A/N: Chapter 10 at last! Whew, this one was overdue. Sorry, but December was just a busy month for me. I try, but real life intervenes quite often, as we all know. XD

Anyway, enjoy!

"Well, look who it is. I feel like it's been forever since I last saw you. How've you been?"

I looked up, instantly smiling as Kunsel walked into the room. We were in one of the break rooms next to the SOLDIER lounge; there was a table with some chairs in here, a small kitchenette, and—most importantly—a coffee machine. This place was usually my first stop after training, and today in particular I had really needed it.

"Pretty good, thanks. What about you? Where'd you get shipped off to?"

He just laughed, making a beeline for the coffee machine. "Kalm. Just busywork, really. Looks like things are quieting down a bit now that the war's over."

"Yeah, I guess so," I replied.

Staring at my coffee for a moment, I contemplated this. Quieting down…at this point in the original storyline, Genesis would've deserted by now, taking a bunch of SOLDIERs with him. He was still here, which meant…nothing was happening? Apparently. But that didn't mean everything was okay.

Having poured himself some coffee, Kunsel walked over and took a seat across from me. He wasn't wearing his helmet, so he must've had the day off today.

"So…" He tilted his head a little. "Genesis, huh?"

"You're up to date on your intel, as usual," I replied with a snort.

"Actually, I saw you when I passed by the training room earlier. Angeal filled in the blanks." Kunsel chuckled. "How's that working out for you?"

"That guy…" I made a face. "No, I can't even describe it. He takes 'overbearing' to the extreme. He makes cryptic remarks and quotes LOVELESS as an explanation to everything, and half the time it's not even relevant!" I gestured wildly with frustration. "I don't know how Angeal puts up with him."

"They've apparently been best friends since childhood," the Second said, his eyes full of mirth. "They balance each other out, most likely."

I breathed a sigh. That reasoning did make sense to some extent…those two were complete opposites. Childhood tended to bring together some pretty unlikely people, too. Even so…maybe I was just missing something. Genesis had to have some redeeming traits aside from his combat prowess in order for Angeal and Sephiroth to put up with him.

Now I nearly groaned, resisting the urge to smack my forehead on the table. Of course he had redeeming traits! He just derived too much amusement from not showing them to me.

"The Commander's pretty well-known for his domineering personality," Kunsel remarked, taking a sip of his coffee. "He's taken on students before, but they never last long. Seems like he's impatient—he gets bored with this sort of thing easily."

My posture straightened a little. Was that a ray of hope I saw? "Hey…d'you think he'll get bored soon and transfer me back over to Angeal's regiment?"

He tilted his head a bit. "Well, this situation's a little different. Everyone I've ever seen train with him had to spend a while persuading him beforehand. This is the first time he's ever taken an interest on his own."

I quirked an eyebrow. "Oh…should I be worried?"

The Second snorted. "It might just mean you have potential. Come on, you were recruited by the Turks, just like he was."

That gave me pause, and I sobered a bit. "He was too?"

Kunsel nodded. "Yeah—him and Angeal, around…six or seven years ago? In any case, it was back in the early years of the war. We had scouts everywhere looking for good SOLDIER candidates. Some of their recruits turned out to be the best, as you can see."

I frowned slightly; it wasn't any coincidence. Somehow I doubted Shinra ever had any intention of leaving those two alone. They were both caught in the spider's web from birth…how unfair.

"So just take it in stride," Kunsel said, bringing me back to the present. "Zack's come really far with a First as his mentor. You've just been given the same opportunity. Not that it'll be easy, but if you can survive the Commander's training, you're up for just about anything."

"Hmm…you're probably right," I relented, leaning back in my seat. And maybe I could practice reining in my temper, since otherwise it wouldn't be long before I ran out of hair to rip out.

We talked for another ten or fifteen minutes, enough time for each of us to finish a cup or two of coffee. Talking to the Second served to relax me a bit after the stressful training session earlier. I privately hoped I would run into him more often—he wasn't bad company.

Finally I had to leave, as I still had to report for a quick mission briefing before heading out. I said my reluctant goodbye, and then made my way to the assigned briefing room.

It was like a breath of fresh air to finally step off the train and be alone for once. Well—it wasn't literal fresh air, since I was in the Sector 5 slums, but still.

