-The S.S.P-

One Midgar...two Midgar...three...

With tired eyes, June stares out the window at the cold damp streets below. She readjusts the bag on her lap, before going back to her countdown.

"H-Hello?"

"Yeah, who's this?"

She'd tried and failed to make the call at least three times; fear had almost made her back out. However, on the last try, Tseng picked up before she could end the call.

"Um..err...this is June, I'm calling to-."

"Oh, hey June. Knew you'd finally give in...I could see the way you looked at m-."

"I want to help...with the Jenova thing."

June leans over, allowing her head to rest on the windowsill; she hadn't slept all night. Sadly, Cloud's wanting to help her, by taking her out of the bar, only made her feel worse. Not only was she going into the unknown, she was leaving behind her safety blanket, her protector and friend. It seemed strange to her now, to think of life without Cloud, when he'd been such a factor for quite some time.

Sleep takes her, but only for a second. She sits up, groaning at the little echoes of Tseng's voice in her ears.

"Really!? June, you don't know how much this means to us. When can we come and get you?"

June throws her head back, ignoring the strain that the awkward position put on the her neck.

"Today, I'd prefer to get this over with."

"...Great..., I'll be there ASAP."

She hadn't told the rest of the bar about the phone call, she didn't plan to. She just wanted Tseng to show up, and whisk her away without too much hoop-la. She didn't want to face Marlene, Cloud or Yuffie's disappointed gazes. Or Tifa, Barret, and Cid's disapproving ones.

I wanted to help everyone...and save myself. I didn't really think about the what-ifs.

June hisses in pain as she lifts her neck, she rubs at it for a moment, before getting to her feet and throwing her bag over her shoulder. That's when the pacing begins...

Half of her restlessness was created by her anxiety, and the other half, a solid attempt at staying awake.

"Come on, Tseng." She says through a yawn.

She pauses to wipe her eyes, as she does, a knock sounds at the door.

June stiffens, "...please...just...go-."

She stops herself; she wouldn't be mean to them, not when this was probably the last time she'd be with them for a long time, if ever again at all.

She pulls the door open to find Barret standing there.

With a grunt, he jerks his head back toward the stairs. "Those Shinra fools're here."

June's heart sinks, she hadn't even heard them pull up to the bar.

"Oh, OK."

She turns away wiping at her burning eyes, she peeks one open as she nods to the bedroom, giving it a 'goodbye' of sorts. She walks into the hall, grabbing the doorknob as she goes. She grips it tightly, trying to ingrain it's feel into her brain.

To think, that I never even wanted to come here... And now...

June allows her bangs to fall into her face as she descends the stairs, once they reach the landing, she finds that all of Avalanche had gathered at the bar. Tseng and Elena stood near the front door.

"Morning, June. Ready?" Tseng calls to her.

She gives a weak nod, "y-yeah."

She turns to look at Avalanche, even through her hair, she was sure they could see her sadness.

"You guys, I just want to say...before I go..." She trails off, looking over the group, making sure to meet each of their eyes, except for Cloud's. If she did, she feared she'd lose her resolve.

She nods to him, without even looking his way.

"Thank you."

Tifa is the first to step forward, she grabs June by the arms.

"No need to thank us, you gave back just as much as you took. You breathed new life into this place, and the kids love you. As far as I'm concerned, you're one of us, and this is your home. So, when this is all over, I expect to see you back."

June smiles to herself, "mm-hmm."

Marlene rushes over to her, cactuar plush in hand. "This is Lulu, she's great company, you'll never be lonely with her near you."

June takes it, "Lulu, huh? Thank you, Marlene."

She bends down hugging Marlene close, as she does, the bar erupts around her.

"Do anything to her! (We'll whoop yur asses!)."

June looks to Barret and Cid, "guys...stop."

Barret shakes his fist angrily at her, "no, we won't stop...we know these assholes, June. We know what they're capable of."

"Whoa there, no need for name-calling!" Elena shouts at him.

"Whatever, I'll say what I want." Barret counters.

"Let's...let's just go." June mutters to Tseng, who nods and starts for the door.

"Well, can't say it was nice seeing you guys again." He says as he pulls the door open.

"Same to you, jackass!" Cid calls after him.

June narrows her eyes at him, before turning to the group again.

"Goodbye, everyone."

Yuffie shakes her head almost angrily, "bye."

June grimaces, "Yuffie...I..."

She trails off into silence when Yuffie raises her reproachful gaze. What could June say to her, what would words change?

June waves her hand once more before turning to follow the Turks, as she does, she hears a grunt from Cloud's corner.

She stops short, looking back almost hopefully. However, when she does, he looks away.

I wish we were better communicators..., better at expressing ourselves, then maybe...

Once they step onto the frozen streets, June is overcome with feelings of loss and regret.

I shouldn't have done this, I should just go back inside...

Tseng comes around, opening the backseat door of his car for her. June looks toward the bar again, this time with tears in her eyes.

There was no turning back. I had to do, what I had to do.

She slides into the seat, jumping a bit when the door slams shut behind her.

"Where are we going?" She whispers as he get into the driver's seat. "The Healin' Lodge?"

"Nah, we're headed to the S.S.P base, it's where we've been staying lately." Elena answers.

June leans forward, looking between them in confusion. "Hey, I've heard that somewhere before...isn't it some sort of...science school or...?"

"School...hm, wouldn't say that." Tseng pushes his foot into the car's pedal sending them off. "It's more like a research facility...slash...research facility...?"

He looks to Elena for better answer, she rolls her eyes at him.

"It's a base for anything science related, it could be a sort of school since they are teaching the young scientist of today there, but it is also the base of our operations...as far as space goes."

June raises a brow at them, "...hm..."

