She certainly looks the part of vice president.
In the morning, Reeve watches Rufus give a speech to a flood of spectators, charismatic and charming and a real leader, but Reeve thinks his speech may have been influenced by Charlie's own words. It sounds suspiciously like something she might go on a tangent about after having a few drinks, complaining about the way her father ran the company.
Regardless of whose speech it actually is, Reeve can't help but notice the way Charlie looks at her brother while he speaks, with a look of pure and unfiltered love, adoration, admiration, a smile on her face that speaks far louder than Rufus's empty words do.
"Oh, her dress is so lovely," his assistant sighs when she enters his office to deliver some mail, looking wistfully at the television. "How does it feel to know you're going to be marrying the vice president now, sir?"
Reeve can't help but laugh breathily. "I suppose it's a little intimidating, between you and me," he answers truthfully.
His assistant raises a hand to her mouth, laughing quietly before taking her leave.
After the speeches are done, Charlie rides in the backseat of a topless car, shoulder to shoulder with her brother, smiling in her very practiced way and waving to those who reach for her, who shout for her, who hold up t-shirts and banners and pennants with her last name written across them all.
At one point, Charlie even looks right into a camera and smiles shyly, blowing a kiss to no one in particular, but it makes Reeve smile when he sees it.
All the while, Rufus sits in the car, looking uninterested and offering smiles only when his sister turns to him to teasingly scold him, one of his arms thrown over her shoulders, resting on the back of the seats. The music blares through the speakers, a band following hot on the heels of the car.
It's almost odd to see Charlie without a Turk at her side. It almost makes him nervous, makes him feel as if their vulnerability does not go unnoticed. There are one or two guards in the car, crammed in the front seat with their guns in their laps, but they're prime targets for an assasination attempt, and it makes Reeve's heart race.
He continues to watch them closely, reminded of the conversation they had almost had the morning she left for Junon. He hadn't needed to hear Charlie say anything for him to understand. He understands her far more than she gives him credit for sometimes.
He's no fool, even if Charlie wants to believe it.
He knows that Charlie and Rufus had been alone together for the greater part of their childhood, knows that Veld had caught them kissing a few times as children (and a few times as teenagers, though Charlie has always steadfastly denied anything less than innocent), knows that they continue to share a bed when away from the city, even well into adulthood.
Of course he doesn't blame her for it, nor would her confession change his mind about their future, but it is unsettling. Despite Charlie believing that she does hold some power in her regards to Rufus, the only reason she believes that is because Rufus has allowed her to believe that.
Perhaps there had been some power she once held over him. After all, she was the first born. But whatever power she held over her brother had evaporated the moment their father named Rufus the vice president.
Before he had even asked President Shinra if he could marry Charlie, Reeve had placed a phone call to someone he hadn't spoken to for years, someone that Charlie had no idea he was still able to contact. There had been things he wanted to know, things he wanted to say, and a small part of him wanted to hear the voice again he hadn't heard in years, just to make sure that it hadn't all been a dream.
It had taken Reeve twenty minutes to confess to Veld his intentions, and he had been surprised by the answer he received, an angry tirade of reasons as to why Charlie should have been off-limits from day one.
"That girl wasn't fit to be with you four years ago, and she's not fit to marry anyone even now. That girl has the emotional capacity of a fifteen-year-old and you're telling me you want to marry her?" Veld had replied, and Reeve could easily picture his face while listening to the horrible scolding. It made him feel guilty, like he had taken advantage of her, like he had coerced her into doing things she didn't really want to be doing. "Charlotte hasn't a clue what a healthy marriage looks like. Are you prepared for that? Are you prepared for her to leave when the going gets tough? That brother of hers will have you shot dead before you see yourself married to her, Reeve, I'm telling you. He's been grooming her since they were children, and we all know how Charlotte feels about her brother."
He had to remind himself that it had been a long time since Veld had seen Charlie. She had still been young when last they met, and she had been on the brink of adulthood, still struggling with a childish mentality that would eventually be helped along by her spending a large amount of time with Tseng.
