Each sector of Midgar worked like it's own town. Whether it was above or below the plate. Sector seven was no different. In that each Sector had it's own character.
Where there was a more stacked feeling in Five, of the shanty-town that was a lot of baffling for the walls and ceilings. Excepting the wood and brickworks of Aerith's home and the Leaf House. Sector Seven was more spread out, with narrow air gaps between the low buildings. Maybe a building had a second floor, or a half level above the first. Very few buildings went up to five floors, especially in the middle of town. Even when they were squat cement blocks. With some corrugated steel walls and roofs, making a mix of building materials in this Sector.
Sector Five was crammed between piles of refuse that had toppled in from Six. Where Seven was more spread out and overall shorter in build height.
Even the market in Sector Seven was spread out a little more.
Sector Seven was less claustrophobic, but only by comparison of another slum. There was no store hanging over the dirt street, like the cafe was near Aerith's house. And like everything in the slums, it looked lived in, while also solid.
The way the architecture didn't move, when someone walked on the roof, tending to a jerry-rigged aerial. The material didn't move or creak precipitously.
Natalie followed Biggs, tracking the streets. She wanted to learn the layout here. Biggs was less distracting to be around. He wasn't trying to get her to come out of her shell, like Aerith did.
'Always have an exit plan.' Part of something she had said to someone a long time ago, not remembering where she had gotten it from herself. If she planned on staying here, she wanted to be able to find her way out in the dark, know the streets and by-ways like the back of her hands. Just in case.
For now, Natalie was sitting across from Biggs near the food stand. Eating about twice as much as he was. Natalie had been eating a polite amount of Elmyra's food. Which meant she had been a little hungry all day. Her boosted body came with a boosted metabolism. And not being on the run meant she could buy more food that just what she could carry.
Biggs had the social skills to not make a comment, they barely knew each other. They had bantered on the walk in. Biggs just didn't know how sarcastic Natalie could be, yet.
"What? Still hungry?" She asked him.
"Uh, no." He finished he hot dog.
Natalie already missed the amount of vegetables in Elmyra's cooking. "I got more money, those busy hands didn't get any." She made a call back to the pick pockets at the edge of Sector Five. That had tried Natalie's obvious pockets.
"Oh, no don't worry about it. I can pay." Biggs insisted
The pocket Natalie kept a few Gil in was empty now. Some years ago it would have been devastating. Today, it was an inconvenience. The thief had made off with the change in her pocket. A fraction of a fraction of what she had hidden on her self. "Suit yourself."
Natalie stretched when they were both finished dinner. "So, you said there were some friends of yours you wanted to meet?"
"Yeah."
"Can it wait until morning? I've had a long day, and I don't even have a place yet."
"About that, I might know a guy."
Natalie joined the local Watch, kept out of trouble and kept to herself. With the Slums on the ground, there were dangers about. Even with the barrier walls around the city, people walked around armed and didn't look out of place.
She sat in the squat room, above her new landlord. There was a distinct smell through the window it was suggested Natalie not keep it open. The top floor was the smallest room in the three-story cement building. The smell was from a garbage heap right behind it. No wonder the room was unoccupied. Even with a standing shower and toiled built into the corner of the tiny room.
But the walls were solid, the rent was cheap. And the roof was slanted cement as well. Solid enough for Marin to spend nights up there, smelling the garbage behind he building.
She kept up her music as well and had begun composing some new ones from ideas she had come up with. Just a couple of new songs, with no lyrics. But it occupied her free time, playing to herself while she was in some back alley, alone.
One of the locals, surprised Natalie when she commented on it one day.
"Was that your music I heard earlier?" The lady had a clean cardigan, and lived just up the street from Natalie. She looked old enough to be Natalie's grandmother. But she was tough in a way that wasn't like Natalie's Granny Ayame.
"I'm sorry." Natalie apologized. "I didn't mean to disturb you."
"No, I don't mind, as long as it doesn't wake me up."
"I'll just-"
"Don't worry about it, I was just kidding." The woman softened, like her gruff attitude was an act. "You know, you're pretty good."
"I would hope so. I've been playing a long time."
"There are a lot of people trying to make it on stage around here."
"Not interested, sorry." Natalie didn't mean to be rude. "I mean, thanks for the compliment, but I only play for myself. I don't want to be on a stage."
"I'm sure that'll keep the Watch happy. By the sound of it, they wouldn't want to lose you to topside."
"Not interested in moving upstairs either."