She leans back in her seat, placing her eyes on the passing streets through the car window. Without looking, she grabs Lulu, the cactuar plush. She brings it to her chest with a heavy sigh.

"It's just me and you, Lu."

The further they get away from the bar, the closer she clutches the little cactus.

I was scared... I wanted to just get out of the car, to run back...back to...him. I wanted to hear that everything was going to be OK. Lulu, she didn't cut it.

"Alright, here we are!"

June presses closer to the window with wide wet eyes, she gasps upon seeing the facility. A large grey building, with tall pillars coming from the roof, from the pillars, electric currents were being emitted from tower to tower. To June, the building looked like something out of a sci-fi movie.

Outside of the building, stood Reno and Rude, they looked bored as they both flicked at their phones.

Tseng comes around, opening the car door for June, while Elena goes over to scold the slackers.

"What the hell are you guys doing!?" She shouts, slapping Reno on the head.

He laughs, clearly unphased by her attack. "Calm down, Elena it ain't that-...June!?"

June walks over to him, bags in hand. "Slacking off as usual, I see."

Reno looks between Tseng and Elena with almost angry eyes, he grabs June by the arm as he stuffs his phone into his pocket.

"What the hell are you doing here?" He almost shouts.

She looks at Tseng, "you don't know...?"

Tseng shrugs, "I thought I told you, June's gonna be our guest for a while...our very beautiful guest.

His words clearly rub Elena the wrong way, as she scoffs at him before grabbing June by the wrist.

"She has a meeting with the president, we don't have time for this stupidity. Come, June." Elena pushes past the men, dragging June with her.

"Meeting with the president...now?" June asks as they rush through the silvery halls and toward an escalator.

Elena nods, "yes."

They step onto the escalator, as they drift upward, June notices a group of people going down the one opposite of them. She looks over at them, to find that they were already looking at her. She attempts a smile, but when it isn't returned she turns away.

Once at the top of the escalator, Elena leads her down an even more monochromatic hall than the last. June chews on her lip as she looks around, with her bad sense of direction, she was bound to get lost around there a lot.

They get to a set of glass doors, Elena nods to June before pushing them open.

"Mr. President, we're back. We brought June to meet you."

June steps into the room with a gulp. Behind a large desk, sat Rufus Shinra, he nods to Elena, seemingly dismissing her, as she leaves the room after.

He runs his hand through his blonde hair before standing, he gives June a light smile as he says, "welcome, it's truly a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

June lowers her gaze, "yeah uh...you too...I mean...I-."

She stops short when he comes around the desk, he reaches for a folder from it's surface, never taking his eyes off of her.

"June Alexander, you've quite the history...or lineage I should say. Your father, he was a scientist...worked for my father."

June shrugs, "yeah...he did..., I guess."

Rufus smiles at her, which makes June shift in discomfort.

"I know that...my reputation...isn't the best. Many people still hate me for what happened 2 years ago, so I understand your trepidation when it comes to meeting with me. But, I've changed, and I swear...everything I do now, is for the best of everyone." Rufus says moving closer to her. He skims through the folder, as if waiting for June to speak, but when she doesn't, he breathes a soft sigh.

"So, you're able to absorb the corrupted Lifestream energy that's been released onto the planet..., do you know why that might be?"

"N-No..." She answers in a voice barely above a whisper.

"OK."

June hears the disbelief in his voice, but he doesn't push the issue.

Suddenly, the doors behind them fly open. In steps Dr. Eji and a rather young looking girl, she smiles at June as they cross the distance over to Rufus.

"Ah, perfect timing!" Rufus reaches over putting a hand on each of their shoulders. "June, this Professor Hideoshi Eji, and his student Ranma Otis. They both work within the Gaia Science sector here in the S.S.P."

Ranma gives June a short bow, her burnt orange bangs falling over her glasses as does, "nice to meet you, miss."

Eji ignores June's waves to them both, as he reaches for the folder in Rufus' hand. Rufus passes it to him, allowing Eji to look over his spectacles at the pages within. June raises a brow, just what was in that folder?

"Mm, it would seem that we have all the information we need on your father, as for your mother...hm... No sickness, no check-ups, not even a birth certificate. Even you were a home birth... I see that she passed away, very sorry to hear that." Eji mutters absentmindedly as he skims the pages.

June looks away when he glances up at her.

I didn't like it, what gave them the right to go digging through my history, my mother's history. I guess I should have expected it though.

"So strange...so very strange, that a woman with no traceable genealogy, or even a real identity within this world...could go undetected." Eji passes Ranma the folder, she stares down at it questioningly.

Rufus turns to June with what looks to be an attempt at a reassuring smile.

"June, do you know anything of Jenova?"

She shrugs, "not much..., why?"

He moves back over to his desk, falling into his seat.

"It would seem that Jenova is the key to our solving this dilemma. She's what those people are looking for, the aliens."

"Aliens!?"

Ranma nods, "the people who attacked Edge before, they're not from here. That's what they say."

Aliens...then that would make me...?

"It seems that they plan to use Jenova to usher in some new world, somehow rebuilding the home that they lost." Rufus continues, but June raises her hand stopping him.

"Home, where would that be?"

Rufus looks to Ranma, who looks to Eji, who rolls his eyes.

"We do not know for sure, but what we do know is, those aliens do not have good plans for our planet. They are the ones who injured it." Eji states.

"But why?"

June grimaces when he turns to her, eyes burning with what looked to be annoyance.

"We believe to create a friendly environment for their shenanigans. They do not seem to be able summon, without energy to use." Eji pushes his glasses up his nose as he turns away from her. "However, we will not play their game. Jenova must be destroyed, and they are to follow in suit."

At the mentioning of the Terrible 3 being 'destroyed', June's stomach churns.

I felt it wrong, somehow. Or not wrong, but...I didn't want to destroy them... It's so hard to put into words, how hearing that made me feel.

