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Tseng let himself in on hearing the screaming to see Reno with a toddler kicking him as he was held at arms length. Tseng hadn’t heard about any child being involved. There was already enough going on at work and so he just shook his head.

“Yours I presume?” Tseng cocked his head.

“Apparently.” Reno said as the kid screamed and then spotted the new arrival and dropped the beer can he had.

“And you are letting him drink?” Tseng rubbed his forehead a little and then stepped over and took the child. “He needs changing, decent food and probably sobering up.”

“It’s only beer.” He said lighting up a smoke and moving the pizza box.

“Reno he’s what age? Two or three?” Tseng shook his head. “And your place is a festering hive of crap.” He looked around. “You need to fix this up. We can’t let anyone know about him either; he’s too useful as a kidnap case.”

“How do you hide them? Materia?” He looked at the little brat who was now sucking his thumb and hiding amongst the Wutai Turk quite contently. “And how did you make him stop crying? Have you got a silence potion to him or something?”

“He wants some security.” Tseng said holding the child. “When did he arrive?”

“Today, an hour or two ago and he’s just a pissing machine, look.” He pointed to his damp trousers. “Man where does he go all day?”

“Well I would think he’s been okay with people looking after him.” Tseng felt a warm patch down his shoulder where the child had vomited. The poor kid needed a decent home and Reno was hardly the one man he’d have placed on that pedestal. “What’s his name?”

“Izhi.” Reno said kicking the trash bag to the kitchen. Tseng nodded and looked at the little boy before going to clean out the stained bath and running him a shallow warm one.

“Hello Izhi, I’m Tseng.” He said kneeling down and taking his jacket off and shirt. “I think we need to get you a bath.” He rang Elena up and asked her to get him some clothes. Rude and Rufus would be told if they had a chance. He told Elena if she gossiped he would personally remove her.

“Teddy.” Izhi nodded and stood in the water the older Turk put him in. He paddled around marching like a Soldier and Tseng watched him. “Teddy.” He giggled.

“Reno he needs a warm blanket or something.” Tseng shouted.

“Leno.” Izhi helped. “Leno.”

“He can have my coat.” He threw the blues in the bathroom as he started to try and clean up a bit. He was in shock, he knew it, he was blindly wandering around picking up mess and staring at the place thinking it was no longer just him and that scared him more than anyone would ever realise.

“Leno?” Izhi looked at him as he stood in the doorway.

“Yeah kid?” He looked at him cleaned up and staring at them both and then Tseng took the towel and lifted him up and started to dry him off.

“Why?” He pointed at the scars on Reno’s face that had been covered by tattoos as a youngster.

“Glassed one side and burnt the other.” Reno said picking him up and wrapping him in the blue coat. He had to do this right? Izhi pointed to a mark on his skin. “Cig burn cos smoking is bad for your health.”

Tseng smiled as the child was held in his arms and watched. Reno had a lot of love to give but he needed the right investment. Elena dropped clothes off, the three of them talked about the small boy and agreed it would have to be kept a secret. Reno wanted to be able to tell Rude but they agreed it was not yet right. The less people that knew the better.

“I don’t think beer is a good thing to give him.” Elena said as they sat with Izhi asleep in the redhead’s arms on the sofa. “Perhaps you need to find something less… dangerous.”

“Am I gonna loose my job now?” Reno asked after a long silence from the pair of them.

“No.” Tseng said standing. “But you will need to think of a way to keep him out of ShinRa’s eyes. The President is not a caring man.”

“I know.” Reno sighed. “I know.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The three Turks held the secret well despite everything else that was going on around them. The President was found dead, Rufus took over and Reno breathed out a sigh of relief, but he kept the feeling of elation quiet. No one wanted to hear that he was glad the son-of-a-gun was gone and somehow it seemed to devalue the new President, Rufus.

“Reno we’ve got to go away, what do we do with the boy?” Elena asked as the toddler ran around and around the living room of her apartment. “This speech thing of Rufus’ sounds like it’s going to go on forever.”

“We’re gonna hide him is what we’re gonna do. I called someone I can trust and she’s gonna look after him.” He heard the door go and a young man came through. “Angel this is Elena and that very quiet man is Tseng.”

