Author's Note: And finally, the new chapter! After, I dunno, a couple of years. *is a very bad author* I apologize to everyone who's been waiting for this to continue. I don't know how many of the original readers are still around, if any, so again, apologies if you've been waiting.
Warnings: Uhm, can't really think of anything to warn you about. . . yet.
Disclaimer: I don't own them and the alliance between CLAMP and Square-Enix against me is becoming stronger.

Chapter Two: Settling In

Subaru was released from the hospital a full day before I was. I waved him goodbye as he was accompanied out of the room by Kamui and a couple of cute nurses. As soon as he was gone, I was assaulted with questions from the doctors assigned to me. They all wanted to discuss the unknown substance in my body. For those of you just now paying attention, that "unknown substance" in my body is a little something called Mako. I don't remember whether or not I've said so before, but if I have, I probably don't remember because of all the drugs they've been putting in me the last week or so. I was raised in Midgar, the most polluted city on the entirety of Gaia. Polluted as in the air is saturated with Mako from the reactor in the city.

I can see the raised eyebrows in the crowd. Let me explain. Mako is a condensed form of the Lifestream, which is the governing flow that controls life on Gaia. Some have called it the planet's life force. Hey, it's green, glowy, and can power anything for years when condensed. The Shin-Ra Electric Company has been harvesting Mako for a while now, using it to power the cities of Gaia. Mako can also enhance natural skills in a human being with enough exposure. SOLDIERs have been infused with small doses of Mako to boost their endurance and skills. And me, I lived in the sewers practically underneath the Mako reactor for years with other street kids. The exposure poisoned my bloodstream over the years and now I've got some of my own enhancements.

Anyways, so the doctors asked their questions and I gave them the vaguest answers I could muster. I mean, hey, it wasn't like I wanted to tell them that I had no clue how to explain it to them without getting more questions from them. The only reason I answered their stupid questions was so I could get out of there. I knew the only reason they were keeping me at this point was to satisfy their own curiosity. My ribs were still a bit sore, but otherwise healed. The stitched up gashes no longer needed the stitches and were well on their way to healing. The bruises and other lacerations were gone as well. I didn't have a reason to stay here anymore, which made me relieved. Remember, I hate hospitals.

"Reno-san," one of the doctors said. "We'd like to take a sample of blood."

"What for?" I asked. "I think you've got plenty of it already."

"Just another pint is all we ask."

"Screw you," I told him. "I want my clothes, identification and EMR back, stat. I'm not staying here one more day."

"Reno-san," another doctor piped up. "We still believe there's something we've overlooked. The substance in your blood could be a sign of disease and we need to test it."

"The stuff in my blood's been there for years. It's nothing major, just some naturally enhancing agent that I've been exposed to since I was a kid. Now, get me out of here."

It took a while longer before the doctors finally left to get the paperwork to release me. Apparently, Subaru had taken the initiative to speak with whoever was really in charge because, when I was released an hour after the doctors gave up, the guy was there, along with the violet-eyed kid, Kamui. A nurse, a rather cute one, too, was escorting me, pushing me along in a wheelchair to where Subaru and Kamui were waiting. I paused, thinking back to a few minutes ago, when my belongings were returned to me.

"Hey," I said, addressing the nurse. "Where's my EMR? And my gun?"

The nurse looked at me and a nervous air surrounded her. She spoke in her native tongue and I figured she didn't speak mine. I waved her off, annoyed that I hadn't received an answer and even more annoyed that I didn't have my weapons. Subaru came over, having heard my question, and spoke for the nurse.

"You have to fill out a release paper for the weapons," he told me. "Though, it's unlikely the gun will be returned. They are illegal in Japan."

"What kind of idiot bans guns?" I asked, astonished. "What do you fight off bandits and things with? And I have a license for that; it's on my identification card!"

"You'll have to speak to the police about it," Subaru said.

I huffed in the wheelchair, crossing my arms in a childlike manner. Kamui apparently noticed the tension and decided to change the subject.

"How are you doing, Reno-san?" he asked.

I shrugged. "Be better if I had my gun."

