TWO

"And that's my report, sir," Kunsel said.

I stood behind my desk, gazing out the window at what was left of Sector 7. Fires still burned all across the ruined district that was now a gaping hole in the city. A mountain of debris sloped downward toward the ground and the outer rim. I could only imagine how much worse it would look in a few hours when the sun rose.

In spite of all my efforts, the plate had still fallen. I had suspected it would, but still… I'd hoped that somehow, we might've stopped it, kept the Turks and Heidegger from dropping it. But I'd failed. And so many lives had been lost. Far too many. The survivors were all injured, tired, and homeless. What was it all for?

Off to one side, Cait Sith sat quietly in a chair, asleep—or rather, in shutdown mode. But I preferred to think of it as sleep, just as I liked to think of him as a real cat instead of the animatronic, high-tech puppet that he really was. I hadn't finished the second one yet, and it would be a little while before he was ready. But even when he was, I didn't intend for him to replace the first Cait.

They would both look, act, and sound a lot alike—this would help in their skills as infiltrators and information gatherers—but they would be very different in other ways. Their AI was built upon an interactive, adaptive learning system that was capable of growth and expansion. In other words, their memories and experiences would each be unique to them and distinct from each other.

I had told Kunsel before sending him down into Sector 7 that Cait was expendable. And, compared to Jessica, he certainly was. But it still would have been a loss, even so. Any Cait that came after him wouldn't have the same relationship with her or me or anyone else that he did. It was the hardest part of making him an individual.

I sighed. "Thank you, Kunsel."

"Director," he said. "About Jessie, I…"

"You made the right decision. Those people needed your help, and if another SOLDIER was indeed already in the tower looking after her, then there wasn't much more you could've done had you joined them. I saw everything Cait did, and between the two of you, I know just about all that happened with your mission."

I saw him look away when I turned around. "I suppose so. It's just, it was hard. I went down there to save her. And now… we don't know if she's even… still alive…"

"It's too soon to jump to conclusions," I reminded him. "Jessica still has the transmitter I gave her when she first started working here. And she'll contact me if she's able. Even if she doesn't, there's no need for us to assume the worst. Any number of things could've happened, Kunsel. Try not to worry. She'll be fine."

"Are you sure, sir?" he wondered.

Now I was the one looking away. "I hope so…"

Kunsel nodded. "What's our next move? Tseng knows I was trying to stop them from dropping the plate. Heidegger too, no doubt—that's why I had to fight my way down there through the tunnel. And I stood against the Turks as well. Reno and Rude would keep things quiet, but not Tseng. So what's our next step, Director?"

"Once Cait is back online, I'll have him do some snooping around and see if I can find out what exactly happened up on the platform and how they were able to bypass the emergency override. If Heidegger had the console tampered with, there would be a record of it here. But aside from that, there's little else we can do for now."

"Understood," Kunsel said. Then he winced, holding his side. "I… I should get going, sir. Before Tseng and Heidegger find out I'm here. If there's nothing else you need me to do."

I shook my head. "No, that's all, but… are you alright?"

He brushed off my concern. "I'm fine. Just a scratch. I'll get it seen to soon enough. Thanks, though."

"Of course," I said. "Can you make it back down the stairs?"

Kunsel smirked. "I'm a SOLDIER. I climbed up all those steps so I could sneak in here. I can get out again."

I shook his hand. "Fair enough. But get some rest."

"I will, sir," he promised.

Then he left, slipping out of my office just as quickly and quietly as he had arrived, limping slightly as he went. It seemed Kunsel was more hurt than he'd let on, but there wasn't much I could do about it. And he had said he'd get it taken care of. So I put it out of my mind and turned back to the window, gazing again at the smoldering remains of Sector 7 as I worried about my goddaughter.

Please be safe, Jessica. Please be alive.

I fastened my robe over my nightclothes as I hurried to answer the door. There was another knock as I crossed the living room of my little apartment in Sector 4, but I wasn't worried. I knew exactly who it was. Only one person would've visited me at this late hour—it was well after midnight now—and only if he really needed my help. He was a friend, and I'd do whatever I could for him.

