The state dinner came far too quickly.

It was being held in a magnificent section of the city, smooth streets, illuminated marble fountains and imported trees and bushes that would doubtless perish before very long. Normally, Rill lived in Sector Three. However, for the week leading up to the dinner, Rufus arranged for her to stay in a hotel closer to the site so that the Turks could easily monitor and protect her.

Rill despaired of every being able to return to some semblance of anonymity after the event since the infuriating jerk, Rufus, had been the perfect dastardly gentleman and had managed to lock down all of her information. So much so that no one outside the company knew she was his date. This might sound like a truly gentlemanly move, but all it would accomplish would be to heighten people's fascination with the Vice-President's mysterious date. And Rufus knew it.

She draped the white shawl around her shoulders with a fluttery nervous feeling in her stomach. She was exposed, her shoulders barely covered by the silky fabric of her dress, in the dark blue that Rufus had recommended with a white ribbon tied around her waist to give a further impression of slimness. She had only a simple silver necklace for jewelry, a choker that coiled tightly around her throat. No letting down your guard for even a moment. She reminded herself, forcing herself to swallow. She knew that by the end of the night, she would no doubt be feeling a little inadequate as a woman considering the wealth of those she was going to be rubbing shoulders with tonight.

She gripped her clutch tighter than she intended as the Planet told her that the driver, and her escort, had arrived. Rill forced herself to stay calm until she heard the knock on the door.

Upon opening it, she found herself face to face with Tseng, whose face softened somewhat and he offered her a slight smile.

He thinks you look nice. The Planet said, cooing. Tseng's efforts to protect Aeris and Rill both were fully appreciated. He might be working for Shinra, but...well, the Planet didn't really care that he did.

"He's almost here. Are you ready?" She gave him a half grimace, half smile. Elmyra had sat the Turk down and told him in no uncertain terms how she expected Rill to be treated tonight while Aeris tried not to laugh and Rill tried not to melt into the floor in embarrassment.

Rufus was coming along the hall once Tseng had signaled that she was ready, flanked by Katana, the sword master among the Turks. The young Vice President was wearing a finer version of his daily white suit with a blue cravat that went along with her dress.

"You look splendid, Rill." She couldn't resist the urge to give him a flat look. She looked and felt like a girl playing at being a woman. No dress could accomplish that, even if it was of a fine silk, in a shade of blue that she had decided she adored. His eyes lingered for a moment on her necklace and he nodded, apparently satisfied.

"You chose silver. Excellent. This would have been embarrassing otherwise." One of the Turks, dressed in their usual uniform stepped forward and she saw a glint of admiration in Katana's usually stoic gaze as he examined her, holding a chest of some kind...

Rill's eyes widened as Rufus opened the box to reveal silver jewelry, several slim silver bangles meant to be worn together, the occasional stone set into them catching the light just so. There was also a pair of glittering diamond earrings. All pure and of very fine quality. The Planet assured her of that.

She was so stunned that Rufus had slipped the bracelets onto her wrists and clipped the earrings onto her unpierced ears before she could say a word.

"What are you doing?" She said, finding her voice in her surprise. Rufus looked at her with some mild reproach.

"You don't think I'd embarrass you by asking you to do this without making sure you could look the part, do you?" He offered her another bouquet of orchids, only these were white. She let out a slow breath and accepted them. She did like the flowers and Aeris hadn't been able to coax any into growing yet... They would go into the vase beside the blue ones he had sent earlier that week. Rufus eyes her for a moment, then plucked one of the flowers out and tucked it neatly into her updo, a looser, more elegant hairstyle than her usual look. He then inspected her for a moment before nodding and smiling his apparent approval.

"What are you doing?" Rill was bemused at how far he was going just to get her as a right hand. She wouldn't have figured that Rufus, with his horrible, dirty pick up lines, would be...like this.

He graced her with a rather sincere smile that held part genuine enjoyment and part mischief.

