A/N: Hello. School is over for me on Thursday! And all next week are half days so I will try to update more! And if i can keep track of the weeks. i will update weekly over the summer, maybe more often.
Kaci Shinra sat on her bed in the pent house. Her room was dull and empty, because most of her old things were in storage. She kept what she really wanted for the dorm room at the Shinra headquarters. She looked out the window and watched the sun as most of it had disappeared behind the buildings.
Kaci opened the door and walked down the hallway into the living room. It was empty. Like most things are in this house, Kaci thought. Her father had gone to work, and Kaci had the day off, but that didn't mean she was out of uniform. She sat on the couch going through a few useless magazines, when her phone rang. "Kaci. Hello father."
"Kaci, I need you to go into my office and there ought to be a file marked 'Director of Weapons.' Go get it."
"Alright," Kaci stood up and opened the door to her father's study. She opened the drawer and began going through it when, "Never mind Kaci, my assistant found it." The connection was ended. Kaci sighed and was about to close the drawer when a folder caught her eye.
It was white, unlike the other manila ones. She pulled it out and opened it up; it held a few old papers of her grandfather's. She knew her father kept these old records when her grandfather had died. Most of the papers here in the desk were old documents from Shinra that he didn't need at the building, or household things.
A piece of paper fell to the floor. Kaci looked at the gray-green border and determined it was a certificate of some kind. She unfolded it and her eyes widened as she read. It was birth certificate, signifying the birth of a male child to President Shinra (her grandfather) and a woman named MiaDeusericus. The child's name was Lazard Deusericus. Kaci's eyes widened, "No, this isn't…" her face hardened, "This is true."
She grabbed her keys and ran out the door. Kaci pushed passed a few people on her way into the Shinra building. She ran up the stairs her footsteps unusually loud. All that fueled her body was anger and rage toward her father.
She ignored the secretary and opened the door and slammed the document down on his desk, "Why didn't you tell me?!" she demanded standing up and crossing her arms.
Her father calmly looked down at the paper his daughter had just slammed on his desk, "I didn't want you feel that you should get special treatment from him, Kaci."
"Did mom know?"
"Yes, Kaci your mother knew, but I told her not to tell you."
"She would've told me, why did you say that?"
"I told you Kaci."
"That's not all, is it?"
"Kaci, I would blemish my father's name by telling you!" Rufus stood up and slammed his hands on the desk.
"It's already been done! It wouldn't matter if I knew or not! He would've told me!" she countered.
"Kaci!" her father sighed trying to regain his emotions, "I will not have you speaking about your grandfather that way."
"You really don't care! You just wanted to be the head of his company!" she turned to leave.
"Kaci."
She held up her hand, "No."
Kaci lightly knocked on the door to the Director's office. She held the certificate in her other hand. "Come in," Kaci didn't know if she was glad he was in his office or wishing she had more time. Kaci opened the door and pressed the button so it closed behind her.
Lazard looked up at her, "Kaci, is there something you need?" Kaci silently walked up to his desk and placed the piece of paper in front of him. Lazard looked down and read what she had put down, "So your father told you did he?"
"No, I found this. Why didn't you say anything?" she asked.
Lazard stood up, "He's you father Kaci, as much as I wanted to tell you he wouldn't allow me to. For fear of you not wanting special treatment when you joined SOLDIER."
"What about after I was a Second, or were you planning to tell me now?"
"Kaci, every time I saw you I thought of telling you, but I knew he would never allow me to."
"Dir-… Uncle, I wish you would've told me. Instead of my having to find it out by reading a piece of paper!" she turned, walked to the window, and leaned against the wall.
"Kaci," Lazard stood up and put a hand on his niece's shoulder.
The door opened and Lazard dropped his hand as Angeal, Sephiroth and Genesis came into the room. Kaci left her place and moved past them to her room. The three men had seen how Lazard and Kaci had been standing, and the look that Kaci held on her face when she left.
Kaci stood at her window, thinking about everything she had found out. That her Uncle was the Director of SOLDIER, her father had lied to her about yet another thing, and that she probably would never have a normal relationship with her father.
A heavy knock on her door broke her thoughts, "Enter."
She heard the sound of heavy footsteps as they pounded on the floor towards her, "Kaci, are you alright?" it was that she heard Angeal's voice and not that of Genesis as she was expecting.
Kaci turned her head to find all three of them standing there, but why had she only heard one pair of footsteps? That was beside the point now. "I'm fine, we were just talking." She turned her gaze forward again towards the outside world.
"Kaci, that was not just having a conversation," Sephiroth stated.
"Conversations between Uncles and their nieces can often turn that way, General," the tone her voice said that was final.
