Well, this one took a while. And for that I can only apologise~ u_u My brainpower simply vanished, which made working on the fic tough. I'm getting there...slowly...

Thank you everybody who has stuck with me, and my thanks especially to my reviewers. Please don't leave me! I need all the encouragment I can get right now XD

This time I actually had music. So for Gismo (if you're still reading T_T) A song came on as I was halfway through the ending to this chapter. I though it ironically appropriate for the scene and shall be using it as a muse for other scenes of it's kind in the future. Search - Loreena McKennit 'Prospero's speech' - look up the lyrics as well. I think they kinda fit Seph and Meia~

Disclaimer - FFVII, it's characters, original events and places are copyright to Square Enix. This is a work of fandom and in no way for profit.

Chapter 32

After that day, Meia did indeed keep her word to Sephiroth. She calmed her training right down, only now it was difficult to know when to stop. Her body, although noticeably worn, was managing to remain responsive. Unfortunately for her, however, she needed weekly mako injections to replace her cells utterly exhausted supply. Still, there was always a coffee and smile waiting after each session, so she didn't mind them as much.

The winter festival came and passed and for Sephiroth, it was much more pleasant than some of his past experiences with the holiday. Next came his birthday, which turned him twenty two, and was again shared with his friends. Only this time, they decided to drag him to the gold saucer. Still, he couldn't complain. Once his usual and initial temper tantrum was overcome, he found he enjoyed it there. Even more so when he won a novelty mini version of his masamune in speed square...It was currently sitting on Meia's desk, nestled menacingly amongst the junk.

Activity within SOLDIER was minimal, the Wutai were laying low for some reason. Whether they were still spooked by the island incident or not was open to debate. Intelligence reported everything as hush hush on the enemy's home continent. So the rest of winter was spent mainly training and staying out of the foul weather that was besieging Midgar.

It was now spring. Or so they were told by the calenders. The four SOLDIER's had been administered their usual dose of mako. Slightly higher doses were given to some, however. Thankfully now though, Meia was feeling a lot better. The creeping fatigue that she felt for the last three months was banished once more and she was back to her usual self. Only taking things much slower.

As Sephiroth had hinted to her back in December, Lazard was planning to assess her for promotion. Luckily for him - though unlucky for some - the Wutai were back to their tricks. Which presented a perfect opportunity for some assessing.

Wutain continent – March 14th

It was raining. It always rained when the planet had a morose message to get across to her people. This instance was no different. The Wutain continent was being drowned in a perpetual deluge. Perhaps it sought to cleanse the land of the amount of vile bloodshed that had - and was - still taking place here. The Wutaians claimed it was the great serpent leviathan, come to destroy the Shinra scum. The 'Shinra scum' shrugged it off and claimed it was the result of over active imaginations.

To Meia, the 'scum' was no longer so clear cut.

On one side, the Wutaians were simply defending their right to live as there own people. The last bastion of humanity to resist Shinra, they were determined to keep their land or die trying. But Meia couldn't ignore the bloodshed on their part. The experiments. The way she herself was mercilessly hunted for most of her teenage life by various members of their order.

Then there was Shinra. Draining the planet of its energy and forcing all other human beings to accept them into their lives. She understood now; her time spent in the lifestream left no doubt in her mind that the planets very blood should be left as it is. Doing what it should be doing naturally.

But...she herself worked for the company defiling the very world they lived on. She killed in its name...she was just as much to blame for her own actions. But could she really be blamed? Could any Shinra employee be blamed... Unless you were of course one of the fat cats. Most people in Midgar worked for Shinra simply because the pay was good. And lets face it, who else was going to employ you?

So yes, Meia was having trouble figuring out her inner turmoil. Still, if she made first, her decisions would be up to her again. At least, in some respects. The confident ex-Turk was certain this mission she was assigned too was to test her for that very promotion. And she was utterly focused on pulling it off.