"The world expects me to have the best beside me. As my father's son, I am entitled to no less."

"You are lying, sir." She said dryly, ignoring Katana who had stepped back into shadowing position. "If that were the case, you would have sent me what I was expected to wear and it would doubtless have made Scarlet appear conservative."

Rufus offered her his arm once she had secured the white bouquet which she took as they walked out to their limo.

"My father's reputation and my own joking aside, Rill, I do know how to treat a woman properly. When she's worth it, I take great satisfaction in doing so."


On the ride to the estate where the dinner would be taking place, Rufus explained that he didn't expect her to be more than arm candy, though some commentary about other guests would not go amiss.

"Aren't you supposed to have been there earlier? To welcome guests as they arrived?" He smirked.

"I must see to the comfort and security of my date, Miss Nerilka. My father understood perfectly." There was a slight, dry drollness to the way he said this that made Rill fairly certain that whatever the President of the company had thought of Rufus's choice of company, he didn't have that high an opinion of her.

"Of course, sir." Rufus's smirk lessened as he regarded her steadily.

"Regardless of how you may view this evening, Rill. It would be easier if you called me by name."

"I wouldn't want to give anyone the wrong impression, sir." She replied with a hint of sarcasm. You're not subtle, sir. Or at least, I don't think you are. I am not on first name terms with you. You're not my boss directly, but you're still high enough above me to make this socially awkward.


Or not.

Putting on a polite smile was actually not that different from her day to day work, only most of these people didn't see her on a daily basis. The airheaded polite chatter was easily forgotten, though Rill was careful to remember some faces as the chatter continued.

There wasn't much time for talk as Rufus lead her to the table that she assumed would be theirs.

"My father will be holding court somewhere over there." He indicated a long table towards the front of the room.

"We will not be part of said court." She observed as he pulled out her chair for her before sitting down himself.

"He doesn't have enough money to make me do that."

Unfortunately, the only saving grace for dinner was Rufus himself. For all that she knew that he was, in some fashion, pushing for a distinct angle, he was still the most tolerable person she spoke to.

There were a dozen different attempts from those at their table to get more information on her background, where she came from, her education, etc. The assumption was plain that if she was accompanying Rufus to this event then she must be rich and not have much else worth noting. The implication left a bad taste in her mouth, though Rufus reacted to the comments with nothing but the blithe suggestion that the guest in question was insulting his intelligence.

"Nerilka has been a tremendous asset to the company, managing to cut our damage budget down to a fraction of what it was before." His ice colored eyes flicked towards her, passing the lead to her.

"You flatter me, sir." She said modestly, tilting her head slightly in acknowledgement.

"Nonsense!" One man's voice behind her made a shiver of revulsion crawl down her spine. The President... A soft, unpleasantly sticky hand fell on her exposed shoulder. "You're too modest, my girl! I've heard nothing but good things about you!" Judging by her date's reaction, this was an unwanted hitch in his plans. Rufus had been controlling the conversation deftly but with his father present, he had to take a step back or else expose his hand.

"Like father, like son, sir. It's nothing that special." Please get your hand off of me... Rill's smile looked as relaxed and genuine as it ever did, but she was cringing inside. The similarities between President Gunther Shinra and Don Corneo of the slums were too many for her to be comfortable in his presence.

"Rufus, you should have told me that you were planning on bringing Miss Thomas tonight, I would have gladly gotten a place for you at the head table!" Rufus gave a smile in answer to his father's remarks.

"I didn't wish to subject Nerilka to the full spotlight yet, father." Alarm bells started chiming distantly in Rill's head. There was something major in Rufus's words... Pres Shinra caught it too and suddenly he was regarding her with a keen calculation that was rarely ever seen from the man. It was sometimes hard to believe, with the multitude of quirks and scandals, the blatant corruption and Rill's overall low opinion of the man that this man was the founder of a company that had grown to functionally control the world in less than three decades. He was a businessman and politician of epic proportions, even if he was a shameless hedonist and a tyrant as well.