The woman shrugged. "I'm not going to ask about whatever you're running from. But I'm glad you're sticking around here for a while."
"Thanks."
"By the way, names Marle. I own one of the buildings around here."
"Natalie."
"Nice to meet you Natalie. And you're welcome for the compliments. You're settling in so fast. You sound like you've lived in this Sector for years."
For the firs time in a long time, Natalie lounged in comfort.
Natalie had been wearing and washing the same things for long enough, that she didn't look like she had just walked out of the store with them. The people she saw around the sector, didn't have her scruffiness. They had well kept and lived in clothes in a slightly better state than hers. There were market stalls, that stood in for stores and boutiques. People could get fresh new goods down here. But not like what Natalie knew was 'Topside', as everyone called the Plate above them.
She had managed to make a trip up there, thanks to Jessie. For some shopping. Something Natalie hadn't worn in a long time, was wrapped around her torso. She was as flat as she wanted to be that day. She had replaced her binder. For the first time in years she lounged under the binding in comfort.
Her bed was small, her apartment smelled from the refuse behind the building. But she was comfortable in her own skin. And for once, she looked forward to the rest of the day.
Outside, Natalie put her goggles up, in the dawn light of the morning. She could see the plate being extended another layer out above them. But she had no idea how long it would take to built more city, three hundred meters above the ground. Until then, the dawn sunlight shone into the sector.
Most importantly, she had a tiny window that faced it, well above the ground floor. Someone had to take stairs to get to her door. And once again, she had a space she could call her own.
Sephiroth's condo had had the illusion of windows, she remembered. That place had felt like a bunker. This cement-construction, with a little space on the landing she could sit outside. When she didn't mind the smell. It felt like a bunker too. The roof leaked and the last tenant had hurt their leg badly enough she couldn't use the stairs anymore. And had to move away.
Natalie was sitting on the bed, pushed to an awkward angle, so the dripping condensation from the roof, wouldn't drip onto the bed at night. It had been a while since she had put her hands to work, building anything. Natalie had never repaired a roof before. The place was a fixer-upper. But it was the price for getting off the ground, living high enough that she could survey most of the neighborhood from her door. Natalie could turn in a little circle on the roof and see across to the next sector, even pick out some details of the one after that.
Sometimes she would wear sunglasses instead of goggles and nobody asked. The only business anyone made any noise about, was her music. It could barely be heard through the cement walls of her one-room apartment. But it could be heard, so there was no late-night ocarina practice for her. Otherwise, people didn't ask questions. So it was easy to keep to herself.
Natalie couldn't pick out the difference between who was born in sector Seven or who had 'ended up' here. But she had already picked up that people didn't ask after other people's business.
'Where are you from?' 'What are you running from?' 'How did you end up in a place like this?' Weren't questions people asked around here. So Natalie didn't either.
It was perfect for Natalie. She could keep her head down and people didn't ask prying or dangerous questions.
It was liberating to not get looks or questions about her profile changing from day-to-day. She could stretch in the Slums and be herself everyday. She felt safe too.
All she had to do was not bother Public Security, when they passed through. There was a presence, but it was just a couple of guys that guarded a locked gate to the next sector. They didn't actually do anything, which meant they were easy for Natalie to not run across. She left them alone, and they spent their shift looking bored.
ShinRa helicopters would fly over sometimes, she quickly trained herself to not look up when she heard their blades. Going about their business, they had nothing to do with her.
Lastly, her sword didn't look out of place. Many locals, and members of the watch, walked around armed. There were fences and barbed wire. But they didn't keep out all the monsters all the time. Even Natalie fighting the monsters easily didn't stand out. Even though Natalie was the only volunteer on the watch with a sword, everyone else had guns of one variety or another.
Considering all the special training she had had with a sword, and the short time it had taken Danny to teach Natalie how to use a gun. She could see why the people around here leaned on the guns instead.
Natalie had spent most of her time awake in training for a while on that forty-ninth floor. People here didn't have that kind of time to work at the sword all day, every day. They had to sleep, work, fix what needed fixing and watch out for any monsters. They didn't have the time to get the practice they needed to get the fundamentals of the sword.
There were people who made time, the ones who wanted to fight for Gil, mercenaries. Whether it was in the arena Natalie had heard rumors about, in another sector. Or think they could fight their way out of the life they had here, in the slums.
