A/N: Time to kick things off!

Getting used to having a literal sixth (seventh?!) sense was disconcerting and Rill found herself off balance almost constantly. She could detect vibrations much more keenly, which unfortunately meant that her hearing became much sharper when she had it slotted. Even if she wasn't using it actively, there was still a noticeable increase to her hearing sensitivity and range.

She winced as yet another explosion from the VR training simulator caused the lights to flicker.

Those three... Sephiroth, Genesis and Angeal training together was an unfortunate necessity since no one else could possibly keep up with them. It was also where a significant portion of the SOLDIER budget went since they, almost without fail, destroyed whatever simulator they trained in. Angeal had informed her over the last few sessions together they had gotten increasingly...brutal. It always started out friendly, but would over time get more and more intent. More and more violent.

Genesis wouldn't say anything about what was going on and stated that it wasn't something he was willing to let go of.

Her attempts to defuse her boss amounted to nothing as well. He didn't know what was wrong, nor did he see much amiss with the way Genesis was fighting. He said that it was a good challenge and that he enjoyed it.

Rill pulled out a notebook and began to write out some more theories of potential combinations for materia fusion. She didn't want her speculations to be seized and used by the company so she didn't trust anything electronic. She eyed the list she had compiled. She had made experimenting with the fusion machine a habit over the course of the past few weeks, almost two months actually, and was reasonably certain she now had enough of an idea of the art of fusing that she could attempt to put some materia together without its aid. She had practiced on Infrared materia, creating multiple copies as she refined her technique and giving the spares she made to her friends among the Turks. They accepted the gifts without comment, but with great appreciation.

Her study of what else she might be able to fuse with interesting results was halted abruptly by a searing flash of pain from the Planet. Something big had just happened... someone important had been injured.

Rill closed her eyes and focused...

She had been getting more familiar with the various people that the Planet took special notice of. So after a few minutes, she had a firm grasp on who was hurt.

Genesis. She turned to her computer and quickly made to pull up the camera feed only to get a burst of static. Her brow twitched. Of all the days for me not to have checked...they overdid it again! The trio's reputation for destroying the sim room was unparalleled, though Zack was working his way up to that level. She had managed to avert the last five spars that had escalated to this level, but she wasn't infallible.

Rill rose, smoothing her features into her usual mask and went first to intercept Genesis on the way to the infirmary. She was halted by a text on her PHS from the man himself, asking her to heal him up.

She was torn between being flattered at his trust, and exasperated. He had little tolerance for some of the nurses... actually most of them since professionalism was not a requirement to work for the company. They would either make excuses to touch him or faint outright. Rill suspected that the fainting was as much from the blood as his presence, but far be it from her to tell Genesis that. He would be so disappointed...

She had gotten rather close with him over time. When he wanted to be someone's friend, he spared no expense. As far as she could tell, there wasn't anything romantic between them. Not from her certainly. But he, Tseng and Reno and very rarely Zack were the only people she was friends with outside of work.

Not even Sephiroth? Aeris's dubious question sounded. Rill considered it as she dug around her desk for the appropriate medical supplies to patch Genesis's wound and tried to think of some way to trick him into getting professional treatment instead of a simple slap up job from her.

No...not even Sephiroth. She realized. I'm not myself around him, Aeris. Not the same way... She was The Secretary when she interacted with him, usually anyway. He could sometimes glimpse her when she interacted with Reno and Zack, when she was outmaneuvering them or cleaning up after them. But he had never deliberately seen her actual self.

He didn't know Rill, the girl who liked to garden, who had a temper and a smart mouth. He only knew Nerilka, the perfect secretary who couldn't be shaken, and was always flawlessly polite.

Genesis entered her room with a thunderous scowl on his face, Rill pulled some clean gloves on and pushed her useless glasses onto her head to see things more clearly. He was favoring his left shoulder, and there was some blood in his shirt, although not an especially alarming amount for the powerful SOLDIER.

"Just that one injury?" She asked as he sat down on her desk heavily, mouth tight with pain.

"'My friend, the fate's are cruel.'" She took that as an affirmative as she helped him out of his coat. His hand was glowing with his own Cure materia as he kept the blood from spurting out excessively.