"Quite so, son." The man gave Rill another calculating look behind a too wide smile. "Next time then, Miss Thomas." Rill gave a neutral smile in answer and a noncommittal sound. If she had her way there wouldn't be a next time period. If she had to attend the damn functions, she'd probably ask Sephiroth herself just to avoid this nonsense! That or she would take the week of the function off and be in Mideel on vacation! Anything but here!

A line of tension went out of Rill's shoulders once President Shinra moved on, chatting with more people at various tables. Rufus restarted the conversation, but this time, kept attention away from her.

Rill's gaze wandered around the room, noting several familiar faces. She spotted three places where Turks were subtly stationed and knew that at least twice that many were monitoring the situation outside alongside a squad from SOLDIER. An event like this was certain to be a target for anti-Shinra terrorist activity. Almost every executive in the company was here. Doubtless there had been a thorough sweeping of the entire city to ensure this would proceed without incident.

Rill spotted Sephiroth easily. He was standing over in another part of the room with Angeal and Genesis, and the trio were almost entirely surrounded by adoring, admiring women. Genesis had one on his arm, though she didn't recall news of him asking one specifically to accompany him. Likely he had just picked her out of the crowd and she was too starstruck to do anything but swoon.

The Silver General's head turned and their eyes met. The Planet informed her very smugly that he was surprised at her appearance and thought she looked beautiful.

Are you starting to act like Aeris? She asked incredulously. She got the distinct impression of laughter in response and little else.

All three of the 1st Class SOLDIER cut a dashing image in their suits. She could definitely see why they were used as recruitment poster advertisements.

A touch on her shoulder brought her attention back to Rufus who had risen and was extending a hand to her with a charming smile.

"Formality calls, Nerilka." Dancing was being prepared for as servers came to clear away the dinner dishes. President Shinra was still making rounds of his supporters and enemies, thus opening the dancing likely fell to Rufus and by extension to her.

She rose, accepting his hand as he led her to the dance floor. Thank goodness that Aeris was enough of a hopeless romantic to have badgered her into learning ballroom dancing. Apparently, the Turks had taught Aeris how to do it originally. The Turks of all people! Rill was far from an expert, but she could pass herself off as graceful at the very least provided her partner knew what he was doing.

And it was clear that Rufus did know exactly what he was doing. His hand was just at her ribcage, positioned in a place that didn't convey possession, perversion, or uneasiness. A comfortable place. She was glad for her gloves to conceal her own nervously sweating palms as a modestly paced piece began to play. So many eyes...

"You are full of surprises, Rill." He noted after a few turns where Rill managed to keep her footing without making her inexperience plain. Relax, loosen up and flow with your partner. She reminded herself, letting him guide her through a gentle spin.

"I don't recall giving permission to call me by my first name sir, let alone my nickname." She replied cooly. This only served to make him chuckle.

"Always so cold. Is there anyone you trust fully?"

"A select few." In order: Aeris, Elmyra, Zack, Reno, Tseng, Cloud, Sephiroth. Other Turks and SOLDIERs to a lesser extent. But no real friends. Or what other people would consider friends.

"What does it take to be included in that exclusive group?" She let a touch of sharpness show in her smile.

"Not being an ambitious heir to a company of Shinra's size and success would help." Not having an agenda that could span the entirety of Midgar.

"How unfortunate. I thought we were doing very well together." The blonde she danced with said diffidently.

Yes... Rill thought hard as she and Rufus continued to dance, only intermittently exchanging jibes at each other and their fellow guests. That's what's worrying me. You're making yourself very appealing. Even though I know you have something planned, something involving me, I am enjoying being around you.

It was rather refreshing, the dance they had been engaging in since Rufus got her to work for him for a week. He wanted her on his side and wasn't above appealing to her taste to get her. I cannot possibly be this valuable to him. Both were fully aware that they were engaging in a silent battle, a conflict that lay solely between them. Practically no one else was involved in this fight. Just the two of them...

