All FF7 characters and places are Copywrited to Square Soft. They are not mine *pout*

Beautiful Nightmare
A FF VII Fanfic By Hika-chan
Chapter 2: Bad Dreams & a Little Chat

The following morning they set out, Ralena and Sephiroth rode Haretia and Vincent was on Thunder. Because of the warmer weather Vincent had abandoned his red cloak. They would spend a night at Condor Village before finally getting to Junon. There were fewer monsters out then there were before meteor, so the riding was smooth, with only three brief encounters, and a chase from a Zolom. When they got to Junon they met the Turks at the restaurant next to their bar.

When they arrived Reno flagged them down "Hey Ral, Vince what took you so long?"

"Haretia was nervous, she doesn't like big cities."

"Thunder didn't like it either," Sephiroth piped up.

"Whose Thunder?" Elena asked.

"A new chocobo of ours." They all sat at the table, Sephiroth between Reno and Ralena with Vincent next to her. The conversation at the table was light, mostly concerning the plans for the trip and how The Turk's business had been doing. They had opened up a bar. Recently there had been debate as to whether or not to get a pool table, but that seemed to be the hardest decision so far, that and who should pay for a broken window. The person who broke it, or the one that threw them through it. When they all got to Reno's apartment, where Ralena, Vincent and Sephiroth had planned on staying, Sephiroth was fast asleep. Vincent put him down in the bedroom.

"I'm impressed brother, I thought a bachelor pad would be much messier than this."

"Yeah, well when Elena heard you guys were coming she rushed over and made me clean it up. She even made me fill the fridge with stuff other than beer."

She sniffed the air, "Ahhh indeed, and the only cigarette I smell is off your jacket."

"Comes from working in the bar," He answered.

"Comes from smoking too much," Elena corrected.

"Whatever, It's still early, you guys wanna play cards?"

"Sounds good to me."

"Elena get the chips?"

"Sure."

The five sat down around the table, Ralena, having never really played poker before started off miserably, but soon picked up on the game. By the end of the night Rude had the most followed by Vincent with Reno in close third. "Go figure," Elena sighed, "The two stone faced guys win."

"You're just upset because Vincent bluffed you out with a pair of eights," Reno stated.

"Your point?"

"The point bein' it's midnight and sis and Vince gotta get up early, so I'll see you guys tomorrow."

"Well ya don't gotta be so rude about it Reno, geeze," Elena whined, picking up her things

***

The next day Reno stayed with Sephiroth, taking him down to the park. "Come on kid I'll buy you a hot dog." They sat down on the bench, Reno slouched down on the bench, sitting his ankle on his knee. "So how're things goin on the home front?"

"What?"

"How are things living with Ral and Vince?"

"I like it a lot, Vincent is teaching me to read an' write and Lena's teaching me to ride an' play piano."

"Really? They teachin' you to fight?"

"Fight?"

"Yeah you know kid, defend yourself."

"Not yet, Lena said when I'm older."

"hmmm… how old are ya?"

"Five."

"Yeah, I guess sis is right, but it's still good to start early. But If I see you next summer an' you ain't started yet I'm gonna start teachin' ya ok?" The boy nodded. Reno took a bite out of his hot dog and spoke again before swallowing it, "How are Ral and Vince getting along anyway?"

The boy thought, as if trying to figure out exactly what the question was asking. "Vincent's been having bad dreams."

Reno took another bite confused at his answer, "What do you mean?"

"Well when I have a bad dream Lena let's me sleep in her bed and Vincent's been doing that too."

Reno stopped chewing. With a large chunk of hot dog in his mouth he turned toward the child and blinked once… then twice. He swallowed. "Did I… hear you right kid?" The boy looked at him confused. "Did you say… that Vincent's been… sleeping in my sister's bed? With her in it?"

Sephiroth, not seeing anything wrong with it, answered, "uh-huh."

"Ohhh boy." He would have to have a little "chat" with Vincent. "So," Reno started, again trying to act cool, "How was you're trip over here?"

The boys eyes lighted up, "We got to ride Thunder an' Haretia, and we got chased by this BIIIIIIG snake thingy that Vincent says is a salmon."

"I think that's a Zolom kid."

"Huh?"

***

"I'm glad we got that over with," Ralena said as they walked up the steps to the apartment, "all those machines were making me nervous."

