-1AN: I have to work on getting my computer to do time dividers….it hates me…you know what, everything either hates me…or loves me to death. Anyway, my loves…Emotional music calls for an emotional Genesis apparently….

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Valera opened the door to her apartment so Genesis could go through with Artemis, who was passed out in his arms. The girls hair was still wet and the only thing covering her naked body up was the red coat.

"Genesis, put her in the spare bedroom, I'll get some clothes for her." He did what he was told, going to the spare room and setting Artemis on the bed. Valera came in the room with clothes in her arms. "You better go take a shower and get some sleep. I'll call Sephiroth and tell him your not going to make it to work." She noticed that he seemed a bit paler than usual. She brushed it off, turning her attention back to the girl on the bed.

Genesis let the warm water pour down on him, he was tired. More than anything, he was content at the moment. He couldn't explain why he would feel this way, just knowing that Artemis was safe and couldn't be found. He would talk to Sephiroth about keeping her disappearance classified for the time being.

A few minutes later he was out the shower, and getting dressed in a pair of dark blue pajama pants he had left for when he occasionally stayed with Valera. He made his way out of the bathroom with a towel on his head, shirtless and semi wet hair dripping.

"Your dripping on my floor." Genesis turned his auburn haired head towards Valera, who was just coming out of the spare room. He looked like a kid caught stealing cookies from the cookie jar.

"Sorry Mom." She crossed her arms. If he hadn't lived with her from the time he was four to the time he joined SOLDIER, he wouldn't have any sense. "I'll clean it up in a few minutes." Apparently that wasn't a good enough answer for Valera. "Okay, I'll clean it up now." He took the towel that was on his head and threw it to the wood floor beneath his feet. He went down the hallway, wiping up the water that dripped off of his wet head.

"Good boy." Genesis sighed. Real mother or not, she was still his mom, if not by blood, then by love. "Get some sleep Love." She went up to him, giving him a hug then continuing to her own room.

He was on his way to his old room, from when he lived here. He paused when he came to the spare room, sighing he turned the knob and walked inside. Artemis had curled up, shivering beneath the blankets. He walked over to her, placing a hand on her forehead. She had a slight fever it seemed. Ever since she was freed from her prison of water and glass, she had recovered well, she was no longer on the edge of death. It meant that they had put something in the water, causing her body to shut down on her. The fever was probably caused from a small infection or a cold bug. Since she lived in water all her life, never being exposed to germs or anything else of the sort, her immune system was incredibly weak. He was about to walk out when he heard her speak.

"What will happen to me now?" Her voice was still weak, from not being used for years. He sat down on the bed next to her, sighing he put a stray piece of hair behind her ear. She was crying again.

"I don't know, but what ever comes your way, you have to be strong." Genesis reached out and wiped her tears away with his thumb. "You can cry all you want now, but later in life, you'll run out of tears." He smiled at her and he was rewarded with a smile. Her smile was innocent and untouched. He took her hand and kissed the back of it. "We'll talk later. Get some rest, even though you've slept enough, your body has to get use to being outside." With that Genesis left the room, shutting the door behind him.

He walked into his old room, looking at the boxes of old toys and books he had as a child growing up under the care of Valera. He never knew his birth parents, he didn't need to know them, he had a mother and a brother in the form of Angeal. He never had a father figure and as far as he knew, he really didn't need one. Ever since he could remember, he had been in the care of Valera and he couldn't of had a better mother than her.

The auburn haired man walked over to the double bed that occupied the room and laid down on it. He put his arms under his head and starred at the ceiling, thinking. He thought of many things, mostly about Artemis. He thought about the next training session between him, Angeal, and Sephiroth. It would be in a few days. It was already on his schedule, then there was the thought that he had been feeling out of sorts lately. He felt like he was getting weaker. He closed his Mako blue eyes, thinking some more, then telling himself to put it all behind him for the time being. He had other things to think about.

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THUMP!

Genesis woke to the sound of someone hitting the floor. Instantly he thought it was just someone in the apartment above Valera's. Then he realized that Artemis was here, and didn't know how to walk yet. He sighed and got out of bed, going to the spare room to see if the girl was okay.

Walking up to the door to the room that Artemis was occupying, he turned the knob and entered. He was a little surprised to see Artemis laying on the floor with the bed covers on top of her. She was awake and rubbing her head. Her blue tank top and grey shorts were slightly wrinkled from her moving in bed so much. Her hair was dry and messy.

"Ouch. That hurt." He smiled at her while walking up to her small frame. She looked up at him then pushed herself into a sitting position. "Stupid bed. Why do you have to be so high up?" Genesis laughed at her childishness and reached out his hand to help her up.

