A/N: I'm really sorry this took so long to update, things have been a little crazy lately, I've been trying to write this with a few days, so I hope it's okay.

Even a month had done nothing to calm the place. One would have thought with four weeks of freedom from fights or attacks that people would have calmed down or relaxed somewhat, but maybe it was a good thing people hadn't? Either way this lull wasn't a nice situation to be in. Not when you knew that things could shatter at any moment and there was little you could do about it. Except maybe pray it didn't turn out to be a repeat of Gongaga.

A week had flown by since she had last been at ShinRa, though as far as anyone was concerned that had never happened; this was her first time back since the last fight. The one they had lost. That had been a weird night; they'd lost alright; that much couldn't be denied. But because of that night they were now up a 1st Class SOLDIER, an Ancient, though that could be both a good and bad thing. Good for the sake of knowing an entire race had not been wiped out thanks to Sephiroth, but bad in the sense it put her in danger once more. Danni rolled her eyes as she walked through the reception area, passively noticing Axel's frame leaned over Sandra's desk. At least he wasn't still letting on that there was nothing between them, they were cute together, but Axel was crap at hiding something.

The best thing they could do now was do the best they could to ensure things didn't end in the same way they had a month ago. The last thing she remembered from that night was his cold and unyielding eyes, their jade glaring straight through her. She'd never seen eye to eye with the man, he had been a 1st Class SOLDIER; she had been a young girl who had constantly wanted to go home or fell below his idea of par. She had knowingly annoyed him on occasions, not realising that of all the members of the force, he had probably been the one she'd had the most in common with. But that was irrelevant now, that had been years ago, it didn't matter anymore.

She guessed it didn't help calm matters that the only person ShinRa had held in custody had seemingly vanished. That had pretty much caused uproar at first, and still had Rufus in a bad mood. The President was not person who liked having his leverage taken away or have something happen that he did not fully understand. The blond had demanded to know how something like this could have happened despite the constant twenty-four hour surveillance and two SOLDIERs stationed outside the cells at all times.

All eyes had turned onto Demyx and the others within the first hour of confusion, though not for long once each of the gang had presented a water-tight alibi. Both Zexion and Axel had been with Lazard, lending their knowledge of the worlds to the SOLDIER director as ShinRa decided to go ahead with stationing some of the 2nd Classes in a few other worlds, the first place they were looking was Hollow Bastion. Marluxia had been with Reno and Rude, idly making some of the recruits' lives hell in the staff lounge. Roxas had been helping Elena by carrying a stack of files…the proof of which was now the rather painful looking bruise on his hip that he'd gained from missing the first step on the stair case. Demyx had been with her at their apartment, apparently anyhow.

At least now the initial panic had died down, it seemed that Lazard, Rufus and Tseng had all agreed to accept Rick had left via a portal and that all persons capable of summoning portals under ShinRa employment had been accounted for in the time frame. That had been a relief, right now she was just glad suspicions had died down. If it had been down to solely her, then she probably wouldn't have felt so uneasy. But knowing that if it were to fall through, it would all fall back on Demyx had had her worried sick. It was just a major relief that people were now more bothered with moving forward rather than being angry and trying to figure out Rick's disappearing act.

"Explain Hollow Bastion to me in five words or less."

Danni didn't even skip a beat as she registered her brother's question, not in the least bit caught off guard by his sudden presence at her side. That's something she'd noticed in particular lately; he had an unusual knack for disappearing without a trace and then popping up unnoticed some time later. At first it had been annoying, well not that exactly, but it bugged her because everytime he reappeared it had made her jump or startled her, then he laughed and simply went off to pull the same trick on someone else. It was funny then, she got to laugh at Zack's victim instead of being the target of his boredom, lately his favourites were Cloud, Demyx and Angeal, but he was yet to pull the trick on Reno or Axel.

