We can be pals, just don't expect it to last

Shielding his eyes against the last rays of the setting sun, Barret found that impatience had a knack of creeping up on you. Shifting his back against the sun-warmed wall of his house, he found himself wondering if his courier could really be trusted. What that package contained could be thought of as sensitive information, so he had to ask himself if he really wanted that maniac getting his hands on it.

Of course not. Then again, from his sketchy knowledge of this man's character, he had never done anything to cast doubt on his trustworthiness. Letting loose an annoyed sigh, he turned his attentions away from the beetles scurrying in the dust about his feet to scan the horizon again for a man in a blue suit.

Eventually, the unusual silence was broken by the roar of an engine, sounding a lot like it had seen better days. Barret did not know what to say at the sight of the elegant, black motorcycle screeching to a halt on his struggling flower bed, throwing dust in his face. Once he could see again, he frowned to find that the license plate read 'L1LLY'. He had seen this beastie before, and unfortunately, her rider.

"Greetings Barret!" Reno sang, yanking off his helmet and tossing it aside. "I would ask how you are, but I just don't care."

"Ya think I give a damn 'bout your well-being Turk?" The red head snorted,

"'Course not, but personally, I thought you ought to know. I wouldn't piss on ya if you caught fire." He shook out his unruly red hair, snatching his nightstick in one hand and flipping his satchel open with the other.

"What the hell you workin' as a courier for anyway?" Reno didn't answer, fishing in his bag for a cigarette. Barret nodded to the weapon dangling between two skinny fingers, "An' what's that for?"

"Oh? You mean this? I thought I'd bring the old gal along, as a little insurance. I have a problem with grievous bodily harm exercised upon my perfect person. You understand, don't you."

"I got good reason to smack you one Turk."

"Hey, where's all this bad blood sprung from? You telling me you took the whole Shinra versus AVA- whatever lame name you guys came up with thing personally?" He stuck his hands on his hips, leaning down to pick up a crushed flower, dust it off and sit it back on its crooked stem in the flower bed, "Tell me Mr. serious-about-the-planet, what did I ever do to YOU?" Barret could not believe this,

"You crushed Sector 7!" Reno hesitated,

"Other than that?"

"You bring my package or not?" The red head looked offended.

"Of course I brought your package. I could not go calling myself a courier if I had nothing to coury, could I?" He spun on his heel, beginning a detailed rummage in the top box attached to Lilly. Barret shook his head hard, standing and taking a few wary steps towards the red head.

He had to admit it. He had been rather surprised to see Reno turn up in Civilian clothes as opposed to uniform. It was quite a lesson, or perhaps an insight into the man behind the bravado. Reno actually looked relatively tidy, discarding the usual Turk uniform for a black, V-neck T-shirt, and matching denims. He seemed to have picked up a brown suede jacket and slung it on over the top, donning a pair of scuffed old army boots on his skinny feet. "Hello-oo? Earth to Barret. This is an invasion. If you're done staring at my cute lil' ass, you gotta sign for this package." He snapped out of it,

"You don't need to talk to me like I'm some kinda idiot. 'Sides, I asked you a question. Why the-"

"Hell am I working as a courier? I heard you. I was just ignoring you to make you mad." Barret clenched his fist, longing to send it hurtling into Reno's face at high velocity. "If you must know, since you and your little pals went and shut down the company, I been pretty jobless. Unfortunately, seeing as I was so good at my job, I didn't leave room for the acquisition of new skills. There ain't all that many jobs out there for someone of my particular skills, so I took the first thing which required a full driving license. Just to put 'hol on the table, you see what I'm saying?"

"O' Course. There's only so many cities you can crush." Reno spun to face his enemy then, sucking in a deep breath before he went completely insane on this subject,

"For cryin' out loud, man! That was part of my job. You know, a THING I had to DO. What you don't seem to get, is that I'm actually a nice guy. I didn't wake up in the morning and go, 'Hey, I feel like slaughtering fifteen thousand people today.' HELLO! News at ten! My mind does not work like that!"

