A/N: Hi huns! Sorry for the delay in uploading, school's hectic!

It was dark again, that meant it was night again; the people from ShinRa were leaving in the morning. Many of the recruits had already pulled out of the exchange deal with ShinRa after Sephiroth's surprise visit. Maybe that was a good thing in the end though. If they had pulled out based on a small confrontation, such as the one in the assembly hall, then what good could they have been in an actual full-on battle? Only the people who were certain they could be of use should agree to go. Anyone else would just become a hazard to themselves and those around them.

She was not going to pull out. She hadn't even considered doing so. She had only known about the transfer option with the last day or two, since speaking to Cid and Tseng, but she had been certain of her own feelings towards it from the start. She was going to Edge. She would help to the best of her ability in the field and as a technician. She also wasn't going to pull out now, not when her Dad had returned to ShinRa too. She wanted to get to know him better, sure it sounded odd even in her head, but she knew his name, his rank, how old he was, where he had lived and that he was her Dad, but she didn't knowhim.

Christi sat up slowly, growing rather bored with staring at the mundane hue of her dorm's ceiling. How had she even gotten to her bed? She didn't remember lying down or anything; the last thing she remembered was being really tired and talking to her Dad. Which brought something else to her attention; where was he? Another few seconds of silent staring passed before the youngster shook her head lightly and stood from her bed, taking a moment or two to stare at her reflection in the mirror before cursing Loz yet again. Angry red scratches marred her left cheek from when she had struck the glass-covered floor of the assembly hall thanks to Loz yanking back on her ankle.

She should really go find out how everyone else was and see what was going on. Everyone had been at the infirmary when she'd done her disappearing act. Judging by her bedside clock, that had been several hours ago, which meant everyone had more than likely been treated for the injuries by now and moved to another area in the Garden. She just did not know where and it was now after curfew so if Aki were around then he would not hesitate to sanction her for being out of her dorm. He always seemed to have it out for her, for what reason she honestly didn't have a clue. She'd never actually done anything to justify the Instructors evident dislike towards her.

Christi shook her head again as she slipped on her sneakers, not bothering to open the lacers, before grabbing her belt from her locker; making sure to bring with handguns with her this time around. She'd already made the mistake of leaving them behind, as shown by the painful scrapes on her cheek and cuts on her hands. Okay, it wasn't likely that Sephiroth or any of the three remnants would pay another visit to the Garden any time soon, hopefully ever again. But still, she'd learned her lesson for being careless already; she wasn't in a rush to leave them behind again. In addition, they were somewhat of a comfort too; she'd taken the two holsters from their dull Garden-issued belt and replaced them on one of her own studded belts. It looked better that way and it felt more comfortable, she knew that sounded odd, but so what? They were hers, so it was her decision too.

A quick glance up and down the corridor outside before she stepped out of her dorm; ensuring that Aki wasn't snooping around, ready to pounce on her and lash on the punishments. Anyone else would be concerned with whether or not the younger cadets were alright or not after the surprise attack on the Garden, but not Aki, he was still looking for students to persecute regardless. She just wanted to find the gang she'd been with before going back to her dorm. Christi hit the light switch as she finally walked out into the corridor, she wanted to find everyone else without any more drama; she wanted Seifer. She didn't know why, but she felt safe around him, he could be a bully to others at times, she knew that, but he never tried to push her around or treat her bad. They had started out as friends and had developed into a relationship, he was her boyfriend, one of her closest friends, and right now, she just needed a friend.

"Oh Genesis…everyone else has changed, why won't you? Stop keeping everyone else at arms' length and talk to Angeal, the two of you were always good at scheming when we were little…"

Why did he always insist on doing things his way and by himself? Why did he always stick to his ways when they so obviously didn't work sometimes? Because he was stubborn and arrogant, that's why. He always had been. That had been the source of their constant bickering when they'd been kids, she had been a strong-headed tomboy from a middle class family; her mother had been a housewife while her father had worked as a translator for ShinRa, while he had been the stubborn an arrogant son of the Mayor. It was ironic that they had ended up together really.

