A/N: Heya huns! I would have had this up a few days ago, only my laptop turned into a retard and refuses to register any available internet connections, so I had to retype all of this onto my Mam's painfully slow laptop :P

"What happened back there?"

Genesis shrugged, short answer; he had lost his temper because of Sephiroth's words. The long answer; he honestly didn't know where to start. He still didn't understand the meaning behind Sephiroth's words, but two main words had caught his attention; monster and Christi. He no longer cared about how quick things had transpired, he no longer cared about how confusing things had been prior to Sephiroth's arrival at the Garden, Christi was his baby…she wasn't a monster.

He had spent far too long labelling himself as a monster, telling himself he was nothing more than another's creation. Not allowing himself to be anything other than a monster – Christi wasn't a monster.

What was he supposed to tell Angeal? Sephiroth called her a name and he being the mature individual he was had lost his temper? Somehow he didn't think that would work in his favour or explain what had actually happened. Did he tell Angeal or wait until he figured out the true meaning behind Sephiroth's words before telling anyone? At least if he waited, he wouldn't look like an idiot who had lost his temper over mere words.

"Nothing, the past catching up I guess."

Angeal kept his mouth shut as he stood from where he had been leaning against the wall of the corridor, having collared his friend outside of the infirmary and stopping him from entering before trying to make sense of what had happened. He knew that wasn't the whole story. He didn't mean to imply that Genesis was a liar or anything, of course not, but the mad did have an unusual knack for skimming over the key factors of something, instead revealing only slight or basic details. But that was just the way Genesis worked, he wasn't going to push the matter, if Genesis required his opinion or someone to discuss anything with, then he knew where he was. As for now however, there was a ruined assemble hall ShinRa had to take responsibility for, though Reeve had already offered the aid of the WRO in repairing the damage.

Angeal watched for a second as he twisted two chains around in his palm; both Genesis and Christi had gotten pretty preoccupied with Sephiroth and Loz, he had gotten knocked from his feet thanks to someone's crossfire and had found the chains again. Genesis needed to talk to that girl, to Christi, the chains would provide hint from him. There was no possible way Genesis was getting out of this one, he wasn't usually one for anything personal, but this was different and too important. He would have to thank that girl with brown hair for telling him where Christi had got to.

"Remember the lobby we came through? Take the northern corridor; check the dorm with the door open, catch."

Genesis frowned as he caught whatever Angeal had thrown to him, watching the other SOLDIER turn and enter the infirmary. He had to hand it to the Garden, it was well equipped and the cadets had hardly been phased by the unexpected arrival of Sephiroth and the three twerps, they had stuck to whatever rules the Garden operated by, he was somewhat surprised by their actions, especially considering they were only teenagers.

He would have to draw attention to his friend's black humour later, between mentioning Balamb at the graveyard and now the directions and chains, Angeal had developed a somewhat tinted sense of humour in the years that had passed since he had defected. He shouldn't smirk really, but he couldn't help himself; way to be subtle, Angeal.

Stupid skirt, stupid jacket, stupid shoes, just all stupid. Christi cursed as she tossed her shoes over towards the far wall of their bedroom, putting much more venom than what was needed into the action. Everyone else was still back at the infirmary or in Cid's office; she had managed to escape the full-to-the-brim infirmary as soon as Dr. Kadowaki had seen to the cuts on her hand and face. She didn't like being in a place that crowded, it was too suffocating.

Christi grimaced as she pulled a hoody on over her head, a dull ache emanating from the left side of her ribs, she didn't remember getting hit with anything there; it was probably from crawling our through the broken bleachers.

"Stupid fucking Loz…"

And now her other was missing, another curse met the air of her dorm as she lay down across her bed, looking beneath the other side of it as she tried to find her elusive trainer. How come you only ever lost one, never both? How come she managed to lose them full-stop? She was the only one in the dorm, so she couldn't blame anyone else for messing with them. Where was Selphie? She always managed to find stuff when she couldn't or Seifer, anyone was better at finding things than she was; when it came to losing stuff or misplacing them, she was second to none, just a pity she could never find them again afterwards.