Meia sighed and rubbed her head, the cold glow of her laptop illuminating her worn looking face. She had been posted here for just over a week now. She was in charge of a small group of SOLDIER's given the task of guarding surveillance equipment, and the crew operating it. So far, nothing had gone awry. But Meia knew her luck had a habit of turning on her...

She looked up as a flashing icon in the shape of a camera appeared at the bottom of her screen. At last...she thought to herself, clicking the pixelated calling card,

"Hey there SOLDIER, how's things holding up?"

Meia stifled a yawn, "Everything is normal, no signs of the enemy at all Sir"

Genesis smirked and rested his chin in his hand, "How much sleep have you had?"

"Enough..."

"Don't give me that" Genesis retorted, "the world isn't going to end if you take a nap, Meia, so take one"

"The weather is terrible though, and-"

"And nothing. Take one, I'm making it an order" He cocked a slender eyebrow, "Disobey me and it will go against you"

"Why must you do this to me..." Meia couldn't quite keep the whine out of her voice,

"Because Sephiroth would kill me if I didn't look out for you. Goodnight, Meia" Genesis laughed and signed off, leaving her alone again. He was assigned to a base not far from where she and her team was stationed. And was also her field commander.

Meia clicked her laptop shut and rose. Maybe Genesis was right, a few hours wouldn't hurt. She stripped her heavy armour and belts off before laying down on her simple bed. As she lay there, she listened to the sound of the rain hammering on the roof of the small cabin.

Since the lifestream incident, Jenova's horrid, cold voice was no where to be heard. Well, In her head at least. The incident with Callo had unnerved her somewhat, but she took comfort in the fact people weren't allowed to be SOLDIER's unless they were in command of all their marbles. It wasn't likely the episode would repeat itself.

Which just left her and Sephiroth to worry about. Meia was pretty confident she could resist the entity, now she knew what it was and exactly what it was after. Her beloved friend wouldn't be a problem either, unless she was away from him too long or something disturbed him enough to unbalance the man. Which wasn't likely to happen.

Eventually Meia managed to drop off, lulled by the sound of the rain. Which was more than could be said for Sephiroth. He was currently as far away from Meia as was humanly possible, locked in the confides of his room.

The kettle bubbled and clicked, bringing him round from his self induced thought coma. As Sephiroth filled his thick rustic teapot with boiling water, he had to fight to keep his thoughts under control. The amount of anxiety he felt when Meia was away from him was overwhelming. He couldn't for the life of him fathom how he used to cope.

But, he realised as he watched the tiny balls of jasmine petals unfurl in the steaming liquid, Meia had always been close to him. Before he even knew of her existence as a adult, she was close. Kalm...Midgar. She had always lived within mere miles of his location. It was when he went away on missions he was at his most anxious. He now realised why. Whether she - or he - was aware of it or not, Meia had protected him.

Sephiroth gathered his tea and cup and paced to his couch. The only thing on television this time of night was telesales or pornography. Neither of which he felt like watching. He had no desire for an amazing cleaning device that you never had to wash. Nor did he fancy watching over choreographed, fake, panting adult stars undulating and writhing about. He found it about as arousing as the self-cleaning mop...when he was younger perhaps, but not now.

He smirked to himself when I was younger...I'm only twenty two. He remembered what Meia had said to him last year about growing up fast. She was right. He felt a lot older then he actually was.

Sephiroth began sipping his tea before his rebellious mind - now happily associating the memories of Meia with the late night entertainment - and therefore rapidly declining into the gutter, lost the plot entirely. He hoped she was coping with her assignment, although he knew deep down it wouldn't present her with a problem. Hopefully she would be home soon. He was aching for a good night's sleep.

Chilly dawn. The rain had now eased into a minuscule spray that blanketed the landscape in a coarse mist. Meia had been up for a few hours by now, having only allowed herself three short hours of sleep. She stood gazing over the edge of the cliff top where the observation post was sited. The valley and mountains below her were partially hidden by the rolling mist as it swirled and tumbled throughout the landscape.