The mission briefing had given me about all the information I needed; there were groups of monsters nesting in scrap heaps on the outskirts of the sector, and I was to clear them out. With all of the pollution and mako mutations occurring in Midgar, it'd be impossible to eradicate all monsters completely from the slums, but clearing out this individual section would be easy enough. Until they repopulated, anyway.

Either way, this was a mission I could probably pull off blindfolded. Monster extermination was no big deal to me; I'd had enough of it in these last few weeks alone, never mind the long months I had spent in Aselia.

It was good, though. I needed time to think uninterrupted, and now I had it. This entire day was allotted for the mission, and I could take my time if I really wanted to.

Sector 5 was, thankfully, not the sector with Wall Market in it. I had been a little concerned upon hearing I was going to the slums, since I couldn't exactly remember the significance of each sector. I just knew that 7 was where Tifa's bar was—or would be, anyway.

So Wall Market had to be in…6, then? Probably. This sector looked pretty familiar; it was one of the places explored in the beginning of FFVII, I could recall that much. I wandered down the street, subconsciously watching my footing as I did so. The pavement down here was extensively cracked, giving way completely to dirt in some areas.

This was the first time I'd been able to take a serious look at the slums—my mission down here with Kunsel had been pretty exclusively in the Train Graveyard, and we hadn't really gone into any residential areas.

It was hard to imagine what life must be like down here, but it looked like everyone managed in their own ways. There was actually a bar and a few eating establishments that looked half-decent, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to take a look; everyone around here gave me the same mistrustful look. They'd probably spit in my food if I sat down for a bite. My eyes were a dead giveaway—it was too bad, too. Above-plate eating was so damn expensive, and you were pretty much guaranteed to have Shinra personnel in the vicinity. Basically it was impossible to have a private conversation in upper Midgar.

Though the massive plate blotted out all sunlight and cut out a lot of air circulation, it did also block out the elements. Many of the houses down here were shingled with scrap metal and various other materials, and a lot of it looked pretty flimsy. I began to get a feel for what the climate (if you could call it that) must be like down here—stuffy and warm year round. Even in winter, the plate and the walls surrounding the city would create one big insulated bubble.

Right now it was midafternoon on an early summer day, and it was pretty hot down here. There were some fans here and there blowing the warm air around, but I was still sweating and wishing that my uniform didn't include a thick turtleneck. The second I got back above-plate, I was buying some real summer clothes. Preferably some flip flops to replace these heavy boots.

I found myself eyeing one restaurant in particular that had a tempting sign (AIR CONDITIONING! 12-8 PM!) hung above the door, but forced myself to resist the urge. My mission came first—besides, Shinra HQ had all the A/C I could ever need, thank god. Working for those assholes did have its perks.

The mission, right. The designated area was about a half-mile beyond this little neighborhood, if I remembered correctly.

Ignoring the looks I got from the people I passed, I made my way down the street. After a few minutes of walking, the houses gradually dwindled to nothing. I passed through a gate to a fence, and then I was walking along a deserted road amongst heaps of scrap metal and rock.

This looked like the place. I drew my sword and turned to the right, moving off the main road. Then began the business of scouring the scrap heaps for monsters.

It didn't take me long to find some; the company had lent me an Enemy Lure materia for this mission. Before I knew it I had monsters practically launching themselves at me. They were relatively weak, though, so the work was about as difficult (and interesting) as cutting grass. I swung Kerberos left and right, my mind on other things as I fended off the beasts.

Exsphere, Exsphere…what was I going to do about it? If I were going to somehow break into the Science Department, I might as well off Hojo while I was at it—kill two birds with one stone. But that was a ridiculous plan; I couldn't just waltz into a top-secret area. I needed authorization, some kind of key card. And then there was the matter of those pesky security cameras…

I grimaced, lashing out with my sword and cutting a Hedgehog Pie in two. Yeah, in my free time I had refreshed my memory and read up on the monsters in the area—and what the hell kind of name was Hedgehog Pie, anyway? Whatever. I could name most of them, though sometimes I did contemplate investing in a Sense materia.

Three more monsters fell before my blade and I moved on, absentmindedly checking the time on my phone. Three pm.

Eh? I had a new message. I opened it up, curious.

