Chapter 42. Time Off.
Sephiroth's POV
I never felt so powerless in my entire life.
The moment Stevens knocked on my door I sensed something was wrong. I felt Mako in a very unique way, but on hers it was… different. I was awake, it was a fact. Sleep flew and went by and in the exact moment she called my name my inner alarms were on fire.
Only something very serious would bring her to my door at 4 a.m.
When I actually looked at her, her injuries and the way she had been stung, it was clear who had done it. The only person around with the means and enough cold blood to invade someone's apartment to do something like this in the middle of the night was him.
Hojo.
My worries went to her safety, her survival. Mako was stable enough, as long as I knew, but I had seen some pretty nasty reactions. Mako poisoning was no myth and then, there was the individual factor to consider. Every person might react badly and eventually collapse under the effect of high dosage.
I sighed as I asked her to lie down so I could properly access her. My fingertips scanned, probed the sensitive flesh, hurt and tainted with green. Whoever injected Stevens knew what was doing. Knowledge was mandatory in these kind of procedures and I was willing to bet Hojo had been the one in person doing it.
The adrenaline turned him on. He enjoyed the unpredictability of experimenting, the imminent catastrophe of something going wrong… or not. I knew that very well, since I could remember.
She complained mildly, even if what scared her the most was… not knowing what was going on.
Hence, I needed Medina here. Only he could access Stevens the way I couldn't. The only thing I could perceive was the Mako was silent but spreading. And since she was stable… what else could I do?
Call for back up.
With a deep breath I returned to my bedroom, where Stevens sat with the most desolated frown on the Planet. Lost, sad and most likely cold, the woman in front of me looked like an abandoned child.
I walked towards her and sat, the mattress shifting a bit beneath my weight.
"John will be here soon." I whispered, and dared to turn to her. She didn't eye me.
"Are you sure, Sephiroth?" She asked, and I gulped dry. This was going to be difficult to say.
"Yes."
Stevens closed her eyes and I heard her take a deep breath. Panic was all over her. Out of reflex my left hand searched for hers and she grabbed it, hard, squeezing.
"I'm scared." She whispered, and I felt lost of what to say. Hell, I couldn't tell her I was afraid of what would happen with her. Thing was, she was different from us, how was I supposed to know how'd she react to Mako? I didn't.
And it annoyed me more than ever.
"Easy." I said, and held her in a tight embrace. As we both sat, despaired and sleep deprived, I sensed the woman beneath my hold to calm down a little, her heartbeat softening. Mako's broadcasting on her was residual, and I wondered if I would ever feel her differently from now on.
Would she reject it? Would she be okay?
And, for the first time, my mind begged for her to be okay, for her life to be spared. I didn't know who I was asking to, but the request was there, inside my mind. Silent, powerful.
I'm not going to let you die.
I took my time gathering control, calmness, and tried to perspire something that wasn't worry and despair. She needed support, not someone secretly panicking.
"Look," I said, urging her to face me. Stevens looked destroyed, and I wanted nothing but to take that frown from her. "We'll figure this out. Now stay still, let's wait for John, okay?"
She nodded, her eyes begging me for… support. Something. She didn't say a word, but then again, she didn't need to.
I knew that stare.
Our stare locked for seconds, and I felt something inside me flare. Memories of the recent contact, the kiss of before, made my will quiver. It felt somehow inadequate to feel this, want something like this in the situation we were in, but it was there. Desire build up inside me, grew with each breath.
I was impulsive by nature, but I considered my actions.
So, after seconds of intense staring, I eventually closed contact with Stevens once again. Her supple mouth welcomed mine willingly, the contact soft and innocent - at first. The kiss started naïve and simple, gentle stroking - no tongue. It had been mainly a supportive, kind act of me, and I didn't want -er, well, shouldn't push things under this circumstance.
It just didn't feel right.
