Phoenix poked at her dinner. Her appetite had been nowhere to be found since before the Captain's conference. As if that ordeal was not harrowing enough, tomorrow they would be going to Asakusa. She would have to confront one of her past demons head on. At least the other had not yet found out about her and Shinra so Hibana's wrath lay dormant at the moment.

She stabbed a piece of the honey glazed salmon and shoved it in her mouth. It was her favorite. Hinawa had cooked which meant the food would be delicious. The man went a step further to make her favorite dish to entice her to eat. She adored his undercover kindness. The least she could do was eat the food he prepared with such caring intent.

Thankfully the noise around her overshadowed her own reticence and no one asked her uncomfortable questions. She did not want to discuss what was wrong or what was on her mind or anything about what she was feeling.

Shinra and Arthur were fighting over the last soup dumpling. Maki and Tamaki were eating dessert and discussing the latest episode of their daily drama they faithfully watched. Iris was making tea for everyone. Captain Obi and Lieutenant Hinawa were talking about travel plans for tomorrow.

"Phoenix, did you contact Captain Shinmon?" Captain Obi asked her, invading her obsessive thoughts.

"I did, Sir," she replied. "I mailed a letter. I sent a telegram. I called. Twice. I even contacted a few of the shop owners whose names I remembered in hopes they would get a message to him. No response. And you will never get one, Sir. The best thing to do is to proceed as we planned from the beginning and just show up. Although he will tell us to go away, it will be more difficult for him to tell us to fuck off in person, Captain."

"You have the face of an angel and the mouth of a demon," Obi muttered.

"Sorry, Sir. Old habits die hard as you know," she retorted, using his own words against him.

"Did you learn to talk like that from Shinmon?" he asked. It was not a rhetorical question. "Did you learn how to use people's words against them from Hibana? I hope I can teach you better things as a Captain."

"I've always been a trash mouthed, smart ass, Sir. I wasn't a particularly nice person, especially when I was younger. Being able to remember everything and use people's own words as weapons against them comes by virtue of being a woman," she stated matter of factly, shoving a forkful of the fish into her mouth.

"Shinra, I don't think you fully understand what you've gotten yourself into," Obi warned him far too late.

"Captain Obi, you've taught me kindness and compassion. You've helped me learn how to truly feel something. Because of you, I have found sympathy, pity, and mercy for the Infernals," she said with heartfelt emotion.

Sliding from her barstool, Phoenix bowed to her new Captain who she held in the highest esteem; far above her others due the valuable lessons of the heart he has taught her in such a short time. She bowed deeply to him, not only to show respect but also to hide her tears.

Her face flushed with embarrassment as well because she had not meant to launch into such an emotional speech, displaying her thoughts and feelings for everyone to see and hear. She feared she might have caused him humiliation as well from the unexpected expression of her gratitude.

Standing up straight, she focused her tear blurred vision on her Captain. He sat gaping at her, a blush high on his cheeks under his eyes. She did not have the nerve to glimpse at the faces of her fellow members of the Eighth to see their expressions. Big, fat tears laced with her many emotions rolled down her cheeks.

"So thank you, Captain Obi...thank you everyone...and I'll do my best to make you proud. To make all of you proud," she added, her voice hitching at the end.

Biting the inside of her cheek, drawing blood in her resolve not to allow the sob to escape her because it was too late to withhold her tears. Swiping at the steadily pouring with the back of her hand, feeling more self-conscious by the second as the stunned silence grew and expanded like a balloon, she wanted to run away and hide.

"I'm sorry," she apologized bowing again. "I didn't mean to ruin everyone's dinner with my little outburst."

Iris came to her, hugging her.

"You didn't ruin anything," Iris assured her, holding onto her in the embrace. "Thank you for those amazing words. I'm glad we could make such a difference in your life."

Phoenix found relief from her humiliation in the small and extremely thoughtful girl's arms and soothing words.

"Uhm...well...ah..." Captain Obi floundered, not knowing what to say.

Hinawa stepped in to save the Captain from drowning in the sea of unease that Phoenix had accidentally created. Although the sentiment was sweet, she had caught all of them incredibly off guard particularly the Captain.

"Thanks, Phoenix. We're glad you feel that way," he said, standing up to gather the empty dishes from the table. "Are you done eating?"

"Yes, Lieutenant," she replied, exhaling an audible sigh as if she had been holding her breath the entire time.

Everyone took that as a cue to breathe again.

"May I be excused?" she requested. "I think...I think I need a minute to...you know...a minute to gather myself."

"Sure. Go ahead," Obi said, permitting her to leave without assisting with any of the after dinner clean up.

After she swiftly exited the room, Shinra stood up to go after her.

"Don't," Obi said sternly. The single word hung in the air like an ominous threat despite him having spoken it without raising his voice.

"But, Sir, I - "

"She said she needed a minute. Allow her to have it, Shinra. Give her about a half an hour. Then go to her," he suggested.

"Are you sure?" the bumfuzzled boyfriend asked.

"I don't understand a lot about women," Obi admitted. "But when says she needs a minute, she really does need that time. If you went to her now, I think it would only end up in an argument that shouldn't happen."

"Yes, Sir," Shinra returned, choosing to take the advice of his Captain.

~\'/~


Phoenix was lying on her bed, curled into a fetal position with her pillow clutched to her chest. She had dried her tears and lay in the blessedly numbness of the exhausted aftermath. Too emotionally overwhelmed to feel, too tired to think, she stared at the vast blankness of the white wall straight ahead of her.

Tap, tap, tap. Her heart galloped. She ignored the sound, blinking slowly to refresh her burning eyeballs. She hated crying. The salty tears made her eyes sting and wore her out physically.

She could not ignore the pounding of her pulse in her ears. Closing her eyes, she listened to the drumbeat sound. She focused on the vibrations rumbling through her body. The pulsing made her feel like she was trembling from head to toe or as if a mild earthquake rattled her.

Knock, knock, knock. A distinct rapping of knuckles. Insistent, loud, relaying the worry of the person on the other side of her door. Her heart sped up because his anxiety was sinking into her and becoming her own causing her to break into a cold sweat.

"Come in," she called reluctantly, sitting up on the bed.

"Hey," Shinra greeted her, walking into the room.

"Hey," she rejoined with a sigh, folding her legs into a cross legged position and placing her back against the wall.

Shinra clambered onto the bed, kicking off his flip flops as he went. He sat beside her in the same exact position. He gave her the frosty cold bottle of water he held in his hands.

"Here. I thought you might need this," he said sweetly,

"Thank you," she replied with the sincerest of gratitude. She felt like a sponge drying in the sun.