That's too fair. She realized abruptly. Rufus was a master manipulator. He knew that fighting fair was a luxury no matter what battle you were in. So why would he do it with her? Where was his ace...?

After an indeterminate time, they left the dance floor. Rufus had quite masterfully kept Rill away from a loudly laughing, and rather tipsy Heidegger throughout all that time, as well as his father, both of which she was rather grateful for.

"I believe the good General will be unhappy about my monopolizing your attention so wholly." He murmured to her with a vindictive amusement in his voice. Rill scoffed quietly. He's like a child bragging about a new toy!

"Sir, I have yet to meet anyone suited to gloating. Please stop." He fixed her with an intent, almost smoldering look and spoke in a soft smooth voice.

"Why should I? I have secured easily the most captivating woman in Madgar as my date." His tone was so sincere she almost blushed. Almost. This was Rufus after all. She looked him in the eye with a quirked brow.

"Good tone, good line. The smolder is a bit much." The semi seductive look dropped, replaced by his usual satisfied smirk.

"Excellent. Too much for you, is usually everything a lesser woman would want." And that kind of fiddly compliment that required unravelling was just the kind that made her cheeks feel hot. Was she better or worse than other women? Something being too much for her, implied weakness and a lack, a stark contradiction to him referring to the rest of her gender as lesser.

I am caught somewhere between admiring your intelligence and cunning and violently wanting to turn you inside-out. Rill's carefully screened glower changed into a look of genuine surprise when she spotted a familiar streak of red.

Reno was eyeing her from his post on the other side of the room. And his usual on the job composure, such as it was, was marred by worry. Come to think of it, Tseng was nervous about tonight as well.

"Would you care for a drink?" Rufus asked, drawing her attention back as he gestured at a waiter standing ready with a tray of dainty flutes. She gave him a look. Champagne during the meal had been unavoidable. She was at her limit and would not go past it. As any child of the slums knew, too much liquor meant bad news.

"Water or something non-alcoholic." She stated dryly. Rufus waved at the waiter standing close enough to listen. He gave something between a bow and a deep nod before striding away, tray balanced perfectly.

"I am afraid I have some business to attend to." Rufus informed Rill once the man had returned with their glasses and they had refreshed themselves. "See that couple over there? The woman in the dark purple and the man who needs a better hairstyle?" Rill glanced at the pair he indicated. They were chatting and mingling the same as everyone else, but she caught the man's eyes flicking hastily away from them.

"I see them." She said, barely moving her lips. "Kindly leave me with someone else, sir. I have nothing to do with your personal business." You are not involving me with you allies in this coup, jackass. Leave me out of it!

"It would be churlish of me to abandon my date." He responded.

"Then I'm afraid I suddenly must use the restroom." She said just as archly. She handed him her empty glass and made her way around the edges of the room towards the hall where her goal was located.

He's not giving up, is he? She thought once she had gained a measure of privacy, letting her cool, adult persona lapse for a moment. The calm unruffled mask dropped to reveal a scared, shaking girl who felt as if she were barely managing to tread water. Rill had handled a lot of people since coming to Shinra, and she had been hoping to just glide through quietly to her desired information without drawing attention from the higher ups. But she supposed that had been a hopeless plan from the first moment that Sephiroth had picked her out of the crowd when she stood up to Scarlett.

Rufus was going to get annoying fast if he kept this up. And she couldn't think of anyway of getting rid of him without giving him what he wanted.

She heard a few other women enter. Rill stayed still and quiet as she listened. Bathrooms were actually an excellent place to hear gossip. Women were so ingrained to move in packs that it was actually quite simple to get the scoop on something if you stayed invisible and listened.

"-looked at me!" One woman was clearly very excited.

"Don't be silly, he was looking at the little mystery the Vice President had on his arm." Rill's mood went down hill. She didn't need to hear women snipping about her. She wanted more useful information than that.

