A/N - I'M FREAKING BACK!

Chapter 10. A life on the edge.

John's POV

She was half-sleeping. I watched her form on the bed, her chest making those typical breathing movements.

Dressed with that white pajama, Eleanor seemed a newborn angel, still waiting to mature, wings to grow, powers to rise. Her chocolate hair contrasted so strangely with all the sterility surrounding her.

Days had passed since the incident with the General and my rival, Hojo. I didn't like him, the man had no limits, knew no boundaries. Who would have guessed he would dare to invade my lab and try to experiment on Eleanor.

And, on the top of all that, with Mako! The consequences could be disastrous. Alien to us as she was, there was no way to predict how her organism, her genes would react to that.

But… death by poisoning could have been a very feasible event.

A pang of guilt hit me suddenly. Was I being too sloppy? Should I manage to get security on her premises 24/7? Would that be excessive?

I didn't know. But I sure didn't want to open up precedents. If I would come up with extra levels of security in my lab, the other researching teams would start questioning.

And I didn't want to disclose the true nature of Eleanor yet. I needed to be sure. I needed to be prepared for any eventuality… Because if Eleanor was, in fact, what I thought she was… our reality would change forever.

Sighing, I entered her premises. Her dazed eyes met mine at once, pale face welcoming me with a smile.

"Eleanor," I said, smiling back to her.

"You can call me Elie, Professor." She said, sitting on the bed and adjusting her pillow close to her back, resting against the headboard.

I took my time to sit on a chair close to the metallic stand next to her bed. Greenish brown eyes met mine and I felt warm inside. It was a nice sensation.

"Okay. Elie it is." I smiled back, hoping she would feel now more at ease. "I'm sorry Hojo scared you. I'll make sure he won't have access to you… alone."

"Thank you." She said, her face serious. I could tell that episode had marked her pretty bad. But, to be honest, what bothered me the most had been the dialogue she had had with the General. To my surprise, that dialogue hadn't been recorded. I wondered what had happened to the surveillance system.

"What did you say to the General?"

Her facial complexion gave her anxiety away immediately. It was a touchy subject, I could sense it… but I had to know. For her sake. The General didn't have a background of neat conduct and I knew the ways of the military. Namely, SOLDIER. There was no tenderness in that kind of men.

Thankfully, she answered me quite quickly.

"I told him to avoid… a certain geographical area of the Planet."

Oh.

"Why?"

"Because… I don't want anybody to get hurt."

"And why would that happen?"

"What year is this?"

"0001, March."

Eleanor narrowed her eyes and took her time thinking. I wondered what she could be considering. But the look of relief on her face was too much obvious for me not to notice.

"Why do you look so relieved?"

"We still have time."

"Time?" I quoted, not grasping the essence of her affirmation. "Time for what?"

"I'll… tell you in due time."

I blinked, not understanding what that could possibly mean.

Sephiroth's POV

Since I had left the presence of that filthy man, I felt agitated. Days had passed by and our unpleasant conversation remained in my mind, replaying over and over. Thousands of deathly strikes in the virtual training room had done little to appease my restlessness.

It had been too much information. Namely, information I wasn't expecting to get. Sure, I wasn't surprised to confirm that Hojo had had in fact a preponderant role in Gast's death. But the way he had mentioned Gast's… feelings? That had been shocking. A man like Gast, abandoning everything he had built in life… for an infatuation?

It seemed ludicrous.

And yet I suspected that–

No, I actually was very certain of who, unquestionably, knew all the dirty details of this whole freaking novel.

The only person that had started this mess in first place.

I sighed, running my fingers on the expensive wood of my desk. Rebel urgency was starting to contaminate my usual calm, self-controlled spirit. I had to know how that woman knew of all this – qualified information, reserved only to selected eyes in this company. I had to know how, when, the circumstances concerning her extensive knowledge.

Enough of riddles.

She was going to tell me exactly what I needed to know.

Before I knew it, I was out of my office, heading towards the Science Division.

And all I could think about was how was I going to get inside that woman's premises without Medina knowing.

Elie's POV

It was night-time already.

I stood, close to the new window in my secluded premises, delighted with the dark blue sight out there. I was actually looking at a fantasy world, now as real as me, standing right here. The stars were bright and the sky clean, the distant lights of Midgar teasing me. How I wanted to visit that place, see it as a reality I could never dream of.

