A/N: Hi, it's been a what a month? Exactly. Anywho. I have been spending the last month going deep in the recesses of our heroine's mind. And believe me, it is a deep and lonely place. I also know how this thing is going to end! When, I'm not sure, but I defiantly know how. I always have that problem, I start the story, but I never get to how it ends, and that is why I haven't written, I gave hope of an ending. But I know it's there now, so have no fear. I will begin updating regularly, starting Saturday! Which is two days from now! Ok, maybe not regularly, but you get the picture I'll update whenever I can. It's summer, and I spend four days out of the week bored out of my skull (I love that expression)
Disclaimer: Square Enix owns Crisis Core, Before Crisis, and anything else. I only own, my OC, the plot line and... any characters I make up.
6
When Kaci woke up at 5:30 in the morning the sun wasn't even up yet. She climbed quietly out of bed and went into the kitchen. She sat going over the medical book once more and after half an hour of that she found pancake mix and made pancakes.
Sephiroth made his way into the kitchen at 6:20. He found Kaci making pancakes. But what was more surprised was the alarming amount of scars on her back where her tank top didn't cover. He took a few steps forward and his hand instinctively reached out to the scars. Kaci jumped at his touch and hit her hand on the pan, "Ow. Sephiroth," but when she felt his fingers trace over the scars she felt a wave of uncomfortable wash over her, Genesis had done the same thing.
"I'm sorry Kaci, that I," he started.
"That you what? Couldn't keep me from getting hurt? That's not your fault," he hand traced up to the scar on her shoulder where the scar was her father had given her. Sephiroth's hand was on top of hers and she wanted to tell him everything, tell him what that scar was from, tell him what happened, what she wanted, but she didn't; she kept quiet.
"What is it? You're shaking Kaci," so she was. Kaci turned around and faced him. He looked at her not full of pity as Genesis had, but of longing, a longing to help her fix whatever was plaguing her. This wasn't like Sephiroth, but a lot of other people wore masks too. She felt his hand applying slight pressure on her shoulder, like it was adding to her wanting. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled herself close to him.
Sephiroth could feel the pain, longing, and sorrow radiating off of her like heat. He released her and almost like a puppet string their lips met. Sephiroth felt something wet on his face, but he realized that was her face.
Kaci didn't grab out for when he pulled away, that was enough. Unlike Genesis when she was pulling for more, she was overly content and happy Sephiroth. "I'm sorry," she pulled away from his gaze, but not before he saw her tears. Kaci left the kitchen and went over the balcony. Sephiroth followed her out but only watched her for a moment. She leaned over the balcony edge, standing. He wasn't sure if she was crying because she was silent.
"I feel stupid now," was all she said. When she sniffed Sephiroth confirmed she had been crying.
"Why?"
"Because I've let you see me cry. I feel weak too, stupid and weak." Sephiroth went over to her and wrapped his arms tightly around her waist.
"Kaci, don't ever say that. You're not stupid, and you're anything but weak. I thought this was the girl who got a Mako injection and only cried out while the men screamed bloody murder. How can anyone call that weak?" his voice was serious as if daring her to say it again.
She didn't say anything; instead she put her hands over his arms around her, "Thank you."
They stood like that for a while, forgetting about breakfast. No words were spoken just thoughts, Kaci's thoughts on how long this would last, and Genesis. Sephiroth was going over the picture of her looking up at him, crying.
Kaci emerged from the bedroom wearing the Shinra uniform Lazard had given her, black scrubs with a white undershirt. "Ready?"
"I've been waiting for you, Kari." Sephiroth opened the door and left. His arm fell around her waist, but this wasn't forced, it was out of his will.
When they arrived at the Shinra Company Alira headquarters Kaci had changed her mind frame to actually fulfilling her work and not getting caught. "I can't believe it, for once in my life I'm going into a Shinra building not being the President's daughter."
"And I'm not the SOLDIER who makes everyone cower in fear, although I wish I were. Now shush, we can't give ourselves away," Sephiroth silenced her and they walked inside.
Kaci walked up to the main desk, "Ah you must be Miss Fair, the new nurse, right this way, and sir please go to the fifth floor you the weapons department."
Kaci followed the brunette woman through the small halls and into the single elevator. Being used to the main Shinra building, Kaci found this whole grey and white interior quaint.
"Here we are," the woman stepped out of the elevator and Kaci was attacked with the smell of disinfectant. "Just go to the blonde woman over there at the desk she's the head nurse Angela." The secretary left. Kaci sighed and walked over Angela.
"Hello, I was told that you're the woman I should speak to," Kaci said as she walked up. She wasn't used to being this formal with people at Shinra, but she was the newbie.
"Yeah, hold on sweetie," the woman snapped and finished the page of paperwork, "Now," she looked up at Kaci and rested her chin on her intertwined hands, "What can I do for you sweetie?" she batted her thickly mascaraed eyelashes and popped a bubble with the gum she was chewing from her pink lipstick mouth.
"I'm Kari Fair the new nurse," Kaci dropped her "file" onto the desk. The woman went through it and Kaci noticed the long fake French nails she wore; Kaci looked down at the barely chipping red polish on her own.
"Everything seems to be in order," Angela put Kaci's file in the cabinet behind her, "I'm Angela, the head nurse, but you and I won't work together much, sweetie. I can tell you though," another gum bubble, "That woman over there with the black hair," she pointed to a woman who was going over a chart down the hall, "She's the ward nurse here, go see her to get your schedule."