I opened the door, and there he was. "Kunsel, come in."

"Thanks, Marissa," he said. "Sorry to drop in on you so late. I hope I didn't wake you up."

"You're fine, you know that," I assured him.

He looked at me with those bright blue eyes of his. Jessie had loved them, and in the time that I'd known Kunsel, it hadn't been hard for me to see why. They were wonderfully soft and deep, like the sky on a clear summer's day. I'd found myself starting to notice them more lately than I used to, but I tried not to think about it too much, or what that might mean. Wasn't always easy, though.

"You've heard about the plate collapse?" he asked.

I shuddered. "Yes. It was on the news earlier. I felt vibrations under my feet a while ago. That… must've been when it went down, I guess. I still can't believe—Kunsel, you're bleeding!"

He was holding his side. "Guess it opened up again…"

"Come here and sit down," I told him, locking the door and taking his arm. "Let me take a look at that."

"Really, it's not—" he started to protest.

But I wasn't having it. "Oh, no. I know how you get, Kunsel. That's more than just a scratch, and I'm going to fix it up. Looks like you were shot. Were you on another mission?"

He sighed. "Yeah. To the slums. To try and…"

"I see," I nodded, leading him toward the couch. "I know you tried your hardest. Reeve sent you?"

"He did, but I'd have gone anyway, Marissa. Jessie was down there, right in the middle of it. In the pillar. Fighting to save her home. I went down there to save her and stop Shinra from dropping the plate, but… I couldn't do either. Sector 7's gone…"

I froze, my eyes filling with tears. "Jessie's… dead?"

He took my hand. "I don't know. She might've gotten out."

"What happened?" I asked.

"Might take a little while to tell," Kunsel said, sitting on the edge of the couch. "A lot went on down there…"

While I got my first aid kit out from under the kitchen sink, he set his sword aside and started to fill me in on what he'd been doing. Then I sat down next to him as he kept talking, telling me about how he had fought his way down to the slums through the Corkscrew Tunnel after meeting with Reeve in his office.

I set the kit on the coffee table and opened it. "You know you can't go back to Shinra. Not after all that."

"Yeah," he agreed. "I know. There's more, too."

"Go on, then. And take off your shirt," I told him.

He blinked. "Huh?"

I smirked. "You going all shy on me, Kunsel? I said, take your shirt off. I need to get at that wound to clean it, and I'm guessing that it's not the only one you've got. Am I right?"

"You know me pretty well," he admitted.

"I'd hope so," I said. "We've been friends for over two years now. So pull off that tunic and let me look at you. You're lucky that I spend a lot of time volunteering over at the Sector 4 branch of Midgar General as a medic when I'm not doing my IT work."

He started to take it off, then winced when he tried to lift his right arm over his head. Motioning for him to stop, I gently took hold of his shirt and had him lean forward a little instead. Then I pulled it off him as gently as I could and tossed onto the love seat nearby. I'd have to put it in the wash for him later, though he'd probably object. He was pretty self-reliant and didn't like others doing that sort of thing for him. But I didn't really mind helping him out.

When he straightened up, I felt a little flutter chase its way through my stomach. He was muscular but not overly so, and I could tell he got regular exercise. Kunsel was slim, fit, and very attractive. I'd never seen him without a shirt until now, and I couldn't help admiring him. Jessie had good taste, and it was no wonder she'd fallen for him years ago. He was handsome, decent, caring, and funny.

Suddenly, I realized what I was thinking about and looked away as my cheeks flamed and guilt festered inside me. I knew I shouldn't have felt the way I did about him—he was my best friend's ex, and she might still have been in love with him, hoping to be with him again someday. Kunsel still cared about her, but I didn't know if it was love or if he had truly let her go and just thought of her as a close friend now. I'd always been too scared to ask and find out.

If Jessie and Kunsel did still hope to find each other again and pick up where they'd left off, I didn't want to get in the way. And I knew that I'd be happy for them if they did get a second chance. But as much as I wanted to, I couldn't seem to help how I felt. Of all the men in Midgar, why did I have to fall for him?

