Author note: sorry, I try to update once a week but I got distracted.


Chapter start

See, I hadn't thought this through. Vergil had grasped me firmly around the waist and hefted me easily up into his arms. Now I couldn't even use my short legs to prolong this train wreck waiting to happen.

His long strides had carried me from the room, barely giving me the time to flash a smile to the startled Aerith.

"I'll be back soon." Famous last words. Why had I said them again?

Nobody blinked at the fast pace Virgil set and I couldn't blame them. He was intimidating on a good day. A beautiful but deadly serpent slithering around. Crossing him or any Turk was a sure way for death to come calling.

His pace insured that the beautiful and sterile walls of Shinra blurred beside me as I resisted the urge to rip his hair.

Ah, what the hell.

My fingers tangled into the black silk and I gave a small tug. Vergil flicked his eyes to me and grinned innocently.

"There a reason you're assaulting my head?" His voice was blank as he ran a keyboard through a slot next to the elevator. The doors slid opened with a hiss.

"So soft," I said with a small simper.

"Sometimes I swear…" He muttered but cut himself off, dropping me without ceremony.

"Do you have any idea who that girl is?"

I blinked owlishly. "My friend."

"Hardly. There isn't any way your Dad is going to be okay with you seeing her once, let alone making her a pet."

I pretended to think hard. "Are friends' pets?"

If the question from a child bothered him, he didn't blink. "For anyone else? No. For a Shinra? I wonder sometimes."

Worry threaded into my brain and body. That had sounded almost bitter. My bodyguard had a blunt tone but he never showed discontent. Words of malcontent wouldn't do any good. Shinra crushed them without conscious or concern.

"Don't say things like that." I clutched the bottom of his shirt, tugging it until he looked at me. "You're my friend too. I don't want you going away like the others."

Vergil tsked, his big hand ruffling my hair. "You act so charming. But you pay attention. That's dangerous too, kiddo."

Didn't I know it. But I kept getting drug around by others due to my age. I couldn't help the fact I was really an adult. I didn't know how to be a believable kid. The few memories I had of childhood were way too long ago and definitely not suited to this life. I couldn't do random cartwheels and temper tantrums were met with simple indulgence, not scolding. So long as I acted well at the parties I was paraded at I could do as I like usually.

The doors swished open and Vergil pushed lightly on my back. President Shinra was in some kind of loose meeting with Reeve and Scarlet. I obviously had some beef with the woman. The game didn't do her justice. She was a bitch and a half.

I also took offense that Tifa hadn't been able to just bitch slap the hag into the next dimension. Trained martial artist versus corporate psychopath who wouldn't know exercise if it paid her to do it. Never made much sense to me.

Reeve however was delightful. A true gentleman and if anyone deserved blessings in this damned company it was him. Not yet. Shinra hadn't done anything too heinous yet, the war with Wutai still far off. I thought at least. Mako production had gripped the continents and the reactors were being built across them. I didn't know specifics of course, just what I gleamed from gossiping secretaries and Rufus. Mother rarely spoke of things like that and Father was tight lipped. A girl shouldn't think of such things.

They both turned as we walked in, Scarlet barely refraining from a comment and Reeve smiling slightly in indulgence. President Shinra rested his chin on his criss crossed fingers, eyebrows coming together.

"What is this?" His voice was cold and commanding. The voice of a general used to being obeyed.

Vergil stuffed his hands into his pockets and I realized again how odd he really looked next to the others. Even me. His suit was expensive, sure, but it wasn't the level expensive of the others.

Scarlet with her, of course, scarlet dress, cut in a way nothing was to the imagination. Reeve in proper business attire. And President Shinra being the most understated yet obviously well dressed of them all. The only similarity was that he and Vergil had the same weariness to them, always checking surroundings. An army man's training.

I hadn't had nearly enough time to plan. And I hadn't counted on an audience. Still, I pasted a smile on and headed around the too large desk.

President Shinra tracked me with his eyes. "Causing trouble again, no doubt."

"Always," I giggled happily. I paused beside him and waited with expectancy. There were certain truths I had realized would always happen.

Scarlet cleared her throat. "President, as fun as it always is to see your children, this is an important meeting." She spun on Vergil. "Why did you bring her here?"

Vergil had zero respect for Scarlet and I loved the man for it. Really. "I'm just a glorified dog on a leash. The Princess tugs, and I go."

Okay, throw me under the bus. All you had to do was let me see Aerith and we wouldn't be here, Mr. Doggy.

Scarlet scowled. "And this life satisfies a Turk. Good help is so hard to find."

"Enough, Scarlet. Vergil is perfect at his job. The little miss hasn't been so well guarded before." Ah Reeve. Give me a few years and I'll be your matchmaker. I didn't remember the game mentioning a Mrs. Reeve and I knew he didn't have one yet.

"Indeed," President Shinra sighed almost tiredly.

He released the stiff posture and shifted to lift me. A normal Father would have placed me on his lap. Instead, I felt the cool surface of his desk. It was chilled and I smoothed my fingers along the desk.

"What do you want?"

Sometimes I admitted this particular relationship in my life was lonely. It might have been that I was a girl. The President had nothing to do with me beyond a need and wants check list. It also might have been he assumed as a girl my Mother would care for any icky emotional needs. He seemed pleased yet perplexed at my closeness with Rufus too.

I gave a girly giggle. "I want a new friend."

The perplexity on his face was comical. His fingers flexed before sighing, leaning his still muscled body back into his chair. He rubbed his temple tiredly.