"Phoenix, will you tell me how you became a part of the Seventh?" he asked her.

For a second, Phoenix was thoroughly confused. She blinked at him allowing his question to slowly filter through her jumbled thoughts until grasped it fully. She had expected him to ask her about her present emotional state. She was thankful he did not.

"It was stupid really how the whole thing happened," she confessed, picking at the label on the bottle. "Me and two of my friends were about to start our freshman year in university. We wanted to have one last big party. We heard about Asakusa from some frat guys on move in day. They said it was a party town. It was like a festival every day there. They were partly right. We just didn't know the party was a big send off, a funeral of sorts for a resident who became an Infernal."

Phoenix paused, taking in a deep shaky breath. She relayed how she and her friends met the guys at the train station, and they were off to Asakusa. She continued to tell him the story of how they arrived there and began hitting the restaurants and bars, flashing their fake IDs and indulging in a drinking binge to end all binges.

They were kicked out of the fourth bar and their IDs seized. The party was over. Besides, there was not much going on anyway. They could have stayed home and visited bars. Those guys had lied to get a date, then left them alone when things did not work as they had hoped.

The three girls, furious and drunk, were stumbling down the sidewalk toward the train. One of the girls, her best friend from high school, suddenly screamed in pain and fell to her knees. As Phoenix and their other friend held her, doing their best to comfort her and figure out what was wrong, the girl burst into flames. Not being a pyrokinetic, the other girl caught on fire as well.

All her life Phoenix had made it it point to purposely seek out friends who did not possess pyrokinesis. She always hid her abilities from others, ashamed of them and hating herself since she believed she was to blame for her mother's death. She would no longer be able to hide them today.

Not knowing what else to do, Phoenix extended her flaming wings and wrapped them around the two girls to prevent anyone else from catching on fire or the nearby shop from going up in flames. She enclosed them tightly, squeezing them to snuff out the flames, literally fighting fire with fire. Unable to endure their screams, convinced help was not coming, she turned some of her feathers inward like spikes: the Fiery Iron Maiden. She killed her friends to put them out of their misery.

"Benimaru Shinmon was the first person I saw after it was over," she said. "He picked me up off the ground. He took care of me despite my being a trouble-making outsider. He kept telling me that I had done what I needed to do to save my friends. He assured me I wasn't a murderer. I didn't tell him about my mother. He tried to convince me I had done the most merciful thing possible. He said he would help me. He asked me to join them. And that was that."

"So that's why you decided not to go to university?" Shinra asked, threading his fingers through hers that lay limply against her thigh.

"I never really wanted to go. I was going to please my aunt and uncle. I owed them after all. They had raised me, taken me in after my mom died when they could have just let me be sent to an orphanage," she explained.

"Yeah. I understand. None of my family members wanted me. They blamed me for my mother and brother's death," he said sadly. "I was a demon incarnate to them."

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, squeezing his hand that held hers. "You were just a child. A scared child who had just lost his family. That was so wrong...what they did to you."

"I guess it's okay. I might not be here now if things had been different," he mumbled thoughtfully.

"I suppose everything happens for a reason. Obviously fate had other plans for me despite those of my aunt and uncle...and my own. Another major turn in my life came when Hibana showed up. I had always wondered what exactly happened to my mother. I wanted to know everything. That's why it was so easy for Captain Hibana to sway me to leave the Seventh. Beni never forgave me. None of them did. And I don't deserve it."

"Is that why you don't want to go?"

"I'm afraid my being there might jeopardize things. I don't want to ruin whatever chance Captain Obi might have of getting through to Beni. He hates outsiders, and he especially hate fire soldiers from other companies. He calls them imperial lap dogs. He hates them all."

"Captain Obi believes you'll be helpful since you have a connection with Captain Shinmon."

"I destroyed whatever tenuous bond I had with him by forsaking him to go with Hibana. He hated me twice as much for betraying him because he knew she had ties with Haijima," she said, turning to meet his intent gaze. "Shinra, I - "

Shinra placed his thumb across her lips to keep her from speaking. Using the pad of his thumb, he traced her lips, his eyes following the path of the movement. Then his fingers cupped her jaw, his thumb laying across her cheek as he pulled her forward to press his mouth to hers.

"Don't worry. Everything will be fine. Everything happens for a reason," he reminded her.

"I have to believe that. But sometimes..." She sighed noisily. "Sometimes it just sounds silly, childish. Like wishing upon a star."

"If all of the events in your life had not led you here, brought you to Company Eight, and steered you to this moment, I wouldn't be here with you now," he said.

"It makes total sense when you put it that way. In that case, I wouldn't change a thing," she murmured, leaning into him to kiss him again.

The vehement clearing of a throat caused them to jump apart. Two amorous teenagers caught in the act by their disapproving father figure who stood in the doorway, filling the entire frame. An imposing angry man, whose eyebrows and corners of his mouth twitched as he struggled to restrain his anger.

"Shinra," he growled in that distinct 'get your damn hands off my daughter' fatherly tone.

"I was just leaving, Sir," he announced, scooting off the bed and hurrying to the door.

Obi turned to the side to allow the young man on the verge of panic to escape. Then he turned back to corral her inside with no where to run.

"Are you ready for tomorrow?" he asked her.

"Yes, sir," she returned quietly. "Shinra and I had a nice chat."

"I could see that," he interjected, his eyebrow twitching again.

"He convinced me to go...that it was the right thing to do," she quickly rushed on, disregarding the implication of his remark. "However, I must say that you overestimate my influence with Shinmon and underestimate your own charm."

"I seriously underestimated your gift of kissing my ass," he stated abruptly. "I almost miss the days when you were quiet and didn't say much. I don't know if I like knowing exactly what you're thinking all of the time."

Phoenix chuckled lightly which made him smile.

"By the way, thanks for that earlier. It means a lot. I'm happy you're a part of our team," he said.

"I'll do my best to get through to Captain Shinmon," she promised.

"Good. Glad to hear it."

"Although, honestly, I don't know how much help I will be."

"Stop that," he chastised her gently, turning his back to leave. "Good night, Duchess."

"Good night, Captain Obi," she returned, shuffling to the side of the bed as he closed her door.

As she prepared to take off her shirt to change into her pajamas, Phoenix noticed Shinra's shoes on the floor. She could wait to return to them tomorrow, but why wait? She had not bid him a proper good night.

Lowering her shirt back into place, she snatched up the flip flops and headed to his room. Rather than knocking she resorted to her old stealth tactics. Pressing her ear to the door, she heard the soft sounds of snoring. Grasping the knob, she slowly twisted it and pushed, letting herself into the room.

