SIXTEEN

Four months later, we were engaged.

Kunsel had proposed to me about two months ago at Goblin's Bar. It might not have been the most romantic place for most people, but it was special to us. It was where we had first met. He had taken me there to celebrate my twenty-first birthday. I should've suspected something was up, what with how much more nicely he had dressed than usual as well as how nervous he had seemed. But I had just been happy to have him there with me that night.

After dinner, Kunsel had handed me the box almost shyly, wishing me a happy birthday as we had sat at our usual table, the piano's music filling the air with its sweet melody. I hadn't known what my gift was at first, though my heart had sped up on seeing how small it was. My eyes had gotten as big as my plate when I'd opened it up and caught sight of the ring. The diamond had glittered in the light, and I knew it must've taken a lot of paychecks for Kunsel to have afforded it.

Of course I'd said yes when he had dropped to one knee and asked me the question. I was beaming the whole time, and after he had taken the ring out of the box and had slid it onto my finger, I had kissed him long and deep, my lips pressing fiercely against his, thanking him both with words and with my tongue. Along with a night of sizzling passion when we'd finally gotten back to my place.

We hadn't been able to keep our engagement a secret for very long, and it had since become the talk of the town, tons of reporters gushing left and right about how "an ordinary young soldier had won the heart of one of Midgar's newest and biggest stars." They had just loved going on about it, and if I had thought it was hard for us to go places without being noticed before, it was even tougher now. It seemed like there was always a camera around. We weren't surprised, though.

Over the past year, both my acting career and my relationship with Kunsel had kept on growing. I was having the time of my life, happy as could be, and as more time had passed without any sign that my father knew where I was or that Scarlet had recognized me, I started to feel as if I'd finally left them behind. So as Kunsel and I busied ourselves with planning our wedding, I put them out of my mind.

We had agreed on a private ceremony, just a few close friends, and we'd decided to get married in the spring. That was six months away. It gave us a good amount of time to get everything ready without it being too long a wait. Andrea had insisted on personally designing my dress, and I couldn't wait to see what he'd come up with. It was all so exciting, the preparations, the decisions, and the simple realization that this was really happening. I had to remind myself it wasn't a dream, and I snuck a glance at my ring whenever I got a chance.

"So, what about our honeymoon?" Kunsel asked. "Any ideas?"

We were walking slowly down the streets of Sector 8 late one night after I'd finished that evening's show. We held hands, took in the warm autumn air, and strolled along. I thought about his question, and when I did, I knew what I wanted to do. Bumping into Marissa at that cafe in Sector 4 a few months ago had given me the idea.

Now she was on the short list of friends and family to invite to the wedding, much to her delight. And as I walked with Kunsel that night, I thought of what Marissa had told me about the nice vacation her late husband had taken her on for their anniversary when we had both still been working at Shinra together.

"Costa del Sol," I smiled.

Kunsel laughed. "Never been there, but I hear it's a nice place."

I nodded. "Marissa said once that I should go there someday. And a honeymoon at the beach sounds perfect to me."

"I think I like that idea," he agreed.

"So, you're still not gonna tell Zack about us? That you're marrying Midgar's sweetheart?"

He smirked. "You like that the press calls you that, don't you?"

"It has a nice ring to it," I admitted.

"I'll bet," Kunsel chuckled. "But anyway, I wanna surprise him. He's gonna be shocked when he gets back!"

I'd been stunned myself when I had heard that Kunsel's best friend was the same Zack that I'd met so long ago. Kunsel had been surprised that I'd known him, even if it had only been a little. And although Zack had been officially declared dead for years, Kunsel still believed he was alive somewhere. I wanted to, as well. He'd been a nice guy, and Aerith deserved to have her man come home to her someday.

I admired how resilient she was and how nothing had ever seemed to get her down. I was sure that she missed Zack, but she hadn't let his loss keep her from living her life or finding happiness. Kunsel and I, we always chatted with Aerith whenever we saw her, and he always bought me one or more of her flowers every time.

I also hoped that, if Zack was still alive, then that shy, sweet soldier I'd liked was also alive somewhere. And if he was, I wished him well. It made me happy to think that might be the case, and so I decided that it was. Kunsel's hope gave me hope, too.

