This chapter takes place about one and a half weeks after the last.

Yes, and it's still winter... weather over here is so bad that I really wish the winter back. But weather might change in the next few chapters.

Chapter 11: Wherein Rufus meets Denzel

The snow was crunching under Rufus' feet. He felt light-headed, the medicine was digging in, but although it might have lowered the fever, it didn't restore his strength. The air was cold, burning fiercely in his lungs.

He needed to think, calmly. It was impossible think at home, not in a buzzing building. Not with Tseng around.

He stopped in front of the gate, had to stop to catch his breath. The metal was cold through his gloves and he felt the cold sipping through his clothes. Even thinking of the Turk tightened his stomach. He had no idea how to tell Tseng that he was sorry for what he had said. He didn't even know how to treat the Turk since he hadn't excused. The Turk's coldness hurt so much. He hadn't even dared to ask him about his bandaged arm.

He pushed the door open, felt the heat flaring up inside.

The place was lying there so very beautifully. Light was falling through the broken roof, there was snow on the floor, snowdrifts covered some of the overturned benches. Steam was wavering softly over the spring. The windows where covered in a milky layer of ice.

He was dying.

The wood was creaking under his heavy steps when he advanced.

Elena had said the illness wouldn't kill, but he didn't believe her.

Lifestream had been merciful with him once and now, it was coming back for him. He felt its fire burning him away from the inside, the pain that was tearing at his patched up limbs.

He just couldn't bring up Reeve's enthusiasm for 'the world'. He plainly didn't care, as much as he tried. One human, perhaps, could be smart. Two or three were perhaps smarter. But a bunch of them was just plainly stupid. It wasn't like he cared to help them; it was just beneficial for him at the moment. He felt sorry for what he had lost, shocked and shaken by the dimensions of Shin-Ra's destruction, but sorry for the world itself? Guilty only in some ways, perhaps.

He felt the fever burning inside him and his hand tightened around the shotgun as the pain flared up again.

He didn't want to die.

The water in front of his feet was crystal-clear. He felt the warmth rising up to him and he saw his shadow on the surface. He wasn't here for redemption. It wasn't like he hadn't tried to change, but he was indulged and selfish, always had been. He was Rufus Shinra and same as he couldn't change his origin, he saw no point in changing into something he considered weak. If the lifestream thought it had to kill him for that, it was welcome to. He wasn't going to beg, not him. Never mind how frightened he was.

It was just Tseng and his Turks whom he… Suddenly, there was a faint noise which pierced his thoughts and his hand tightened around the gun.

It stayed silent for several moments and all Rufus felt was the cold creeping up behind him, the warmth rising from the pool. He listened intensely into the silence, heard nothing but the soft wind in the building's structure. Then, suddenly, there was another creak and in the same moment, Rufus spun around his axis and pointed his gun, just to see the scared face of a child at the other end of the barrel.

"Oh, it's you again." He lowered the weapon with a contemptuous smirk and looked around for Tifa Lockheart. But the church seemed to be empty save for them. It disappointed him. Ever since that night nearly one and a half week ago he had half hoped to meet her again. She had contradicted him, she had scorned him, accused him, she was fascinating him.

"I'm… I'm sorry, Mr Shinra, Sir", the boy stammered. Judging by his position in the room, he must have been on his way out. Now, he was looking down to his feet, scared, but he also didn't seem to know what to do. The frequent gaze to the hole in the wall suggested hat he wanted to run and Rufus wished he would. He was in no mood to deal with that pathetic brat, whatever Lockheart was seeing in him. He wanted to contemplate on his own. Instead, the boy seemed to gather himself and then stepped from the row of benches he had been lurking in and came closer. His eyes were fixed upon Rufus and Rufus wasn't sure what to make out of the situation. He narrowed his eyes while his hand was tightening around the handle of the gun.

The boy came to a stop, looked at him shortly and seemed to draw a deep breath before he looked to the ground. "I… I wanted to excuse myself," he started stammering and seemed to wait for a reaction. But Rufus was far too stunned to do anything but stop himself from giving his surprise away. 'Excuse'? That was the last thing he had expected! Nobody ever excused to him, at least no one who wasn't working for him in some way.

"I… what I did was bad and… I was wrong and… I… I just want to say that… that I'm sorry, Mr Shinra...?" Denzel was still looking at his feet.