The snoring was much louder when she entered the room and seemed to be coming from Arthur's bunk on the bottom. He lay flat on his back, arms and legs splayed to the four corners of the mattress, his mouth wide open and drooling. Was he seriously wearing a sleep cap with a little fluffy ball on the end?

Shaking her head and smiling broadly as not to laugh out loud, she dropped the shoes on the floor and proceeded to climb the ladder to Shinra's bunk. His back covered in a black t-shirt was turned toward the ladder. Since he was facing the wall, she could not tell if he was awake or asleep. Extending her trembling fingers, she touched his shoulder.

"The Captain will kill us both if he finds you in here," he whispered.

"At least we'll die together," she said, crawling into the bunk to lay down next to him.

"Are you crazy?" he asked in a loud whisper, rolling over to face her.

"You have to ask?" she retorted, laying her head on the pillow beside his, coming nose to nose with him.

"You're right. Why ask a question when I already know the answer?"

He cupped her shoulder in his palm, his fingers extending across her back.

"Give me a kiss, and I'll go," she said, nuzzling his nose with hers.

Shinra tilted his chin upward, his lips brushing across hers. He grunted when she pressed her lips tightly to his, refusing to settle for a mere graze of the lips. His fingers pressed into her skin, his short fingernails scraping her bare back lightly along the edge of her shirt.

"I should go," she mumbled against his lips.

"Then leave," he mumbled back, never lifting his lips from hers.

Phoenix whimpered when the tip of his tongue ran across her bottom lip. Her moan entered his slightly open mouth as his tongue slid between her lips. His fingers clutched her shoulder harder, pulling her closer.

Although it was the last thing she wanted to do at the moment, she turned her head, tearing her mouth away from his. She pressed her forehead to his lips to prevent him from capturing her in another breath stealing kiss. Her breaths came in ragged inhales as her fingers grasped fistfuls of his shirt.

"Shinra," she breathed, searching for her will to move. "I need to go."

His lips pressed a kiss to her forehead, her cheeks, her chin, strategically avoiding her lips. His lips pressed to the hollow of her throat then the side of her neck.

"Please," she begged. "You're making me not want to go."

"Fine," he murmured, lifting his lips from the artery throbbing under skin. "Just let me hold you for a minute."

Phoenix cuddled up to Shinra, tucking her head under his chin. As always, she found comfort in his arms. His steady heartbeat soothed her like nothing else. Her eyes grew heavy, blinking slowly until they no longer opened because she fell asleep.

~\'/~


Phoenix awakened encapsulated in warmth and strong arms. She sighed, luxuriating in the soothing sensation of being loved and protected. Then she remembered where she had fallen asleep. Her eyes flew open, and she sat upright, ripping herself out of his arms.

"Oh, shit," Shinra hissed when he suddenly became aware of their tricky predicament.

"Yeah," she agreed, foregoing the stairs to jump from the top bunk to the floor. "We're in it deep."

She went to the door, opening it a crack to peek out into the hall. All clear. So far, luck was on their side.

"Gotta go," she announced in a low voice, opening the door just wide enough to slide her body through.

Taking the time to carefully close the door behind her, she made her way down the hall doing her best to walk normally without acting guilty or suspicious. She used to be sneaky for a living, but now she was horrible at being underhanded and covert. These people had really done a number on her.

"Where are you coming from?" Lieutenant Hinawa asked from behind her.

Phoenix froze in her tracks. She did not move or say a word as her mind swiftly kicked into gear, desperately attempting to formulate a believable lie. She also sucked at lying as of late, finding it difficult to tell any one of them an untruth.

'Where are you coming from?' That was an odd question to ask rather than inquiring where she was going. Considering the wording, she realized he knew exactly where she was coming from.

Turning slowly to face her superior, she inhaled a deep breath in order to tell the truth. As she expected, he stood there, arms crossed and an expression of reproach on his always stern and unsmiling face.

"Shinra left his shoes in my room last night. I returned them, told him goodnight, and well...I accidentally fell asleep in his bed," she said.

An eyebrow raised over one of his unwavering brown eyes that glared at her. "That must have been some goodnight."

"Nothing happened, Sir. Besides, Arthur was in the room the entire time. To do anything like that would have just been weird and gross, Lieutenant," she added, her face twisting into an expression of disgust.

"Finish packing and get ready," he ordered her without moving. "We will be leaving after breakfast."

"Yes, Sir," she replied, saluting him.

Phoenix rotated on her foot, issuing a sigh of relief.

"Oh, and by the way..." Hinawa called to her.

"Oh, no," she murmured, standing still but not turning back around to face him.

"Don't do that again. Some things can wait. I know the feelings you two have for each other, but you will continue to conduct yourselves professionally without allowing your emotions to carry you away."

His words carried the tone of a warning and a command. To keep Shinra and herself out of trouble in the future, she would heed those words.

"Yes, Sir," she replied with a loud exhale of relief.

Phoenix couldn't believe that was her entire reprimand. This truth thing wasn't so terrible after all. Time to get ready. Soon she will facing another painful part of her past; a part she needs to deal with before moving on to her future.

~\'/~


The entirety of Company Eight stood outside the open shoji door of the plain brown wooden building that served as the headquarters of Company Seven and the living quarters as well. Royal blue noren curtains bearing the symbol for the number seven in Kanji covered the doorway allowing the voices of the people inside to be heard while blocking them from view.

"Company Eight has sent us several requests for a meeting. Shouldn't I respond to them?" Konro asked.

"No," Benimaru returned quickly and curtly.

"The Captain of the Eighth said something about wanting to search our jurisdiction. He mentioned the Evangelist. You know, the leader of that mysterious cult they talked about at the Captain's conference," his second in command reminded him.

"Not interested. It has nothing to do with us. Don't reply. Just ignore them," he said.

Obi pushed aside the curtain to reveal their presence.

"Too bad we're already here since you didn't respond in a more timely manner," Obi proclaimed.

The members of Company Eight filed into the room, standing in a line in front of Benimaru and Konro. Phoenix stood behind Obi as she often liked to do to hide her presence from someone she did not want to see. Shinra stood beside him, casting her questioning side eye, wondering what the hell she thought she was doing.

Exhaling noisily like a grumpy old man, Benimaru Shinmon plopped down on the platform behind him.

"You've got a hell of a lot of nerve busting in where you're not welcome. You should leave." The statement was not a suggestion but rather a lazy order given by a man who did not like confrontation because it took too much effort.

"Well, we tried the formal route but since obviously you don't care for formality we decided to just show up. Won't you just hear me out?" the Captain of the Eighth persisted.