The conversation had ended on a hopeful note, however, once Reeve had been given a chance to explain himself, to tell Veld the truth of their happy relationship. And then he had asked the question he regrets ever asking, but he couldn't help himself.
"Has anything ever happened between Charlie and her brother?"
"They were the only children around the home for years, close enough in age to make no difference, their mother was gone and their father absent, and he's been the only boy that's loved her consistently since he was born until now. Make of that what you will."
There had been a long silence afterwards, in which Reeve could hear Veld huffing and puffing and scoffing and sighing, like he couldn't believe what he was hearing. During that time, Reeve didn't think he really had the heart to go through with a proposal, especially knowing what Veld had meant to Charlie, but he had been given an ultimatum that seemed just fine to him.
"If you ever hurt that girl, I will kill you myself, is that clear? And I won't make it quick."
The wind had been knocked out of him. "Yes, sir," he'd replied, and that had been the end of any marriage talk. "Yes, that sounds fine. Thank you."
"How is she? Is Tseng still taking care of her?"
"He's been very kind to her, don't worry," Reeve had promised him. "She's really good, Veld. And she misses you, even if she won't admit it to me."
"Okay," he had said quietly into the phone. "She's a good girl, Reeve. She's not like them."
"I know it."
If she were to leave Midgar, where would she go?
The question is on her mind from the moment she slips into the back of the roofless car with her brother. She puts on her false smile, gives some red-faced men a few waves, reaches out as if hoping to touch hands with the children waving pennants with her last name on it, and blows a shy kiss to the camera once, hoping that Reeve is watching.
And all the while, she tries to work out the answer to the question that her own brain poses: where would she go?
She knows there's a tiny, hidden village way up north, but Charlie has never liked the cold, and that seems a bit too isolated for her. And besides, she would need an airship or a boat to get her to the northern continent, and then she would need to brave the faces of dangerous mountains and cliffs to even reach the village.
She could go south, towards the Mideel area. She would need a boat to get there, as well, but it might be easy to stow away on some fishing boat if she was willing to bribe the captain. No one would think to look for her in Mideel, and with it being such a small community, the other villagers might be willing to aid her, might be willing to hide her away.
Or they might give her up the moment a Turk comes to town, waving a hefty reward in everyone's faces or beating half the village to death before someone confesses and she's being dragged back on board a ship destined for Midgar.
Is there anywhere that is safe from Shinra? Is there anywhere safe for her and Reeve? If she were to leave, to disappear off the face of the planet, and if she were to bring Reeve with her, she knows what would happen to him the moment someone caught up with them.
She knows that Reeve would, most likely, be killed. He knows too much, and if it becomes clear that he poses some kind of threat towards Rufus, if it becomes clear that he's willing to go into hiding with Charlie, her brother won't care whether he's brought back alive.
There is one place, however, a place that's not entirely removed from Shinra, but a place where Charlie is certain she could find help. If she were to go to Rocket Town, she's certain that Cid would help her the best he could once she finished pleading her case, and with his Tiny Bronco, they could go anywhere, and she could find some tiny hamlet or a densely populated town to hide in plain sight.
But if she brought Reeve with her to Rocket Town . . . would Cid still help them if he knew what was going on?
The fact of the matter is, if she were to leave, if she were to run away and disappear, she couldn't possibly bring Reeve along with her, and that breaks her heart. She can't imagine a life without him now, doesn't want to imagine a life without him.
Charlie glances down at the ring on her finger, twisting it anxiously.
Rufus might use him as leverage, in an attempt to lure her back to Midgar, but Charlie knows that her brother would not kill Reeve in the hopes that she would be angry enough to return. Killing Reeve would only serve to push Charlie further away, and she might never return to Midgar if that were the case.
Maybe she doesn't have to find a new home to settle down in, to hide until Rufus has either died or changed his ways (she's convinced he'll die before changing).
Maybe she just needs to get to the Turks, to find Tseng and explain to him that Rufus is scaring her, that his touches are no longer about seeking any kind of comfort from her, that his touches are now about the power he holds, that they're about taking what he wants as president, that they're about owning everything in sight, even his sister.
