Chapter 11

It was Tuesday of the following week before Alex finally made any headway in the imaging lab. Not that it made her life any easier. If anything, she now had to make up the time she lost trying to figure things out. She had a feeling that the professor wasn't going to be willing to accept excuses if she didn't at least have some progress to show by the end of the following week.

That meant that not only was she trying to race the clock to figure out how to unlock what information she could about the DNA involved in the Jenova Project, but she would also have to try and produce some information to further her thesis. The prospect made her want to pull her hair out. Unfortunately, she could only do one thing at a time, and the first thing she needed was a little breathing room, so her thesis was the number one priority until she had something to update the file with.

At least Genesis was gone for a mission, so she wouldn't have to worry about him bothering her about working late. That was still a sore subject between them, even if he had toned it down to reminders that he wished she would take better care of herself. She could appreciate that he had at least switched his focus to her welfare instead of only caring that he didn't get to see her as often.

She had already had many samples from cadavers suspected of having genetic disorders on hand in her small freezer, so she was currently taking extracts from each of them and running them through the spectral analyzer. She would worry about a visual after she verified what the protein layouts looked like on paper.

She was able to process them through in large groups, and the fifth set had just finished printing. She stood to stretch with a wide yawn before she went to grab the sheets across the room. She saw her brother standing in the doorway, watching her, and gave him an absent wave as she grabbed the papers. "Hey Geal, how was your mission?"

There was no answer, and she had already made it to the second sheet before her head jerked up, and she stared at him with wide eyes. "What are you doing here!?"

Instead of waiting for an answer, she threw her papers down on the nearest flat surface, raced to grab him by the arm, and poked her head out to make sure no one was around before she slammed the door and leaned against it with her hand over her heart as she looked at her brother.

The look he gave her was somewhere between worried and consternated. "What was that about? I came to check on you since you never came to dinner, and I had been told you haven't been getting back until late each night. I thought we agreed not to kill ourselves?"

Alex took a deep breath to calm her nerves and completely ignored his question. "Did anyone see you come in here?"

Angeal rolled his eyes at his sister's antics. "You really are serious about doing this on your own, huh?"

He chuckled at the look she gave him but held out the item in his hands as a peace offering. "I promise, no one saw me except Professor Rayleigh. She's the one who told me where to find you. But I did want to bring you this. Don't worry, I'm not here to try and convince you to come back, but I do want you to eat more than vending machine food."

Alex stared at the rice and thick stew in the bowl and was practically drooling when she looked back up with a grin. "Thanks, Geal. I needed this."

He laughed at her expression again before he patted her arm. "I figured as much. The food in the fridge has hardly been touched since I left. Have you eaten at all?"

Alex had already started scarfing down the stew, even though it was still a little too warm, so she had to swallow before she could respond, "Of course. But most of it has been from the cafeteria, unfortunately. I've got so much to do and not nearly enough time. At least not if I want to get done before I start full-time."

Angeal gave her a worried look, but he took a moment to gather his thoughts before he said, "Far be it from me to try and tell you how to pursue your dream, but can I ask why it has to all be done before then? I'm sure the professor wasn't expecting miracle results when she made the offer. What difference would it make if you slowed down a little?"

Alex felt her temper start to rise. Everyone kept telling her to slow down, and none of them even realized what was at stake! That thought was all it took to instantly deflate any anger she was feeling. It was also enough for her to lose her appetite. She set the half-finished bowl next to her papers and crossed her arms as she turned her back on her brother. It took her a moment before she finally figured out what to tell him. It was the truth, just not all of it. "If I can get my thesis done before I start in a paid position, it will be the difference in me starting as a scientist instead of a lab assistant."

When he made a startled sound, she turned back to him with a wry smile. "Not only is that a huge pay difference, but it will also mean a world of difference in the freedoms I will have. If I can manage to pull off that miracle, as you called it, then I can finally be the one to call the shots. At least as far as my own research goes. Professor Rayleigh will still be my sponsor, but I'll be the one leading the team. Plus, I'll be able to set my own hours. Within reason, of course."

Angeal was grinning as he put his hands on her shoulders. "I should have known that you had a plan. You always do."

His smile dimmed when he saw a shadow pass behind her eyes, but it was only a moment before she was grinning back. "Now the question is, do you think you can convince your buddy too?"

Her twin rolled his eyes as he stepped away. "That is one discussion I am not getting in the middle of. I will uphold your honor, no matter who the man is, but I am not dumb enough to take part in a lover's spat when you have already told me to mind my own business."

Alex wasn't sure if she wanted to laugh or smack her twin, but in the end, she conceded that she really couldn't say anything. She had indeed told him to mind his own business. Her smile was back as she shook her head. "Fine, I won't ask. I guess we have it handled anyway. Thanks for the stew. I'll make sure to bring the bowl home with me tonight."

"Sounds good. Try not to be too late. And I'll be taking the bed."

Alex laughed at the offhanded delivery of his last remark, but she didn't get to say anything—not that she minded. He had already opened the door and checked to make sure no one was outside before slipping out. He waved once before he closed it behind him.