"Well that's something." She mused, examining the jagged slash on his left shoulder, her own Cure materia lighting with energy as she took over the non-physical pressure to stop his bleeding. "Now if you would just go to someone who's actually qualified to treat you."

"You are more than qualified, Rill." He said in a voice that was anger slowly fading to weariness and frustration. "You're not even twitching at the sight of blood, and you're better and maintaining the pressure of magic than any of the nurses on staff."

"I've seen much worse." Rill said dryly, tracing the edges of the wound with a fingertip, trying to assess how much power she would have to use.

"I think any slum-rat could say the same, not just you." There was no bite or insult to his comment. Genesis had been surprised to find out where she came from, but he hadn't been judgmental about it. He hadn't even made some remark about how surprising it was that she was capable and educated.

"Maybe a handful out of ten." She mused, gathering up her concentration. "Could you get your shirt out of the way?" He responded by tearing it off completely with no apparent effort. "Not like that, you asshole!" She barked as he tossed the bloodstained fabric to the floor. He gave her a look that could be interpreted as a leer. She knew him well enough by now to be certain that he was messing with her.

"What's the matter Rill? Never seen a man without his shirt before?"

"At this point, it's more the question of which SOLDIER I haven't seen shirtless, Genesis. Honestly! You know how hard it is to get blood out of the carpet!" She scolded. "You're not the only one who turns my office into a rest stop or a med station." Most of the 2nd Class had stopped by once in a while to take a moment for themselves in her office since it was the only place where they were guaranteed a few moments peace. Sephiroth's cookie stash had suffered horribly within the first week of their beginning this practice and his unholy wrath had stopped all but the bravest, or the most foolish from continuing to do so.

That meant, of course, Genesis and Zack. Reno raiding the stash was a given, and accounted for in her plans.

The med station part had come after she had needed to patch up her favorite infantryman again, as well as a 3rd Class who had defended him from the bullies. Ever since then, she could expect at least one trooper to drop by every few days with a broken nose, split lip, or training wound of some kind.

"You don't ask questions." Cloud had once said by way of explanation. "You don't need to. You just fix us up, you don't take forever about it and tell us to be more careful!"

Rill breathed out, bringing her power to bear on the wound and setting to work on healing his wound.

Instantly, she could tell that something was wrong.

She had healed before. And was she good at it. All things magical came to her and Aeris naturally. In her experience, she had come across some wounds that didn't want to be closed. Generally, that meant that the patient's own emotions were interfering with her magic.

It can't be pride. She thought, brow furrowing. Genesis is vain. He hates getting scars that mess up his appearance. Rill drew up still more magic power through the materia, coaxing the edges of the wound closed. They twitched and writhed, resisting her commands. She had only closed a fraction of the wound when Genesis gave a grunt of obvious pain and she withdrew slightly, glancing up at him to check that he wanted her to continue.

His SOLDIER blue eyes softened at her wordless query and he lifted a hand to tug at a lock of her brown hair that had fallen free from it's knot.

"I'm fine, Rill." She still withdrew all but the bare minimum of pressure and handed him some high grade painkillers, specially made for SOLDIER.

"No you're not. I'm not doing more until you're medicated." He took the pills without a word, sitting still for a moment as he felt the numbness rush through him.

"It's deep, but it's only a flesh wound..." He muttered dazedly. "Why's it giving you this much trouble?"

"Why indeed...?" Rill mused, examining the injury yet again. She had healed worse than this in a trice. The cut was ugly, jagged and extended for a few inches down his collarbone, but other than that, it was clean and not even an hour old. There shouldn't be any infection to burn out, so what was...

"What caused this?" She asked Genesis suddenly, seizing the possibility. If there is an infection from whatever hurt him, I might need a Heal, not just an Esuna.

"Angeal's broadsword shattered. Piece of shrapnel." He answered, gaze focused on some point of the far wall and nowhere near her.

Well so much for that. Rill thought, frowning. Angeal keeps all of his weapons spotless. Hades, it's why he doesn't even use his Buster Sword except for the most severe fights! But still, something's wrong. Better check. She picked up the appropriate materia, reluctantly unslotting her Infrared materia to make room for it in her bangle. Genesis was so out of it, he didn't question the purple sphere that she slipped into her pocket.

