Chapter One: Ghosts

"Zack, for the love of Gaia, settle down! We don't have to leave until early tomorrow morning."

"Remind me again, Angeal, how it is you put up with him?"

Zack stopped his hustling about to pout at his two superiors, "Hey, I'm not that bad! Angeal, tell him!"

Angeal closed the suitcase beside him on the large sofa and chuckled a little, "He's right, Seph; he's not that bad…if you have a pair of earplugs and a bottle of aspirin. I'll make sure to pack you some, shall I?"

Zack slammed his own suitcase closed a little too forcefully, "HEY!"

"It still irks me how so much energy and optimism can fit inside a SOLDIER. Especially one of his caliber." Sephiroth shook his head a little and folded another blanket to lay inside a large black duffel bag. "Thank Gaia we're going to Costa del Sol; his noise won't have very many walls to reverberate off of."

Zack threw on another pout and thrust his hands on his hips in a little-too-girlish manner, "Angeal, really help me out here!"

"I can't argue the truth, Zack." Oh, that bastard! He's fucking smiling!

"You really suck, you know that?"

"Now, let's not bring my personal life into this."

Sephiroth, suppressing a smile to the best of his abilities, shut his eyes and pressed a fist to his lips, obviously trying to stifle a laugh he would only release in private. Zack's mouth hung open and he dropped the bathroom necessities he held in his hands, staring at his mentor, who'd continued packing as if nothing unusual had happened.

"Was that--did you just--Angeal, you just made a dirty joke! Not a great one, but still! Dear Gaia, Apocalypse!"

"Ah, perhaps I'm just spending too much time around you."

Before the young Second-Class could retort, a loud knocking sounded from the front door. Sephiroth looked up and called, "It's open."

The metal door slid to the side and a red-clad SOLDIER stepped through, impassive look carved in his features. Sephiroth immediately left the black leather couch to greet him. It looked as if he went to touch the SOLDIER's shoulder, but thought better of it. Instead, he took an off-white folder handed to him.

"I just came to deliver the monthly report before you leave, sir." The voice spoken was velvety and soft, but somewhat reclusive—almost emotionless. Wow, if that's what Angeal and Sephiroth prefer—even in joke—from Zack, then he'd rather be dishonorably discharged.

"Thank you, Commander. I'll go over it tonight."

"If that's all, I suppose I'll take my leave, now," The SOLDIER turned to leave, but Angeal suddenly jumped up, but his voice was gentle.

"Genesis!" the commander stopped and haltingly turned back to the others. Angeal reached Sephiroth's side; Zack watched the tense scene with silent interest. "Wh-why don't you stay and visit with us for a few minutes?"

"Yes," Sephiroth nodded in agreement…and what looked like encouragement from Zack's point of view, but he shrugged it off. "We could use the company." There was a pause and Sephiroth added in a lower voice, "So could you."

"Well, I really should be getting--"

"Just for a minute," Angeal insisted. Before the red-clad commander could protest, Angeal—tenderly, it seemed like—took hold of his arm and led him over to where the cluttered sofas were. He led him over to the large couch against the right-hand wall and sat him down insistently. Angeal then took his seat at his usual spot beside the SOLDIER, who seemed to be ill at ease; sitting on the edge of the cushion and crossed his legs tightly like a young lady would.

Sephiroth almost winced, worrying he and Angeal were being too pushy. He quickly picked up a light subject as he resumed his packing, "Genesis, I don't believe you've met Angeal's student." He gestured over to where Zack crammed belongings into a smaller duffel bag by the couch adjacent to the one on which the three Commanders sat. Zack nervously smiled and gave a little wave.

"Oh, yes," Angeal picked up, "This is Zackary Fair, SOLDIER Second-Class. Zack this is our good friend Commander Genesis Rhapsodos." The forenamed Genesis didn't seem to know how to react. It looked like to Zack that he tried to give a small smile, but it ended up looking more like a grimace. His hands tightened their unconscious grip on the leather in his folded lap.

