Chapter 49
True to his word, Angeal came and woke Alex around dinner time, but she didn't stay up long. The sight of several infantrymen and Tseng as they were either gathered in the drawing-room or roaming the house was more than enough motivation for her to go back to her room as soon as she was done.
Plus, she was still tired enough that she didn't want to push it if she didn't have to. Her body was healed, but just like before, her metabolism and likely her immune system were having difficulties keeping up. Maybe if they lived through the next few months, she could look into something to help with that issue.
Despite her worry, she had been more than pleased when Sephiroth ended up coming to bed with her sometime in the middle of the night. She barely woke enough to realize what happened, but his only response was to shush her before he curled around her, and they both fell back to sleep. Alex wasn't going to complain. With everything going on, his arms were the place she felt safest. They even managed to keep back bad dreams for the rest of the night.
The following morning, it was easy for Alex to tell that none of the Soldiers had slept much. She just hoped that Angeal and Genesis had been given as much opportunity as Sephiroth. They all needed to be alert for what was to come.
Alex could hear Tseng's low voice in the drawing-room, but she opted to ignore it and find something to eat first. Her eating schedule was already utter garbage, but with how she still felt, it wouldn't do for her to get sick again. Tseng could just wait.
Thankfully, Bugenhagen, Nanaki, and Genesis were already in the dining area when she and Sephiroth entered. She didn't miss the flash of pain and anger that went through Genesis's eyes, but surprisingly, it wasn't in his voice as he gestured grandly to the table. "Behold the feast provided for us today."
Alex could not hold back a chuckle. To anyone else, his sneer and the derision in his voice would have immediately dubbed his statement as condescension of the meager meal they were able to scrounge up, but she could tell that most of it had been teasing. It had been so long that she had almost forgotten he was capable of it. Not that he didn't think his attitude wasn't warranted, she was sure. Still, it helped her relax a bit more as she took a seat and gestured just as grandly as she smirked and said, "And what would the king recommend on this fine morning?"
Genesis's eyes widened as he stared at her for a few seconds before he actually laughed. It was such a pleasant change from the last few months that it almost made Alex cry. Maybe being friends again wasn't as impossible as it seemed.
It was made even better when he finally stopped long enough to lean toward her with a conspiratorial wink as he mock-whispered, "Might I recommend the granola? I fear the rest may be less than edible. The Puppy decided to make breakfast this morning."
Alex immediately had to cover the lower half of her face to hide her grin, as said Puppy had just walked in with a tray of food. Zack glowered at Genesis as he yelled, "Hey, I heard that! I didn't make it for you anyway."
Genesis's only response was to ignore the look he was given as he handed the box of granola over to Alex and then pointed to a jug. "There's the milk."
For a moment, Alex was torn. She hadn't felt that easy with Genesis in so long that she didn't want to ruin the moment, but the bacon on the tray smelled divine. Finally, she decided to compromise. She took the granola and poured some for herself before offering it to Sephiroth. Then, she grinned over at Zack as she said, "Hey, that smells great. Do you think there is enough for me to have a bite of bacon? I'm sure Geal won't mind sharing."
Zack's look of disappointment immediately disappeared as he put the tray down in front of everyone. "Sure! If not, there's more I could make. We have enough supplies for everyone."
Genesis made a disgruntled noise at Zack's perky reply, or rather at Alex's complete dismissal of his suggestion. When Alex heard it, she glanced over and poked the tip of her tongue out at him before she whispered, "What do you want me to say? It's bacon."
Her response drew another chuckle from the red-head, but she also noticed Sephiroth stiffen next to her. She swallowed a sigh as she reminded herself that as much as she wanted to mend things with her old friend, she didn't want to hurt her lover in the process. Still, she didn't think there was any reason why he couldn't be pulled into things, awkwardness and all. She doubted he was used to teasing, but maybe she could change that. As long as she didn't take it too far. For the moment, she planned to take baby steps.
She grasped Sephiroth's hand under the table and grinned at him when he looked at her with wide eyes. Her tone was sickly sweet as she said, "And do you have a problem with the Puppy's cooking too?"
Zack gave her a kicked-puppy look that was absolutely priceless and enough to make her giggle no matter how hard she tried not to. But it had done what she wanted, and she felt Sephiroth relax ever so slightly. His brow drew down into an expression eerily like her brother's when he was getting ready to lecture her as he said, "It is obvious Soldier Fair does not appreciate that moniker. You should refrain from using it."
Despite all her worries and fears of what they still had to face, Alex felt herself relax as she laughed out loud at his stern expression. It grew even louder when she heard her brother right behind her as he said, "I almost want to tell you not to bother. She's too hard-headed on the best of days."
After that, the meal turned into one of the liveliest ones the group had shared since they left Midgar. Alex hadn't forgotten what happened or what they still had to face, but it helped make it easier to bear now that their group was a little larger, and they had plans brewing instead of just a shot in the dark.
Unfortunately, the meal did not last nearly long enough, in her opinion. But they did have more to do than sit and tease each other. At least Zack's presence helped keep most of their spirits up as they all headed toward the drawing-room.
