Disclaimer: The Author does not own Final Fantasy, which is owned by Square Enix, and merely plays with this stuff. For fun.
A/N: Thirty Chapters! Go Me! I managed to smoosh action and fluff all in one so everybody should be happy. Muahahaha.
There have been a few questions about Cass's description from challengers of the fanart. I left her description really vague so people could have their own vision of her. The only thing I think I gave was long brown hair and brown eyes. Perhaps a little on the tall side. You have to use your imagination if you want to draw her, but that's cool. I'd like to see how you envisioned her.
You know the drill. Read, review, enjoy.
Sephiroth looked over at Angeal and Genesis, who were also wearing the uniforms they had worn the day before. They looked more nervous than he felt. He still didn't understand what they had done. He couldn't comprehend why all of a sudden they were being so highly praised and flaunted to the public. He just wanted to go back to the barracks like he did with every other mission. Or to Mom's home. He hadn't gotten a chance to ask her what the big deal was. She would know for sure.
"Hey," Genesis said, his voice wavering slightly, "Angeal and I will do most of the talking." Sephiroth nodded and looked longingly at the exit. He felt Angeal pat his shoulder reassuringly.
"Just tell the truth," Angeal said, "worst that could happen is they stop liking you."
"That actually sounds preferable," Sephiroth grumbled as an attendant began to shepherd them onstage.
"I'd say thanks if I wasn't so jealous," Genesis said as they stepped off the helicopter. His first ride had been rather fun, then extremely boring.
"Hardy, har, har," Angeal said drily. Sephiroth said nothing and merely examined the surroundings. Angeal had gotten his first mission. Correction, Angeal was going to lead his first mission and he'd gotten to pick the people to go with him. He'd picked Genesis and Sephiroth because, yes they were friends, but also because Genesis was better at Materia cover, he was a stronger fighter, and Sephiroth was a bit of both. It was a balanced act that their trainers praised Angeal for picking.
The mission: dispatch a monster infestation in the Corel mining area. A simple task, except that said infestation had not been pinpointed in the least. The locals were scattered and the monsters had followed. Angeal sighed at the deserted site.
"Any objections to splitting up to search the area?" Angeal asked. Genesis said nothing and Sephiroth shook his head.
"Right then," Angeal said and started off.
Genesis bit his tongue at the grumble that ShinRa had sent out a couple of kids as a rescue operation. He was a heavily trained operative fully qualified to go on such a mission. Not to mention he'd killed ten of those things while the terrified locals stood by and let him.
Two hundred feet away Sephiroth said nothing as he did the same. The locals made no comment as they recognized him.
Angeal had no one watching him, but the monster he was facing was way out of his league. He actually used his father's Buster Sword. His first had shattered halfway through. He shut his eyes and began shoving back harder.
"Wait, wait, wait," Cass said, "You're telling me they don't know they're being taped?" Tseng's face managed to stay neutral as the other observers gave her strange looks.
"Yes," Heidegger said.
"What's the point of that then?" Cass said, "you claimed this is a test to see how they perform under pressure. How is filming them secretly adding any pressure?"
"You wouldn't understand," Heidegger said with the tone an adult often uses with a small child.
"I already stated that I did not understand," Cass said, "I asked you to explain." Rufus did smirk at her. He liked how she made them all squirm. It wasn't the same as what his father did. She hid her superiority behind a sweet and innocent exterior. They couldn't brush it off without becoming the asshole of the situation. Heidegger was a popular victim of his. This time proved to be no exception as he shifted uncomfortably and said nothing.
"Wait a moment," Cass said, "could you possibly be, oh I don't know, full of shit?" Heidegger glared, but was unable to come up with a proper response.
"Angeal, you're only going to make your limp worse," Sephiroth said, "you should take a break." Angeal sighed and let his weight rest against his friend.
"Where is Genesis?" Angeal wondered out loud.
"He appears to be approaching from the west," Sephiroth answered. Sure enough, Angeal saw a familiar head of red coming his way.
"What happened to you?" Genesis asked.
"Dragon," Angeal said, "a very small one. You brought your Cure right?"
"Yes," Genesis said digging it out, "I don't remember there being a warning about a dragon."
"It was probably lured in by the smell of carnage," Sephiroth said. Genesis muttered a spell and Angeal sighed in relief as small lights were emitted around him.
"Thanks," he said, "That feels so much better." He looked between Sephiroth and Genesis. "Well?" he asked them. Genesis and Sephiroth made a concise and brief verbal report. Both pointed to the same place. None of the workers or locals would be coming back unless the mines were cleared. Thankfully, work had only just begun and it wasn't a maze to get lost in quite yet, but it was rather large.