One voice spoke in a calm, curious sort of way.

"Almost everyone was at one point or another. No one I've spoken to has the faintest clue who she is. And those that do know her can't give me the same story. I heard Scarlett say she was a simple penpusher. But Director Lazard claims she's one of the most critical people in the SOLDIER program."

"If by important you mean that the General's got it for her..." This mutter was said in a most sulky manner. Rill almost groaned. Almost. Of course it would be some Sephiroth fans that came to that conclusion.

"That's ridiculous. If that were the case, she would be hanging off his arm instead of the Vice President's." The woman's voice took on an appreciative purr. "Sephiroth seems to be the type to go after whatever he wants and not. Ever. Stop." Eh. Not quite. The only thing he really hunts and hoards like a dragon is cookies.

"What if he did and she turned him down?"

"Impossible. Who in their right mind would say no to a man like that?" Me since a lot of my best information is reliant on staying in the good graces of his fanclub.

"I don't know...why else would he be staring at her?"

"It was only a few glances. Hardly gawking."

"It's more than anyone else got."

"He's not the only one."

Rill resisted the urge to scrub her eyes in weariness. Aeris would kill her if she smudged her carefully applied makeup. Gossip was always a two edged sword, you never knew what you might get. But Sephiroth paying attention to her implied he was worried for some reason. Need to talk to him without getting the gossip circles riled even higher than they already are now...Tseng and Reno worry because it's their job to be paranoid about everything. But what could they know of and Sephiroth as well that I didn't hear about?


Rill was back in the ballroom and very content to be free from Rufus for at least a little while. She wandered about the edges of the room, altering her posture to a more subtle glide that wouldn't draw the eye to her.

She was greeted by a few standard troopers who were guarding the doors and was surprised and delighted to find that Cloud was present.

The boy had improved greatly in his confidence in talking to her, though his partner seemed paralyzed with nerves.

"You look great, Miss Nerilka." Cloud said sincerely, a smile coming onto his face.

"You're looking sharp yourself, Cloud." She replied. "How's your mom doing? I hope the flu's passed her by." The young infantry shrugged.

"Ma never stays sick for long. She shook it off after a day while everyone else was out for a week. She was out and helping doctor everyone else the moment she could walk." There was a clear note of pride and confidence in Cloud's voice whenever he talked about his mother. The kid made it no secret that he loved her and respected her strength for living the way she did up in the unforgiving mountains. From what she had heard from him, Skye Strife sounded like one hell of a woman.

"She sounds like you." Rill teased. She had never let Cloud forget what she had said about his heroic streak. And despite the way he tried to wave it off as unimportant, she only ever saw further validation of her comment. The flashy heroics were few and far between for Cloud, but he worked hard and tried his best. His honesty was something she admired in him, as well as his ambition, signing up for Shinra at the age of 15 in pursuit of his dreams, then sending almost all of his wages back to his mother.

"She's way tougher than I am."

"Don't keep selling yourself short Cloud. You don't have that many inches to spare, you know?" Rill's first honestly relaxed conversation of the evening was interrupted by a howl that she knew rather well.

Oh no...

The building was shaped like a large rectangle with a large hollow space in the middle that served as an elegantly decorated courtyard. It was usually used for large outdoor galas and the double glass doors that led to it were standing open and Rill saw only a vague blur outside along with snarling and the sounds of people in pain. The Planet winced as it showed her flickers of what had already transpired. A mangled arm, the bone gleaming through the shredded flesh. A slashed face, blood running into too young eyes. One terrified infantry standing against the unknown terror that was circling the three of them like the hunter he was. And she knew with a cold fist closing around her gut, that the wounds would only become worse if she didn't do something.