"OK, and where do I fit in, in all of this?" June asks, she puts her hand to her throat to stop her voice from quivering.

Rufus points to Eji, "you can answer this better than I can."

"Of course, Mr. President." Eji replies as he goes to face June once again. She backs away when he begins to walk toward her. "Your ability to manipulate and withstand the corrupt Lifestream energy coming from the planet, shows to us that you should too, be able to handle Jenova. Why, your very presence here today has already had an effect on it-."

"Wait-wait-wait!" June shakes her head in disbelief. "Jenova's here!?"

"Where else would we keep it." Rufus states.

An icy sensation fills the pit of June's stomach; this was all becoming too real, too fast.

"Y-You s-said...that...that I should be able to "handle", Jenova... What does that mean?" June asks through a mouth that felt like it was filled with cotton balls.

Ranma seems to perk up at this question, "don't be scared, Miss. It's just that...well, Jenova's energy has shifted as of late, no one has been able to withstand it's influence for too long. The energy is too stong, too foreign."

"Men and women, have gone mad!" Eji shouts over her. "I've had to let go some of my best people, for Jenova's influence proved to be too strong for them. However. today, when you entered the facility, we observed a drop in that energy. It became safe enough for me to move Jenova, with my bare hands."

"So I-."

"So we were right, you are the key to hopefully figuring this all out, we have to find out why and how." Eji cuts her off with a wave of his arm. "We just have to do some tests, some exercises...maybe more...with your permission, of course."

June loses her nerve when everyone looks at her at once, she allows her head to drop and her body to quiver.

What did that mean for her?

Would she become Shinra property, would she be made to suffer, just like Lydia?

"Would I be able to leave, after all of the tests?" She asks in a voice barely above a whisper.

Eji glances back at Rufus, they nod to one another.

"Of course, you can." Eji answers. "We just need a little bit of your time."

June squeezes her eyes shut as she tries to come up with an answer.

You came this far... A firm voice in her head says.

But, what if they hurt you, like Cid said... Another voice in her head argues.

"What would Cloud do? A quieter, nicer voice whispers.

June looks up at the silver ceiling as she contemplates this thought.

He would do whatever it took, to protect the people he cared about...even if it killed him.

"I...I'll do it, but-."

"This is excellent!" Eji roars. "You really have no idea just how much this means to me..., to us."

June folds her hands together when they begin to discuss their course of action, more so amongst themselves, than with her.

"So, tomorrow the physical?"

"Yes, we have to see her at her normal state before encountering Jenova."

"Ok, I'll administer it then!"

Ranma looks back at June, giving her a bright smile.

"As for today, June, I want you to settle in. Explore the facility, make yourself at home."

June nods to Rufus, "OK."

She stands there until Eji and Ranma start for the door, and Elena and Reno enter. Reno walks over to her, eyes filled with anger.

"I told him to get you outta here." He grumbles as Elena ushers June toward the door.

"Right this way, we'll show you your room."

June looks back at Rufus, who smiles, before following Reno and Elena in the sterile hall.

"So, how long do you think it'll take?" June asks Reno, who shrugs, the scowl never leaving his face.

Elena shoots him a glare as she says, "not too long, 2 weeks...3 weeks tops."

"Oh." June watches the ceiling, until they make it to the 100th silvery door at the end of the hall. Elena takes a keycard from her pocket, inserting it into a scanner at the side of the doorknob. The scanner beeps, just before the door opens.

June peeks around Reno's shoulder into the room.

The room was bland, but it's plain white sheets and blue painted walls, offered her a welcome change to the monochrome world outside. On the bed, June spots Lulu, lying on a pillow.

"Seems like you've made yourself quite comfortable." June mutters as she walks into the room.

"The Mess Hall serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, all day long. So if you get hungry...," Elena reaches into her pocket, retrieving a small tablet. She taps it and a map of the facility springs up from the surface of the screen. June takes the tablet, looking it over.

The S.S.P building seemed to be jam-packed with everything a person could need. An entertainment room, a gym, a biochemistry lab...

"OK, thank you." June says, lowering the tablet to her side.

"Anything you need now?" Elena asks.

June looks to Reno, who had taken to glaring at the ceiling.

"Um...is there a phone here?" She asks knocking him out of his anger filled stare-off with the ceiling fan.

Elena nods, "unfortunately though, it doesn't make outside calls. Only the one in Mr. Shinra's office does. Security measure, don't want anybody releasing top secret information into the public."

With this, she starts for the door again, as she goes, she drops the room's keycard on a dresser near the door.

"If you need us, call us. The phone on the wall has all of our extensions written on the notepad next to it." She calls over her shoulder.

She takes up the space just outside of the door, looking back, as if waiting for Reno to follow. However, he just stands there, for what feels like forever, until Elena clears her throat.

"I'll be back." He whispers to June, before following Elena out of the room, and down the hall.

The door slides shut, leaving June alone in the room.

"Now, what?"

She falls onto the bed, causing it to let out a loud piercing creaking noise. She rolls her eyes at the ceiling.

"With all this high-tech crap here, they couldn't afford a good mattress!?" She throws herself backward with a heavy sigh. "And these sheets, so...so...rough..."

What else could I do to fill the time, to kind of help me...forget? I critized the room, the decor, the facility, myself, but nothing worked. Nothing would take my mind off of my perceived loss.

Absentmindedly, she reaches for Lulu. She holds it at eye level, scrutinizing it's every detail.

"Marlene took really good care of this doll, not a stich out of place." June brings the doll to her chest. "So, I'd better put her in a safe place."

She gets up from the bed, going over to the window- she sits Lulu against the sill. She bends down looking more closely at the doll, it's drawn on smile seemed to have grown as soon as June had sat it in the window.