Rufus knew he had to reply, but didn't know what. When he had made excuses at that age, he had never been honest, he was sure; he would have only tried to manipulate someone into something. But that kid in front of him showed no such signs. He seemed entirely sincere.

"Now, I thought that business was settled…," he mused at last and realized that it had been rather to himself and that his entire surprise must have shown. Suddenly, that kid was a lot more interesting and a lot less pathetic. How did he do it, excuse just like that? It surely needed a lot of courage not to turn and walk away when he had the chance but face him. Perhaps, Tseng was right and the boy would make a decent Turk?

Rufus realized he couldn't continue staring at the boy forever and cleared his throat. "Now, what precisely are you doing here, young man? I thought you are usually at Reeve's around this time of the day, for examinations."

The boy blushed, caught, but didn't answer. He seemed intimidated.

Rufus smirked, a bit more self-assured again. "Oh, I understand. You skipped them."

The boy blushed again, avoided his eyes. "I didn't skip,… not really, anyway!"

"No?" Rufus was rather bemused.

The boy shook his head. "It's just… I don't like it! It's boring! They are doing all those stupid tests and … I have to listen and train and answer all their questions and… I … I really love Aeris' church, Sir, so… so I thought… I mean, the weather is so nice today and… you won't tell Tifa, will you, Mr Shinra?" He suddenly looked at Rufus, begging.

Rufus gave a short laugh. "Why would I? I honestly don't care about your education." Or lack of it.

"Th… thank you, Sir," the boy muttered.

Rufus was about to turn back to the glittering spring when the boy started again, shyly, "Uhm…, and what are you doing here, Mr Shinra?"

"Don't worry, I'm not intending to turn this place into a spa. It's certainly not worth it."

Denzel seemed to be surprised but also a little relieved. "Okay…?" He looked around him, didn't seem to feel well with the situation.

"Is your materia-treatment answering well?" Rufus asked, having half turned to dismiss the boy. He was looking at him over his shoulder now, half way facing the spring again. Perhaps the boy could serve as a source of information as how to treat the new Geostigma?

"Materia?" the boy echoed and seemed puzzled for a moment. "Oh,… yes. … I don't know. The doctors won't tell…" He looked worried and Rufus felt a little more uneasy, too. Not only was the cold slowly creeping through his bones, but the fever was leaving a dull pain behind that even the medicine couldn't kill. And they hadn't found a way to treat the illness.

"If Shin-Ra can help with anything – if you need medical mako or know-how, I would gladly oblige." He had turned around again as if to underline that he was sincere in his offer. The boy was certainly not a sales partner. But it was perhaps a good idea have the boy trusting them.

"Oh…" Denzel seemed surprised and was studying him now with more interest, it seemed.

Rufus sneered. "What is it? Did you not expect me to offer help? Or to abduct you and conduct my own examinations on you?"

The boy looked away, caught.

"My, they must have told you I'm a monster! I'm surprised myself I haven't killed you yet."

Denzel looked up as if suddenly scared and took a step backwards.

"That was a joke," Rufus added sourly and turned back again. Didn't that boy catch even the most obvious irony? … On the other hand, Rufus had read somewhere that children only started to understand irony – and to use it – around the age of twelve. Which then again raised the question how he himself had survived the first twelve years of his life.

Denzel, at least, smiled shyly before he said, even more timidly, "T… Tifa doesn't say you are bad."

"Doesn't she?" Now, that was news and Rufus felt a strange and unexpected thrill running through his body at her name.

Denzel nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! Tifa told me that not all of the bad things they say you have done are true and that you aren't always lying and that you haven't done only bad things. She says you can't only be bad…" He paused a moment and seemed to think. "And, Tifa also says, you really owned the world before Meteor and you are a materia-list and so, it's really bad for you that you lost everything and she said one should feel really sorry for you that you hadn't died…"

Rufus, following the words, had slowly turned around, his eyes narrow now. Rarely before in his life had someone flung so many insults at him in one breath. But the kid seemed to be completely unaware of what he had just said. His face displayed the expression of pure honesty and approve, but he paused when he saw the expression on Rufus' face. Either, that boy was exceedingly stupid, cunning or just naïve. Rufus only wished it was Tifa who said that to his face. That would have been far more interesting.

He opened his mouth to reply certainly more sharply than appropriate, to tell the boy to bloody watch what he was saying, but even before he could start or stop himself, the doors to the church flew open and both of them drove around, Rufus pointing his gun at the intruder in the same moment.