"Say what you've got to say and then get out. You should know I couldn't care less about this investigation of yours, and it has nothing to do with us. I don't like the idea of you poking around in my territory. I won't allow you to disturb my peace and the peace of others here," Benimaru warned him without issuing an actual threat.

"The Evangelist has been creating Infernals through artificial means. And yes this will have everything to do with you. We believe the White Clads will be coming here next," Obi informed him.

"Fine. You've said your piece now get the hell out," Benimaru ordered him.

"The White Clads don't care that you have no allegiance to the Empire. It doesn't matter to them you choose to stay out of the affairs of the others. They have their own agenda they are furthering it not caring about the casualties or senseless loss of life in their wake. I can assure you they will be coming to you and attacking your people next," Obi warned him, hoping his pleas would get through that laissez faire attitude and thick skull of Shinmon's.

"I don't know anything about Artificial Infernals. I've never seen one of these so called White Clads. Pardon me for being skeptical, but I only believe what I can see especially when it comes to dealings with the Toykyo empire. Leave," he snapped, standing up and turning his back on them to signal he was done with the conversation.

"You're the strongest fire soldier there is right?" challenged Shinra. "At least that's what I've heard. However, I'm not sure I believe it because you're acting like a coward by not only turning your backs on us but your people as well."

"Listen here, you little shit," Benimaru said without turning around. "I have absolutely no reason to believe you."

"I've seen it with my own eyes. It's real, and it's happening. People are being murdered by being purposely turned into Infernals. Innocent people are dying, and it needs to stop!" he yelled.

"I'm not interested in your hallucinations, kid. I don't care if you blindly believe your captain's every word and follow orders like a damn trained dog," he muttered, casting a bored glimpse over his shoulder at Shinra. "That makes me sick."

"You make me sick you damned lazy, skeptical bastard who refuses to do anything to protect the people he supposedly cares so much about," the irate rookie growled.

Obi never uttered a word to admonish his subordinate. Shinra only spoke the truth and with passion as he always did.

"You make me so angry I want to kick your ass you useless piece of shit," he continued in snarl.

That brazenness, that fearless attitude and rough mouth got Beni's attention. He slowly rotated to face the young man calling him out.

""Fires and fistfights are the flowers of Edo," huh?" remarked the man, leveling his jaded, impassive tic-tac-toe eyes on Shinra. "Are you done? If so, go."

"Shinmon, won't you just - " Obi began.

A tiny black haired girl with a large yellow bow in her hair popped up over Benimaru's right shoulder.

"Leave you, big gorilla," she reiterated adding her own rude sentiment, flinging her arms around her Captain's neck to hang on to him.

A second girl, the twin and mirror image of the first, appeared behind Beni's left shoulder, draping her arms around his neck as well.

"We don't want you here. Leave and take that traitor with you," the second girl ordered them as if she were in charge not the man she clung to like a burr on his backside.

"Traitor?" Obi pondered aloud.

"She means me," Phoenix proclaimed to clear up the confusion.

She reluctantly moved around Obi's big body to be seen. She stood in front of Benimaru, the man she had avoided for well over a year and thought she would never see again. Her eyes made contact with the large golden eyes of the little girl hanging on Beni's shoulder who had called her a traitor.

"Hello, Hinata," she greeted her before she turned her attention to the other girl. "Hello, Hikage. I've missed you both too."

No one could mistake her biting sarcasm as a pleasant greeting. Benimaru folded his arms across his chest as a physical show of his opposition of her very existence. His X and O pupils centered on her face. Anger seeped into his typically emotionless eyes. Anger directed at the woman standing in front of him.

"Why are you here?" he demanded.

"As a member of Company Eight - "

"So you've completely sold out? Officially become an imperial dog? When did you become so damn submissive?" he asked, his voice sharp as a knife and cutting her deeply as he intended.

Phoenix visibly winced at that word. Rather than backing down from him, she straightened her spine, lifted her chin high, and squared her shoulders. Her eyes met his with the resolve not to buckle under his withering gaze.

"We are neither loyal to the Empire nor to Haijima. We are like you. Fighting for the people, trying to protect them, trying to make this stop. We just want - " she attempted to explain.

"What do you want, Fire Bird? Have you figured it out yet? Have you decided what you want to be when you grow up?" Benimaru Shinmon questioned her, his tone still harsh and biting. "Are you going to betray this Captain too?" Switching his gaze to Akitaru Obi, he said, "You better watch your back for the knife this one will surely stab into it someday."

"Beni, if you would have let me explain. I never betrayed you. You might have understood my reasons for leaving. If you had talked to me - "

"We had nothing to talk about then. and we damn sure have nothing to discuss now.," he interrupted, cutting her off again. He would not allow to complete a single thought. "All of you, leave. Before I make you leave."

"No," Phoenix said in a strong voice without yelling. The impact of that single word spoken with pigheaded determination was like a fist slamming into his nose.

Benimaru violently flinched, accidentally shaking off the small girls clinging to his shoulders.

"Whoa!" the twins exclaimed, sliding from his neck after losing their grip.

Phoenix had never told him no - about anything. She had always been so eager to please him, to garner his attention, she fulfilled his every request without hesitation or question.

"How dare you speak to me about being submissive or being an imperial dog when you ordered me around like a damn mutt. I think you enjoyed it, you bastard. You knew I felt like I owed you because you took me in and gave me a home, a sense of purpose, when I lost mine. You took advantage of the fact I was scared and lost after that incident. You bitch and whine about the Empire using people and making them mindless animals. What the fuck did you try to do to me?" she asked.

Benimaru Shinmon glared hotly at her as if trying to melt her face off. Everyone halfway expected him to turn Infernal from his apparent rage. His long arm shut out, taking hold of her arm to drag her into the next room.

"What the hell?" Shinra growled, lunging toward the room they disappeared into.

The tall, wide shouldered man who served as Benimaru's second in command stepped in front of him, using his body and arms to physically bar his advance into that room.

"She'll be fine. He won't hurt her," Konro assured him. "Allow them to have privacy to talk. This is a talk that has been a long time coming. One Waka should have had with her before she left."

"Fine," he muttered, backing down to pace the room nervously instead.

Meanwhile, in the other room, Benimaru Shinmon and Phoenix stared each other down in contest of wills. Both waited for the other to speak. When neither refused to give up their stubborn silence, Phoenix stepped forward and slapped the hell out of her former Captain and boyfriend.

"What the fuck was that for?" he growled through gritted teeth.

Phoenix watched as a bright red hand print appeared on his lightly tanned cheek.