She could explain that she doesn't feel safe, in the hopes of appealing to the part of him that still holds Veld in some high regard. Would Tseng be susceptible to a guilt-trip? She could explain that she doesn't want to be alone, in the hopes of appealing to the part of him that genuinely cares for her.
She's willing to do anything, so long as Tseng believes her in the end and tries to help her.
She could try to call him, of course, but she doesn't want to distract him while he's tracking Sephiroth. And she's afraid that her phone is bugged, afraid that Rufus might hear what she's planning, what she's saying to Tseng, and then the both of them would be killed, and probably Reeve, for good measure.
And yet . . . even if she were to go anywhere, how would she get there? Rufus would make sure she wouldn't have access to any money (or he might allow her access, if only to track her purchases), and while she's content with sleeping below the stars for a night or two, traveling across an entire continent alone is a completely different story.
Even with a gun, she wouldn't be able to hold off any monsters, especially if they moved in packs.
And in addition to monsters, there might be bandits, or deployed military men on the lookout for the missing vice president. She would have no transportation, no supplies, she would have to make her own meals (she can't even cook over a stove, how could she cook over a fire?). If she entered an inn, she would surely be recognized, and getting supplies would become difficult with everyone searching for her.
Charlie doesn't know that she would be able to travel a few miles on foot, let alone several hundred miles. She wouldn't last a day on her own, accustomed to other people fighting her battles for her, keeping her safe, cooking her food.
The thought is not only discouraging, but a brutal blow to her self-esteem. Why hadn't she taken Tseng seriously when he wanted her to learn to defend herself? Why hadn't she tried to learn how to do things for herself? Why hadn't she ever put forth the necessary effort into becoming independent, instead relying on assistance from the Turks for something so simple as helping her dress?
"The people would never have cheered like this for Father," Rufus says, a smile plastered to his face. He chooses not to wave, leaving that for Charlie. "Look how much they love us, Charlie."
Charlie's smile never falters, her eyes scanning the crowd. There's not a single familiar face among the street full of people, and the music that comes from the band behind them is starting to give her a headache.
Is it me they love? Or is it Rufus? Or is it Shinra?
She can't forget the speech that she had given, claiming responsibility for the attacks. Rufus hasn't yet cleared her name, despite his promises to do so soon, but Charlie has a feeling that the clearing of her name will not come free of charge.
He's going to want something in return, and she's afraid of the price.
I'm a hostage, she thinks, still smiling so hard that her cheeks hurt. Reeve is a hostage. We aren't safe, but we can't leave.
Charlie continues to wave, blaming the tears at the corners of her eyes on the chill wind when Rufus asks.
". . . President Shinra, and his sister, Madam Vice President Shinra!"
Charlie walks at Rufus's side through the doors to the dock, greeted by the hoarse and scratchy voice of the guard that announces them, not bothering to announce Heidegger, who trails behind them, his nose still bruised and broken, his cheeks flushed red as if the short walk has thoroughly exhausted him.
Charlie had hoped that they would immediately depart for Costa del Sol, eager to see Reeve again, but they're stopped by a few infantrymen who look nervous, standing in a line with their firearms and being led in a slightly impressive routine by their captain.
Rufus seems unimpressed in general, and Heidegger takes a savage pleasure in quietly abusing the uniformed men in Rufus's left ear. Charlie watches politely, offering a small smile at all three men who are facing her, waving their guns around and trying their best.
Regardless, he claps lightly afterwards, thanks them for a job well done, and enters the boat, muttering under his breath and using words like "waste of time".
"Why don't you get settled in, sister? It's going to be a long trip," he tells her as they make their way across the desk, where only a few people have decided to join them, the rest of the military left behind in Junon. "And I have business to discuss with Heidegger."
Charlie stops amidships, and it takes Rufus a moment to realize she's no longer at his side. "Why can't I be there, too?"