All this was so impressive to believe. I was actually here. Final Fantasy VII world. No more, no less.

It exists. It's real.

I was right here, in the middle of an impending tragedy. John had informed me this was the year 0001, March. So… things were starting to become messy. Angeal and Genesis had deserted, Zack was about to meet Aerith… and the General would be there, silently, walking towards madness without even knowing it.

Where would Cloud be right now? I wondered if he had heard of me. I wondered if he would snap if I told him he was going to beat his beloved General to death in the middle of a reactor in Nibelheim.

I closed my eyes and shook my head.

Christ, don't overthink it, Elie.

Right, I couldn't overthink it. Or I would go mad. I had to take this very slowly and warily. And I had to be very careful choosing my words. John was the best person to give information first-hand. I trusted him. And I knew he would use that information wisely.

He was a clever man. Attentive. Caring. Dedicated.

Sighing, I wondered if he had someone waiting for him at home.

Anyway, John had unsealed a window, after making sure my health would not be compromised. He sure was overprotective with my body functions. I couldn't cough, hiccup or sneeze without him ordering a battery of tests the next minute.

However, his last questioning had me worried. John, asking about my conversation with the General?

Why was he worried over that? And why did I sense he could not stand knowing there were secret conversations between the General and me?

God! I couldn't just tell him what was going to happen to Sephiroth! Not now, or I would risk a very angry General accusing me of wanting him off the map or something. Suspicious as the man was, there was no way he-

Dark suddenly enveloped me, my eyes scanning the void behind me.

The lights were completely out – all over -, and I felt hyper-aware of everything. My breathing was audible; my heartbeat echoed in my ears as thunder.

Okay. This was – definitely - not normal.

I blinked several times, hoping the lights would come to life soon. But, in the painful seconds that followed, all I could see was a slight shade of grey light – these were categorically emergency lights…

And a presence. Right there with me.

Like a freaking ghost.

General. As powerful and sexy as he could get, right out of a FF7 game cover. The only thing lacking was his sword.

I hadn't heard him come in.

I gulped, and his green, Mako eyes shone in the dim environment surrounding us. He was standing right next to the door, eyeing me with a determination that could only mean something was not right. My back found the cold wall and I shivered with anticipation. Something inside me was telling me that he had been the one orchestrating this sudden power outage.

But of course. The General, most likely, didn't want John to know of this little visit. And I, better than anyone, knew he had his ways of dealing with energy. So this would be just me and him… alone, with no protective eyes recording each and every move.

"John doesn't know you're here." I declared, verbalizing my thoughts.

"How intuitive."

His sarcasm hurt, and I remembered the last time we had talked. His fingers touching my arm, apparently worried with Hojo's doings. And, in the middle of those memories, I felt afraid of his intentions. The General wasn't exactly the 'friendly' type.

"What-"

"Gast." He said, interrupting me and making his way towards me. "Gast Faremis. Tell me about him."

I waited for him to stop – which he did, closer than I would like to. I couldn't push myself more into the wall, that feeling of oppression invading me as my eyes were now more accustomed to the scarce light that bathed us. My eyes were on his the whole time until I decided to speak.

"What do you want me to tell you about him?"

"Spill it out."

His harsh manners didn't please me at all, but I had no choice but to tell him what I knew about Gast. I recalled my previous thinking, when my mind warned me to be cautious choosing my words.

"You think high of him. You always did." I declared, "Unlike Hojo."

His face didn't quaver, but I knew he felt surprised that I was speaking his mind. I knew his opinion about both scientists. Among other things.

"This isn't about me, Miss Stevens. Tell me about Gast Faremis and the reasons behind his leaving."

I inhaled deeply, hoping to find some relief. And strength. The General wasn't making this easy on me. And I felt a little lost of what to say… there was information I couldn't tell him. Or he would kill me, I was certain of it. Angry as he seemed, I wouldn't stand a chance if I proffered the wrong words.

"His research was the problem. He thought he was…" I stopped, trying to omit the word Jenova of my speech. "…he was wrong about his testing. All this work, for all his life… had been built under false premises."

Good God. Stress really made the deal, didn't it?

The General blinked for a couple of seconds, tilting his head right, his eyes hard on mine. His eye-power was the most incapacitating thing I had ever felt.

"Meaning?" He insisted.

"He thought he had been researching on a Cetra. He was wrong."

God, can you give it a break now?

"And that justified his leaving?"