"I'd rather not get caught against a dragon by myself again," Angeal said.
"Nor I," said Genesis, "so together?"
"I'd say," Angeal said, "Sephiroth any objections?"
"It will get done faster with three," Sephiroth agreed. They headed towards the entrance grimly and silently.
Tseng had seen this look on Cass's face quite a number of times. She was lost in thought as she watched the boys eradicate the infestation quite efficiently. Rufus had returned to being bored as Cass lost interest in making Heidegger look like an idiot (not that he needed help). He left them alone though, and was bored quietly on his own.
Cass was lost entirely in thought. Memory, to be more precise.
She woke up when the door opened. She laid still for a moment until she remembered that there was someone else living with her. It was hard to remember when sleep clouded her thoughts. It had only been a little less than two months since he moved in after all. She rose up stiffly.
"Sephiroth?" she croaked out. She could see him standing at the foot of the bed, looking lost. There was a tremor in his hands and his breathing was ragged.
"Did you have another nightmare?" Cass asked gently, crawling over to him. He nodded. She saw a single tear streak down his face and brushed it away. He sniffed and looked up, blinking rapidly.
"Can I stay with you tonight?" he asked meekly. Cass opened her arms.
"Come here," she said. He didn't hesitate and crawled in her lap. She could feel something damp on her shoulder.
"It's okay," she said. He sniffed heavily, fighting the sobs that wanted to come out. Six-year-olds shouldn't feel ashamed about sobbing, Cass thought.
"I-I'm s-sor-ry," Sephiroth stammered.
"It's okay," Cass said, "You don't have to be sorry." She waited until he got it out of his system and his breathing back under control. "Do you want to tell me about it?" she asked. He shifted his head so his face wasn't buried in his shoulder.
"No," he said.
"It might make you feel better," Cass said. Sephiroth was quiet for a long time. Long enough that Cass was beginning to think he was asleep again.
"Hojo said I'd never see you again," Sephiroth said.
"Well that won't happen," Cass said, "I've got you right here."
"You won't let him take me away?" Sephiroth asked.
"No," Cass said, "You'll come home with me no matter what."
"Forever?" Sephiroth asked, hope evident in his voice. She could help, but laugh a little.
"Forever is an awfully long time," she said. He paused to think again.
"For a long time then?" he said.
"As long as I can make it," she promised. She felt him nod against her chest. She half-pulled, half-carried him under the covers again. Suddenly he was sitting up to make sure the blankets were evenly distributed. Then he curled up close to her. She followed suit not long after.
Cass looked up at her boy who suffered from nightmares as he patrolled a dark tunnel that most likely haunted other people's dreams. He didn't seem fazed in the least, but Cass knew what sort of monsters hid under his bed to this day. She wondered if he still thought of those early nights to get over them on his own.
Her answer was yes, though Sephiroth would never hear the question. Right now he was preoccupied with covering the rear. He rather liked Angeal's form of leadership. It was more of guidance, pointing them in the right direction and letting them loose. He even went so far as to allow others to question his authority, not that Sephiroth noted any flaws yet. He made a mental note to try it in the future. It seemed effective for this sort of mission.
Then he heard something to his left. He stopped and listened. Genesis and Angeal stopped a few feet ahead of him. He waved them on ahead of him. It didn't sound like anything he couldn't handle on his own. He stepped into the alcove.
He reacted as soon as he heard the growl. It was cut short with harsh cry and a dull thud as it hit the ground. Sephiroth checked it to make sure it was dead, but couldn't say exactly what it was in this lighting.
Then he heard the sob. He jerked his head up looking for the source, ready for another attack. Instead he saw a small body curled up against the wall.
Civilian, he thought to himself. After another moment he identified it as a small girl of perhaps five or six years of age. Most likely cornered in here during the attack. He took a step closer.
"P-p-please," she said, "d-don't hurt m-me." Sephiroth froze and looked down at himself. He was covered in blood and dirt and carrying a bare seven foot sword also covered in blood. He flicked off the mess and sheathed her quickly. He held out his hands.
"I won't hurt you," he said. His mind scrambled to figure out what he was supposed to do. He surely shouldn't just leave her here. She didn't move. He could see something dark staining her shirt.
"Are you hurt?" he asked. She didn't say anything. Sephiroth took the chance and stepped closer again.
"I can help you if you're hurt," he tried to say reassuringly. A single question popped into hid mind. What would Mom do? He bit his lip as he tried to concentrate.
It stung when she pressed it against his knee, but it wasn't so bad because she let him hold her hand as she did it.
"Sting?" she asked. He nodded as he watched her swab it a few more times. "Well, I'd rather have you sting now than get sick later," she said. She set the clear stuff that stung off to the side. She picked up another bottle and unscrewed the cap.