Rufus closes the space between them, taking a few intimidating steps closer until he's right in her face. If they were alone, Charlie is sure his hand would already be pulling hard on her hair, for no other reason than to show her he can. "Because I don't want a pathetic little traitor in all of my meetings," he hisses against her lips. "Didn't you hear what I said? Do I need to repeat myself?"
Charlie purses her lips, attempting to maintain as much of her dignity as possible. "I'm not a traitor," she replies through gritted teeth.
"Maybe I don't want you repeating every little thing to that doormat you left behind in Midgar," Rufus continues, glancing around to make sure no one is paying them much attention. "Bleeding hearts, the both of you. It's sickening. Now go, and don't make me say it again."
Sighing, Charlie makes her way back down to the cargo hold, in the hopes of finding her own luggage that had been stashed on the ship hours ago, before her brother had even given his speech. Unfortunately, there's far too much cargo to go through, and there are far too many people in the hold to go unnoticed.
It's only when she turns away from the suitcase in a small alcove that looked like her own does she notice something is off.
A few uniformed soldiers are standing on the other side of the hold, clearly trying to be discreet, hiding slightly behind a wooden crate that does well concealing the majority of them. They're all dressed in blue, in the Shinra uniform, their faces relatively hidden from view, but none of them have weapons on them.
Save for one, who stands out amidst his other three friends.
She isn't quite sure how he managed to sneak aboard, all things considered. Charlie recognizes him right away, even if he hasn't seen her yet. It seems strange that his presence wouldn't raise any alarm, and she wonders if that's because the person who would have raised the alarm is now dead.
She genuinely hopes that's not the case, but at the same time, she's pleased that they were able to get aboard without issue.
The sailor suit he's wearing seems to be several sizes too small, tight against his arms, the seams ready to split. She can't help but have a little respect for him, wearing a straight face in such a ridiculous outfit, with his right sleeve ripped in order to make room for the massive gun that's been grafted onto his right arm.
She still has so many questions about that. But those questions can wait.
If he's on board, then . . .
Charlie tries to identify any of the others that the gun-armed man is speaking with. She wonders if one of his friends is the yellow-haired one that has Angeal's sword. Those questions can't wait. She needs answers, wants answers so badly, just to give her a sense of closure after the remaining questions that Tseng's information had left her with.
Charlie continues to hide behind the cargo, watching carefully. She can't hear them talking, but the gun-armed man looks angry.
What is she supposed to do? Is it possible that Avalanche is here on a mission to exterminate both she and her brother? Or do they have other plans? If they are tracking Sephiroth, why would they need to come to Costa del Sol? Where are the Turks? Have they already crossed the sea and moved beyond the resort town to continue the chase?
They may be my last hope, she thinks desperately, wondering what the chances are of being gunned down the moment she gets within five feet of them. They could bring me as close to Rocket Town as possible.
Is Rocket Town really her ultimate goal?
The thought makes her hesitate. What could Cid really be able to do for her? Where in the world could his Tiny Bronco take her that Shinra wouldn't be able to reach? And wouldn't someone think to check Rocket Town for her?
She has connections there, she has her rocket there, and Cid is there. Would Rufus do anything to Cid? Would Cid keep his mouth shut if he had information on Charlie?
There's no doubt in her mind that Rufus would definitely have Cid killed if he wanted to. Cid means less to him that Reeve does, and killing Cid would be completely different to him than killing the man Charlie is to marry.
All right, maybe she won't go to Rocket Town. Regardless of what Cid thinks of her, she isn't going to willingly put him in danger just to escape her brother.
But if she could travel with Avalanche just for a little while, she might be able to put enough distance between her and Rufus to take things into her own hands. Maybe she could find a place to hide along the way, taking her leave of them wherever she sees fit.
Charlie takes a single step forward. Even if she is gunned down, she doesn't really think she has much time left to her anyway. One of these days, Rufus is going to snap, and she wouldn't put it past him to accidentally kill her in a fiery passion, only to stop and consider the consequences after she's already dead.
Her only hope left is Avalanche, and that's a terrifying thought.