"We'll get through this, Lu...for Marlene."

June backs away from the window, folding her arms as she goes back to the bed. She stands at it's side for a moment, trying to come up with something to do.

"I could unpack..."

With this, she reaches for her bags, pulling everything out, until it's either on the bed, or on the floor. She looks around at the wreckage, nodding with approval. Now this, was what she was used to. She chuckles to herself as she starts to clean the mess.

"Clothes in drawer, shoes in corner, good thing I didn't bring too much with me."

She blows her hair out of her face, as she reaches into the deep crevices of the ripped plastic bags. She pulls her painting materials out, placing them atop the dresser near the bed. At first, she hadn't planned on bringing them, but what else would she have to do, between the torture and tears.

The only problem, she hadn't brought any paper, but that she felt, could be easily solved.

"All done."

She goes to lay on the bed, as she does, her mind flits to the bar. She reaches into her pocket, grabbing her cell phone. She opens it, to see 2 new messages.

1 from Cloud, and the other from an unknown number.

Biting her lip in anticipation, she opens Cloud's.

"June, come back- Marlene."

A sick feeling builds in the pit of her stomach once she sees the message, she closes it out, trying to ignore the regret that was steadily building. She quickly opens the unknown sender message, hoping to find some solace from the anonymous person.

"40.72644570551446-,-74.25041198730469."

"What the hell...?"

June puzzles over the numbers, what did they mean?

"Who is this." She recites as she types it into the phone, however as she goes to press 'Send', another message springs up.

"Out of Service Area."

"Great, just great." She groans, tossing the phone aside.

She stares at it for a while, until her eyelids start to feel heavy. She fights to keep them open, as she didn't feel exactly comfortable in this strange new place, but eventually the Sandman wins- as he always does.

More strange dreams...

"What do you want, why did you bring us here!?"

The cave in my dream, was so dark, I could barely make out any discerning features as I ran through it, following the angry sounding voice. It seemed so close, yet that could have been just my perception, as the voice echoed off the cave walls, going in every direction.

"You tell us to put energy on the planet, but you don't tell us what to do with it! We're running blind!"

The person seemed to be getting more irate by the second.

"You pushed me to find her, to...bring her with us. But, what's happening, it's not supposed to happen... She can't keep doing what she's doing...she could-."

The person stalls for a moment, only to start up again, but this time with a more desperate, pleading, tone.

"Please, answer me...I need to know... What are your plans? Please. I do not mean to question your will, but...we've lost so much just to get here. We followed your orders, no matter how much it hurt. Tell me, what do you have planned and what is June's part in it. I need to know."

At that moment, I could feel myself rousing, so I tried to run faster through the cave, but something was pulling me away. Pulling me into a waking horror.

"Come, little one."

June opens her eyes, yawning as she rubs at them.

"Ow, my back." She hisses pushing herself away from the wall she'd been sleeping against.

That's when it hits her.

"Wait, I'm not in my...room?"

She looks about the hall, both ends were so dark, she couldn't make out anything outside of a few feet of herself. Fearfully, she pulls her arms and legs close to her body. She wanted to scream for help, but nothing would come. She peeks up at the room ahead, she could make out a metal door, and a large glass window. Through it, she could see various types of machinery.

"Come now, don't be afraid."

She jumps at the sound of someone else in the hall.

Once again, she tries to choke out words, but her body wouldn't listen.

She stares down the hall, hoping to find the source of the voice. At one end, she could see the shadows let up a bit, they fade slowly, into pale blue light. June scoots away as it gets closer, and starts to take a shape.

"Eji?"

The light transforms into an older black haired man, he looked to be a scientist. He glances back down the hall, at another glowing figure, this one was tiny in stature. It rushes down the hall, as it does, it forms into a child. June gasps when she sees it's flowing ebony pigtails.

Little June moves next to the man, she takes him by the hand as if looking for comfort.

"I'm scared...I'm scared." She whimpers. "I...want my mommy, I wanna go home."

"In due time, but tell me, why are you so afraid now? You were just so excited to meet her."

Little June shakes her head, "I feel...weird... And I can hear...it...again."

June pushes herself up the wall as the man begins leading Little June past her and over to the metal door.

"It's OK, just calm down." The man's voice begins to quiver with what sounds like excitement, but he doesn't seem to want Little June to notice. She pushes her face into his lab coat, as if trying to hide away.

"No." June whispers. "Don't...don't go in there..."

She scurries along the floor on legs of jell-o, they finally give out, just as she gets behind Little June and the scientist.

The metal door beeps, and opens.

The scientist has to practically drag the girl in the room, June follows, feebly trying to save her young self.

"Run, just pull away and run!" She shouts at her.

The scientist pushes the little girl toward a platform at the room's center, June reaches for her, but she flies right through her arms.

Little June stumbles over to the platform, face completely blank. She falls to her knees, eyes wide.

"No, get away from there!" June turns to grab for herself again, however, when she does, she too sees what lay on the platform.

A woman's, or woman-like form in a tube filled with glowing blue liquid.

June falls down next to her younger self. She couldn't look away, she couldn't even hear the world around her anymore. All she could do, was gaze upon it's frightful form.

As she stares, Little June and the scientist disappear, and so does most of the woman's body, except for her head.

June shakes her head in disbelief, "it's...you."

Jenova.

As she stares at it, the energy in the room changes, from sinister, to menacing. In it's eyes, she could see something, something horrible, something predatory.

I could swallow you whole... That's what it was saying...or projecting...I don't know...

Come closer...closer...closer.

June reaches for the head, but as she does, a nagging feeling stops her.

Something told me not to, this something...is what led me back to my room.

June falls stiffly onto her bed, when she does, she starts to chant. This little saying, had been in her head, her whole way back to her room, even though she couldn't remember the journey.