“Hi.” The guy was about the same age as Reno. It was evident he was a street dealer of some sortm as his clothes were tatty and he looked tired to hell. “What do you need?”

“I need you to keep my brat safe.” Reno said passing as much gil as he had over to him. “Just hide him and when I come back you can… can I dunno.”

“Go back to the streets.” Angel sighed; he had mousey brown hair and jade green eyes which followed the little boy around as he ran. “He’s grown a lot in a couple of years.”

“Yana said I could trust you. I’m going by that okay?” He put his phone number in Angel’s hand. “Would you be his like err… babysitter if this all works out?”

“Does a bear shit in the woods?” He asked him with a laugh. He picked Izhi up. “Hey Iz what you up too?”

“Leno make me beans.” The redhead told him.

“Leno huh?” He laughed.

“He calls the boss Woofy cos he has a bloody great hound called Dark Nation.” Reno smiled. “And that guy, head of the Turks is called Teddy for some strange reason.”

“Well if it makes sense to Izhi we’ll stick with it.” He nodded and took the bag they had prepared for him. “Say bye-bye for a bit Izhi.”

“Bye-bye.” The toddler waved and looked at Reno. “Leno bye-bye?”

“Only a little while babes.” He smiled softly, okay so he loved the kid! “See you soon and you can meet my mate Rude.”

“Wude.” He grinned. Reno just kissed his forehead and smiled before heading out with the others and resolving to finish the war. Finally he had a reason to win and come home. It was a reason that was going to stick with him.

------------Two Years Later---------

“Reno if you fall down the stairs drunk it really is your own fault.” Rude warned him as they scaled down towards the apartment they had been asked to share. Reno hadn’t heard from Angel in all that time, so he drank to forget.

“S’kay man.” He muttered and slid down the stairs. “Our place is cleaned by cleaner even when you cleaned it your self. Why is that?”

“Because you keep making mess.” Rude told him and lifted him on his shoulders. He never questioned Reno’s binge drinking because every time he tried to talk to the redhead he just got a load of waffle about wanting him in bed.

“I gonna make you a mess one day.” Reno told him with a hiccup as Rude set him on his feet and opened the apartment door.

Stood inside was Tseng and beside him was Rufus Shinra with a young redhead in his arms. Even in two years the boy had changed a lot, but still held the same innocent blue looking eyes that soaked in Reno’s appearance.

“Arse.” Reno managed and headed to the bathroom to be sick.

“Leno?” Izhi looked at Rufus who looked to Rude with a smirk. Rude was speechless…

“Sir, I know you toy with genetics and all but a kid with Reno, really?” He joked in the end. Tseng smirked and looked away from Rufus who looked at Izhi and then Rude.

“No, not that.” Rufus said a little flushed. “It’s… he’s Reno’s boy.”

“Hell no.” Rude looked at them both and then to Izhi who waved at Rude. “Oh…” He heard Reno come through brushing his teeth and then looked to Rufus as well. “Um...”

“He’s gonna have the spare room.” Reno muttered through the toothbrush.

“Actually no we’re moving you closer to home. Angel struggled to get in contact with you and finally braved trying to get in contact with myself and Elena. You must have lost your phone.” Tseng explained. “Rude you and Reno should be okay with the boy.”

“We… I…” Rude looked at them all.

“He’s ShinRa’s best kept secret.” Rufus smiled as he held the young man. “We’d like to keep him that way until he understands a bit more.”

“Of course.” Rude nodded and looked to Reno who just shrugged. He was never the most vocal of people but this one really had him stumped.

“See ya family now.” Reno said chucking the toothbrush back against the bath. All three of the other Turks cringed. “Now if you wanna make it a full deal you know where my bed is…” He flirted.

“You know where my fist is… Leno.” He said looking at him. “ShinRa’s best kept…” He looked at Izhi who held his arms out. Rufus handed him over. “Well I suppose someone has to make sure he doesn’t end up fed on beer and pizza.” Reno burst out laughing.

“I’m guessing I don’t want to know.” Rufus said as they got ready to leave. “His bags on your bed Reno.”

“Thanks Sir.” Reno looked at the redhead. “Well Izhi,” he said sobering up quickly, “meet my partner, Rude.”

“Wude.” He nodded as he pulled the big guys shades off and put them on and grinned.

“Well he has better taste than you Reno.” Rude smiled.