I'll admit I'm uncomfortable without my weapons. Okay, if it's just the gun I have, I'm uncomfortable. So long as I have my EMR, I'm good. Hey, I'm better with close-range weapons than with clumsy guns. I'll just get a new one when I get back to Midgar. I need a new one anyways; my standard .45 isn't so standard anymore.

I got out of the wheelchair, flicked a salute and a wink the nurse's way, and then followed Subaru and Kamui over to a counter in the lobby of the hospital. Subaru began speaking to the attendant sitting behind the counter. The two of them were using their language, so I didn't bother trying to follow along. After a while, the attendant handed me a sheet of paper and a pen. Then he stood and left.

"Sign your name there," Subaru told me, pointing to a dotted line at the bottom. "It's a release paper for your weapon."

Nodding, I wrote my name down in my rather clumsy handwriting. For verification, I pulled my identification out of my pocket. I looked at the name on my ID; it was a false name, of course. I've long forgotten my real name. A young child living on the streets has more important things to worry about. When I joined the Turks, I simply put my name down as Reno. Actually, now that I think about it, I don't think Reno is my real name. It's just the name everyone called me as I was growing up.

"Reno-san," Subaru said, pulling my mind off my thoughts.

I looked up. The attendant had returned with a cardboard box in hand. He took the paper I had signed, looked it over and questioned almost right away. Subaru took my identification card and handed it to the attendant. The two of them spoke for a few minutes before the attendant finally handed back my ID card and the box. I took the box, taking the lid off for a peek and giving a relieved grin when I saw my EMR sitting inside.

Subaru spoke to the attendant once again before leading Kamui and I out of the hospital. There was a car waiting outside and Subaru opened one of the doors, gesturing for Kamui and I to get in. Once all three of us were in, Subaru spoke to the driver. A couple minutes later and we were moving along.

"It's a bit of a long drive to the academy," Subaru said. "Especially with traffic."

I nodded, looking out the window at the tall, clean buildings of the city. I hadn't really gotten to look around since I got here, so I decided to take the opportunity to do so now.

"Nokoru-sama has arranged to house you in the apartment next to ours," Kamui said. He was stumbling over some of the words he spoke, obviously still learning the language. "If you want, you can came over for dinner."

"Come," Subaru corrected.

Kamui gave Subaru a small smile in thanks. I noticed several things in that smile. First off, Kamui obviously liked Subaru. I couldn't tell for sure how much, but it was obviously a lot. Secondly, the complete look of admiration was hiding a sort of inner torment. Something both Kamui and Subaru had a lot of. Maybe that was why the kid liked him so much; he and Subaru shared an inner torment that connected them in some way.

"Dinner sounds good," I replied after a moment. Back home, I had usually just picked something up someplace near the apartment I stayed in when I wasn't on duty. I had never had the time to learn to cook, so if I were to be left to my own devices, I'd be screwed.

"I'll tell Arashi-san that we'll have two extra guests for dinner while you get settled in, then," Kamui said.

"Thanks," I told him before turning to look back out the window.

The rest of the ride was relatively quiet. Neither Kamui nor Subaru were much for talking, it seemed. That didn't really bother me; I'm used to quiet companions. Rude and Tseng weren't much for talking, other than the occasional "shut up, Reno" and, for some reason, they were always telling me to stop harrassing the new guys. Oh, how I loved to tease the newer Turks and any of the other Turks that weren't high in rank like Tseng, Rude, and me. Elena was the most fun to harass.

Speaking of Elena, how much do you want to bet she has my job now? I mean, think about it: I've been gone for some time now. The others probably think I'm dead, so they have to fill in my position sometime. Elena was the highest ranking of the lower Turks, so she's probably the top candidate for my job. Boy, she'll be happy; the girl's been after my job for years, so she'll finally outrank her sister. It's some stupid sibling rivalry thing that I missed out on, having no siblings myself. The closest thing I had to family growing up was the gang.

I kinda miss those days, you know? Back when I was just a scrawny kid growing up in the slums, fighting for food and gil, sleeping amongst my few friends with only each other for warmth in the sewers where we hid from the adults. Yeah, we lived in the sewers; it was the only safe place for us. The adults were too big to fit through the entrances, but we were small enough to slip through. It was dark, cold, damp, and polluted, but it was safe. The only problems in the sewers were the rats and they didn't weren't that much of a problem.