I never even saw it coming. Kunsel and I had grown close over the past two years, meeting often to give Heidegger's men the runaround. I had cut my hair and dyed it so it'd look more like Jessie's had back then. I had straightened out the curls, too. I missed my old look a little, but if it helped her stay safe by keeping unfriendly eyes away from her, then I didn't mind. I was only a little taller than her, too, so between that and the hair, I could pass myself off as her pretty easily as long as the troops never got too close. And they usually didn't.

Kunsel and I would always slip away before any of the troops could get a good look at me. We'd had a few close calls, and he'd saved me on more than one occasion, buying me time one way or another so I could escape. But we'd never been caught. And we'd kept the wool pulled over Heidegger's eyes all this time. I suppose all that shared danger brought us closer to each other, Kunsel and I.

Part of our little deception had involved making it seem like Jessie was trying to start over again in one place or another across Midgar. To keep Heidegger and his men guessing and so busy chasing us that they would never even think to search for her in the slums, where she really was. I wasn't an actress like her, but I thought I had still put on a pretty good show for the troops whenever Kunsel and I had met to lead them on. But I didn't know when simply pretending to be his love—walking the streets together, having dinner, that sort of thing—had turned into the desire to actually be with him like that.

I hadn't been with anyone since my husband died four years ago. It had taken me a long time to finally move on and let him go, although I still miss him—that's not something that ever goes away. But you learn to live with it, cherishing all the good memories while leaving room in your heart for something—or someone—new. But I had never thought that when I fell in love again, it would be with a man that I just couldn't have. And yet, my heart didn't care.

Shaking off my thoughts, I turned my attention back to Kunsel and treating his injuries. Which, I noticed when I took another look at him, were more extensive than he'd let on. The gunshot wound to his side as well as a number of cuts and slashes across his arms and chest. Bruises here and there as well. I sighed and got to work.

"So, what happened after you got to Sector 7?" I asked. "You didn't get all these wounds just from fighting on the Gust."

He moved his arm so I could clean his side. "You're right, Marissa. I did a lot more fighting once I got there. Shinra had sent soldiers right into the undercity, those drug-crazy grunts they have along with some mechs. They were killing and burning. I had to help. Aerith was there, and she asked me to, insisted that her friends would keep Jessie safe. So I went with her into town to get everyone out."

"Aerith?" I blinked. "What was she doing over there?"

I'd heard about her, from the stories Kunsel had told me. How she'd be a friend of his and Jessie's during her time at LOVELESS. Aerith had actually played a small part in bringing them together, giving them one of her flowers on their first date—real ones, not the silk blossoms you'd see in most other places. Kunsel had also told me how, when Jessie had been forced to leave the plate, he'd had Aerith meet her in the slums to help her start over down there.

Kunsel shrugged. "I don't know. But we went to a bar to find a little girl and help her escape—I think she's probably the daughter of one of her friends. And that's when the Turks found us—while Aerith was still inside the place trying to help her."

"Why would the Turks be after her?" I asked.

"Dunno," he said. "I kept their soldiers busy so Aerith could get the girl to safety, but the Turks went after her in their chopper. They came back later, though. I'd dealt with the soldiers and a few others with help from some friends when one of the Turks fought us. I don't think they wanted me to get back to the pillar in time."

I glanced up at him. "That's when you got out?"

He nodded. "After making sure my friends escaped, yeah. I'd never have gotten to the platform in time. It had taken too long for us to beat Rude. So I had to leave. Barely managed to get out. Then I went back to the Shinra Building, snuck up the emergency stairwell, and told Reeve everything that happened down there."

"No wonder this opened back up," I grimaced. "Rushing up almost sixty flights of stairs and then back down again? You know better than that, Kunsel. Even with potions, you still have to be careful not to put a strain on your injuries or that sort of thing's bound to happen. At least the bullet went all the way through."

After disinfecting the wound with some iodine, I bandaged it with some clean white gauze. Then I turned my attention to treating the rest of his injuries. They weren't all that serious, fortunately, but I still didn't like how many he had gotten. While I was still dabbing at them, Kunsel gently took my hand for a moment, and I felt my heart skip more than a beat when he looked at me.

