A/N: Short chapter today, a few shorter stories from chapters 4-7 from doppelgangers, again, read that first. Some chapters have many short stories, as did chapter 3, and some others don't, like these few. When they are complete side stories they tend to be longer, when it was already touched upon in the original story I try to add in stuff, without repeating what was already said. Let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: ff7 belongs entirely to square enix


(Chapter 3-Chapter 4)

"Ready for a day of shopping?" Mary asked, as the group left the apartment and headed to the elevator.

"Oh yeah, just so excited." Morgan replied. Mary stuck her tongue out at his reply.

"You don't have to stay with us the whole time. You could always go to the arcade or something if you get bored." She replied.

They had just gotten paid, and were ready to go get new clothes. They had used their first few pay checks to buy things for their rooms, and other things that they deemed necessary, like computers and music players. They had held off on buying more clothing, partially because they knew that training would change their bodies. Now they were confident that they weren't going to change much more, and so they decided to go out and work on their wardrobes.

Once they got closer to the shops in Midgar, they decided to split into groups. Alanna and Ryu went to find higher end stores. Alanna preferred things that were more fashionable and high end, and she knew Genesis would throw a fit if she bought something that was cheap. Ryu joined her. She didn't care much either way, but as a Turk she made enough money to afford it, so she figured she would stay with Alanna. The boys went off together, to find a store with cheap and comfortable clothing, and then they would most likely make a stop at the gaming store they had found. Piper and Mary found a store with a large variety of clothes that were more cost efficient. Mary had gotten the money lecture from Angeal a few times already, and she didn't want to hear it again.

"Okay, we will split up, and meet back here in, let's say three hours." Mary said.

"Three hours? Why would it take three hours?" Morgan said, groaning.

"We are all different sizes, and different shapes in some cases. We will actually have to try things on. It may take longer than usual. Just find something to amuse yourselves for the extra time. It shouldn't be that hard." Mary said, as she started to walk off with Piper. "We'll call if we get done earlier." She added as they walked away.

The boys shook their heads, and walked off towards the store they planned on going to.

Mary and Piper sat down for a few minutes, they needed a break. They had discovered their new pant and shirt sizes, and had gotten a nice collection of casuals for everyday. Mary had decided that they should also get a few things that were dressier, in case they ever needed it.

"Why do you want dressy things so bad?" Piper asked her.

"I don't know. I just like dressy clothes. Plus, I want to look like a girl sometimes. I feel like I need to counteract the whole dressing as a SOLDIER thing. Even now, I still don't have a feminine build, so I want to dress girly, at least every once in a while." Mary explained.

"You want to make sure he sees you as a girl, don't you?" Piper asked, while lightly jabbing Mary in the side.

"What? Who? I don't know what you're talking about." Mary replied, pushing Piper off the bench. "Let's get going. We should try to get this done as soon as possible. And who knows, maybe we'll find you a nice skirt and you can wear it out on your date with Matti." Mary said, as she got up and started towards to skirt section.

"Yeah, good luck with that. I hate skirts." Piper said, following after her friend.

"Do you think I should get it?" Mary asked Piper. She was standing outside the dressing room, in a pink skirt, with black and white flowers on it.

"It looks good, so why not? Plus, it will totally freak the others out." Piper added.

"It is a nice cut. Plus, it will look good when I dye my hair black again. You know what, I'll get it. Now we just need to find a top that matches." Mary said, making her decision. They continued with their shopping, and left with their bags full of new clothing.

When the group returned to the apartment, the girls decided that they had to share their purchases with each other. The boys grumbled, and decided to put in one of the new games that they got. They were playing for about half an hour before they heard giggling break out from the girls' room.

"What's with all the giggling in there?" Morgan shouted.

"You won't believe me if I tell you." Ryu yelled in response. The boys looked at each other, paused their game, and decided to go see what was happening. When they entered the room, they saw Mary standing in a pink skirt and white tank top, with a pink scarf and black boots.

"What the…" Morgan began, before he too started out in giggles.

"Yup. Definitely needed to see that to believe it." Matti added.