As we kept walking, I gradually realized that there was another set of footsteps following us now. I motioned for Kunsel to stop, and when I turned around and saw who was standing there, I gasped, a cold spike of fear stabbing at my heart, and stiffened. I'd never met the man I saw in front of me, but I knew exactly who he was and who he answered to. I'd seen him and a few others like him when I'd still been at Shinra. But I never thought they'd come for me.

The man was wearing a dark blue suit and pressed slacks that were almost black, and a white collared shirt. Both his shirt and jacket were open wide to show off his broad, smooth, and practically hairless chest. It probably made most girls swoon. That and his long tail of bright red hair. But I hadn't missed the hard, cold blue eyes that watched me from under a pair of dark goggles perched on his forehead.

"Your pop wants a word with ya," he said.

"What are you talking about?" I stepped away from him, my heart pounding. "I don't know you mean!"

He brandished a nasty-looking nightstick. "Oh, I think ya do."

"Back off, Reno!" Kunsel stepped in front of me.

"Ain't nothin' personal, bitch! Just doin' my job. So how's about you just come along nice and quiet-like, Ms. Heidegger?"

I narrowed my eyes. "Fuck. You."

Kunsel and I ran, our shoes loud on the sidewalk. Reno was one of the Turks, Shinra's most infamous enforcers. They did all kinds of dirty work, from kidnapping to murder and virtually everything in between, and if they were out here looking for me, it could only mean one thing. My father had found me.

We cut into a nearby alley, my hand holding Kunsel's again, and we had just reached the next street when we suddenly skidded to a halt as another Turk walked out in front of us. His suit, gloves, and tie were all a very dark blue, and he was totally bald. The only hair on his head was from his thin, neatly-trimmed black beard, and dark sunglasses hid his eyes. He didn't have a weapon, though. And as strong as he seemed, he didn't look like he needed one.

"Hello, Jessica," he said. "Your father wants to see you."

"Well, I don't want to see him!" I spat. "I know what he'll do to me if I go back. Do you?"

He shook his head. "No. We're to bring you in."

"He wants her dead, Rude!" Kunsel snarled. "His own daughter. He means to kill her! You okay with that?"

Rude clenched his fists, brought them up, and sprang at Kunsel. He swung, right then left, but Kunsel was ready for him. He blocked, then hit Rude with a few jabs of his own. They circled as they fought, fists in front of them and flying at each other, and when Rude came near me, I ducked under his reaching arm and stomped on his foot.

He staggered back, and Kunsel hammered him with a punch to the gut before he could recover. But then a pair of strong arms grabbed me from behind and started dragging me backward. I kicked, screaming as loud as I could, and heard a familiar voice in my ear.

"Sorry, sugar," Reno said. "But it's my job."

Snarling, I shoved my elbow into his stomach. "Get the hell off me! Does your job include killing an unarmed woman?"

"The hell's that mean?" Reno growled.

He groaned and lost his grip on me the instant I hit him, and I ran as soon as I was free. Shoving Rude aside, Kunsel raced down the street with me. I wasn't sure where to go yet, but we had to put some distance between us and the Turks if we could. There were a lot of back alleys in Sector 8 and dozens of different side streets. Hopefully, we'd find a way to lose them in there, but as we kept on running, Reno and Rude in hot pursuit, we soon found out they weren't alone.

"Halt!" A Shinra soldier quickly brought up his gun as we emerged onto another street. "Or we'll open fire!"

There was a whole squad there, all armed, their rifles aimed at us. I saw they were spread out all along the street, probably as a way to trap us. I thought we could still get through, though, if we were fast enough. I wasn't going to let them take me.

Kunsel frowned. "On a civilian? Are you serious?"

"We've got our orders," the guard captain replied. "If you resist, it's shoot to kill. She's stolen Shinra's secrets, is in league with Wutai, and is a threat to Midgar's security!"

I exchanged a glance with Kunsel. He knew what to do. And being in SOLDIER, he was faster and stronger than any other Shinra trooper could ever be. We bolted for the nearest alley, gunfire chasing us all the way as we ran inside. There were shouts behind us as we kept on going, and more troops were waiting for us at the next street.

