I awoke to shouting. I knew it was inevitable….The chaos of being under the same roof as your arch enemy would have to come heavily down on one's head eventually. I wanted to check and see if anyone had killed the other yet, but my focus was on Lucien. Where was he? I listened mentally for a sign and when his glee and laughter entered my head, I jolted forward with a smile. Who was making him so happy and taking him from this hell for a few moments? I entered the room his voice was coming from and stopped in the doorway. There, sprawled out on the floor surrounded by a million blocks and tiny men, was Yuffie. Beside her sat my sons cackling form and Marlene with a smile brightly plastered to her face.

"Dis is Toby, and Toby wants to be you bessess frand."

Yuffie's voice took on an exaggerated Southern drawl and I winced at the squeak of it. However, it was apparently the funniest thing my son had ever heard in his life and his laughter now had him fallen to the ground clutching his sides. "Toby" was one of the little men that Yuffie had decorated with a sock proudly upon his head.

"Toby is a big fan of de tickles!"

At that, Yuffie tickled Lucien and he erupted into screams. I noticed the shouting had stopped and Barret came barreling up the steps with Sephiroth close behind.

"Whats goin' on? Where's Marlene?"

I didn't have to read into his thoughts too much to realize he was silently accusing my son of the loud 'debacle' coming from the bedroom. Heaven forbid they may just be, dare I say it, playing like normal children… I fought an eye roll and glared at the man.

"Right here, playing with Yuffie and Lucien. Why, is playing not allowed in your home?"

I tried not to smirk when Sephiroth's eyes widened in amusement.

"Careful Mommy, you're talons are showing."

I fully ignored the erotic way he had just called me 'Mommy' and stood a bit taller when the former man paused to stare at me in the doorway.

I felt the heat of the previous argument full force and realized I wasn't helping the situation at all. I backed up initially…until I heard his next comment…

"Playing is all fine and good, until it's with the spawn of a murderer. Then ya gotta keep an open at all times…"

I lost it.

"Are you damn well kidding me? And what did you think Lucien was doing to your daughter, torturing her with laughter? Don't you dare even think of callously blaming my son for his parentage, he is Three!"

Barret took a full step back in surprise at my anger only to bump into Sephiroth, who was equally as hot at the situation. I knew he was letting me handle it, or Masamune would already have been summoned.

"HEY! This is the play room, a safe zone? And I do NOT appreciate any ill words or anger in any close proximity!"

I let the anger drain from my features. Yuffie was right. Lucien did not need this right now. Shit, she had probably taken him in here to play to avoid the scene downstairs in the first place. I looked at Marlene. Her head was hung low and I could tell she was mortified at her father's accusation. Poor kid. I then noticed that Lucien had sat up straight now and stopped his laughing. His worry had me faking a smile.

I mouthed a 'sorry' and waved in apology before slowly closing the door. Afterwards, I made my way down the stairs but not before shooting a glare in the burly man's direction. He had some nerve. Tifa must have heard the entire exchange because she was standing at the bottom of the stairs in a look of nervousness. As we piled into the bar's main area, she began to speak and fully took control of the room.

"Look, I know tensions are high. It is no secret that we trust each other about as much as a Chocobo trusts a dragon, but I see no other choice. We HAVE to start tolerating one another." She looked about the group and I noticed that most eyes were on Sephiroth, Rufus and I. We were definitely the odd ones out.

"I can't pretend that Nibelheim didn't happen and I doubt anyone else can…." Sephiroth mentally and physically cringed and I felt his despair and embarrassment hit me full force. "I mean, my father was in the crossfire…" Tifa's hands clenched by her side and I miserably realized that Sephiroth had killed her father. This time Cloud spoke, but with a lot more hostility than Tifa. "Not to mention everything that happened after the Nibelheim attack. So many lives were lost and you…you can't just walk in and expect us all to pretend that you're not that same man."

I wanted to hide. I wanted to hit Sephiroth just for everyone's sake. I knew their anger, I had lived it full force in a more intimate way. So how could I possibly already forgiven him? I then wondered if I actually had…

"Sephiroth…I know you were not aware of what you were doing…but I think you should say something…just be honest. We all need to hear it."

Silence fell amongst the room, and I nervously brought my hands together in front of me. Would he listen to me? I almost spoke up just to break the awkward tension.

"I was wrong."

My eyes widened and my head snapped up. I memorized his face as if it were a playwright and looked for any sign of sarcasm or dishonesty. I found none.

"I was…so utterly wrong…that I have no words to describe it."

He had become quieter in his apology, although I knew everyone heard him. They were hanging on to his every word and I wanted to step closer but knew I would ruin his moment of redemption.

"I acknowledge that I was wrong, that I…hurt all of you in one way or another, some worse than others. Even if I was under Jenova's control I want to apologize, but how can I? 'I'm Sorry'? Hmm…That almost seems blasphemous in this situation. You all deserve much more than that."

He closed his eyes and for the first time since he had returned, I fully read his innermost emotions. I was filled with such a feeling of remorse that I physically stumbled. I knew he caught it even if no one else noticed and that he could sense my presence barely caressing his conscious. His eyes flickered to mine for only a brief moment before settling on Cloud.

"You witnessed my dive into insanity first hand. I…am responsible for your fate as well as Fair's."

