A/N: Please review.
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters from Final Fantasy.
Derailed
Chapter 8
"Any words on his whereabouts?"
The Turks regrettably shook their heads. The man clad in all white combed an aggravated hand through his short golden tresses as he sighed. This was anything but good. All of these events just had to be playing out in the rebels favor. If one of those nuisances' found him and he disclosed what really happened behind Shinra walls, he and his company would really be screwed. And the longer the experiment was left to wonder about Midgar, unsupervised, the more of a headache he seemed to become.
"Is there anything at all that could be helpful in locating him and executing his capture?" Rufus asked, growing more pissed by the moment.
The men remained silent. They were all too familiar with their boss' temper and wanted no part in the hell he was most likely going to raise.
"Then what the fuck am I paying you for?" Rufus snapped angrily.
"Well," Reno piped up. "I have the coordinates for his last sighting, just before he removed the tracker."
Rufus turned his icy, sapphire glare onto the man with red unkempt hair. "Why didn't you say anything sooner?"
"Because, sir, you stated that you already checked there." Said Reno.
Rufus arched a questionable brow, "What are these coordinates exactly?"
"On the outskirts of Midgar, seven miles from the city limits."
The exact location of Amaye Frost's home.
His eyes narrowed threateningly as he folded his arms at the small of his back, turning away from the Turks.
"Have my car ready," Rufus ordered. "I'm going to pay my son a visit."
XXXX
Amaye's face, masked in pain and betrayal, her screams and pleads for him to stop, haunted Sephiroth's dreams in the nights to come. He gave Amaye the space she requested with no questions asked. He felt confined all over again, a prisoner of his own feelings and personal desires. Between the raging emotions and Shinra, he didn't know which one was worse- which one caused him the most suffering. Maybe the scientists had been right, maybe he should have made discarding his emotions top priority. But listening to Zach…
Zach…
His brows furrowed at the mentioning of the other man. If Sephiroth was ever in need of companionship, just someone to talk to and confide in, it was now. Sephiroth attempted to picture what his friend would say, but all thoughts evaded him. Because in all honesty there was no way for him to know- Zach was just that hard for him to figure out. Sephiroth sighed once again, staring up blankly at the ceiling.
Maybe it was finally time to go, to finally embark on the new life he wanted for himself.
The one he envisioned so many nights back at the Shinra lab.
One where he was happy, where he had a life and a family of his own- people who cared about him just as much as he cared for them.
To be normal.
The thoughts left him with a sudden void in his chest. What about Amaye? He couldn't just leave her, not when things were as messed up as they were.
'But you are a monster, there is no way she would want to look at your face. You destroyed whatever chances with her you had. You destroyed everything. You ruin everything you touch.'
He shook his head to clear away the nagging voice of his subconscious.
No.
He wasn't a monster.
No.
He would make things right between himself and Amaye.
No.
XXXX
Amaye opened the door to find Rufus standing out on the porch, a man with red hair at his side. "Nice to see you again Reno, Rufus. Are you above calling now?" She asked as she stepped aside for the two men to enter.
"You too, Amaye." Said Reno with a grin. He had always been her favorite of the Turks, even back when she and Rufus were together. Even Valor was quite fond of the man.
"Are you alright? You look like you haven't slept in days." Rufus said.
"Thanks for saying I look like shit," Said Amaye. "I'm just fine. Two visits in one month, so what brings you here now?"
"I was informed that the last place the escaped experiment was seen was in this area. I wanted to be certain you were sure you saw no one." Rufus stated.
"And you brought Reno as reinforcement?" She pondered.
Reno gave her a look of mock hurt but otherwise said nothing.
"I already told you I didn't see anyone here. There is a ten foot electric fence that surrounds this place, and any breaches in it are personally reported to you. If anything you would know before me! But since we're on the subject matter, is it true?"
"Is what true?" Questioned Rufus.
It was the part of the woman that he missed the most. Her stubbornness, her will to challenge him and stand her ground. Which was something no one other than her ever dared to do.
"About Shinra doing genetic testing and breeding super soldiers." Amaye said, her arms folding tightly at her chest.
"Oh? And where is this coming from all of a sudden?" Rufus asked with mild interest.
"A few passing people at work," Lied the mother. "I overheard their conversation."
"You shouldn't let the small talk of radicals get to you." Said Reno. "You know the kind of trouble they bring and the types of punishments they endure. You're too pretty to endure that sort of treatment "
"No actually I don't. I never saw my dad or brother again so I honestly have no idea." Her tone matter-of-fact.
"Why are you so worried about Shinra all of a sudden?" Rufus questioned.
"I've always been worried about it! It did screw my family over after all. My child is supposed to take it over one day, so when I hear that the very thing my son is going to be responsible for is doing genetic experiments on human beings of course I'm going to worry!" Amaye said.
"He is my child too," Rufus vouched with an annoyed roll of his eyes.
"You left me pregnant and alone, all you do is ask if he's alright, ask if his meds are working, and stop by unannounced whenever they hell you feel like it. That doesn't make you a parent, Rufus and I've lost count on how many times I've told you this. Where are you when he's sick? When he needs his studies?"
"Amaye," The Shinra president said calmly as he stepped up to her. "What's wrong? You don't seem like yourself."
"This is me, Rufus. This has always been me! I'm just done with all the crap. If you're just sticking around because you feel an obligation to do so or because you need a successor then you can leave me and my son alone. He needs a father that's there for him at all times, not when it's just convenient for him. This is the most I've seen you in years! I know you love Valor, and he loves you too, but love and monthly visits just isn't enough. You're either in it all or nothing, or you're not and you need to go."
Rufus found himself crossed as he stared at his old lover, amused by her words and slightly pissed that she'd left him with such a harrowing ultimatum- man up or get lost. There was nothing that ticked him off more than feeling like he was being backed into a corner. He had his pride after all.
"Well," Said Rufus. "That is something… you've been quite busy thinking of all that, haven't you?"
"I've had six years, four months, and a week to figure it all out."
Rufus' face softened for a bit. "You know you're the only woman I've ever cared for. I want to be in our kid's life, ifi didn't I wouldn't have stick around for this long. He's not some charity case, I don't have any regrets that he's sick. That's my boy and I love him. But you know why I can't be with you,-"
"You don't want to put me or Valor in danger." Amaye said, reciting the man's infamous line.
But little did Rufus know, Amaye had already placed herself in harm's way, had accepted the obvious dangers in regards to said situation, and found herself caring for the very person that could have her killed.
Amaye felt her chest warm as thoughts of Sephiroth filled her head. The way she'd treated him after he opened up to her, the way she reacted to his confession, was wrong. She felt ashamed, confused. After a failed relationship with the only man she'd ever loved, Amaye didn't want to experience the same heartache once again. She knew she couldn't relieve the shame and loneliness a second time. But the two men were nothing alike, and she knew she was wrong for assuming so.
"When Valor wakes up have him give me a call." Rufus stated, motioning towards the front door. "And you take care…" And don't forget I never stopped loving you… trailing silently, unheared.
Amaye released a deep sigh once the men had left. She all but ran to Sephiroth, crashing through the guest bedroom door, as she threw her arms around him.
