"What?"

"That would explain your symptoms," he continues, touching his glasses. "Morning sickness, aches, fluctuating mood…"

"I think the mood's just her personality," Elena points out. When I scowl at her, she shakes her head. "Do you still want me to stay, or…?"

"Please." I can't imagine what would happen if Elena left this room without me, ready to blurt her new secret to the first person she meets. Groaning, I bury my face in my hands. How did I let this happen? "What the hell am I going to do?"

"Well, you have a couple of options." Marx sits on his stool, resting his hands on his knees. "If you decide to keep it, you can take time off work, but that will more than likely turn into a permanent situation."

"Fuck," I moan, closing my eyes and letting my hands fall into my lap.

"It's not that bad. I have a kid, Kat, and I'd say she's turning out alright."

"This is different."

"… I know." Marx sighs, pulling his glasses off and tapping them against the counter. "I wouldn't recommend that, not with what in your blood."

"I'm not letting it go. Not if I can help it." I tug at the threads in my pants, feeling sick. My chest is tight and I can't get rid of the lump in my throat. Is this really my only choice?

The child stays.

I'll protect you both.

I shiver. "They won't have to suffer through what I have."

"That's not my point. The voice, Kat."

"She's there to protect me from myself."

"She?" When I shake my head, he continues. "Kat, she isn't just the result of psychological damage. She is in your DNA, passed to you through your father after he decided to use himself as a test subject."

"What is it?" I demand, turning to scowl at him. "I know you don't want to mess with my memories, but I have a right to know."

"You'll know soon enough. You've still been remembering?"

"Yeah?"

"What was the last thing you recalled?"

I glance at Elena, hanging my head. "… Killing Tseng's fiancé."

"Then you're close."

"How do you know?"

"We've done this before, remember? No, I don't suppose you would. Apologies." Marx pulls his keyboard closer. "Consider your options well, Kat. I know what I would choose."

"Well, it's a good thing it's not your decision."

"No, it's not." He frowns, eyes narrowed on his screen. "Do you know who the father is?"

"I…" My words get stuck in my throat as I try to remember the first time Reno and I... Fuck. I can't breathe. No.

"Kat?"

"No, I don't think—I don't know."

"But what about Reno?" Elena asks, frowning.

I press my lips together and realization dawns clearly on Marx's face. How does he know? He clears his throat and blinks away a thought before typing rapidly on his keyboard.

"What are you—"

"It's Rufus Shinra, isn't it?"

"Tyler—" I cut myself off, shoulders slumped in defeat. It's too late—he has to report to the President. Elena's eyebrows look ready to disappear into her hairline, her jaw slack. This is a sick mess. "I don't know what to do."

"Well, let's hope he doesn't see this and you have space to think. Something tells me he won't take kindly to this news."

"You don't know jack shit about how he'll react," I snap, defensive. If anyone has the right to assume what he'll say, it's me. I'm the only fucking person on the planet that sees through his cold, empty mask.

Elena exchanges a look with Marx, eyes ripe with pity. "Let's get out of here, Kat. Spend a little time thinking?"

"Yeah."

Shaky, I gather my papers and head out the door, my steps quick and long. Elena hurries to catch up, pressing the last paper into my hands.

"Where are you headed?"

"Home."

"Oh. Okay."

"Elena."

"Hm?"

"Please don't tell anyone."

"Of course not." Elena frowns, off-put by my pleading. "Why would I?"

"I don't know."

I press my hand to the door for the stairwell, hurrying to be alone. I brush past a pair of workers that speak in hushed voices, apologizing under my breath. I'm panting by the time I reach my floor, but I can't slow down, or I'll fall apart. It's just my luck that Reno's heading in the opposite direction down the hallway. He grins, but I don't look at him, trying to hurry past. Not now. Just let be. He grabs hold of my elbow and the papers go flying, crinkled from being crushed to my chest.

"Reno!" I cry, falling to my hands and knees.

"Wasn't tryin' to." He bends over to help me. I panic, slapping his hands away and gathering the pages by myself. "Hey, calm down!" I sigh, scooping the mess into my arms and taking a deep breath.

"Sorry."

