SEVEN

"Jessica, would you come here?" Mom asked.

We were at home, just over a week after my little expedition to the security office and the Science Division. Since then, I'd hacked into the Weapons Development database from my computer in SO and planted the keylogger on Scarlet's system to snag her passwords. She was pretty good with a computer herself, but she was no match for me. I was sure she wouldn't find my little package anytime soon. I'd checked on it just yesterday, and there they were. She didn't change them often, so I knew they'd still be good by the time I was able to use them. But for now, all I could do was wait until she made another trip.

I let her pull me into her study. "Sure. What's up?"

Although I'd thought about getting my own place over the last year or so, I'd been worried about Mom and about leaving her here with my father. He had grown more restless and irritable lately, hitting her more often than he used to, and I was afraid of what might happen if she was here by herself with him. So I had decided to stay, not liking the almost constant tension that hung over the place now but not wanting to leave Mom to deal with it alone.

She closed the door and turned to me, nervous, excited, and afraid all at once. "There's something I have to tell you. Do you remember me saying I was working on a way to make things better for us?"

"Yeah," I nodded. "I remember."

"Well, Jessica… we're almost there. I'm getting very close to leaving your father. It won't be much longer."

My jaw dropped. "Really? Are you serious?"

She took my hands in hers. "Yes. You see, Jessica, over the past few years, I've been gathering as much information as I can about Richard's activities at Shinra. To make sure he'll leave us alone. That's what I was doing when he caught me in his office that time. Trying to get as much leverage as I could find."

"Why has it taken so long?" I wondered.

"I had a lot of dirt on him, but nothing big enough for me to use to get us out of here. Until now."

I stared at her. "What do you mean?"

"I can't tell you," Mom shook her head. "I know you want answers, and I'll tell you everything once we're away from your father. But right now, it's safer for you not to know."

"But I want to help!" I argued. "I can help!"

She sighed. "I'm sorry. I know you're worried. But I promise it'll be fine. I've already found us a place to live, over in Sector 7. It won't be as posh as all this, I'm afraid, but it's nice enough."

"As long as we're free, Mom, we could live down in the slums and I wouldn't care," I said, hugging her tight.

"Well, I don't think it'll come to that," she laughed.

I let go of her. "Have you told him yet?"

Mom swallowed. "No. But if what I was sent last year and what I've found out since then prove what I think they do, then things are going to get very busy around here over the next few days."

"I'll be ready, Mom," I promised.

"I know. I've already got the divorce papers prepared. I just need to have the information I've obtained verified first. I'm taking the 8:00am train to Sector 7 to meet someone there to get that done. Also to check on the house and finalize the purchase. It'll be home, at least for a little while. Until we can leave Midgar, that is."

I smiled. "I can't wait to see it."

"I can't wait to show it to you," Mom replied. "But in the meantime, try not to worry. Everything's going to be fine."

"I know. Can I see you off at the station tomorrow?"

She nodded. "Of course. I'd like that."

I was excited at the thought of finally getting away from my father, both of us. No more bruises, no more fights. No more constant yelling every night. No more slammed doors. It was almost too much to hope for. But it was really happening. At the same time, though, I found that I couldn't help feeling a little sad. As good as I knew it would be for my mom and I, it was still our family breaking apart. I wished things could have been different, that my father had been different. And I knew that Mom felt the same way.

"Then I'll be there," I said. "That's a promise."

She took me in her arms. "I love you. You know that, don't you?"

I did. "Love you too, Mom."

We were just letting go of each other when the door suddenly burst open. I nearly jumped out of my skin at the sound, and again when my father stormed in. His bearded face was a thundercloud, and his hands were clenched into fists. I shivered but straightened and didn't cower. I was done with that, had been a long time ago.

"Amanda!" he barked. "I told you to stay out of my office!"

"What are you talking about?" she said.

He jabbed a finger at her. "Don't play dumb with me, woman! You think I don't know what goes on in my own home!? That housekeeper of yours knew you went in there yesterday. I made her tell me all about it this afternoon after I found the door unlocked."

"What did you do to her?" I demanded. "You hurt her, didn't you?"

"She'll live. You stay out of it, girl!"

I stared at him, angry and horrified. "You bastard! How could you do that to Nan!? She's just an old woman!"

