21-

"The President of Shinra has been murdered."

The news spread like wildfire throughout Midgar, people dubiously glued to their TV sets, watching the events transpire before their eyes. Over and over they showed the footage of the President stepping out of his hotel room, a few seconds later falling to the ground, clutching desperately at his neck. A swarm of Shinra soldiers were dispatched to hunt out the shooter, meanwhile an ambulance was rushed over to the scene, carrying away the wounded President. He had apparently died from massive blood loss; two large gunshot wounds had hit him in the trachea and had also nicked a main artery.

Most people were at a loss for words; this was all so sudden. The shooter was never found, the only evidence were two spent shells on the roof of a neighboring business two blocks down. Immediately the Aka-Maru were pointed as the killers, seeing as they were the ones making threats to murder the President, but they were nowhere to be found. A national manhunt was in the works, any information on the shooting was to be given a hefty reward.

Up in his office, Rufus turned off the radio, having just heard the news of his father's death; this is course meant the Shinra corporation was to be passed on to him. Leaving his endlessly ringing phone on voicemail, he strode out of the office, ignoring the sympathetic face of his secretary. At the end of the hallway, he pressed the button for the elevator, and was surprised to see Tseng in the car already.

"Sir." He gave Rufus a cursory nod, stepping aside to make room for the tall blonde.

Rufus nodded back, meaning to press the button for his floor, but was surprised to see it was already lighted. Giving the silent man a questioning look, Tseng just shrugged back. "I was coming up to talk to you…about the President."

"I see."

"President Shinra requested to be buried at the family plot. They plan to get the funeral procession ready in two days; we'll of course have to ask you to make the announcement once everything is settled. After that, we plan to do the inauguration next week, most likely at Junon...the branch office should be finished by then. Two birds with one stone." Tseng rattled everything off without a hint of emotion, as if they were just discussing matters of work, which in a way, they were. The elevator finally reached the designated floor, the doors opening to a dimly lit hallway. "Sir…"

Rufus turned his head, giving an inquiring look to Tseng. "Yes?"

The dark-haired man cleared his throat, not used to things of such personal matter. "I'm…sorry…about your loss…"

A tickle of a smile graced the lips of the blonde. "Don't be…I'm not. He wasn't exactly a well-liked man…most Shinras aren't." Flicking his bangs out of his eyes, Rufus turned and walked down the hallway to his room, leaving Tseng to venture back to the office alone.

A quiet knock pulled Rufus out of his reverie, causing him to shake his head to clear out his deep thoughts. He looked into the peephole to see Aeris standing in the hall, with a relieved sigh he threw open the door.

She smiled back tentatively, wringing her hands in a nervous manner. "I just heard."

Not sure how to respond, he nodded his head, stepping aside so she could enter. Closing the door behind her, he admired her figure. She was wearing a crisp white sundress, her slight shoulders and delicate arms accentuated by the thin straps, her skin glowing with youthfulness. The dress hugged her in the right places, her slender waist and hips seeming to call to him. She had opted to throw her hair into a messy bun; a few fine strands had come loose, falling around her face and eyes. Her once-pallid face was now a rosy flush from the constant sunshine, leaving an ethereal radiance. But her usually vibrant eyes were now filled with worry and sympathy, searching his face, trying to seek out his feelings. Turning away abruptly, he made his way to the kitchen, pulling out two tumblers.

"Are you thirsty?" He filled them with water, handing one to Aeris.

"Rufus…I'm sorry…" Before she could finish, he caught her lips up in a deep kiss, causing her to drop the cup on the counter.

Breaking away from her, he held her face close to his, their breaths shallow and hurried. "Lets not talk about it. Now that you're here, I don't care about anything else." He again kissed her, this time with more control, stroking the back of her neck, his other hand sliding down to her waist.

She let out a quiet moan, her body seeming to dissolve into the moment, as if she could fuse her body with his. Never had she been kissed so tenderly, so passionately. Pulling away from him, she hazily stared into his eyes, her lips red and full from the doings of his mouth. "Rufus…you can't keep doing this to me…"

He gave her a boyish grin, brushing aside the tendrils of hair that were resting against her forehead. "I can't help it." Placing a light kiss on her soft cheek, he let go of her, making his way to the large balcony.