But what she got when she powered up the Heal...

STOPOUTMINEOUTKILLYOU!

Aggressive mental claws ripped at her mind, doing their utmost to do her harm. This was worse than any poison, venom or disease she had ever encountered and she let out a low hiss. This drew his attention back to her.

"What's wrong?" She resisted the urge to flee from the pain and persevered in her defense.

"Nothing with me...Goddess above, what is this injury? I'm trying to clean it and it's-!" She shook her head as a new assault rose to crash into her.

"Rill?" She gritted her teeth and fought through the pain and the resistance to continue forward, step by slow step.

"This...is probably going to hurt." She had found something in him that was loath to let go. A dark, festering poison that she had never noticed in him before. "I think you must have picked up a secondary infection of some kind last time you were in the field." She ground out, bearing down with all the force she could muster, deliberately squeezing the infection free from inside him. Dark, unhealthy looking pus seeped from the wound and he gave a strangled cry of pain, his hands gripping the edge of her desk so tightly she heard the wood creak. She snatched up a towel and mopped it away even as she sealed up the wound bit by bit with what little energy she had left after the intense cleansing. Her mind felt like it had been flayed then had vinegar poured over it, she couldn't imagine what Genesis was feeling in reaction.

"Nonsensh. I...I haven't been... deployed in... monshs." He struggled to form the words with the potent medication clouding his mind.

Rill examined the darkly stained towel in her hands, every fibre of her being straining away from the mere thought of it's presence.

Wrongwrongwrong!

The Planet was outright cringing at the sight of it. This wasn't just some kind of virus or bacteria, this was something that was in complete and total violation of the laws of nature.

"Well either way, you need to get that looked into." She examined the raw skin on his shoulder, running a finger over the prominent, very new scar gingerly to check for any gaps in the seal she had managed to put on it. "I don't think I can get all of the infection out. And whatever it is, it is bad news."

Rill was exhausted by the end of the day. As soon Genesis had left the room, she had pulled out the reinforced wastepaper basket and flung the contaminated towels into it before setting it on fire with as much power as she could throw at it. She watched the blaze with a sinking feeling in her stomach as she stood, worried and terrified at what she had just been in contact with. Bad. Badbadbadbadbad! The constant blaring warnings in her mind had finally drawn Aeris around to inquire what had occurred to upset the Planet so.

Upon explaining, Aeris had gone quiet for several long moments...

I think..we need to look at this more closely, Rill. Together... Rill had almost choked at the paralyzing fear that her cousin was feeling.

Aeris, what's wrong?

That...that's what's wrong...Rill, humans are the original children of the Planet. Our ancestors came here as refugees and soon became the Planet's voice when their power merged with that of the natives. Their power, the materia, should be the cause all and end all. I've never encountered any injury that couldn't be healed with materia. There isn't anything in this world, from this world that should elicit that kind of resistance, let alone attack the healer. A cold chill raced down Rill's spine.

So...if there something in Genesis that is resistant and hostile to us...She instantly felt sick. Could it be the Calamity...?

...I don't know. Aeris admitted. Either way, it can't be good for your friend. We need to figure out what it is for certain, and how to heal him. If it is the Calamity...

Then I've just as good as told it that there still are some of us alive. They knew next to nothing about the Calamity, just a few vague memories and hints received from the Planet. Those memories indicated that the Calamity could receive information from even the smallest part of itself. There couldn't be more than a few cells of it in the black pus she had forced out of Genesis' body. But... Rill sat at her desk, pale faced and horrified at what she might have done. Guilt, terror and panic gnawed at her composure, straining at her to break free and scream. But all she could do was sit, motionless and not...not do anything.

Deep breaths, Rill. This isn't your fault. Aeris soothed, reaching out and enveloping her foster sister and cousin in a warm embrace. You were trying to help your friend, There is nothing wrong with that.

"Rill, are you alright?" Silver swam before her eyes as Rill focused on Sephiroth's face. When did he get here...? The concern she felt from him was practically radiating off of him in waves.