At that, my head jerked towards Sephiroth and for the first time in a long time, I thought of Zack. His good humor. Always smiling. The way he would approach me at my desk as if he had the best joke he had ever heard just at the tip of his tongue. And he usually did. I always laughed when he was around, trying to muffle my merriment as Angeal stepped up with a swift slap to the back of his head. He would return to looking professional, but not without a smirk in my direction. I loved my friend Zack.

"I can't do anything to fix my rage in the past and for that, I deserve and welcome your hatred. Just please know that from here on out, I am not here to gain power, unleash my revenge, or destroy the world. I…"

He then let out a sigh of defeat and I only barely heard his last words.

"I am sorry for all I have done, but I only want to save my son from the same fate as mine."

Tears came to my eyes. I knew I could forgive him, but I wasn't around when it happened. I could forgive his absence. I could forgive his careless attitude towards me. I would not however, be able to forgive him for his hand in killing those I loved, and so I understood everyone's anger.

"Sure Sephy, we forgive ya. So you tried to kill us all and destroyed the beauty of my country as well as the beauty of the rest of the world. But… damn, at least you admit it! And you're even sorry! So no biggie."

Yuffie broke the silence with her dramatic entrance and I was eternally grateful. Cid was the next to speak up. "SHIT. Can you be serious for a damn minute and stop being such a shitty excuse for a female?"

"You are such a sexist, old man! I was being serious! Vinny, tell him! Tell him I was being serious."

Her lip perched out in a pout and Vincent never even glanced her way. Tifa began to chuckle and folded her arms across her chest.

"I believe you, Yuffie." Tifa returned her smile as the young ninja set her sights on me.

"But I don't know your story…and for some reason, that bothers me more…"

I felt all eyes fall on me and fear quickly had me rooted in place. I hated attention. Especially when it was in front of a crowd. I gulped and felt my hands become clammy. Sephiroth couldn't save me from this. He didn't hold any favor in their eyes to come to my aid and neither did Rufus. I glanced at Sephiroth who was staring at me stoically, but I could see the apprehension in his eyes. Rufus did not look much better. They waited for me to speak as I slowly blinked and looked down.

"I… didn't see any of that…I was in a lab…"

Well, that's it folks. That's all I have to say. I felt like an experiment once again as everyone looked me up and down, some with an eyebrow raised in analysis.

"Is that why you went all ballistic last night and tried to kill your man?"

I looked at Yuffie. Did she EVER shut up?

"I have a significate portion of Chaos inside me as well as an amount of Jenova cells equal to that of ten SOLDIER infantry men… or so Hojo's lab reports said. I am sure, to my horror, they are probably correct."

I hated confrontation. I hated everyone looking at me and I felt everyone's mind so that I may grasp the situation. Some were disgust, I think at my connection with Sephiroth. I felt uncertainty and almost all were feeling a bit of boredom at my lack of response or character in general, but one person's pity had me focusing on their form. Cloud… He felt sorry for me. I dove a bit deeper into his thoughts, but not enough to make him notice me. Fear…torture…he had been in a lab too hadn't he? I remembered that he did in fact have Jenova cells as well, so that had to be it. He knew firsthand what a quack Hojo was and the abominations he created.

"I am sorry I don't have any more information than that, but I haven't been around for very long. Neither has Lucien…"

That was it. Pity was felt all around the room now as everyone, some slower than others, came to the realization that Lucien was actually an experiment for years as well…

Flashback

I sat in the corner of the cell rocking my body back and forth across the cold tiles of concrete. I didn't know how long I had been down there. Long enough to begin descending into insanity, but I did not care. My baby was dead. I hadn't heard him cry days after his birth. Silence had reigned triumphant and the following years were spent in agony, fear, self-loathing at my helplessness and disgusting body, and utter pain...

My senseless actions were forgotten when I heard the sound of a door opening. I jumped up so fast that I nearly lost my footing and gripped the iron bars of the small window in my cell door. I saw suits. Two suits, coming down the hallway. I then heard voices and I thanked the stars above that after nearly three weeks, I was going to see another living soul.

"Mr. President, this section was not discovered in our last sweep of the laboratory, I assure you."

"At ease, Tseng. Good thing I came down for the final sweep to make sure all had been discovered. I just hope we aren't in for a few nasty…" He stopped in shock when he saw my hands on the bars. I wanted to cry out, scream for someone to help me, but my voice had long been forgotten in my anguish and neglect. I had simply forgotten how to make my voice work.

"Step back, Mr. President. We don't know…" His voice was lost when Rufus ignored him and came closer to peer into my face.

"Cassmora."

How did he recognize me? He said my name in such a way that he had almost been searching for me…but at the same time, had just passed me in greeting in the hallway with a nod of his head. Rufus always had a way about him that I had never seen in another person as long as I had lived.

"P…please." That was all I could manage before a whimper almost took over and I backed away from the door. My hospital gown was in a dreadful state but none of that mattered when Tseng finally was granted access to my cell and florescent light hit my body in full force. I raised a hand to shield my eyes from the glow as Rufus stepped into view.

"Cassmora…I know you remember me. We will get you out of here."

I had never heard such beautiful words and immediately a bond was silently forged between us as I dropped to my knees and cried.

The events leading up to finding my son floating as a newborn in that damn tube of Mako almost brought tears to my eyes. I was convinced he was dead and when I saw him, I suddenly had a purpose again. I didn't know who I was without him and almost smiled to myself, but a thought kept me from making anymore familiarities. I jerked my head up and met Sephiroth in his stare. He sensed it too…or rather, did NOT sense 'it' and I found myself uttering the worst words I can think of…

"Where is Lucien?"