"Ignore, Junie. Just...ignore it."

And ignore it she does.

-Back at the Bar-

Tifa rushes back and forth across the bar, as she tries to quickly prepare a bowl of soup. She sprinkles some parsley atop her love-filled creation, before taking a spoon from the rack and making her way up the stairs.

As she goes, she puts on a smile.

Once she makes it to her destination, she raps twice on the door, before pushing it open.

There lay Cloud, in bed, with his boots on.

"Ugh Cloud, what have I told you about that?" She mutters as she moves to stand before him.

He looks up at her with a raised brow, when she pushes the bowl toward him. He sits up taking it, without ever looking her in the eye.

"Thanks." He murmurs into the bowl.

He plays with the soup a bit, swishing it around with the spoon. Once he grows bored of that, he looks up at Tifa, almost as if saying, "why are you still here?"

She smiles at him, "tell me, do you like it?"

He dips the spoon into the soup, picking up a hefty amount, before shoving it into his mouth. He chews at the vegetables in the soup, pausing when he runs into bits of undissolved soybean paste. He hesitantly swallows it down, before nodding to her.

"Great, it's great."

Tifa sighs, "you don't have to lie, Cloud."

He looks up at her, ready to defend himself, but upon seeing her smile, he drops his head again.

"I guess I'll get Yuffie to help with the bar tonight, she's a little clumsy, but she'll do." She pauses, waiting for him to throw an insult at Yuffie, but when he doesn't, she continues. "Oh, I forget to get the chicken wings, no matter, we'll just serve something else tonight..."

Once again, she waits, this time however, he speaks.

"Do you think I should go and get her?"

The question takes Tifa off-guard, she rubs her arm as she searches for an answer that would both satisfy him, and deflect the conversation from June.

"She made up her mind, all we can do now, is wait."

At her answer, Cloud seems to slump even more into his bowl.

"You know what, I'm gonna go get those wings, wanna come?" Tifa goes for the door, hoping that he would follow, but when he doesn't, she turns to face him.

"No." He mutters.

Tifa folds her arms, as she watches him; he was really taking it hard, harder than she would have expected.

"Well-, wait...what are these?" Her eyes land on two golden tickets on his nightstand. She takes them in her hands, reading them over. "A full night at the Gold Saucer, wow these must have cost a fortune!"

Cloud sets the soup aside, reaching for them. "I didn't mean to leave them there."

"And only two..." Tifa passes them to Cloud, and he stuffs them into his pocket.

When he doesn't say anything, she turns to the door, this time with a little more pep in her step. She waves to him over her shoulder, as she exits the room. Once outside, and a safe distance away, she allows herself to smile.

"He acted so weird about those tickets, and there were only two of them...is he planning on...asking me to go?" She glances back down the hall, "Cloud, always so shy and withdrawn, it's taken him long enough."

With this, she prances down the stairs, the elatedness she felt inside, practically allows her to float on air.

Cloud glares at the wall across from his bed, on it, there were various newspaper clippings pinned up between old parts of his sword.

"Avalanche Does It Again: Midgar Restored!"

"Cloud Strife: Midgar's Very Own Superhero."

Below the headline, was an off-guard picture of Cloud. He was under Fenrir, working at fixing it; Tifa had said it was the only time she could catch him.

"Say No to Mako, Says Avalanche!"

"Shinra Exposed."

"Soldier Turned Delivery Boy: Cloud Strife."

"Loser without a voice, Cloud Strife." He mutters to himself as he reaches into his pocket again. He retrieves the tickets, looking at them with slight disdain. "Can save the world, but can't man-up enough to..."

He sighs.

Since June had gone, all he could think about was going to get her. He could see it all so clearly, he'd gone over it a million times.

First he'd bust into the Shinra HQ, sword in hand.

"Where is she?" He'd ask in his raspiest whisper.

"Oh no, it's Cloud, get'im!" Some random Turk would shout, and then, the battle would begin.

He'd cut them all down, leaving no one standing. Reno would be the last to go, as Cloud wanted to give him a special beating.

"Please, Cloud...stop, we can't take anymore!" He'd beg and plead for forgiveness.

"Where is she!?" Cloud would ask one last time, Thunder 1 spell building in his fist.

"I'm here!"

June would come running to him, a smile lighting up her face. She would rush into his arms, hugging him before turning a disdainful eye on Reno.

"Leave him, Cloud...he's enough of a loser as it is."

Once all hugged-out, she'd pull away, look him in the eyes and say...

"You're my hero."

With that, he'd scoop her into his arms, and walk out of the broken facility, into the sunset.

"Yeah, that's how I'll do it." He reaches for the keys to his motorcycle, but as he does, another scenario plays out in his mind's eye.

"Where is she!?" His bolder self shouts at the scrambling Turks.

Suddenly, Elena separates from the crowd, a cruel smirk at her lips.

"She? You mean June, right? She's right over there."

In the corner of the room, sat Reno with June in his lap. She plays lovingly with his hair, until she notices Cloud. Her eyes light up; giving him hope, but for only for a second, because as soon as their eyes meet, her lips turn down into the most horrible sneer.

"What the hell are you doing here, Cloud!? Why did you come here, like, really?!"

Cloud's stomach churns as his imagined bulky muscles fade away, and he drops back down to his actual height. His sword disappears into a cloud of confetti, and the Gold Saucer tickets replace it.

"I...I...I just...I wanted to ask...know...um...uh-."

"Ha June, I think that loser is trying to ask you out!" Reno roars with laughter. June laughs along with him.

"Really!? Cloud please, you're a great friend and all, and I appreciate all that you've done, but no...just no."

Even the imagined rejection makes Cloud's heart plummet into his stomach, he drops the motorcycle keys back onto the desk.