With the foundation Natalie's Gil put her on, it left her free to do odd jobs. Porting, loading, or unloading supplies for the shops. Afternoons or nights were her time in the Watch, making friends with Biggs went easily enough. It hadn't been on purpose, she had only wanted to get settled somewhere she wouldn't need to sleep with on eye open. But she was glad it had happened.
He introduced her to Wedge, another name that tickled her memory. She didn't know why. He had a red headband to match the one Biggs wore. Then Wedge introduced her to his cats. He was of a height with Biggs, but broad where Biggs was lean.
"I don't think they like me." Natalie told Wedge. They had hissed, forcing Natalie to back off her hand to not get scratched.
"Oh no," Wedge told her, "They just need time to warm up to you."
"I like cats." Natalie said, feeling disappointed. None of Wedge's cats liked her, they acted with aggression at her approach. Which was the opposite of what she wanted. 'It's almost like something changed.' She sarcastically thought to herself. Scratching her arm idly, for SOLDIER. There were no other SOLDIERs around for Natalie to know if it was that, or something else that made Wedge's cats mad.
Wedge was determined to give Natalie a chance to get to know his cats, once she had shown any interest. "Just give it time, Natalie."
"So," A feminine voice came from behind Marin. "You're the newbie."
Natalie wanted to kick herself when someone else had come up behind her. 'I'm slipping.' She thought as she turned to face the new person.
A woman, with another red headband, light brown hair and armor around her torso with green cargo pants below that, had come around to meet the 'new guy' in the Watch.
"Yep. Natalie. What do I call you?"
"Jessie!" She smiled innocently. "I heard from Biggs that the watch is glad to have you."
Natalie shrugged, her heart sank at 'I heard.' It sounded like a rumor, and rumors could mean reputation. Natalie wanted neither.
"Do you have any other tricks in that coat of yours? Other than help with the monsters?"
"A few." Natalie wondered if Jessie's bright smile was hiding something. "But there is something I don't have in my pockets."
"Oh yeah?"
"A reputation."
"Why? You want to make a name for yourself?" Jessie smiled sweetly.
"That is the opposite of what I want. I just came here to live, do some work." 'I just came here to hide.'
"Well, it's really good help, people around here are grateful."
Natalie adjusted her goggles. "Good thing the Watch is here to do that." Natalie was pushing the credit for what she had done, onto the Watch as a whole.
"Got it!" Jessie grinned and winked at Natalie. "You know, you didn't answer me on those other tricks of yours."
Natalie shrugged, "It depends."
"On what?"
"On who's asking about my skills."
Natalie wasn't clever enough to turn the tables on another. But she could feel Jessie feeling Natalie out. For something. While Jessie hid behind a huge, innocent-looking, grin.
"That's my secret." Jessie told her. "But I have some ideas, if you're up for it. I can pay too."
Natalie shrugged, "I don't need much."
This time Jessie shrugged, now with a glint in her eye. "Then paying my debts will be easy. Come on."
Jessie and Natalie didn't go around in circles for long. Jessie trusted Natalie to be a part of the Watch. While having other ideas in mind. Go here, get this, can you do this for me. Little things that took enough of Natalie's skills, it felt like a test. While doing some odd jobs for the other woman.
While she had been getting settled in the area, with the Watch, and into a routine. Natalie didn't shout her opinions. Nor did she keep her feelings about ShinRa secret from Biggs and his friends. And they agreed with how Natalie felt about the company.
While Natalie started making friends. She tied a bundle of white and black feathers to the aerial on her roof. For the TV and radio. Lazard was still out there. And so were the Genesis-copies.
The company had left the Slums to twist in the wind and take care of themselves. So the company, while they supplied all the goods and food that came in. The people protected each other, no thanks to the company.
While Natalie planned to stay in the area as long as she could. She had found some like-minded people. Biggs and his friends weren't fans of ShinRa. And once Natalie's opinion was known to a few, she was even more welcome to the Watch. Especially Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie.
Like everything else, nobody asked about the feathers Natalie hid on her roof. She hoped that it was enough for Lazard to find her again, when he might need her. She stayed hidden, while he was out there. Looking for the information they needed to do something about Genesis.
Genesis was an unknown in the Sector. The locals had problems that had nothing to do with his copies. Like getting clean water, keeping the area safe. Making sure everyone had enough food.
All Natalie had to do was hang out with a few people on the Watch, and keep the Sector safe.
Marin thrummed her fingers to a rhythm on the back of the couch. She stood behind it. Waiting for Sephiroth to finish in the back of the dark apartment.
