In the ten minutes Cloud sat outside Choco Billy's stables, he'd noticed Reno
run back and forth between the stable and the house at least six times. For a
while he didn't question it, nor did he mind Reno's eager desire to go see
Cloud's prized S-Class chocobo Dasher.

He'd ignored Vin's suddenly bitchy attitude that had carried on for days up
until then, as well as the fact that he'd chosen to be cooped up in the Highwind
instead of hanging around in Choco Bill's around anyone else. A couple of big
yellow birds trotted outside in front of him, which he found more interesting
than whatever emotional trauma Vincent was having.

But when Reno left the stables holding Dasher's reins in one hand and A-Class
Dante's
in the other, Cloud had to say something.

"Is there a reason you're leaving with my chocobos?"

Reno looked back and smiled like nothing was wrong. "I'm just taking 'em
for a spin, that's all."

"Chocos don't spin. Put them back and you won't get hurt."

"Aw c'mon, Cloud. Lord Valentine likes chocobos, right?" He pointed
to the Highwind in the distance. "He's having a bad day! Week,
actually."

"Shouldn't you be doing something other than that?"

Reno nodded, but didn't care too much anymore. He hadn't done any pestering
on the matter of his job in over a week, nor did he mention those ever-growing
requests from Elena and Rude to hurry it up and turn the fabled Ancient Turk to
Shinra. The requests just stopped a day or so ago. He didn't miss them. Simply enough, he'd been indulging in the wonderful company of Vincent,
Cid, and the oddity of Cloud himself.

Although instead of helping Vincent's mood, Cid and Reno had been appalling
it; for the past couple of days Cid had been slowly working things out with him
word-wise, until Reno found some ridiculous way to screw it up. (He'd been doing
the same with their missions thus far as well. You can only imagine the terror
Reno felt when he'd pissed Cid off enough to be flung in the way of him and
Weapon. You'd think a little girl had confronted it.)

Cloud refused to let the team enter Midgar until Vincent was through with his
hissyfit. They needed a vacation anyway.

"Yeah. I know I should be at Shinra right now, but hey. Whatcha gonna
do." Cloud's chocobo cooed as Reno stroked her head.

"Well whatever, Reno. Have 'em back in an hour. They're my best ones."

"How 'bout two hours?"

Cloud tapped his fingers on his knee.

"One and a half?"

Still tapping his knee.

"Quit being stingy. One and fifteen minutes."

"Dante."

Cloud's chocobo said "WARK!" and with one cheerful bite had
completely isolated Reno's head from the rest of the world. Dasher seemed to
snicker. Not that Reno could hear it from inside Dante's beak. Cloud crossed
his arms with a satisfied smile.

"Cloud, this isn't funny. I'm not laughing."

Cid was up to his shoulders in Vinny-angst, also trying his best to pry
Vincent from the airship.

"You can't be mad forever, can ya?"

"Sure I can." Vincent crossed his arms, glaring out of the cockpit
and Cid festered behind him. "At least until Reno is gone."

"He won't leave 'til his job is secure."

"Then I guess we won't be making much progress, will we."

Cid slapped his forehead. So high-maintenance for a guy. "Listen.
I'll do something, okay? I'll um...um..."

"'Um...'?"

"I'll, er...I'll get you a cookie."

"We don't have any cookies."

"Damn."

Just then Reno came cruising in on Dasher's back, with choco Dante running
behind. Reno's face was smugger than ever. "Hey, what's going on."

Cid dawned his automatic anti-Reno glare, until he remembered that stroke of
insanity that occurred a few days ago. He let Reno kiss him.

Reno and Cid? Why, that's like Yuffie and Red XIII! Or Barret and Reeve!
(That's not so bad.) Or Cloud and...Vincent!

Before he could stop himself Cid hissed into the air and shook those
uncalled-for thoughts from his head.

"Vinny-boy, wanna go for a ride? I'll let you on one of Cloud's
best!"

"No thanks." Vincent turned away from both of them, back to the
window he'd been staring at all day.

"C'mon! Please?" When Vincent didn't budge, Reno paused to stew and
plot. He decided he'd pull of the trick that won him a free paid vacation via
Scarlett's heartstrings last summer... Swiftly he dismounted Dasher and took his
hand of flesh, staring straight into his eyes, and he said:

"Vincent. Come away with me and ride with me until the ends of
time..."

"Wha-huh?" Cid's mouth dropped open. Vincent was all ears as the
sappy romantic act called Reno continued.

"It was destiny that brought me to your side, Lord Valentine.
Think it destiny that you and I are together on this ship, able to fly
into the stars to impress even the gods with our heavenly bond..." He took
now flustered Vincent's other hand in his as Cid's ultimate weapon jerked into
the air. "There are times when I'm insensitive, but isn't it true that love
defies and ignores all weaknesses?"

"I...I don't...know...?" Vincent found himself clasped flush
against him. Nothing could stop Reno now. He was in the zone.

"The end of the world is nearing, Lord Valentine. My career is nothing
now. You. You, Lord Valentine, are my everything..."

Unfortunately, Vincent forgot to get his gun this morning. He could feel
Reno's breath on his face, and wasn't it familiar.

"Kiss me now, Vincent. And we'll ride into the mountains and spend our
last moments togeth--"

"WARK!" Dante muzzled Reno the easy way. Cid gave Dasher a
high-five (minus the five).

"Good going, guys," said Cloud, arms crossed in the doorway.
"Now that that's over, let's all go eat. We're close to the greatest
mission of our lives."

"I was kidding. Get this thing off me! He's trying to swallow my
ponytail!"

"When Dante gets bored he'll stop on his own."

"He still hasn't come with the Ancient Turk," Elena reported to
Heidegger. "I honestly don't know what's wrong!"

The fat man with the wiggly mustache shook his head and scowled.
"Nothing's wrong. He's just allowing himself a free paid vacation!"

"No, sir! He's really doing something important!"

"Like visiting his sick mother?"

Elena shut up fast. Rude looked as if he'd be sick.

"Rumor has it he's a little too fond of the one they call the Ancient
Turk. Who just so happens to run with AVALANCHE. If he won't bring him to us, we're just going to have to take him!"

"But sir," started Rude, "I thought the President didn't
allow--"

"HE CHANGED HIS MIND!" (Wiggle-wiggle.) "Now get me Reno and
the Ancient Turk. That's an order!"