From: Kunsel

Subject: Sector 5

Hey, how's your first solo mission going? You must be bored out of your mind. The monsters around that area are nothing special. Keep your eyes peeled for any Hell Houses, though. Those things can pack a punch—best to take them out quickly, since drawn out battles with them tend to get hairy.

Zack's checking out a distress call at one of the construction sites in the upper city, but I think he'll be finished up soon. You up for drinks this time around? Give me a call when you're done; I know a good spot near where you are.

I finished reading and pocketed the phone, letting out a quiet laugh before I could stop myself. This was the third time I'd been invited out with them; what excuse could I give this time?

Moving on, I cut down a few more monsters that wandered into my path. Encounters were becoming a lot more infrequent, and I suspected that I had more than met my quota. It was nearly time to be done.

My mind wandered back to Kunsel's message. Ah, hell…why bother refusing? A few drinks and good company sounded pretty nice right now, and I was still relatively presentable, albeit a little sweaty. I liked Kunsel and I wasn't going to let anything happen to Zack, so it couldn't hurt to make friends. It'd be a relief to drop my guard and relax for once.

All right, then. I'd make one last round of this place and then I'd call him up.

I lowered my sword a bit, slowly making my way back to the main road. Well, there went my private time…I still hadn't come up with a solution for anything. Smashing my way into the Science Department was completely out of the question, not to mention practically impossible with how the building's security was. I needed someone on the inside, but I didn't know any—

"Aaaah!"

My head snapped up at the sound of a feminine cry, and I lunged out on to the road. A trio of Whole Eaters were moving towards a blue-clad girl, who seemed to have tripped and fallen in her effort to get away.

Hold on, I knew that girl!

Concentrating, I waved one arm and sent a fireball in the monsters' direction. It was relatively weak—my mind flashed back to Genesis scoffing at me this morning—but at least it distracted them. The Whole Eaters turned towards me, tails poised aggressively.

No sense in wasting time while their focus was shifted. I leapt forward, cutting through two of them in one swipe; then I twisted in the air, sending a Hell Pyre at the third. The attack hit dead on, the force of it flipping the now-singed monster on to its back. Its insectile legs curled slightly, and then it was still.

I eyed the three monsters carefully, and then swept the surroundings with a quick glance. Nothing moved; I relaxed slightly.

"Oh…thank you!" The girl was slightly breathless, but offered me a relieved smile from her spot on the ground.

"No problem. Are you okay? You didn't twist your ankle or anything, did you?" I held out a hand. She paused for a moment, giving me a long, searching look. Then she reached out and took it, allowing me to help her up.

"I'm okay!" The girl said brightly, brushing her dress off. "I was just startled, that's all. It's been a while since I've seen monsters on this road."

"Yeah…that might be my fault," I admitted sheepishly. "I was clearing the area out, so I probably stirred them all up. I didn't mean to get you caught up in it."

She shook her head. "You saved me, so it's all right."

I glanced around us again, frowning. Aerith was a slender girl with no muscle to speak of, and she wasn't even carrying a staff or weapon of any sort. She wouldn't stand a chance even against weak monsters, and if she was attacked by a group again…

"Do you mind if I escort you back to wherever you're going? I don't think there should be many monsters left, but all the same…"

"Sure! I like having company," she replied. "I'm Aerith."

"Brittany," I said with a smile, shaking her hand. "Nice to meet you."

It was strange; looking at her now, I could tell that Aerith couldn't be older than sixteen or seventeen. The same feeling came over me as when I met Zack. It was strange to think that this young girl bore such a heavy burden. The Holy materia…her Cetra heritage, and the voice of the Planet…

I can save you, too.

We started walking, and I mulled over that sudden thought. Save Zack, and Zack will protect Aerith…Stop Sephiroth, and the crisis will be averted entirely. Her death was at least five years down the road; there were plenty of ways to change things and save her.

The walk didn't take very long. Within a few minutes, I saw a ray of light shining down from above, coming from a gap in the plate; it was shining on to a very familiar church. That was actually really pretty…

"I've never seen a girl with a big sword before," Aerith remarked, breaking me out of my thoughts. She was watching me curiously. "How come you were fighting monsters?"

"I…I work for Shinra," I replied. Agh, I hated admitting it. "It's just part of a mission."

"Hmm…" Her look just grew even more curious after that, but instead of asking more questions she just gestured to the building ahead. "We're here. Wanna come inside?"