Her hands grabbed my waist, naked torso, and her face rested in between my hands, as we sat in an awkward position. Stevens whimpered against my mouth and I felt a shiver running all over me.
Shit. How fast things could lose control?
In the middle of my ranting my phone rang. The noise separated us and I got up, my eyes now on the screen.
"It's John."
I didn't turn after getting up the bed and Stevens didn't say a word. She merely lied down and stayed there, still. I walked towards the door in long strides, and opened it with a sudden move. John's face was sleepy and his hair uncombed.
"I came as soon as possible."
John's stare was one of worry, and I didn't say a word until the door was closed. We stood for a while, my hands on my pockets, as he waited for me to introduce the subject once again, give him details we shouldn't mention around her.
"I'm worried about the dose." I suddenly said, and John urged me to keep talking.
"What do you sense?"
"A lot."
The man in front of me took a deep breath and scanned the place.
"Where is she?"
This time I didn't answer him verbally and resumed walking towards my bedroom, John on my tail. Once we got there, a very spooky Stevens rested on my bed, her eyes searching out for us. Answers. She wanted answers so bad.
"I told her to be still." I informed John, as the good Doctor blinked at us, his eyes scanning the surroundings. I didn't miss his quest for signs of intimacy - so, okay, it all seemed a little improper I mean, I wore only my pajama pants and Stevens in my bed with her white pajama on… I had to admit it raised some suspicions.
But, it hadn't been the case. We barely had kissed, for the Planet's sake.
"Hey." John declared, sitting next to Stevens. His hand searched for hers and she smiled swiftly at him. I stood nearby, watching them interact.
"How are you feeling?" He asked, and Stevens had the answer prepared.
"Scared."
"No, I mean…" John paused, and tried to be more specific. "Do you feel anything like nausea, dizziness, pain? Do you feel any different?"
Stevens seemed to take her time considering John's words.
"It hurts, where the stings were made." She said. "It's… more like a discomfort, it's barely pain now."
"So you were in pain before, and it subsided?"
John seemed to do the math quickly, and Stevens merely nodded again.
"Can I see it?"
In a lazy move, I saw the woman on the bed raise her pajama shirt, displaying her abdomen to the good doctor, who took a nice and good look at her. His stare was clinic mostly, but there was something else there. Tenderness, and not the innocent kind.
I averted my stare from them for a while, feeling a plus in this moment. John had this capacity of making me feel extra when something serious was going on with Stevens. I didn't know if he did that on purpose, but the feeling was there. And it didn't feel nice in any possible way.
Suddenly, John was the one pulling her shirt down, and stared at her with a faint smile.
"Let me draw you blood, then we'll scan you… if you agree."
John had turned to me now, and I took a second to realize he was actually talking to me now. Asking me for permission for Stevens to go.
"Okay."
Stevens didn't seem that convinced.
"What, right now?"
"You go with John." I declared, as I went in search for a shirt nearby. "I'll meet you at the lab." My feet took me to the closet's direction, but Stevens' words stopped me.
"Where are you going?"
Her tone was absolutely shocked, what annoyed me a little. Come on, there was no need to make a scene.
"Stevens. Don't start." I warned her, and my stare was harsh on her. Her face disclosed a silly panic of me leaving, and I couldn't get why. Not in this circumstance, or any other by that matter.
I was going for my boots when I heard John right next to my closet.
"Sephiroth." He made a sign for us to leave the bedroom and I left barefooted, pants and shirt half-buttoned. A walking mess.
John left my bedroom and I followed him. He stopped in the middle of the living room and gazed upon me with a hard stare.
"What?" I asked.
"Listen…"He started, with a low tone. "Don't do this in front of her. She might snap." He paused, then looked towards by bedroom again, as if to check Stevens wasn't listening. "Why don't we do things this way: I'll scan her blood, but it will take hours to run, to make sure I cover all the tests. Then I'll prepare the scans first thing in the morning and we'll scan Elie from top to bottom."
