She hit her head against her locker door, hard.
"What's wrong Ram girl?" Her partner and room mate Katrina asked. The redhead sauntered into the room keeping her eyes on the younger woman.
"Nothing", Ram muttered and held her breath for fifteen seconds before exhaling slowly, "I've just been bit on edge ever since Kandi moved out. I mean, I know she's just a floor from us and I'm happy for her finding Andria and everything but-"
"It's not the same. I know, I miss her too", Trina said and settled herself confortably on the bench. Sometimes Ram found herself envying that talent.
"Good to know", she said and turned to lean her back against the battered locker, "What are we going do with her room? Should we redecorate it as a guest room or something?"
"It would make a nice storage for our playthings but it's hardly practical", Trina snorted, "I would have to run back and forth every time Vincent wants to play."
"I see your point", Ram laughed and asked, "Is Vincent coming over tonight? Should I bring extra food or what ever Vincent eats"
"Yes, he's stopping by later. Just make sure there's enough liquour in the apartment", Trina replied.
"Don't I always", Ram said as her phone rang. She turned pale as she saw the number and retorted to the caller.
"What part of Never-Call-Me-In-This-Number don't you understand?"
"Ram? It's time."
"What?! It can't be."
"Would I lie to you about something like this?"
"Okay, I'll be there in three hours."
"Who was that?" Trina inquired and Ram could feel her eyes picking up every single clue.
"My pet stalker", the blond faked a quick smile before continuing, "I have to go but I'll see you two tonight." Ram grabbed her jacket and was half way out of the room when Trina called after her:
"Don't do anything I wouldn't do!"
"Is there something you wouldn't do?" Ram chuckled and stopped by the door, "How about a new room mate? You know, for Kandi's old room? We could get a hot new guy to live with us?" Trina wrenched her eyes open and said:
"That's the best idea you've ever had."
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Ram hadn't been with the Turks for that long but she all ready felt herself like a part of a large family. And of that huge family her Amazon sisters Katrina and Kandi were the ones she felt closest to. Now that Kandi had found the child she had fathered with Zack and was embracing the concept of motherhood, Ram had to learn to act with children. That was one area of life she felt most uncomfortable in but for Kandi and Andria she was willing to try.
Unfortunately the family she had chosen for herself wasn't her only family and that other family had just waltzed back into her carefully orchestrated life. Ram could have kicked herself for letting herself forget even for a minute what was in jeopardy. Among the Turks there was one labelled as clinically insane but not everyone who deserved that label got it and Ram knew this all too well.
It had taken a while for Kandi to talk Ram into joining the Turks but when she had finally given up and assented, she had had a hidden incentive. Her very first assassination was far more personal than most of her co-workers knew. Ram had loathed Granny May and she probably would for the rest of her days. If she hadn't had to take care of the whole syndicate with one hit, she would have taken great pleasure in tormenting the sweet old lady for few months at least. Luckily for the young woman's psyche, Tseng had deemed it best to take care of the whole gang at once and let Ram join her Amazon sisters in action.
"I wonder what they would do without me? How long would it take for Trina to figure out that the liquor cabinet wasn't self-filling or how long would it take for Kandi-The-Vending-Machine to realize that her endless supply of delicious doughnuts wasn't as endless as she thought", Ram stopped to rid herself from such thoughts. She pouted and said to herself.
"They don't know and they will never have to find out. This damn self-pity thing only happens when she calls."
Collecting herself Ram made sure no one was following her as she left the Shinra building behind. She had planned this route months ago but this was the first time she would use it for real. She had to disappear. She walked over the street and few blocks to left. She jogged to the brick wall and found the spikes she had hid before climbing up the vertical wall only to drop several meters to the ground and slipping into the sewers. Silently she made her way to her stash, grabbed the small bag and left her guns behind. Tseng would probably kill her for doing this, not to mention Kandi and Trina but there were places where she was better off without high velocity ammunition. Her knife collection was more than enough. Soon Ram found her way into a deserted building where she changed her clothes and hid the bag she had retrieved only moments earlier. Few more blocks further south a vision emerged from the scraps. The white and floating dress and soft curls were a better disguise than any other she had used. She heard a car approaching and turned up her thumb. A smile and few times of batting her eyelashes bought her a ride to north and she could finally relax.