And so it went, Shinra soldiers chasing us across Sector 8 from one road to another, trying to kill me any chance they got. I had kicked off my heels ages ago, and although my sleeveless black dress wasn't really the best thing to wear when on the run, I managed well enough. As for Kunsel, he had his SOLDIER uniform on, but he didn't have his helmet and sword. He didn't usually bring them along with him when we went out together. Sector 8 was normally a safe place, after all.

After ducking into another alley and throwing off our pursuers, at least for the moment, I caught my breath, then tore open my purse and took out the transmitter Cait had given me. I had always kept it on me at all times, just in case something like this ever happened. My back to the brick wall, I pressed the button to call him.

"Cait! Cait, are you there!?" I said, trying without much success to keep the rising panic out of my voice.

He came back at once. "Lassie! What's wrong!?"

My hand shook as I gripped the transmitter. "He's found me, Cait! He's found me! My father! I need to talk to Reeve! Now!"

"Jessica!" Reeve's voice came on seconds later. "Where are you?"

"In an alley off of 3rd Street. There are soldiers everywhere, all over the sector! They're trying to kill me! And the Turks are after me, too! I don't know where to go!"

When he answered, his voice was firm but steady. "First, try to stay calm, Jessica. I have a plan. I was hoping it wouldn't come to this, but I don't see that we have much of a choice."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I'll explain later. Right now, I need you to tell me something. Can you get over to 17th Street, by the ramp to the highway?"

I nodded. "Yeah. I think so."

"Good. Do it. I'll meet you there. Is Kunsel with you?"

"Yes, sir," Kunsel said. "I'm here."

Reeve went on. "Make sure she gets there, Kunsel. No matter what. It's her only chance."

"Understood. She'll make it, Director. I'll see to it."

"Very well," Reeve said. "I'll also send Cait to draw off some of the soldiers to clear you a path over there. So please hurry."

I swallowed. "We will, Reeve. Thank you."

"Good luck, to both of you," he replied. "Now go!"

I clicked off and put the transmitter back in my purse, then we got moving again. We jogged, trying to conserve our energy, and made our way from one street to the next. We had quite a few to go. I was hoping we wouldn't run into Reno and Rude again, but there was no way to be sure. We'd left them behind a while ago, but there were a lot of ways to get around in here, ways they could possibly head us off if they figured out where we were going.

When our trip took us onto LOVELESS Avenue by the theater, we started to hurry past it, but stopped when we saw yet another squad of soldiers ahead of us. They hadn't seen us yet, fortunately, but there was no telling how long that would last. We went back the other way, but as soon as we did, we froze when we saw another Turk walking down the street toward us from that direction.

He was dressed in a crisp dark blue suit and a white collared shirt, but they were both neatly buttoned. His long, jet black hair hung down his back, and there was a dot in the middle of his forehead. He was the leader of the Turks, I remembered, and his brown eyes looked coldly at me. Tseng. That was his name.

"It seems you've been giving us the runaround, Ms. Heidegger," he said. "But that ends now."

The soldiers from the other end of the street marched toward us. I shivered, realizing that they'd cut off both ways out of here. They raised their rifles as Tseng lifted his hand. Was this it? I didn't want to believe it. We hadn't come this far to be stopped now. Kunsel tensed himself to fight, intending to give me time to get away. I stood ready, knowing I'd only have one chance to escape.

But then, Aerith walked out of the nearby alley. "Oh, wouldn't you know it? So much ruckus! No wonder it's been a slow night."

She walked in between us and the soldiers and winked at me as she stood close. They hesitated as Tseng began lowering his arm, frowning at the sudden interruption. What was Aerith thinking? She was putting herself in danger by being here.

"Aerith," Tseng said. "This isn't your concern."

She turned on him. "Oh, I think it is! You've gone and scared away all my customers, you meanie! People aren't gonna buy flowers if there are soldiers everywhere shooting at innocent people. Really! You ought to know better than that, Tseng!"

Just then, the soldiers started shouting in confusion, and we saw a familiar black and furry shape bouncing back and forth amongst them, kicking and jumping and causing all kinds of havoc. It was Cait, just in time! He knocked a few of the soldiers over, then scampered away just enough to get the rest to follow him. I could hear his voice teasing and taunting them as he went, and although the soldiers fired at him again and again, Cait was way too quick.