'Uncle?' Genesis mouth to Angeal. Angeal didn't respond but looked back on Kaci, "What do you mean Kaci?"
"Just what I said. He's my Uncle, my half-Uncle to be exact but non-the-less."
The three SOLDIERS were silent. They had questioned the Director for nothing. Lazard had been scared of them, but he didn't reveal any information, so they went to their female friend and she had given them their answer.
"I wouldn't be surprised if he told me he was marrying Scarlet!" she yelled, frustrated.
Each of the men raised their brow at the mention of the name of the weapons Director. "Kaci, what's going on?" Angeal asked.
Kaci stayed silent for a moment, considering her former mentor's question, "He kept everyone from telling me. Lazard is my father's half-brother, but my father didn't allow anyone to tell me. Everyone who knew was told to keep me in the dark, and I had to go and find out from a piece of paper!"
"Why do I have a feeling that's not all that's upsetting you?" Sephiroth questioned.
Kaci sighed, "If it was anything else I would probably tell you," she leaned her forearms against the rail, "But I don't know." Her gaze was fixed on the surrounds of Midgar.
"Kaci, maybe you should take tomorrow off," Angeal suggested.
"And do what?" she responded. "Leave, I want to think over some things." She heard two bodies leave the room; leaving one behind with her.
"I thought I said leave, Genesis," she said.
"Kaci, you can't just sit here alone in the dark," Genesis closed the space between them and placed a hand on her shoulder.
Kaci's patience snapped, and she reeled around and punched Genesis's eye. "Gah! Kaci!" he stumbled back holding his now bruising eye.
"I've been in the dark long enough Gen, another day won't hurt me," she took long steady strides to her door and opened it, "Go on, Gen, and get Hollander to look at your face," she let out a shaky sigh and Genesis now regretted leaving, but he didn't want two black eyes.
Kaci closed the door and leaned back against it with all of her weight; she was the President's daughter. Her father would rather she saw him as her President rather than her father.
"What happened to you?" Angeal asked as Genesis came into the lounge, with his hand over of bruising eye.
"Kaci," was his answer.
"What did you do this time?"
"I decided to be an idiot."
"I never thought that you would admit that, Genesis," Sephiroth smirked.
Angeal gave an exasperated sigh, "Sephiroth. I wonder how much she can take?" he muttered.
"What do you mean?" Genesis winced as he applied ice to his eye.
"She's been so happy lately, and now this has to come and bring her down again, it's only a matter of time before all of this stress breaks our Kaci."
"I agree, and we know her father won't spare anything," Sephiroth added.
Genesis was worried about Kaci, but there was only so much he could do right now, "I'm goin' down to Hollander to make sure she didn't break my eye socket." He wasn't sure if it was what he said or the casual way he remarked it that made Sephiroth stand up and glare at him. Genesis blew it off with an eye role and he went down to the science depot.
Kaci balled herself up tighter under the blankets. She had taken off her uniform and now wore a tank top and shorts. Her hair was in a messy bun and she felt like the atmosphere of her room wouldn't stop pushing against her small form. Every breath she took seemed to be constricting her, as if trying to squeeze the life out of her. Kaci was tired, and she wanted to go to sleep for two years, "But I can't. I can't go to sleep," she said to herself.
Really, Kaci wanted someone there with her, but she was alone. All alone in that cold room, under a cold comforter, and with equally cold thoughts. Kaci pulled her knees up closer to her chest again, and let out a shaky breath. All she ever had was one small dose of love in one person, and she was gone. Now Kaci, had someone else to love her too, but she pushed them away. "I want it, and yet I pushed it away."
The door opened and Kaci looked over and saw Angeal standing in her room. She rolled over and watched as Angeal watched her, "You look tired," he grabbed a nearby chair and pulled it over to sit.
Kaci sat up and threw her legs over the edge of the bed, "I'm not tired, just… done. I've had it, 'Geal. I am mentally and physically drained." Kaci walked to the window and leaned her fore arms against the balcony. She welcomed the cooling breeze to her face. "Why Angeal? Why does he do this?"
Angeal waked behind her and let his hand rest on her back, "I don't have that answer, Kaci."
Kaci sighed, "Thanks. Look can you leave; I just want to be left alone right now." Lie.
Angeal looked at her with reluctant eyes, "Kaci, I don't think-"
"No, Angeal. I need more time just to gather my thoughts, and catch up on some work." Catch up on work? Nice, Kaci. Lie two.
"Alright Kaci, get some rest," Angeal turned away and walked to her door.
"I will Angeal," Lie three, I've struck out. From what though? She thought just as Angeal closed the door.
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