"Thanks," he said, giving me a small smile. "I feel a little better. Not sure what I would've done without you."

I smiled back. "Of course. I'm always here for you."

For a moment, we just gazed at each other, and everything was still around us. I wanted to be with Kunsel, to show him how I felt, but… I couldn't. Jessie was too dear a friend, and I couldn't do that to her. So I blinked and looked away instead. And as I thought about Jessie, I knew what I had to do. We didn't know yet if she had escaped from Sector 7, but I intended to find out. Tonight.

I closed up the first aid kit. "Now you need to get some rest. Call it doctor's orders if you want. And in the meantime, I'll take the Gust and drive back down to the slums. We've gotta find out if Jessie made it and where she is now. I'll help her if I can."

"It's too dangerous!" Kunsel argued. "Shinra—"

"Isn't looking for me. And you need to stay out of sight for a while. I'll let you know what I find out when I get back. Now let's get the sofa pulled out so you can sleep. Even if she was stuck in the collapse, Jessie might still be alive. The plate didn't come down all in one piece, so she could be trapped in there somewhere."

He reached for his shirt. "I should go with you!"

"No!" I took his arm as my eyes locked on him. "SOLDIER or not, Kunsel, you're still wounded. I'll take care of this."

"Alright," he sighed.

I slid my hand to his shoulder. "I know you're worried about Jessie. So am I. But you're not going to be any good to either her or me if you don't take care of yourself."

Kunsel nodded. "Just fill me in on what you find out. Even… even if she's dead. I want to know, Marissa."

"Of course," I told him.

After helping him with the sofa—it was one of those pull out kinds that could unfold into a bed—I went into my bedroom and quickly got dressed, just a pair of blue jeans and a plain white sleeveless top. Then I hurried back into the living room, put my shoes on, and picked up my keys. Kunsel had given me an extra one for the Gust almost a year ago, just in case, and I knew I'd need it tonight.

He was sitting on the edge of the sofa bed. "All set?"

"Yeah, I'm ready," I said, joining him for a moment. "Make yourself at home, okay?"

"Sure," Kunsel nodded. "Sorry to impose on you like this."

I took his hand. "You're not imposing. You're a friend in need. And I know you can't go back to your place, at least for a while. Not after all that's happened tonight."

"Thanks," he said, his eyes on me.

"You're welcome," I smiled. "Now get some sleep. And maybe, after I get back, I'll trim that hair of yours. It's getting a little long, you know. Better let me fix it up for you."

Kunsel smirked. "You're a stylist, too?"

"Not really," I laughed, ruffling his soft, light brown hair. "But I can at least make sure you're not lopsided."

"Fair enough," he agreed.

I stood up, gently squeezed Kunsel's shoulder, then headed toward the door. But when I was nearly there, I stopped for just a moment as I heard him moving. I turned to see him padding quietly toward me, his bare feet making almost no noise on the carpet as he moved across the room. Then he stopped just in front of me.

"Marissa?" he asked.

I stepped a little closer. "What is it, Kunsel?"

He fixed those gorgeous blue eyes on me. "Be careful, alright? I… I don't want anything to happen to you."

"I will," I promised.

Then, before I could think better of it, I wrapped my arms around Kunsel and hugged him, resting my head against the side of his face. It felt good, really good, and even better once I felt his hands on my back and waist as he hesitantly returned my affection. It was wonderful, and I could've stayed like this for hours, but then I thought of Jessie again. I let go of Kunsel in a hurry and looked away, shame and guilt mixing in with the worry I felt for her.

"You okay?" Kunsel wondered.

"I'm fine," I told him. "I'll be back soon. Take care."

On impulse, I went back to the kitchen for a moment and retrieved my first aid kit. Then, after waving to Kunsel as he laid down to sleep, I left, closing and locking the door quietly behind me. If Jessie was hurt, her injuries would probably be more serious that what I could treat by myself, but there was bound to be a clinic or something down there in the slums that could help her. I'd be there for Jessie however I could, as she'd been there for me in the past.

