A/N: The soundtrack for the first Gaia part is 'Now That You're Gone' by Mariah McManus. The last half is 'I Promise You (Freaking Romance Original)' by Yoolee. By the way, if any of you haven't read that webtoon yet CHECK IT OUT! it is awesomeness. Also, I want to give a warning. The first part of this chapter is with Charle and Lance, so it is a little iffy. However, I want you to know that there is nothing graphic and absolutely no sexual assault. Still, I thought it would be best to let you know.
Chapter 26
Earth
Charle was cold and sore when she woke up. She shivered as she was reminded of her lack of clothes as her leg brushed against the side of the tub. Not all of it was from the cold. She had woken once before in this same bathroom. Lance had been there then; she was just glad he wasn't there this time as well.
Shockingly, despite her predicament, he hadn't done much to her. She had expected much worse, especially when he tied her up and took her clothes. At least he left her underwear. However, that didn't mean he hadn't done enough already. Her skin still felt raw from the scrubbing he put her through when she first woke up.
It took all she had not to panic. Lance said he would be back when she woke before he knocked her out earlier. She wondered how long she would have before then. Maybe it would be enough for her to try and get away. Even if she didn't know where they were, away would be better. It had to be.
Her hands and feet were still bound, but at least her hands were in front of her, and there was a stretch of a few inches of rope between her feet. She was able to pull herself up against the sink and use it to balance while she tried the knob. Not surprisingly, it was locked. Still, it was a flimsy wooden door—maybe she could kick it open or through it even. She had to try something.
With that thought in mind, she lowered herself back to the floor. While she was there, she thought to check the cabinet under the sink to see if she could find something helpful. The only things down there were an old bottle of cleaner and a half-empty roll of toilet paper. None of it would help right away, but she grabbed the cleaner anyway. She might be able to use it for defense if she couldn't get away before Lance returned.
Once she set that to the side, she braced her back against the cabinet. It made for an awkward angle to kick the door, but it would keep her from sliding across the floor. She was aware that Lance could be nearby, but she wasn't going to not try now that she had the chance.
She gritted her teeth and kicked out with both feet. She felt a twinge in one ankle, and the bottom of her feet stung, but that didn't keep her from trying again and again. After the fourth time, the door suddenly swung open, but not due to her blows. Lance was standing outside and glowering in at her.
Charle scooted back out of instinct, but thankfully, her eyes landed on the bottle next to her, and she grabbed it without thought. She held it up and was thrilled when Lance paused at the sight of it. Unfortunately, when she tried to spray it, nothing came out. She cursed under her breath as she kept trying desperately to produce something that could stop the madman in front of her.
It did not take Lance long to realize nothing was happening, and he stepped forward to knock the bottle from her hands. He then grabbed her hair and pulled her in close as he sneered. "I should have known better than to trust you. You still aren't clean."
His grip transferred to one of her arms as he hauled her up and threw her into the tub. She couldn't hold in a scream as the metal banged against her already bruised limbs and her head knocked against the tile wall. Still, she curled in on herself and covered as much of her exposed skin as she could. When Lance saw it, he sneered again. "I don't know why you bother hiding from me. You aren't worthy of joining with me yet. Both your body and soul are stained. I can still smell his perfume all over you."
Charle was too distraught to wonder what he meant by that and didn't have time to worry. Instead, she curled into a tighter ball when he turned the shower on, and the cold water hit her like nails. She had to bite her lip to keep from crying out again. At least this time, Lance held a rag out to her and said, "Will you do it yourself, or do I have to scrub you again?"
She could barely see through the tears in her eyes as her trembling hands reached out to take the rag from him. She would be willing to do just about anything to keep his hands off her. She bunched the piece of cloth in her fists as she tried to lean on the wall and stand. At least the water was numbing her bruises and helped the throbbing in her head.