Charlie puts on her best "vice president" face and approaches, trying hard not to show any fear as she approaches, less than half the size of the man she's approaching. "Well, well, well," she says firmly the moment she's able to be heard, and everyone jumps at once, turning to face her. "Fancy meeting you here."
The man moves swiftly, lifting his arm to point the machine gun in her face. Charlie holds her hands up in the air, but doesn't falter. "If it ain't Charlotte Shinra herself," he growls.
"If you shoot me, you'll all be slaughtered before we dock," Charlie hisses, and that's enough to give the man pause, lowering his arm slightly. She glances towards his friends, their faces still hidden, but up close, she can tell that two of them are women. "Aren't you one short? What happened to the creature you had with you the night my father was murdered?"
"Don't think you're really in any position to be askin' questions, Shinra."
Charlie clenches her jaw, lowering her hands back to her sides. "We need to talk."
The gun-armed man turns to his friends. None of them go to remove their masks, which would make Charlie feel much better, but she isn't going to ask Avalanche to expose themselves.
"I'm going to take your silence to mean you agree?" she continues, growing irritated and sighing. "If it makes you feel any better, I haven't had the chance to tell Rufus that you're all on board, otherwise you would all be dead by now. Besides, did you really believe that you would go unnoticed in that outfit?"
He looks slightly offended, looking down at himself. "All right, fine, but you got three minutes and then I'm callin' it. Time starts now."
"Not here," she snaps. "Come with me."
After a moment's hesitation, Charlie leads them discreetly through the cargo bay and to her own small cabin, where everyone seems to feel safe enough to remove their helmets, revealing themselves at last to her.
One of the women is the bartender from Seventh Heaven, shaking out her long, dark hair and making a soft sound of disgust as she wipes the sweat off her forehead with the back of a gloved hand.
To Charlie's surprise, the other woman is also recognizable. Of course, she had been on the rooftop the night of her father's brutal murder, but she had been far too out of sorts after witnessing such a graphic scene to really take in the members of Avalanche who had come for Rufus.
However, Charlie remembers very clearly seeing the girl before, the night the plate had fallen. They had both turned a corner and run right into each other before darting off again.
The third member that removes his helmet is none other than the young man who had carried Angeal's sword through the reactor on live television. She almost abandons her train of thought altogether at the sight of him, sweat-soaked and flushed, just to ask about the sword, but when she catches his eye, she almost forgets what she had been meaning to say completely.
They hold each other's gaze for a moment. Charlie would recognize eyes like that anywhere. She had spent months looking into eyes just like them, blue and green and glowing.
"I bet you get that all the time," she had said, all those years ago, upon being able to really look into his eyes for the first time, inches away from his face, privately hoping he would kiss her after confessing she thought his eyes were pretty.
But he had laughed, smiling at her. "Not from pretty girls, anyway."
Lost in thought, it takes Charlie a moment to realize that she's been staring very hard at the poor boy and his mako-infused eyes. "You're a SOLDIER," she whispers, as if this is some terrible secret.
He nods curtly. "Yeah, ex-SOLDIER."
She tries to remember if she had ever seen him before, but given that she spent more time with the First Class SOLDIERs than the rest of them, she doesn't think she'll be able to recall even a name. "What class?" she asks.
The boy doesn't hesitate. "First Class."
"First Class?" Charlie repeats, surprised.
That can't be right. She knew the First Class SOLDIERs, was very familiar with them, and after the mass desertion and after Sephiroth had died, her father had urged the new director to promote a few Second Class SOLDIERs in order to fill the roles. As far as she knows, this boy hadn't been one of them.
"What's your name?" she asks again. "I don't remember you."
He hesitates this time. "Cloud."
Charlie thinks hard, but she's interrupted by the gun-armed man yelling in her ear. "Hey! Shinra! Your time's tickin', kid. Better be fast."
Why is this so hard? Maybe it's because she has one of the biggest men she's ever seen breathing hard down her neck, waiting for her to say something offensive, waiting for her to threaten them, she's sure.