The General kept on. He sure didn't give up until he didn't have what he wanted. And he wanted information – specific, concrete information about Gast. He was now approaching the heart of the issue. The reasons behind Gast's leaving.

I gulped, hoping I wouldn't screw this up. I wondered how far the General would go to get what he wanted. But, it was silly of me to think about it, because I already knew what he was capable of. First-hand. With my own fingers on the PS3's controller.

"No. He left because… he found the real Cetra." I said, shivering with fright. "And… fell in love with her."

The shock on the General's face was hidden, but was there. Feelings were uncharted territory to him, I could see. It didn't surprise me.

"That's… so unlike Gast."

His tone was the one of shock mixed with boredom. He was clearly trying to persuade me that he didn't buy that theory. He clearly didn't believe Gast could have done something so noble in the name of… love.

And I didn't know why, but the General's reaction ignited something inside me.

"What, a brilliant man can't fall for a woman?" I asked, his eyebrows revealing his distaste with my words. "The fact that she was a Cetra was only a plus. He fell for her for the woman she was. As a Cetra, she showed him the secrets of the kind. And eventually…"

Oh, eventually!... No, I couldn't tell him they had conceived a child. And that that child had grown up, lived nearby and went by the name of Aerith Gainsborough. The image of him, impaling her with his sword was too powerful to even consider it.

"Eventually…?" He quoted, giving me the hint to go on.

I had to decide what to say and fast.

"He ran away with her. Northern Continent. He thought he was safe. He wasn't."

I ended my speech but the General didn't seem convinced. He relaxed a little, measured me once again and finally spoke.

"You speak as if you met him, as if you have lived all that drama altogether."

I sighed, realizing he was so right.

"In a way."

"Right." The General said, irony imbibed his tone.

All that smugness made me react.

"They died. Both of them. And Hojo couldn't find anything to go on from where Gast left. End of story."

And with that I left the wall, walking towards the bed, breathing with relief. God, not being under his shadow was indeed alleviating.

Silence was the only noise between us, under the scarce light that still bathed my premises. I was lost of what to do, how to react with him right there, sharing space with me. What could I say to make him leave at once, what could I do to convince him to just leave me the hell alone?

His voice startled me, closer to me than I would like to, right there… behind me.

"You know," He started, and I felt his breath on my hair. "After this, I can only bring myself to conclude you are a spy. A properly informed spy." My body shivered again, reacting to his words, his presence. "But then, I just look at you… and I can only conclude you are too ridiculous to actually be one."

I closed my eyes, suppressing the urge of slapping him. I inhaled deeply once again, rage invading me as I turned to face him. This time, he had gone too far. Son of Jenova or not, no man insulted me like that.

"I am really sorry to disappoint you." I answered, with equal sarcasm. Our stares locked, cold meeting fire in a speechless war. I had to admit my chest ached at the unfairness and cruelty of his words.

But the General seemed determined in making the process continue.

"I don't know – yet – how is that you know so many classified information about the company. But mark my words," He warned, his face now closer to mine, "I will find out. And when I do, I won't be merciful."

I didn't quiver while I listened to him. Suddenly, it all seemed so obvious to me. I had knowledge of so many things, things he didn't dream of. Things that I knew to disturb him terribly. It was low, I admitted it. But he had it coming.

Okay then General, it's my turn now.

"That's a lot of anger repressed there, General." I declared, a ghost of a smile decorating my face. "What, not knowing a thing about Genesis and Angeal whereabouts frustrates you to the point of threatening a ridiculous woman?"

He narrowed his eyes and I sensed his raged breathing through his nose. Was he angry? Too bad.

"Watch your tone, woman."

Oh, really?

"Jerk." I reacted, not knowing where all this would lead. He had pushed my nerves, and I felt unstoppable now.

But so was The General.

"You're lucky you are under Medina's guard. He thinks you're very precious. I just think you are worthless."

I paused a little, trying to concoct the best insult to throw at him. I didn't have to think much to come up with the perfect one.

"You have a lot more in common with that walking mass of complexes than you might think."

I had talked slowly and thoroughly. And the expression on his face was priceless.

"Excuse me?"

Oh, I was so calling the shots now. This small taste of verbal power over a man like Sephiroth gave me the kick I needed to proceed.

"That's what you think of him, isn't it? You hate him because of all he made you go through, all the experiments, all those painful, tormenting things he submitted you to, creating a man with a freaking God-complex. You."