Poor Angeal had been charged with the role of referee between her and Genesis. He had been the one to break up the bickering and stop one from taking it too far. He had been the one to trick them both into going out on an official date after meeting again in ShinRa. He had been the one to cover for her and Genesis when they had gone on random disappearances. Angeal had moved on, she had watched. He hadn't run from the reality as Genesis had. Granted, nothing had frustrated her more than knowing their daughter had been safe but hidden away behind a veil of lies. She had watched Genesis mourn for both her and Christi. He should not have had to.

"This could have gone better…"

Rufus shook his head as he turned away from the open door of the damaged assembly hall. 'Could have gone better' was an understatement. They had come to recruit promising young men and women in a hope of finally putting an end to the hell-like limbo of Gaia. Not to draw their enemy upon a school of recruits with ages raging all the way up from five. Now Genesis was nowhere to be seen or that girl either. He needed to be filled in properly on what had happened there.

Tseng had pulled him aside before entering the assembly hall, informing him of Christi and what his father had told Balamb Garden. That's when he had realised the girl was in the hall along with Genesis and Angeal. In an ideal world they would have taken both parties aside and explained the situation before apologizing profusely and reuniting them. However, Gaia was far from an ideal world. By the time, he and Tseng had entered the assembly hall, the deafening silence and thick tension had told them they'd been that tiny bit too late.

Now Genesis had preformed one of his fabled disappearing acts a few hours ago, he had no doubt that Angeal knew where his friend had gone, but having Genesis back on their side and also showed him that the two stayed loyal to their friendship first and their roles as SOLDIERs second. ShinRa would have to pay for the repairs to the Garden. The headmaster had already refused to allow ShinRa to do so, but that was beside the point. Sephiroth had followed them here, it was their fault Balamb had been damaged and therefore their responsibility to repair.

So far, most of the cadets applicable for the transfer between ShinRa and Balamb Garden had pulled out. Rufus would have lied if he'd said he hadn't expected such. Especially considering the age range of the cadets. Sephiroth may have actually done him a favour in attacking here. He had given the younger cadets and less experienced ones a taste of what real battle was like. Some evidently hadn't expected it to be so full-on and had pulled out. At least it meant he would only have the reliable cadets transferring.

"Could have gone worse too."

Rufus turned, curious as to who had spoken. It was a girl's voice, but he hadn't heard anyone behind him. Then again, he had been lost in is own thoughts…Sephiroth could have probably walked up behind him without him noticing. The CEO fought back the urge to blink in surprise as his trademark blue eyes fell upon the figure of a young woman. A smile of bemusement made its way to his lips as he watched her bend around his figure, looking into the damaged assembly hall.

"How do you mean?"

Christi stifled a yawn as she bent her hips one way and her torso the other in order to glance around the ShinRa president. The hall was in a state, rubble covered the ground, along with parts of the bleachers and shards of glass. A large plastic tarpon - borrowed from the Garden's Festival Committee - to cover the gaping hole now in the far wall, it did little to protect the Garden, but it would stop the outside elements from furthering any damage. But it was just an assembly hall at the end of the day. None of the younger cadets had been harmed, neither had any of the infants ShinRa had brought with them. Christi shrugged as she pointed in through the open door before looking back to the company President.

"See all that? That's bricks, cement and glass, it can be easily fixed. You're little boy couldn't be fixed that easily if he had gotten hurt earlier."

She had a point, a poignant one. He hadn't thought about it that way. It hadn't been the most desired welcoming party, but it was time to get over it and move on. If anything good could be taken from Sephiroth's constant presence in Gaia, it was how he had forced them all to realise just how idiotic it was to waste time. If they wasted time now, it could be taken away from then just as fast. He and Charleese had wasted time, getting together and breaking up again, he'd hesitated in proposing, not knowing how to feel about being completely committed to something for once in his life. Now look, she was gone. Sephiroth's brothers had taken her away. His own father had deprived Genesis of years with his daughter; the young woman standing before him now.