Describe Hollow Bastion; that was easy, ducks, claymores, wizard, small houses, big wooden doors, large computer, a SeeD dude with an attitude problem, but why did Zack want to know about Hollow Bastion? Scrap that, how did he know what Hollow Bastion even was? Danni scrunched her eyebrows as she threw her brother a confused look, voicing her questioning thoughts.

"How d'you know about that place and why d'you want to know about that place?"

Zack shrugged, truthfully speaking he really wasn't bothered about knowing anything about the supposed world, but he didn't really have a choice in the matter. He had been informed earlier that he was the 1st Class who was to accompany several 2nds and 3rds to Hollow Bastion. He had hoped he'd escape having to accompany any of them to any of the worlds. He didn't like those portal things Demyx and the others were so adept at using.

He'd only gone through one once and that had been with a severely injured Danni in his arms, but despite his attention having been split between her and figuring out how to explain his apparent reappearance he'd noticed the pull and tug of the darkness, how the wispiness closed in to an almost suffocating level, only letting up once you thought you were going to be taken by it. It just wasn't a nice sensation at all. How the five youngsters used them as they did was beyond him. He watched them using them for transport, for pulling pranks on others, pulling pranks on each other, and none of them showed any signs of discomfort or wariness of the malicious looking windows.

Either way he now had to go to Hollow Bastion and the only way to get there was to use a portal or something called a Gummi ship, personally he hadn't an iota what a Gummi ship was so a portal was the only other option. He still didn't see why he had to go, he had to come back after setting up a temporary operational base for the 2nds and 3rds along with opening a portal into the ShinRa mainframe grid for contact and information sharing, surely they could manage that on their own? Evidently not, he'd tried that argument with Angeal after Lazard had left; it had only earned him one of those looks. He may not be the man's pupil anymore but he still knew what that look meant; it meant he wasn't going to win the argument regardless of how hard he tried.

"I got landed with Hollow Bastion along with Marluxia, Genesis and Roxas got Twilight Town, Roxas was supposed to go to some castle with Angeal but that got changed for some reason, Angeal and Zexion have the castle place, and I think Kunsel and Axel got Traverse Town. Still don't want to go though."

See, if she had bothered to think about it, then she would have realised why Zack had asked about Hollow Bastion. Demyx had told her about the placement of the different teams in different worlds a few days ago. Though what Zack had just said about Roxas was a bit odd. Usually you were told where you were going and that was it, no switching or swapping. Demyx had told her about a few of the worlds, two of them had castles, one was King Mickey's Castle and the other was Beast's. There was no reason for the blond not to go to Beast's Castle, but if the destination was Mickey's Castle, then she knew why the blond had switched teams. Naminé was at that castle.

She had never met the girl, nor had she ever seen a picture of the girl, but she had been filled in on the back story of Organization XIII a few weeks after meeting Marluxia, Roxas and Zexion for the first time. She knew of the choice Roxas had had to make when the gang had cut ties from Organization XIII, he'd had to cut ties from his girlfriend, not even giving her an explanation, leaving her completely in the dark as to his whereabouts or his reasons for leaving her. Danni knew he'd only done it to protect Naminé in the long run, and she saw the affect it had had on the blond, but she also knew what the girl must be going through. It wasn't a fair situation for any of the two to be in. Maybe they could sort things out eventually though?

Danni shook her head as she rounded a corner, almost slamming into one of the 3rd Class SOLDIERs as she came back to her senses, only then realising that she had allowed her thoughts to wander. The building was unusually full, she guessed it had to do with the placement of the teams in different worlds; the staff that were usually off at this time were being called in to cover for those who were leaving. The nineteen year old shrugged as she noticed Zack giving her a rather poignant look; evidently he still wanted an answer to his question.

"Um, in five words or less, hmm…ducks, claymores, wizard, Moogles, mainframe."

A small smile crossed her lips as the older sibling halted mid-step and gave her an odd glare. Hey, she was being truthful. And five words wasn't all that much to work with. Though for some reason she knew even if she wrote a whole essay on Hollow Bastion it still wouldn't make anymore sense than the five words she had just used. It was like her asking Axel where exactly a world was, it didn't matter how long you had or how many words you used, you couldn't give a straight answer.