My head was completely up, angled with his, my eyes burning into him. And the General, for the first time, seemed a little lost of words.

"Take that back." He snarled. "Now."

I smiled vaguely, knowing he would hate my reaction. I was kind of enjoying putting him in his place for once. What an arrogant bastard. I felt unstoppable.

"Why? Because it's the truth? You can't stand it, right?" I teased, measuring him, clearly defying him. "And you won't stand it. It will destroy you."

His eyes widened a little in reaction. And, before I knew it, I regretted all I had said and done. His left hand, his strong fingers grasped my neck, my throat with sudden gesture, and I gasped with shock.

"I don't admit this." He whispered, out of his mind.

Oh-uh. Maybe I had exaggerated. Just a little. He was Sephiroth after all.

What was I thinking? My hands traveled to his and met granite, cold fingers. I tried to ease the pressure he was applying but nothing seemed to work.

"Let me-"

"Take it back. All of it. NOW."

Painful seconds passed by, and I felt my eyes teary. I struggled with his hold – a hold that took me to meet my own bed, my back hitting the cold sheets while he, calmly, waited for me to say something, as he had ordered me. I tried to kick him, but he easily averted my sloppy attempts of hurting him, easing himself in between my legs and still compressing my throat, with his hands, while his face and body lowered slowly, finding mine.

Cold, fine leather met sweaty skin. Sephiroth was huge above me. His form, compressed on mine, felt like sin.

Our stares locked and I felt the order scream through green Mako. He wanted me to obey him. At all cost.

"No!" I screamed, with the last breath I had in me.

He didn't quaver one bit.

"Then you'll pay for it. With your life."

His grasp didn't weaken and my arms darted to find relief somewhere. I couldn't breathe, the lack of air was getting to my brain and he… he was all over me.

I moved beneath him, reacting to the suffocation I felt – but I could only hear my feet hitting the metal of the bed, his right hand rendering my body quiet while his other hand seemed determined in smashing my upper airways. Out of reaction, my hands found something silky and pulled, as strongly as I could. I felt his hand on my skin, squeezing, hurting my flank.

I tried to move my neck to get air, but his grip was iron.

He was going to kill me. Slowly, torturing me, punishing me for my words.

Now I was sure of it.

God…, I thought, not knowing if He would hear me out in this place.

But then, out of nowhere, a blinding light appeared and I felt relief. The air was slowly returning to my system, and I couldn't see a thing.

I coughed, my hands traveled to my throat.

The General's hand was still there.

Painful seconds passed by until I was capable of understand what was happening. My vision returned, and I realized the lights were back on again. My breath was irregular and the General's form was still over me, as if I was still a danger to him. I took my time becoming conscious of his weight partially on me, my legs parted, my white pajama messy… and strands of detached silver hair all over my hands.

The silky thing I had pulled with all my strength? Right. It had been his hair.

Heavy and powerful, he still squeezed me, not giving me time to feel embarrassed of the pose we were in. Not to mention the way my clothes were right now. I had no underwear underneath my white, sterile pajamas. And the whole thing was wrinkled and humid with sweat.

Hadn't he been trying to kill me, all this would have looked extremely off the mark. Not that it mattered. Strong as he was, I didn't pose much of a threat to him.

And he knew that perfectly.

Slowly, my eyes met his. I felt scared as a rodent. Like, un-dignifying scared.

"You… worthless wench…" He said, his left hand tightening a little on my throat again. "Don't you dare to incite me again or you will know first-hand the full strength of my grip."

And with that, he slowly removed his hand from my neck, his body ceasing contact with mine. The smell of leather was all over my skin.

I stayed there, in the same position, my legs half-parted, pending by the edge of the bed, with my hands on my neck, breathing like fish out of water. I stared at the ceiling, now distorted with the tears that fell and stained the mess of sheets beneath me.

I heard him leave and felt relieved, thanking mentally to God for saving me.

He was really going to kill me. If it wasn't for the lights… he would have killed me.

It didn't take me too much to start sobbing.

A/N – Feisty little Elie, little does she know what this tremendous episode did to the General. Next chapter… you'll know! :)

Review, people, can't wait to hear from you after so loooong!

Don't forget to join my FB page community! I post stuff there about all my fic's! As well as teasers, suggestions and all! It's easy to catch up!

You're all very welcome!