"I'm being stupid, she doesn't...she could never..." He drops his head into his hands with a growl of frustration. "Where is this coming from?"

He'd never thought about what she meant to him, or even what he meant to her, but he couldn't help but feel that he'd screwed everything up. Why couldn't he say things when they actually counted? Why when she would try to get closer, he couldn't smile, or tell her just how great of person he thought she was?

He once again reaches for the keys, but he pauses when another negative thought enters his mind.

What would the others think if he actually went to her and made her come back? He could hear their laughter, their teasing. They'd all see him at his most vulnerable, which didn't sit well with him; he even had trouble showing that to June.

"I'll wait, maybe she'll fold first and then and I'll bring her back, without the hassle of everyone being in my business."

Cloud lays back on the bed, satisfied with his new plan, for the moment.

- Back at The S.S.P -

"Say ah!"

June opens her mouth wide when Ranma brings a small hand light up to her mouth, inspecting her throat.

"Nice, a little inflamed...allergies?"

June shrugs.

Ranma came to get me bright and early, brought me an apple, some water and the comfort of a friendly face in a sea of uncertainty.

June yawns into her hand as Ranma turns away to retrieve a small baggie containing a small cup.

"Now, we need a urine sample."

June takes the bag, frowning at it's sterile appearance.

I almost never went to the doctor as a child, I only ever went for school mandated check-ups. Never needed to, I never really got sick. Maybe a cough here and there, but nothing worth a visit to the doctor.

"Ugh, here goes." She slides off of the examination table, taking the baggie with her into the nearby bathroom. As she starts for her pants, her mind is somehow pulled back to the night before.

After getting back to her room, she immediately fell asleep. However, throughout the night she would be awakened by the sounds of voices outside of her bedroom door. She wanted to brush it off as people just making their ways through the facility, but with what had happened, almost everything about that night seemed sinister.

"Those...ghosts..." She didn't know what else to call them, the scientist and child version of herself that she'd seen. "Could that have been a memory, if so...that must have been Hojo."

She didn't remember ever having come to the facility before, but with all the had happened, she couldn't say that it was impossible.

After doing her business, she washes her hands and meets Ranma outside with the cup. Ranma takes it, putting it on a nearby table.

"OK, that's all for now. Let's head on over to the containment center."

Ranma pulls off her gloves, going over to the corner of the room, where a hand-sanitizer dispenser sat on the wall. She pushes a few pumps out, before waving June toward the door.

Once in the hall, Ranma turns to her with a reassuring smile.

"Today's gonna be easy, the professor simply wants a sample of your DNA, which should pretty much free you up for some time, since that's really all we should need."

"My DNA...? June mutters. "What're you guys going to do with it?"

When she asks this, a group of young men in lab coats come rushing down the hall. They push past June, in a cloud of hurried apologies.

Ranma looks back at them with disapproving eyes.

"So reckless, hmph...so many great minds here, but they're too immature." She tuts her tongue, before turning to June with a bright smile. "So, what do you do for a living, Miss?"

This question takes June by surprise; the last thing she expected to be asked at the S.S.P facility, was her choice of occupation.

"I uh...right now, I'm a bartender. However, I would like to think that I am also an artist, I paint."

Ranma gasps.

"Really!? How cool!"

June nods; her paintings in her opinion, were pretty cool.

Silence builds between them as they continue through the hall, they make it to a cut off section just off the Main Hall.

"Containment Center: Authorized Personel Only." June reads aloud.

Ranma nods, "this is where we keep Jenova, as well as our other top secret projects."

She walks over to the steel door at the Center's start, next to the door on the wall, stood a platform. She looks back at June as she presses her hand into it, the platform glows, just before the door shutters open.

Once inside, the door closes behind them and the sounds of scientific work floats down the hall.

Ranma starts ahead of her, but when she does, she notices June hesitance to move forward.

"Miss?"

June rubs her arms as she turns here and there, trying to make sense of the energy within the Center. The energy felt suffocatingly cold, it sunk into her skin, making her feel like living block of ice.

It was the place from the night before.

Ranma walks over to her, "Mis-."

June shakes her head, "it's OK."

She moves past Ranma, rushing down the hall, trying to dissipate some of the ominous energy it held. She goes until she makes it to another metal door, through the window next to it, she sees many young scientist, they move about the room in a hurry, bumping into each other as they go.

Ranma finally catches up to June, she watches the side of her face, as she presses her hand into another platform next to the door.

"Are you alright, Miss?"

June looks at her, she wanted to be honest with Ranma about her feelings, and about the sensations within the Center, but she wasn't sure if that was the smartest thing to do.

"I-."

"Ah, finally you bring her!"

Eji rushes over, nearly knocking Ranma out of the way as he reaches for June, dragging her into the room.

"I am sorry, Professor, I just-."

"Say no more, June, have a seat."

He pushes her toward a stool at the start of the room, she practically falls into it, but he pays it no mind.

June adjusts herself on the seat, as she does, she gets a sharp cold feeling at her back. She turns to look, but all that was there, was a small black box. However, this black box was giving out the brunt of the negative feelings that were attacking her.

"C-Can I...not sit here?"

She pulls the stool forward and away from the box, almost as soon as she does though, she regrets it.

The men and women around her, had taken to staring her down, in their hands they each had a pen and notepad. When they see how uncomfortable she looks, they all start scribbling at once.

Eji moves away from her, going over to a desk at the corner of the room. From it's surface, he takes a skinny plastic tube. He rips it open, dropping a large syringe into the palm of his hand. He turns to her, a smile building at his lips.

June gulps as he steps toward her; she could see the syringe's needle glistening under the strong lights of the room, it looked almost dangerous.

"So, I am hearing that you can use magic?" Eji starts as he reaches for her arm.