"You stubborn asshole, just shut up and listen. Don't interrupt me again," she growled. "The reason I left to go with Hibana was to find out more about my mother. I had her diary but it was a like a riddle or a puzzle with missing pieces. I needed more information to see the complete picture. Hibana gave me some of those answers. The first real answers about what happened to my mother. And I wanted more. Needed more."

"You always have been a voraciously selfish bitch," he accused, raising his hand to rub his throbbing cheek.

"Ugh," she groaned, rolling her eyes in response.

She found no reason to try to argue with him, to defend herself and refute his blunt but truthful assessment. Yes, she had always been demanding and selfish, especially back then when they first met. Back then she was accustomed to being by herself, looking out for number one after losing her mother and being raised as an only child by relatives who did their best to handle an angry, confused, rebellious girl.

"I should have at least listened to your reason for leaving," he mumbled, sitting down on one of the cushions at the low table in the room.

That would be the closest thing to an apology she would get from him. She would take it.

"You don't have to do a damn thing to help us with the investigation. Will you at least consider allowing us to conduct our investigation?" she boldly requested. "Once again, I need answers, Beni."

"I'll think about it," he mumbled, making his distaste of the idea known. "But I'm not saying I will allow it. I'm not agreeing to anything. I never wanted to be an official Special Fire Company. I was forced into by being too damn good at what I do."

"Humble much?" she retorted, narrowing her eyes at him. "Just because we pretend to play by the rules doesn't mean we're actually stupidly and blindly believing every load of crap that comes down the pike from the powers that be."

"Pretending? Lying? I'm assuming that's something you learned from that shady, masochistic bitch who stole you away," he muttered, raising his eyes to meet hers.

Phoenix's smile broadened, giving her a decidedly menacing appearance.

"I have learned lots of things from all of my captains," she said.

"Are you in love with this one too?" he asked her with a disconcerting straightforwardness.

"I was never in love with Hibana. She's not my type," she retorted, redirecting the question in a manner he did not anticipate.

"Hmph," he snorted, his glower becoming less severe but definitely not transforming into a smile.

"Are we good?"

"For now."

"Can I send Captain Obi in to talk to you?"

"Fine," he sighed, giving up.

Phoenix went to the next room with a triumphant smile on her face to give her present Captain the good news.

"What's up, bird brain?" Hikage chirped.

"Ha ha ha! Bird brain, bird brain!" Hinata chanted, skipping a circle around Phoenix.

"You leave our Waka alone!" the first girl yelled at her. "Go away!"

"You should go. Waka hates you anyway," her twin chimed in next.

Phoenix rolled her eyes and pushed Hinata aside with a hand over her face to approach Captain Obi.

"Hey!" she screamed by being literally brushed aside.

"Captain Shinmon is waiting for you in the next room. He would like to speak with you," she told him.

"Good job," Obi said in a low voice meant to be heard only by her. He lay his heavy hand on her shoulder giving it an encouraging squeeze before moving past her to enter the next room.

"I'll bring in some sake. Hopefully having a few drinks will put him in a better mood," Konro said, walking toward the kitchen.

"Good idea. Want some help?" Phoenix asked him.

"Sure," he answered with a smile. "Come on."

Absolutely nothing had changed in the sparse but always functional kitchen. Phoenix went to the cabinet to take down the sake serving bottles and glasses while Konro took the bottles of sake out of the cabinet. After he opened the bottles, she assisted him with pouring the contents into the serving decanters and placing everything on a tray.

"It's good seeing you again," he said.

"You're the only one who thinks so," she shot back a bit more forcefully than she meant. "But then again, you've always been an incredibly nice guy, Konro. I thought about talking to you before I left, but I didn't want to place that burden on you."

"I wish you had. I could have talked to Waka," he said, picking up the tray.

"It wasn't your place. I wouldn't have put you in that position. Besides, would it have done any good?"

"Mmm, probably not."

"I'll begin making tea for the others," she offered, picking up the kettle from the stove top to fill it with water.

"Thanks," he rejoined, slipping past the curtain through the doorway that attached to the dining room where Beni was already sitting at the low table.

After placing the copper whistling tea kettle on the burner, Phoenix leaned against the counter. She felt drained and tired suddenly. All these damn feelings had entered her life, and it took a lot more energy to maintain her composure.

The emotions of regret and sorrow had hit her like a freight train when she had looked into Benimaru's eyes. She wished things had ended differently with Company Seven, and with Benimaru, but there was no doubt in her mind they would have ended regardless.

At least Konro had forgiven her, although he did not understand everything because she had not discussed the matter with him. The girls still hated her obviously. Their love and loyalty for Benimaru transcended everything. Beni would never understand or forgive her even after hearing her reasons - if he ever listened. Good thing she had not come here seeking understanding or forgiveness from him.

"Phoenix?" Shinra called, entering the kitchen behind her. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?' she asked him, opening the cabinet door to reveal tea cups and china tea pots.

"I don't know. You're dealing with a lot from the past today and - "

"The past is the past," she cut him off. "I'm fine."

"You're full of shit is what you are," he snapped. "Why can't you just admit how you really feel?"

"You're on a roll today aren't you? Because sometimes what I feel is too much, Shinra. Sometimes I just don't want to admit it to myself because that means I have to process those emotions and I don't want to...not right now," she said, slamming the cups down on a tray.

"Shinra! Get in here!" Obi commanded him from the other room.

"Go. Our Captain calls."

"This discussion isn't over."

"Shinra," she said, reaching out to seize his hand before he turned to walk away.

"What?" he snapped, annoyed and frustrated with her.

Phoenix threw arms around his neck, squeezing him tightly.

"I love you. I want you know what I'm going through at this moment has nothing to do with any lingering feelings for Beni. There are none. It was a silly, stupid girl's crush and an obsession. I've just got a lot going on emotionally...a lot I don't understand. But you...you're the one thing I'm sure of in my life. I love you," she repeated, giving him a brief kiss square on the lips. "Everything else is just...complicated."

"I know. I understand." He smiled, stealing another kiss. "Don't forget I love you too."

Phoenix measured tea into two different teapots while she waited for the water to boil. Leaning against the wall, she closed her eyes and concentrated on listening for the sound of boiling before the kettle let out its ear piercing whistle. She did not want to hear the conversation next door and had absolutely no desire to be in direct attendance.

She thought about the story Konro had told her of how the Captain of Company Four, Soichiro Arg, declared the independent brigade pf Asakusa a Special Fire Force Company against Benimaru's wishes. Poor Konro, horribly injured in his desire to protect Beni, had to convince the reluctant man to step up and be the captain he knew he could be.

