THIRTY-THREE

Almost a week later, the guys and I stood down in the basement of Seventh Heaven, the new motor with its housing sitting finished on the repaired workbench in front of us. We'd made it back home to Sector 7 without a hitch, although I hadn't been able to truly relax until we had finally stepped out of the train and off the platform. I'd hidden it pretty well behind my usual chipper self, cracking jokes and teasing the guys, but I had still felt a nervous flutter in my stomach as the ID sensor net had swept over us and the guards had walked by.

Still, it had all worked out, and we'd headed over here straight from the station. I'd spent the last several days using the parts I'd gathered to build the new motor as much as I could in between work and training, and now it was finished. It looked solid enough, but I wasn't taking any chances. Wedge was ready with the blanket, and Biggs had opened the door to the other room just in case.

"Okay, guys," I said, taking a deep breath. "Moment of truth."

Biggs gave me a thumbs up. "Good luck!"

I smiled more confidently than I felt. "Thanks. Once we make sure it works, we can finally finish the lift."

"I've got a good feeling about this," Wedge grinned.

"I hope you're right," I said.

With the guys behind me, I reached out and flicked the switch. As I held my breath, more nervous than I wanted to admit, the new motor hummed to life. No smoke, no sparks, no fire. It sounded as smooth as could be, and as I listened to it, I relaxed and spun around to Biggs and Wedge, an excited grin on my face.

"It works!" I cheered, bouncing happily up and down.

"Yeah!" Biggs thrust his fist in the air.

Wedge laughed. "I knew you could do it!"

"Thanks, Wedge," I gushed.

He tossed the blanket aside and lifted his hand. "Tri-five?"

Biggs nodded. "You said it, buddy!"

Giggling, I joined right in, and the guys and I all shared one of our three-way high fives. It felt so good to have finally gotten the motor for the lift working after so many failed attempts. Now we could finish the hideout and take another step forward in our fight for the planet. I was practically giddy with excitement.

"So what's next?" Wedge wondered.

I switched off the motor. "Well, now that we've got this working, it should only take a day or two to get it wired into the pinball table. And at least a few more to finish the elevator itself. So I think we can have it all done in just another week, tops!"

Biggs smiled and patted my shoulder. "Sounds good! Dunno 'bout you guys, but I feel like celebrating."

"Hell yeah!" I agreed.

"Pizza?" Wedge suggested hopefully.

I'd had the same thought. "You bet! Midgar Special it is! I think I'll ask Tifa to lend me a hand, too."

Wedge's face lit right up. "That'd be awesome!"

"Super duper awesome!" Biggs agreed.

It didn't take much convincing for me to enlist Tifa's help—she was happy for us and glad to pitch in—so she closed the bar early that night and we had a little Avalanche-only celebratory dinner together. Just us, Tifa, Barret, and Marlene. Although she didn't understand what it was all about, Marlene had a good time nevertheless.

"That's some damn good work you did there, Jessie," Barret said as we ate. "I knew you'd get that thing workin' sooner or later. Struck us a blow for the planet today, an' don't you forget it."

"Thanks, Barret," I smiled.

Wedge helped himself to another slice. "So once we get the hideout finished, what's our next move?"

"Nothin' right away," Barret said. "But I got somethin' big planned. A message them Shinra bastards ain't never gonna forget. Still way out on the horizon, but we gettin' closer."

"What is it?" I wondered.

He shook his head. "Not ready to talk 'bout it jus' yet. An' this ain't somethin' we want anyone overhearin'. So let's jus' get the hideout done first, guys. One step at a time, you know?"

Biggs nodded. "Sure, boss."

As we kept on eating and chatting, I couldn't help wondering what Barret had in mind for us to do. Seemed like he'd been giving it a lot of thought, and for him to not want to say anything even when it was just us here in the bar made me even more curious. I understood his worry about someone hearing what they shouldn't well enough, though. We'd caught Derla outside peeking through the windows from time to time trying to snoop on our meetings. Irritated the hell outta me. Tifa too. I could see why Barret wanted the hideout.

And it only made me more eager to finish it.

I fastened the last screws in place as I secured the new filter. "Okay, Tom, give it a try. Should be all set."

It had been about a week since my success with the motor, and the lift itself was almost finished. I just had a couple more jobs to get done today before I headed over to Seventh Heaven. Tom, along with his kid brother Max, ran the inn here above the weapon shop. The watch base was downstairs on the second floor, and the balcony just outside gave a nice view of the entire undercity.

Tom turned on the sink. "Water's great, Jessie. Thanks!"

"No problem!" I said, standing up. "You should be fine for another few months now. Sound good?"

"Sure does. Your usual fee?" he said.

I nodded. "Yep. Same as always. Two hundred gil."