Kunsel had parked the Gust out of the way in his usual spot behind the building, so it wasn't hard for me to find. My car was next to it, and after getting my backpack out of the trunk, putting the first aid kit in it, and slipping it on my shoulders, I slid onto the Gust and started it up. I drove out onto the street, the engine humming beneath me, and made my way to the nearest entrance to the Corkscrew Tunnel. Shinra didn't guard it much here in Sector 4 since the place was usually pretty quiet. Just one bored, inattentive soldier.

I sped past the guard post and through the open gate two minutes later before the lone trooper had any idea I was even there. Soon I was inside the tunnel itself, the red lights a blur as I raced down the tracks. It was a good bet the Sector 5 slums exit was still open, though I didn't think any of the trains were running right now. Once I got out, I'd head over to the ruins of Sector 7. There had to be a way in, and I was going to find it if I could and search for Jessie.

The first thing I noticed was the Hardy.

It was parked just outside Aerith's house, by the porch railing. As I slowly walked over to it, I felt a rush of bittersweet memories rise up in my mind, images of Jessie and I working on it together, her little dream project that she'd shared with me. The day Biggs had caught us flirting with each other, trying to see who could get more grease on the other. I felt myself smile a little as I thought about it. We'd both ended up dirty, splashing each other as we rinsed off.

"Looks like I win," Jessieteased. "It'll probably take you a while to get this stuff outta those prettyblond spikes of yours."

She's won, alright. And it had taken a lot of time and scrubbing for me to get my hair clean after that. Of course, it had taken her a while to wash up, too. I ran my gloved hand lightly along the bike's leather seat, thinking of that day and hearing Jessie's voice almost as if she was there with me. Then there was another memory, the day we'd finally finished building the Hardy. I'd still thought it was hers.

"Not anymore," Jessie drew closer to me. "It's ours, Cloud. We built it together, you and me."

"Then we'll start it together," I said.

And we had, the motor humming to life as Jessie and I had turned the key together, her hand over mine. We'd ridden it out of town to our secret place that day, an old picnic bench sitting on a high junk pile by the outer wall in between Sectors 7 and 8. After lunch, I had given her the vase for her flower, and we'd shared our first passionate embrace as a result. Tender kisses in the afternoon sun.

"Lena told us Aerith left Sector 7 with Marlene," Tifa reminded us. "Looks like they made it over here."

"Then Marlene should be inside," I nodded.

Barret started toward the door. "So c'mon, guys! What're we waitin' for? I gotta see my little angel!"

"Barret!" I frowned. "Take a breath."

He blinked. "Huh?"

I folded my arms in front of me. "You gonna just barge on in there? I doubt that'll go over well."

"Whaddya mean?" Barret scratched his head.

"She's with Aerith's mom," I explained. "And we've gotta tell Elmyra that her daughter's in Shinra's hands now."

Tifa took over, understanding what I was getting at. "You'll be able to see Marlene, Barret. But blustering in there's going to make breaking the news about Aerith harder than it already is."

"I guess you're right," he admitted. "I'm jus' worried 'bout her, you know. I ain't gonna feel like she's really safe 'till I can see her for myself with my own eyes an' hold her in my arms."

I couldn't blame him. "I understand, believe me."

Tifa glanced at me. "You feel the same way about Jessie, don't you? I know you do. It's in your eyes, Cloud."

"Yeah," I said. "I do."

As firmly as I believed that Jessie was still alive, I still felt the same way Barret did. I wouldn't be able to feel like she was alright until I saw her and held her close, until I could hear her voice again. She'd become so much a part of my life lately that I couldn't imagine her not being in it anymore. And I didn't want to.

Barret nodded. "We'll get her back, merc. Her and Aerith."

I knew we would. "Right. Now let's head inside."

With him and Tifa just behind me, I stepped slowly onto the front porch and went up to the door, not looking forward to what we had to do. But there was no helping it. Shinra was holding Aerith captive, and Elmyra had the right to know about it. Then I stopped for a moment as I remembered that she was a nurse. The slum clinics were bound to be swamped before long with wounded from the plate collapse, and Jessie likely didn't have much time, as hurt as she was. But if we could get her here, maybe Elmyra could help her.

Lifting my hand, I knocked firmly on the door.