His visit left her with a lot on her mind, but no more than what she had before. She couldn't afford to let her worry keep her down. Instead, she grabbed the stew and started eating again while she finished going through the fifth group. She wanted to get at least six analyzed before she called it a night, and it wasn't going to get quicker if she dawdled.

It was Friday of that same week, and things had settled into a quiet if hectic, schedule. Alex had just come back from a quick run to the cafeteria and stopped to chat with a couple of the other interns for a few moments about how their projects were going. None of them had much time to waste, so it did not last long. The two girls waved goodbye just as Peter walked up.

He joined Alex with a sigh as he said, "Man, I am glad today is Friday, but I wish it was already Saturday."

Alex chuckled at his unwarranted and unexpected outburst before she responded, "Why? Do you have big plans you'd like to get started on?"

He waved his hand dismissively. "I wish. No. Today is the day, and it's my turn. I'm really not looking forward to this. I hate it. I don't think any of us like it, really."

Alex finally stopped at his cryptic remarks and gave him a worried look. "What do you have to do that is so horrible?"

Peter stopped as well and turned to give her a disgusted look. It immediately changed to shock, and his eyes widened. He shook his head as he tried to explain. "Don't take it the wrong way. It has nothing to do with the Firsts personally. It's just that they are really hard to talk to, you know? I don't mean that we hate them or anything. Not that they have ever done anything to any of us. Well, except maybe Commander Rhapsodos, but that's not who it is today!"

If anything, his explanation only made her more confused, but she felt she had an idea of what was going on. She held up a hand to get him to stop. "Wait, are you saying one of the Firsts will be up here for boosters today? I thought one of the top professors handled those things?"

Peter seemed to relax when he realized she wasn't angry. He let out another sigh as he shrugged. "Yeah, they take care of the boosters, but it falls to a handful of us interns to take turns monitoring them for the time they are here. It's usually only for a couple of days at most, but it's still—well, I guess you might not understand."

Alex finally chuckled. She was disgusted at the thought of what was about to happen, and even more so at the idea that it might be happening to her brother, but she felt sorry for Peter. She put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I can take care of it for you."

He looked at her with wide eyes. "What? But you have Professor Rayleigh's stuff to keep an eye on. Plus your own stuff too, right?"

Alex shrugged. "You're right about the professor's experiment. Would it be alright if I divided my time? I don't mind putting my own stuff off until the evening since that is when I get the most done anyway. It's up to you. It's not like I'm going to be bothered by the Soldiers, and I understand how they might be intimidating for other people that don't know them. It's not a big deal."

Peter shook his head. "Would you object to trading for just this one day? I don't want to make you do double work, but I would really appreciate not having to face the General."

Alex paused for more than one reason. First and foremost, for some reason, she really had not expected it to be Sephiroth. Still, it wasn't like she was bothered by him; she just didn't know him that well. The second reason was what made her hesitate. She had made a commitment to Professor Rayleigh and was unsure how she felt handing it off, even for a day.

Finally, she looked up with a slight frown. "Would you agree to bring me the results so I can deliver them? I don't want to take the chance that either of us might get in trouble for switching. Not that I think it's a problem, but you never know."

Peter grinned as he held out his hand. "Deal. We are supposed to keep them under constant monitoring, but most of the time, we just watch through the cameras and take their vitals every hour. It's up to you how you want to handle it, but you have to be in room 6758 just after lunch. That means you should only need to monitor him for half the day, and I'll only have two reports to make. Not too bad, right?"

Alex laughed as she nodded. "Sounds perfect. "I'll see you later."

Alex had grabbed a quick lunch from the cafeteria before she stopped by Peter's cubicle to give him a run-down on what to look for. He thanked her again as she headed toward the other side of the labs to where the general would be waiting. She skirted around the edge of the central lab and kept her head down, but her worry about being seen was secondary for once.

It wasn't that she was worried about dealing with Sephiroth, but she was concerned about what shape he would be in. Angeal had never told them more than that the boosters made him ill for a few days, but she knew enough now to know that was a gross understatement. There was no telling if it would be worse for the general or not, given that Hojo was likely experimenting with new varieties of mako. The thought of it made her sick.

By that time, she had already made it to the room, so she didn't have long to worry about it. She knocked to give Sephiroth a moment to collect himself if he needed to before she entered the room with a smile. "Good afternoon, General. I would ask how you are doing, but I'd hate to put you in an awkward spot."

The man had been reclining against the raised head of the bed, but he immediately sat up and gave her a confused look. "Miss Hewley? Why are you here?"

Alex was still smiling as she placed a finger over her lips. "Shh, that name's a secret up here. No one calls me that. It's just Alex."

If anything, his confusion seemed to grow stronger. Thankfully, she took pity on him. "I thought you were aware that I was an intern here now? I'm here to help with your monitoring today."

His confusion immediately disappeared, and a blank look took over his face as he leaned back again. He looked away from her as he answered. "I was not aware that you were assisting Professor Hojo."