The problem was being caused by Dark Nation, the altered displacer beast that Rufus had rescued from the labs instead of letting him to put down once his usefulness as a specimen had ended. The beast was unusually clever and strong, but he had only listened to Rufus. Anyone else trying to handle him had been mauled rather badly. At least, until Rill had won the creature over and reinforced the half hearted commands that Rufus had trained him to respond to. There's no one else. The infantry don't dare shoot him because he's Rufus's pet. The SOLDIER can't intervene for the same reason!

The realization of the significance of what was about to transpire, what she was about to do, hit her like a casting of Bolt 3 as she stalked towards the outside. Her surprise transformed into rage that wanted to burn everything she saw to the ground. This is his ace...that bastard! But she forced the fire back behind her breast bone, every particle of it until only icy fury remained.

"Dark Nation!" She called, her anger making her usually warm voice frigid and unforgiving. At the summons, the unknown beast that served as Rufus's pet stopped harassing its victims, a trio of infantry that had been protecting the guest from harm.

Rill stared down at the animal from across the distance of several yards. A tense moment of silence and Dark Nation's hackles lowered and he came slinking forward, head bowed low in shame. He knew he was going to be scolded.

"Bad." Rill said flatly. "You know better than that. Down." Dark Nation whined at the hostility in her tone and pressed himself low to the ground in obvious subservience. A glance aside and the secretary saw a Turk cadet, a young man whose mouth was set in a hard line as he approached with the heavy lead that often needed to be replaced due to Dark Nation's slightly acidic fangs. He moved to reattach it to the heavy harness the animal wore only for him to snarl threateningly.

"Ho!" Rill barked, aware of hundreds of eyes watching her. "Leave it!" At the brisk command, the beast settled once again, tame but obviously unhappy at having displeased Rill.

"Thank you, Miss Nerilka." The cadet said, inclining his head towards her, but refusing to meet her level, unimpressed gaze. She thought she saw a glint of shame in them. Not your fault kid. She was going to have words with Rufus once this little drama had blown over. But first, healing. Old habits of her childhood never let her go anywhere without materia in a bangle, particularly a Restore. She had clasped it around her ankle under the hem of her dress to avoid drawing suspicion. Carrying it openly would be all but stating that she was uncomfortable. She had yet to see a situation where it was a bad thing.

"Let's see." Rill examined the man with the slashed arm first, ignoring the hussle and chatter around her. She motioned a serving hand forward.

"Press your towel to the other one's forehead and do not let either of them go into shock. Keep them talking." The young woman had a very pale face at the sight of the blood, but once given directions, she followed them.

Rill had a deft touch with materia and Restore was something she had ample practice with. While she couldn't restore the lost blood with her current crystal, she could heal the young man, Isaac, to the point where he was no longer in any danger of losing his arm. A swift application of her Heal materia eliminated the lingering anticoagulants Dark Nation seemed capable of producing at a whim. (She didn't know where the beast had come from originally. She would have wagered a year's salary that he had passed through the labs multiple times before landing with Rufus.)

As she sealed the second man's scalp, she noticed that her date had been helping settle things down again. Rufus glided through the murmuring crowd that surrounded her work space, a very satisfied smirk on his face that Rill had to force herself not to smack away. With the wounded healed and her mind settled, it only left room to become angry at him. And to notice that the lovely dress had gotten blood on it while she worked, though that help much less priority in the face of her carefully controlled wrath.

"Thank goodness you were close enough, Rill." he said in just loud enough of a voice for it to carry. "I don't think he would have listened to me as riled up as he was."

"It would certainly have confused him." She agreed noncommittally, her eyes boring into Rufus' with a hint of concealed anger. The jackass had the nerve to smile at her!


"You staged that." She said to him tightly back in the car that would take her home. The dinner had been called to a swift conclusion in light of the 'security breach'. The violence had put the other guests off of lingering as the injured were taken away for medical care.

"I haven't the faintest idea what you are talking about." Rufus said, too satisfied to be touched by her anger.

