Disclaimer: All characters, excluding the OC, belong to Square Enix. Now let's get going.
A year had passed. March 28th had come and gone with little fanfare for either Cass or Sephiroth, but small changes had taken place. Sephiroth was growing. He could reach doorknobs quite easily now and more doors had started to be locked, much to the boy's chagrin. His hair spilled past his shoulders, but just barely; hardly remarkable when compared to Cass's. The mako injections were no longer as painful, but still left him fatigued and sensitive to light and sound. A worn out black hoodie took care of that still.
Cass had started locking her office door. They were kind enough to let her keep it, as she still gave quick and accurate results. She had stopped trusting everyone in the building, if she ever did trust any of them. She had a feeling Hojo suspected something about her and decided not to give him the chance to go snooping through her things. Even if there was nothing to find.
Sephiroth remained the only person who was welcome there and he continued to take full advantage of it. He didn't mind waiting for Cass to unlock the door. She always knew it was him by his knock. Hojo neither forbid, nor encouraged Sephiroth to continue his visitations. Sephiroth began to make the descriptions of what went on with Cass more vague. As a result Hojo lost interest. What could the mathematical genius possibly do that would harm Hojo's studies?
In Hojo's mind, Cassiopia Durmont remained a necessary nuisance. Gast had not been lying when he claimed that Cass was the best in her field. Her studies may have been cut short of a doctorate, but she had one in practice for sure. Her nature towards the rest of the staff remained awkward, to put it nicely. Cass never saw things quite the same way and no one else could wrap their minds around her methods, or even try for that matter. She remained the math freak. Only one or two would greet her in return in the halls, yet she continued to do so anyway.
Cass's work and minor interferences kept the lab from blowing up again. Hojo never outright claimed that she was correct in her criticisms, but she was never wrong either. They couldn't stand to be in the same room for long. Cass still thought of Hojo as a slimy imbecile and Hojo felt her fields were too narrow to be useful and her tongue far too sharp for its own good.
They needed each other, so they tolerated each other. Hojo needed her to double check his work and to control Sephiroth. Cass needed Hojo for a paycheck. Once the status quo was broken, it was assumed that Cass would either leave the labs or end up as an experiment. The former seemed more likely. A rumor was going around that Cass slept with a loaded shotgun.
How Hojo ignored the signs that Sephiroth had grown attached to Cass was way beyond the latter's comprehension. Perhaps the grease had clouded Hojo's glasses. The boy remained as emotionless as ever, to an outsider. Cass, however, had spent more than enough time with the boy to know what his expressions were. More often than not, he wore an expression that reminded her of a purring cat while in her company. The face gave nothing away, but there was a slight contentedness in the eyes.
She enjoyed his company as well. He was still very quiet and far too eager to obey, but she liked his undying curiosity of the world he hadn't seen yet. He was endearing...not to mention adorable. Everyone else could believe him a monster, but silver hair and green eyes hardly fazed her. The boy had hardly been able to approach her without permission when they first met. He could still barely bring himself to touch her, but when he did she couldn't deny that it gave her a warm and fuzzy feeling. The terrified way in which he hugged her made her happy and sad at the same time.
He'd been a passive observer for far too long and was now being punished for attempting to participate. He clung to her like a lifeline. And she let him. She couldn't be another person to cower in fear in the presence of Sephiroth or Hojo.
She had long stopped reveling in the feeling of doing something that was against the rules. That had stopped when Sephiroth had asked to touch her hair, something he had never dared to ask again. She began to realize that what was happening was more than a little childish rebellion against Hojo. It was trying to let Sephiroth have a chance at a life. Hojo wanted a perfect mindless machine. Cass knew what that sort of treatment could do to a human.
She would not sit by and let it happen. Mama Durmont had made sure of that.
Which was what had led her to her current position in a dusty basement reading material she really rather would toss in the trash. The fear of getting caught passed the instant she realized that no one had come down here in at least a year. It seemed likely that most of this would be shipped off to the old Manor. Besides she knew most of the story already, Hojo had certainly bragged enough. She wasn't looking for what Sephiroth was. She had made up her own mind on that subject.
Her question was more along the lines of who.
She skimmed through a journal, making mental notes to throttle Hojo at some point in her life. Hojo may be a genius in the Science Department, but he was sorely lacking in logic. Genius without logic is mediocre, as Mama Durmont used to tell Cass.
Cass made another note to make sure that Sephiroth never got his hands on what she was reading. She felt close to ripping out hair after reading Hojo's words. Sephiroth would be driven insane. He would find out more gently, she vowed silently. He would have the proper support, not a dusty basement and a madman's journal.
She'd been at it in her free time, which was growing less and less, for a few days. Then she finally found a drop of blood in the swimming pool. She reread the passage a few times to make sure she had understood correctly.
Then she checked her pockets to make sure she had change.
They had started training. That's what they called it. He'd watched some demonstrations and then repeated them. He felt oddly neutral about it at the moment. It was neither wholly unpleasant, such as Hojo's tests, nor satisfying, like talking to Cass. He hadn't really done much with it so far, yet it was mildly interesting.
He had to keep doing it until he was tired. That took a long time. The trainers were nervous with him. Hojo liked to watch too. Sephiroth didn't like that.
However, it was interesting. He'd never really been violent before and this most certainly was. It gave a certain satisfaction, not nearly as complete as the one Cass was able to grant, but it was there.
He was not certain exactly what he was being trained for, only that he was willing enough to do it for now.
