Yuffie’s brow creased with worry. “If we don’t find that ship soon Reno, we’re going to die out here.”

“Don’t worry we’ll make it.,” He flashed what he hoped was a confident smile. “This is just half the battle.”

“But that wave took most of our chocobo’s strength. I seriously doubt we’ll make it.”

Reno pointed off into the distance. You’ve got learn to trust me more. There’s our ship. Do you see it?”

The ninja broke into a smile. A large grey ship was coming toward them.

“Thank Gawd,” she breathed.

Deep down she was worried about what was happening with her father but there was nothing she could do about it. Unable to look after her himself, Godo would have to given that job to Barri. Yuffie was certain she’d have been a married woman by the time the sun went down. She raised her chin in defiance and concentrated on making it to the ship.

They were only a stone’s throw away from Yuffie’s mount gave up the race. Exhausted beyond its strength, it turned away from their target and stumbled off out of control.

“Help me!” Yuffie pulling hard on the reins. “It won’t obey my commands!”

Reno’s chocobo wasn’t faring much better but he turned it toward the frightened girl. It took more minutes than they had to spare just to catch up to her. Yuffie dropped the reins and leaned toward him. Reno scooped her up and sat her in front of him. A second later her animal sank.

Reno’s chocobo groaned as he turned back toward the ship.

“We’re in real trouble now Yuffie.” He admitted to her. “If this animal goes down try to get a hold on me.”

“You’ve got it.” She clung to the chocobo’s feathers. “I’ll cling like a second skin!”

“Remember, don’t let go of me.”

Yuffie bit her lip and said nothing.

The distance they’d lost to the ship was regained. Sailors stood watching their approach.

“Hit damn! We’re gonna make it!” Reno dared to let himself grin.

“Thank goodness!” Yuffie held up a hand and waved.

They sank the next instant.

The shock of cold water made caused Yuffie to draw in a breath. She took in water not air. The ninja tried to gag it out, but that made it worst. Unconsciousness set in immediately.

Tough training took over for Reno. His breathing stopped the instant water touched his face. He felt the chocobo pulling him down. He kicked free of the stirrups as his lungs cried out for air. Instinctively he struck out for the glowing light of the surface above. It felt like it took hours, but it was really less than a minute. His head broke through the waves and he gasped for air.

The ship was only a few feet away. The sailors at the rail shouted down at him.

“Get the girl! She didn’t come up!”

Reno heard and twisted to and fro, looking for the ninja’s head. His heart filled with cold ice when he didn’t see her. “No!”

He twisted in the water and dove straight down. It was fortunate in this part of the ocean that the first sixteen feet of water was clear or he might not have seen her. Yuffie limp body was far below, sinking, spinning toward murky water.

With strong kicks he clawed his way to her body side and wrapped his arm around her waist. The color of her face was alarming. He started for the surface at once.

Hang on Yuffie! Don’t die on me!

Two sailors jumped in the water when he reached the top. The others threw down lines. In short order Yuffie was pulled onboard the ship. Reno went next. He pushed aside the sailor giving Yuffie CPR.

“Breathe damn it!” He blew into her mouth. “We’ve come too far for me to let you go now!”

The ship’s doctor arrived and tried to take Reno’s place. He frowned when Reno pushed him away.

“Young man, do you want me to save this woman or not?”

“Sorry.” The young Turk moved aside.

“It doesn’t look good,” a sailor muttered.

Reno gave him a dirty look.

The ninja twitched suddenly and coughed up water. The doctor rolled her over and allowed her cough until her lungs were clear.

“Yuffie?” Reno stepped forward. “Are you all right?”

The doctor helped her sit up. Dazed eyes found Reno. She nodded.

“One moment please.” The doctor put an oxygen mask against the ninja’s face. “I’d like to you breathe in pure air for a while.”

Yuffie pushed the mask away.

“I insist young lady.” The doctor put it back. After fifteen minutes he took it away. “I’ll think you’ll be all right.”

He helped Yuffie to her feet.

Reno took her hands. “Are you really all right?”

She nodded. “I think so. I’m sorry Reno. We just went down so fast . . . ”

“Shhhhh.” He hugged her. “I thought I’d lost you.”

“You won’t,” she said. “Not as long as you keep saving me.”