The light drew a tall shadow into the doorway, the suit shimmering blackly. "What do you think you're doing, Shachou?"

Rufus lowered his weapon and slowly slipped it back into his jacket. His inside was crawling and suddenly, he just felt cold. "I don't believe that's any of your business, Turk," he replied coolly. There was no way he would let that kid know there was any closer relationship between him and his Turks than business.

"How do you expect us to take care of your safety if you don't keep us with you, Shachou?" Tseng was suddenly as cold as the ice. "You are in…!"

"I'm armed, Tseng," he interrupted coolly. He had passed Denzel in the same moment and was facing Tseng now.

"Yes, of course. And do you also know that there has been another victim? There is a murderer at large and I believe a lot of other people who would like to kill you."

"Oh? Another Geostigma-patient?" Rufus ignored the second sentence. Away from the warming spring the cold was quickly getting to him.

Tseng gave him a cold stare. He was furious, as it seemed but replied smoothly: "Yes, another one."

Rufus smirked. "Well, under these circumstances we should escort Denzel home, shouldn't we?"

Tseng frowned, Rufus saw his eyes travelling to the boy. Denzel's expression had changed into unease and Tseng's eyes lingering on him weren't improving anything, either.

"Yes, Sir," the Turk replied, but Rufus was relieved to see that he approved at least of this decision. It wasn't like he needed Tseng's approval, but at the moment, their relationship was bad enough without further disagreements.

"Would you call Reeve, then, that he has the boy picked up?" Rufus turned to Denzel. "I'm sure you prefer Reeve over Tifa, don't you?"

Denzel seemed uncertain, he was obviously feeling unwell about the situation, but slowly shook his head. "Tifa told me not to go with strangers. A-… And she said you are dangerous."

The boy's reply had left both Turk and master speechless for a moment but when their eyes met, they agreed quickly.

Rufus shrugged and set into motion. "Suit yourself."

This time, he overtook Tseng who stayed behind, looking at the boy with his serious expression. "I'd rather not leave you behind. Rufus is right, one shouldn't walk alone with that murderer at large." Rufus felt Tseng's eyes digging like daggers into his back.

"Uhm", Denzel made, uncertain.

"Hand him Reeve when you're finished, Tseng, so he knows Reeve knows." Rufus turned around, folding his arms in front of his chest and gave both the boy and Tseng an arrogant look. He was feeling quite cold now, even with his coat closed up, and hoped they would set back into motion soon. The medicine made him feel funny, somewhere between ill and exhausted.

But they stayed until Tseng had finished explaining the situation to Reeve. Denzel only came closer after Tseng had concluded that he would hand Reeve on to Denzel so Denzel could be sure he would be picked up. For a moment, only Denzel's small voice filled the church and then, when the boy handed the telephone back to Tseng, Rufus set back into motion.

"Tell me, Denzel, does Reeve know you sometimes skip you examinations?"

"I don't know…," Denzel replied uneasily.

"But there has to be someone who covers up for your absences."

"I… I'm not doing it very often… and – I always get back on time!"

Rufus was about to reply but stopped dead in his track when he saw the smallish Snow Truck that was waiting for them outside, accompanied by two other Turks.

"Where is the helicopter, Tseng?" he turned to his Turk, displeased. A journey in this vehicle would take longer. Moreover, they weren't known for being warm inside and by now, he was feeling quite cold. His coat hadn't reacted well to the warm vapour from the spring.

"I came here directly from the scene of crime, after I heard you went without Turks," Tseng replied icily.

"Whatever." Rufus' frown had increased at the critique. For Tseng, it had been uttered harshly.

Denzel was tagging along and seemed to be fascinated with the Snow Truck, at least, he beamed when a Turk helped him into the small passenger's cabin.

Rufus' fingers were cold, and exhausted from the fever, it wasn't quite that easy for him to climb into the cabin and the cold was clearly getting to him now. The cabin war rather small, but it would still be cold inside, he knew.

One of the Turks climbed into the driver's cabin, the other took a scooter on which she seemed to have arrived, too.

As soon as Denzel had settled himself on the bench opposite to Rufus and Tseng, Rufus turned back to Denzel,

"So, what do you want me to tell Reeve, Denzel?"

Denzel dragged his eyes from the passing ruins. "P… pardon me, Sir?"