"Now!" Aerith whirled on us. "Into the alley! Run!"

"But what about you?" I asked.

She smiled. "I'll be okay, Jessie. Don't worry. They won't hurt me."

I stared at her. "How do you know that?"

"I just do," Aerith took my shoulder. "Now go! Hurry!"

Kunsel urged me toward the alley. "She's right, Jessie. She'll be fine. We need to get moving."

We hurried into the alley by the theater as Tseng shouted orders to the remaining soldiers behind us. Aerith stood with her arms stretched out to either side, blocking the way in as if she could keep them out all by herself. And to my surprise, she did just that. I took a last look back at her before Kunsel and I cut into the next street. Tseng wouldn't allow the troops to hurt Aerith or move her aside. I didn't understand it, but I was grateful for her help nonetheless.

We made our way toward 17th Street, getting closer now. After we'd rushed down 16th Street and Kunsel had fought off a trio of guards who had made the mistake of trying to stop us, we slipped into an alley that would take us over to our destination. But just as we were almost to the end, we froze as Reno and Rude casually walked out from either side of 17th Street to block our path.

Kunsel stepped in front of me. "Out of our way!"

"Easy, SOLDIER…" Reno drawled. Then he glanced at Rude. "You sure about this, partner?"

Rude simply nodded. And then, to my astonishment, he and Reno both stepped out of the way. Kunsel and I didn't move at first, sure this was a trap of some kind. But neither of the Turks was making any kind of threatening move. They just stood there, one of them on each side of the alley's exit. Then Reno got a call.

He answered his phone. "Yeah? What is it, boss? The girl? She ain't here. Might've doubled back. Later."

After he hung up, I just stared at him. "Why?"

Reno shrugged. "I hate shitty orders. And knockin' off a cute babe ain't in my job description."

"Get moving," Rude added.

We did, but as we went past them, I turned back to them for just a moment. "Thank you…"

Reno brushed it off. "Just get outta here."

Then they were gone, Reno following Rude inside the narrow alley we'd just come from. Sharing a determined glance, Kunsel and I rushed down 17th Street toward the highway exit. It wasn't far, and as we went, we didn't spot any other soldiers around. I wondered if Reno and Rude had been responsible for that.

Reeve was waiting for us in an empty parking lot near the highway. His car sat running behind him, and Cait stood nearby. I hugged them both, relieved that I'd made it this far even as I wondered where I could possibly go from here. I couldn't go back home or to the theater and go on as if nothing had happened tonight. And as I started to understand what it meant, I felt a hard lump in my throat.

"Jessica," Reeve sighed. "This is going to be hard for you, probably the hardest thing you've ever done. But…"

"But what, Reeve?" I said, suddenly afraid.

He laid his hands on my shoulders. "You have to leave the plate. It's not safe for you here anymore. In the slums, you'll have a better chance of staying hidden. It's… a different world down there."

I shook my head. "There's gotta be a way I can stay! I have a whole life up here! I… I don't want to lose everything again!"

"I'm sorry," he said. "But it's the only way. No matter where you are on the plate, your father will find you sooner or later. And if you try to go back home and to your old life, he will find you and have you killed. Moving to the slums is your only hope."

I walked away a few steps and looked up at the sky, not wanting to believe that my life was falling apart again. This couldn't be happening! It just couldn't! My career, my friends, my home, everything I had built was gone. Almost everything, anyway. I looked over at Kunsel, needing him now more than ever. At least… at least I'd still have him. I thought I could live with that. It wasn't the future we had planned or hoped for, but we'd still be together. That was all that mattered.

"I guess you're right," I admitted. Then I slid into Kunsel's arms. "I can do this, as long as you're with me."

But he wouldn't meet my gaze. He simply looked away, exchanging a pained glance with Reeve. I didn't understand at first. But then, as we stood there together, I knew. And the lump in my throat hardened into solid rock as I gazed up at him in disbelief and my heart felt as though someone had stuck a knife in it.

Kunsel gently stroked my cheek. "Jessie…"

"No…" I breathed, tears spilling down my cheeks. "No! Don't do it! Don't stay behind, Kunsel! Please!"