I processed his speech, my mind considering all the odds.
"What if something happens?"
"I'll be in the Science Division." He said. "Besides she can't go to the Hospital. She's not like us, General. She's stable for now and most of Mako side effects happen within the first hour… which is long gone by now."
I took a deep breath, realizing he might be right. His perspective was different from mine, and maybe I should consider his words right now.
"So-"
He didn't let me finish.
"Stay with her until day break and then bring her to me. I'll text you when it's all prepared. Then we'll think about what we should do, with all the data on our hands."
His suggestion actually surprised me, since I knew Stevens was his soft spot. It was like he acknowledged something was definitely going on between her and I.
John didn't say a word more and I saw him put the tubes in some special case. He had a serious stance and I decided I should share my suspicions with him. Considering he was going to be a precious help and that he was definitely on my side, I figured… I owed him the truth.
"It was him. I know it was." I declared, my tone rasp and angry. "He's doing this to provoke me."
John stopped what he was doing and his eyes met mine.
"Calm down. Don't do something you might regret later." He warned. "It's Stevens we're talking about."
"I know."
I was a fact that I knew, but my instinct and will for revenge screamed louder tonight.
"Let me know if something happens in the meantime."
I nodded, and decided I should… thank the man.
"Thanks."
He nodded briefly at me and took a deep breath before speaking again.
"Take good care of her." He said. "Don't leave her alone."
And those had been John's last words of the night before he left my apartment. I stood in the living room for a while, considering what he had said, the way he had said it.
Man. How awkward. It seemed like he was giving up Stevens… to me. It felt that way, rather strange.
"Where is John?"
I turned to see Stevens standing by the door of my bedroom. She looked tired and the frown of fright on her face remained.
"He… went to prepare the lab. The scans for later." I clarified, as I walked towards her. "Blood testing will take time, so we'd figure letting you rest a little."
"Oh."
She didn't seem convinced. Again. Convincing Stevens was proving very difficult tonight.
"How are you feeling?"
"A little better." she admitted, as we walked inside my bedroom again. Stevens rested her right hand on her abdomen, as if testing it. "The pain is almost gone."
Her eyes met mine out of the sudden and I decided I should try and convince her to go to sleep. She had to rest or tomorrow she'd feel spent, which wasn't good news considering all the testing that was going to happen.
"Why don't you try to get some sl-"
"So that you might run away and murder Hojo?" She snorted, and gave me a weak smile. "He did this to me, I know."
I blinked at the woman standing with her white pajama and disheveled hair across the unmade bed. Damn, she was good. Her suspicions were accurate and the way she read my intentions over Hojo actually worried me. Was she able of guessing up my way of thinking? Or was I becoming that obvious?
I turned, and took my shirt off, the item landing on the nearby chair. The pants followed, and the pajama slacks were back. Our stare met again and I found a very embarrassed Stevens, clearly avoiding staring back in my direction. Okay then, maybe stripping in front of her had been a little too much. Clearly.
So I changed subject as if nothing had happened.
"Let's rest for a while." I said, as I approached her side. "I'll stay with you."
Her eyes flashed, surprised.
"Will you?"
I blinked a couple of times, feeling a little confused. What was the problem with staying with her, by her side?
"Are you afraid?" I dared to ask, a little disappointed. The bitter feeling of her fearing me in such way was there - I couldn't understand why she could possibly fear me, considering she knew me better than anyone.
"No." She whispered. "Well, a little."
"Afraid of what?"
Stevens took a deep breath before saying the words.
"Of falling asleep and not waking up again."
Time stood to a halt as the heaviness of her words hit me like a rock. For moments I felt selfish for thinking her fright only related to me, when something far more serious was happening now. This was Mako we were talking about, walking around freely inside her.
"That won't happen, Stevens."
I had said the words, even if I wasn't certain of what I was saying. I didn't know the effect Mako might have on her and the feeling of impotence over the matter annoyed me. This whole situation consumed my worry but I had to show her confidence… or she would break. And I didn't want that.