Okay, yeah, there are a few things about my life before becoming a Turk that I'd never want to go back to. I don't really want to live off scraps of food people threw away and I'd rather not have to steal food, pickpocket for gil, or starve for days on end between meals. I lived the life of luxury as a Turk, yes, but I missed the freedom I had on the streets and I left everyone else in the gang to continue to waste away. I mean, these were kids I had grown up with, who had cared for me as a brother, and were always there for me, especially after that happened.

Don't ask. I'd rather not have to go there. It's a memory that I would give anything to be rid of, but it's always there, in the back of my mind. Rude knew about it, being the one who had done my background check, but he never questioned me about it and thankfully, he never mentioned it to either Tseng or the boss. Now there's a friend.

Anyways, where was I?

Oh, yeah: in the car, with Subaru and Kamui, them being quiet and me looking out the window and reminiscing about my less-than-perfect childhood. There's not much to say, actually. We continued to drive through the city for some time until we finally came to a stop in front of a building that looked like an apartment complex. Subaru opened his door and got out, paying the driver with some strange looking scraps of paper that I could only guess was the currency here.

"Your apartment is 32B," Subaru told me after all three of us were out of the car and it had driven off. "Kamui and the others are next door in 32A."

"I'll be right back," Kamui said, heading into the apartment he lived in. "I should let the others know we'll be having guests."

Subaru nodded to him and Kamui went inside. Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys, handing them to me.

"The silver one is the one to the apartment," he explained. "The gold one goes to the student lobby. You can relax there if you don't want to stay in the apartment. You might enjoy some of the company."

I nodded, a little unenthusiastically. Right now, all I wanted was to take a nap. I was tired and bed sounded like a good idea. At least here, I wouldn't have to deal with doctors poking and prodding me, bugging me with some stupid question as to the "strange content" in my blood. I unlocked the door, turning the knob and opening it. I stepped inside and looked around a bit.

"I went ahead and arranged a meeting with Nokoru-sama for you," Subaru said, slipping off his shoes. He gestured for me to do the same. I cocked an eyebrow in confusion and he explained that it was something that was done in this country. Then he continued. "It would probably be in your best interest to seek employment with him for your stay here."

"I don't intend to stay very long," I told him. "As soon as I can find a way back to Midgar, I gotta return to my job before Elena gets too high and mighty."

"In the meantime, you'll need a job to get on here," Subaru said.

"Fine, fine," I replied. I headed through the apartment, going upstairs and finding a bedroom. "No offense, Subaru, but I'm dead-tired and I want to sleep."

"None taken," Subaru bowed slightly. "I'll come over when dinner is ready."

"Right."

He left and I went over to the bed, flopping onto it and giving a sigh of relief when I found the bed was not hard like the hospital beds, but soft and very comfortable. It was almost too comfortable, but, hey, I'm not one to complain. I closed my eyes, face planted in the pillow, and body twisted into a comfortable position. I'm pretty sure that it didn't take me very long to fall asleep; I've always been quick to fall asleep and quick to wake up, something that came in handy at times.

Dinner was pretty interesting, to be honest. While Subaru translated for me quite a bit, there were a number of his companions who spoke English, which was apparently the name for the language we had in common. The kid I beat down at the hospital the other day, Sorata, kept asking me inane questions (that Subaru translated with an annoyed look on his face), trying his best to act macho in front of the young woman who had accompanied him that day, who I learned was named Arashi. She didn't seem to be much impressed with Sorata and I don't exactly blame her. He was too loud and too determined; kinda like me but ten or twenty, maybe fifty times worse. It scared even me, almost.

Aside from Subaru, Kamui, Sorata, and Arashi, there were three others seated with us at dinner. Subaru introduced me to Karen and Seiichirou. I immediately liked Karen. She was like me in a way. I remembered being picked on as a kid because of my red hair and, no matter who I hung out with, I was always easy to pick out in a group before of my hair. Karen was the same. Where Kamui and the others had common black or brown hair, she was a red-head.

She also had one hell of a body, but let's not get too far.