Or maybe it's the thought that she's actually going to go through with this. Is it crazy? Is it completely insane? No . . . not insane. She needs help, and the only people who can help her are the people standing in her cabin with her, staring at her with wide eyes and waiting for her to start speaking.
"I know you're all tracking Sephiroth," she begins, breathing a little too heavily. "It's what the Turks have been ordered to do, as well, so what I ask of you shouldn't be an issue."
Cloud and the doe-eyed girl exchange the briefest of looks, while the bartender and the gun-armed man never look away from Charlie. "Look, I dunno if you've heard," the big man says again, "but our stance is pretty anti-Shinra at the moment."
"I know," she replies, looking up into his face.
"Barret . . ." The bartender places a hand on the man's forearm as he opens his mouth to speak again. Her voice is soft, gentle, and slightly concerned.
Perhaps she's afraid of what Charlie could do to them, but she wouldn't dream of hurting them or putting them in danger, not while they're able to help her.
"I need you to bring me to the Turks. I'll pay you, handsomely, but only if you can do that."
There's a silence that hangs heavy over the five of them, and then Barret scoffs. "We ain't for hire," he tells her, putting his good hand on his hip. It might be more intimidating if he wasn't wearing a sailor suit. "We ain't a Shinra delivery service, and we definitely don't want your blood money."
Cloud, arms crossed over his chest, looks skeptical. "What do you need from the Turks?"
Charlie is afraid of revealing too much information, but she needs to tell them something if this is going to work. "It's not really all of the Turks that I need," she explains, knowing that it won't be enough. "I need you to bring me to Tseng."
"Let me get this straight," Barret answers, narrowing his eyes at her. "You want us, Avalanche, to drop the vice president of Shinra Incorporated at the feet of some Turk, right?" When Charlie nods, he presses on. "And you expect us to believe we'll get paid for that? Maybe with a bullet in the back of our heads the second we turn around."
"If I tell Tseng not to kill you, he won't. Once I explain everything, I swear, we'll go our separate ways."
"That didn't answer my question," Cloud interrupts, shifting uncomfortably in the uniform he wears. She wishes he had the sword on him, just so she could take a look at it one last time. "Why do you need us to bring you to the Turks?"
Charlie looks around at them all again. She's uncomfortable with the way the doe-eyed girl looks at her, instead settling her gaze on Cloud, looking into familiar eyes that bring her some comfort, despite him not being Angeal.
What is she supposed to say? That she's running away? "I'm not safe with my brother," she whispers, and it shocks herself to hear it said. She's always felt safe with her brother. "And I think Tseng is the only one left who can do something about it. I know you met up with them at the Mythril Mines, so you're sure to meet again on the road, and I'm not asking you to throw me at his feet. I just need to get close enough that I don't have to worry about making the entire journey myself."
"What are you going to do once you get to the Turks?" Cloud raises an eyebrow, and she knows none of them believe her. Well, maybe at least one of them does, judging by the way the mousy-haired girl is staring at her. "What are they supposed to do about Rufus?"
She doesn't have an answer. Her entire plan is based around the assumption that she'll be able to break Tseng, to bend him just slightly enough to help her, to protect her, to see that Rufus is a threat to his own sister. If she can't break him, then would he see her as just another traitor, associating with Avalanche?
"To be honest," Barret says, sitting down on the bed made up for Charlie. The mattress groans heavily beneath his weight, and she fears that the entire frame may collapse. "I don't give a shit 'bout your safety, Shinra. Find someone else to be your bodyguard."
"Aren't you supposed to be married soon?" the bartender asks kindly, and Charlie feels warm around the neck. Talking about Reeve might make her cry, even in front of all these people. "What about him?"
Charlie sighs, smiling weakly. It would take far too long to explain the true contempt Reeve and Rufus feel for each other. "He and my brother . . . they don't really get along," she says, deciding to keep it relatively vague for now. "I can't ask him to help me. I can't put him in danger like that. I won't be responsible for killing him."
"Good to see where your priorities lie." Barret gets to his feet, straining his sailor's suit. She decides it's not a good look for him. "Can't put your jackass boyfriend in danger, but you didn't give a shit 'bout the people who were crushed below the plate, huh? You didn't care when they were in danger, did you?"