Alex had to repress a sigh. She wasn't shocked by that reaction at all. Despite her position, she understood a little bit of how he felt. She could only imagine the rest since he had grown up in the labs. Still, she wasn't going to let it get to her. She ignored the cold shoulder and grabbed the rolling table to bring it closer to him as she responded, "I don't. I work with Professor Rayleigh for now. My hope is that when I start full-time in a few months that I'll be given my own team. However, today, I agreed to switch with one of my coworkers."

She waited until he finally looked back at her with a furrowed brow and gave him another grin as she continued. "Not to put too fine a point on it, General, but you can be a bit intimidating. It's not your fault, of course, but they were happy to let me take the responsibility."

For a moment, it looked like he was unsure how to respond. Finally, he looked her in the eye as he said, "You are rather blunt."

She raised a brow as she responded, "Would you rather I not be?"

He watched her eyes for several seconds before he finally said, "That is not it at all. It is simply something I am unaccustomed to."

She nodded in understanding. "Well, I hope you can put up with me for at least the afternoon. I promise that I will not bother you any more than necessary. First, I'll need you to remove your armor so I can take your vitals. Then I have a few questions."

A tiny furrow formed between Sephiroth's brows as he said, "Excuse me?"

Alex tilted her head slightly as she raised her brow and said, "It will be impossible for me to get a good blood pressure through that leather, plus it will be much easier to get the rest with it off. Don't worry. Your's won't be the first bare male chest I've seen, and I doubt it will be the last. Not in this line of work. Now, please take it off. The abdomen plate too."

For a moment, it looked as though the general had no idea how to respond. Finally, he stood to start unbuckling the armor, though he also said, "That was not what I was questioning. I have never had to answer questions with the other interns. They usually come in and leave as quickly as possible."

Alex frowned as she took the duster from him to lay across the end of the bed while he finished with the rest. "Well, some of the things in this file can be answered with observation, but I'm afraid I can't know how you feel if you don't tell me yourself. I can't say anything about the past. All I know is that I plan to do the job to the best of my abilities."

Much to her shock, Sephiroth gave her a smile as he sat back on the edge of the bed. "I should not be surprised that you would want to follow your instructions to the letter. After all, you are—"

Alex's eyes widened, and she made a negating gesture to cut him off. "I apologize, General, but I wasn't kidding when I said that was a secret up here. Only my boss knows my last name, and I'd like to keep it that way, please. It would be hard to prove myself if people thought I was riding my brother's coattails. If you don't mind, please don't mention that connection anywhere on this floor."

It was less than a second later that he nodded. "I understand. Though I will ask that you call me Sephiroth if I am to call you by your given name."

She flashed him a grin as she put the cuff on his arm. "Deal." Silence fell after that for several minutes while she checked his vitals and wrote them down in the chart that had been on the table. Once she was done with that, she looked him over thoroughly for any signs of distress. She wasn't shocked to not find any. Though that didn't mean he wasn't feeling any.

She then went through a brief list of questions focused on his physical reactions to the experimental booster. Alex could not hide her grimace at some of the stuff she was reading, but if Sephiroth noted it, he didn't mention anything.

Once that was all done, she put the file back where she found it and rolled it out of the way before she looked around for a moment. Now that the basics were over, she wasn't sure how to handle the rest. From what she read in the file, he was supposed to be under constant watch, but it felt impersonal to go outside and watch through the cameras. It also felt creepy to sit and watch him in the room.

She reprimanded herself for the delay as she finally smiled at him again. "Sorry, that's the hard part. Will you want to sleep now, or is there something else I can help you with?"

His expression turned confused. "Is there a reason for you to stay? Is there something else I am unaware of?"

She waved off his concern and forced her hands to keep from picking up the file again just to keep them busy. "Not at all. I'm sure you are aware that the professor has asked for you to be observed to ensure there are no complications. However, I didn't want to just leave without asking first. What do you typically do?"

It was Alex's turn to be taken by surprise when he looked away and almost looked embarrassed. Though, she reasoned that it could just be that she was making him uncomfortable. Thankfully, that didn't seem to be the case when he turned back and pointed to the corner of the room behind her. "I pass the time with a book, or I will play chess. I rarely ever need to sleep."

Alex turned to see another small table with a few things on it that she had missed earlier. One of them was a worn chess set. She turned back with a raised brow. "You play chess alone?"

The look he gave her clearly said he was not thrilled with the turn the conversation had taken, but he answered, "Yes. It is better than letting my mind wander aimlessly."

Alex felt that statement stab through her. She didn't need to see the flash of a shadow pass through his eyes to know what he meant. She swallowed once, but her grin was back as she grabbed the table with the chess set and pulled it closer to him. "Well, if that's the case, would you like a partner for once?"

Both his brows rose, but when she pulled a chair over as well, he gave her a nod as he said, "Thank you. A partner might be a pleasant change."

A/N: So? What do you think of their first real interactions? There will obviously be more in the next chapter. Though, I will say enjoy the calm right now. It won't happen for several more chapters, but once it starts, things are going to go nuts for a little while. Anyway, I hope you are all looking forward to it 😊