Danni looked back to her brother as a random thought crossed her mind, where was Aerith? She had barely seen the woman in the last week or so, and now it seemed her brother was spending most of his time here, so where did that leave Aerith? Why hadn't she asked herself that already? She didn't really know the woman all that much. Tifa and Yuffie seemed to know her pretty well, as did Tseng and Cloud, but they'd all met her before. She hadn't, all Danni had know was Zack had had a girlfriend and that had been her name. The woman was a stranger to her, she had been in Gongaga when Sephiroth had tried to destroy Gaia, she hadn't heard about the last Ancient who had been brutally murdered by the man. It would be a lie to say she didn't feel somewhat uneasy or uncomfortable around the female, but she would have to find some way to overcome that sooner rather than later.

"Zack…where's Aerith?"

"Huh?"

This time it was his turn to scrunch his eyebrows, somewhat thrown by his younger sister's random question. She was at Seventh Heaven, like she was with the last few days, Aerith had decided to help out Tifa and Yuffie behind the bar, which in turn allowed Cloud to keep up deliveries and help out a small bit at ShinRa when they needed it. Which was actually a good option to have considering Spikey's reputation. See, and who said you had to make SOLDIER to be a hero?

"The bar, could have sworn someone told you that already…you don't have a good memory, you know that?"

"Oh yeah, like yours is so much better…"

"Hey, at least I can remember where my girlfriend is."

"You say that as if it's an accomplishment or something – you're supposed to know where she is!"

Maybe keeping them apart in the past had been a good thing, if the pair were bickering now as adults, then Angeal only thanked his lucky stars he hadn't had the misfortune enough to experience their bickering when they had been kids. It was too early for arguing anyhow, then again that hadn't stopped Zack earlier. But that wasn't the point, right now they were just annoying him. He was tired, having only started a second shift; Genesis had chosen a rather bothersome time to look for payback for the shift he had covered when Danni had been ill.

A whole night of trying to organize the different teams and assigning one of the Organization Turks to each team, right now he just wanted to go fall asleep somewhere, anywhere would do, even the floor was starting to look comfortable. Genesis had just come in but that only seemed to add salt to the wound knowing that his friend, who he had been covering a shift for, was now in and he still couldn't go home. Angeal rolled his eyes as the two supposed mature SOLDIERs continued their bickering, after another moment or two the man clapped the older of the duo over the back of the head, putting an abrupt end to their arguing.

"What's this, catching up on lost years?"

Zack only grumbled under his breath as he rubbed the back of his head. That hadn't been fair, he hadn't started it. And even if he did, how come he was the only one getting slapped upside the head? How come Danni had escaped that? Was it his fault he pointed out the blatantly obvious, maybe it was, but it wasn't his fault Danni didn't have a good memory. In the month he'd been back he'd watched her lose her phone about a dozen times, along with her keys and watch. He was just trying to be a good big brother and inform her of her faults; surely he didn't deserve to be punished for that, right?

"Hey now, I'm too old for you to be still doing that Angeal, and how come you didn't hit her?"

As mature and eloquently put as Zack may have thought he'd worded that, to Angeal it just sounded childish and immature. Then again Danni sticking her tongue out behind him wasn't doing much in her favour either. Technical answer, he had only hit Zack upside the head because he had been unlucky enough to be the one on the same side as the man's free hand, Danni had been lucky enough to be on his left, in which he held a cup of coffee in a last ditch attempt to stay awake. As Zack's adamant and slightly hurt looking glare continued, Angeal simply raised the cup and shook it slowly in front of the other SOLDIER, giving the man a chance to work out the obvious answer for himself.

Danni stopped her gloating as she caught a whiff of whatever Angeal had in the cup, her stomach instantly began to knot and twist over itself as it registered the smell. How could he drink something that smelled that nasty? The odour of it alone was making her feel ill…why would anyone subject themselves that that level or torture when it could easily be emptied down a sink somewhere. The young woman was forced to swallow forcefully as the scent seemed to strengthen, why didn't they notice how horrible it smelled?