"Christi - are they going to come back again?"

Christi spun, as a little girl's voice echoed feebly through the empty corridor. Tanned skin, dark brown hair and piercing jade eyes...Leera. Christi smiled as she crouched down the young girl's level to speak to her. Leera was one of the newest cadets in the Garden. She was only six, both her parents had died when she was a baby; she'd been in an orphanage up until a few months ago when Cid had offered her a place in Balamb Garden. She may only be six, but her analytical skills were already more than evident. Christi stalled for a second, wondering whether she should tell the young girl a little while lie before discarding the idea and going with the truth.

"I don't know pet, hopefully not. But let's talk about the real situation…what are you doing up out of bed after curfew? Especially with Aki on the prowl."

Leera didn't answer; she instead looked past Christi and watched Rufus. Her expression staying the same as she voiced her next question.

"Who is he?"

Christi frowned as Leera blatantly ignored her question. She was a highly intelligent girl for her age, but was used to getting her own way in the Orphanage. Christi had been appointed her prefect, along with dozen or so other kids. It was her job to keep an eye on them all and ensure they weren't having any problems with other cadets or Instructors. It was also her job to be a big sister to those kids and ensure that they adjusted to being part of a team now as opposed to a singular unit.

"Leera, I asked you a question, please answer it."

"Why?"

"Because I am a senior cadet and you're not."

Christi held the little girl's stare, still smiling despite having spoken seriously. She loved Leera to bits, all her charges were the equivalent of younger brothers and sisters to her, but Leera needed to learn that being in Balamb Garden came with it's own regulations too. She had to learn to respect and act upon the orders of her superiors. She already showed a lot of potential, her analytical skills rivalled even qualified SeeDs; she would make an undeniable asset to the Garden when she qualified as a SeeD.

"Retaining the same base location after a direct hit is not ideal. It contradicts what Instructor Xu taught us."

She may have chosen words far more mature than her age, but they did not hide the little girl that she was. Christi smiled again as she picked Leera up, holding the little girl against her chest. She was scared that Sephiroth and the Remnants would come back when she was asleep. She only knew a little of Leera's past, but so far the girl had not had the brightest of backgrounds. Coming here was supposed to make her feel safe and nurture her skills, not scare her.

"C'mere sweetie, Headmaster Cid knows that. That's why all the Instructors and SeeDs are here now. Now c'mon, back to bed. Umm…"

Christi broke off as she realised Rufus was still standing watching. If walked in Aki with Leera in her arms, she would be given a lecture and he would complain to Cid. He would make out that she was a bad influence on her charges, which she most certainly was not. Then again, if she had the visiting President of ShinRa with her and ran into Aki, he would be less likely to start an argument or reprimand her…

"Would you mind walking with me?"

The man he was now, was nothing compared to the man he had been all those years ago. Back then he would have noticed her presence already, she would never have gotten as close as she was now. Watching him. She had spent years trying to track him down. Following leads and meeting dead ends. But never once giving up. She could not give up; she needed her revenge...her vengeance. Alex had been a close friend of hers, but she was gone too.

That severed the close tie between her and Genesis, leaving one of just work colleagues. In an ideal world that removed any reasons for guilt. What she had gone through…it was his fault. All the years she had spent focusing on the day she would be allowed her revenge would pay off today. Her breathing slowed as her hand silently closed around the hilt of her waist-sheathed sword…

"So, this is where you are."

Her chance was gone. Her hand slowly slid back away from the hilt of her blade. Years had past, days more would not matter. It could wait. That way she would have time to learn who this young woman was. Also, why he had chosen to return to SOLDIER after so long.