A lot of cadets had already gone to Seifer, Fujin and Raijin, trying to figure out whether or not pulling out of the transfer option would affect how eligible they were for the SeeD exam. That had managed to piss Seifer off rather fast, he was head of the disciplinary committee; how was he supposed to know that? She also reckoned that the fact some of the cadets were pulling out was pissing him off too – he had already failed the SeeD exam too many times to count – and was slowly running out of time to take it; a cadet could take it every spring from when they turned fifteen right up until they turned twenty, but once they turned twenty they were released from the Garden and were no longer permitted to take the field exam – he was already eighteen; he had two more chances.

That was easier said than done though, Seifer was reckless, arrogant and ignorant at times, but it wasn't all that bad once you knew him…and still her sneaker was nowhere to be seen.

"Where the fuck…"

"Lose something, or some things?"

Christi made to look up as someone's voice sounded from outside her bedroom, the teenager cursed again as her arm slipped on her duvet and off the side of her bed, leaving her to lose her balance and follow her duvet down to the carpeted floor of her room.

He hadn't meant to startle her. He didn't know what he had meant to do; he had followed Angeal's directions. But now Genesis was stumped again, well not stumped exactly but moreover nervous. He didn't know what he was supposed to say or do; he had never imagined himself in this situation. He had never imagined being face to face with his own daughter as opposed to his wife's grave.

Now he stood in her room, with Alex's chains in one hand, a sneaker in the other and a rather startled looking teenager looking from behind her bed up at him. What was he supposed to say? Was he even allowed to speak to her as a Dad? Did he still have that right? He wasn't sure, she had been here for fifteen years; she had been led to believe he no longer wanted her, so did he still have the right to care about her as her Dad?

He knew how paranoid that sounded, even in his own head, but it was honest at least. One thing was more than clear in his head though; Christi was his baby, he loved her and would do all he could to protect her. But he wasn't going to suffocate her; someone else had been her guardian for as long as she could remember, that was fine.

"I think this is yours…"

Christi nodded dumbly as she quickly snapped her sneaker from her bed, where it had landed after he'd tossed it towards her. He was the last person she had expected to turn around and see, Seifer or Selphie, possible Raijin or Fujin, but not him. It's that it was a bad thing or anything, but just…odd.

She was nervous again, she wasn't sure why though. She had wanted this, right? She had thought she did, she had all these things in her head, parts of memories shattered into too many pieces to count thanks to the crash. She kinda remembered him, but only his presence, not anything specific from when she was younger. Sometimes dreams woke her during the night, random dreams that made no sense to her but yet she knew they had something to do with life before the crash…the memories were there, but just broken.

Maybe she had been a little over-ambitious earlier, hugging him. But it had been heat of the moment and the moment had died a horrible death once the window had shattered. She felt really stupid now because of that, he had only just found out she was alive and there she was playing happy families when that was the last thing she actually knew how to do.

She wanted so badly to be able to call him Dad, but she didn't know if she had the right to. Maybe he would get angry if she did? But maybe he wouldn't? She didn't know...Christi remained quiet as pulled on her sneaker, not bothering to open the laces. This was painfully awkward, someone should say something, but she really didn't know what. She kneeled up quickly as she noticed his hand on the door handle – she didn't want the door closed – he could do anything else he wanted, just as long as he didn't close the door.

"Please don't close that!"

Genesis snapped his hand away from the door as Christi sat up immediately, her eyes flashing dangerously as her eyes shot to the door. Mental note never to shut a door around her. Okay, so now he knew she either got angry or scared when someone closed a door, why though was still a mystery. Now he was curious again, but it looked as if he had already made one wrong move, though accidentally, better not to push it.

She hadn't meant to shout or sound that cold, but over reacting was an understatement when it came to someone closing a door or closing her in somewhere. She panicked. She always did, anyone who knew her knew that at this stage and had accepted it. That's why her dorm door had been left open, she constantly left the door open; any of the cadets on her corridor knew that. But he hadn't, which had been unfair; all he had tried to do was close a door. She should explain, especially considering she had broken the ice with her somewhat panicked shout.