"Seriously guys. It's just a pink skirt. Just because it isn't my favorite color doesn't mean I can't wear it." Mary said, while glaring at her friends.

"We just never expected to see you in a pink skirt. It looks good though." Ryu said, while recovering from her laughter.

"It does, you should wear it to dinner." Alanna said, while throwing a glance to Ryu. They both knew that she liked Angeal, and they were both prepared to meddle to get them together.

"I'll only do it if you all wear one of your new skirts. I don't want to be the only one." Mary said. The other girls nodded their heads, and started to go through the piles of clothes, deciding what they wanted to wear. The boys just shook their heads and walked out of the room.

"Girls." Matti said as they sat down to restart their game. Morgan just nodded.


(Chapter 5)

The group of six sat in their room that they had claimed, talking about some of the new things they were learning, when they heard a knock at the door.

"Who is it?" Ryu asked, in a singsong kind of tone.

"Tseng. I need to talk to the SOLDIER Turks." Tseng replied, waiting patiently at the door. When the group heard him, they quickly got up and opened the door.

"Yes Director?" Alanna asked.

"You three will be going through some Turk Testing tomorrow. Though you are mainly being trained as SOLDIERs, you may at times be needed to assist the Turks. I would like to run some tests and find out what your strengths are, so we can train you in those areas. Meet me in my office tomorrow morning." Tseng answered, before turning to his doppelganger. "And as for you, some time has opened in my schedule; we can do some hand to hand training tonight." He said, before turning to walk away.

"Oh goody." Matti muttered, before leaving the room and following Tseng out of the apartment.

"Turk Testing, I'm not sure I like the sound of that." Mary said, as she plopped back down on the couch.

"Whatever. It could be fun." Alanna replied, as she joined her on the couch.

"Today we will be doing some basic testing to determine what your strengths are. We will begin with some computerized tests to gauge your mental capacities, and then we will do the physical tests. Follow me please." Tseng said to the three SOLDIER Turks in his office. They simply nodded their heads and followed him down a hallway, to a room full of computers.

"There will be a variety of tests for you to go through to test different things. There will be instructions on the screen as to how each test is run. When you have finished each test, raise your hand so we can collect the data and you can move on." Tseng instructed, as the girls each chose a computer to sit at. "The first test should be open, and you can begin now. It should only take a few minutes." He added.

The moment Mary and Alanna looked at their screens, they knew what the test was. It was similar to a game that they played to pass time back in their world. Mary was obsessed with it, and could play at very high speeds. Alanna was also good at the game, though she could not go as fast. Piper knew the game, but did not understand it and hated playing in. "It's just like Minesweeper!" Mary whispered excitedly, while Alanna rolled her eyes. Once Tseng said that they could begin, Mary started clicking the mouse furiously.

Within a minute, Mary raised her hand, just as Tseng started to walk away. "Yes Mary, do you have a question?" Tseng asked.

"No question, I'm just done." She said proudly, earning herself the finger from Alanna, who was only halfway done.

"You can't be done already. Let me see." Tseng said, as he walked to Mary's computer screen.

"Well I am done; I must be good at this game or something." Mary said, trying to hide the fact that she played the game far too many times.

"Or something." Alanna muttered. Tseng looked at the screen, and saw that Mary had in fact finished the game, and in record time. He was about to question it, when Alanna raised her hand as well. "Done. And she is good at the test because it's like a game we have at home. She plays it all the time." She said, sticking her tongue out at Mary, who returned the favor.

"You didn't have to tell him that." Mary muttered. Tseng looked at both of them, and decided to let it go.

"Noted. You can both move on to the next test now." Tseng instructed, and both girls turned back to their computers to continue with the testing.

"I always hated this stupid game." They all heard from Piper, who was still struggling.

By the afternoon, the SOLDIER Turks were tired. They had gone through a few hours of computer testing, and then had to do physical testing for another couple of hours. It wasn't necessarily hard for them, but it was different from what they were used to doing. They were now sitting in a conference room, waiting for the results from their tests.