I blinked, taken aback at the invitation. Well…I did have time…and I kind of wanted to see what Aerith was like. Why not?

"Sure," I replied. "I can hang out for a few minutes."

She smiled and led the way into the church. I followed closely behind, feeling my footsteps slow as I stepped through the doorway. Suddenly a feeling of nostalgia hit me like a ton of bricks, and I came to a halt.

This was…wow.

Soft light filtered in through the tall windows, bathing the pews and the center aisle in a warm glow. A hole in the ceiling above let in some light as well; a single bright ray fell on a bed of yellow and white flowers at the far end of the church. It was an old building; some of the pews looked ready to fall apart, and the wood beneath my feet was worn. Somehow, the ancient look of the place made it that much more beautiful.

How many years had it been since I first set eyes on this church in the game? I couldn't even remember. This was the first truly iconic place I had seen since coming to this world, and it was surreal.

Aerith walked down the center aisle, carrying a small paper bag she had brought back from wherever she had gone earlier. She paused when she no longer heard my footsteps, and turned to look at me over her shoulder.

"You can come in, silly," she offered.

I jumped a little, then smiled sheepishly before moving to follow her deeper into the building. She made her way right up to the flowerbed, bending over a bit to check on them and looking right at home.

I walked up to one of the nearest pews, sitting down lightly to see if it would support my weight. It did, and I relaxed.

"Flowers in Midgar…?" I piped up, watching her. "That's not a common sight."

She smiled. "They only grow here. Aren't they pretty?"

"Yeah…"

"I bought some fertilizer earlier," she said, holding up the bag she'd brought. "If any of them start to wilt, this makes them happy again."

I tilted my head a little, watching her tend to the flowers. Somehow watching her like this was really relaxing; the only thing the scene was missing was the sound of birds chirping, but I knew that'd be too much to expect in Midgar.

The flowers looked like a mix of daffodils and lilies. They reminded me somewhat of my mom, who had always planted flowers like this in her garden. The daffodils were always the first to bloom, their yellow buds a sure signal that spring was coming. Even the flowers in this place gave me a feeling of warm nostalgia.

It was…sad, though. This church and memories of Aerith's death went hand in hand. The girl before me was Aerith, but again, she wasn't yet the woman who would sacrifice herself for the Planet. Still…

"You must be tired," Aerith remarked.

I looked up, raising my eyebrows a little. "Huh?"

"You've got a heavy burden on your shoulders," she elaborated, clasping her hands to her heart. It was a gesture that reminded me strongly of Colette.

"What makes you think that?" I asked slowly, my brow furrowing.

"The flowers told me," she replied in a matter-of-fact tone, smiling.

"…The Planet?" I murmured before I could stop myself.

Aerith's eyes widened with surprise, but then she simply looked down with a thoughtful frown. "So you know about that too…"

"The Planet told you about me?" I asked, trying to keep my sudden desperation out of my tone. I glanced at the door to the church, making sure that there wasn't anyone lurking within hearing distance.

She bit her lip for a moment before nodding. "Mmhmm. Just that you're not from around here…and you know things."

I watched her, mystified. So…the Planet was aware of me…did that mean something? It had to…though it wasn't much to go on, that tiny bit of information was all I had in regards to how and why I was here. Maybe there was an explanation and possibly a way back; I just had to keep searching.

"I'm supposed to tell you something. Hmm…" She put a finger to her lower lip, thinking. Then her eyes brightened and she smiled at me. "Oh, right. 'You're not alone. Everything's going to be okay.' How's that?"

I blinked. "What…?"

"Don't worry so much. You can trust me," she said. "If you're ever feeling tired, come and visit, okay? Everyone has to rest sometimes."

The look in her eyes suggested that she knew more than she was letting on. Strangely enough, it was comforting somehow. I really wasn't alone.

"…Maybe I will," I said, staring pensively at the bed of flowers. "Thanks…Aerith."

"You don't have to thank me!" She assured me. "Just think of it as payment for saving me. We're even now!"

I laughed a little, opening my mouth to reply, but the sound of Victory Fanfare cut me off. My face fell; what now? I pulled my phone out of my pocket, flipping it open.

"Hello?"

"Yo! Just got off the train at the Sector 5 platform. You coming?"