"I'm not feeling well, sir, that's all. It'll pass." He pressed a hand to her her forehead after pulling off one of his dark gloves. Rill resisted the urge to roll her eyes. You are such a mother hen sometimes. "Really, I'm all-"

"You're pale as a sheet, shaking, and have missed three calls." She blinked, looking at her answering machine with some surprise.

"Oh...I'm sorry, sir. I'll just-"

"Take a sick day, go home and rest? That's an excellent idea." She was gently set on her feet by the man who had already gotten her purse and was guiding her towards the door before she realized what had happened.

"Sir, I'll be fine."

"You know, it was recently explained to me what 'fine' means when a woman says it?" Sephiroth said in a conversational tone.

"And what would that be, sir?"

"'I'm frantic, insecure, neurotic and emotional'." This made her release a soft laugh.

"All very true, sir." Her head spun as she tried to move faster than a shuffle and she hastily caught herself before she fell over. But from the hand that was suddenly on her shoulder, he hadn't missed it.

"Rill, you look like you're about to pass out."

"I am endeavouring not to do so." She heard herself reply faintly. She did feel sick and as though her body wasn't quite her won anymore...Did I touch any of the pus with my bare skin? I don't think I did...But...it's possible. The room was spinning faster and faster, swirling in a sickening manner.

She heard her boss sigh.

"Then...Please forgive me for doing this." She was about to ask what for when she felt something wash over her mind and encourage her to fall asleep. "You need the rest..." Materia...He's using a Sleep materia on me. Usually, her instincts, honed by a rough street life, would be screaming at her and force her to remain lucid. But there was only a complete trust and feeling of safety as Rill felt the world vanish and the bliss of oblivion overtake her.

Sephiroth caught Rill as she fell and lifted her easily. He flicked open his phone to call Lazard

"Director Lazard."

"This is Sephiroth, director. I need time off."

"How much time, General?" Sephiroth looked down at the sleeping woman in his arms.

"Indefinite." There came a low curse from the other end of the line.

"First you and the other two tear up the new sim-room, now you're asking for time off?" Sephiroth's voice was cold as he replied.

"I am not asking, Director. This is not a request. I am merely going through the proper channels to ensure no one kicks off a manhunt when I do not appear for the next day or two. I don't know how long I will be preoccupied, but rest assured, this is an emergency."

The man sighed on the other end of the line.

"Alright, I'll just call Nerilka-"

"She is sick." Sephiroth interrupted tersely. "Pale, shaking, disoriented." He quickly felt her forehead before adding: "And she is definitely running a fever. Hence, why I need time off." Lazard made a strangled sort of sound.

"You're taking time off...to take care of Nerilka...Meaning that neither one of you will present for work today, or tomorrow." The man's horror was both palpable and understandable, but somehow...the general didn't really care.

"As long as it takes." Sephiroth corrected before hanging up. The sheer wrongness of Rill not being up, capable of and healthy was rubbing him that wrong way. He had a feeling that anyone trying to take her from him before he was ready to let her go would get threatened with Masamune.

She had called him out on his overprotective behavior before. Such as the last time she had come down to the sim-room to break up an intense match between himself and Genesis when they hadn't stopped once she shut down the simulation. A stray fireball had missed her by inches and Sephiroth had almost torn the room apart to assure himself that she wasn't hurt. Genesis hadn't been much better, all of his aggression having vanished in a heartbeat in his ardor to assure himself that she was unharmed.

Out of all the people he was closest to, Rill was the only unenhanced human. She couldn't fight, for all she was remarkably adept at magic and braver than most of the SOLDIERs on the payroll. A blow he could shrug off with a derisive laugh would kill her! She was vulnerable in a way Angeal and Genesis weren't, for all that she had never seen combat. It weighed heavily on his mind ever since he realized how fond of her he had become.

He was at somewhat of a loss of what to do now though. He didn't have a clue what being sick was like, it had never happened to him.

Emotional support and physical comfort. He recalled Rill saying that after she visited Zack when he had been feeling under the weather. Those are the things that aid recovery. Taking Rill home seemed to be the best option for that. Comfortable, familiar surroundings. But didn't she mention she had family? She never said where they were from, but she did have some.

He needed more information.

So he called Tseng.

"Tseng."