“Whoa,” said a voice behind them. “I wasn’t expecting this!”

They pulled apart and turned around. A tall black man in a captain’s uniform stood there watching them.

“Is this your special lady Reno?”

The young Turk raised his chin. “You’re damned right she is.”

Surprised dark eyes studied Yuffie.

Reno scowled. “So?”

The captain shrugged and turned to Yuffie. He took her hand. “Captain Paul Mateo at your service Miss Kisaragi.”

“Pleased to met you,” she demurely.

He raised her hand and kissed it.

Reno’s scowled deepened. “You can let go now.”

Captain Mateo’s rich baritone voice filled the air. He released the ninja’s hand. “That’s the first time I’ve ever seen you get jealous Reno!”

“Shut up,” growled the Turk.

“Of course I don’t blame you,” The captain rubbed his chin, “But you’re both an interesting match indeed.”

“Look . . . ” began the redhead. “That’s none of your . . . ”

“Hold on!” The captain raised his hands. “I meant no offense my good friend! If this beautiful young lady can steal a scoundrels heart, she has my congratulations!”

Reno straightened himself. “If you’re going to start calling names . . . ”

“Chill out man!” The captain laughed again.

Reno turned to Yuffie. “This guy was almost a Turk once.”

“So why are you a captain instead?” she asked.

Mateo winked. “I run fast.”

Yuffie looked at Reno for an explanation and he shrugged.

“Soon after the Turks ‘recruited’ me, I was sent out to help bring in more like me. Naturally the first thing that came to mind were the places I once hung out at. At one of those places, only one man got away. This guy outran our fastest Turks and a couple of trained dogs.”

Yuffie’s eyebrows rose. “And yet you’re still friends?”

Captain Mateo glanced at Reno. “I wasn’t a regular in that place. I just dropped in that day out of curiosity. I was just as surprised to see Reno with the Turks as he was to see me. To tell the truth, he faked being startled just to give a big head. start. He knew where I’d run off to but he never told. He didn’t give up his friend.”

“But you’re wearing an old uniform,” she observed. “It look like Shinra got you anyway.”

“You’re right.” Captain Ira let out a sigh. “With Shinra looking for more recruits, I decided it might be a good idea to find another place to live for awhile. I saw a caravan of trucks and overhead a local saying they were on their way to Kalm. I hid in the back of one hoping to get a free ride. How was I to know it was going to be loaded onto a Shinra ship? By the time I discovered my mistake it was too late. I was on the ship for the long haul. I hid in the Hold for a while, stealing supplies to survive. I figured I’d stay hidden until the ship made port and it was safe to sneak off. Unfortunately I made too much noise one evening when I broke into a crate. I was given the option to join the crew or be thrown overboard. Being that we were miles away from any trace of land and the sea is full of monsters. Joining Shinra was the logical choice.”

“I found out he was in the navy by accident,” said Reno. “I didn’t tell the rest of the Turks where their missing recruit was though.”

“I was really mad at Reno for a while for getting me such a predicament,” added Mateo. “But after a while, I realized it was better to work on a ship than it was to starve out on the streets.”

“And now,” Reno cut in. “If we’re through with the family reunion, I’d like to be shown to our cabins. The lady and I are very wet and we’d like to get out of these clothes.”

The captain turned to a crewman. “Show Mr. Reno and the lady to their cabin.”

“Cabins,” corrected Yuffie. Not cabin.”

“Cabin,” repeated Captain Mateo. “This isn’t a passenger ship you know. I had to move one of my officers out to make a place for you.”

“But one room?” asked Yuffie. “Couldn’t you have moved two officers?”

Captain Mateo looked puzzled. “What’s wrong? I thought you two were sleeping . . . ”

“The arrangement are fine!” Reno broke in putting an arm around Yuffie. “Have someone take us there please.”

The captain nodded. A sailor stepped forward with a sharp salute.

“This way please.”

They started after him, then Reno stopped and looked back.

“Everything stitch of clothing we had went down with our chocobos,” he said. “Do you have any clothing you can spare?”

The captain turned away. “Already done. I thought you might need some type of disguise. You’ll find what you need in your cabin. I think what we found for the lady will fit too.”

“Thanks.” Reno and Yuffie followed the sailor.