The walls were as dark and as they ever were, making the place seem small, even as it accommodated the taller SOLDIER.
Marin looked out the view screen on the wall, it was Night in Midgar in Sector Eight. And this video showed the illusion of stars over the city, instead of the starless sky that could be seen out a real window. There were certain advantages to being here. Most of all, it wasn't ShinRa HQ.
A hand rubbed up Marin's back, her neck and into her hair. Sephiroth had come up behind her without her noticing.
Marin looked up and behind her, to look Sephiroth in his eyes.
This green cat-irised eyes were looking down at her, already in his night clothes. Keeping his hand in her hair, the other one came around and pulled Marin into an embrace. "Marin, my little mouse."
She gave him the small smile she always did. His height dwarfed hers, she had to crane her neck up to look at him.
He rocked slowly, back and forth, almost dancing in the otherwise silent condo.
Marin's smile slid off her face, she saw something in Sephiroth's eyes she had never seen before. Heat, his eyes burned and they almost burned holes into hers. Marin's head hurt. His fingertips pressed into the back of her head, viciously. He started dragging her to the couch.
Marin pleaded "Sephiroth-"
Marin shot up in her bed and took a deep breath. Slapping her hands over her mouth, she stifled a scream. Grabbing her pillow, she screamed into the pillow.
"It was only a nightmare. It was only a nightmare!" Marin shuddered. She had woken up before the nightmare had run it's course.
She felt sick. "OH sh-" she was sick, her cursing was interrupted by bile and last night's dinner coming up.
Marin made it halfway to the toilet before her body wouldn't wait any longer. Most of it went in the toilet. At least none of it was on her bed or the sheets.
Marin reminded herself that it had 'only' been a nightmare, but she could still feel his hands gripping her.
Wiping her mouth, she reminded her self, over and over "It was only a nightmare, he would never do that. He has never…" Reminding herself of what was real, what had never happened. And would never happen.
Marin and Sephiroth had never had sex, and he had never forced her do doing anything she hadn't wanted. Even as he had slapped, hit and stabbed her in Nibelheim. He had never done that.
"It was just a nightmare, we didn't even do it in Nibelheim. Not that. He would never force me-"
Marin shifted from where she stood over the toilet. Her night clothes were soaking wet.
That's what Marin discovered the blood in her clothes and on her bed.
"Holy fucking shit." Marin cursed to herself.
She remembered why the puke had felt familiar, why her stomach had reacted the way it had.
"Fuck, it's not my period is it?"
She doubled over in pain, "Oh fuck." Her conscious mind finally caught up to the rest of her bodily functions. "Fuuuuuuck." She hadn't had a period in years. Nothing more than a few drops since she had become a SOLDIER.
"That shot was permanent." Marin told the room, the cement walls had shelves, decorations, her toilet, sink, and shower. She was otherwise alone in the room. "Could it be menopause?" Marin asked the empty room. "I'm fucking-twenty-seven."
Marin shuddered again, itching all over. She was a mess and had to get clean. She felt violated and filthy, she had to shower right now. She found the light switch and moved to the shower stall.
Leaving her puke and blood-stained night clothes on the bed, she turned the shower on hot, scrubbing all over. She could remember where she had been touched in the nightmare, everywhere. Looking at her arms, she was surprised there were no bruises.
Marin shuddered again, trying not to think about the nightmare. "Fuck, I'm out of soap." She had planned on getting more that day. So she scrubbed with her nails and hot water. Just to feel someone else's hands on her skin, anyone's but His.
"Fuck. Fuck. FUCK!"
Someone banged on the floor beneath her. She was in a cement building, but even her downstairs neighbor heard something.
Marin worked her jaw, cursing more quietly. "Fuck."
She still had some shampoo, and used it to wash out her hair. Building up a lather, she used the rest of it to clean her body. Marin didn't care about the wrong sort of soap for her skin, she just wanted clean. She wanted to wash off all traces of the nightmare.
"Natalie, not Mar- not that other name. Natalie." She reminded herself. "My name is Natalie."
She said itquietly to herself. "Natalie. Natalie. Natalie. My name is Natalie."
Natalie started humming something, 'Empty' came to mind. But it touched on feelings about Him. So she tried something else. Natalie shuddered again. Stumbling on humming 'Simple and Clean,' inexplicably it reminded her of Sephiroth too. She kept washing and gritted her teeth. Thinking about the Cosmo Canyon song. It had nothing to do with Him. She could safely him it while she washed and scrubbed.