Stretched out across the horizon lay the city that now belonged to him. A heavy sense of responsibility now rested on his shoulders, yet he also felt as if a huge road block had been moved away from his path. His father had been a constant thorn in his side, but now that he had passed on, Rufus could breathe a little bit easier. Aeris joined him on the veranda, staring out at Midgar.

"It's all yours now." She stated mindlessly. A slight breeze picked up, causing the hem of her dress to whip around her lean legs. "President Rufus." She smiled at the name. "It sorta rolls off the tongue, huh?"

He gave her a mock annoyed look, rolling his cold blue eyes. "I guess, although I don't care much for the title."

"You're not the least bit sad…" The question trailed off, letting the wind carry it away from them.

Rufus shrugged his shoulders. "Should I be? He was more of a business partner than my father. He was more my enemy than my friend. Of course I'm disappointed that he passed in such a brutal way, but I can't feel any sympathy for him. He was born a cold man and he died a cold man; there's not much compassion on the planet for such a person. I guessit's hard for youto understandthese sorts of feelings."

"I wish I could, but I can't be as distant about it as everyone else is being. He was still a human being…"

"…sometimes…" Rufus snorted to himself.

Grabbing his hands, she turned towards him. "Everyone deserves a fair chance, Rufus. No matter how cold or stoic they are on the outside…I think there's a little bit of good in everyone." She looked out over the Upper Plate. "Maybe I'm just being naïve, but I can't go through life thinking people are only one way…that what we see is what is offered. Just like you…"

Abruptly, Rufus turned away from her, resting his arms on the balcony. "Don't be so sure, Aeris."

"Rufus…I've seen the side of you that nobody thinks exists…that nobody's ever seen. I know you're a good man on the inside...that much I've seen with my own eyes."

Seemingly shaken out of his bad mood, the blonde gave her a thin smile, stroking the side of her face. "Aeris…sometimes your naivety is a good thing."

The funeral procession took place on the Upper Plate, spanning nearly the whole city. There wasn't much crying, but a lot of people hung their heads out of respect when the casket passed by. Rufus sat in an open-top convertible, his face a mask of stone, on occasion nodding to a prominent business partner or family friend. The Turks were made the pallbearers, carrying the coffin throughout Midgar.

Beads of sweat could be seen on their brows, their navy suits stifling in the autumn heat. Gritting their teeth, they proceeded throughout the city, silently carrying the heavy casket on their shoulders.

"This wouldn't be so bad if the President wasn't such a fat ass." Reno grumbled under his breath. The statement elicited a hint of a smile from Rude, but Tseng threw him a stony glare.

They finally made it to the Shinra plot grounds where a fresh grave had been dug out for the late President. Gingerly, they laid the casket on the pulley, wiping the gleaming sweat from their foreheads. Close friends and family filed in, taking their seats silently, listening to the priest droning through the rest of his speech. Afterwards, slowly, one by one, they each tossed a little bit of dirt onto the coffin, saying their last goodbyes.

Aeris watched everything from her room at Shinra Headquarters, refusing Rufus' request for her to ride with him during the procession. She stated it was a family affair and she would have felt awkward being there. "I'll be here when everything's over," she had told him when he had begged her to come. Nodding, he had left her room, wearing a well-tailored black suit and a crisp black dress shirt. Although it was suppose to be a serious and sad event, she still couldn't stop herself from daydreaming at how striking he had looked before he left.

Her mind floated away, thinking about all the wonderful things Rufus made her feel whenever he was around. Never could she have imagined a man could make her experience such amazing emotions. Yet, in the back of her mind, she couldn't help but think of the saying Rufus had repeated to her at the museum, "all good things come with a catch".

So what was Rufus' catch, and just how deep did it run?

Ahhh...four chapters in one day:) I had some downtime at work now that the busy months are over and decided to pull this story back out from the woodwork. Does anyone still read this? Where is everyone? Anyways, I'm hoping to do at least a chapter a week now, but don't cross your fingers. :P HIT ME BACK! R&R!