"How so?"

"Growing up a guinea pig in a lab can do that to a person. All those wires and gizmos, and needles and such, gives me the creeps," she shuddered. "I'm surprised it doesn't bother you."

"Considering that part of me is a 'gizmo' I try not to let it get to me." Ralena suddenly looked a bit uncomfortable. He smiled ever so slightly, "I know you don't think of my claw like that." She smiled back and took his claw into her hand.

They opened the door to the apartment finding Reno and Sephiroth sitting on the couch with cards in between them. "Oh hey sis, what's up?"

"Reno, you're not teaching him poker are you?"

She hadn't expected Sephiroth to answer, "I'm teaching him go fish!"

"Yeah and he's beating my pants off too."

"Uh-huh… Yeah bro."

"Hey Vince, I was thinkin' you and I could go for a drink down at the bar wadda ya say?"

"I don't drink."

Reno put his cards down in mild irritation and approached the older man, "Ok well, you don't really have ta drink, but I was thinkin' about some male bondin' ya know?" He looked over his shoulder as Ralena headed towards the kitchen. "Besides," he whispered, "there's something I want to talk to you about."

***

When they got to the bar Reno ordered himself a drink, once he finished that one and the next, he ordered another. The whole time Vincent remained silent waiting for the man to talk. Half way through his third drink Reno finally turned his attention from his conversation with the bar tender to the dark man sitting next to him. "Ok Vince."

"Vincent."

"Huh?"

"I would much prefer it if you would not call me 'Vince.'"

"Ok then, Vinny."

"…Vince is fine," He sighed.

"Anyway, Ral is my baby sis, so as her big brother and only famly I am inclined to want to protect her, and I have it on a reliable source that you are currently rather… close to my sister. This being the situation, I am obligated by the stero-type gods to make sure you know," Reno's voice then turned deadly serious, "if you ever, I mean ever, do anything to hurt her. Transform into a monster or no I swear I will fill you with so many kilowatts that they'll have to put you in a plastic coffin so you don't shock the pallbearers, you hear me?"

Vincent just stared blankly at the man. "Should I ask your 'source'?"

"Well," the Turk replied taking another drink, "Seph said you've been having bad dreams lately." Vincent was visibly confused, "He knows that because Ral lets him sleep with her when he does." He gave Vincent knowing look, but his eyes still revealed an underlying threat. Vincent on the other hand was less worried about Reno and more surprised at how perceptive the boy had been. When he thought about it, the explination, to a child, made perfect sense.

"Don't worry Reno, I have as much intent of hurting her as you do."

"That's good to know," Reno said knocking back the rest of the drink. "I'll try an' remember you said that. Hey gimme a scotch."

Vincent shook his head and sighed, "Are we done 'male bonding' now?"

"Why ya askin'?"

"So I can leave."

Before Reno could answer two young women approached the pair. "Hey Reno, who's you're cute friend?"

"Yeah, I've never seen him around before."

Reno grinned, "Girls this is my buddy Vincent, Vince this is ummm... Tina and Trish."

The blonde looked at Reno and smacked him upside the head, "It's Lily and Jessica!" He answered them with a sheepish grin. For some unknown reason Vincent attempted to speak up in his defense. "If it makes any difference, ladies, he is on his fourth drink."

They both laughed, "Oh please we've known Reno here to put a lot more away than that!"

"Say," Jessica said wraping an arm around Vincent's neck, "How about I buy you a drink?"

Vincent narrowed his eyes at the girl and removed her hand. "I'm not interested and I don't drink." He stated coldly. The woman quickly retreated towards Reno's vacant side. "I'm leaving Reno, see you later." With that said he turned and left. "Gee Reno he's not like most of friends. He's kinda creepy too."

"Yeah but at least he's loyal."

"Huh?"

"He's seeing my sister."

The girls looked at each other and laughed again, "Well I guess she's not too much like you then huh?"

"Yes and no. Anyway, how about I buy you girls a drink?"

***

Three days later they left for Costa Del Sol, the doctor had agreed to work on the new hand and to call his cell phone(PHS) when it was done. For the most part their stay there was rather uneventful, Costa Del Sol had changed very little since the distaster, as it still remained a tourist spot. The only real difference was the addition of solar cells to several of the roofs. After a week there (Vincent refused to stay any longer as Ralena kept insisting that he "get a little more sun") they moved on to North Corel. Unlike Costa Del Sol however, this place had changed dramatically since the disaster. With Barret appointed mayor the hard working people of the town all but scraped the now useless Mako reactor and used it to make tools, vehicles and better homes.