"Coulda fooled me." Barret grumbled, snatching the package from the red head and stalking back towards his house. Sticking his hands in his pockets, Reno followed. Halting, Barret glared back over his shoulder, "What you doin' now?" Reno shrugged,

"Oh, you know. I thought I'd just hang around until you figured that I was in this for more than ferrying a box of whatever all the way across those stones and treacherous bridges than just your personal happiness."

"What?"

"Remittance my good man. Pay. Money, the little thing that makes the world go round." Snarling something about the Shinra, Barret delved in his pocket for some Gil. Bored, Reno snatched the parcel and shook it vigorously, ignoring the red 'FRAGILE' stamp right across the top, "What's in this anyway?"

"That's nuthin' to do with you!" Barret yelled, snatching it back and holding away from the offensive Turk.

"Sorrrieee! I was just curious is all."

"Here." Tossing some notes his way, Barret turned his attentions back to his package.

"Alright. I get the picture." Reno murmured, retrieving the money from between the sad-looking flower beds, "I can see where I'm not wanted. I understand the people of Corel don't want someone of my ilk in their reputable town. I'll crawl back into my hole and rot there until somebody needs a package delivered. That's all I'm good for, and I'm not one to whine about my place in life. Ciao Barret, it was nice to see that you're still alive, and doing so well for yourself."

Shaking his head, Barret ripped open the package. Inside the box were a file containing all of Jessie's notes on explosives and electrical devices, and a photograph. It was a fairly recent one, of himself and Marlene, Tifa, Biggs, Wedge and Jessie, standing outside Seventh Heaven. "Nice photograph." Reno was hanging over his shoulder, scrutinizing the picture carefully.

"Get outta my town!" He threw his hands up in defeat,

"Alright! I'm going, I'm going, I'm history in the making." Frowning, Barret took a second to listen to Reno's footfalls, crunching away on the small rocks, back towards his bike. The red head was out of his hair, and that was all that mattered. Now he could get back to that sad task which lingered on his mind.

Biggs, Wedge and Jessie. Along with Tifa and himself, they had been AVALANCHE. They started small together, back when hitting and running was the only way to attack the Shinra. He had promised them, promised them that when they had finally brought down the Shinra, he would take them to Cosmo Canyon, where AVALANCHE was born. He would still take them there. They may be gone, but he would ensure that their memory would live on. He would take the photograph to Cosmo Canyon, and bury it beside the Cosmo candle, where they would never be forgotten.

A rattling behind caught his attention. Looking round, he found Reno sitting astride Lilly, thumping the ignition hard, "Get moving ya pile of junk!" He shouted, turning the key and slamming his foot down hard on the kickstart. Surely he could afford something better than that. He was with the Shinra after all. He earned more money in a week than Barret saw in a year.

He scolded himself for that thought. Reno earned next to nothing. He worked as a courier now, running parcels from place to place for a pittance. He was no Turk. Now he was just trying to adjust to life without the Shinra, just like the rest of them.

"Reno." The red head looked up quickly, throwing his helmet on the ground and snatching his nightstick. He stared, just stared across the garden at Barret. He appeared to be holding out a glass of something, possibly ice tea. He lowered his weapon. There was something wrong with this picture, namely that Barret was in it.

A smirk broke his bemused expression. Barret Wallace, Mr. Explode reactors and beat on SOLDIER was offering him, Reno, former head of the Turks, a glass of ice tea. Alright. He was parched anyway.

Hopping off Lilly, he threw his nightstick over his shoulder and started towards his former enemy. If the guy was trying to build bridges, then the least he could do was neglect to set fire to them. Taking the tea, he did as Barret did, taking a seat against the wall of his house to watch the sun sink behind the mountains.

"Why is it so hot up here?" He queried, tugging at his collar, "I thought mountains were 'sposed to be cold and snowy."

"Well," Barret began with a smile, "Corel's special-"

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