Before I knew it, I was tumbling to the floor, smashing the back of my hip against the corner of Mom's desk as pain blazed across my face. I tasted blood on my lips as I looked at my father, stunned at what he'd just done. I couldn't believe it. He had never hit me before. I had never thought he would. But he had. And as I sat there on the floor, bleeding from the corner of my mouth, I felt the last, tiny bit of connection that I'd had with him die. Seeing him there, with not a shred of remorse for what he'd done, showed me the truth of who he was. And I felt the faint hope I'd had that he might change die as well.

"Richard!" Mom shrieked, kneeling next to me and glaring at him. "How could you!?"

He snorted. "She's mouthed off to me one too many times!"

"If you have to hit someone, hit me!" she snarled. "But leave Jessica out of it! She's your daughter!"

"Enough about her! Why were you snooping around in my office?"

"That's all you care about!?" Mom's eyes blazed.

As she helped me stand up, I saw Nan in the doorway and gasped. Her left arm was in a cast, broken by my father no doubt. When Mom saw her, she glared at my father, but he just snorted and ignored her as he stood there fuming. Mom sighed, then turned me to face her as she looked at where I'd been hit.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

It hurt, but I could live with it. "I'll be fine."

She brought me to Nan. "Celeste, take Jessica and get her fixed up. I'll join you as soon as I can."

"Of course, ma'am," Nan said. "Please be careful."

"Mom?" My eyes were locked on her as I stepped into the hall.

She gazed fondly at me as she slid her long, auburn hair—so much like mine—from her shoulder. "I'll be alright, Jessica. Your father and I have to talk. It… it's time I tell him."

"Tell me what?" he muttered. "Spit it out, woman."

Mom closed the office door as Nan gently pulled me away, but as I started to follow her, I heard my parents' voices rising again. I stopped to listen, worried about Mom, and thankfully Nan didn't bother trying to stop me. She shared my concern, so we both listened for a minute as Mom and my father started arguing again.

"I've had enough, Richard," Mom declared. "I'm leaving!"

My father's reply was immediate. "What!? You can't leave, woman! I own you! And don't you forget it!"

"Watch me! I know what you've done, Richard."

"What do you mean?" he growled.

Mom didn't let up. "I know what you're responsible for, everything you've been involved in at Shinra. Every dark secret. And I can prove it all. I'm getting a divorce, Richard. Jessica and I are leaving. I'll be gone by this time tomorrow. If you don't want everyone in Midgar knowing what you've done, then leave us alone. The president won't allow you to tarnish the company's image. You'll be finished."

There was a long pause as I shared a glance with Nan. What was it my father had done? What secrets was Mom talking about? I wondered what exactly she had on him but wasn't sure I wanted to find out. But it was big enough that she could use it to blackmail him into letting us go and leaving us alone. No doubt about it.

"We'll see…" my father said.

"I'm heading over to Sector 7 in the morning," Mom went on. "And when I get back, I'll have the papers with me. Sign them and you won't hear from me ever again. Refuse, and there won't be enough left of you to make chocobo feed after President Shinra and the Turks are through with you. The choice is yours."

The doorknob turned, and Nan and I hurried down the hall before Mom or my father could see us. We went to the kitchen, where Nan got some ice out of the freezer while Theresa, plump and kind, brought me a clean cloth, sat me down in a chair, and wiped the blood off my face. Nan then wrapped the ice in the cloth and pressed it against the side of my mouth where my father had hit me. Although I could have done all this myself, the ladies were so used to looking after me and had done it for so long that it was basically second nature. And I was still a little in shock both at what I'd heard and at the fact that my father had actually struck me. So I just sat there and let my friends take care of me the way they always had until Mom showed up.

Nan held the cloth on me for a moment. "Is that better?"

"Yeah," I managed. "Thank you."

Mom knelt in front of me. "I'm so sorry, Jessica. He had no right to do that. Maybe if I'd left sooner…"

I leaned forward. "It's not your fault, Mom."

"Well, we're getting out of here soon, I promise. Tomorrow if I can arrange it. I won't let this happen again."

"I know," I said.

She looked at Nan. "Celeste, what happened today?"

"I was just here in the kitchen going over the plans for dinner with Theresa when Richard stomped in, threw her out, and demanded I tell him if you had been in his office. I refused and said that you hadn't. Of course, he didn't believe me. He said the door was unlocked, and I told him he must have left it that way himself. That was when he seized my arm and began to twist it. The pain, ma'am… it was just too much. I'm so sorry… I know you asked me to keep what you were doing a secret. But when my arm broke, I just…"

"Don't apologize, Celeste," Mom stood up. "If it's anyone's fault, it's mine. I shouldn't have put you in that position in the first place. I never wanted you to be hurt."

