Disclaimer- I don't own Final Fantasy 7 or any of Square-Enix's characters or places. Just trying to have a little fun

"Sir, I think you should come with us." The officer stepped toward the dark corner of the alley uncertainly, his partner standing nervously behind. For a moment there was nothing but the darkness. Suddenly a lit match illuminated a pale face framed by red hair deeper than the flame itself, and as quickly as it was struck, the match went out. All that remained visible was the mouth closed around the cigarette, curling into a lopsided smirk.

"I think you should go fuck yourself."

The answer came sharply, with mirth unusual for a man with two loaded rifles aimed at him.

"You have the ri..."

The officer was cut off by the sound of electricity crackling through the air, as a sparkling blue light flashed out somewhere near his suspect's leg, spreading an eerie, inconsistent glow about the two officers, the man, and a downed body laying just behind him.

"You know, I once knew a hooker named Miranda. Tried to kill me. I suppose she thought it'd be easier than screwing me. Probably true. Turns out she didn't have many rights in the end, though. Care to take a guess where she is now?"

"John? I...I think we should let this one go" John turned his head slightly towards his partner. They had both recognized the blue suit and red hair the moment that nightstick flared to life. "A bar fight isn't really worth this, man." The nod that followed was almost imperceptible as John began stepping backwards before completely turning heel and tearing out of the alley, the other officer close behind.

"You done?" The deep voice resounded along the alley from its origin within a doorway. The nightstick clicked off.

"Yeah, I guess. I think I left a drink inside anyway and we can get this guy later. Fuck man, why do we always come here? I don't even like the classy part of Junon, nevermind the slums. Too much like Midgar."

"I like the card playing."

"Rude man, you'd like the Northern Crater if there were a damn card game there. Though, I do remember hearing Sephiroth had a killer poker face. Course, people coulda just been saying that so he wouldn't, y'know...cut them or something. That's another thing, what was with that fucking sword? Who the hell needs something that big? Strife too, that bloody tree-hugger. Between the two of them, they ask the age-old question 'Wider or longer?' Personally, I like to think I'm a..." The voice trailed off and was drowned in noise emanating from inside the building, as his friend closed the door behind them. _

Three years in a row, they all met. Nobody was reminded where to go, nobody was reminded when they had to be there. Nobody needed to be. But without fail, for three years they had each met in the same spot on the same day. AVALANCHE stood at the water's edge, not a word spoken amongst them, as they each mourned their own way. Barret had his arm protectively around Tifa's shoulders, who cried softly, yet silently to herself. Vincent stood off to the side, beside a cigaretteless Cid, as he adamantly refused his urges to smoke for fear of disturbing the holy air. Red stood between Reeve and a teary-eyed Yuffie, the young girl sniffling and taking deep breaths to hold back the tears. All eyes settled on the last member of their group, the blond-haired leader knee deep in the pond outside the Cetra capital. In his hands he held a single flower. The voice, though barely a whisper, shattered the silence. Nature itself had seemed to stop and listen.

"Aeris. To you, we owe everything. To you, the world owes everything. And to you, we, all of us here, send you our thanks. More importantly, we send you our love." He hesitated "I send you my love." Cloud lowered himself, and placed the single flower on the water. "From your church to you. It's the least we could do" The flower floated away from the shore and away from the group. Cloud's voice rose up once more. "We love you."

A mournful howl tore out of Red as Tifa's crying intensified and Yuffie's began. Cloud stepped out of the water backwards, the motion disturbingly similar to one repeated three years ago. He turned around to face his companions, the ones he considered family. Cid's shaking hands placed an unlit cigarette in his mouth before removing it again. Barrett's own eyes began to tear, as Vincent stared out into the water. Cloud placed a reassuring hand on Reeve's shoulder as the older man trembled.

"Let's go home."

The Turks had set up shop in the shadier side of Wutai mere months after Meteor had been destroyed. While the business wasn't as profitable, it was much cleaner. A surveillance mission here, a theft there and Reno was happy. Though he was, self-admittedly, a little happier when somebody needed to be beaten down. But all in all, Reno, Rude, and Elena were pleased with the lack of killings that had come up. Sure, they'd killed more in the last year than most people do in a lifetime, but it was a damned sight less than what they did working for Shin-ra. And Elena seemed to have a knack for finding targets that deserved to die. Reno was feeling a little self-conscious though. Last week some guy in the bar called the Turks soft. 'Sure, they found him strapped to the top of the Pagoda the next day, naked and dead. But it just gets me thinking.'

"Hey Rude... have we gone soft?"

"No."

"I don't like to think so either. It's just...well, that punk got me thinking."

Elena spoke up from her desk. "The Pagoda one?"

"Yeah, that's him."

"I never did ask, but how the hell did you get him up there anyway."

"Well, now that's just not important. I gotta say though, it was worth getting bitched out by Yuffie by the reaction we got from going into the bar that night. Did you see how pale everyone went?"

"Yes, I did...Wait, Yuffie bitched you out?"

"Well, they couldn't really prove it was me. But she's not stupid, she knew who it was."

"She still have a crush on you?" Elena leaned forward with a mischievous grin.

"Who doesn't."

She laughed.

"You still have a crush on her?" Reno glared at his bald friend, who didn't even look up from his work.

"You are one silly son of a bitch, you know that? But seriously, are we going soft?"

"I don't know. I don't think so. But without Shin-ra and Hojo around, I know you two aren't as merciless..." At the mention of Hojo's name, the two male Turks looked up. Elena realized she'd said the wrong thing and trailed off. Rude's head turned back to his desk, but Reno's glare lingered a moment longer, the warning hanging wordlessly in the air. Then he too turned back, and work resumed in silence.

"She's right you know." Rude simply kept writing as he spoke. "I feel different about some of the stuff we do. I actually feel." Sometime during this last sentence, Rude had looked up into his partner's eyes. "And I know you do too. I can see it in your eyes. We don't just drink to have a good time anymore..." Reno picked up where he left off.

"We drink to forget..."