"It's a…pleasure, Fair." His voice seemed even more guarded, as if he was completely terrified of the subordinate before him. Zack tried to fix that.

"The pleasure's mine, sir!" Zack offered a gloved hand to him, knowing there was no need for military formalities, but he was greatly surprised when Genesis flinched and eyed the hand with what looked like suspicion and…fright? It was kind of hard to tell considering the commander apparently lived up to Sephiroth's public reputation to appear completely devoid of any emotion. Sephiroth immediately came to the rescue.

"Commander Rhapsodos doesn't normally like to meet new people," quickly, he added, "He believes it distracts him from focusing on his assigned subordinates." Okay, that made a lot of sense.

"Um…how?"

"There's a lot of SOLDIERS under his command, Zack," Angeal immediately answered, suddenly looking tense. "Remembering names and ranks and all—delivering reports and keeping track of promotions and positions and such is a rather big job." A small laugh—almost tentative. "Sometimes I think he has a bigger job than Sephiroth."

Genesis suddenly stood up, the action so quick it made Zack jump a little. "I think I'd better take my leave."

Sephiroth and Angeal stood up also, looking like they were trying to beat him to the door. "So soon, Genesis? Why don't you stay a while?"

"I'm tired."

"Are you sure you do not wish to come with us?" Sephiroth's offer made Genesis freeze, hand on the door pad. "It is not too late to request it. And you could use a small vacation."

The room was quiet as Genesis seemed to contemplate. Then, "No thanks, Seph; someone has to watch over the SOLDIER Corps. while you're away."

"My assistant can take care of everything."

"It's just a few days, Genesis," Angeal added. His tone was calm, but his words screamed, 'you must come with us!'

There was another pause until Genesis answered again, his voice cold and emotionless as ever, "I'm really tired. I want to go to bed. Good night, Commander; General." Just like that, the SOLDIER was gone and the room was deathly silent.

At long last, Angeal's sigh broke the spell over the apartment. He quietly muttered to Sephiroth, but must have forgotten Zack's mako-enhanced hearing as well as theirs, though the student tried hard not to eavesdrop, "If he keeps overloading himself with distractions, he's going to break down, sooner or later. And we may not be able to pull him out of it this time."

Sephiroth returned the wearied sigh and stared at his boots sadly, "I know, Angeal. But he's been broken, mended, and then shattered. There are only so many times we can pick the pieces back up and try to fix him. The cracks of the broken vase will always be present, Angeal, no matter how much glue we use to put it back together."

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"Seph, how much longer until we land?"

"I'll check with Tseng."

When Sephiroth disappeared into the cockpit, Angeal turned to Zack who sat his side. The commander knew his student had been wanting to ask a question ever since the previous night. "Something on your mind, Zack?"

Zack shifted a little, turning to look out the window, "Well, I was…just wondering…your friend…is he okay? He acts like…Angeal, he's like a ghost."

Angeal involuntarily winced. However, Zack was still turned away so hopefully, he didn't notice. But this certainly was a question he hoped Zack wouldn't ask. Nonetheless, Angeal cleared his throat and stared straight ahead, readying answers incase Zack pressed the issue, "He's just fine, Zack. Commander Rhapsodos is…" he paused. Zack was looking at him with curious intensity. Angeal attempted a reassuring smile. "Commander Rhapsodos is alright."

"But…why did he seem so…afraid of me?"

Here it comes… "Zack," Angeal wearily sighed, running his hand through his apprentice's hair. "Genesis just doesn't like to be around people much."

"Why?"

"He's just had some bad experiences, that's all."

Now Zack was really interested. "Like what? Like, bad relationships or something?" this time, Zack did see Angeal flinch. He now wished he hadn't said anything.

After a moment, however, Angeal softly smiled. Running his hand through Zack's hair again, he said, "Commander Rhapsodos is one of us top three ranking SOLDIERS. And he is strong. Don't worry about him; he's just fine." Thank Gaia, Zack seemed to let it go. Angeal just wished he himself could.

A/N: That's it for now. Hope y'all liked enough to tell me what you think. Til next time! ;)