A/N: Have a disclaimer for this entire story, right here, right now. I don't own the rights to or anything within the Final Fantasy franchise; all characters in this story belong to Square Enix. Er, this is the first time I've written something in a very long time and I intend to keep on writing (I never do chapters! Feel priviledged.) this until the bitter, bitter end. Or until I die, either one. VII is by far my favourite FF of them all and I wanted to explore what I hope is a very underrepresented pairing - most of all I want to do it justice, so please review and CONCRIT TO YOUR HEARTS CONTENT. I love to make my work better.

CHAPTER ONE

At the time, I was nineteen, and I had already been working directly under the President and his closest lackeys for five years after I'd been plucked from my family home several years previously. Not that I'd particularly minded, but it had been with some trepidation that I had begun my training towards becoming the newest member of the Administrative Research department. On this particular day, I was sporting a bruise on my hip and thus shuffling around the large building that I worked at, not best pleased at having to attend the office on one of my days off (which were few and far between) and cursing the very day I'd been forced to leave my parents and start working for a company I had no love for. The lift had brought me to the sixty-ninth floor of my employer's building after an urgent summons had been directed at me only three-quarters of an hour previously, and I exited the cramped space into a much larger room furnished with three secretaries, one long desk and several computers.

"Go on up," one woman called to me as I approached their working space. She was polite but reserved; most people were once they recognized the crisp black suit that was my uniform. "He told me it's important business today, so don't waste any time." She smiled thinly at me before returning her attention to the computer screen. Respect and forced politeness bordering on fear was the most acknowledgement I gained from the few employees that knew about the sect I belonged to, and although I was beyond caring about the actions of others, it was just another reminder of how much life had changed. I pushed it to the back of my mind.

I took as much time as I could afford to waste ascending one grand staircase that took me on level higher; apparently my body protested if I lifted my leg too high, and I wasn't looking forward to another week of aches and pains. I could hear the voice of a man protesting something as I neared the top, and three steps later I sourced it to a scientist with bad posture and hair pulled back into a ponytail.

"..so you see, President, we absolutely must bring the specimen back here."

The addressee sighed out a great breath of cigar smoke, tapping his ash away with one meaty finger. "I understand, Hojo, but I am willing to allow the girl some degree of freedom for the time being. She is young and poses no problem to us... Ah, Tseng," he finished, spotting me hovering in the background. The man that was hunched over half-turned and shot me a murderous glare as I approached them, which I ignored. I was in no mood to entertain the temper of someone who obsessed over their work unhealthily. "Thank you for coming so quickly; my apologies for calling you out like this." He placed his cigar into an ashtray and stood, leather shoes creaking. "You have a special assignment today. I want you to take a visit to one of the sectors and meet with someone."

I inclined my head. "Sir. Will this require weaponry, or-"

Besides me, the scientist snorted. "Hardly. The target is a girl of approximately seven years of age. You are to persuade her to return to Shinra where she belongs." He brought one spindly-fingered hand to his chin. "I have been informed that should she overpower you in any form, she has the right to stay in the slums with whoever has taken her in and we will resign ourselves to -" he made a disgusted face. "-surveillance."

"Before you ask questions, have you heard of the Ancients?" the President asked me, and I nodded. There was, after all, an extensive library a few floors below. "This girl is said to be one - possibly the last in existence, as her biological mother is deceased. I do not want her turned against Shinra, so please refrain from force against her or her carer. If she refuses to return, she is permitted to stay where she is, and as Professor Hojo has stated, we will assign someone to watch over her until a later date. Do you understand?"

I nodded again, feeling some degree of relief wash over me at the knowledge that I wouldn't be overexerting myself. "I have a question, sir - did this child escape? Why is it such an important mission, the orders came so suddenly -"

"As a Turk, you should know that you shouldn't question orders," the man in the lab coat interjected, scratched his nose absently with nails bitten to a short but sensible length. "However, I believe that a little added knowledge will not affect your performance... if I may," he directed at the President, who showed no signs of stopping him. "Very well. A little over seven years ago, we discovered a traitor to Shinra living in the far north with the target and her mother. We escorted them to a containment facility near to where they were staying... while they showed signs of discontent, there seemed to be little to worry about. However, a year and a half ago, there was a breach of security and the specimens were able to escape." He coughed once before continuing in the same, flat tone. "We were unable to secure them and lost track of them for an extended period of time... However, several civilian reports indicate that they entered Midgar recently. The mother's body was found by the Sector Seven train station and an elderly lady living nearby took the child in."