He smirked as he reached into his pocket and gave me the money. "A little pricey, but well worth it. Here you go."

"Thanks!" I smiled. "So, have you asked Katie out yet?"

Tom was one of my regular customers, and I'd gotten to know him a little. I'd also seen the way he and Katie looked at each other and had tried to do my part to nudge things along here and there. He was in the watch and always made sure to walk past her tally board every day, and she never failed to notice him when he did. Tom was rugged like Biggs, with nice green eyes that never failed to melt Katie's heart whenever he smiled at her. It was cute to watch.

He grinned as he turned the water off. "Yeah, we've been going out for a few weeks now. You didn't know?"

"No, I didn't. I've been pretty busy lately," I said. Then I gave him a playful slap on the shoulder. "Glad to hear it, though! You guys've been making eyes at each other for ages."

"Guess we have, huh?" Tom admitted.

I chuckled as I packed up my tools. "Anybody could see it. I hope it works out for you two, though."

He opened the door for me. "Thanks. What about you?"

"What do you mean?" I wondered.

"Just thought you'd have hooked up with someone too by now," he said. "You've got your share of admirers, Jessie. There's quite a few guys in the watch that'd love to take you out sometime. I could set you up if you want. Only fair after how you helped me."

I laughed. "That's sweet, but I'm fine. Not really ready for anything like that yet. And my work keeps me pretty busy. Still, it's kinda nice to know that I've made such an impression."

"Oh, you have, believe me," he smiled. "So let me know if you ever change your mind, alright?"

"I will, thanks. See ya around!" I waved as I left.

I doubted I'd take him up on his offer, though. Even assuming that I came to the point where I felt I could be with someone again, I had to be careful who I got involved with. Avalanche wasn't something I could let just anyone know about, especially with whatever it was Barret had in store for us to do. Something dangerous, no doubt.

So as much as it would disappoint those guys in the watch, I didn't plan on going out with any of them. They were nice, but if I ever found myself ready to love again, I wanted someone tougher. Someone who'd always be there for me the way Kunsel was, someone I could trust with my secrets and my life. But I didn't expect to find anyone like that here in the slums. It was a little lonely sometimes, but I managed. And I had my friends, so I was happy for the most part.

My next client—and my last one for the day—was Wymer. He was a middle-aged guy with a brown beard, black vest, dark blue shirt, and a flat gray cap. He was part of the watch too, often tracking requests for help and coordinating patrols of the outskirts. Although it wasn't really official, most everyone around here looked to him as one of the leaders of the town, so he worked tirelessly to make things better and safer for everybody as much as he could.

"Hi, Wymer!" I waved. "Got your new filter for ya!"

Wymer looked up from the notepad he was writing on and smiled. "Jessie! Always reliable. That's what I like about you. That and the nice discount you give us watch folks."

I laughed. "Just my little way of showing my appreciation for all the hard work you guys do around here."

"Well, it's noticed, believe me," he grinned. "Come on in."

"Don't mind if I do!" I quipped.

I followed him into his house and got right to work, taking out the old filter and installing the new one. It only took about half an hour at most, and we chatted together the whole time. I always enjoyed talking with my clients and making new friends, and Wymer had always been a good customer. After I'd gotten everything finished, he tried the fresh water from the sink to test it out.

"Smells and tastes good," Wymer said. "Many thanks."

I started gathering my tools. "Happy to help! That'll last you a long while, but if you have any problems, just call me. And in the meantime, that'll be two hundred gil for today's work."

He paid gladly and even threw in a little tip for me. "There you go, Jessie. Thanks again. Oh, wait, I almost forgot! I've got something here that I think you might like. Just a minute."

My toolbox in hand, I waited patiently for him, curious about what he had for me. Wymer went over to a shelf in his small living room and looked through a collection of assorted books of all different kinds and sizes until he found the one he was searching for and brought it over to me. My eyes widened when I realized what it was.

"Is this… a manual for a Hardy HD-90?" I breathed.

He nodded. "Yep. I used to be a mechanic on the plate when I was younger, and even though it didn't work out, I still like to collect books and blueprints for different cars and bikes."

I flipped through the pages of diagrams and instructions, my heart racing as a wonderful, awesome idea sprang to mind. "This is amazing! I saw a real Hardy once, on display, years ago. And I've always dreamed of having my own bike. Now I can!"

"Exactly!" Wymer said. "With the smarts you've got, you can build one yourself. Sector 4's got the biggest junk piles around, so start there whenever you go looking for parts."

I hugged him. "Thank you! This is gonna be great!"

"You're welcome, Jessie. Just think of it as mine and the watch's way of showing our gratitude for what you've done for us since you've been here. What you've done for everyone, really."