"What's up?" he asks, watching me get to my feet. "Fuck, Kat, you're shaking."

I shake my head, peering past him to see my door waiting for me. "I'm fine, I promise."

"What're these?" He reaches forward to pry a page away, but I step back, holding them tighter.

"Don't! It's just…" I close my eyes, trying to calm myself. "I just had Marx do some testing. It's just boring medical shit, Reno."

"Well if it's boring, why can't I see?"

"Because it's none of your business." I step around him quickly. "I have to go organize these now. And I'm not coming in today—doctor's orders."

"Okay…?"

I'm sick again the next day, only reaffirming what Marx told me. I bury my cigarettes beneath a pile of laundry and hurry out the door to keep myself away from them. Upstairs, Rude and Elena are talking quietly. I slip past them to toss back a couple of cups of coffee before turning back to join them. The blonde steps to the side with bright, lively eyes, continuing her rambling story.

"Plus, I heard that Scarlet stabbed some guy in the eye with her stilettos yesterday." She shudders, jamming her hands into her pockets and glancing at me. "She kinda scares me. Doesn't she freak you out even a little, Rude?" Rude shrugs, nodding toward me in greeting. Elena smiles, though I can some of it's forced. "How're you today, Kat? Hanging in there?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"Does she scare you?"

"I'd be stupid not to be afraid."

"See?!" she cries, pointing at me as she stands on her toes to get closer to Rude's face. "She's terrifying! Gods, Kat, you and your black coffee."

"I like it this way," I remind her, raising an eyebrow and taking another sip. She crinkles her nose.

"Did you drink it when you were younger? Coffee stunts your growth, you know."

"I know," I frown, looking her up and down. "Elena… you're shorter than me."

"She's sensitive about the subject," Reno butts in, throwing an arm over my back and setting an elbow on Rude's shoulder.

"What subject?"

"Your height," he shrugs, turning to flash a cocky half-smile. "It's alright. We still love you."

"Get off me," I scoff, rolling my eyes and shrugging him away. "I'm not that short."

"Well…" Elena shrugs when I scowl at her.

"I'm just below average!"

"Mhm." Reno laughs when I elbow his ribs. "See? Sensitive. At least 'lena's not afraid to admit it."

"Lena?" I repeat, glancing at Elena. She shrugs again, turning back to Rude.

Reno leans down closer to my shoulder and I flinch away, scared he's trying to pull something annoying. He raises an eyebrow, keeping his voice low. "Hey, come to my office."

"You sound like Rufus," I huff, pushing my empty cup into Rude's hand and following. Reno's partner frowns down at the cup, taking a deep breath to calm his irritation.

"I hope Rufus ain't gettin' that close anymore," Reno scoffs, closing the door behind me.

Suddenly, I get nervous. What does he want to talk about? There's no way he knows… Reno clasps his hands behind his head and wanders toward his messy desk. The distance in his eyes and the absence of my voice tell me he's thinking. Shuddering, I hug my arms closer to my body. I'm starting to sweat, anxious. I begin to search for words to break the silence, turning my eyes to the floor. He slams his hands against the desk and I jump, nearly peeing my pants.

"When the fuck did you plan on telling me?" Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

"Tell you—" Stammering, my voice stops. What can I say?

"Kat, I'm not stupid."

"I didn't say you were. I'm not stupid, either."

"Course not." Reno frowns, staring hard at the papers before him. "You know damn well what I mean."

"Reno, I—" I shiver, clenching my teeth.

Shaking his head, Reno straightens, staring up at a generic photo of a cityscape on his wall. "Yesterday, when you dropped all those papers… I took one. I don't know why; I just knew I had to."

"What the hell?" I snap, irritated. "That was none of your—"

"Don't you fuckin' lecture me," he retorts, turning back with a scowl on his face. "Your business is my business, Kat."

"Since when?!"

"Since always, you dumb bitch!" He laughs, turning and grabbing my shoulders, shaking me. "Kat, we've always had each other's backs. All these damn secrets are driving me fucking insane. You were being weird, and I had to know what was wrong."

"Reno, I'm—"

"I don't wanna lose whatever the fuck we have goin' one any time soon, but you make it so damn hard!" He pulls away, tugging at his hair and turning his back to me. "I couldn't sleep."