"So, have your mother arrange to have the daughters of other people here. Pick your friends from that."

Yes, because I wanted to hang out with a bunch of vapid giggling girls. Sure, they had a maturity that regular kids didn't have due to background. But a kid was still at heart, a kid. I wouldn't even bother with this if I wasn't feeling a guilt overload.

There had been concerning jolts to the adults in my life. One, was I developed quickly. Despite my best efforts to slow it down I had grown too impatient. So, I ended up a bit ahead of the usual growth pattern in an infant in this world. However now I didn't have to worry. I didn't care enough about schooling to continue showing off. I had just wanted to walk and communicate quickly.

There had also been my maturity, and the way I clung to Rufus. I ignored other children my age to follow him like a duckling. At parties where he couldn't be my main escape, I stuck to the buffet rather than play. It led to me being considered an ideal child, but my family found me odd. Well, my parents. Rufus was arrogant as an adult so of course that started as a kid. He just felt superior that I went to him for everything I could.

"I already found one. Vergil says I need your permission to play with her though."

Six eyes swiveled to Vergil who bore the scrutiny with his usual aplomb. That's what you get for trying to make this all me pal.

President Shinra grunted a little. "So how does this concern me? Explain."

I didn't think many people could stand those eyes on them. The President seemed to always be digging right into you, finding secrets and filing them away for later.

Vergil cocked his head. "Oh, believe me. What kid do we all know that's already in the Shinra tower? That's her age." He considered his words for a moment. "Roughly her age."

There was a pause from all three of the other adults in the room, while Vergil looked smug. Reeve looked the most pained. Gods, that man chose the wrong career path.

"Absolutely not," President Shinra nearly snapped. As it was his voice was low and dangerous. "How did Sophie even get to that room?"

His hand found my leg and rested on it; fingers clenched. He was angry. Terrific. I maintained a happy smile and started a drum beat against his hand. It jolted him enough he released the tight grip, allowing me to play with the large hand. I ran my fingers along the calloused palm and knew, at the least, he used to be a hard worker.

Technically I guess he still was. He just became the planets worse enemy while following a drive for power and world domination.

"Another one of her fun little games of hide and seek. She was caught on camera using a laundry cart."

"How… inventive of the child," Scarlet forced a laugh. Her eyes were filled with disdain though.

Reeve was genuinely concerned. "Oh Sophie. Running from your bodyguard isn't safe."

"It was a fun game." I forced a beaming smile to my face. Reeve softened a little to see it. "Uncle Reeve never plays with me. Only Rufus and Vergil do."

"Sweetie, if you come to my office rather than run around, I'll have something fun for you."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"I'll bring Aerith too! She's perfectly splendid. But she's too tiny. I didn't know people my age could be that tiny."

"Tiny?" President Shinra tightened his grip again, this time around my own fingers.

This was my new plan. I knew the chances of seeing Aerith again without sneaking were minimum at best. But I also knew these people, except Reeve and maybe Vergil, thought she was just a specimen. A means to an end. However, a damaged specimen was useless.

I nodded and made my voice indifferent. "Yeah, and filthy. She looked like one of those people under the plate. Real nasty looking. Kinda sick too, like them people who come back all icky sometimes."

"Arrange a meeting with Hojo." President Shinra dropped his hand on my head and I giggled, despite my disgust. Reeve looked absolutely disheartened at my words, but this was the game I has to play. I shouldn't even interfere this much but how could I not?

"So, can Aerith belong to Sophie? I'll take good care of her."

"Aerith is… a very special girl. One day, she'll be a very important person."

"More important than me?" My lips shifted into a pout.

It made both Reeve and the President chuckle while Scarlet scoffed. "Well of course-… Not." She bit the words back when Virgil shifted a half step closer. Her glare was liquid fire that should have burned.

I wondered sometimes. Because Scarlet seethed worse whenever President Shinra spared me any attention. I knew logically they'd had an affair; Scarlet was just that sort. I didn't think there had been any flames to it for a very long time though. It made me wonder of maybe it has been before the Shinra power couple married. Had Scarlet had her eyes on that crown?

Tragic then, that Aria Shinra was the more natural beauty of the two. Not to mention the one who came equipped with good breeding, money, and a list of business connections. President Shinra would have been a fool not to marry her over a horse bitch like Scarlet.

"of course not. There are only two women who mean anything to me. You and-"

"Mommy! Right, Daddy?"

Scarlet was biting her lip so hard I wondered how blood didn't gush. President Shinra chuckled. The exchange should have been sweet. However his smile never reached his eyes and I imagined swallowing vomit whenever I simpered like a good little girl for him.

"That's right. As for the girl…"

"Sir, if I may?" Reeve interrupted. His gaze flickered to me before looking back for his boss. "It's rare for the little miss to show any interest beyond herself and the immediate people she is around. This may be an opportunity."

"Loath as I am to admit it, Reeve has a point." Scarlet looked like she was swallowing arsenic. "It might be worth having one of them close to someone in your family. Especially if we need to rely on it, rather than its mother."

He hummed thoughtfully and then startled me. He lifted me back from the desk and dropped me to the ground. I gave him a startled look. He was done with me now, so I didn't get a glance back.

"Perhaps," He muttered. "Vergil take her back to her room. It's past her lunch time."

Alarm crossed my veins. "What about Aerith?"

"I'll think about it."

I wanted to protest, but I was again hefted like a grain of rice and swiftly carried from the room. This was my life. Even the few times I tried to maybe make a difference, I failed.


End chapter