He grabbed a yellow folder filled with papers and pushed it into my hands. "The rest of the information is in that file; read it as you travel."

"Yes, time is of the essence," the President added. "Tseng, I have arranged for a helicopter to take you to Sector Six where the woman lives. Persuade the target to return to us and report to me directly at the end of the day."

With that, I was dismissed, and five years of experience had taught me not to linger. I turned and walked back down the staircase I had come up by as the two men spoke further on what I could only assume was funding for the science department. The secretary from earlier glanced up again as I passed her, heading straight for the lift and shifting the papers in my grasp.

Inside the lift, my mind began to wander. The Ancients... I had thought they were wiped out hundreds of years ago, but apparently not. The target's mother must have desperately hated her life if she had been bitterly planning escape for almost six years, although that was understandable, considering the unfeeling report from Hojo. I guessed there was probably more to the case than he had let on, but tried to ignore it. My assignment wasn't to sit at a desk and do research; I had specifically been designated a role to carry out. The machinery around me whirred as I reached my floor.

"You're looking well, sir. We'll be leaving shortly, so please get in and buckle up."

I didn't recognize my pilot, but there were a lot of people that I had never seen before that knew my face around the Shinra building, so I wasn't bothered. I followed him out of the lift and past several doors, all shut. In addition to two others, this floor was used specifically by Administrative Research and any executives or head of departments that needed ferrying around the country. As we weren't formally recognized as an existing department, the other selective floors catered solely to the Turks, giving us space to research targets and plan missions. It was something of a privilege, but the times I found myself working at a desk saw a mainly empty floor.

We passed through a door at the end of a relatively long hallway and all of a sudden, the world was cold. We had exited the main building and were now standing forty-five floors above the plates of Midgar on one of three official helipads. The wind always tended to blow ferociously out here; a direct contrast to the dank, stagnant world of the slums. I clutched my hands tighter around the case files as we continued towards the nondescript helicopter sitting further out and hoped that nothing would fly away.

Once I was seated in the belly of the helicopter, it was as though I was encased in my own personal bubble. The winds howled around the metal and perspex and the hum of the engine sounded almost distant; it would take about ten minutes of undisturbed peace before we reached the destination. Exhaling, I opened the folder and began to read: there were papers on the subject; the minimal facts that the scientists working near Icicle had found from the subjects; papers with red lines crossed through them. On closer examination, these gave information on people that had been directly involved with the experimentees, Shinra, or both. I learnt quickly that these red lines meant the subjects were deceased, and contented myself with learning about my current target. "Sir, we'll be landing in a couple of minutes," came the crackle of the pilot's voice over the intercom. I put the papers down and glanced out of the window to a view of abject poverty. Disinterested, I rested my head on my hand and stared into the distance, ignoring the scenery below.

I stepped out of the chopper and began walking immediately, trying not to breathe in too deeply. The air in the slums always seemed to be stifling; a mixture of most certainly poisonous gases floating somewhere above the heads of the people that lived here. A few people were staring as I walked past - doubtless this was the first time they'd seen someone directly sent from Shinra that wasn't one of the infantry. Ignoring them, I took a left, walked around an accessories salesman, turned right and found myself in what I assumed was a parallel universe. I had to look behind me to make sure that I was still in one of the most run-down places on the planet: the way ahead was filled with all kinds of flowers. I continued with some hesitation, taking in as much of the scenery as I possibly could. It was the first time I'd seen flora for a couple of years.

"You must be from Shinra."