"Oh don't you?" She asked, sarcasm rolling over her voice. "Won't everyone be wondering just how personally we must be acquainted since your vicious pet heels to me like a tame puppy!?" Right in front of the media and guests, in plain view of everyone, Dark Nation had broken off a hunt after he had gotten blood. Something not even Rufus could get him to do easily. And under the influence of her commands alone allowed himself to be led away.

There had been men who lost their hands to the beast if they came too close.

Rill was furious. With herself for not anticipating the power play Rufus had forced on her. For the impression that all of Midgar would get the following morning that she was in a close enough relationship with the man to warrant such obedience from Dark Nation. With Rufus himself for not so much as having the gumption to try and make a legitimate move towards initiating an actual relationship instead of relying on social pressure like this.

"You forced my hand, Rill." He said calmly. "I said I want you with me and I will do whatever I have to in order to make that happen."

"You'd have been better off keeping up the charming act." She informed him frigidly, stripping off all the jewelry he had provided her with. "Fear may motivate many people, sir. But not all of them." She dumped the silver and gems into his lap and exited the car without a backwards glance.


Rufus watched Rill go with a frown that only showed once she had left with a swirl of her blood stained hem.

Well that didn't go as planned. He didn't know Rill that well, but apparently there was more spine to the woman that he had previously thought. The end goal had been a reluctant alliance that would eventually smooth into a decent working relationship. In the front seat, Tseng was very pointedly not looking at him.

"You are welcome to say it." He invited, gathering up the jewelry that had been thrown at him with care.

"I don't believe that is necessary, sir." The Turk with possibly the best relationship with the uncannily efficient secretary said blandly. "I found she made her point very clear."

"That she did." Rufus conceded. This...miscalculation on his part would very likely set him back in her regard. She does not take to roundabout manipulation. Noted. So in order to keep her from digging in her heels altogether about working with him, he needed to change his angle. He supposed he had better continue with his initial plan and try to befriend her. Or at the moment, acquire her forgiveness. But...without outright begging. He didn't think it would be that effective even if he did stoop to that level. Rill was one of the more reasonable people he knew, it would just take time. How long, he didn't know. He had never seen or even heard of her being as angry as she was right now.

"Tseng, you know Nerilka outside of work." It was not a question. Rufus knew that his current goal was rather fond of the Wutian blooded Turk.

"Yes, sir." Came the all but toneless answer. He was anticipating, dreading, some order that he would have to carry out that would exploit the relationship he had with Rill and her family.

"How does one buy her forgiveness?" This earned a small snort from his henchman.

"The expression you are looking for, sir, is earn her forgiveness." Cannot be bought. Must be done at her dictated pace and whim. Rufus scowled. Another delay. But his plans couldn't proceed without her either on his side or her silence ensured. She knew too much. Could see too clearly. She was a loose end. One he was loath to cut off carelessly. It would be a criminal waste of her abilities to simply have her killed. That and he would have a difficult time finding a Turk willing to do it.

He needed the Department of Administrative Research on his side. They were the grand sum of his army at the moment. And there was nothing better for sowing mutiny among the ranks than to order the death of someone they all liked. Simply hiring a mercenary to eliminate her wouldn't fix the problem either. It would amount to the same thing. Having infiltration agents and assassins was a two edged sword in this regard. And Rill's death, no matter how natural it seemed, would all but slam the door on relations with the ranks of SOLDIER and the infantry, even if it might get him Scarlett. The head of Weapons Development despised Sephiroth's personal secretary. Rill's initial action forced the brazen researcher to hold herself in check constantly.

No, Rill had to live. Rufus had concluded that the first evening after Rill subtly told him that she wasn't interested in his coup. But apparently his only real option now was to do as Tseng had said. Earn her forgiveness the long and slow way.

Rufus scowled.

This could take years. But I suppose a little more caution on my part could have prevented this from becoming necessary. Nerilka Thomas...for someone who can avert as much trouble as you do for my company, you have a habit of causing it for me.