Nan nodded. "Thank you, ma'am."

Mom hugged her gently, then let go. "Would you go find Charlotte and have her help Jessica pack?"

"Yes, right away. I won't be long."

I smiled and took the ice-filled cloth from her as she patted me on the shoulder, and then she left. Charlotte was the maid and was around my age, so we had always gotten along pretty well. I stood up, knowing Mom was right and that I should start getting my things together, but I didn't leave at first. It was still a little unreal, the thought that Mom and I were finally moving out. Her understanding smile, though, reassured me. I think she felt the same way.

Mom touched the side of my face for a moment, gazed at me, then drew me into hug. We stood there together for a moment, neither of us having any idea then of what was to come, only that something we had both wanted for so long was finally about to happen. After letting go of me, Mom motioned to the doorway.

"Go on and get packed, alright?" she said.

I put the cloth down on the table now that my mouth was starting to feel better. "Alright. Big day tomorrow, huh?"

Mom laughed nervously. "Oh, yes. Be sure to get some sleep."

"You too, Mom," I replied.

"I will, Jessica," she promised. "I will."

We arrived at the Sector 5 train station early in the morning. It was pretty busy, with people bustling everywhere around us on and around the platform. But I didn't mind. I found the liveliness refreshing, and it was exciting, taking this first step toward our new life. Mom stood next to me, her purse hanging from one shoulder and her briefcase grasped loosely in her hand. She was wearing one of those elegant pantsuits she liked, and she'd fastened her hair into a high ponytail. I'd thought about wearing it like that before but had never really gotten around to it. Just liked the feel of my hair on my shoulders, I guess.

"There you are!" a familiar voice called from behind us.

I smiled when I saw the owner. "Reeve!"

There he was, walking up to us, and Mom went to him right away, her eyes lighting up. "I'm so glad you could make it!"

She put down her briefcase and slid into his arms for a moment or two, then stepped away. I took her place for a second, glad he was here with us, then let go. He didn't have his overcoat on today. Just his slacks and white button-down shirt. His plain black tie still hung as neatly as ever, though, despite his pulled-up sleeves.

"Casual today, aren't we?" I laughed.

He grinned. "It's my day off. And as for how I knew the two of you were here, your mother can explain that."

"Mom?" I turned to her.

"I messaged him this morning before we left," she said. "Thought I might surprise you, Jessica. And…"

I blinked. "And what?"

She shook her head, suddenly embarrassed. "I-It's nothing! Really! I think they'll be boarding soon, won't they?"

Reeve looked as confused as I felt. "Yes, I believe so…"

"Alright. I suppose it's that time, then."

She was right, I saw. The line had begun to form by the train's main passenger door, which was open at the moment. We walked over there, taking our time, Mom with her things in hand while Reeve and I stood on either side of her. She was only going to be gone for a few hours, but I suddenly felt an anxiety about it that I couldn't understand, much less explain. My father had been strangely quiet this morning, what little I'd seen of him, and I didn't like it. He had left for work before Mom and I had come here with barely a word to anyone.

I shook off my thoughts as the line moved along. "What time is the train due back, Mom?"

"About 2:00pm. I'll let you know when I'm on my way."

"Okay," I replied. "Good luck!"

Soon enough, it was Mom's turn to board. We stood near the door as she got her ticket checked. It didn't take too long for the attendant to scan it, and when it was done, Mom turned to Reeve and I for a minute before climbing on board. She put down her things again and gave him another quick hug.

"Thank you for coming, Reeve," she said. "I appreciate it."

He smiled as he let go of her. "You're welcome, Amanda. Anytime. You'll let me know how it goes?"

Mom nodded. "Of course. See you soon."

Then she wrapped me in a tight embrace, and I returned it happily. "Bye, Mom. Be careful, okay?"

"I will," she promised as she let go. "And I love you."

"Love you, too," I said.

Then Mom let go, giving me a playful smack on the arm while she picked up her things. "Try cleaning your room while I'm gone, Jessica. It's still a mess in there, you know."

"Ha, ha! We're moving anyway, right?" I chuckled.

"Yes, but you could at least do it once before we go. Might give me some hope for our new home."

We all shared a laugh at that, and I shrugged. "I guess I can try."