She shakily reached out for the soap that was still on the edge of the tub but paused halfway there when Lance called out. "Give me your hands. I'll untie them for now But don't forget any inch of skin. I'll be watching. If you miss anything or try to escape, I won't give you this chance again."
Shame and fear both filled Charle, but she wasn't in any position to deny him. Instead, she bit her lip and nodded as she picked up the cake of soap and held out her hands for him to take the rope off. Once she was free, she did her best to clean every inch of her skin the best that she was able.
Gaia
Cheryl had gotten back into the same routine that she had before she started dating Tseng, but no matter how hard she tried, things weren't the same. She hadn't wanted to ruin her friendships, but she was constantly distracted around them. She was just grateful that most of them didn't hold it against her, especially Zack and Reno. Those two went out of their way to try and lift her spirits any time they had a chance—they just did it in drastically different ways.
When she was with either of them, she felt her worries ease. Though, she often felt worse afterward. The uncertain future was on her mind more and more as time passed. There were many nights that she would stay up and try to figure out how she should proceed. If Tseng was right, she didn't want to cause a panic, but if she was, then all the people she cared about were in danger.
The nights she spent awake and pulling her hair out in frustration become more frequent as the year waned. She tried to wrack her brain to think of anything that could prove she was right definitively. Or, more specifically, something that wouldn't require her to try and hack the science department's computers. When she realized she had barely more than two weeks left, she hit her wit's end. However, she also realized there was one way, but she couldn't do it alone.
As much as she hated seeking Tseng, especially for this, she didn't think there was any other way. She would just have to make sure the first thing he understood was that she wasn't approaching him about their relationship. As much as she still cared for him, she refused to beg him to come back. Even if he would, she knew he wouldn't change his mind about her. A small part of her wished that once this was decided, one way or another, they might be able to discuss things between them, but she wouldn't pin her hopes on it.
It was Saturday afternoon, but Cheryl knew Tseng had spent more of his time in the office. Not that she had seen him, but Reno wasn't much better than a gossip girl. Plus, he loved to bitch about his boss. That meant Cheryl knew more about Tseng's life than she wanted to. At least this time, it might come in handy.
When she got off the elevator, she had to remind herself to not let her worry and panic show. If Tseng refused to help, then she wasn't sure what she could do, and she was running out of time. She took a deep breath before she headed toward his office.
However, she was stopped before she got there by a familiar drawling voice. "Hey, lookie here. What's up doll, did you finally decide to take me up on my offer?"
Cheryl sighed as she froze. As much as she had come to accept and even tolerate Reno and his mouthy ways, he was the last person she wanted to see. She turned to him and tried to plaster on a smile that felt fake. "No, I'm afraid that answer isn't going to change." She paused and clasped her hands together but immediately let them go so she wouldn't fidget as she continued, "Actually, I was hoping to speak to Tseng. Do you know if he is in?"
Reno took his feet off his desk, and he sat forward with a frown as he asked, "And why is that? Somethin' suddenly change? Or are you gonna finally break down and beg?"
Cheryl could not stop her rolling eyes. At least she was familiar with his tactics, and it didn't faze her as she said, "The matter is private. Are you going to answer or not?"
Reno smirked as he leaned back and put his feet up again before he said, "Maybe I will, and maybe I won't."
Cheryl reminded herself again that was just the way he was. She shook her head in disgust but didn't say anything else as she headed to the office she knew belonged to Tseng. She hadn't made it more than a few feet before Reno called out again. "He ain't here. If you need him that bad, you might go talk to that old guy he hangs out with in Sector Six. If anyone knows where the bossman might be, it'd be him."
She turned back around and shot him a grin. "Thanks! I appreciate that enough that I might actually have Zack share his dango with you."
Reno's face immediately fell into a horrified expression as he jumped to his feet. "You made him some and not me?"
Cheryl was still on edge, but that expression was enough to make her chuckle as she said, "Gotcha."
Reno's eyes widened before they narrowed. She could see the gears in his head turning already, so she continued before he had a chance to enact his retribution. "Tell you what, I'll make sure to bring some on Monday. Deal?"