"Hey Nell,"
"Cassi? Cassi Durmont?"
"The one and the same."
"Great Gaia. It's been so long. How are you?"
"Oh I'm fine. Decent job, decent pay. You know how it goes."
"I'm glad. I was very worried for you while you were under my care."
"You should worry about all the kids in the system."
"I do. Now, I know you didn't call your former case worker for idle chit-chat. What's up?"
"The honest truth is that I'm digging up dirt."
"I expected nothing less."
"There's a kid involved."
"...Please Cassi, tell me it's not one of mine."
"I don't think he's anyone's. That's what I need you for. I want to find out."
"He has to have parents."
"I realize that and I have names. I won't say them over the phone. You know where I'll be."
"As if I would forget, Cassi."
Sephiroth had been pondering the question for a long time. He'd asked Hojo already, thinking that Cass or Professor Gast would not know the answer, and had received the answer. But it wasn't quite enough. It wasn't an answer that Cass would give. It didn't have any of the satisfaction such an answer would give.
But would Cass know? Did her knowledge of the world stretch that far? He was afraid to ask. Afraid to hear a yes and afraid to hear a no. He remained silent about it, but other questions had begun to stem from the first, both safer and dangerous. He had been silent for now, but he was growing more curious about Cass. Not about what she knew, but about who she was.
So it was to the shock of both of them that the question slipped out.
"Do you have a family?" Sephiroth asked and immediately wished he hadn't. Cass froze completely. It only took a few seconds, but Sephiroth saw the effect the question had. He thought she would ignore it, pretend she hadn't heard and he was fine with that.
"Everyone has a family," Cass said, "some more than others." Sephiroth had seen her pull this trick out many times, generalize a specific question to avoid answering. He thought to simply end it there, but his mouth had other ideas.
"Do you have a mother and father?" he asked. She paused for a long time.
"I don't know who my parents are," she said at last, "I didn't know them long enough to remember who they were. The records of their names were destroyed. All I know is that they died." Sephiroth struggled to change the subject. He knew she didn't want to talk about this.
"I have a brother somewhere," Cass said, "He's called me a few times. We haven't really met. I don't even know his real name, he gave me a fake one so I wouldn't go look for him." Sephiroth swallowed and decided to share his own little tidbit of information.
"Hojo said my mother's name was Jenova," he said, "she died when I was born." Cass turned and frowned.
"Hojo lied to you," Cass said, "Your mother's name wasn't Jenova." Sephiroth's eyes widened. "I don't know why he would tell you that," Cass said.
"What was her real name?" Sephiroth asked. He had to know at least this.
"It started with an L," Cass said, "Lucretia, I think."
"Did you know her?" Sephiroth asked, feeling a spark of something in him. Cass knew.
"I've heard of her," Cass said, "I never met her. I only really know her name, not much else. Gast said she was a nice lady." Sephiroth absorbed this. His mother's name was Lucretia and she was nice. Cass's answer lacked it's usual luster for him, but it was better than the lie Hojo had fed him. He considered it further and decided that he was at least better off than Cass was.
He had a name. She had nothing.
"Cassi Durmont."
"I swear it wasn't me this time."
"You haven't even heard what I'm accusing you of...heh. I think I might have missed saying that."
"Uh oh. The young bloods have gotten soft, have they?"
"No one could top you Cassi. You look good."
"I looked bad at some point?"
"Gods, I missed your sense of humor. You could be a real bitch at times, but you were always good for a giggle. It was a happy and sad day when someone finally decided to take you in."
"Likewise."
"I did what you asked. I don't see why you just left the files there."
"I'm getting paranoid in my old age. And I only had a half hour for lunch."
"I don't blame you after going through it. You aren't going to tell me about the kid are you?"
"Not one word."
"It's probably best."
"What can you tell me?"
"Lucretia Crescent had no next of kin. She left no will and testament either."
"So any children she may or may not have had..."
"Wards of the state unless the father takes custody."
"And the Professor?"
"No children on file. If you're right, then the father has not claimed his child. If he even is the father."
Cass checked and doubled checked to make sure it was the proper form. She reread her letter just to make sure that all t's were crossed and i's dotted.
It had taken a long time, but she had found out who Sephiroth was.
He was technically an investment for the ShinRa Electric Power Company. ShinRa owned him until he became a proper employee, then Sephiroth could do as he wished. Parentwise, the boy was alone. No siblings either. No grandparents. No aunts or uncles or cousins.
A very familiar story to Cass.
What she found interesting was a small clause shoved it at the end. Sephiroth could still remain an investment, but belong elsewhere. So long as he was successful, Sephiroth could be put anywhere.
He didn't have to live in the labs.
But he couldn't live all alone. Six and a half was six and a half, they don't care for themselves. Sephiroth just had to fulfill the investment at some point.
Thus the form and letter she was currently working on. She hesitated before signing it.
Mama Durmont's voice was hot in her ear demanding that she ask the boy what he wanted before mucking about with his life. Mama was right, as usual. She tucked them away, where no one would bother to look. Then she waited.
When Sephiroth came to visit again, she struggled to find a way to bring it up. She went for broke. The worst Sephiroth could do was refuse.
"Sephiroth," she began, "I want to tell you a story...about my mother."
Author's Note
I apologize for the cliff hanger. I figure if I'm excited to write the next chapter then it might get written faster. The school year has begun and I'll need motivation, not that your reviews have done a shabby job so far. I feel greedy asking for more, but they really do make my day when a new one pops up so...more please.