"Why would he do this?"
By 'he', it was clear she meant Hojo.
"To get on my nerves."
I was being very honest, and with a sign, I urged Stevens to lie down again. She took my side of the bed, totally unaware of it, but I didn't say a word. Considering I wouldn't sleep a bit, it didn't matter much. I was only doing this because I wanted her to rest a little before the testing saga John surely was preparing to her.
Poor Elie, my mind whispered, as I got inside the bed with her. Stevens was tense as a rock, with her back to me - a clear invitation for me to hold her.
My body made contact with hers, softly and not pushing boundaries. It was the first time I felt her this way, whole, only with that smooth cotton separating us. I took a deep breath, rejoicing in the feeling. She smelled of flowers and fruits, clearly from the night shower before the Mako invasion.
My left hand found her arm, then her hand, and it stayed there. She grabbed it, squeezed it and I felt her body pushing against mine.
"I'm sorry." She whispered, and I wondered what would she be asking to be sorry for.
"Try to rest. I'm here."
Her breathing met the skin of my hand, and I wondered what would follow.
"Do you mind if I kiss you goodnight?"
I smiled suavely at her silly question.
"You don't have to ask for permission."
As Stevens processed my words, she turned, and our bodies met in a different perspective. With both of our heads on my pillow, I allowed her to stare back at me - her eyes begging me, again, to hold her, support her no matter how.
Eventually, I was the one angling myself to ease up what would follow. I rose up a little, and her face remained half-below my form. Her trembling hands grabbed my waist, soft fingers caressing my skin. Stevens panted as my face landed on hers.
Our lips sealed, moving softly and with tenderness, made my mind wonder on many indecent things I would like to do to her.
Inevitably, tongue got involved, and the feeling multiplied tenfold. The intensity of kissing proved to be a powerful preliminary, but I had to… control my urges.
Sex wasn't an option tonight - but I knew for sure I wouldn't stand much longer. There was no news I desired Stevens and wanted her completely, body and soul, hear her say my name in the bliss of ecstasy… but.
There were a lot of 'but's' right now. So gradually the kiss faded and I urged her to rest her face against my neck, as our bodies molded smoothly against each other.
After all, this was the first time I was actually sleeping with a woman in my bed.
John's POV
I woke up with my heart beating fast as my mobile screamed like crazy.
I thought I was dreaming. The General calling me, at half past 4 in the morning? The whole thing that followed felt even more surreal.
'Stevens got Mako poisoning. She's stable for now but I'm worried about it. I need you to check her.'
I had to have my time processing the whole thing. It was too much at such time of the night.
'Where is she?' I asked him in the middle of my mazy thoughts, but actually his answer didn't surprise me that much. After all, it was only a confirmation of what I already suspected.
'She's with me. Meet us in my apartment.'
He killed the call and I stood for a while, my eyes on the mobile phone screen. I didn't know what to think, how to feel. Stevens getting poisoned, being inside his apartment… after what I had witnessed the other day on Zack's memorial arena, all options were viable right now. My heart had pumped so fast the moment I opened the door of that arena and saw them - that way. The embrace, the staring, the impending kissing.
It all stabbed me with powerful intensity. My soul suffered privately, for I hadn't told anyone how I felt about Stevens.
Hell it wasn't news, I guessed. I never tried to hide and it was a fact I cared for Stevens immensely, since the first day she landed on my lab. It was like she was mine from the beginning and I had provided her the ways to be independent. The friendship among us had always been strong and mutual, but I couldn't say the same about other feelings.
He had been always lingering in the middle of us, tainting her mind and closing up the chances of her liking me in a less innocent way. What I would give for her to look at me the way I caught her staring at him, sometimes. Totally oblivious to my clinical assessment, Stevens and the General didn't notice I was actually seeing them all the time, seeing how things developed and how Stevens, day after day, fell for him right in front of me.