She blinked her weary eyes slowly; her sleep had been troubled. She swore, underneath the rumble of the rain, she heard a familiar voice whispering to her. Familiar, taunting, barely there sentences that hardly made sense, but still oozed foreboding. Only minutes before she went to bed, Meia had hoped the voice was silenced. But now that didn't seem to be the case. Why? Sephiroth wasn't with her...didn't she only hear it when he was close? She shivered involuntarily and hugged herself tight.

Just ignore it...

"Sir! You need to see this" A young Third class called, approaching Meia from the base at her back. She acknowledged him and left her post at the cliff side,

"What is it?"

"The enemy Sir, by the looks of things a small resistance is gathering in the valley" He reported, taking large strides to keep up with Meia's quick march,

"Wake the others and assemble, as quickly as possible" She commanded firmly. The SOLDIER nodded and jogged off towards the main base, leaving Meia to carry on to the observation platform.

Damn...small he says...Meia thought to herself as she peered through a pair of binoculars. She estimated a force of around two hundred enemy soldiers gathered at the very base of the rocky access slope. By the looks of things they were preparing to march right up and try to either take control - or destroy - the observation post. She clicked her tongue as she looked away; two hundred shouldn't be a problem for a team of twenty SOLDIER's.

Which is what concerned her...

By now, if the Wutai hadn't learned SOLDIER wasn't your average fighting force, they really were just a bunch of monkeys with sticks. Behind their commander, the team of Thirds and Seconds had assembled,

"I need you to watch this group closely while I check something out" She began, starting to unclasp her armour, "Alert me if anything changes"

Sir! Yes Sir!

Now lighter and far more agile, Meia quickly scouted the cliff tops and rugged terrain in the immediate area. At first, she found nothing, but as she descended a worrying pattern began to unfurl...I see what you're up too...

Not too long after that, the Wutai attacked. They surged up the hill in a yelling, jeering mass. It was like lambs to the slaughter and Meia led her elite team against them. But more came, replacing their dead comrades. Bloodied, broken bodies began to form a morbid carpet to the enemy's boots and they showed no signs of relenting. Meia knew now for certain they were up to something; this was all to familiar. She had read Sephiroth's report on his stay in Wutai before the island incident. The enemy were resorting to suicidal tactics to give them the edge in combat. And this was playing out the same way.

After a few hours of continuous fighting, some of the less experienced Third classes were beginning to tire and the infantry had pulled back to provide ranged support with their guns. It wasn't long before one of the thirds got into trouble. But instead of being slaughtered outright, he was dragged amongst the enemy and swept back down the hill. Instinctively, the rest of SOLDIER began to give chase, but Meia's bellowing command to halt fixed them in their tracks,

"Sir, they are weak" One of her comrades panted, "We can get him back"

But Meia simply shook her head, "Things aren't as they always seem, SOLDIER" She replied simply. Her colleague was confused but he obeyed her order. Meia's face was devoid of all expression as she calmly approached the front line of her small army. Neither side moved, but it was clear to the SOLDIER's that the enemy was waiting for something...

"What's wrong, Shinra bitch? Afraid to save your fellow soldier?" One of them taunted after a while. Meia fixed him with her eyes and motioned for her men to form rank behind her. Then she gave the order to march and they did so as an organised group...

Forgive me, SOLDIER...

The group of Shinra's elite marched onwards, towards the enemy, at a steady pace. It unsettled the Wutai, who were expecting a charge. But after a certain distance, high pitched mocking laughter began to ring out of the enemy lines and one of them held his arm high, clearly clutching a remote of some kind,

"Goodbye, scum!" He screamed triumphantly. Some of Meia's men gasped in realisation, but she instructed them to hold their ground, which they did so.

The Wutai were only allowed a moment of utter confusion before they were caught up in their own trap. Meia tilted her head up to the cliff, where a series of explosions shook the valley side. Devastating amounts of rocks were blown loose and the SOLDIER's watched as they crashed and rained down onto the helpless enemy. They tried to run, but it was no use. The earth and boulders, some utterly gigantic, simply rolled after them with terrifying velocity. Some of the men Meia was in charge of began to cheer and taunt, but the commander herself remained stoic.