I paused, looking around before noticing the speaker. There was a large house some way ahead, and a lady reaching her sixties was standing outside the main door with a sweeping brush in one hand, greying hair falling out of the bun she'd scraped it into. She looked tired, as though she'd been expecting me for some time, one hand placed on her hip in a no-nonsense manner, though her expression was devoid of malice. She ran her eyes over my suit, my face, and sighed. "I can't say I haven't been expecting you... Please, come in." She swung the broomstick under her shoulder and entered the house, leaving the door open for me. Again, I hesitated somewhat - this lady was obviously someone of status, especially so in the slums, to have a house this large, and with a garden as well - but it was short lived, and I followed her in.

The house's interior smelt of potpourri and some kind of faint incense. The lady was standing at the bottom of a staircase, calling for another person to come down, and she shot me an apologetic look. Several muffled thumps came from above our heads, and my host walked past me into the substantial kitchen.

"Would you like something to drink?"

I was, momentarily, taken aback for the third time that day, unused to such displays of generosity. "I'm fine, thank you, Miss..." She waved a hand at me, shutting a cupboard door.

"Mrs," she smiled. "Elmrya Gainsborough. I would introduce you to my husband, but..." she disguised a sigh. "He's currently serving in Wutai. Please, make yourself at home; everything here is at your disposal."

I shook my head, biting back a small smile. "I don't intend to stay for too long, but my thanks nonetheless. It's been a long time since anyone in the slums was this hospitable."

"Mama?"

We both turned at the arrival of a quiet voice into the conversation, the lady moving forward to greet the newcomer. It was a girl, face pale and drawn, with long brown hair; I recognized her immediately from the photographs in the case files. She clutched onto Mrs. Gainsborough's green dress tightly as she eyed me warily. "You're... Aeris, aren't you? Aeris Faremis." I asked her, voice softening somewhat. She shook her head, never breaking her gaze, and a stab of confusion hit me. "You're not Aeris..?"

"You're saying it wrong," came the quiet reply, voice full of confidence despite her size and body language. "Aerith."

"Oh. ...I'm sorry."

The child shook her head again, but this time a smile graced her lips, and she looked more alive. "Don't worry about it. Everyone says it wrong. What's... what's your name?"

"Tseng. It's... nice to meet you, Aerith. I was hoping that I would get to see you and Mrs. Gainsborough today."

"You were?" I nodded. "I have something important I need to talk to you about."

The girl let go of her carer's garments and let her hands hang at her sides, attention completely on me. She looked like sleep was all she'd ever need, but she said nothing and watched me with large green eyes expectantly. My mind ground to a halt and I was suddenly at a loss for words. I didn't want to scare or upset her, but I couldn't think of anything to introduce the situation other than 'I'm from Shinra, the company you probably hate with all your being, and have come to take you into custody on behalf of the science department.' What on earth was I supposed to say?

I looked at the older woman, instead. "...Do you know why I'm here?"

"I assume because of Aerith," she started, words uneasy and hesitant. "But I don't know what happened..."

"Allow me to explain, then. I was told that some time ago, two..." I thought frantically, not wanting to say 'subjects'. "...people escaped from one of our research facilities in the north. Last night it was brought to light that they had made their way to Midgar, and that they had been sighted at a train station nearby."

I saw her expression change, felt the atmosphere change from apprehensive to fearful. "I am under orders not to hurt either of you," I continued. "We at Shinra simply want Aerith to return to us, where she belongs." At her newfound mother's side, the girl frowned suddely.

"Never," she said, drawing attention to herself. She breathed in deeply and stood as tall as she could. "I'm not going with you."

A muscle in my jaw twitched, but I didn't feel angry. I hadn't intended to screw up. "Aerith..." I wracked my brains quickly. "You're a very special child. You have... special blood." If anything, her frown intensified, and I switched my gaze back to the lady in the room. "Her real mother was an Ancient, or one of the Cetra." "Oh..." she gasped quietly, eyes widening. I continued, ignoring her outburst.

"The Ancients are the only people who know where the Promised Land is, and will be able to take us there. The amount of Mako said to reside in that area exists in abundance, and Shinra intends to use it for purely selfless purposes. If she co-operates, Aerith will be able to bring happiness to all living in the slums. The President hopes that she understands and is willing to help as, as one of the last Ancients in the entire world-"

"He's wrong!"