"Sorry…I just don't do very well when I'm closed in."

"You're claustrophobic?"

"No, not really, okay, maybe...kinda-ish…"

Genesis raised an eyebrow as he leaned back against what he could only assume was her closet. He had to hand it to her for avoiding an answer. She had almost leapt to her feet when he had tried to close a door, but it seemed that only qualified her as having only a partial fear of being closed in. He cocked his head to the right, smiling lightly as he spoke and Christi hid her face in her hands.

"You just freaked when I tried to close a door…"

"Well if you say it like that, then of course it's gonna sound bad."

Now he actually wanted to laugh, was there any good way of saying that? Laugh; now that was something he hadn't done in quite a while. But at least the strangling and strained atmosphere had eased considerably. At least now she was smiling, that was good, it made him feel less uneasy. But curiosity had taken hold once more. Genesis watched her closely as he spoke, he had already done something she wasn't comfortable with; he didn't exactly want to do that again.

"How come you're claustrophobic…ish?"

Christi shrugged as she grabbed hold of one of her pillows, tucking it beneath her chin as she crossed her legs and leaned against the wall behind her. That was a good question, one she didn't really like talking about or explaining about. But if she didn't answer, then that awkward silence was going to come back. She had lied to Tseng when explaining about the crash, well, not lied exactly. Technically she could use the excuse of speaking Wutain was why she had explained so sparingly. She had said the main points of the crash, just ignored what had happened afterwards.

She didn't like thinking about what had happened after her Mom had put the chains around her neck, let alone speaking about it. But he was her Dad, he kinda had a right to know, she knew if she declined to answer, he wouldn't push the matter; something about him gave her that impression, but if she didn't answer then it wasn't really fair; considering she had almost yelled at him because he'd tried to close a door. Christi shook her head as she stared at the floor beneath her bed, speaking quietly as she kept the pillow hugged across her stomach; the edge tucked beneath her chin.

"I don't really remember anything from before the crash, I can remember some of the crash…Mom was worried, everything shook, then she walked away but when she came back she was upset – she tried to hide it though – but she had a look in her eyes…I didn't know what it meant then, but I know now it was hopelessness…she knew things weren't going to end in a good way…I wanted to go home…I wanted you go come and fix things like you always did. Mom told you she was sorry; then everything went dark and quiet…it was cold and no one would wake up, well, I thought they were asleep, guess I was wrong, huh? I couldn't get out, Mom was cold and she wouldn't wake up, I tried to get out - but I couldn't - I just, I couldn't…I don't do well closed in, I don't like it."

Christi trailed off as she wiped away a rebellious tear; only for another to streak it's way down her other cheek. She freaked out when shut in because the last time she had been shut in without any way out, it had been along with her dead mother and others. She didn't know why she panicked because of that, but she just did, she wished she didn't, but that was something she was yet to overcome.

Why did she say sorry? Why would she even consider she had had to? Genesis blinked as he tried to clear his vision, somewhat shocked by the odd and alien sensation of a warm tear streak on his cheek. Alex shouldn't have said sorry, it wasn't her fault; she would have known that. And now Christi was crying too, he shouldn't have asked her what the root to her fear was, if he had been using his brain he would have realised it was most likely the crash.

Another second or two of silence and the SOLDIER had crossed the few feet separating him from the teenager, ignoring whatever insecurity had filled him earlier, she was upset now, which was partially his fault, but moreover – he was her Dad, he was supposed to stop her from getting upset or hurt. Genesis remained silent as he allowed himself to slide down the wall next to her, pausing for a moment due to being somewhat unsure of his next action, before putting an arm around her shoulders. Whatever had made him unsure quickly vanished as Christi rested her head against his chest, wiping the tears from her cheeks with the sleeve of her hoody.

His eyes immediately locked onto the white bandage covering her hand, he would ensure Loz suffered for that – retarded twerp – from here on in he had his reasons and something to fight for.

A/N: Thanks for reading! :P