June nods and hesitantly offers him her wrist. He goes into his pocket ripping open a small white packet of strongly scented wipes. He runs them along her arm rather roughly, so rough, that her arm immediately turns red. June grimaces when he pulls the wipe away and places the needle at her skin.

"Uh..what are you-."

"We need a sample!" he barks over her.

June looks to Ranma who watches the debacle with just as much interest as the rest of the scientists in the room.

Suddenly, another strong wave of negative energy bursts from the box. June jumps when it hits her, just as Eji pushes the needle into her arm.

"Be still, girl!"

"I-I-."

"Quiet, just be quiet!"

June looks over at the syringe in her arm, she grits her teeth as it siphons her blood into it's long barrel.

"Do you own, or have you ever owned Materia?"

She shakes her head, when she does, another cold wave hits her in the back, nearly taking her breath away. With a deep shuddering breath, she moves forward again.

This sudden movement, brings on more scribbling.

Eji snatches the syringe out, before slapping a bandage in her arm. June brings her hand to her throbbing arm, as he moves away from her to put the blood filled syringe in a box on his desk. He takes a pen from the desk scribbling furiously atop it.

"File this under subject: 1118904."

The young scientists scribble the numbers onto the notepads.

"Subject..?"

June bites her lip when he turns to her, it was all she could do to keep from crying.

Between the callous way I being treated, the pain in my arm, and the energy in the room...I was through...just though.

"Could you show us something right now?" Eji asks. "A spell or whatever you do. It can be small..."

At his request, June hesitates.

I'd always been told NOT to show off my powers, mom said that people wouldn't understand. But here I was...being asked to do it, for a room full of strangers.

"Something small..." June whispers as she begins rubbing her hands together. She points to the floor, dragging her finger downward. As she does, a pale blue line of ice shows itself in between the yellow lined tiles on the floor.

"My god." A horrified female scientist chokes out.

June goes to stop, but as she does, another body shot of negative energy comes from the box behind her. The radical wave knocks her off balance and makes her break her concentration, she falls forward off of the stool, and as she does, three large spikes of ice come shooting from the ground, causing the scientists to cower away.

June pulls her hand into her chest, "I-I'm sorry."

Eji comes around the group, putting his hand to one of the icy pillars.

"Simply amazing." He whispers.

June lowers her head in shame when he turns to look at her again.

When I was a child, it was harder to hide that side of myself. A few times I just couldn't stop it and...and it should go without having to be said, but amongst other kids my age... I wasn't popular. Those looks that the scientists gave me...they were very familiar.

"You do know that regular people do not have these abilities?" Eji almost hisses.

June nods, "I know."

It was so hard. I had almost started to...to...hate myself. I knew that I wasn't normal, but I so wanted to be.

She wraps herself in what she wanted to be a comforting hold, but it did nothing for her.

"They fear you."

June turns to the box, "leave me alone."

She covers her ears with her hands, but the whispers coming from the box, would not stop.

"They hate you."
"They want you dead.
"Same as Lydia."

"Stop it, just...stop it!"

"Miss!"

Ranma rushes to June, pulling her away from the box, but Eji cuts in, yanking Ranma away.

"It's is not your job to intervene, Ranma!"

"But, Professor, she's clearly under duress!"

June squeezes her eyes shut when they turn their attention back to her.

I just wanted to disappear.

"Please, can I go back to my room." She whispers.

Ranma nods, "yes, Miss."

Eji tries to stop her from going to June, but she shakes her head at him. "Mr. Shinra said that if ever she feels uncomfortable, we are to stop, Professor, this must end!"

Ranma takes June by the hand, leading her past the gawkers and the fuming Eji. Once outside of the Containment Center, June breathes a sigh of relief.

"Thank you, Ranma."

Ranma nods, "it's alright, Miss. No need to thank me, when we are the ones who put you in that position. Please, do not hold this against us, for we are just trying to figure out what is going on with the our planet."

Maybe for her, that was true...

"It's OK, I understand."

Ranma gives June a deep bow, before turning to reenter the Containment Center.

June stands there for a moment, trying to get ahold of what had just happened.

The only thing she was sure of, was that Jenova's head, had to be in that box. She turns to go into the Main Hall, almost completely lost in her thoughts now.

"But why would they keep it there, that way?" She wonders aloud.

Her mind wanders back to the day before; Eji had said that she had effect on Jenova, an almost calming one.

"That thing was anything but calm." She turns her head back and forth as she thinks over the whole situation. "And it said something about...mom."

She pauses abruptly, causing a girl to crash into her from behind.

"Hey, watch it!" The girl rushes to pick up her bag.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" June turns to help her, as she reaches for it, a small white ball coming rolling out of it's mouth.

June goes to pick it up, but the girl beats her to it.

"Thanks, but no thanks." She mutters pocketing the milky orb, she turns to leave but June stops her.

"What was that, if you don't mind me asking?"

The girl turns back, reaching into her pocket to retrieve the ball.

"This?" She raises it toward June. "Proto-Materia."

"Proto-Materia?"

The girl nods, "yeah, it's an artificial Materia substitute, we make them in the weaponry center."

June reaches for the Proto-Materia, and the girl obliges, allowing June to roll it back and forth in the palms of her hands.

"That's pretty cool, does it work like Materia?"

"Eh, more or less. We're still working out the kinks, we can cast really small versions of the original spells, but only once or twice before the Proto-Materia gives out and shatters." The girl sighs. "We've been going off of the theories of an old Shinra Scientist, but his work was never finished so...we're winging the final process."

June passes it back to her, "wow, that really is pretty amazing."

"Yeah...if only we could get it to work and stay working, anyway...my name is Paige, yours?"

"June."

Paige nods, "ah...so what Center are you working in, let me guess..." She looks June over with a raised brow. "The Science Center, Biology or something, right?"