Natalie cried in frustration when she got some shampoo in her eyes, the water was too hot to wash them out. With her eyes stinging and squeezed shut, Natalie washed her legs, her arms, her scars, what she could of her back, and then she washed everything else. Humming the same song, over and over, until the hot water was gone.
Now Natalie was shivering, the water was cold enough to wash out her eyes. After opening them, she looked up at the ceiling. Natalie didn't want to look at her body, she needed, to flatten her breasts. Ones he had touched in the nightmare. Natalie didn't want to be reminded of that dream.
Natalie had not been able to find a place in Sector Seven that sold binders, or even the right material to get something fitted to Natalie's torso. Only one of Jessie's excursions topside had found a solution for Natalie. One she had spent too much gil on, but every coin had made it worth it. She hated the years she had avoided one at ShinRa, all that time she couldn't be flat. Being uncomfortable in her own skin. And she couldn't wear the thing in the shower, so it left her to confront what she didn't like about herself.
Humming more loudly, Natalie dried off. She had something for her bleeding, she was never without something absorbent, 'in case someone else needed it.' Sanitary napkins made good emergency dressing for bullet wounds and cuts. That 'just in case mentality' saved her today. After turning off the water, she got dressed in clean clothes.
Her clothes felt clean, but they could be cleaner, the nightmare made her feel dirty still. Natalie looked at her bed, that was going to have to be done today. And it might not dry quickly enough to have a dry bed that night. Same as her night clothes.
Natalie stomach gurgled, despite how she felt, she was hungry for a meal. Looking at the window, sunlight glowed from under the tiny curtains on the tiny window. She had slept all night.
"That shit was supposed to be permanent." Natalie said aloud. She rubbed her right arm, where a syringe had been injected years before. For SOLDIER. According to her file, the docs had sterilized her. But if her period was back…
Natalie shook herself out. Moving helped herself focus. Jenova cells, the data room, reading her file. It was all related to Him. There was no escaping it. He touched nearly everything Natalie could think of, know or sing.
"It was only a nightmare. He would have never done that to me for real." Natalie's back and neck itched. She needed something to do. Think of something other than Sephiroth. She had to move, go for a walk, do something.
Getting her boots on and wrapping her laundry into a bundle. She sighed at what was under the sheets. Putting the bundle to the side, she grabbed the bucket and cleaned up the puke. Before moving onto the mattress. Whether or not it was dry by tonight, she wanted it as clean as she could manage. Before leaving with the laundry.
"It was supposed to be permanent." It had been over seven years since Natalie had had to deal with a full period. And the timing was terrible.
Barret hadn't told her yet, what his big plan was. Other than he wanted Natalie's help with it. Something that would stick it to ShinRa, help the people. She had been doing odd jobs with Biggs and some others for a while. Building up to something big.
Natalie scrubbed at the mattress with the sponge and brush she had for cleaning the tiny room. She added a new sponge to the list of other things she would have to buy today, on top of extra tampons. She would know for sure in a month, if she really needed more of them.
"I'm not really bleeding for some other reason, could I?" Natalie kept talking aloud, she was so rattled. She looked at her Materia armlet, and where it sat on the bare mattress. Natalie wondered what sort of effect it would have, under the circumstances.
Humming while scrubbing, she scrubbed at the mattress until there was only a faded pink stain. "If Jager wants me to buy a new mattress, I can afford it." She still scrubbed to give her something to do.
Jager was her landlord, the man that lived downstairs, in the room twice the size of Natalie's.
Natalie scrubbed while she thought of her top-floor cement room. It reminded her that Sephiroth had lived in the penthouse of his apartment building. Natalie started thinking of a new song, a faster one, as she scrubbed faster.
Natalie scrubbed until a tear started to form in the fabric. The stain wasn't getting any lighter than faded pink. She would sew up the hole before it got bigger, later. Washing her hands, with shampoo, until they felt clean, she grabbed her bundle and went to do laundry.
After months of dealing with her restarted period cycles. Natalie sat on her roof, watching the local support pillar and thinking of Aerith. Time had slipped by while Natalie had been getting settled. The nightmares had been rare since. But Jamie's voice hadn't bothered her in a long time. And Marin hadn't been woken up to the same mess, now that she knew that her period cycles were back.