"Jessie, I… I can't go with you. I'm sorry…"

I squeezed his shoulders, staring at Kunsel as I trembled with both rage and sadness. "Why!? Goddamn it, why!?"

He held me close as I cried. "Up here, I can do more for you than if I went with you. I've thought about this a lot since we've been together. It's something I always knew I might have to do."

"I don't understand," I sniffled.

"Because I'm in SOLDIER, I fall under your father's command, and I can use that to keep tabs on him and what he's doing. You know that I also hear things there, secrets that Shinra doesn't want getting out. And you're one of them. I can use that to keep him away from you. I'm sure he'll be watching me close for a while, too."

I clung to him. "I don't want to lose you, Kunsel!"

"I know," he said, running his hand through my hair. "But if I went with you, I might end up leading your father straight to you. SOLDIER isn't easy to leave, and it doesn't go unnoticed. I'm not going to let him use me to find you, Jessie."

"Kunsel…" I sobbed. "Please… please come with me…"

He kissed me. "I'm sorry. But I have to stay. And I can also use the fact that your father's likely to have an eye on me to feed him false info about you, give him the runaround, and make him think you're still up here. I'll keep him off your back as long as I can."

I glanced at Reeve. "You knew?"

"Yes," he said. "We talked about it. But it was his idea, Jessica. And his decision. I wish it could've been different."

Kunsel gently turned me back to him. "Jessie…"

"What is it?" I murmured.

"If I… if I have to lose you to save you, I will," he told me. His eyes were as wet as mine. "I love you…"

I kissed him even as I cried. "I love you, too."

"There's an old church near the outskirts of the Sector 5 slums," he went on. "I'll have Aerith meet you there."

My heart breaking, I just held onto Kunsel and wept, tears blinding me as they kept sliding down my face. I didn't want to let him go. I just wished we could stay together, more than anything. But we couldn't. It was too dangerous, as much as I hated to admit it. And as I understood that, I sighed and slid the ring off my finger. The sight of the diamond's glittering facets was terribly bittersweet, like a reflection of all our days together, all our memories.

"Here…" I held it out. "To remember me by…"

He blinked away tears, shook his head, and gently folded my hand over the ring as his own voice broke. "No, Jessie. You keep it. You won't have anything down there, and… you'll need money to eat and survive and start over again. It… it'll fetch a… good price."

"No! I couldn't do that! I won't do it!"

"Then just keep it," he replied, drawing me into his arms again. "As a reminder of how much I love you."

I hugged him tightly, memorizing how he felt, the smell of him, the sound of his heart beating, everything. Then I took his face in both my hands and kissed him passionately, pressing my lips against his, letting him feel my love in the only way I could. I opened my mouth, and our tongues melted together as my fingers slid around to grasp the back of his head while his circled my waist and held me close.

I don't think either of us ever stopped crying the whole time. Then we pulled away for air, and this time he was the one holding my face as imprinted a long and tender kiss on my mouth. I didn't want to let him go, to leave and never see him again. But I didn't have a choice. I kissed him back, as long as I could, until we had to come up for air. And then I looked up at him, my cheeks wet.

He caressed my cheek. "In spite of everything, I'm glad we met. I'm so happy you walked into the bar that night. It changed my whole life. I won't forget you, Jessie. Not ever."

"I'm not gonna forget you, either," I cried. "I love you…"

Kunsel gazed at me. "I love you, too…"

We held each other so tightly for one last, long moment, neither of us wanting to say what we knew had to be said. But I had to leave, and soon. Tseng and those Shinra troops were still out there, and if I didn't go now, they'd catch me and finish the job.

I took a long, deep breath. "Goodbye, Kunsel…"

"Goodbye, Jessie," he whispered.

After sharing one last, lingering kiss with him, I reluctantly ripped myself away from him and went to Reeve's car, fresh tears spilling over my cheeks as I looked back. Kunsel watched as I got inside, and as Cait hopped in with me and Reeve slid behind the wheel, my eyes never left Kunsel. I kept on looking at him through the window as we pulled out of the parking lot and drove onto the highway.

I didn't look away for a long time.