"Oh God, that's disgusting!"

Only for she felt she was going to vomit, Danni would have laughed at the identical dubious look on both Angeal and Zack's face; eyes looking at her with confusion, mouths slightly open, both not really knowing how to react to her words. They could start by getting that cup of whatever away from her, unless they felt like seeing what she'd had for breakfast that morning. Personally speaking she didn't really feel like seeing her breakfast again…

"Just keep it away from me…"

He could never explain why his sense of humour picked random times to rear its' head, he had tried to figure it out once, but that had been boring and confusing. It was just easier to go with the flow and make the most of whatever his sense of humour had found interest in. Right now it had decided to investigate Danni's sudden dislike for what Angeal had in his cup. He didn't smell anything horrible or disgusting. Before Angeal had a chance to protest or stop him, Zack had grabbed a hold of the cup and removed the plastic lid, peering at the contents with slight disappointment; it was just coffee. What the hell was she freaking out over coffee for – she drank the stuff – what a let down, he'd been hoping for something unusual; anything to break the mood of this morning. Everyone seemed to be in moods ranging from pissed off, to determined, to painfully tired. Why couldn't they just lighten up a bit, it'd make things easier on everyone in the long run.

"It's just coffee..."

"How come he got to switch teams?"

Demyx blinked as he registered Zack's question, the same question he'd been listening to for the last half an hour. Why couldn't the man just accept that there was a viable reason behind the younger nobody's quick reshuffle? Final checks were in process, the chosen bases in each world had been set up already by him and the others along with a few of the SOLDIERs. That itself had caused a bit of a stir in the differing worlds. Maybe they'd been a bit naïve to assume it wouldn't, it was only when he thought about it that Demyx recalled Hayner's reaction when he'd mentioned SOLDIER all those months ago.

It was weird to think that people in other worlds knew of the SOLDIER program. He had only heard tell of it since they'd all defected from the Organization. Sora had put them in contact with Cloud, who had seen a use for their abilities and information in AVALANCHE and ShinRa. Somewhere along the lines they'd been filled on the details regarding Sephiroth, MeteorFall and Geostigma. He still wasn't crystal clear on all the details about SOLDIER, though he now had a general to good level of knowledge about the force thanks to its return. The force had remained in Gaia the first time round, despite that its' name and legacy had stretched far beyond its' home world. This time it was stationing agents in other worlds too, stretching their ranks as far as their name had spread.

Roxas face had been comical when Lazard and Tseng had told him which world he'd been assigned to; he'd been forced to hide a smirk as the younger blond had immediately voiced his objections. To anyone else it just looked like the teenager had gotten out of going to a place he didn't want to go, which probably explained Zack's curiosity. The truth of the matter was Naminé was at Mickey's castle. Roxas hadn't even had a chance to break things off with the girl, nor explain why he had to leave her. He'd just dropped off the radar. Months had passed since they'd fully broken away from the Organization, which marked the same time Roxas had had to leave Naminé. Being sent to the place where Naminé currently was, along with a team of SOLDIERs and wearing a Turk's uniform would not be the best way to walk back into someone's life.

"Roxas had a girlfriend called Naminé, when we came here for good he had to leave her without telling her. Sounds bad, I know, but it was either that or she'd be tracked by the Organization. She's at Mickey's castle right now, so's Kairi; it's the safest place for both of them. Anyhow, that's why Roxas was allowed to switch. Naminé's not what you call a normal girl, she's kinda like us but not at the same time…uh, where's Danni?"