Several seconds passed while Reno's expression grew somber before he finally said, "Ya want me to take ya down there? It ain't exactly safe."
Cheryl's smile softened, but she still shook her head. "Nah, I've been down there plenty of times. I know how to stay out of sight. Thanks, though."
Reno sighed as he crossed his arms. He hesitated for just a moment before he said, "I still say ya have the worst taste in men, but I hope it works for ya." When Cheryl's smile widened, he affected a fake scowl and said, "Keep your nose clean."
She chuckled at his gruff way of telling her to stay safe, but she still nodded before she headed down and out of the building.
It was raining cats and dogs when Cheryl finally got to the entrance of the Shinra building. She groaned when she realized she had been in too much of a hurry earlier to check the weather and thus didn't have an umbrella. She was not looking forward to walking through the downpour, but she wasn't going to wait for it to let up either. It was already late afternoon. The longer she waited, the more chance she had of running into trouble she didn't need in Sector Six.
She sighed one last time before she headed out the door. As soon as she was out from under the eaves of the building, she ran all the way to the nearest train station. It wasn't the one she needed, but at least she could try to dry off as she took this one to where she needed to go. It added a little time but was safer.
She was able to make it to the Sector Six train right before it left. She almost slipped on the wet platform, but an older gentleman had been getting on as well and kept her from possibly falling and breaking something.
She was still wet when she got to the slums, and it wasn't helped that the rain was driving in from the section of the sector that had fallen years ago. The rain followed her until she got past the first set of bars and cafés. She commiserated with all the grumbling she heard around her as she made her way deeper into the sector. It was supposed to be spring already, but that rain was cold. It made for a miserable night for anyone trying to make their way anywhere that evening.
It was chilly enough that Cheryl had her arms wrapped around herself as she walked just to keep her teeth from chattering. She hoped that Mr. Takeda would let her in for a bit so she could try to get dry before she had to run to wherever Tseng might be. At least she had her purse. If she had to, she could always buy a meal. That ought to help too.
When she got to the little café, she was disappointed but not shocked that the door was locked. That didn't mean he wasn't in. The question now would be if he would open to talk to her. She knocked just loud enough that she hoped he would hear, as she didn't want to be obnoxious. When she didn't hear anything right away, she also called out. "Mr. Takeda, it's me, Ch—Charle. Would you please let me in? I need to ask you something."
There was no immediate response, but Cheryl could hear noise on the other side of the door this time. Though she couldn't tell if he had heard her or not. Enough time passed that she almost knocked again, but the door opened just as she raised her hand. She barely caught herself in time to keep her fist from continuing and hitting the person that answered. Instead, her hand fell listlessly to her side as she stared at the person in front of her. It wasn't Mr. Takeda.
Tseng's eyes swept over her, and she thought she saw a furrow form between his brows for a split-second, but it was gone so fast, she wasn't sure. Neither of them said anything for several seconds.
It took that long for Cheryl to get over her shock and realize that the person she was looking for was right there. As soon as that struck her, she started stumbling over her words to get them out fast enough that she might be able to explain before he sent her away.
"Tseng! You are exactly who I was looking for. I know you said we needed our space so I could get my head clear, and I promise I have given it a lot of thought. However, I finally realized something. If I'm right, then a lot of bad stuff will be happening soon, and I care too much about you—I mean about everyone to let that happen. I just want a chance to explain, please. I'll beg if I need to. Just hear me out, and then we can decide—"
Cheryl's rambling words were suddenly cut off when Tseng grabbed her arms and pulled her into a bruising kiss. It took her breath away, quite literally. She was dazed and trying to catch it when he pulled back a few seconds later.
Tseng sighed as he gently pulled her closer and rested his forehead against hers as he said, "I am a fool."
That was when Cheryl realized Mr. Takeda was there as well. She heard his voice call out from behind the counter. "Men in love usually are!"