I sighed at my somber thought. The night was cold as I walked towards the Science Division, and my mind was still shocked with what I'd seen at the General's apartment.
The contamination was a fact, but Stevens was quite all right. Frightened and resting on his bed, it all made me wonder. I had never seen the General fretting over something. His tense pose was news to me, and for anyone else's.
No matter how, I was able to convince him testing could wait until morning. So I drew Stevens' blood and went to the Lab, because I knew it would take time to prepare things.
It would be a long, long day.
-/-
"Did you have any sleep?" I asked, as the General stood right next to me, his face a mix of worry and anxiousness. It was hidden behind that usual, neutral stance of him, but it was there. I knew it, by the way his eyes lingered on Stevens' form, now lying on the scan gurney, a thick wall of glass separating us.
"Barely."
There was no news to what the man was telling me. We silently watched how the technician placed Stevens, warned her to lie still while the scan proceeded. She had that spooked look on his face, and she eyed us before she got horizontal. We saw how she took a deep breath and tried to gather control.
I decided to break the silence.
"Let's watch it live."
The scan began, the long tube aligning, travelling along Stevens' body, positioning itself on the line of her feet. And, as it lazily progressed, a virtual image of her body was being constructed on the big screen by our right side. On it, it was pretty noticeable on where and how Mako rested inside her - and what I saw actually worried me. The signaling spread inside her diffusely.
"Oh, boy." I whispered, and I pointed towards the areas which spotted more signaling - right inside central organs. Brain, heart, liver. "That can't be good news."
The General eyed me, serious.
"It's assimilating." I said, "She's also excreting some, but mainly assimilating Mako. Big time."
An uncomfortable silence invaded the small space between us and the General turned to face the glass again, his eyes on the woman on the gurney. Stevens was still.
"What about the rest of the tests?"
"Her blood is clean." I declared, as I joined him. "Apparently, she's working just fine on the inside. And the rest is still on hold."
"Did you scan her genes?"
His tone was hard and accusing.
"Yes."
I saw the man sigh, then squeeze the bridge of his nose with his right fingers. I could tell the General felt stranded, divided. Conflictive feelings consumed him, I could tell.
"Do you know what annoys me the most?"
I remained in silence, knowing he would continue.
"The fact that I don't know exactly what he intends with this." The General's words were true and there was annoyance, revolt in his face as he locked his jaw before speaking again. "Why inject her this way. Body cavities, not directly on the bloodstream. This has something to it."
I had to agree with him.
"Most likely." I admitted.
"Just… let me know when you have results."
His eyes remained on Stevens. Possessive, just so focused it actually worried me a little.
"I will."
His eyes met mine suddenly and I knew something was coming up.
"I'll take her away for a couple of days. Just mere precaution."
I nodded at him, realizing his point.
"Sure."
"I mean it."
"I believe you."
"I'll contact you, Medina." He said, and turned to leave. "Thanks for everything."
I saw him close the door of the scan section, and I knew exactly where he was going.
To start a war with a psycho.
Sephiroth's POV
I didn't know if I should feel angry, revolted or calm as I walked over Hojo's lab, prepared to deliver him an ultimatum. The lights were scarce and the environment heavy as I walked over the area. Even during daylight, the place where that man worked was involved in a sickly shadow, as if cloudy and mysterious all the time.
Grey by definition, Hojo was proud of producing a depressing, fearful environment for his workers and himself. This was nothing like Medina's lab, filled with light and soft colors, calming.
This was Hell.
The moment I entered the main hall, five pairs of eyes landed on me. One of them was Hojo's. I searched for his stare and walked towards him, standing over a girl right next to a counter with microscopes and science stuff around. The poor woman couldn't look more constricted, and Hojo remained there, his hands behind his back.
So, he was massacring her, like he enjoyed doing every time he wasn't thinking about some sick experimentation.