Angeal hesitated as his eyes locked onto the small plaque set into one of the stones. A few of the names rang distant bells, but one stared straight back at him, Alexis Yamamoto. In hindsight, he should have guessed Genesis would have come here. It was the logical thing to do. This was something Genesis should have done a long time ago. Maybe now things could move on. He still had Christi. She gave him something to fight for; he had seen that during Sephiroth's attack. Genesis had put his all into fighting Sephiroth, something he hadn't expected to see after his reluctance to help in the first place.

Angeal tore his eyes away from the small yet significant plaque, if he stared at it too long; he would start thinking and reminiscing. That would not help any matters right now. Most of the cadets had refused the transfer, but a few had agreed. Those few needed to be brought up to date with ShinRa's current intentions and future possibilities. They also needed to be reminded of the capabilities of their adversaries and introduced to ShinRa personnel and operation codes.

"We're leaving in the morning; you should speak to the Headmaster."

Rufus remained silent as he watched Christi pulled the door shut behind her, having brought the little back into what he assumed was a dorm. He had considered following the pair inside but had thought better of it. The little girl - Leera - had surprised him. The only other young girl he had known around her age had been Marlene when she'd been younger. Marlene possessed insatiable curiosity and intuition far beyond her years. Nevertheless, Leera had really thrown him. She spoke like a technician and viewed things with the same outlook. Maybe he had misjudged the calibre of Balamb Garden. With ShinRa, he was accustomed to seeing youngsters expressing promising attributes, but never a five or six year old.

"How old is she?"

Christi shrugged as she ensured no Instructors were lurking around the corner of the corridor. Hopefully being with Rufus would stop her getting into trouble, but she still wanted to avoid running into Aki if she could avoid it.

"Leera? She's six, she's only been here a few months. Before then she'd been in an Orphanage."

That seemed to be a running trend with the cadets in Balamb Garden. Orphans. Maybe that's why they seemed to possess untouched potential. Their views on humanity and matters seemed to be unbiased. Could that have been caused by growing up in a world devoid of a family structure? Did the lack of loving parents stop them from developing personal views towards the world around them? He wasn't sure, it definitely brought up several good points, but right now wasn't the time to debate the whole 'Nurture vs. Nature' topic.

"She's young to show such promise."

Christi nodded. She definitely was, which was why Cid had been so adamant for her to become a cadet at the Garden. Her potential had been going to waste in the Orphanage. Right now she was under Instructor Xu, Xu had been ordered to work more closely with Leera than some of the other younger cadets; playing games and other activities which Leera saw as fun but unknowingly nurtured her gift.

"Her parents were killed by Dollet forces when she was four. She spent two years at an Orphanage before Cid found her and offered her a place in Balamb Garden. We don't know what else she's seen before the Orphanage. Whatever she's seen, she refuses to talk about. She won't interact with the cadets her own age."

She was being extremely co-operative and friendly towards him. He had expected some hostility. Why wasn't she angry at him? He was the President of ShinRa. ShinRa had been responsible for her being here. It was their fault that she had been led to believe her father had abandoned her. It was their fault that Genesis had been led to believe his daughter had died. And yet here she was walking through corridors with him, answering whatever he asked in a pleasant tone and not holding the slightest of grudges. Rufus kept in pace with the young woman as he voiced his query, unable to keep himself silent for any longer.

"Why aren't you angry?"

Christi was stopped from answering as her locket fell from around her neck, as if the clasp had been undone. She had thought she'd closed it properly, she was certain she had. She watched on as the locket opened and skidded along the floor from an unknown force. Only stopping as it came to Rufus' feet. The ShinRa president bent down slowly, as confused as Christi, and picked up the small locket. He felt himself falter somewhat as his eyes locked onto the small picture inside. He recognized Genesis immediately, it took a few seconds for him to recognise Alex and even longer to notice Genesis' hand on her hip and a little girl in his arms.

"I'll take that."

And then the locket was gone. Yanked from his hand. Rufus looked up to see a red-coated figure walking away from him, coming to a stop behind Christi and tying the locket back in place around her neck. Christi just smiled.

"I am. Just not at you.

A/N: Thanks for reading ^_^