Bugenhagen called out to stop her as the rest filed out. She made a shooing motion at Sephiroth when he paused with her. There was no point in holding everyone up. Once he was gone, she turned back to the elder with a tight smile. "What did you need to speak about?"
His answering smile was closer to his usual one as he said, "The mayor sends his thanks for the lack of violence in his city and his wishes for you to recover."
Alex was relieved that Brian wasn't angry with them. Especially since it had happened so quickly after they arrived and they weren't gone yet, but that wasn't the only question she had. She nodded once, but before she could ask the rest, Bugenhagen lowered his voice as he continued, "I also spoke with the other elders. It seems there was a fissure in the Avalanche team. Most of them remained in Cosmo Canyon with Elfe while she tried to unravel her health issues. However, that man, Fuhito, left with several others. Their whereabouts are unknown."
That news caused a chill to go down Alex's spine, as Fuhito was just as crazy as Hojo. However, that was a problem for another day. For the moment, Elfe was the important one. Alex nodded once again as she said, "Thank you. Did you confirm that Elfe would remain there for the time being?"
Bugenhagen's voice was as boisterous as ever when he said, "Ho, ho, ho, of course. Elfe has been working with the elders directly and has agreed to wait until she hears from you. Perhaps you can call and speak to her after all this mess is sorted out."
That was precisely what Alex planned to do. At least now she had a concrete bargaining chip when she had to talk to Veld again. With that thought firmly in mind, Alex turned to join the rest with Bugenhagen behind her.
Vincent was already there, along with Tseng and a small group of infantrymen. The silence and tension between the two Turks were palpable and immediately set Alex's nerves on edge. She hoped it wasn't an indicator of what was to come.
Thankfully, Tseng's face was impassive when he turned to the group and said, "Now that you are all here, I believe it is time to speak to Director Veld." He then paused long enough to look directly at Alex as he said, "If you would follow me. We can use the same line as yesterday."
His terse words had several people shifting, but Alex tried to stay calm as she said, "Of course. Let's get this over with."
There was a bit of a shuffle as Alex tried to follow Tseng and Vincent from the room. Both Angeal and Sephiroth tried to go with her. When neither of them moved to step back, she grabbed the closest hand, which happened to be Sephiroth's. She gave her brother an apologetic look before she pulled Sephiroth out with her. She felt terrible, but at least Angeal seemed to take it in stride. They couldn't afford any bad feelings between them.
When the small group got into the basement, Alex had to stifle a shiver caused by an unsettling sense of déjà vu. At least Sephiroth was there by her side, and his hand in hers helped to bolster her as Vincent and Tseng worked to open a line to Veld. The director didn't waste any time once the line was active. His eyes found Alex, and it took all she had not to flinch back as he glared at her. "Tseng has given me a report of everything you shared. If it weren't for the fact that you escaped from one of Hojo's labs, I might not have even considered believing you. As it is, perhaps there is room for negotiation."
That was not the response that Alex had expected—not with the expression on the man's face. Maybe it was just that his default was a glare. Not that it mattered. She ignored the look and stepped forward. "I'm glad to hear it. I also have good news. Elfe—I mean Felicia—is still in Cosmo Canyon. If you tell us where you would like to meet, I am confident that I can get her to agree to it too. As long as you don't bring a whole troop full of men to scare her off, that is."
Veld's glare intensified for a moment before he sighed and ran a hand down his face roughly. He then looked back up, and Alex noticed how tired the man looked for the first time. Her suspicions were verified when he said, "I have been up all night trying to verify your claims. I haven't found much, but what I did find was enough."
He then looked at Tseng as he said, "You cannot let any of the infantry reach Midgar. The last thing we need is to get any others involved while we investigate."
Tseng gave the man a curt nod. "Yes, sir. What would you have me do about the rest?"
Veld's jaw clenched for a moment before he said, "Travel with the escapees and send the others back via ground travel. That should buy us some time. After that, I will meet you in Costa del Sol."
Alex frowned as she looked at Vincent. "If we are to travel quickly with all of us, then we will need two helicopters. Vincent, did you completely destroy the other one or just disable it."
The gunman's answer was to pick up a part that was a little bigger than his hand from the desk next to him. Alex had no idea what it was, but Tseng obviously did. The Turk smirked as he said, "It would have been impossible to find that part around here, but with it in hand, there should be no issue for us to get the helo airborne."
Apparently, Veld was not interested in going through the minutia. He interrupted before more could be added. "If that's settled, then I expect to see all of you in Costa del Sol in a week. Vice-President Shinra will be there already. However, Director Deusericus has opted to stay behind as an inside resource."
Alex couldn't argue with that. It was better than she hoped for, and having a person in Midgar to inform them of any threats could be helpful. She wasn't sure what Veld told the man to get him to agree, but she didn't exactly have the leverage to negotiate further or ask a lot of questions. Instead, she nodded.
However, Tseng was the one that said, "Yes, sir. We will have everything ready here to leave by this afternoon." Veld looked like he had something more to say to Vincent, but whatever it was never made it out before he nodded curtly and cut the transmission.
The room was silent for several seconds before Vincent stood with the part in hand. He looked at Tseng as he said, "It would be faster for me to take this and put it back in."