But those were 'yesterday' problems. Natalie's 'today' problems included not wanting to cross paths with the Turks, or the wraiths. Which she hadn't seen since coming to this Sector. She wanted to play music at that moment. But it would be heard for blocks if she played on the roof. Looking at the other buildings. Hers was a luxury. For the roof to be able to take her weight. Most people had a patchwork of corrugated steel patches. Natalie's roof was more cement than patch. She could watch the sector from on high, see if trouble appeared. Her eyes picked out the support pillar again, the lights ran up and down it, showcasing the stairs that wrapped around and around it to the top of the plate.
In the night, her head started pounding, flashed and smoke covered the pillar. She could hear helicopters in the night, ones that weren't there a second ago.
Natalie shut her eyes and held her temples. She was hallucinating again. "Fuck." She whispered. Trying to ignore the sights and sounds until they faded away.
She was seeing things again, she had found a peace in not hearing Jamie's voice in a while. Nor the wraiths.
But after seeing smoke and helicopters, for a few seconds. She slipped back inside. Grateful her roof leak was solved a long time ago.
Splashing water on her face, she tried not to think of what she had just seen or heard.
Grabbing her harmonica, she played Cosmo Canyon's song. Something she could use to forget.
She was just a little crazy, but she could still go over the edge one day. She could only hold on by disbelieving, and not listening.
She went back outside to get some air, the smell wasn't so bad anymore. And her tiny room felt stuffy, especially when she was nervous.
Looking everywhere but the support pillar. She saw the shadow of a bird moving far above.
The plate above was over three hundred meters above her head. In the night she could barely see the movement between her and the lights hanging down from the underside of the plate. She saw the first feather drift close enough to a street light for her to see one. There were more feathers in the night.
Climbing back onto her roof, she found a white feather. Something that belonged to the wingtip of a bigger bird than what she saw around Midgar. 'Angeal.'
Searching the darkness, she saw the gray shadow circle far above her, before curving off towards sector six.
It was as good a sign as any.
Natalie grabbed her coat and her shoulder bag, before hearing a knock at the door.
"Yeah?"
"It's Marle." She lived up the street from Natalie.
Natalie opened the door and went back to stuffing some things in her small bag.
"Why must you live above so many stairs, Lee?" Biggs had started the nickname, and now many of her friends called her that.
Natalie liked the nickname.
"Wait, are you leaving?" The older woman had tight gray hair, barely contained before it puffed out behind the tie, in loose-fitting clothing. Marle always was swathed in dark clothes that looked comfortable.
"Hmm." Natalie made a noise. "One thing at a time, you knocked first."
"Someone was asking after you-don't give me that look girl. I know better than to let anyone pry into someone's business."
"Sorry, Marle." Natalie stopped glaring by putting her 'mask' on.
"One of my tenants, Tifa, was asking for you. And I knew where you lived, so."
Natalie felt goosebumps on her arms. She had seen a Tifa in Nibelheim. She knew there was a Tifa that worked a bar around the Sector.
"I-" 'Angeal. Or Lazard might need me.' "I can give Tifa a few minutes of my time."
"And you're bag? Are you leaving?"
"Maybe for a bit." Natalie had already been in town for nearly two years. Being on the Watch had kept her busy. Working hard enough and not socializing enough that she knew a few people very well, and not many outside of that.
"I won't ask. But..." Marle trailed off.
"But why am I packing so frantically?" Natalie finished. There wasn't much she could fit in the bag, she had a short list of what she would need if Lazard really did need her. "I might be leaving for a bit. But I can spare Tifa some time." She pulled on her coat, "Can I ask a favor of you Marle?"
"Anything."
Natalie dropped a bag of Gil in the woman's hands.
"Whatever's this for?"
"Take that to my landlord. It's four months rent." Natalie paid by the week, and in cash.
"Four months!? How long do you intend to be gone?"
"Hopefully, days or weeks. But I want to have an apartment to come back to." Natalie waved her hand around. "Including all of this stuff. 'How did I accumulate so much junk?' she thought. She had found a way to squeeze more furniture and decorations into the place in her time here.
Marle looked at Natalie was surprise and concern.
"And I plan on coming back. As soon as I can." She gave Marle her extra key as well. "Can you lock up for me?"
"Trouble's that bad, huh? Is it coming here?"
Natalie shook her head as she went out the door. "No trouble here, it's family."
Marle gave Natalie a sage nod, she understood family troubles.
"Oh, and one more thing." Natalie said.
Marle looked more concerned. "It's not another bag of Gil is it?"