"This one is going to bubble and fizz a little," she said, "but it won't sting so it's kind of fun." It did fizz and bubble and it was kind of fun. "All clean," Mom declared. This wasn't nearly as bad as when he got hurt with Hojo. This was almost fun. He almost wanted another scrape so she could take care of him again.
"Aright," she said pulling out three different boxes, "Chocobos, Dinosaurs, or plain?" He looked at the designs.
"Dinosaurs," he said.
"Good man," she said, "Dinosaurs are cool." She unwrapped it and placed it carefully over his injured knee. He admired the sharped-toothed snarl staring back at him and grinned a little.
"Right as rain?" she asked. He nodded.
"Can I try one more time?" he asked.
"Sure," Mom said, "Try not to fall off the bike again, though. Okay?"
Sephiroth crouched down lower so he could be at her level. He took off his blood-stained gloves and stuffed them in a back pocket.
"I have something to make you better," Sephiroth said, "but you have to come with me." A tear-stained face looked fearfully at him. "I won't hurt you," Sephiroth repeated.
"M-mons-sters?" she stammered out. He blinked.
"No," he said, "no more monsters. I'll protect you. I promise." She blinked, then nodded slowly and got to her shaking feet. He held out his hand.
He liked holding her hand because it was always so warm. Then she's squeeze it and he'd squeeze back and that always felt even better. Hojo wasn't scary when they held hands, he decided.
And monsters wouldn't be either. She took his hand and he squeezed it very gently.
"Come on," he said, "let's get you out of here."
"M-mommy?" she asked.
"Yes," he said, "We'll find your mommy." She sniffed and walked a little faster. Sephiroth slowed a little.
She didn't drag him anywhere. She always walked right next to him, no matter how slow he went. It made him feel almost like he was chosing where they went or if they were deciding together at the same time.
He saw a bite on her arm. That would take more than a Cure to fix. It needed to be cleaned out. The transport had a first aid kit. That would do the trick. He led her out of the alcove. Genesis was waiting for them.
"You were taking a while," he said. He eyed the little girl and raised a brow to Sephiroth.
"I found an injured civilian," he said simply, "I'm going to take her out and see if I can find her parents. Can you and Angeal handle the mines on your own?" Genesis scoffed at him.
"Course we can," Genesis said. Sephiroth nodded and started in the opposite direction. They had not gotten far when Sephiroth heard another growl. The girl whimpered. He drew his sword again (he really needed a good name for her soon). Her eyes grew wide.
"Stay here," he said, "and close your eyes. I'll tell you when I'm done."
He closed his eyes and wished that the Fang's body would be gone by the time he opened them again. He felt bad about it, but the Fang would have died either way. This way was at least faster, right?
"Hey, open your eyes," Mom's voice said. He opened them. He saw her face smiling at him.
"You're gonna miss something if you keep your eyes shut all the time," she said.
He made it quick and fast, so she wouldn't be alone for too long. These put up a bigger fight, but it wasn't really difficult. Not for him.
"Okay," Sephiroth said moving back and holding out his hand again, "Let's go." She had her hands covering her face and put them down slowly. She seemed relieved when she didn't see any monsters. She took his hand and they exited the tunnel.
"I'm going to take you to that helicopter," Sephiroth said, pointing to it, "I can clean that bite for you."
"Better?" she asked.
"Yes," he said, "I'll make it better."
"Then find mommy?" she asked. He nodded. She went to it without a fuss. Sephiroth found the kit and opened it. He found directions for how to clean animal bites and pulled out the items he needed. It looked shallow, like she had gotten away quickly.
"I'm going to wash it off," he said. He wiped it down with a piece of cloth. It was shallow. He pulled out a packet of alcohol. He read the packaging and smiled a little.
"This will sting a little bit," he said. She hissed as he swabbed it, but she didn't cry or jerk away.
"Very good," he said, "you're very brave."
"How can I be brave if I'm so scared all the time?" Sephiroth asked. He was. He was scared every time he left her that she would disappear again. He was scared she'd get hurt without him there.
"You don't have to be scared," she said once again, "but just because you're scared doesn't mean you can't be brave. I was under the impression that the only time you could be well and truly brave is when you are scared, but keep going anyway."
He finished cleaning it. She watched him, but less warily than she had before.
"Hey," he heard behind him. Angeal and Genesis were back.
"They're all clear," Angeal said, "We triple checked. She's the only civilian trapped inside." Sephiroth nodded.
"Would you mind using your Cure?" Sephiroth asked Genesis.
"Of course not," Genesis said, "and lose a chance to show off. Dream on." The little girl relaxed more as she watched her skin knit back together.
"Better?" Sephiroth asked. She nodded.