Firm steps led me to him, and he approached me as well. We stood in the middle of the lab, a silent, heavy veil of silence tainting the environment. I sensed Hojo's satisfaction with my presence, and his discreet frown of joy was proof enough he had been the one stinging Stevens. I hated him with all my will - for all he had done to me, for what he was doing now to the one I cared about.
"To what do I owe your visit, boy?"
I measured his words, and sensed he was provoking me. Testing me.
"I'm here merely to inform you." My tone was cautious, and Hojo blinked at me, his stance neutral.
"On what?"
A slight sarcastic smile invaded my complexion.
"I know you did it. I don't care about your reasons, but mark my words…" I paused, taking one step forward, invading his personal space, "…if you touch her ever again, I'll kill you."
Hojo didn't blink, didn't do a thing in response to my words.
"Don't be reckless, boy." He snorted.
"Just dare, Hojo." I smiled back to him, tilting my head. "I can't wait."
Words had been whispered in a way that seemed to click something inside the man. His smile vanished and he seemed to grasp my real intention, the hidden meaning of the - apparently - casual words I was offering him. It was true though, I actually couldn't wait to have a bloody excuse to finish him off.
"Careful, boy."
I responded with all my will.
"You be careful, you walking mass of complexes."
And, with my warning and the following insult I left the lab. I walked smoothly towards the exit of the building, and went towards the only place I knew Stevens would be.
My apartment. Home.
I took my phone out, and I hit speed dial. I needed to make some phone calls as soon as possible.
-/-
When I reached home my eyes found at once hers. Stevens.
She stood in the middle of the living room of my apartment, where she had been sitting. She was now properly dressed, and I wondered if John had been the one responsible for having her here, all showered up and prepared to go.
Stevens stared at me cryptically, as if trying to guess up where I had been. She didn't say a word but I sensed her doubt. She suspected, I knew.
"We're leaving." I said, as I walked towards her.
We stood in front of each other.
"Where to?" She asked, as she studied my face. I measured Stevens, concluding I really enjoyed seeing dressed in black, with the outfit of every day. She looked so desirable.
"Surprise." I said, with a weak smile. "Get your things. We're leaving right now."
Her tender eyes answered me, instead of words.
She grabbed her duffel bag and we exited my apartment, taking the first elevator to the upper level of the building. During the silent ride we didn't exchange stares, but I had to interrupt the silence.
"Do you feel okay?"
"I'm fine."
She answered with honesty and I felt her tense a little when I eased myself next to the door opening and my left hand found her right arm. The door opened with a swift moved and a couple of Turks greeted us, as we made our way to the roof.
Once we got there, I sensed Stevens stop, taking in the view.
"Helicopter?" She said, with a smile, her eyes searching mine. "Geez, I'm flattered."
I snorted and we both walked towards the black bird, the man by the chopper entrance greeting the woman right next to me.
"Elie."
"Tseng."
The Turks' manners were flawless and with a nod, the man eyed me, as if letting me know everything was ready to go.
"Hop in." I said to her, and she dared to grab my left hand and urged me to get inside as well. Tseng didn't miss Stevens' action, but didn't say a word, didn't make a face. He simply walked away and talked with Rude, who sat right next to the pilot - Reno.
Both were silent and, with a sign, the helicopter started going up, Tseng right there on the roof, making his way inside the building.
Stevens stared at the Turk, gradually smaller and vanishing as the flight went higher. She took her time finding my stare. I sat right in front of her, gazing upon Stevens' form with blunt intent.
This woman was doing things totally unpredictable to me. She made me feel and do things I'd never imagined I would. As our stares locked, she smiled weakly at me, as if embarrassed of being watched.
"Where are we going to?" She asked, and I answered her with equal bluntness.
"You'll find out soon."
A/N - Sorry about the delay, but I hope you like the chapter. It's a little longer but you guys deserve it :) for being so amazingly supportive over this fic. Really, you spoil me and I honestly love your reviews!