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"Thank you", Ram shouted as she watched her chauffeur drive off. She turned to clean the blade she was holding. She should have taken care of the bloody twerp without her knives but temptation to school a highway rapist had been too much. Ram just hoped that by the time Turks would hear about the neat mutilation, she would have returned to Shinra and none of her co-workers would even dream of identifying her handiwork. Ram hid the blade under her dress, kicked off her heels, jumped over the ditch and ran. Icicle Village was only few miles to the North but she headed West. Ram didn't need a map or to stop to ask for directions. She knew these parts all too well.
After an hours jog, Ram stopped up on a hill and looked down to the last valley before the sea. Nothing had changed. The cottage might have grown a little and there was one new granary. They were doing just fine without her. Ram took the last free breath before walking down to the valley. Half way there she saw an elegant and slender figure stop and then surging towards her. The long, blond braid gave the runner away and Ram quickened her steps. Soon she collided with another young woman and they tumbled to the ground. Ram knew she was getting muddy and that she would have to spent hours in the smoke room to clean her hair but she didn't care.
"I've missed you Neha", Ram screamed and got her mouth full of dirt.
"It's your own dam fault", the other dirty blond said and straddled Ram pinning her to the ground.
"I asked you to come with me", the Turk reminded her cousin and brushed her hair from Neha's face, "How come I had to hear about your upcoming wedding from auntie Azure?"
"My mother has a way of anticipating my every wish."
"As my mother has a way of discarding them", Ram said, "But I must face her eventually. Get off me Neha."
"Or what?" Neha grinned mischievously
"Or I'll throw you off", Ram answered with a matching smirk.
"Mama?!" They heard a distant cry. Ram furrowed as tenderness lit Neha's face.
"That's me", Neha said and reached her hand out to her cousin, "Shall we go? Mothers Circle awaits."
"Whoopee!" Ram said and bounced up. The girls got up and headed to the cottage and a frantic little girl.
"Look who is here!" Neha shouted as they reached the granaries. The older woman who had stepped out to console the little girl shouting for her mother, looked up. She smiled and whispered something to the little girl. They waited for the young women.
"Welcome home Roseata Azalea", the woman said and pulled Ram into a tight embrace.
"It's good to be home, I've missed you aunt Azure."
"Stop it! You'll ruing that dress!" the little girl shouted suddenly and gazed upon the cousins disapprovingly. Neha laughed and snatched her daughter into her arms nuzzling her muddy face to her daughters.
"Eww! Stop it Mama!"
"You are too young to care about such things", Neha protested.
"Don't listen to her Nella, your mother was just as prissy at your age", Azure said, "But this one here. She couldn't care less what she looked like. She fought me every time I tried to take her to the smoke room to get washed." Ram chuckled as she remembered one such occasion.
"Who are you?" the little girl asked.
"Roseata is your mothers cousin and she's here for the wedding", Azure explained, "Introduce yourself Nella."
"I am Nargella Ashy and it's a ple-le-le, it's nice to meet you", the girl said enerticly.
"And it's nice to meet you Nargella. My name is Roseata Azalea but you young lady can call me Ram", Ram promised and brushed gently some mud away from the little girls nose.
"Everyone calls me Nella", the little girl said coyly as Ram smiled brightly.
"It's a pleasure Nella!"
"Shall we go in?"
"I think it's better if I wash first", Ram declined wanting to postpone the inevitable.
"You are wise beyond your years Roseata", Azure laughed.
"No, I just know my mother", Ram laughed, "Is there smoke in the smoke room?"
"Yes, as always. I'll come with you", Neha promised.
"It's not necessary. I can find there on my own unless you've built a new one?" Ram declined.
"No. But we do need to talk", Neha said and set her daughter on the ground.
"About what?" Puzzled by her cousins words Ram tilted her head and waited.
"About the groom."