Zack simply shook his head as Demyx only then noticed the lack of his girlfriend. It'd taken him longer than he'd expected it to. Danni had taken a detour to the bathroom about ten minutes ago. He'd decided since her little scene earlier that there were only two possible explanations for his sister's odd turn. The first was a hangover, which he seriously doubted. Neither her nor Demyx had been at Seventh Heaven last night, Demyx had been late finishing work, so unless they'd had drink back at their apartment, but he still doubted that. Danni had been steering clear of alcohol since she'd been told she was pregnant. This had then led him onto his next explanation, which was morning sickness. That made him somewhat sympathetic, but it had also seemed to give rise to his sense of humour again, that itself had earned him a mouthful from his younger sister; it seemed she wasn't really in the mood for jokes or teasing this morning.

"One of the toilets...umm, word of warning; she's in a bad mood, which is kinda my fault."

Whenever something someway good happened, something bad always seemed to follow soon afterwards. Almost mocking the fact that she had allowed herself to think things were okay. She'd gotten away from SOLDIER; years had passed in which she had allowed herself to think things would now be okay. All the while her brother had been almost killed, taken hostage as an experiment sample, held prisoner for four years, and then killed. Sephiroth had been defeated, only for Geostigma to pop up. That had been dealt with and then Sephiroth and his three brothers had popped up. Gongaga had been destroyed. She'd survived the massacre her hometown had suffered, only for no trace to be found of her parents; no bodies, no trace whatsoever, only the assumption they had fallen to Shadow Creepers.

She'd been brought to Edge. Had started over, helping Tifa, helping Cloud, gained closure about her brother…then Sephiroth had come along again. Angeal had come back, so had Genesis. She'd fallen for someone, and then he'd been almost killed whilst out on a date with her. Demyx had been okay, then Edge had been attacked and she'd been ill. She and Angeal had reconciled. Then Larxene had kicked her butt into next week. She'd moved in with Demyx, then got the seven shades of crap beat out of her before finding out first hand how Cloud had felt being at that monster's mercy.

But then Zack and Aerith had come back and she'd found out she was pregnant, okay granted that hadn't been planned, but it wasn't a disaster either. So what was going to happen next? Something bad always seemed to follow regardless of how much they tried to prevent it. Right now they were trying to prevent anything getting past their defences, she could see that; SOLDIERs, Turks and WRO agents all in the same briefing hall; on the same floor; taking part in the same mission. That was something which had never happened before. Maybe that's why things had gone wrong before? They had never all acted as one universal force, instead remaining in their separate groups, all pulling in different directions and accomplishing nothing.

Things had been quiet and safe for too long. With every day that passed by, the dread in the back of her mind seemed to grow. She knew him…she knew he wouldn't simply give up and disappear. If things had been that easy, then they wouldn't be here now. He was planning something. He had to be. The Remnants were just his little puppets, at his beck and call to do whatever he or mother so wished for them to do. They wouldn't argue; they wouldn't refuse. The Organization was different though – what was in this for them? She knew little of its members, but from what she had gleaned she knew they wouldn't simply agree to help someone like Sephiroth without gaining from it too.

Though it did bring an old saying to front of her thoughts; the enemy of your enemy is my friend…they were Organization XIII's enemies now due to Demyx and the others splitting from its ranks. It did beg the question though, was the Organization only working with Sephiroth and the Remnants to spite their former members?

Danni groaned as she leaned back over the cold white bowl, hugging it for the want of some escape from this constant nausea. This just wasn't funny anymore. For the first five minutes or so, she'd seen the humour in it too. But that had quickly worn off when her stomach had continued with its knotting and churning. It was getting to the point where she was nearly willing to be stuck with Mako poisoning instead…at least with that she could go lie down in a dark and quiet room, going between consciousness and unconsciousness for however long it took for her levels to even out again. She couldn't possible get sick anymore, there couldn't be anything left in her stomach at this stage…but that didn't stop the nausea. Danni groaned again as she wondered if this was how Yuffie felt whenever she stepped onto an airship, if so then she had the utmost sympathy for the woman, she'd seen it as a joke all along, the ninja's Achilles ankle, but not anymore…it was an affliction, one of the utmost seriousness too.

A/N: Thanks for reading huns.