I started a little. When had I given Zack my—oh, he must've stolen it off my phone when he was giving me his number. Jeez, I wouldn't put it past him.

"Uh…yeah, I'm finished up, but where—"

"Foxwoods. It's a tavern in the slums; Kunsel and I go there all the time. Know where it is?"

Foxwoods…that was familiar. Right, it was that one place that had the air conditioning sign above the door.

"Sure," I replied. "I'll be there in ten."

"Sounds good!" came the cheerful reply. "See you then!"

"Yeah, see you," I said, and hung up.

Aerith was giving me a curious look. I just shrugged, standing up and rubbing the back of my neck.

"Well, I guess I have to go…it was nice meeting you, Aerith."

"Same to you!" she replied. "Come back anytime."

With that, I made my way out of the church—with no small amount of reluctance. As I turned my back to the flowerbed and walked back down the aisle, I heard the faint sound of Aerith humming to herself as she worked.

Then I was outside on the street again, leaving the church behind. I sighed; time to go back to reality. But I'd definitely be swinging by here again. If only there was some way for me to tell her everything without the Turks overhearing…but if she really was being constantly watched, I wasn't sure if I wanted to risk it. There was no telling what they'd do with that information.

There were times when the Compilation painted the Turks in a more positive light, but still…I couldn't forget the image of Tseng slapping Aerith, or of Reno dropping the plate. Ugh…Tseng had wanted to rescue Zack, but then I had also seen him shooting Jace in cold blood! What was I supposed to think? It was safer to avoid those shady guys altogether.

As I was mulling this over, I felt something bump my foot. I frowned and looked down; a small green bottle was slowly rolling away. Hmm…?

Bending over, I picked it up to examine it. A few bizarre names were written on the label—chemicals? It didn't matter, because below that the word "fertilizer" was written, and I immediately knew whom it belonged to. This must have fallen out of Aerith's bag when she tripped; had she noticed she was missing a bottle? At least it didn't seem to be cracked at all from the fall. I pushed the bottle into my bag, deciding to give it back to her the next time I saw her.

Now I walked back through the gate to the fence, moving back into the neighborhood I had been in earlier. It was easy enough to find the tavern Zack had mentioned. I paused to brush some of the dust from my clothes, and then walked through the front door.

For a moment I hesitated, looking around. The tavern wasn't very busy since it was still a little early; the few people sitting at the bar offered me some indifferent looks before turning back to their beers.

Then I saw a hand waving me over, and I turned to find Kunsel and Zack sitting in a booth at the far end of the room.

"Hey! I was wondering if you'd show," Zack remarked as I slid in next to him.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. "I don't bail on plans. If I didn't want to come, I would've said so."

"That's good to hear," the teen replied. "Then again, I guess you don't seem like the flaky type."

"I'm glad," I said with a snort. It would've sucked if I generally came off as a scatterbrained ditz.

"How'd the mission go?" Kunsel asked me.

"Easy enough," I said, pausing to order a beer when a waiter came by. "Thanks for the advice, but I didn't actually run into any Hell Houses."

Oh, speaking of which…I reached over to my left bracer, extracting the Enemy Lure and placing it in my bag. Wouldn't be too pretty if monsters tried following me in here, after all.

Zack shuddered. "Maaan…I remember the first time I fought one of those things. This shack on the side of the road just grew arms and tried to eat me—I thought I was losing it."

"They're just monsters that use manmade structures as a shell," Kunsel said, smirking a little at his friend. "For some reason they usually stick to small buildings. It's the main reason why you shouldn't trust any abandoned looking places outside of the neighborhoods down here."

"That just sounds bizarre…" I remarked, grinning. "All I saw were Whole Eaters and Hedgehog Pies."

Zack gave me an incredulous look. "That's all? Why're they still treating you like a rookie? Not cool. I'd be bored out of my mind."

"Well, this was her first solo mission," Kunsel pointed out.

"Anyone who can kill a Nibel dragon on their own has no business being in Third, never mind any of that," Zack said.

"True," his friend acknowledged, giving me a thoughtful look. "And then there's the Zolom and the Malboro."

"Both of which are apparently falling into legend," I said, rolling my eyes. The waiter brought over my beer, and I took a long drink.

"I'm serious!" Zack thumped me on the back. "It's just stupid that they recruited you and won't even give you any breathing room."