"I hate this part; the waiting. You no longer have any control of how well you did." Mary said as they waited.

"This isn't like a college test. It's just to give them an idea of what we are good at, so they can find a job for us to do that suits our strengths." Alanna said to Mary.

"Still makes me nervous like a college test." Piper replied; she had always hated tests. She got so nervous, and would spend hours studying. She had no way to study for these tests, and so she was even more nervous, and hoped that she had done well.

"It'll be okay, Puppy." Alanna said, as Tseng entered the conference room.

"The results are in, and we have decided what each of you will be trained for, and with whom you will be trained." Tseng began. "Now, where shall we start?" He said, as he looked over the three girls. "Mary, you will be trained for surveillance. You test high in visual acuity and you have a quick mind. You also did very well in climbing tests, and you are exceptionally fast. You will be trained to go through hours of video and report any anomalies, as well as being trained to set up and place security cameras when necessary." He began.

"Funny that the blind person scored so highly on visual acuity." Alanna said, causing Piper to giggle.

"It's because I'm blind that I can see smaller details and recognize patterns. When you can't see details, you need to learn to notice what you can to get through the day. I didn't get glasses until I was 12." Mary pointed out.

"I know. It was a joke. You didn't need to give us a lesson." Alanna retorted. Tseng cleared his throat.

"Sorry Sir." The two girls said, looking down at the desk in front of them.

"Alanna, you scored highest in emotion perception and problem solving. You will be training in interrogation analysis. You will watch interrogations and put together both the spoken and unspoken information that is given. The interrogators know how to do this, but it is good to have an extra perspective." He explained. Alanna had a devilish smile on her face, indicating she was pleased with the result.

"And as for you Piper, you surprisingly scored highest in stealth, and you scored very well in the physical testing. You will be being trained as a thief."

"That is perfect. She is pretty much impossible to track down or follow, and who would ever suspect her? She looks like a child; no one would ever suspect a thing." Mary said, with Alanna giggling and nodding.

"I agree. She has a look and disposition that will work well. That is all. I will have your specific training assignments soon. You are free for the day." Tseng said, as he turned and left the room.


(Chapter 6)

Mary sat on the bed in her room, humming while she worked. It was almost Christmas, and she was trying to finish the gifts she was making for everyone. She had been making blankets back in their world, but the work she did was lost, and she didn't have nearly enough time to start over since they arrived. So she settled with making a hat and two little pillows for each person. It was what she made them the year prior, but those were also left behind.

She worked quickly, trying to finish the last hat before Alanna got back from training. Mary was glad that she took the morning training sessions, and Alanna preferred the later ones. It gave Mary a chance to work on the gifts without anyone knowing. She was still sharing a room with Alanna, and Ryu, technically. But Ryu spent most of her time in Morgan's room, so Mary didn't worry about her.

When Mary was finished, she put the hat in the box with the others, and left the room, grabbing a different crochet project. Along with replacing her friend's gifts for Christmas, she was also trying to replace the blanket she had made for herself. She hadn't been able to find the same patterned yarn, but she did find a few bright colors that would suffice. Mary loved bright colors, and it definitely reflected in her room, and most of her wardrobe. Genesis always scoffed when he was in the room, thinking the bright colors to be tacky.

As Mary sat on the couch in the living room, she continued humming Christmas carols. She loved Christmas, and was even more energetic because of it. She didn't care much about getting presents, but she loved making them for others. And she also just loved the spirit that came with the season, and especially snow. She was upset to find that there was no snow in Midgar.

The group of doppelgangers had decided to celebrate on their own, not including the SOLDIERs or the Turks in their festivities. Mary found it hard not to get excited and explain Christmas to her new friends, but she had managed to keep quiet. She understood that the group wanted something that was all their own, and so they were going to celebrate in their meeting place.

The girls had found things to decorate the room. They didn't have a tree, or the traditional decorations, but they made do with what they could find. Mary had made a lot of crochet snowflakes, as she did the year prior, and had hung them from the ceiling of the room. It was very festive, and made her very happy every time they were in there.