"Well, it's really appreciated," I beamed. "I think you just made my day! Tell the watch boys thanks for me."

He waved as I left. "Will do. Take care of yourself."

"Always!" I grinned.

As I walked through the narrow streets of Sector 7, I thought about how to begin my new project. The garage behind my shop would work nicely—it was small, but there was still enough space for me to build a Hardy of my own. I'd have to get some mechanic's tools and make time to go scrounging around the slums for parts, too. It would probably be a year before I finished it, maybe a little more. Then I'd be able to make my trips across the slums in style!

Tifa noticed my especially good mood when I walked into Seventh Heaven a few minutes later. "Hi, Jessie! You're awfully cheerful today. I mean, more than normal. What's up?"

"Just got a nice surprise at work," I giggled, sliding onto a barstool. "How 'bout a Cosmo Canyon?"

She smiled and poured it for me. "Oh? Do tell!"

So I did, showing her the manual for the Hardy as I explained how Wymer had given it to me and how I'd always wanted a motorcycle. As I did, I remembered how Kunsel used to drive me around on his, and I wondered if I'd ever experience that again. I really wanted to, even if it wasn't necessarily with him. I nearly stopped talking at that realization, that I could actually picture myself with another guy someday. I wasn't planning on going out with anyone anytime soon, but I found the idea wasn't as hard for me to accept as it used to be.

"So, anyway…" I started again, not sure what to make of what I was feeling. "I'm really excited about this, Tifa. Manuals like this are pretty hard to come by down here, especially since the HD-90 isn't the newest model anymore. But it's still an awesome bike!"

Tifa laughed. "That's great, Jessie. I'm happy for you. And I'm sure Biggs and Wedge'll be glad to help out."

"They would, that's true," I agreed, thinking it over. "But… I kinda wanna do this myself. It's my personal dream project, you know. You'll all get to see it when it's done, though."

"Fair enough," she said. "And good luck!"

I took a sip of my drink. "Thanks, Tifa. Anyway, since I'm here and I've got my tools, I think it's time I finished our secret elevator. Wanna gimme a hand? If we're fast enough, we can give the guys a little spook when they get here later. It'll be fun!"

She nodded. "Why not? The bar won't open for another hour or so. We can get it done by then, right?"

"You betcha!" I winked, giving her a thumbs up.

After finishing my Cosmo Canyon, I led Tifa outside, and we went around back and into the basement. It didn't take very long to wire the last of the connections and get everything in place on the circuit board. I'd been working on it all week, and once that was done, all we had left to do was to install it into the pinball table.

Once we were all finished down there, we brought the whole thing upstairs and into the bar, where I got right to work fitting it neatly into the underside of Volcano Bombs. Tifa handed me what I needed when I needed it, and we got it done in only a few minutes. Just in time, too. I heard footsteps on the stairs outside as I finished tightening the last of the screws, and I quickly beckoned to Tifa.

"All set!" I whispered. "Come on! Let's try it out and see if we can't spring a fast one on the boys!"

Tifa nodded. "After you, Jessie!"

As soon as she joined me on the hidden platform, I held down the flipper buttons on the pinball table, and the lift descended out of sight, taking us with it as we heard the guys walk across the patio. They came inside by the time we got to the basement floor, and Tifa and I shared a quiet laugh together as we heard them wondering why the place was so empty. Looked like they hadn't noticed the missing pinball table yet. So much the better. Giggling, I held down the buttons again, and we rode right back upstairs a moment later.

"Surprise!" Tifa and I called when we reached the top.

Wedge, whose back was to us, nearly jumped a foot in the air as he turned around. "Jessie! Whoa!"

Biggs spun around to face us. "Damn! Tifa?"

"If only you guys could've seen the looks on your faces!" I laughed, nearly doubling over. "We got you good!"

"We sure did!" Tifa agreed.

Wedge clutched his chest, but he was smiling, too. "Nearly gave me a heart attack! We thought the lift wasn't finished yet."

I patted the pinball table. "It is now!"

"Helluva way to tell us, ladies," Biggs smirked.

"Sure was fun!" I said.

He grinned. "No kidding. You'd better be on the lookout, Jessie. Me and Wedge'll get you back. Just you wait!"

"You'll never see it coming," Wedge added.

I leaned forward. "Bring it!"

"You just watch yourself," Biggs chuckled.

"Big words," I teased, hands on my hips. "We'll see if anything ever comes of 'em. In the meantime, wanna try out the lift?"

Wedge nodded. "Sure! Let's go, Biggs!"

They both took a ride on the new elevator while Tifa and I relaxed at the bar, and by the time they were finished, Barret and Marlene had arrived as well. Marlene gasped in surprise when she saw the lift rising back into place as the guys got off.

"Daddy!" she said. "The floor's moving!"