"Yeah, well I don't really care either way," I replied with a shrug. "It's a paycheck, right?"

"Technically it'd be a bigger paycheck if you were in Second," Kunsel informed me.

Zack frowned, taking a sip of his drink and thinking this over. Suddenly his eyes brightened as if he'd thought of something, and he turned to me again.

"You said you joined SOLDIER because you want to protect someone. If you want to do that, you'll have to become stronger, right?" He nodded to me with a determined look. "That won't happen if you're stuck taking out small fry on every mission."

…Oh. That was something to think about.

After all, I had a lot of potential obstacles around me. Genesis was originally a villain, Angeal might still desert, and Sephiroth…god, Sephiroth. No matter what happened, there was still the possibility that I'd have to fight him at some point. Those nightmares hung over me like a dark cloud.

It was true…I still wasn't strong enough. All of the Firsts were still on a way higher level than me.

"I guess you have a point…" I relented, frowning.

The raven-haired teen just offered a grin. "It's settled then. We'll vouch for you! Hey, I'll talk to Angeal about it, too."

About what…? Getting me more difficult missions, or having me promoted? Ack, I wasn't sure which one sounded worse.

"Zack, I think you've lost her," Kunsel said with a laugh.

I grimaced slightly, and then immediately changed the subject. Talking about work and Shinra just made me uneasy.

We sat and talked for the next two hours, the conversation flowing easily between us. Kunsel and Zack had a ton of funny stories to tell me about their early days as cadets, and there were a few occasions when I was laughing so hard I was near tears. In turn I told them some stories of my own, altering the scenarios and place names slightly to better fit this world. They both loved the story of the time I pulled Kratos into Lake Umacy.

After a while, it felt like I was among old friends. Zack and Kunsel were both so laid back and easy to get along with; I found myself more relaxed than I had been in a long while. Why had I been avoiding hanging out with them for so long? This was just a reminder of how much I needed friends.

Finally Kunsel said that he had to get going, as he had a few things to take care of before his next mission tomorrow. Zack and I sat and talked for a few more minutes after that before deciding that we both had to get going as well.

When we left the bar and were walking in the general direction of the station, an idea suddenly struck me and I stopped dead in my tracks.

"Huh? What's up?" Zack turned and looked at me curiously.

"Crap…" I muttered, feigning dismay. "I forgot all about it…hey, Zack, is there any way you could do me a favor?"

"Sure," he replied easily. "What is it?"

I pulled the bottle of fertilizer out of my bag, holding it up to him. "Um…so a friend of mine dropped this when I was visiting them earlier. I was going to run back and return it, but then you called…anyway, I have something else that I really need to take care of and I can't head over there now. Any way you could drop by and give it back for me?"

Zack took the bottle from me, examining it curiously. "No problem. I've got time."

"Thanks! I owe you," I said, smiling brightly. "Okay, so it's just down the road that way." I pointed towards the gate I had come from earlier. "Just keep heading straight, and you'll come to an old church—you can't miss it. I think they'll still be there…if not, just leave it somewhere obvious."

"You got it!" He said with a thumbs up, immediately moving in the direction I had pointed. "Well, I'll get going then. See you back at HQ!"

My smile turned into a full-on grin as I watched him run off. Excitable as usual…but that had been easier than expected. Hopefully everything would work out.

I turned and made my way for the Sector 5 platform, walking with a bounce in my step.

A/N: Couldn't resist. XD Don't worry, though-I'm sure Zack will still crash through the church roof at some point, just because that scenario is too funny.

Still trying to get used to writing Aerith. I tried to keep her in character, but I realized that most of the scenes I remember involve her flirting with Cloud or Zack. Yeah, not a good reference to use for her interactions with another girl. Then there's the fact that half her lines in FFVII are horrendously translated (DERP, THIS GUY ARE SICK). XD

Other than that...another chapter with little plot progression? YOU BET. I'm getting things moving, though. Slowly...!

Yes, OC Brit, Zack and Kunsel are drinking ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGESSS here. Drinking age in Midgar is eighteen because I said so, and the slums don't really enforce it. XD Just seems more realistic as America's practically the only place that's so crazy strict about it.

Well, that's all for now. Reviewwww~

Next time: Loyalty and trust. Exsphere. Forming a plan.