Mom smirked as she turned to go. "Well, that's something, at least. As for me, I'd better get going."

After exchanging goodbyes with us, Mom began entering the train. But when she got to the doorway at the top of the little staircase next to the passenger door, she looked back at us, smiled, and waved. I did the same, waving back. So did Reeve, and as I glanced at him for a minute, I noticed that his eyes lingered on her as hers stayed on him. What did it mean? I wasn't sure, but I didn't really mind, either. They'd grown up together and were close friends, after all.

I let my own eyes slide back to Mom as I continued to wave at her, and she looked back at me again before going inside the train. Then, a moment later, she was gone, disappearing into the passenger car. Reeve and I stood there together on the platform as the main door closed and the train began to pull out with a hiss of steam. As it got moving, I saw Mom in one of the windows. I waved again, and she waved back with a little smile at both of us. Then the train began heading down the track and out of the station on its way to Sector 7.

But it never got there.

Reeve and I were just stepping off the platform when we suddenly heard a loud rumbling behind us along with the screeching of brakes. I whirled around, my eyes wide, as something like thunder split the air, a terrible sound I knew all too well from my time doing weapons testing with Scarlet. Just seconds later, huge plumes of fire shot down the track as the train skewed off the rails and exploded, one car after another, in a horribly destructive chain reaction.

I screamed as shrapnel flew everywhere. "MOM!"

Panic erupted all around us as people shrieked, falling all over each other to try and escape. But the track had become a firestorm. My face was streaked with tears, both from the smoke and from the thought of my mom being in the middle of that disaster. Shards of metal and glass filled the air as the inferno blazed onto the platform. I started running toward it, not caring about the heat and the flames, the smoke and the debris. Rational thought was gone from my mind. All that mattered to me was Mom. I had just reached the guardrail near the edge when I felt someone tugging on my arm. It was Reeve.

I fought him like a woman gone mad. "Let go of me! Let me GO!"

"Jessica!" he yelled, trying to pull me away. "It's too late!"

But I didn't care. I tore myself free and raced toward the track. This couldn't be happening! It couldn't! People were wounded and dying all around me, secondary blasts still ripping along the track down here to the station from where the train had derailed barely two hundred yards away. It was a burning wreck now, what I could see of it from what was left of the boarding area, and I felt my knees turn to rubber. I staggered away from the awful sight, so numb I barely even registered the station blowing apart around me. I just didn't give a damn.

Then Reeve was there. He grabbed me, wrapping his arms around my waist and shoulders and dragging me back off the platform. I didn't fight him this time, though, and when he finally let go, I ran after him, not thinking, just doing. The explosions reached a crescendo behind us as we neared the exit, and we were almost to the doors when suddenly I cried out in pain as a twisted piece of scorched metal struck the back of my head and debris flew all around us. Then I fell, Reeve's panicked face the last thing I saw before I lost consciousness.

When I came to, I was in a hospital bed.

The steady beeping of a cardiac monitor filled my ears as I opened my eyes. A plastic nasal cannula had been fitted to my nose, and I was wearing only a plain hospital gown under the blanket and sheets. But I wasn't alone. Reeve straightened up immediately as soon as he saw that I was awake. He was sitting in a chair by the bed, and on the other side was Nan, who looked as if she'd aged ten years in only a few hours. As I looked around, I noticed Cait was there, too. He was sitting in the chair next to Reeve, more downcast than I'd ever seen him.

"Jessica, you're awake!" Reeve sighed in relief. "We were so worried about you. How are you feeling?"

My voice sounded hoarse and ragged in my ears when I answered. I didn't even recognize it. "My head hurts, and my lungs feel so dry. My face and arms sting a bit, too."

He nodded. "I'm not surprised. You inhaled a lot of smoke back at the station, and you ended up with some nasty burns. Nothing that the doctors here can't handle, though."

"Mom?" I asked, though I already knew.

Reeve sighed. "She's dead, Jessica. Along with a lot of other people. There was nothing anyone could do…"

Slowly, I sat up, careful of the IV in my right arm as Reeve pressed the control to incline the bed for me. I didn't say anything at first. I felt like if I did, if I gave in to the grief and pain swirling around inside me, it would make the fact of Mom's death irrevocably real. So I just leaned back, not really seeing anything, and it wasn't until Cait hopped lightly up onto the bed and walked up to me that I felt my resolve begin to fall apart. His ears drooped as he looked at me.