"No, it's Biggs and Wedge, Tell them I'm sorry for leaving suddenly. I can't help the watch if I'm not here."
Marle shook her head while locking the door behind them both. "I'll be waiting for you to come back." She told Natalie.
"Thanks, Marle."
Natalie had heard of Tifa. But she had never met Tifa. Natalie had kept to her small circle, mostly of members of the Watch. And doing some jobs on the side for Barret.
Now Tifa was asking directly after Natalie. 'She came to me.' Natalie thought.
So she went inside, it was late and the place was already closing for the night.
"Hi." The woman wiping the bar said. "You're Natalie, right?"
Natalie nodded. She wanted to check in at the church as soon as she could manage.
"I've been seeing you around town and the bar for a while, but we never really talked."
Natalie shrugged and got close enough for quiet conversation. "I'm not much of a talker, sorry."
"That's alright."
Tifa was years older, and a little taller, than when Natalie had Seen Tifa last. When Natalie had borrowed Shawn's name for a couple of weeks. With a white shirt and black skirt, Tifa moved even more like she knew how to fight. Most importantly, after Natalie had gotten out of a burning Nibelheim. It looked like Zangan had gotten her out. And now Tifa was here.
"Anyway," Tifa smiled, "I think you know Barret? He also wanted to talk."
Natalie itched to leave, but tonight everything was happening at once.
The back door to the apartment above opened and a taller man, built like a large block, came into the bar.
"Natalie," Tifa started, "You know Barret."
Natalie had to crane her neck up to look him in the eye, she hadn't encountered anyone as tall since she had last seen Sephiroth. He was close to the same height as the other man, which put her eyes level to his chest. Making Barret hard to miss in a crowd.
Natalie gave him a nod of respect. He nodded back.
"Hey," Barret said, holding out his left hand to shake it. "Thanks for those jobs earlier."
This was important if he was being that formal.
Natalie shook his left hand with her left. His right arm was a prosthetic. Where Fahd had had a hidden blade in his prosthetic. Barret's was a giant gun, the gun wasn't hidden at all. And he kept it pointed at the ground, away from people.
Natalie shrugged off the compliments. "It's nothing. Just helping out."
"Hmm, well. I have another offer for you." He had several, actually. He had a big plan, and he could use someone with Natalie's sorts of skills. As well as her principles, especially where they concerned ShinRa.
Natalie's neck prickled the moment she put it together. 'Tonight, does this have to happen tonight?'
"I'm normally not one to ask questions after people." Barret started.
"But…" Natalie said. "Ask."
"Every body's got a different story, everybody that doesn't like them." He pointed at the TV, which was muted. And currently set to the twenty-four-hour news channel. ShinRa's news channel, not that there was any other.
Natalie took a long drink, while laughing into it.
"What's so funny?" Barret started side-eyeing her.
Natalie cut off her chuckle. "ShinRa. Where do I start?…" she put her drink down. "Well, if I had to pick one reason." She slid her goggles to her forehead. "There are, a lot of hopefuls that join the army, go for SOLDIER. They want the pay, or the glory. Or some fool wants to be a hero." 'Sorry Zack, but it's true. Take it from both of us, heroes get other people killed.'
Tifa chose that moment to take a long swig of her drink.
Natalie stared into her own drink before continuing. "But did you know that, sometimes. Sometimes someone finds a candidate that they decide to forgo asking, and just shove them into the program?"
"What are you getting at?" Barret asked her.
Natalie looked at Barret with her blue-green eyes. The green used to be gray, the blue that used to be less bright. "They didn't ask me if I wanted to be a SOLDIER."
Barret grunted, picking up his own drink. "I thought they were all volunteers."
Natalie shook her head. She also had the feeling that the other two people were under-reacting to her supposed bomb she had dropped on them. "You don't look surprised Barret."
"I had a feeling," Tifa told Natalie. "People around here don't ask questions."
"But." Natalie said.
"People 'round here love to gossip." Barret put his cup down, empty. "Ya didn't learn how to swing that sword of yers around here. Biggs was on cloud nine for a while, after he brought ya' here."
Tifa smiled a little, "I think Biggs likes you."
Natalie stared into her drink. She didn't see how anyone could like her. 'There aren't many places around here where people can learn to fight like I can.' She finished her drink. 'Wait, Biggs LIKES me? As in like-likes me?' she still didn't see it.