Despite being an official company, Beni refused to follow the rules, ignoring superior's orders including those of the Emperer himself. He continued to do things the same way he always did - HIS way.

Around that same time, the stories began to spread of the wild parties, the impromptu festivals, in Asakusa. Only after the tragedy with her friends did Phoenix learn those festivals were actually how they dealt with the people who became Infernals here.

The clanging of the warning bell penetrated the air destroying the tense peace that had settled into the atmosphere.

"Fire! Fire!" a man yelled, sounding the alarm.

"This is your fault," Konro accused his Captain because Benimaru had just been telling their guests how long it been since an Infernal incident had occurred. "You jinxed us, Waka."

"Dammit," Beni grumbled irritably, standing to his feet.

"Is it an Infernal?" Maki asked, genuinely concerned.

"Yeah. It's always an Infernal," he returned, pushing aside the curtain in preparation to walk into the street. "I want Company Eight gone by the time I get back."

Every single member of Company Eight ignored him, walking out into the street. Phoenix turned off the stove and joined everyone.

"Who is it?" Benimaru asked one of his men standing on the street holding a matoi.

The matoi: a throwback to the Edo period when a firefighter would use the flag to signal his colleagues which building was on fire. They would stand on the roof of the affected structure waving the mop like white flag until their fellow firefighters appeared to assist. Beni definitely had his own way of doing things.

"It's Kantaro," the brigade member holding a matoi informed him.

"Shit. He just asked me to have a drink with him. I never even got a chance to take him up on the offer," Beni lamented with a mournful sigh. He extended his hand toward the wooden handle of the matoi. "Give me that."

"Yes, Sir," the man responded, quickly handing over the flag.

"Kantaro has become Infernal! He loves a good festival so come on everyone!" Beni hollered to stir up his men. "Let the festival begin!"

In response, the fire soldiers of his company in the area started yelling "Seiya! Soiya!," raising their matoi and spinning them to send the strips of fabric splaying out into the air forming a shape reminiscent of an umbrella. Beni rotated the flag in his hand, then twirled it as if performing a ceremonial dance at a festival.

Phoenix had forgotten how beautiful he was when doing this. His movements were practiced, fluid, perfect like those of a seasoned festival dancer. She held her breath as she watched his every move performing the 'dance' to send of his friend Kantaro in style.

Benimaru drew back his arm, leaning back along with it to gather as much strength as he could before throwing the flag like a spear. After propelling the flag away from him, he ignited it.

"What's happening?' Shinra asked Phoenix.

"Buckle up, Buttercup, it's gonna be a wild ride," she warned him, her eyes following the trajectory of the burning matoi.

"Oh, Phoenix! You're back! We missed you," a woman said.

Shinra looked down at the small old woman standing beside him. He had been unaware of her presence until she spoke.

"Thank you, ma'am," she returned. "Do you still make your delicious daifuku?"

"Of course, dear. Just gave Benimaru a big batch this morning," she said.

The burning flag plowed through several buildings causing them to explode into splinters as it crashed through them. The men of Fire Company Seven cheered at the top of their lungs.

Benimaru grabbed another matoi, He twirled it like a baton, ignited it, then launched himself with it go three streets over to where Kantaro was located.

"Let the festival begin," she repeated, extending her wings with an audible whoosh of fire.

"Damn...I didn't know he could fly," exhaled Arthur, marveling at the ability of the slacker Captain of Company Seven.

Konro began a explaining about Benimaru's unique abilities.

"Gotta go," Phoenix said, taking off with a forceful downward push of her wings.

"Waka! Waka! Waka!" the men cheered, twirling their matoi then throwing them after their Captain who set them ablaze.

"There you are you old fart!" Benimaru proclaimed when he spotted the Infernal a few streets over.

Benimaru took control of the matoi sailing through the air around him. He directed them like javelins into the buildings in front of the Infernal that only a few minutes ago was a friend. The buildings erupted in flames after a boom that shook the ground.

"This is how he deals with an Infernal? He's destroying the place. And his men are helping him. Why are they so happy? How can they be throwing a damn party like it's something to celebrate?" Shinra inquired, genuinely baffled by the behavior.

"Kantaro is already dead. We're simply celebrating his life as he transitions into death. We can rebuild the houses, rebuild our lives, but we can't save Kantaro. He's dead and there's nothing we can do. This is our way of honoring him. You have your prayers and your rituals that give you comfort you're giving the tortured souls rest. This is our way of doing the same," the kind lady explained. "One way is not necessarily better than the other. One is not right and the other wrong. They're just different. You say good-bye your way. This is the Asakusa way, young man."

"I see," Shinra mumbled, staring at the Captain of the Seventh as he shot down toward the street disappearing out of sight.

"Young man, do you mind taking me over there?" the woman requested politely. "I want to see my good friend Kantaro one last time as he is put to rest."

"Sure thing, Granny," he said, squatting down so she could climb onto his back. "Here we go."

Phoenix stood on the edge of the roof of house that wasn't completely destroyed to observe the scene below. She folded her wings but did not extinguish them. Shinra landed on the roof not too far away from her, but much further back from the edge to allow for a safe place for the old woman to stand.

"Kantaro! Look at the mess you made!" Benimaru chastised him with mock anger.

The Infernal roared furiously but made no move to attack Beni.

"How dare you make such a scene! You're too damn old to be raising hell like this!"

A person who didn't know him better would think the Fire Company Captain was callous and uncaring by saying such callous things. Tears sprang to corners of Phoenix's eyes. She knew this was killing him. His heart broke every time this happened to one of the people he knew, and he hid it well, never allowing the others to see. One time she saw - the one and only time he let down his guard in front of her.

She caught Beni crying after they had put to rest a man who had been a friend since middle school and was one of his subordinates since before becoming and official Fire Force Company. Seeing the tears in his eyes scared the hell out of her. He threatened to kill her if she told anyone. Immediately after issuing the threat, he allowed her to hold him, to cradle his head in her hands and speak soft words of comfort to him.

It was the one and only time she ever saw Benimaru Shinmon express any genuine emotion. To this day she never breathed a word of his secret and never would. She had no doubt he would make good on his threat. No one would believe her if she told them about the incident anyway so his secret was safe with her.

"You always did like being the center of attention, old geezer! Even now you're making a terrible spectacle of yourself! It's damned embarrassing!" Benimaru yelled as he walked toward the Infernal who refused to move.

Phoenix silently observed the scene as he thrust his hand forward, fingers outstretched to pierce the chest and then the core of the Infernal to put an end him. The flames flared out violently before gradually dying down. The Infernal - Kantaro - was dying.