"Mommy?" she asked.
"Let's go find her," Sephiroth said.
"Congratulations," Heidegger said, "Your son stops for the kiddies." Cass scoffed.
"Oh please," Cass said, "I raised him not to be an asshole, a place where your parents obviously needed work. What else was he supposed to do? Leave her there?" Rufus smirked as Heidegger turned red. He liked to imagine it was because he was trying too hard to think.
"Haven't you been training them to be nice to the civvies anyway?" Cass asked.
"...Yes," Heidegger muttered.
"Then he's still your perfect fuckin' soldier," Cass said.
Sephiroth hadn't so much found the girl's parents as they found them. There was a lot of shrieking and crying from both parents and child. It sort of reminded him of when he came back from Wutai. He was about to turn away, when he felt a tug on his pant leg. He looked back down at the girl.
"Thank you," she said.
"You're welcome," Sephiroth said. She looked uncertain for a moment. He crouched down to her.
"What is it?" he asked. She leaned up quickly, while she had the courage, and gave his a sloppy peck on the cheek. He did smile then and she smiled back. He stood up and joined Angeal and Genesis.
When they returned, there was applause. That confused Sephiroth. What had they done? It was a pretty easy mission overall. Angeal had done a good job leading and he and Genesis were good followers. Nothing really deserving of applause.
He was yet to receive a decent explanation for that, yet here he was. About to be questioned for the public's entertainment. He didn't get it. And he was probably going to get more fan mail.
The Turks in the building were all decidedly not working. Not even Veld. They had commandeered a television set and the talk show was ready to begin. Cass was given a place of honor in a seat up front. She ignored the hoots and hollers about her mothering skills and watched her socially-awkward rain cloud sit uncomfortably on stage.
"Congrats, your kid's famous, yo," Reno drawled.
"That was bound to happen regardless," Cass said, "I mean look at him." Reno nodded.
"Good point," he said, "but you could still take all the credit." Cass didn't disagree.
"He needs better people skills," Reno noted.
"I tried," Cass said, "I really did. He just doesn't like to talk much." Angeal and Genesis would be getting a lot of leftovers from now on. They kept Sephiroth afloat, deflecting questions, stealing the spotlight, answering for him. Lots and lots of leftovers, she vowed.
It was only a matter of time before they tired of Genesis's charming personality and Angeal's endearing honesty. By the time that happened, Sephiroth wanted to get off and get back to the barracks. Or to Mom's. He didn't want the focus on him. He didn't even know what they wanted from him.
"So Sephiroth," the host said firmly, "are the three of you friends." He remembered Angeal saying to tell the truth.
"Yes," he said. Apparently they expected more because an awkward silence followed. Genesis swooped in an offered an explanation that they all got along well and Angeal agreed wholeheartedly.
"So is that why you let them have the spotlight, this time," the host asked. Sephiroth blinked a few times. What? Spotlight? He shook his head.
"I don't understand," Sephiroth said.
"Why you let them take charge," the host prompted, suddenly understanding why Sephiroth was very quiet.
"No," Sephiroth said, "Angeal was placed in charge of the mission and he did it well. They finished clearing out the mines while I took care of an injured civilian who was trapped inside." There, that was easy enough. The host nodded.
"Ah yes," he said, "A Sarah Adams."
"She didn't say her name," Sephiroth said.
"She says you're her hero now," he said. Sephiroth blinked again.
"I couldn't just leave her in there," he said, "Angeal and Genesis would have done the same thing in my place. I just found her first." That was apparently the right thing to say, because more applause broke out. The hose smiled at the crowd.
"Now this has nothing to do with your heroism," he said as it died down, "but this is a question by request. A lot of people want to know the answer." Sephiroth saw Angeal and Genesis look at each other. Should he be worried? Did his "fans" ask this question? Oh no.
"Do you have a girlfriend?" the host asked with a mischievous smile. The crowd broke out laughing. Sephiroth had no idea what that was, but could garner a guess.
"No," he said, "I don't have much spare time." There, that was a honest and diffusing answer. Angeal gave a brief nod. A good answer. The crowd made a disappointed sound. The host's smile broadened. Oh no.
"Let me indulge them a little," he said, "Who's the prettiest girl you've ever laid eyes on?" What sort of question was that? Couldn't he have an easier one? He looked at Angeal and Genesis who both shrugged. No help there. He had an answer, but didn't know if he should use it or not. He looked back at Angeal and Genesis and made a subtle indication at the Turk who was guarding the president. They paused and nodded. Why not?
"I suppose," Sephiroth began, "my Mom."
Back at the ShinRa building the Turk floor was struck silent, except for Cass's uncontrollable laughter as she fell out of her chair.