She had discovered the charges on the cliff. They must have been placed during the night, under the cover of the weather. After realising the enemy's plan, Meia had moved them with the help of some of her troops. Sadly, there wasn't enough time to inform all the men and right now...the captured SOLDIER was the only thing on her mind. Still the rocks fell and by now, clouds of dust and debris were clouding the damp air, making it impossible to determine the enemy's condition,

"SOLDIER..." Meia spoke softly to the man beside her, "Check with the infantry, see if they saw any escapee's"

"Yes Sir!" He responded sharply and ran to carry out her command.

Meia bit her lip as she watched the scene calm down. Bodies lay, bloodied and broken, littering the path way out of the valley. Pathetic groans and wails were drifting up from the carnage below where she stood.

As a Turk, Meia had of course killed before. But not on this scale. That wasn't part of a Turks job. Rather than eliminating a single target that – probably - deserved at least partially what they were getting, Meia found herself using her keen mind to murder en mass. Enemy soldier's. Probably only fighting for their land, their family's or simply because they had no other choice. Pawns, caught up in the wars of kings.

She couldn't help but feel remorse for these men and women as she approached the main site of the massacre. Protect the observation post...well, she had certainly done that. But at what cost...

2 weeks later – Shinra building 51st floor – Director Lazard's office.

Two men sat in silence, each scrutinising the same report displayed on their screens. One man was - at no surprise of the other - reading considerably faster. Sephiroth stretched his legs and crossed them at the ankles, before going on to the next section of the document. From his desk, Lazard removed his glasses and rubbed away the soreness on his nose,

"So far, it's flawless" He began slowly, "She handled the mission as a First would, just as you said"

Sephiroth made a low sound in his throat as acknowledgement, "It's been proven before how intelligent she is" Sephiroth stated, still reading as he did so, "And the progress she has made since being promoted to second is nothing short of astonishing..." He trailed off.

Lazard leant forward, "You suspect something, don't you..." He asked tentatively.

Sephiroth looked up and fixed the director with his steady gaze, "Of course I do" He replied with a sigh, "Normal SOLDIER's simply don't advance at the rate she is..." He trailed off and gazed at his screen with vacant eyes,

"She used to be a Turk though" Lazard mused, "Most men – or women – who apply for SOLDIER aren't usually as fit as she was when she joined"

Sephiroth grunted softly and leant back. Lazard watched him for a moment before resuming his reading,

"You're worried about her, aren't you..."

Sephiroth closed his eyes and recognised the usual discomfort that came to him when someone pried into his private life. Even though it was Lazard, and even though he was aware the Director sympathised with his and Meia's personal situation...It didn't make it any easier...

"It can't be helped. It's all happening so fast...I assume she made First?"

Lazard nodded, still reading his report, "Yes, from this...you would think she is already" he half muttered. Sephiroth agreed and started reading the report again.

He couldn't help but notice Meia's course of action regarding the small assault on the observation post. She carried out her plan, even though she knew one of her own men was in the firing line. Somehow, he survived, but Sephiroth couldn't help but wonder how difficult making that decision was for her. A year ago, she wouldn't have known what to do. Six months ago, she would have ran in to save him. Now...she was cool and calculating. It wouldn't have made the situation any easier for her, however.

Since he spoke to Meia after the island incident, she was slowly coming round to his reasoning. He smirked to himself and quickly wiped it off his face before Lazard saw; She had developed a habit of calling him 'master' whenever he'd make suggestions to her in private. As always though, she kept her comments strictly professional unless they were alone.

Still, he found himself constantly wondering about her growth, especially after almost killing herself training.

What was to stop her having a fit on a mission? What would happen if she couldn't get to a hospital? Even if she could get to one, a regular hospital would be at a loss to treat her condition. She required mako when she was fatigued, and only two places could give her that; Midgar and Junon.