The town's trade had become more prosperous when they opened several Inns for Golden Saucer tourists to stay in. They had also opened a mine which was rich with several materials needed for solar cells. The town had expanded into the mountain side and down into the now much greener valley below as employees of the Golden Saucer began to live with them. With the Mako reactor closed and the mako energy blocked from the surface the land around Corel grew more and more rich, the opening of the valley was now surrounded in farms which also assisted in the towns growing prosperity. When they arrived Sephiroth and Marlene intstantly greeted each other with a friendly shout of each others names before running inside to check out her latest toys. Elmyra was the next to greet them. "Elmyra you live with Barret?" Ralena asked somewhat surprised.

The older woman nodded, "I'm more of a nanny and house keeper. He's been so busy trying to rebuild and better North Corel that he needs someone to help take care of Marlene. Besides I wasn't about to let him leave her alone."

"Is Barret home now?" Vincent asked.

"Not at the moment, though he should be back soon, he said he had to work a little late. Please come inside." For a typical mayor the house was not that extravagent but it certainly wasn't awful. "Marlene has a bunk bed so Sephiroth can stay in there and there's a bed in the guest room and a sofa bed in the living room." Vincent and Ralena glanced at each other, "I figured you two could decide who gets which room." As of yet Ralena was not aware of her brother's knowledge of her relationship with Vincent and she was not sure if they should let on to the others about it or not, of course everyone did know they were living together. "Ralena could you give me a hand in the kitchen? I've got dinner going."

"Huh? sure thing."

Vincent followed the two women into the kitchen, "Is there anything I can help with?"

Elmyra thought a moment before answering, "Just watch the kids, make sure they don't get into too much trouble." He nodded and did as he was bid. "So how are you and Vincent getting along?"

"Pretty good."

"How have you been making money?"

For some reason Ralena thought the question a little odd but she answered nonetheless. "Well every once in a while we get called to take out the more aggressive monsters. I've been giving piano and riding lessons to a few of the kids. Vincent has been doing some gunsmith work, but he's trying to find something else because the need for weapons is not as big as it used to be."

"Any idea what he's looking into?"

Ralena thought a moment as she picked up a spoon to stir the pot. "I'm not really sure, he may be looking into being a mechanic I think."

"How so?"

"Well there's more need to fix cars and stuff than guns and I noticed he'd bought a book on the subject so I'm guessing that's what he's up too."

Elmyra nodded, "Yes that makes sense, and he must already have some exprience with machines because of his claw right?"

Ralena grinned, "You know I didn't even think about it like that. I guess I'm just so used to it I don't think of it as anything other than his hand."

Elmyra smiled, "That's good."

***

The following day was almost like a holiday for the childern, and though he would not admit it, for Barret as well. Somehow Elmyra had manage to convince the gruff mayor of North Corel to take a break. All four adults nearly exhauseted themselves chasing after the hyperactive children. One would have thought they had been injected with gallons of sugar and then just let go. Elmyra got the idea that the grown ups should take turns in pairs. Fortunately it had worked, and it also gave Vincent and Ralena time for a nice quiet ride in a gondala.

He watched her face she looked out at the multicolored lights that lit her it. Feeling her eyes on him she turned to him. She smiled, then let it falter slightly as she spoke up. "Vincent?"

"Hmm?"

"We.. should tell the other's right?" His blank look told her he was not sure what she meant. "I mean about us. I sort of feel bad already for not telling Reno."

He smiled and moved to sit next to her, rocking the gondola slightly. He smiled at her. It never ceased to amaze her how naturally he did that with her and Sephiroth. She was so amazed at how serious Vincent always seemed otherwise. As a man who only smiled when he meant it he rarely did it for anyone else. "Whatever you want to do. You know I care little what others think."

She put a hand to his face, "I think that... is part of your problem." Vincent simply raised a brow in response.

-----------------------------
Hika-chan: Anyone know a good name for a bar the Turks might open?
Anyway, like the way Reno found out? *evil grin*
Next Chapter