“Reno . . . ” Yuffie started.

He shushed her.

The sailor took them below to their room. He gave Reno the key and left them.

“Reno . . . ”

Ignoring her, he opened the door, let her in and locked it behind them.

“Mateo thinks we’re sleeping together!”

“We are.”

“Says who?” Yuffie gave him a look.

He pointed to the single bed. “What do you think?”

“You’re not getting in my bed . . . ” She blushed. “Not yet . . . ”

“I beg to differ,” he told her. “This is the only room we have my love and I don’t intend to sleep on the floor. You can do so if you want to. I’m exhausted Yuffie, We’ve been up most of the night. I’m going to change clothes and lay on that bed because I’m going to need a lot of sleep if I’m going to figure out what to do from here.”

He pulled off his wet shirt and tossed it into a corner.

“What are you doing?” she asked in a small voice.

He pointed to a stack of clothes on a desk. “I’m changing my wet clothes for those. What does it look like?”

“Here?” Her voice was even smaller.

Reno turned her and saw her face. “Oh.”

She wasn’t one of his conquests, he forgotten her modesty. He went to a door on the opposite wall. It opened up to a bathroom. He took a set of clothing from the stack.

“I’m really tired Yuffie. If I fall in the toilet, it’s your fault. Just make sure you’re dressed before I get back or I’ll get to see everything.”

He went inside and slammed the door.

Yuffie grabbed the last of the clothes and changed as fast as she could. In a drawer she found a plastic bag. She put her wet clothes inside the bag and sat it in the corner. Reno came out of the bathroom just then.

“There’s a bag in the corner for your wet clothes,” she said.

“Thanks.” He stuffed them in the bag and stretched. “Man I’m beat!”

He went to the bed and crawled on top of it.

“Ah!” He said stretching out as far as he could. He looked at Yuffie. “Are you really going to stand there all day?”

“Move over.”

Smiling, he obliged her.

Gingerly she climbed up and stretched out beside him.

“No touching,” she warned.

“Yuffie,” Reno’s voice was patient. “This bed is big enough for two, but just barely. We’re going to brush up against one another whenever we move around.”

“So don’t move around.”

“Sleeping like a log is just a phrase,” he retorted. “I’m going not going to cramp up just to please you.”

She rolled over. “You’re just trying to sneak a feel!”

Reno sat up indignantly and rolled her back.

“I don’t have to sneak anything Yuffie! If I decide I to have you now, it won’t be too hard to overpower you! None of the crew will come if you scream. No one interferes with a Turk!”

“You wouldn’t dare!”she hissed.

“Look Yuffie!” Reno leaned close to her face. “I got in this bed to sleep. Not to commit rape! Go to sleep in the bathtub if you want. Hell! You can lock the door if you’re so afraid of me!”

They glared at each other for another minute, then sighing Yuffie turned her back on Reno and lay down.

Reno lay down facing her back. His arm flopped across her body.

“RENO!”

“I need to stretch my arm,” he said. “I promise I’m not trying to touch anything.”

“You’d better not!”

He adjusted his arm. Inadvertently touching her breasts.

“Damn it Reno!”

“It was an accident! Sheesh!”

She took his hand in one of hers. “No more accidents.”

He was silent for a while. Then he sighed. “This is nice.”

“Shut up.”

He adjusted his body. It pressed against hers, not tight, but it was a little unsettling. A warm flush spread though her body.

“Stop that!”

“I’m a side sleeper Yuffie.”

She bit her lower lip and said nothing. Fifteen minutes later, his breathing changed. The ninja blinked in surprise.

Why, he’s gone to sleep! She let her fingers slowly trace his palm, half expecting him to awaken. He didn’t. She finally relaxed out of pure exhaustion drifted off to sleep.

Reno listened to her slow deep breathing and snuggled closer to her. Even with the smell of the sea in her hair, it was nice to have her near like this. He was tempted to wake her and guide her into making love but he couldn’t use her that way.

We’re both so tired we forgot to take a shower. He smiled into her hair. Oh well. A shower could wait until later.

I’ll have to prove myself to Godo, he thought to himself. I don’t want a life on the run with Yuffie.

He closed his eyes and went to sleep. Yuffie pulled his hand against her heart.