She had looked so fragile and withdrawn; almost shy. I would have never thought that she would interrupt.

"I'm not an Ancient! I'm not!"

I took one step forward and mustered the most sympathetic expression I could, hoping to placate the child, though I knew there was no way she was going to come with me after that little outburst.

"But Aerith... surely you hear voices sometimes, when you're all alone?"

She glared at me and stuck her jaw out, hands on hips and breathing fast. Her eyes seemed to be watering. "No, I don't!"

A moment later, I was staring at empty space as she pushed past me and ran out of the still-open door. Awkward silence permeated the room, every movement suddenly deafening and clumsy. I cleared my throat, avoiding eye contact with Mrs. Gainsborough, who was looking at her feet.

"Does this mean you'll be taking her away anyway?" she asked, voice quiet and gaze still trained on her boots. Pity ran through me for a second for this woman who had no child or job; whose husband was oceans away and bound to be killed while on some fool's errand in Wutai. I watched her, thoughtfully.

"No. Aerith can stay with you for... for a while," I murmured. "I don't think anyone will issue orders for her to live with Shinra. Someone will probably be assigned to watch over her, but-"

"Watch over her?" she asked, protest stealing into her tone. "She's only a child, she won't be causing any trouble."

"It's not for me to decide," my voice was quiet but firm. "I can assure you that she won't be hurt from our side, but I can't promise anything else."

I straightened, feeling something click in my back, held back a wince. I gave the woman my thanks, to which she inclined her head slightly, and exited the house, leaving her standing in the middle of the room wondering what the future held in store. The garden's perfume hit me once more and I stopped to inhale deeply, knowing this was going to be the last time in a very long time that I would get to experience real flowers. There was a harsh after-scent that lingered in the back of my throat; the ever-present smog was around even in this seemingly pure place, and no breeze was going to clear the air anytime soon. I pulled a phone out of my pocket and dialled a number.

"Hello?"

"Tseng here. I want you to send a chopper to Sector Six and bring me back to Shinra immediately."

"Copy that, sir, I'll get on it now."

There was a rustling somewhere to my left, and I cast my eyes in that direction, wondering if some kind of monster had made its way into a civilian area. One clump of grasses and flowers was moving, and I turned my head to look at it directly. It stopped shaking, and I caught a glimpse of a pale face peeking out at me briefly, before harrumphing and disappearing. I decided against annoying the girl further and began to leave the area, feeling only slightly mollified.

I had prepared myself for almost anything the President could throw at me. I had whiled away the rest of the day at a desk with a pen and notepad, copying out the more important parts of the files Hojo had given me that morning for later analysis and study, committing facts about this Aerith girl to memory, trying to remember the sweet smell of fuchsia and jasmine. Evening had approached quicker than I'd anticipated, and I'd steeled myself when walking up that staircase for the second time that day - he was known to pack a punch occasionally, but hadn't seemed in a bad mood as I neared his desk.

"I trust you've come to report?" "Yes, sir. I met with the girl as planned and explained to her why Shinra needed her, but she refused to co-operate. She openly stated her dislike for Shinra but wasn't violent; the carer showed no signs of ever opposing us or aiding those that do. The husband of the woman is overseas in Wutai at the moment, serving in SOLDIER under General Hewley."

"You mentioned the Promised Land?"

"Yes, sir."

"And how she could assist us?"

"Yes, sir."

There was a pause, wherein the President exhaled deeply and rubbed his temples, while I shifted my weight from foot to foot.

"Very well, Tseng. You are dismissed; please await your next orders from Verdot."

"Sir."

I had prepared myself for anything he could throw at me, except for simple acceptance. I felt stunned that this man - the most powerful man in the world - was happy to disregard the failure of capturing what could be the most important subject Shinra could have gained and was now waving me away without a second thought. Which could mean only one of a few things: that he wasn't favouring the science department right now; that this girl wasn't as important as had been made out to be; or that other, pressing matters had seduced his attention. Or an amalgamate of all three.

I left the office, ignoring the slow ache of my bruised hip, mind buzzing with ideas.