"Cause it's to keep the bugs from getting to you while you sleep." She took his hand and he pulled her up. She almost fell back down, but he wrapped his arms around her to keep her from falling. "I think it's time you learn how to walk." She nodded. "First you have to keep balance. Straiten your legs." She did as told and locked her knees, making her legs strait. "There you go. Now, all you have to do is take one step at a time." She looked at him with worried eyes. "Don't worry, I'm not going to let go of your hand."

"You will catch me if I fall right?" He nodded and stepped back, not letting go of her hand. She was standing on her own. "Okay, here it goes." She hesitantly took a step forward, Genesis taking a step back still holding her hand. She smiled when she realized she was moving forward.

"See, it's easy." She took another step forward, this time Genesis took two steps back. "Keep going, I'm not going to let you fall." She started to look down at her feet, but he stopped her. "Don't look at your feet or you'll fall. Keep your eyes on mine." She nodded and kept her eyes on his blue ones. She got so lost in them that she didn't even realize that he let go of her hand and that she was walking on her own. Before long they had made it to the living room. "You made it to the living room without falling or holding my hand." She started to cry. "What's the matter?" He wiped the tears running down her cheek away.

"I walked all the way here without falling." She said between sobs. The joy of being innocent. He took her in his arms and smiled. "I don't even know why I'm crying." Genesis chuckled at her. He was sure this was something associated with her womanly attributes. Valera knew more about it than he did.

"It's good to see that she can walk now." Genesis and Artemis both looked up to see Valera standing at the beginning of the hallway with a smile on her face. "Genesis, you better get to work. I'll take care of Artemis from here. I've talked to Sephiroth, he said you could be late, not miss a day." Genesis grunted.

"Who am I taking orders from? You, Sephiroth, or Shinra?" Valera shrugged at her adopted son. "I take orders from everyone I guess. I can't even be high ranked anymore." He let go of Artemis and walked down the hall to get dressed leaving the two women together.

"So, how bout something to eat my dear?" Artemis nodded. "I think it would be best to gradually start you on solid foods since you were practically fed baby food your entire life." Valera went into the kitchen and looked in the pantry for something, soup most likely. The older woman held up a can of double noodle soup. "This seems like a good choice. What do you think?" Artemis walked over to the table and sat down.

"I'll eat anything that's good." Valera smiled and got a pot out of the cabinet next to the pantry. "I have a few questions to ask you after Genesis leaves." The auburn haired woman smiled, while opening the can and putting it's contents in the pot.

"I will be happy to answer them. If you are up to it, I would like to take you to get some clothes today." Artemis nodded her head when Valera looked in her direction. "And you might need a few other things as well."

Genesis walked into the living room looking for his coat, but remembered that it was in the spare room where it was draped over a chair in the corner. He walked into the room and grabbed his coat, then he headed towards the kitchen where the two women were conversing. Artemis was eating soup, Valera sitting across from her at the table talking about the most simple of things, love.

"Well, I'll be back sometime tonight." They looked up at him as he walked through the kitchen to hug Valera, dressed in his original attire. He walked over to Artemis and she gave him a smile, then hugging him.

"Have a good day!" Valera said, smiling. "Don't get hurt!" Artemis giggled at the response he gave his adopted mother.

"I won't mom. You know me." He walked out the door. Another day it seemed like to Valera. Somehow though, she was worried about him.

"Okay, lets go find you something to wear before we go out." Artemis watched as Valera got up and came around to help her up from where she sat. "Now, I can answer your questions." Artemis nodded then followed the older woman to her room.

When they had walked into Valera's room there were pictures on the walls and on the dresser. One that stood out the most was a picture of a little boy with blue eyes and auburn hair. The boy could've been no more than ten. Artemis picked up the picture while Valera went through her closet.

"Is this Genesis?" Valera stopped what she was doing and looked at the picture that the younger woman was holding, she smiled.

"Yes, he is. He was ten when I took this. He was tested on before he was even born. From the womb." Artemis watched as the green eyed woman fingered the frame. "It was a cruel thing, but he managed. His birth mother, was sent away after his birth. She is still alive, but she will not see the monster she bore. That is what she said. Instead, they gave him to me to raise." Artemis then had an image go through her head of a younger Valera holding a newborn. She didn't understand at first.

"You did a good job." Valera smiled. "I want to have a child one day. I've always dreamed of a family, if not my birth family. I would make my own, I've been in the minds of other people, learning from them. I know it's wrong, but it was my only way to learn, incase I ever got out of where I was." Valera smiled, putting the picture back on the dresser. "I never hurt anyone. I don't want to hurt anyone at all." The older woman smiled at her, then went into her closet.

"I think I have just the outfit for you." Artemis stood there waiting for Valera to come out again. When the older woman did, she had a light green skirt, a turquoise zip up jacket and a white tank top. "Go sit if this fits and then we can do your hair." The girl went to the bathroom to change her clothes.