"Um, no actually, I'm not working here. I'm just a guest, I guess." June rubs the back of her head when Paige's eyebrow shoots up even further.

"Really, a guest? Hm, I did hear about them doing some special secret operation, with some special secret person..., that you?"

June shrugs.

"Alrighty then, I'm gonna go now, June. It was nice meeting you, you should swing by the Weaponry Center, it's the coolest place here."

"Will do." June waves to Paige as she walks away.

Once Paige is out of sight, June turns back to the Main Hall sign.

"Where was I headed again?"

She shrugs a shoulder, before starting for the unknown, but someone grabs her hand, pulling her back.

"Reno!"

He brings his hands to her shoulders as he looks her over, once he's scrutinized every inch of her, he pulls her into a hug.

June stands there, frozen in shock at this sudden show of affection.

"Reno...?"

"I'm sorry, I should have...I should have..."

He pulls away, looking her in the eyes. She drops her head, trying to hide away from his prying gaze. When she does, a sudden rush of pressure to the top of her head, sends her back into his arms.

"What the hell, June!?" He shouts as he tries to make her stand upright again.

She pushes away, stumbling back into position.

"I-I'm sorry, Reno. It's been quite the day."

He frowns down at her as she tries her best to collect herself. He looks at the surrounding crowds, before taking her by the arm and pulling her away.

"Reno!" She cries. "What're you doing!?"

He shakes his head at her, refusing to speak until they make it to her room. Once inside, he turns to look about.

"Get your things together, we're getting you outta here."

He rushes past her, over to the dresser where he begins to gather her clothes.

"Reno, what...no!" She grabs his hands, trying to snatch her clothes out of his grip. "I'm not leaving, not yet."

He opens his hands, allowing her to pull her clothes back over to the dresser. She begins stuffing them back in, looking back at him as she does.

"I don't understand , Reno. Didn't you know that I was coming, or that they wanted me here? Why all the protest?"

"They didn't tell me." He mutters. "Probably thought I'd intervene somehow..., but that doesn't matter now. June, I can't let you stay here."

June walks back over to the bed, she sits on it, still watching Reno with confusion writ all over her face.

"But..."

"No buts, June, I don't feel comfortable with them using you this way. That Eji guy, he's...he's a creep. I tried to tell Shinra, but he trusts him."

"I see..."

"No, you don't! Because if you did, you wouldn't be here!" Reno turns away, growling in frustration. "Damn it, I should have just...just taken you away from here! As soon as Lydia passed, I should have-."

"Reno, calm down!"

June stands grabbing him by the arm, she tries to get him to look at her, but he hides his face.

"Reno, I chose to come, knowing what could happen. I-."

"Alright, how about this?" He grabs her by the shoulders. "I'll take you Wutai, that's the last place anyone would look for you. You'll stay there until all of this dies down, OK?"

He shakes her gently, as if waiting for her to agree, but she shakes her head.

"No, not OK. I'm staying."

"But, June-."

"No, I have to stay, I have to be here." She moves over to window, taking Lulu in her arms. "Reno, those people, they have to be stopped."

Reno nods, "yeah, but let me handle it-."

"But you can't, no one else can." She sets the doll back down, but keeps her eyes on it's smile, trying to use it to muster up more courage. "I knew what could happen when I decided to come, but I came anyway, because I want this to be over. I want the people I care about to live normally again."

Reno comes behind her, staring out at the facility grounds over her head.

"June-."

"I'm not leaving and nothing you say, will change that."

"But, I promised-."

He's cut off, by a buzzing from the other side of the room. June runs past him, grabbing her cell phone off the dresser.

I so wanted it to be him.

"Unknown Number, again...?"

She opens the message:

'Just outside of Edge, a cave. You can't miss it- Vallis.'

June reads the message, and then rereads it again.

"How did she get my number?"

Reno walks over to her, going to look over her shoulder at the phone, but June pulls it against her chest, blocking his view.

"Alright-alright, I've put up with enough of your snooping for the day." She tosses the phone onto the bed, before turning to Reno. He rolls his eyes at her, as he goes for the door.

"I'm sorry for worrying about you." He grumbles, opening it. He stands there for a moment, almost as if deciding whether or not he should go. He looks back at her with sad eyes. "I tried, I really did."

June drops her gaze when he exits the room.

"Oh, Reno..."

She understood his concern, but she couldn't just stop and run away. Where would that get her? Eventually, The Terrible 3 would find her again, as they always did. At the thought of them, she remembers the text message.

She goes over to the bed, taking the and rereading the message.

"A cave just outside of Edge? Hm..." She fixes her fingers on the phone's buttons, thinking for a moment, before punching in her own message. "I need you to be more specific." She reads aloud.

For a moment, she waits, but when nothing comes, she sighs.

"Maybe she 'll get back to me later." She goes to toss the phone back onto the bed, but just as she does, the phone vibrates.

Hesitantly, June brings the phone back up.

'I sent you coordinates, put them in a map-pad, and come.'

"Coordinates...oh!" She goes into her old messages, opening the strange one from the day before. She looks at the numbers in disbelief, "punch them into a map-pad, huh?"

She looks about the room for the tablet that Elena had given her, she rushes over to it, turning it on and searching the apps for 'Map'.

"Come on-come on, Elena pulled up a map on this thing...ah!"

She presses the 'Map' app, allowing the map of the school to rise off of the screen before punching in the coordinates she'd been sent. The school flashes pink, before shifting into a new structure. June looks at the blue blip on the map, from the blip, there was a silver line, it's other end was connected to a small box called 'Your Location'.

"Travel time, by car, 10 minutes, by foot, 45 minutes..." June looks toward the setting sun through the window. She pockets her phone, going over to it, tablet in hand. "I'll walk."

I didn't want to get anyone else involved.

Next: Bonded By Blood