Cheryl's eyes widened, and she felt her face heat, but Tseng didn't deny it. His only response was to shoot a glare over his shoulder before he looked back at Cheryl and pulled her all the way in as he said, "You're soaked. Come in and get dry before you get sick. What were you thinking?"
She still couldn't get her thoughts together after that, so she remained silent as Tseng led her back to one of the tables and sat her down. He then turned to the counter, where there was a kettle and two glasses. Mr. Takeda handed him a third one with a wink that was ignored. She watched as Tseng poured her a cup of steaming tea and placed it in her hands as he said, "Drink that. It will help you warm up. We can talk after your teeth are no longer chattering."
Cheryl took a tentative sip and instantly felt the warmth flow through her. By that time, Tseng had brought over one of the other cups and sat across from her. That was when she noticed that things weren't quite right with him. His jacket was off and laying across one of the stools, and his tie was loosened. His hair was down, and it looked ruffled as though he had been running his hands through it. She was torn between worry about why he would look like that and glad she got to see it. Though that last thought came with a healthy dose of guilt. He was obviously distressed.
As her heartbeat calmed while she sipped the tea, she began to wonder if this was the right time. She didn't want to add to his worries. Unfortunately, her inner debate didn't last long. It was possible that there would be no later unless she did this.
She was almost halfway done with her tea when Mr. Takeda brought out two steaming bowls that smelled wonderful. Cheryl looked up with wide eyes when he set one down in front of her, but he held up a hand and said, "The weather is nasty tonight. Eat and get warm. The two of you can work through whatever this is while you're at it. I'll be in the back if you need me."
He gave her a soft grin and a wink before he turned away. She didn't even have a chance to thank him. As soon as he was gone, Tseng said, "You should eat it while it is warm. It's the perfect meal for a day like this one."
He didn't wait for her to take his suggestion before he started eating. So far, nothing had gone the way she expected it to, but if he could roll with it, then so could she. Plus, the soup smelled fantastic. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to let the talk wait until they were done eating.
Unfortunately, Tseng must not have been as interested in the meal, as he stopped when he was about halfway through and said, "What could possibly be so important that you came to Sector Six in the middle of a storm? Not only could you get sick, but it is also dangerous for you here without an escort."
Cheryl bit her tongue at his implication that she couldn't take care of herself. He wasn't exactly wrong, but it still stung. Instead, she ignored that part of his statement and instead said, "I came because, if I'm right, then we are running out of time. I have two weeks and two days until the one-year anniversary of my accident."
A flash of pain crossed his eyes, but he hid it behind a frown. However, Cheryl knew what his argument was already, so she held up a hand to stop him. "Look, I know your opinion. You've made yourself perfectly clear on the subject. I'm not here to talk about our relationship anyway. This is something bigger—or it could be, maybe."
His brow furrowed for a moment before he shook his head and said, "I do not believe this will help you in any way." Cheryl's jaw clenched at his continued stubbornness, but he held up a hand to keep her from speaking while he continued, "However since you are so adamant about this, I will hear you out. Why don't you start from the beginning?"
Cheryl blinked a few times at the sudden turnabout, but she wasn't going to waste the opportunity. She put her spoon down and faced him fully as she said, "Alright, I want to say up front that I took everything you said into consideration. I can't even say you are wrong. However, if I'm right, things could get really bad for a lot of people really soon."
He lifted one brow at her ominous statement but didn't interfere. She took courage in that and continued. "Ok, I told you who I think I am, so I won't go over that again, and I told you why. However, there are a few others things that are important.
"First, there were stories in my world about this one." Tseng's look turned skeptical, but she shook her head and kept going. "I know. It makes the whole thing sound so much weirder. Trust me, it was for me too. Can you imagine what it's like to wake up in another world in another person's body in a world that you only knew stories of and being told to make the most of it?"