SOLDIERs were like one-man armies. They were marketed as such. Especially Sephiroth. A 'cut above', the 'best of the best' they had a reputation. So if one had joined the Watch, and Natalie had. People noticed when the monsters were dealt with easily. It wasn't a mark against the people here, everyone was doing what they could with what they had. Natalie just had more training and experience than many people here.
"No, I didn't come I here a beginner with the sword. I came here a former SOLDIER."
"Hmm, that could be useful, to the right people." Barret told her.
Natalie looked at her empty cup, but she didn't ask Tifa to fill it. "But only the right people. I don't work for THEM, anymore." 'Never again.'
Barret put his gun arm on the table, making a noise. "Naw, ShinRa can kiss my ass good-bye."
Natalie laughed, "they couldn't pay me enough to go back." 'All the Gil in the world won't make me walk into the science lab. Fuck Hojo.'
"Ain't that the truth!" Barret told Natalie.
He went to move his right hand, but it was a gun, sighing, Barret put it back on the table. He had been about to do something but he decided not to.
Tifa looked like she wanted to ask Marin something.
Natalie felt her face still as her mask formed.
"How long ago was it you left SOLDIER?" Tifa asked. "If you don't mind me asking."
"Years ago. Why?"
"Oh, well. I was just wondering if you might know a friend of mine that left to join SOLDIER."
"How long ago?" Natalie did the math in her head. Of how long it had been since she had even joined SOLDIER. Too long.
Tifa thought about it, "It's been about six years now. Maybe you know him? His name's Cloud Strife."
Natalie kept her face still, regretting not getting a refill on her drink. "I don't recall. No, wait six years ago?" Her eyes tracked another of those damned wraiths drifting along the back of the bar. 'Cue my fear, stage right.' "Yeah, no. That was after my time there. I'm sorry Tifa."
"Oh, well, that's OK." She looked disappointed and started wiping down the bar.
Natalie kept he face still, a mask, as she remembered that week in Nibelheim. Which also reminded her of the first time she had been there.
The wraith disappeared into the wall.
'Fuck, what is wrong with me?' There was no good time for Natalie to hallucinate.
"Hmm," Barret said, "that puts you in SOLDIER during the War."
"Yeah." Natalie said.
"Hmmm." Barret didn't ask any further. He still wore his dog tags from that.
Natalie hadn't actually served on a front during the war with Wutai. But she had seen enough fighting and enough loss to get that shadowed, tired, look in her eyes. Natalie had seen too much shit, and it showed some days more than others.
Barret changed the subject, "Now that that's out of the way." Barret started, "About this plan." Barret looked around the bar. Empty except for the three of them. He looked ready to tell Natalie something important.
Natalie had other things on her mind though. She looked at Tifa. "Uh, hold that thought Barret. Tifa, can I get one more for the road?"
"What?" Barret cried. "What do yah mean 'fer tha' road'?"
Natalie rubbed her face. "It's not that. I want to help, really I do."
"But." Barret said.
"But." Marin took a deep breath. "But I just got word from a brother of mine. Er-found family, he's like a brother. Anyway, he needs to talk, right now. I wasn't there when someone else in the family died. And I-" she searched for the words. "My family's been having a bit of a crisis lately. And they need my help. Then as soon as that's fixed. I can come back and help you and Tifa with-" Natalie waved her hand. "Whatever you need me for."
"Hmm," Barret made a noise, "You've already been a huge help around here. On the Watch and helping out Jessie. I don't wanna ask anyone that doesn't want in. And family comes first."
"Yeah, family. Thanks Barret." Natalie looked away. "Outside of town, they're the only family I have left."
Tifa leaned forward over the bar, "You must care about your brother very much."
Natalie nodded. "I'd like to think so." She turned to leave. "And Barret?"
"Yeah?"
"I don't know how long I'll be. I'll be back as soon as I can. But when I do return." 'And I will return.' "You can depend on me to stick around."
"See that you do." He told her.
Natalie nodded, only stopping when Tifa got her attention.
Tifa asked. "Does your landlord know you'll be out for a bit?"
"Marle found me, I asked her to handle it for me."
"You're really leaving right now? Alone?" Barret asked her.
"Not the first time I've traveled at night Barret."
"Well, if you're sure." He turned back to the bar. Tifa started pouring him another drink.
Natalie promised, "I'll see you both when I get back."
Barret came around to slap Natalie on the back with his left hand. "That's a promise! And when yah get back, I can tell you all about the Plan."
Natalie nodded in agreement. She was gone as soon as she finished that second drink.