"Lassie…" he murmured.

It was just one word, but it broke me. The tears burst from my eyes like a pair of waterfalls as I scooped Cait into my arms and sobbed into his soft, dark fur. He held onto me, not saying a word as I cried on and on, letting it all out as Nan gently laid the hand of her good arm on the back of my shoulder. I don't know how long it went on for, and I didn't care. All I knew was that my mom was dead.

As I wept, I felt a knot of rage burning in my gut, and the more the tears flowed, the angrier I became, until finally I let go of Cait Sith and looked at Reeve, my fingers tightening into fists. Mom and I, we'd been about to finally break free of my father's iron grip, and now… now she was gone, all our hopes shattered like glass. I wanted to hit something, anything. But there was nothing.

I squeezed the bed rail instead. "How did this happen?"

"It's still under investigation," Reeve said, "but preliminary reports say it was catastrophic engine failure."

"Bullshit!" I spat. "There's no way. I'm sure of it!"

Nan flinched. "Jessica!?"

I looked first at her, then Reeve. "In all the time the trains have run through Midgar, there's never been an accident like this. The explosion just about destroyed the station along with the train itself. You call that an engine malfunction? Not a chance in hell!"

"You think Shinra's lying," Reeve replied. It wasn't a question.

"Damn right I do! And I'm going to find out why! I don't care what I have to do, or where it takes me. I'm going to get to the bottom of this if it's the last thing I do! My mom, she… she's dead, Reeve. Along with so many others. I have to find out what really happened over there and who's responsible. I… I need to. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I didn't. So don't try to stop me, any of you."

Reeve managed a rueful smile. "I don't think we could."

"Thank you," I said. "For understanding. And for saving my life. If you hadn't been there, I might've been killed, too."

"You're welcome, Jessica. I'm just glad that I was."

Then I saw a bandage on the side of his forehead. "You're hurt!"

He reached up to touch it for a moment before letting his hand fall back into his lap. "It's just a scrape. Nothing serious."

"Was it… because of me? Because I was fighting you?"

"It doesn't matter," he answered.

But it did, at least to me. "Reeve, I'm so sorry. You were only trying to help. I should've listened to you."

"It wasn't your fault, Jessica," he explained. "I got clipped by a piece of debris on the way out. You didn't do anything wrong."

"But if I'd listened to you…"

He shook his head. "It might still have happened. You're much too hard on yourself. Just like your mother. You tend to blame yourself for things you couldn't possibly be responsible for."

I knew he was right. "I guess so…"

"It's only because you care so much," he went on, holding my hand. "Nothing wrong with that."

"Thanks," I smiled weakly.

My eyes were still red, wet, and puffy, and I knew I hadn't done the last of my crying. Not by a long shot. But for now, anyway, I was able to keep a measure of composure. Anger still simmered within me as well, but I didn't try to push it away. I realized I could use it, focus it on what I had to do. I rubbed my eyes, the writing on the board hanging on the wall across the room barely more than blur without my glasses. I could hardly make it out. It was probably just my treatment plan, of course. I just couldn't see it from here.

Nan noticed me squinting. "Here you are, Jessica."

She handed me my glasses, and I slid them on, sighing in relief as I noticed everything getting sharper and clearer. I'd been nearsighted for as long as I could remember. Things that were closer to me, I could see fine, but anything at a distance tended to be just a muddled blur. I only took my glasses off to sleep, normally, and I was glad I hadn't lost them in the explosion today. Kinda silly for me to worry about them, I guess, but thinking about them meant that, at least for a little while, my mind wasn't on Mom. If I thought about her too much, I knew that I'd break down again. I just couldn't help it.

"Any idea how long I'll be here?" I wondered.

Nan gently pushed a few strands of hair from my face. "The doctor said a week, maybe two."

I wasn't surprised. "You'll stay with me?"

"As much as we can," Reeve promised. "I've also told Garrett about what's happened, so you don't have to worry about work. He'll keep an eye on the division while you're gone. Just concentrate on getting well, Jessica. And on your mother. There's no rush."

"I appreciate it," I said, the tears building again.

I would do what Reeve had said and work on my recovery. I didn't have a choice. In the midst of my grief and loss, there were questions I was determined to find the answers for, the truth behind Mom's death. Like I had told the others, I didn't care what it took. And I was going to get started just as soon as I got out of here. I would find out what really happened today, no matter what.

I had to. For my sake, and for hers.