Lost soul
		part 2

	Jessie stepped out of the shower after thuroughly drying herself, leaving her hair
a bit damp as Reno aparently didn't own a hairdryer, picked up the clothes he had left for
her.  It was a turk uniform like the one Reno wore.  They were a bit faded.  Probably
one of Reno's older suits chosen bacuse of it's smaller size.  Jessie dawning
the outfit realized that they were still a bit big for her.  The pants hung
low on her hips but that was covered by the exessively long untucked shirt and jacket.  
The sleeves concealed her hands.  

	Jessie stepped out of the bathroom and walked over to the living room
where Reno was watching TV.  He looked over to Jessie as she entered the room
proceeded to laugh so heartilly that her fell off of his couch.  "WHAT?"
Jessie asked rhetoricly knowing very well that he was laughig at her
hillarious appearance.  "If Tseng ever saw this I'd never hear the end of it."
Reno said catching his breath.  "Hey, can I help it if you're a bit on
the chubby side."  Jessie Responded "WHAT!  I'll have you know I am the
ideal weight for my height.  Besides, you're too skinny anyway.  
You look kind of like I did when I first joined th turks."
"I suppose that was supposed to be a compliment"  "Well how
I would have looked if I were an overly skinny girl who dresses
like a boy."  Jessie went silent and took an angry look.
"Oops.  I guess I shouldn't have said that.  
Come one come all behold Reno the man with no tact."
Said reno.  Jessie couldn't help but giggle a bit 
at his joke.  

	"That's better.  Come on sit down and let's zone out in front
of the idiot box."  Said Reno in refference to the TV and
patting the seat next to him on the couch offeringit to Jessie.
She took a moment to decide seeming a little nurvose about
it at first but let go of her paranoia and accepted.
Hours passed as they were bombarded by plot lines
that had been done a thousand times over and 
commercials for every product imaginable and a 
few compleatly unimaginable.  

	Reno turned his attention from the TV
when he felt something on his shoulder.  Jessie
had fallen asleep and was leaning against him.
"Hmmm.  She's kind of cute when she's not trying to
kill me.  Why am I being so nice to her.  I'm the
one who nearly killed her in the first place.
I wasn't thinking about how pretty she was in the
heat of battle.  Just about getting the job done.
It's nice that we can get along.  Mabey the
whole world would be better if they could see us.
Well, I don't want to wake her.  Not the first 
time I've fallen asleep in front of the TV."Reno thought
to himself.

	The test pattern comes on.  "God how
does she sleep through that annoying beep?"
Reno turned the TV off with the remote.
With the light of the TV extinguished the
room went dark.  "So peacefull now.  No one could tell
just by lookin at her that she was a fighter.  That
she ever killed anyone.  That she and I only
a few weeks ago were at each other's throughts
for no reason at all."

----------------------close scene------------------------------------------------------

	Hours later Black clouds block any evidence that the sun is
rising.  Rain pours on this dreary morning in midgar.  
Raindrops beat on the upper plate and on the windows of Reno's appartment.
Jessie stirs just a little but never fully waking before settling back down.
This awakens Reno.  He looks over to his VCR.  The clock simply blinks 
twelve insistantly.  The sun, or rather lack there of, gives no indication
of the time either.  Reno looks over to find Jessie still asleep on his
shoulder.  He pulls his arm free to check his watch, coaxing a 
quiet mumble from Jessie.  "Eight AM.  Damn I'm late!" Reno says.
The noise awakens Jessie.  "Hhhh?  R.....Reno.....I....I..."Jessie stutters.
"What's wrong" Reno asked not understanding about Jessie's particular 
phobia.  She had a look of panic in her eyes.  Reno couldn't have
known that she had never been that close to a man since......
"Hey Jessie, I was just thinking you're kind of cute when you're
not trying to kill me."  Said Reno having no idea how deep a chord he
had struck.  Jessie froze for a moment turning very pale.  
Then brought her hand back and delivered what with any normal
girl would have been a slap across the cheek.  But Jessie
was no ordinary girl.  She instead delivered a left hook squarely to Reno's
jaw with enough strength to knock him over the back of the couch.  

	Reno got up rubbing his jaw with a look of total surprize on his face.
Jessie stepped back still looking very pale and shocked herself.  She
rubbed her now sore hand.  "What?  Why'd you do that" Reno asked still
very shocked.  "I.....I.....don't....."  Jessie without finnsihing the sentance
rushes out the door into the pouring rain.  "What?  Ah, how did I get
tied up with such a crazy girl?"  Reno asks himself while 
rushing out the door in persuit of Jessie.

	"JESSIE" Reno calls searching for her.  Some people on the
street stop to take notice before contiuing about their business while 
others take no notice at all.  "JESSIE COME BACK!"