"Rill has fallen ill. Where do her relatives live?" Sephiroth heard only silence for a moment on the other end.

"...Take Rill home, I'll see to it someone comes by."

He had been to Rill's apartment before when she had blithely bribed Zack with food to behave himself during his Mako high. The food was excellent and while her home wasn't extensive, it was neatly kept and comfortable. What had amazed and intrigued him were the multitude of plants she had scattered about her rooms. In pots at the windows and on the kitchen counters, several hanging boxes on her balcony, including a collection of herbs that she used to make her own tea.

However, the novelty of green, flourishing plants in Midgar was really a rather low priority right now. In hindsight, marching out of the building in broad daylight with an unconscious woman in his arms hadn't been the smartest thing he had ever done. Especially since Rill was still upset from the publicity she had gotten at the state dinner. Take care of that later. He dismissed. Rill first. She was much more important than public opinion or gossip.

He put her to bed, made her comfortable and watched over her, unsure of what else to do. Thankfully, it wasn't long until Tseng arrived with the promised help.

The maternal looking woman didn't even blink upon seeing him in Rill's apartment, just went over to the younger girl and checked her temperature.

"What symptoms did she show and why is she under a Sleep spell?" She asked him sharply. Sephiroth was somewhat taken aback at the familiarity of her businesslike tone. Her dark brown hair was pulled back and there was a gleam of worry in her rather familiar blue eyes.

Some relation of Rill's then. He glanced at Tseng for some verification and the man nodded.

"This is Elmyra Gainsborough, Nerilka's aunt." With their pronounced similarity, Sephiroth had been all but certain the woman was his secretary's mother.

"She was disoriented, feverish and seemed unaware of her surroundings. As for the Sleep spell, she was trying to convince me that she could return here without aid, even though she admitted that she was having trouble remaining conscious." His voice was very dry. "This was the simplest, swiftest and most painless solution." The woman gave a short laugh that sounded genuine.

"That does sound like her. My stubborn girl would insist that she was alright if she had lost a limb or gotten a concussion." There sounded like there was a story behind this, one that he really wanted to know. Sephiroth got the impression that despite being her aunt, Elmyra was much more Rill's mother than anything else. And that alone made him soften towards the stranger.

"Thank you for bringing her here, General." Elmyra stroked her nieces forehead tenderly. "Rill gets so caught up in looking after others that she tends to forget that she needs taking care of as well." That was exactly what she did. Day in, day out. Sephiroth smiled as he looked at the unconscious young woman, looking much softer and more innocent without her glasses.

"I'm happy to help, ma'am."

Elmyra looked at the imposing man with a shrewd eye.

His reputation aside, she knew from Rill that the man was actually very thoughtful, if socially awkward in some scenarios. But she had never had any complaints about his behavior, intentions or honor.

And the look that he was giving her sleeping niece made her maternal instincts for the girl very happy.

He's half in love with her and probably doesn't even realize it. But why is that? Maybe he doesn't recognize what he's feeling? She considered him for a moment.

"Honestly, I've been expecting something like this for months now. Rill always tries to overwork herself. Now, I have some work to do if Rill's going to make a good recovery. Thank you again for bringing her back here. I won't take any more of you time." And how will you react to this...?

Impossibly colored green eyes met hers with a mixture of offended indignation and bewilderment at her implication of his departure.

"If you don't mind, ma'am...I'd rather stay." He suddenly seemed the tiniest bit embarrassed. "It...doesn't sit well with me that Rill got to be in this state while under my care." Well then...that clarified some things. So it's that he doesn't know what he's feeling, just that he cares for her. Well, whether or not this develops, it will be very good for her to have another friend.

The slum-mother gave him a wide, warm smile.

"I think I can find something for you to do, General."

"Sephiroth, ma'am."

"Elmyra, or Auntie. First of all, might I suggest a change of clothing? Leather may look impressive, but it is not very good for tending the sick." That and with a little luck, seeing this admittedly handsome specimen of a man in casual attire might just throw Rill for enough of a loop that she would say some entertaining things while delirious. It was far too early to expect grandchildren, or even hope for them, really. But a mother could dream and there was so little that she could use to tease Rill nowadays...