Despite his disbelief, a smirk flashed across Tseng's face before he could stop it. However, he quickly got it under control as he said, "I am sure it would be disorienting at best. However, I believe there is more?"
Cheryl nodded and almost smiled with relief that he was willing to listen. "Yes, of course. During that first day, when I was sedated, I was sent to a place that—well, my best guess would be 'the between.' I don't know more. While we were there, two goddesses appeared and gave us a chance. They said we would have one year to figure out which world we wanted to remain in, and that was pretty much it. I asked a few questions, like why I knew the stories, but all I got was a bunch of metaphysical nonsense about the worlds brushing against each other or some such."
Tseng looked contemplative for a moment before he tilted his head slightly and said, "Let's say I believe this for the moment. What could be so terrible to force your hand? I know you have not wanted to speak to me."
Cheryl's face heated, and she clenched her jaw to keep from snapping at him. She was proud that her voice was even when she said, "No more than you have been avoiding me. I do believe you were the one that said you would never call again."
Something foreign flashed through Tseng's eyes, but he had it under control again as he said, "I apologize for bringing it up. Would you please continue?"
Cheryl shot him another glare before she took a deep breath and tried to remember what he had asked. She finally sighed and said, "Honestly, I would rather not tell you everything. Not yet. If for some reason, you are correct, then I need to be ready to face that, and I don't want this conversation hanging over my head."
Tseng frowned slightly and said, "Then why bring it up at all? There is no point in wasting our time. I'm sure we both have better things to do."
Cheryl had to swallow a few times and remind herself that she needed to do this, no matter what. She somehow pulled her courage around her once more and said, "Because I think I have finally found a way to prove I'm right."
Tseng stiffened slightly, and his face became a blank mask once more. Cheryl hated seeing the change in him, as he was almost treating her like he used to. However, before he could start questioning her, she continued, "If my story lines up with reality, then I know where I can find physical proof. I know that what I am about to ask might be a lot, but I can't afford to not check. I want you to take me to Icicle Inn."
His brow furrowed once more, and he leaned toward her as he said, "Why do you need to go? That area is dangerous this time of year. Tell me what to look for, and I will have an operative find it."
Cheryl shook her head slowly and had to fight back a wave of overwhelming and conflicting emotions as she said, "No. I need to see this for myself, and it has to be within the next two weeks. I am sure I can take that much vacation. Please, do this for me. I give you my word that if we can't find anything, when we get back, I will immediately schedule regular visits with Professor Rayleigh."
Tseng watched her face for nearly a minute before he sighed softly and said, "This means a lot to you, doesn't it?"
Cheryl was too choked up with anticipation, fear, and hope to say anything. Instead, she nodded. He sighed and shook his head, but he still said, "Fine. I can rearrange my schedule for now. I don't have much of a window, but it should be fine if we can get there and back within two weeks. Can you be ready to go tomorrow?"
Instead of answering, Cheryl jumped to her feet and raced around the table to give him a hug. She didn't think about how weird it might be for him until she felt him hug her back and whispered near her ear. "You're welcome." He then pushed her back far enough to look into her eyes. What she saw in his had her choked up again, but she held it back as he said, "Let me take you home. We can discuss other pertinent details later."
She stood and stepped back so he could as well, but he grabbed her hand before she got far. He looked down at their clasped fingers for a moment before he shook his head slightly and let them go. He then stood and said, "Give me a moment to let Mr. Takeda know we are leaving."
Cheryl watched him go with a mix of excitement and trepidation. She wasn't sure what they would find, but she had a feeling that no matter what it was, her life would never be the same.
A/N: Are things perfect? not even close. Are they both ready to admit they aren't the same without the other? maybe lol. Honestly, the next couple of chapters will span so much that I hope you are all ready for it. I know I am excited to share and now that it's the weekend, I'm going to do my best to get them both out. Please let me know what you think so far. I want to know your reactions to what is happening and if you are as excited for the rest as me. Thanks for reading and cheers!