"What are you humming?" Zack asked, as he and Piper joined Mary on the couch.

"Just a song, you wouldn't know it." Mary replied, smiling and winking at Piper. Piper scooted over to Mary, and they sat crocheting and humming together.


(Chapter Seven)

The four girls sat in their room, singing some of their favorite Christmas carols. They were waiting for the boys to return from work. The girls heard footsteps outside the door, and a knock.

"What are you guys doing? Can we join?" They heard, and recognized Zack's voice.

"Sorry puppy. This is our night, you have to stay out." Mary replied.

"Aww. You guys are no fun." Zack said, as his shoulders slumped and he started to walk away.

"We are plenty of fun. Right guys?" Mary said, as she chugged her spiked eggnog. Alanna had somehow managed to find something similar to the holiday drink, and had also managed to spike it. After finishing her eggnog, Mary went to find another drink. She didn't drink very often, but when she did, she drank a lot, and very quickly.

"You are supposed to enjoy it." Alanna said to her. "I worked hard to find it."
"I did enjoy it. It was very tasty." Mary replied. "What else do we have?" Alanna rolled her eyes, and got up to make Mary another drink. She always tried to get her to slow down, but she knew it wouldn't work. Luckily, Mary knew when to stop. Plus, she was quite entertaining when she had alcohol in her system. Alanna was curious to find out what she would do.

The girls continued singing and making jokes and giggling until the boys returned. When they did, they were promptly smashed with pillows. The group enjoyed light conversation, and more alcohol, and teased each other until they heard a knock at the door.

"You know what would be fun? The Christmas Can-Can!" Mary said, in an excited whisper.

"If you lead, I will follow." Alanna said. Piper and Ryu nodded behind her.

"Okay, then let's go." Mary said, while grabbing a pillow and heading for the door. The others followed suit, and threw the pillows at Reno as they left the room.

After their performance, they returned to the room, and broke out in giggles. There was some light teasing, and they started to feel the effects of the alcohol more. Piper started dozing off on Matti's lap, and Ryu had curled up onto Morgan. Alanna had leaned on Mary's lap and was getting her hair pet.

"See, this is why I give you alcohol. You are much more fun when you loosen up." Alanna said to Mary.

"Hey, I am fun all the time." Mary replied.

"Nuh uh. You are all boring when Angeal is around." Alanna said, and Ryu nodded her head.

"It's true. You get all quiet and you act all, adult." Ryu said. "It's not like he is going to not like you because you act like a kid every now and again." She added.

"Oh shush it. There is nothing wrong with acting my age." Mary said. She had been keeping her childish side at bay. She was worried that if she acted like herself, she would seem young and irresponsible. She wanted Angeal to see her as more than that. She didn't want him to look at him the way he looked at Zack. And she definitely did not want to be seen as a puppy.

"Oh no, she's getting cranky. Better get her some more alcohol." Morgan said.

"No. I think I'm done for the night. I know it isn't Christmas yet, but can we open a few presents?" She asked. She had made two presents for each of them, and she wanted them to open the pillows, so they could use them that night.

"Sure. What would you like us to open?" Ryu replied. She wasn't sure, but she had a pretty good idea about what Mary had made for them. Mary was not very discreet, nor was she good at keeping secrets that weren't important.

"These ones." Mary said, as she handed the boxes to each person. They all opened them, and took out their new pillows.

"How did I know?" Ryu said, pulling out her pillow, and smacking Morgan in the face with it.

"HEY!" Morgan yelled, as he took out one of his pillows and hit Ryu back. Alanna got up from her place on the floor, and smacked Matti across the face. With that, a full out pillow war was started.

When the fight seemed to die down, they decided that it was time for bed. They all got up and changed into their pajamas, and lay down on the floor of pillows and blankets. It was one in the morning by that time.

"Merry Christmas, yo." Ryu said, as everyone started to fall asleep.


(Chapter 7)

Mary woke to loud pounding on the door. She was very unhappy. It was Christmas, and they were supposed to have the morning off to open presents. When she got up, she met Angeal at the door. He informed her that they all had missions to go on, and that she would need to wake the others up. As she turned, she looked at her friends, and hated that she was the one who always seemed to have to wake them up.