At the mention of the plate drop, Charlie stiffens. Whirling around to face Barret, she stares him dead in the eyes. "I didn't drop the plate. You don't know anything about me or my 'jackass boyfriend', who's one hundred times the man you are."
"Say that again," Barret growls, stepping so close to her that she has to crane her neck back to look up into his face.
"Fine," she says mockingly, raising her eyebrows and speaking slower. "My 'jackass boyfriend' is one hundred times the man you are. Happy?"
"I can't believe we're even entertainin' this idea right now!" he shouts at large, and Charlie wants to shush him, but he might snap if she speaks again and start firing. "You hear her? Her Shinra-lovin' boyfriend must be a real catch, huh? Bet he's happy fattenin' his pockets with your daddy's blood money, ain't he? Yeah, look at that goddamn rock on your finger. Didn't give a shit 'bout all them people, either, did he?"
"Excuse me," Charlie hisses, her chest feeling ready to explode with the rate her heart is going. "My 'Shinra-loving boyfriend' has been working tirelessly on rebuilding the city, not to mention he helped your innocent victims to safety the night you bombed reactor one. How many people did you help that night?"
"He probably profited off all those deaths in some way, I'm sure—"
"He begged my father not to drop the plate—"
"But he did anyway, and I didn't see y'all fightin' atop that pillar with us to try and stop it."
"Barret, she was in the slums the night the plate fell," comes a high-pitched voice. Charlie turns to look at the girl, thankful that she's chosen now to speak up. "She was helping evacuate. She told the guards to open the gates to Wall Market. We ran right into each other." She offers Charlie a small smile that isn't returned, no matter how grateful she is.
"Yeah, and you should'a been crushed with the rest of 'em. They didn't get the chance to fly off in a fancy helicopter 'fore the plate dropped."
"I didn't run away, if that's what you're implying," Charlie retorts, feeling as if this was a very bad idea, trapping herself in a small cabin full of people, one of them with a weapon.
"It's true, Barret," the girl says again, and Charlie frowns. "When Tseng found me, she was already unconscious in the back of the helicopter. She didn't run. An explosion knocked her out."
"I see how it is," Barret says again, and the bartender has the grace to look slightly apologetic, holding her hands behind her back. "So you want us to bring you to the same Turk that kidnapped Aerith?"
Charlie pauses, turning to look back at the girl again, looking her up and down. She's pretty enough for a slum girl, Charlie supposes, with long, thick hair and a pink bow that seems very worn. Her eyes are a bit big for her slender and narrow face, her nose is long and thin, and there seems to be a quiet defiance about her.
"Aerith," Charlie says, mostly to herself. She's heard that name before, but in passing, and she can't quite remember the context of the conversation. It was years ago now. "Are you the Ancient?"
Aerith smiles slightly coyly. "So you've heard of me?" She holds a hand up to her mouth, laughing softly behind her fingers. "I've heard of you, too. The kids at the Leaf House love you. Megga said she was promised the job of flower girl at your wedding."
Charlie swells with pride. She misses the children. "I certainly didn't promise her that, but she's more than welcome to have the job if she wants it."
"I don't know about this," Cloud interrupts, looking up to Barret, who nods slightly in return. "We can't afford to be sidetracked, and traveling with the vice president is only going to make it more difficult to go unnoticed."
Exhaling loudly, Charlie's nostrils flare as anger surges through her. "Fine. I asked nicely, and now I'm not asking anymore." She straightens, looking around at them all. "Take me with you when you dock, or I'll tell my brother, the president, that Avalanche is on board this ship."
Barret scowls, brandishing the gun on his arm, preparing to shoot. "Why you little—"
"Even if you kill me now, none of you will leave this boat alive," Charlie reminds him, and she means it. She knows that Rufus will punish them all cruelly, even Aerith the Ancient, but that doesn't mean she's prepared to die yet. "I know my brother. In a little while, when he's done with his little meeting, he'll come here to make sure I haven't run off. And if he sees my body, riddled with bullets . . . well . . ." She gestures with her chin towards Barret's arm. "I can't imagine it would be very difficult for them to find the perpetrator."