Rufus smirked. "I am assuming that you wouldn't want either Tifa or Reeve to know where you've been. It's quite a way off from Reeve's place, isn't it?"

Denzel didn't seem to feel too well about this question and needed several moments to answer, "No… I mean, you're right, Mr Shinra."

"Don't always call me 'Mr Shinra'. It's 'Rufus' or 'Shachou' or whatever. 'Mr Shinra' was my father and I don't believe anyone wants to be reminded of him."

Denzel blinked at him, confused for a moment, and then nodded. "I'm… I'm sorry, Mr Rufus."

Rufus didn't miss how Tseng hid his bemusement and for a moment was tempted to correct the boy again, but then left it at that.

"Where have you been, then, and where did we find you?" The wind that was only gradually sipping into the cabin was fierce and Rufus felt the fever slowly returning again. But besides being highly entertaining to get the kid to lie, Denzel would start to make himself depended on him if he now chose to lie. And by now, Rufus was quite determined to change Tifa's opinion about them. Be it for fun or for business.

"I don't know…" The boy looked rather helpless.

"Now, you do have to be a little creative." Rufus let a small smirk edge around his mouth, looking directly into the boy's eyes.

"Hm…," the boy produced. "I… I don't know…"

Rufus leaned back and shrugged. "I can also stay neutral and you can decide what to tell Reeve, how about it?"

"What… what does 'neutral' mean?"

Rufus shrugged again. "Oh, I just won't tell Reeve anything."

The boy studied him for a moment and nodded then, slowly. "Okay?"

Rufus, although pretty cold by now, felt satisfied. There was a high probability now that the boy would lie. For a moment, the thought passed his mind that he could still tell Reeve where they had met the boy, but he dismissed it again. It was far more advantageous if the boy started trusting him.…. And, he had to admit, he was still impressed that the boy had had the courage to excuse directly to his face. It was still somewhat puzzling him. He actually liked the kid. Otherwise, he would have surely not gone through the effort to get him to lie.

He turned back to Tseng and tried to hide the shiver. "Did the investigations uncover anything, so far?"

Tseng turned his head. He certainly hadn't been pleased with his dealings with Denzel. "The cases are quite ugly. It seems to be either the third or fourth so far."

Rufus inclined his head towards Tseng. "'third or fourth'?"

"There is another missing person case, and the police assume that it might be another victim. The Inspector is very sure by now that some one is targeting New Geostigma victims."

Rufus frowned, eyes on Denzel who was watching them curiously. "I don't like that. Let the Turks join the investigations."

"Yes, Sir."

"Um… Reeve says they aren't sure if the are really murdering white-spots-patients. He told Tifa." Denzel uttered this only after several moments.

"Indeed? Now, that answer might be related to other sensations, with you mother, might it not?"

Denzel frowned at Rufus. "Reeve wouldn't ever lie to Tifa!"

Rufus gave a short but friendly laugh. "I'm sorry, I'm sure you're right." The kid wouldn't detect the irony, anyway.

Indeed, Denzel seemed satisfied after studying him a moment and started looking outside again. But it wasn't far to Shin-Ra's headquarter anymore. By now, Rufus felt chilled to his bones, exhausted, too. He shouldn't have left the building.

"Reeve's people aren't here, yet," Tseng informed him on arrival. He had fingered at his mobile moments before.

Rufus nodded. So, they were to keep the boy a little longer. He studied the boy for a moment before he arrived at an idea, "What about a hot chocolate, then, Denzel?" Children, if he remembered correctly, liked hot chocolate.

The boy looked up in surprise into an expression that he could have categorized under 'mocking' had he known Rufus any better. "Um… yes, please!"

"Follow me, then."

Warm air welcomed them into the building and into the small parlour Rufus chose for them to wait in.

"Will you have a drink, too, Tseng? Tea, perhaps?"

The Turk hesitated and seemed in doubt for a moment. "Will you have tea, too, Shachou?" he replied at last, smoothly.

Rufus nodded with a small smile. "Yes, please." He liked the way the Turk sometimes read his thoughts.

Tseng gave a nod and disappeared through the door only to return after several moments.

"Reno said he would be delighted to bring them," he announced and sat down. Rufus lifted an eyebrow and Tseng replied the gaze calmly. So, either had there been some trouble with the other Turk or Tseng was expecting some.