"I'm sorry."

"No, don't apologize."

I press my lips together, face red and hands sticky with sweat. My mind clings to one thing he said—one thing that makes me crack a smile. "Whatever the fuck we have goin' on?"

"What?"

"That's what you said."

"Well, yeah. I'm not done…" Reno huffs, shaking his head and shoving his hands into his pockets. "Not with us. But this kid…" He doesn't finish his sentence, retreating.

Sympathetic, I step forward and rest a hand on his back, peeking around him to catch his eye. "I'm not done either, Re. I'm your Kitty Kat, remember?"

Reno's lips curl into a smile that he fights at first. Then, he shakes his head and gives in, turning to face me. "You're a goddamn mess and a half, Kitty, you know that?"

"I'm very aware."

"Fuckin' pain in my ass."

"It's because I hate you." I stand on my toes, pressing a quick kiss to his lips.

He grins, watching as I hop onto the edge of his desk. "Those were two very contradicting statements." He gets me back, reaching around me and pulling a paper free. "This is the one I stole."

"How noble of you to return it," I tease, scanning the page. Out of all the pages of negative tests, he somehow pulled the single positive result. That's what I'd call Fate—if I believed in her.

"You should probably get back to work."

"Oh, so now you want me out."

He shakes his head, running his fingers over the back of my hand. "No, you should stay."

"You were right the first time," I sigh, standing and shoving the paper into my pocket. "Got everything off your chest?" He doesn't answer. I turn the doorknob, turning back to see him staring at the picture again. "Okay, well, have fun."

"Yeah."

I shake my head, returning to Elena and Rude, who haven't budged. Something's weird about him. Elena offers a thin smile, crossing her arms.

"What's on today's agenda?" I ask, taking my empty cup back from Rude. I want to feel relieved, but I can't. Something felt off when I left Reno alone.

"Dunno," Elena answers, shrugging. "Corneo's dead, Tseng's not here, and Reno's not keeping us in the loop with whatever Rufus is doing."

"Where's Avalanche?"

"Heading to Mideel to take care of Cloud."

"Hm. Shame what happened to him. You won't chase them?" I crumple the cup absently and Elena laughs.

"What, are you that desperate to get rid of me?"

"Of course I do," I scoff, fighting a smile. "Hey, do either of you know where Hojo—"

I'm cut off by a crash coming from Reno's office. It's quickly followed by the rustling of papers splashing to the floor. Guilty, I chew on the inside of my cheek. I'm sorry, Re. Rude frowns, glancing down at me, but I refuse to look back up. I know this is my fault.

"Is he okay?" Elena asks, careful.

"Should be. I didn't do anything to piss him off."

"What happened in there?" Rude looks back at the office door, tugging at one of his earrings.

"Nothing."

"Kat—"

"Rude, I swear I didn't say anything that would set him off. At least, I don't think I did. Maybe he got a phone call." Gods, Kat. You're a shitty liar.

"Hn." Without another word, Rude heads toward the door, ignoring Reno's shouts for him to leave, and shuts it tight behind him. I can hear the muffled sound of the redhead yelling at his partner.

Cringing, I turn back to Elena. "This won't end well."

"Does this have to do with…?"

"Yeah."

"You told him?"

I sigh, shaking my head. "He found the papers."

"Oh." Shifting uncomfortably, she stretches her arms behind her back. "Well, what did you want to talk to Hojo about?"

"There's a shitload of stuff I need to understand about myself. Every time I remember I need to talk to him, he's on vacation or he quit."

"Damn."

"Yeah."

"Y'know…" Elena cuts herself off with a giggle. "There's this rumor going around about you and Reno."

"What's that?"

"You guys are actually related, but you fell in love and now you're, y'know."

"Gods, that's gross. What's wrong with people?" I don't even have the heart to crinkle my nose, anxiously listening to the quieted argument behind us. Elena notices, reaching out and touching my arm to get my attention.

"Hey, why don't you help me with something? My computer's all busted up and I need someone who at least kind of knows how to fix things."

"Sure," I nod, following her. Please be okay.