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Genesis was in his office, looking at various files that had been piling up over the last four days. At least it wasn't training, he didn't feel up to it today. He would rather work in an office than training when he wasn't feeling to great. He sighed and picked up the very top file, then sat in his chair. He read over the file, then deciding that it had to go eight levels down, which he didn't feel like doing. Picking up his phone he dialed Elena's number.

"Elena, send Reno to me when you see him." There was a 'Yes Sir!' on the other end then he hung up the phone. He didn't feel like dealing with Reno, but things had to be done. He looked at the clock, 12:32 pm. He was hungry, but he had all this work to do.

After twenty agonizing minutes he had gotten all the files in a pile ready to be sent to the destinations they were supposed to be two days ago. He was going to get joy out of seeing Reno squirm from going up and down to different floors of the building. He loved to make Reno squirm, it was just fun, and cruel.

"Yo, Boss man!" Just in time. Reno was always nearby when you thought about it. Genesis looked up at the red headed Turk and glared. He hated it when Reno did that. "Oh sorry, forgot you don't like to be called that." Genesis simply put down his pen and sighed. "By the way, there is a lovely young lady here to see you." Reno went over to Genesis and picked up the files that were piled up at the corner. "I'll just go now." Genesis nodded. Artemis walked in and smiled at him.

"I thought since Valera had gotten called in to work I should come with her, instead of staying at her house." He smiled and noticed she had gotten a haircut. Her hair use to be down to her lower back, now it was at her shoulders and layered. She looked nice, no, not nice….lovely.

"I like what you've done with your hair." She nodded and walked over to his desk placing a bag on it. "What's this?"

"I thought you would be hungry, so I bought some food." He opened the bag, pulling out a box with spaghetti in it. "My soup is at the bottom, if you could please hand it to me, it would be nice." He smiled and took out the Styrofoam bowl with the lid on it. She pulled up a chair next to him and they began to eat.

"I didn't think you would come back to this place. Your not afraid of them finding you?" She shook her head before taking another bite.

"Why would I be afraid?" She said after swallowing. "Valera talked to Sephiroth about having all documents on me burned. I was labeled a failure, disposed of, and erased." He shook his head having a different opinion.

"If the people who experimented on you knew you were here, they would try to do other things." Artemis smiled, knowing he was right, but she had a way around it. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm going to use a different name when I'm in public, but when it's just me, you, and Valera, I will be Artemis." He looked at her and smiled, she was smart.

"Good idea." He took a bite of his lunch. Artemis watched as he took another bite, she noticed a white hair on his head. She knew something was up with him.

"Genesis, you have a white hair on your head." He looked up at her confused. He wasn't old enough to get grey hair and he didn't have children to cause grey hair either. Artemis reached over and plucked the hair from his head, he grunted. "Sorry, but look." She held up the hair.

It was white as snow.

"That hurt, but I get your point, I'm getting old." She shook her head. "I'm not getting old then."

"Your body is rejecting the G-cells." His eyes widened. "I won't tell anyone. Valera should know about it though." He put his fork down, how did she know all of this?

"How do you know this, Artemis?" He turned to her and grabbed her by her shoulders, anger in his eyes. "Tell me!" Her eyes started to water and she looked down at her lap where her hands were.

"I can sense it. Even when I was asleep I could sense you, but the past few weeks, you've been getting weaker. I was able to go into the minds of some of the people who knew of you and your medical history. They had been noticing the same thing. They don't want to tell you in fear of what you would do to them." She started to cry, he let go of her shoulders when he saw this.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you." She didn't care, she just cried, even though she didn't know why she felt so bad. She felt incredibly sick. He grabbed her hands and pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her. "You have no idea what you do to me." He said in a whisper. He kissed the top of her brown haired head.

"I don't feel good, emotionally. I feel sick, like I'm alone. Like no one cares for me." Genesis shook his head. "Then why do I feel so bad?"

"Your being overwhelmed. It's natural, you haven't felt anything like guilt, or greed, even sorrow. You were born human, but raised as a machine." She kept crying into his chest. He was right, all she knew was what she could see, she hadn't been able to feel emotion for the first eighteen years of her life. This was something knew. Yet when she was around this man, she felt things that she had never felt before. "It's hard but you will learn to control them." He knew her innocence, it was there in her soul and in her eyes. It was also the thing that kept him from hurting her unlike he did to other people. She was his new weakness, even though his body was quickly replacing her in that department.

"Is it okay if I stay with you for the rest of the day?" She broke away from him, looking at him with pleading eyes. He simply nodded.

"Just as long as you can tell me who is coming before they get out the elevator." She laughed. It was like hearing bells chime. "Just let me know when Reno comes, so we can run before he gets here." She nodded while grinning. He reached over and plucked out a hair from her head. She yelped a bit. "That was from earlier."

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Whoa…that took like…twenty minutes to type. Okay, so this fic isn't completely Spoiler free…I can't stay with the plot if I don't include some spoilers…but minor spoilers….nothing big.

Anyway, please review….I love you guys!

Michiyo