He laughed. "Sure is, honey. Looks like Jessie finished our elevator. How 'bout goin' for a ride on it with Daddy?"

Marlene nodded. "Yeah!"

I smiled as I watched them head over and take the lift down to the basement. Marlene didn't know what it was really about, of course, but she still had a blast, giggling to herself the whole time as she and Barret rode downstairs and back up again.

Then he sat down next to me at the bar while Marlene scurried off to play. "That's some good work, Jessie. Soon as we have our hideout all put together, I'll fill y'all in on what's ahead."

"Glad to help, Barret," I said. "And you've got me good and curious about this new secret project you're planning. Sounds like you've had it on your mind for a pretty long time."

"I have. A damn long time," he answered.

Biggs sipped his own drink as he and Wedge sat on my other side. "Gotta be something big, then. But we're ready, boss. Just say the word and we'll get it done. Ain't that right, Wedge?"

He gave him a thumbs up. "Sure is, Biggs! We're on it!"

"Thanks, guys," Barret grinned. "Glad y'all got my back. In the end, you an' Marlene are all I got."

"Anytime, big guy," I winked, patting him on the back.

Wedge nodded. "Yeah! What she said!"

Biggs lifted his glass. "Hear, hear!"

Although she was busy playing with Marlene at one of the tables, Tifa smiled and waved, showing her support as well. Of course, we had no idea then just how big Barret's plan really was, or what would come of it. We all trusted him, though, and that never changed even after we found out what the mission was. Or when we finally carried it out, not knowing where it would lead but sure we were doing the right thing to save the planet and bring about a better future. But now, though, I can't help wondering if what we did was wrong.

A few days later, the hideout was finished.

The guys and I had moved all the stuff we'd had stored in the small side room into the larger area, neatly arranging everything just the way we'd planned. We'd also found a few more things to go in there as well, decorations and assorted knickknacks, and by the time we were finally done, we had ourselves a nice little getaway where we could relax, plan our missions, and anything else we wanted.

We'd painted the walls light gray, polished the floor, and put down a neat rug that stretched across just about the entire room. It had a nice black and white diagonal grid pattern on it, and along edge of each side was a wide stretch of black and yellow stripes at an angle like a caution sign or something. It was pretty cool. Me and the guys had found it out in one of the junk piles, repaired it, and cleaned it, and now it was part of our hideout. Nice and soft, too.

Set in the middle of it was a long metal conference table with a few chairs around it, enough for us all to sit down and have meetings. I had set up a desk by one corner with an old computer Barret had found for me. I hadn't had the chance to go through it yet, but from what I knew, he'd had it since before we'd met. Once I had it set up how I wanted it, I could use it to hack into Shinra's network and do some snooping to get us intel and whatever else we might need as well as help with planning missions and tracking our expenses.

Near my desk, we'd installed a large, flat screen TV, and on the wall opposite one end of the table was a whiteboard, markers, and an eraser for making diagrams, notes, or anything else. A few old wooden crates sat underneath it almost to the other corner, where Biggs had hung up a thick red punching bag, one of those big cylinder-shaped ones. Pipes ran across the ceiling, and on the wall behind my desk and the TV was a large red banner with a white skull and crossbones with an "A" in the middle. Biggs and Wedge had come up with the logo, and we'd spent a few hours one day making the poster.

"Looks good, guys," Barret said. "Nice work!"

I smiled. "Thanks. There's even a box of toys over by the punching bag for Marlene when she's here."

He chuckled. "Looks like she found it."

She had, alright. Marlene giggled in delight as she pulled open the box to find the dolls, books, and other things we'd gotten for her. A big green plastic dinosaur, one of those stretchy, coiled metal springs with a dog's head and tail at either end, a wrangler girl doll with red yarn for hair and a matching hat, and more.

"She sure did," Tifa agreed, gazing fondly at Marlene. "You guys all did a wonderful job down here. I hardly even recognize the place. And you thought of just about everything."

Wedge beamed. "Glad you like it, Tifa!"

Biggs plopped down in one of the chairs. "All we need now's a pool table. Too bad we don't have the space."

"Yeah, that would've been awesome!" I grinned.

"Not a bad idea," Barret said. "But for now, have a seat, guys. Might as well get our first meetin' underway. Now that our hideout's all done, I can tell ya what I got in mind for us to do."

We all sat down at the table, Tifa and I on one side while Biggs and Wedge were on the other. Barret sat at one end, Marlene humming and playing happily behind him. She'd taken several of the toys out and was busy playing with them, pretty much oblivious to us now. Barret took a moment to glance over his shoulder at her, then looked at us again. We all leaned in anxiously to hear what he had to say, but nothing could've possibly prepared us for what it was.

"We gonna take out the reactors," he told us.