The old man, still holding a small presence in the Infernal, rested his hand on Benimaru's shoulder as if to comfort him, to thank him and assure him everything was okay. He was okay because the reluctant Captain of Company Seven he did what he needed to do by putting him out of his misery and sending him out in a befittingly ostentatious manner.

"Thank you for being patient...for holding on...old friend," Benimaru added.

The Infernal grunted as if attempting to say something, but he could not form the words. The remaining low flames died away. The ashes momentarily held a vaguely human form. A hot wind blew from above dispelling the ashes into the air, scattering them to wind and making him fly away.

Shinra watched as Phoenix left her wings extended after softly flapping them to create the breeze in the otherwise eerily still air.

"Thank you, young man. Thank you for allowing me to see Kantaro's beautiful end," the little old lady told Shinra.

Before Beni could notice her, Phoenix turned and jettisoned herself off the roof to go back to the house. Returning to the kitchen, she flipped the knob to turn on the stove to boil the water and pretend nothing happened.

That's how Beni would want it after all. Putting an Infernal to rest was his job and it was just another day at work. No big deal. He wanted no accolades, no atta-boys, no pats on the back, and absolutely no sympathetic declarations.

No one knew how he felt. No one ever could. He didn't feel much and when he did, he hid those emotions. Her inability to read his emotions had always been one of their major relationship issues. His refusal to acknowledge those feelings that crept up on him when combined with someone who struggled to process her own created a mine field rife for misunderstanding and arguments and declaring imminent doom for the relationship.

Phoenix poured the hot water into the teapots then took the tray laden with cups to the table. She also took more bottles of sake from the cabinet to refill the decanters. Hearing them coming down the street, she returned to the kitchen.

Spotting a green cloth decorated with white markings, she untied it to see what was inside. Lifting the lid of the box, she was happy to see the soft white mounds of daifuku. Filling a plate with the confections that she knew would be filled with a sweet red bean paste, she took them to table while taking a bite of one she saved for herself.

"We don't need your help," Benimaru snapped testily, sweeping aside the curtain impatiently as he stomped into the room. "I didn't ask you for anything especially not your help in this matter. We take care of our own here."

"I'm offering. Please let us stay long enough to help you rebuild," Obi practically begged.

Oh, Captain, no!, she screamed internally. No, please, we can't stay!

"Sir, I don't think - " Phoenix tried to interject but Obi's ferocious glare shut her down fast.

"If I allow you to help, then I'll owe you something. That's how the Empire works. Nothing is for free. Nothing, absolutely nothing, comes without strings attached," Benimaru stated cynically, plopping down on the cushion at the head of the table.

The visibly annoyed man snatched one of the daifuku off of the plate and took a bite. His face collapsed with disgust.

"Ugh...it's too damn sweet," he complained but continued to eat the thing.

"Look, Captain Shinmon. We just want to help. What the hell is wrong with you?" Shinra snapped, speaking his mind.

"Who the hell are you, you skinny little pipsqueak?' the irritated man demanded daring to slide right into unbridled anger.

Phoenix took great offense to that insult on behalf of Shinra. She had seen Shinra with his shirt off. A lot of muscle was hidden under the over-sized clothes that hung on that long, gangly physique. Her patience had been brought to its end, and she was done with Benimaru Shinmon's disrespectful bullshit.

"Beni, please," Phoenix interrupted. "Let them help. The rebuilding will go much faster with them here. It will take only days instead of weeks. Take it as a show of respect and goodwill from one Fire Company Captain to another. You pride yourself on being different, so do we. We're not just another Imperial lap dog. You haven't cornered the market on doing things differently, of following your own rules, Benimaru Shinmon."

Beni glared at her but said nothing in return. The silence following seemed to suck all of the oxygen out of the room. The tension grew into a palpable presence like another person standing in the room glowering at all of them.

Phoenix would swear she could hear her knees rattling, knocking together as her anxiety shredded every nerve in her body. Damn Beni and his stubbornness anyway.

"Say something, Beni," she insisted impatiently. "Accept the offer or tell us to leave."

"You always were an impatient and demanding loudmouth," he muttered, pouring himself a glass of sake.

"Sit down, Akitaru Obi. Let's have a drink and talk," Benimaru exhaled noisily. "The rest of you can join as well. Even if I ask you leave, I doubt you would anyway."

~\./~


"You can stay in your room," Konro said as they started making sleeping arrangements for the members of the Eighth.

Phoenix could kick her own ass after going against her own desires and asking Beni to consider allowing them to stay to assist with the reconstruction of the buildings decimated during Kantaro's 'festival.'

"I can't believe the girls didn't take it over and throw everything away," she remarked as she and Konro climbed the stairs to the second floor.

"Actually, they're the ones who wanted to keep it like this in case you returned."

She found that difficult to believe. After sliding open the shoji screen, she gasped to find the room EXACTLY as she had left it that day. In a hurry to leave, to run, she had taken only a few important items. Hibana had promised to buy her an entirely new wardrobe so all of her clothes had been left behind. Her mother's diary, a few momentos and books, and a single change of clothing was all that she had taken with her.

The red scarf still lay over the small lamp which had always given the room a nice pink glow. The plants on her windowsill had been watered and cared for. They looked healthier than when she had lived her. Her bed was made; the patchwork comforter her aunt had given her covered it. Her favorite stuffed animal, a pink elephant, sat propped against her pillows.

"To look at you now, I never would have guessed you were once a soft and sweet country girl who loved pink," Konro said, looking her over in her all black outfit with the sexy backless shirt.

When he first met her, Phoenix was fresh out of high school; naive but cynical and mad at the world. She was s jeans and t-shirt kind of girl who never wore make up and wore her long hair in a ponytail. Her aunt and uncle owned a dairy farm. She was plain and simple in appearance; complex and confusing underneath.

"I can't believe...," she said, her voice trailing off as the flood of emotions clogged her throat.

The sight of her room being kept in museum quality condition brought tears to her eyes. They had wanted her to come back. Despite the harsh words, they loved her and missed her. Her heart ached in her chest. She choked back a sob and fought the tears that wanted to fall.

"What's wrong? Are you all right?" Konro asked, reaching out to lay his hand on her shoulder.

His face blurred in her vision as she looked at him. His darkly shadowed eyes made his face seem even more pale.

"I should be asking you that. How have you been?" she inquired, walking to the window to open it.

Suddenly the air in here was stifling. She couldn't breathe. Even after opening the window, there was no relief. As if sensing her distress, Konro turned on the small oscillating fan on top of the dresser in the corner beside him. He always was amazingly intuitive and in contrast to his somewhat formidable and intimidating appearance. He was the most gentle, thoughtful, and emotionally well adjusted person of all of them.