Sephiroth squeezed his eyes shut. Constantly worrying, was it normal? It was logic versus emotion again. He knew Meia was capable, he knew that now she wouldn't push herself too far. He also knew she was at last able to demonstrate a calm logic that wouldn't put her, or her men, in unnecessary danger. But no matter how many times he repeated all of those things in his mind, he still found himself thinking about her.

It didn't help him at all that he hadn't slept properly since she left. He sighed and rubbed his eyes,

"Miss LeSait is due back tomorrow lunchtime?" Sephiroth asked his director.

"Yes, with orders to unpack and report to me immediately" Lazard answered, still reading and jotting notes in a pad. Sephiroth thought to himself a moment, before dismissing himself and heading to the indoor running track to unwind a little.

The next day...

"Meia! I'm glad to see you home" Lazard looked up from his desk and smiled at the exhausted SOLDIER, who stood to attention,

"No need for that" He waved her down, "you look like you could use some sleep..." He added.

Meia smiled weakly and relaxed, "I could, Sir, and a shower"

"Well I won't keep you too long" Lazard replied, "Your report is excellent Meia, your assessors and Genesis both tell me you handled the situations you were faced with perfectly"

Meia nodded, trying her best to focus. If she was honest, curling up on the floor seemed like the best course of action right now.

"I'm promoting you to First class, effective immediately. Congratulations" Lazard smiled and stood, holding his hand out.

"Thank you Sir, I'm honoured" Meia replied, grasping his hand.

Lazard sat down again, "As you are probably aware, you will be getting a larger room considering you utilise on site accommodation. And you may wear what ever uniform you choose from now on..." He looked at her and smiled, "Which I'm sure is a relief; SOLDIER uniforms weren't really designed with the female figure in mind"

Meia laughed weakly, "No Sir, they weren't"

"Well, I'll let you get away. We can go through things later. Good job, Meia"

"Yes Sir, thank you" She replied and dismissed herself.

In the lift heading down, she struggled to focus. Meia was incredibly tired, starving herself of rest on the mission wasn't the best idea, but she managed. But now, all she wanted was a hot shower and sleep. She rode the lift all the way to the ground floor and made her way out to the residential building. When she got to her room, a letter was waiting on her tiny bed, addressed to her. As she picked it up, a smaller note fell away;

I've missed you~

Come upstairs when your ready

S

Meia smiled and started scanning the main letter, but found it was simply information on her new rank and the privileges that came with it. I can read this later...She thought, tossing it aside again.

Climbing in to her shower, Meia found herself incredibly happy she wouldn't have to put up with it much longer. No more dodgy water flow, no more sudden shock cold showers...just a nice, relaxing cascade that worked properly instead. She didn't even want to think of the bath. Making the water as hot as she could stand, Meia simply let it hammer down on her aching muscles and paid no attention to the clouds of steam now rolling around her and fogging up the whole bathroom. It felt so good. Her mind wandered to her mission as she started washing herself.

The SOLDIER caught up in the rock slide survived with only a broken leg and other minor injuries. Which she was thankful for, but the fact she had made the decision to sacrifice him disturbed her. And what was worse, she would have to make these decisions on a regular basis now. But this was her job. Just the same as her old one, just involving more lives.

One life...in exchange for thousands...the concept is simple, but trying telling that to the one man...or his family...

Meia dried herself and threw on anything that was clean and close to her. The heat of the water had caused her to slip further into exhaustion.

Although, that was all part of her plan...

Sephiroth looked up from his kitchen bench as his alarm tone went off. He took an involuntary breath as his chest heaved and his heart skipped. That was happening a lot lately...Maybe this is my excitement trying to escape...He padded softly to his door and checked who it was, the corner of his lips curling as he saw a most welcome sight yawning in his doorway.