	Water splasehs against Jessie's legs as she runs throught the water
soaked streets and alleaywas.  Not looking where she's going
she runs into someone.  They hold their grond while Jessie falls to the ground.
She looks up to see a stroung man with long hair wearing a turk 
uniform.  "You,  I know you.  You're an avalance member"  He says.
Jessie begins to turn around and run but the long haired turk 
grabs and restrains her.  "WHO ARE YOU?  WHY ARE YOU WEARING 
A TURK UNIFORM" He questions her.  "Tseng wait!"  Yells Reno running
into the alley.  "Reno, do you know something about this girl?"
Tseng asks.  "It's alright.  She's with me."  Reno replies.  
"Shees Reno.  I know the whims of the heart can't be helped and
all but she's an Avalance member for crying out loud."
"No it's not like that at all.  She's not even with Avalance 
anymore.  Just trust me okay.  Please don't tell anyone about this."
"It's alright Reno.  Turks don't rat on each other.  Here if you're
so worried about this girl you'd best get her inside.  She doesn't
look so well.  How long has she been out here anyway?"

	Reno just now realizes that Jessie has turned pale again
and is staring blankly into space.  She doesn't even seem
to take notice of what's going on around her.  "Huh?  It's
only been a few minutes.  You couldn't be sick already."
Says Reno turning his attention toward Jessie.  "If you want
my advice I think it looks more like shock.  I must have 
frightened her" "Frightened nothing, you scared her senseless."
"I see.  This seems to mean a lot to you so I'll cover for you
for a little while but you are expected back at work now."
Tseng hands Reno his umbrella and begins to walk away.
"Tseng...."says Reno making Tseng look back a moment.  
"Thanks man."Reno says in gratitude not only for the Umbrella
but for everything.  Reno always knew he could count on 
Tseng.  Tseng nods and walks off.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Reno takes Jessie back inside his apartment.  She
still only seems half aware of what's going on.  
Reno directs Jessie to sit down in a chair and she complies.
"Damn.  You're soaking wet now.  If you stay in that 
you really are going to be sick.  Now don't go hitting me again."
Says Reno reaching for Jessie.  However his request goes
unanswerd for as soon as he undoes the top button of her
shirt Jessie becomes fully aware once more and finds
her right hook directly oposite the previous blows point of 
impact on Reno's jaw.  "OW!  If this keeps up I'll be back
on the injured list before I can put in one day of work."
"Oh, I'm sorry Reno.  It's sort of a reflex.  I should have
told you before.  I really don't like for people to touch me."
Jessie says.  "Don't like?  I'd say you downright despise it.
But listen to me.  You're going to get sick if you don't get out
of those wet clothes.  You need to change okay."  Reno says
with his voice going from a sarcastic into a more serious tone.
"Okay."  Jessie replies.  "Well since we already saw what
a dissaster you going out in public dressed as a turk can be 
I'll go out and buy you something new while you dry off.  Is
that alright?"  Jessie paused for a moment almost dreading
the possibille outcome of leaving herself at the mearcy
of Reno's fashion sense but not wanting to argue she nodded
in agreance and proceeded into the next room.

	Jessie heard the outside door open then shut
indicating that Reno had left.  "you need to change okay"
She rembered Reno saying.  Reno had no idea how right he was.

	Later Reno returned.  "Man that dress maker guy almost
had a coronary when I asked him to make something for a
girl who dresses like a boy.  What did he mean by 'they just
keep coming' anayway?" Reno mumbles to himself.  
He walks over to the room Jessie was waiting to change in and knocks 
on the door. "Jessie, I'm back.  I brought you something to wear.........
.....Jessie?"  Reno's querry brings no response.  
He places his ear to the door hearing a fiant whimpering 
sound.  "Jessie?  What's wrong?  Are you crying?"  
"No I'm not.  I don't cry."  Jessie finally responds.
"Then what's that soun......" Reno stops in mid sentance.
"Knock it off moron.  Are you trying to screw things up even
more?"  Reno thinks to himself.  "Okay you're right.  
Must have been my imagination.  I'll just leave this
on the doorknob for you.  Look I have to get going.  
I'll be leaving the city.  So keep an eye on the place while 
I'm gone."  There is silence for a few moments.  
Reno begins to turn away.  "Reno,  I just wanted to say,
thank you.  and......I know you'll be fighting some friends
of mine, but now I consider you my friend as well.  
So...........please come back safely.  Promise me
that alright.  I don't want to lose any more friends."
"I promise."  With that Reno leaves for God knows where
leaving Jessie to watch his apartment.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

	After a few minutes had passed and Jessie was sure the coast
was clear she opened the door still having a blanket wrapped 
around her for good measure.  She grabbed the garment Reno had
left for her and darted back in the door closing it securely.
She layed it out on the floor in front of her.  It was
a simple sleeveless blue dress with a just slightly darker colored
short sleeved jacket.  Nothing too lavish but Jessie still
felt a bit odd about it.  She simply didn't wear
things like that.  Not since that day all those years ago.
That day, that one solitary event that changed everything.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
end of part2
oops looks like I'm running over a bit.  I had planned for this only
to be two parts long.  But there's so much material that it now
seems there's going to be a third.  best not to rush it.
what do you think?  send your letters calling for my 
IP to kick me off the net to fragraham@mail.com