A perky young girl introduced herself as Yuzuriha, then immediately pointed to a spot on the floor and asked me if I saw her dog. I blinked at the spot she had pointed at and almost asked her what the hell she was talking about, but on second glance, I nearly jumped back, seeing the faintest outline of a rather large dog. I almost took it as a sign that the drugs the doctors had me on weren't quite out of my system and gave the girl a confused shrug for a reply. She pouted for a moment before smiling brightly.

"So, Reno-san!" she said. "How old are you?"

I blinked and answered slowly. "Twenty-six."

"Where are you from?"

"Far away."

"America?" Yuzuriha pressed.

I shook my head. "Midgar. But it seems no one in this place has ever heard of it."

The girl blinked. "I haven't."

Seiichirou spoke up. "I have, but I doubt it's in the context you're talking about, Reno-san."

I raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Well, German legend talks of a realm called Midgard that is guarded by a great serpent. Supposedly, it's the afterlife."

"I'll tell you what," I said, waving my hand in the air to dismiss the idea. "Midgar may be in the deepest circles of hell, but it ain't the afterlife."

Karen leaned forward, giving me a smile with those soft, sultry lips of hers. "So, Reno-san, what do you do for a living?"

Now, since these people had never heard of Midgar or Mako, or apparently, anything from where I'm from, it's pretty safe to bet that they probably have no idea what a Turk is or what we do. Still, even if they don't know, I'm not sure that it's safe to tell them. I mean, this whole thing could all be an elaborate scheme to get me to let out Turk secrets and then kill me. Okay, maybe even that is a bit far-fetched, but you know what? I don't care. I still have to be careful of who I trust and, while I like Subaru and Kamui enough, I wouldn't trust either one of them.

I gave a shrug. "I worked in security."

Hey, it's close enough to the truth. Part of my job was to make sure President Shinra and his son were well-guarded from those AVALANCHE guys. That involved a lot of security work. The Turks were all trained as bodyguards, too, so we could guard the Shinras while they were outside Midgar. At least two of us would be around at all times.

Granted that's only part of the job, but if I tell you anything more, I'd have to kill you.

"Security?" Karen repeated. "That's an interesting line of work, Reno-san."

"Babe, you have no idea," I joked.

That got a laugh of out her, though it sounded a little nervous. Dinner was significantly quieter after that. Everyone was done asking questions and I was done answering them. We finished eating, lounged around for a bit before Karen announced that she had to head off for home. Seiichirou immediately stood up and offered to walk her home. Watching the two of them, I got the impression that there was something going on between those two, but I didn't say anything. After all, I hardly knew them.

A short time after Karen and Seiichirou left, Subaru headed off, much to Kamui's obvious disappointment. The kid's eyes softened and I only just caught a hint of the heartbreak that was in them. Subaru promised to see him again soon, then pulled his jacket on and headed for the door. I gave my own farewell, giving the girls a quick wave before leaving.

Subaru stood just outside the apartment, lighting up a cigarette. He had a sort of far away look in his good eye and I had to wonder what he was thinking. I stepped up next to him and asked if he had another cigarette to spare. Wordlessly, he handed me both a cigarette and a lighter. I lit up, took a drag and raised my face to look at the night sky as I exhaled smoke. Stars had come out and filled the sky and it was then that I realized just how far away from home I really was.

Back home, the gang and I were look at the stars a lot. Our leader, a kid we called Drifter, really liked the stars. He was the one who taught me about the Red Star. It was big and, as you can guess, red. No matter where I was, I could always find it. Drifter showed me how. Even after I joined the Turks, I would always look for it at night and remember Drifter and the gang.

As I looked at the sky now, there were no red stars. None of the constellations were familiar. I didn't see the Tonberry or the Gold Chocobo, as Drifter called them. Nothing was familiar up there in a sky so like the one I looked at as a kid.

I thanked Subaru for the smoke and headed for my little apartment next door. I dropped the cigarette to the ground and crushed the remainder of it under my shoe, then opened the door to my apartment. Kicking off my shoes and throwing my jacket aside, I headed for bed. I didn't bother with turning a light on to get ready for bed. I just stripped down to my boxers and flopped onto the mattress. I needed my sleep.

Tomorrow, I'd talk to this Nokoru guy about a job.

Author's Note: Probably wasn't exactly worth a two-year wait, but at least I got back to this?