"Hello, soldier" He smiled softly at Meia once the door had hissed open. She returned the smile, though had to stifle another yawn afterwards. He gestured her inside, automatically checking to see if anyone saw her come in, before locking the door once more. He shook his head gently as she half stumbled her way straight to his cream leather sofa and sat heavily on it,

"I'm so glad to be home" She said through a sigh, "That mission was tough"

Sephiroth acknowledged her and carried on to his kitchen again, where he busied himself to finish the pot of tea he was making,

"Care to elaborate?" He asked her, changing his choice of refreshment from 'green' to 'ginseng'. Meia hummed in her throat, clearly thinking,

"It was just..." She hesitated but chastised herself; Sephiroth probably knew what she was going to say anyway, "The decision I made...It went against every fibre I have" She finished quietly. Sephiroth let out a sharp sigh and gathered up their intended refreshment,

"I know, Meia" He placed the tea pot, along with two mugs, on his moss table and poured them both a cup. Meia watched whilst struggling to focus on his voice,

"Being in SOLDIER requires you to make these decisions" He carried on, sitting beside her and folding his legs up.

Meia's company was almost second nature to him now. Their knee's touched gently but he didn't mind. He hardly even flinched when they settled so close to her. He looked down and smiled. She was home, and he was glad. He really didn't want to talk about work, but it was clear the actions she had to take disturbed her and she wanted to get it off her chest,

"I think, even though these decisions are tough for you, you should take comfort that you still care" He carried on, well aware the conversation was becoming one sided. He watched her blow at the hot liquid in her cup, noticing her soft, slightly damp ebony locks were getting in the way. Gently he reached out and tucked them behind her ear, as he'd seen her do so many times. She smiled a soft 'thanks' and continued blowing,

"I try, I really do but...I'm worried" She looked up him, her tired eyes ringed with a deep blue tinge, "I'm worried I'll start to loose that. What if I become cold and heartless?"

Sephiroth let his eyes roam over her features a moment before replying, "Like me..." He sighed and looked over her head, out the glass wall to the city beyond, "You won't. It's not within you to ever become that way, I don't think" He mused quietly.

Meia pursed her lips and sipped her tea, noticing he'd given her a blend that was meant to invoke energy within it's drinker. She couldn't help but smile; it was Sephiroth's subtle hint that he wanted her awake for a little while at least, despite her exhaustion. But Meia didn't know if that was possible. His warm room, the luxurious furniture, her shower soothed body. Everything was seducing her to sleep...

"I'm glad..." She said finally, "it's the last thing I want to happen...I just-" She stopped what she was saying when she felt the slight weight of Sephiroth's hand rest on her crown,

"I know, Meia, you don't need to say it" He stroked her gently in his usual way, "I won't let you forget yourself"

Meia smiled at him and carried on with her drink.

"Now you're a First, we should pay Mideel a visit" He said softly, taking his hand back and watching her sip her tea. She nodded and smiled, stifling another yawn of which she apologised for. Sephiroth simply chuckled softly.

They sat and watched the television for a while, listening to the news, neither speaking. Sephiroth closed his eyes and smiled for a moment, until a gentle snore caught his attention. Meia had fallen asleep. Not even the tea could keep her awake. He looked at her empty cup, teetering precariously in her lap, barely held there by her unconscious fingertips. He took it away gently and set it on the table, before rising as carefully as he could to retrieve a blanket and a pillow.

Sephiroth gathered Meia's small body in his arms and smiled as her head rolled into his chest. With gentle care, he set her down on the shorter extension of his L shaped sofa, resting her heavy head carefully on the pillow he'd placed there for her. The deceptively delicate looking SOLDIER didn't even stir as she was covered with a soft blanket. Sephiroth leant down,

"I guess you can rest..." He whispered and smiled, before kissing her with a feathers touch on the forehead...

Victory for Meia! Getting promoted and managing to fall asleep on his couch - scooooore~

Next chapter - Sephiroth makes good his promise to help Meia with her past. But her emotions threaten to overwhelm her as the memories of a happier time return.

Please review if you have a moment, It would mean a lot to me :)