"I'm good. The tephrosis is no better. Only a little worse," he said, managing a small smile.

"I've always admired your strength. Your selflessness. No matter how you were feeling, you always thought of us first and put us ahead of yourself," she murmured. "Especially Beni."

Konro's smile widened and pink tinted his gaunt cheeks.

"Uhm...I think...I-I think I-I'm got to take a walk," she stammered, brushing past him for a hasty exit.

Beni was coming up the stairs as she was running down them.

"Hey, Fire Bird what - "

But she rushed past him with acknowledging him in word or even with a glance. Konro stood at the top of the staircase patiently waiting for his Captain to stop staring after the woman to notice him.

"What happened?" he questioned Konro.

Konro shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe you should go talk to her yourself, Waka."

"Dammit, Konro. You're no fucking help at all," Benimaru grumbled irritably.

"You know where she'll be don't you?"

"Yeah, I know."

Phoenix sat under the weeping willow tree beside the bank of the river. With her knees pulled up to her chest, her forehead resting on her knees, she hid her face while she cried. What better or more appropriate place to cry than under a weeping willow?

Benimaru pushed aside the curtain of flexible whip like branches covered in tiny green leaves. He had always been able to find her here when she was upset. Not everything about her had changed.

"What do you want?" she whined like a child.

"If you don't want to be here, why you just leave? That's what you do isn't it?" he asked her, his words acidic.

"Beni," she inhaled, raising her head to look at him. "I really, really do not want to do this with you right now. Or ever. I'm sorry, okay? I didn't want to leave like that, but you wouldn't talk to me. What the hell was I supposed to do?"

"Not go. You weren't supposed to leave, Fire Bird. You were supposed to stay here with me," he said, beating his chest with his hands as if to drive the point home.

"Awww, I didn't know you cared," she cooed mockingly, changing her sitting position to cross legged. "And that's why I fucking left to begin with Beni! I had no idea you gave a damn."

"That kid, I mean, that guy," he corrected himself. "He's your boyfriend isn't he?"

"Do you mean, Shinra?" she asked, wiping the tears from her cheeks with her bare hands. "Yes, he is. Not that it matters to you or this conversation."

"It doesn't," he agreed, turning his back to her.

"If things had been different...if I had stayed...do you think we could have made a go of it?" she inquired, leaning back on her hands to stare at his wide back.

"No," he replied with his typical bluntness. "Do you?"

"No. I don't. We were disaster from the start."

"That's one thing we can agree on."

There was a lull in the conversation, neither one of them knowing what to say. Surprisingly, the silence was not disconcerting or unpleasant. The lack of words which had a tendency to be cruel, was rather comforting.

"Beni?"

"Hmmm?"

"Say my name."

"What?" he scoffed, turning to look at her.

"Say my name," she requested again.

"Phoenix. Satisfied?"

"Yeah. I wanted to be sure you remembered my actual name. All you've ever all called me is Fire Bird."

"It's another name for a phoenix you know."

"I know, but..."

Words dwindled to nothing again. A breeze from somewhere stirred the branches making a whispering sound.

"I'm sorry," Phoenix apologized to break the silence. She wasn't quite sure what she was apologizing for but she felt the overwhelming need to do so.

"For what?" he asked, his eyes catching hers.

"The way things ended. The way they began. Hell, everything in between. I'm sorry I held on too tightly when you were a man who didn't want to be held down."

"Maybe I should have held on tighter to you if I didn't want you to go. Do you hate me?" Benimaru inquired, bold and forward as always.

"Sometimes. The thing I dislike most about you is that you're lazy. You never had to fight, to strive, to work for anything. Your abilities came automatically to you like breathing. Everyone here loves you and would do anything for you. You never had to do a damn thing to stir loyalty in your men. Asakusa and every one in it was always yours. You've always been popular with men and especially the women. Oh the women...no lack of attention there for sure."

"You know I never cared about any of those things," he muttered, folding his arms and hiding his hands in his sleeves.

"I know, and I think that's what pissed me off the most. You are awesome and amazing and everyone loves you and you don't care," she said, emphasizing the last phrase because he was totally unaware of his indifference which caused others pain.

"I care. I have feelings," he countered.

"You're right. There was that one time - " She stopped when fury flared in his eyes. "I loved you once, Beni. Love doesn't come easy to you because it requires effort and work."

"So what about that guy? Do you love him? More importantly, does he love you?" Benimaru asked, holding her gaze.

"Yes. To both. Our connection goes beyond the emotions. It's deeper...something different...existing outside and apart from feelings," she tried to explain and failed spectacularly.

"It's so romantic. That so like you, Phoenix," he said, lowering his eyelids to hide his eyes before turning his back on her again.

She almost laughed at the symbolism of his movement, physically turning his back on her after cutting her off emotionally with his words. She should be used to this from him but it still pained her tender heart.

"I was worth fighting for, Beni. I would have been worth the work to love me. I know I was a high maintenance pain in the ass, but - "

"Yeah, well, it doesn't matter anyway. I think you're right where you need to be and who you need to be with," he said, extending his arm to separate the branches.

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah. Me too."

Phoenix exhaled as he walked away. Closure. It hurt, but she had finally wrapped up that chapter of her life. Her eyes closed squeezing out new tears onto her cheeks. She could at last mourn the great never was and never will be.

Her heart thudded in her chest suddenly. Her extremities tingled as if charged with electricity.

"Phoenix? Are you in there?"

"Shinra, I'm here," she called to him.

She sighed, a smile curling her lips in spite of the tears that flowed down her cheeks. The leading man in the new chapter of her life.

"Is everything okay?" He sat down on the grass beside her.

"Better now," she said, leaning her head onto his shoulder.

"What were you two talking about?"

"We were just saying good-bye."

"Good-bye? But we're staying to help rebuild the destroyed buildings," he said, once again left in the dark figuratively speaking.

"No, not like that," she chuckled lightly, preparing to shed a little light on what she meant. She lifted her head, running her fingers through his hair as he turned his head to look at her. "We said the good-bye we should have said over a year ago when I left."

"Oh? Oh!" he exclaimed comprehending the underlying meaning of her words.

"Yeah," she giggled, leaning forward to kiss him.

The kiss was gentle, lingering. Their lips puckered and pressed together with a light, undemanding pressure. They reveled in the sensation of the intimate contact, of the gesture of their affection for each other. Afterwards, she lay her head on his shoulder and grasped his hand.

"Promise me...promise you'll never let me go...because I'll never let go of you," he said.

"I promise."