"And how do we know you ain't just gonna spy on us?" Barret asks, sounding thoroughly disgruntled with his lack of a choice. "How do we know that you ain't gonna kill us all in our sleep?"
"You just have to trust me. I can't make the journey alone. I need you, and if you help me, I could be a good friend to you, as well."
"Trust you? Trust a Shina? What the hell could you do for us that wouldn't involve benefittin' off your company's sins?"
"You don't think you can trust me? You think I'm such an enemy of the people?" Charlie hisses, furious with the way Barret throws these accusations around, like she's just like her father, like she's just like Rufus. "It might surprise you to know that I've been collaborating with Avalanche for three years."
"What?" the bartender asks breathily, blinking in surprise. "Barret, you didn't know about this?"
Barret scoffs. "She's lyin'. If Charlotte goddamn Shinra was workin' with Avalanche, I think I would'a known."
Charlie shakes her head, pleased to see that this information makes them all slightly wary. "Pia was never spying on me," she confesses. "I was feeding Pia information the entire time."
"Yeah?" Barret's face hardens at the mention of Pia. "And what happened to her? You execute her just like you promised?"
The mere suggestion is enough to enrage her. "No," she says quickly. "I'm sorry. Sephiroth killed her."
"Ain't no one to back up your story, then."
Charlie sighs heavily, running a hand through her hair, hoping to appeal to the bartender. "You know me, don't you?" she asks, almost desperately. Talking with Barret is exhausting. "You've seen me and my fiancé at the bar, haven't you? We're good people, trying to help others. But there's nothing we can do for the people if we're both dead."
"I . . . don't know," the bartender replies carefully, looking around at her friends. "They did start construction on the housing project, before it was destroyed."
"Look, you have to tr—"
Charlie is cut off by the sound of a blaring alarm echoing throughout the cabin and ship. Her hands jump to her ears, and her heart begins to race. Barret lifts his arm again to point the gun at her.
"What did you do, Shinra?" he shouts, nudging her shoulder with it. Charlie tears herself away from him.
Over the loudspeaker in the corner of the cabin, someone's voice rings out, drowning out all other sound. "Emergency alert! Reports of a suspicious character found! Those not on detail, search the ship and report when found!"
"You fuckin' told them we were here!"
"I didn't do anything!"
"I repeat! Suspicious character found on board! Those not on detail, search the ship! Report when found!"
Charlie steps up to the door, peeking through the small window to make sure no one is coming. Rufus will surely be here soon, making sure that she's all right. "You guys need to leave," she tells them all, swinging the door open and stepping aside. "Now. If Rufus sees several guards staggering out of my cabin, he'll have us all killed."
"Come on," Cloud says, pulling his helmet back over his face. "Let's go. The others might be in trouble."
The others? Not just the creature?
She watches them all file out, their faces covered again, trailing after Barret, who continues to grumble under his breath about some "piece of shit Shinra". Charlie doesn't say another word to them, but one of the women stops at the end, and with her face covered, and she's only recognizable as Aerith when she speaks, her voice slightly muffled.
"You think Tseng can help you?" she asks, and Charlie blushes fiercely, feeling as if she's being accused of something.
Charlie pauses, swallowing hard, and Aerith takes hold of her hands. The gesture shocks her, and part of her wants to pull away and hit her across the face, but she suppresses the urge.
No one else is listening. Cloud, Barret, and the bartender have left them, and only Aerith will hear her answer. "I have nowhere else to go," she confesses quietly, feeling Aerith's hands tightening around her own. "And I'm afraid. Tseng's been looking after me for a long time. I trust him."
"Okay," Aerith says, giving Charlie a curt nod. "I'll talk to them. I promise. Come find us again when we dock, Madam Vice President."
Though it's said teasingly, it's more respect than the others had shown her. Charlie's heart swells. "Okay. I will."