going?”

 

“The Forgotten City,” answered Reno. “It's remote and harder to get to than most places. They might not expect us to hole up there.”

 

Cissnei bit her lip and glanced at her daughter. Reno understood her concern and he leaned closer to her. “Hey, don't worry. I know the way and I'm not going to let anything happen to her, all right?”

 

She gazed into his confident eyes and nodded. As angry as he was at her, she knew he'd die before he let anything or anyone hurt their child. She could see it in his face. “Reno,” she murmured, aching for him.

 

Reno pulled away abruptly, glancing uncomfortably at Elena out the corner of his eye. The blonde was watching him shrewdly through lowered lashes. He didn't want to start getting soft and he sure as hell didn't want to do it in front of anyone. “There's some cold drinks in the cooler at the back,” Reno said. “You know where the lavatory is if you need it, right?”

 

Cissnei nodded and lowered her eyes, a flash of disappointment showing on her pretty features. “Thanks,” she said.

 

Reno nodded and pressed his lips together, telling himself he didn't care about the hurt he'd seen in her expression.

 

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

 

-To be continued