Mary wasn't sure of the best way to do it. Last time, she had gone to each person and woken them up. But, it was Christmas, and there was a chance she could get everyone up by talking loudly. She decided that it was the best and most efficient way to go; they would all need to be up and dressed as quickly as possible.

"Guys, wake up! It's Christmas!" She yelled. The group all startled awake, and looked at her with angry eyes.

"Why are you yelling?" Alanna said, as she covered her ears.

"Sorry to break it to you, but, um, we all have missions. We need to get up now." Mary said, while she walked over and started collecting her blankets. Ryu and Alanna both glared at her. Just then, Reno burst through the door.

"Come on Ryu, up and at 'em. We got work to do, yo." Reno said. Ryu glare moved to Reno, as she started to get up, grabbing her blankets and following Reno out the door. Mary had practically run from the room when Reno barged in. She was glad for the distraction, and didn't want to be around her cranky friends. She jumped in the shower quickly, and then dressed and packed her bag. They hadn't gotten any details on the mission, but she had been told to always pack for a few days, because you would never know how long you could be away. She waited for Alanna and Piper in the living room, where they were met by Zack, who took them to the helicopter.

"Great. A helicopter ride." Mary grumbled. She had gotten slightly more used to the helicopter, but she was still not a fan. And with the other SOLDIERs with them, she doubted that she would have her usual comfort of Angeal's hair to play with.

"It's okay Mary; I'll sit next to you." Piper said, encouraging her friend. When they got into the helicopter, Piper did just that, and within minutes was leaning on Mary, falling back asleep. Mary was glad Piper was with her, and that she took the opportunity to play with her hair.

When they arrived at their location, Mary's eyes widened and she became very excited, though she tried to hide it. When the helicopter door opened, she could see snow. It was a perfect way to make up for them not getting presents. Mary almost burst into laughter when Alanna tripped into it, and started complaining about it. She knew her friend hated snow, but she herself loved it. She saw Piper and Zack jump into a snow bank, and start making snow angels. She told them to stop, but only because she wanted to join, but was pretty sure she would get lectured for it. She decided that she would enjoy the snow once they were settled in. She followed the SOLDIERs into the Inn, not knowing what to expect.

Once everything was settled with the Inn, the SOLDIERs left to take care of the monsters in the area. Mary took the opportunity to enjoy the snow. She put on her jacket, and asked Piper if she wanted to join. Piper's face lit up, and she grabbed her coat and followed Mary. Once outside, they had a small little snowball fight, and then made a small snowman. Once the sun set, they went back inside and did the checks that they were supposed to do of the hotel. Mary went to check to SOLDIERs room, and found Alanna lying on Genesis' bed, reading LOVELESS. She shook her head, closed the door.

She returned to her own room, and sat on the bed. She hadn't thought to bring anything to do, so she sat back on the bed. She laughed at how Alanna had slept on Genesis' lap in the helicopter, and how she was currently laying on his bed reading his copy of LOVELESS. Alanna was always quoting that play, just as Genesis did. Mary hated the quoting. She didn't actually mind the play, but it got annoying after the first few times.

Mary laughed and shook her head. She knew that Alanna liked Genesis, and she wasn't too happy about it. Genesis and Mary didn't get along very well. Their personalities clashed, and anytime they were around each other, there was typically a little war of insults happening. The more Alanna trained with Genesis, the more he rubbed off on her. Mary could handle Alanna acting that way, but it was only because they had been friends for so long; she couldn't take it when Genesis was acting that way though. But even though she disliked Genesis, she still wanted Alanna to be happy. She could understand why she liked him; he was rather attractive, even though Mary continually teased him for being pretty.

She shook her head. She was getting tired, and the SOLDIERs still weren't back. Mary went outside, and looked in the direction that they had left. They didn't appear to be on their way back, so Mary went back inside, and got ready for bed, she was exhausted from the stress of the helicopter ride; and maybe from the alcohol the night before.