Denzel, meanwhile, was studying the room and didn't seem to feel quite well in his chair. Rufus knew it was his job to make Denzel's stay comfortable, but he had no idea how to talk to an intimidated child. For intimidated, surely, the boy was.

"Hm…," he started at last. "Which grade are you in, at the moment? You are going to school, I assume?"

Denzel looked up, surprised, and answered only after several moments and with a little distrust. But being questioned after his favourite subject, he answered livelier.

After several moments, Reno entered, grinning and winking at the boy who was just giving an account of what he and his friends usually played after school. He seemed to be delighted to see Reno.

Just when Reno was about to leave, a knock on the door announced Reeve. Rufus rose immediately although it caused his head to spin.

"Reeve! Good to see you. Please, take a seat." Reeve took Rufus' offered hand and replied with a smile. "Rufus! I thought you were in Junon!" He had shortly paused at Rufus' cold hand.

"I returned early this morning. Would you like some tea?"

Reeve's eyes travelled to Denzel who was sipping at his chocolate and hesitated for a moment. "I am only here to pick Denzel up, really."

Rufus shrugged and picked up is own mug. "Suit yourself. – I didn't expect you to come yourself for Denzel."

Reeve shrugged. "I was on the way. But neither did I expect you to give him a lift."

Rufus smirked. "There's a murderer on the run, specialized, as it seems, on Geostigma-victims. I didn't want to make Tifa even more unhappy." He took a sip from his tea, but to his surprise found it cold. So that was the prank Tseng had expected! He turned around, displeased, the more as he was still feeling cold and placed the tea on the table. "Reno, the tea is cold."

The redhead who was just talking to the boy looked up. "Cold?" He acted surprised and took the mug from the table. "You're right... 's cold… funny… I'll bring you another one, Shachou!" Reno grinned good-humoured and winked at the boy.

"I'm sorry," Rufus had meanwhile turned back to Reeve.

"How did you happen to pick him up, then?"

Rufus shrugged arrogantly. "By accident, really. But I'm sure Denzel will give you a more detailed account on his perspective."

"Did you have trouble again?" Reeve sounded and looked worried, his eyes darting shortly to Denzel.

Rufus smirked. "Oh, don't worry. He was - well-behaved, isn't that the term one uses for children?"

Reeve let out a sigh of relief. "I'm glad. Well, I'm relieved you picked him up. Thank you."

Rufus shrugged off-handed. "Whatever."

"Denzel? Are you coming?"

Denzel jumped from his chair and quickly ran to Reeve. "Thank you for the chocolate, Mr Rufus!" he shouted politely as he followed Reeve from the room.

"Mr Rufus?" Reno had just entered the room again, laughing now. "Ha! How funny! I really gotta tell Rude!" He was laughing so hard now that he nearly spilled the tea he was handing to Rufus.

"Stop that stupid laugh!" Rufus replied sourly. "I'm glad he's gone." He reached out for the mug. "Don't ever serve me cold tea again!" His fingers closed around the hot mug and in the same moment, as if hit by a train, hot pain shot through his arm, so intense that for a moment, he couldn't feel anything but its fierce flaring. His vision turned into fire, it felt as if his arm was burning away, for horrible moments, the attack of the Weapon flashed back through his memory, the panic, the pain, burning everything away and in the next moment, he felt himself falling, could only just support his body against the table. His hand was still throbbing, he felt sick, felt the fire flaring back up, even more intensely than ever before.

"Rufus?" Tseng was next to him in the same moment, Rufus felt his hand on his shoulder. The mug was lying on the floor, shattered. "Are you alright?"

"I think so, yes." Gingerly, he straightened up again, pressing the hurting hand to his chest, and glared at Reno who was standing next to him, too. "What was that?"

"I've done nothing, Shachou! Really! The tea was just usual hot! Tseng had some, too!"

"Are you sure you're alright, Rufus?" Tseng had reached out for his hand now where the pain had died away into a numb hammering. The Turk's touch was cold and Rufus realized he was sweating.

"Yes, thank you, Tseng."

Tseng considered his hand, turned it, but as far as Rufus could see there was nothing that accounted for the sudden pain. "You should go back to bed. You shouldn't have risen to begin with, Shachou."

Rufus didn't reply, was still too puzzled with the intense pain and the sudden attack. What on Gaia was going on?

Thanks a lot for reading again. In the next chapter, certain things will be set right and there will be more information about New/White Geostigma.

Please review!