Instead of arguing, Tseng dipped his chin in acknowledgment before he turned to Alex and Sephiroth. "Ensure the others know we leave by 15:00. Prepare the helo to hold the two Tsviets, and Miss Hewley, make sure Felicia will meet us."
Alex had already planned to call the woman, so it wasn't a burden to agree. "I'll call her shortly. Although, could you please ensure the troops are willing and able to escort Elder Bugenhagen back to Cosmo Canyon. They have to pass by there anyway."
Tseng frowned for a moment, but he finally nodded. "That could work in our favor. It would allay suspicions as to why we are not traveling with them." He then turned to leave as he finished over his shoulder. "I will see you both this afternoon."
Once the Turk was gone, Alex immediately turned to Sephiroth and wrapped her arms around his waist. He only hesitated a moment before he pulled her closer. His voice was barely more than a whisper as he said, "Why are you trying to do all this alone? What are you planning that you haven't shared yet? You have made yourself a target, and while I would never allow anyone close enough to harm you, it does make me uncomfortable."
Alex wasn't sure if she wanted to laugh or cry at his admonition. Though she tried to school the conflict from her eyes as she lifted her head and said, "I'm not trying to do this alone. You're here, and I trust my brother, and even Genesis, to have my back. It's just that I have knowledge no one else does, and I'm trying to use that to keep all of us safe—or at least in one piece until we can figure out how to nullify what was done to us. I'm not trying to keep anything from all of you, and we can go over it after I call Felicia, but honestly, I don't have a grand plan. So, I'll ask you to, please, quit worrying that I'm taking on too much. Instead, could you promise that you'll be by my side through whatever comes?"
Sephiroth lifted one hand, but he paused before reaching whatever he was going for. He then started to lower it but stopped and then gently pushed a strand of hair off Alex's face before he cupped her cheek. Alex was awed by the mix of emotion she saw in his eyes, as she doubted he allowed them to show so much very often. She smiled as she covered his hand with one of hers.
That seemed to shake him from whatever thoughts had been consuming him, and he took a calming breath before he said, "That is something you need not ask. I already promised to protect you come what may."
Her smile softened, and she nodded once. "I know." She then sighed as she stepped away from him. She still held his hand as they headed back to where the rest were waiting.
Once they got upstairs, Alex left Sephiroth to explain what was going on while she grabbed the PHS they had managed to scrounge up in Cosmo Canyon so she could call Elfe. Thankfully, the woman had been waiting for the call, and it was only a matter of minutes before they were connected.
Elfe's voice was understandably cautious as she said, "I wasn't really expecting to hear from you so soon. I was told you had a proposition for me?"
Alex swallowed a sigh as she said, "Sort of. Honestly, this is something that would be better to discuss in person, but time is a luxury I don't have, so I apologize ahead of time."
If anything, her words seemed to add a sharper edge to Elfe's mistrust. "That doesn't make me inclined to listen. Even if we talked about a possible alliance, why should I listen after hearing that?"
Alex nodded and then rolled her eyes at her own foolishness as she said, "I don't blame you. You have every reason to mistrust anyone from Shinra, past or present, but this is something that will affect you personally. It doesn't have anything to do with Avalanche, so can I beg you to at least hear me out?"
There was a pause of several seconds before Alex heard Elfe sigh on the other end of the line before the woman said, "Fine. I'll listen, but don't expect much more."
"That's all I can ask." There was another pause as Alex tried to steel her nerves before she blurted out. "I don't want you to think I was hiding this when we first met because I honestly didn't know at the time. It wasn't until we got here that I unearthed the truth."
Elfe made a confused and slightly aggravated noise, but Alex didn't let her interrupt. "You have even more reason to hate the current Shinra leadership than you know because I found out who you really are and why you lost your memory in the first place. Your real name is Felicia, and the favor I have to ask is if you would be willing to meet your father? He was told you died."
A/N: Ok, so I know that's a hell of a cliffhanger, but as you can see I am working on this one regularly enough that it's out every couple of weeks or so, so there shouldn't be too much of a wait. Otherwise, I hope you have enjoyed this. Things will be picking up the pace in the next chapter and we get to see a glimpse of what is in store for our ragtag group of heroes(definitely tongue in cheek with that statement lol).
On another note, I have something a little personal that I wanted to share. I did debate on whether I should or not, but honestly, I think I need to for my own sanity. It has to do with the feedback I've been getting on all my stories across the board. For the last several chapters on most of my stories that has pretty much been nil. Now, logically I know that it is probably a combination of busy lives and delays between postings, but on this end, it's anxiety-inducing. I think by now you all know that I'm not one to hold chapters for reviews or not finish something I started, but to be honest, the lack of any feedback combined with a hellish case of writer's block does make it hard to keep on schedule. I don't usually ask for reviews directly, but if a few of you don't mind, can you at least let me know if the story has lost your interest or if you're just busy. A couple of words would be enough for me to know I haven't totally lost my touch 😅 Anyway, after this long paragraph of uncomfortably pouring my heart out, I really do want to thank all my readers and hope to see you in future chapters whatever happens! Thanks, and cheers!