"Thank you ma'am," Kaci nodded and walked over to the ward nurse.
"Bye, sweetie!" from where she stood Kaci heard that gum pop. If I had my status I would rip the gum from her mouth and fire her for not being sanitary. I mean what's sanitary about popping gum every five seconds! I sound like my father.
Kaci shook her head, "Ma'am?"
The ward nurse looked at her, she had green eyes and straight black hair that went to the middle of her back. Her skin was flawless and pale in perfect contrast to her black hair, "Oh you're the new nurse, Fair isn't it? Well you're on time I'll give you that. Your shift is," she flipped through a file on the desk she had walked over to, "You have the 8:oo a.m. to 3:00 p.m. shift Mondays through Fridays. And here is where you'll be working." The woman walked briskly to her right and Kaci cringed as Angela waggled her fingers as they passed.
"I'm Nurse Mackenzie Bishop, you can report to me instead of Angela every day."
"Thanks," Kaci said. She really didn't want to work with Angela even for a few minutes.
"Oh here," Mackenzie looped a spare stethoscope around Kaci's neck, "I think you'll find that we're pretty informal around here, and most of the injuries we get are mild, but the more serious ones won't come to your wing. You have this wing here." Kaci was faced with a small corridor with twelve doors six on either side. A nurse's station was on the right a few feet away from her.
"Nurse Lou Anne Paget is scheduled to come in in an hour, and she'll work the ward with you. There are patient's files outside the doors, and corpsmen are always walking around when you need something from the dispensary."
"Corpsmen, ma'am?" Kaci asked.
"Call me, Mackenzie, Kari, and actually their just cadets that the Shinra HQ has sent over here that can't fight." I really hope of them recognize me, but a cadet can disappear, right? "I have work to do now, rounds are done every hour and a half unless the schedule says otherwise, and the computer will alert you when a patient had medicine due. You can figure out the computer or you can have Lou Anne help you when she gets here." With the Mackenzie was gone.
Kaci went over to the computer and fiddled around with a few files looking through what she would probably need. Kaci left the computer and went to the first patient's door, after she familiarized herself with the file, Kaci entered the room. A young woman lay there, looking absolutely pitiful, "Hello, I'm the new nurse, Kari. How are you feeling Miss Andrews?" Kaci asked in a hushed tone.
"Better than yesterday, your new you said?"
"That's right, ma'am." Kaci checked the IV drip and monitor; it was all working, good. Kaci swiftly refilled the IV drip with the extra bag lying in the tub on the cart near the wall.
"Nurse, would you mind opening the curtain a little?"
Kaci nodded and opened the curtain, "Excuse me, Miss Andrews."
Kaci checked on the other patients, taking vital signs and chatting a little with the few who were a wake. The few that she really took notice of was a crotchety old man, Mr. Harris, Miss Andrews, and a little boy, Tracy, who was in for an infected leg.
Kaci spent another half an hour checking off stuff on the computer until a petite dirty blonde came into the wing, "Oh hi!" she had a chipper high voice that Kaci found refreshing. "You must be Kari Fair, I'm Lou Anne," Lou Anne shook Kaci's hand before going through the computer.
"You do pretty good work for being new, if you don't mind I'll go over the patients again, alright?" Kaci found herself smiling at the question, Lou Anne really was sweet.
"Go right ahead."
The rest of the day went by without any problems. If Lou Anne was suspicious of Kaci not being a nurse, she hadn't said or done anything out of the ordinary. "Come on, Kari, let's go get lunch. I think Sara has the lunch duty time today." Kaci nodded and followed Lou Anne to the cafeteria.
"So do you have anyone you're seeing?" Lou Anne leaned over and looked expectantly at Kaci.
"Yes I do actually, my fiancé, and if you don't mind I'll go sit with him, the minute I find him," Kaci scanned over the sea of heads looking for that familiar head of silver hair.
Lou Anne nodded and went off to it at the "nurses table." Kaci spotted her "fiancé" and went to sit across from him. "How's everything going with you? No new terminal illnesses?" he asked when she sat down. He also received a swift kick in the shin, "I'm kidding, Kari. Have you seen Pierce, yet?"
"Nope, I've been taking care of my patients," Kaci found herself eating a little less than she normally did, but then again she worked up more of an appetite when she was training, other than sitting at a computer and filling our patient's files.
It was at that moment that Kaci's phone decided to ring. "Kace- Hello?" she corrected herself.
"Well, if it isn't out little nurse? What's it like being engaged to the general?" Kaci blushed a shade of red at hearing what the red head said.
"Gen, you know better to call me when I'm working on a mission!" she yell- whispered.
"Keep it down." Kaci waved a dismissive hand to Sephiroth.
"Honestly, Kaci, you ought to know better than to say my name," she suppressed a growl, "Fine when does your shift end? I'll call you then."
"At three, now I'm turning my phone off," she clapped the phone shut and turned it off.
"I haven't seen Pierce, either. I wonder if he's even here today," Sephiroth mused
"I'm sure he is, just give it time. And he might not even come in today."
"Kari, you don't have to go into detail."
"Vin-, I can't all you that, I'm sorry."
Sephiroth ignored her, "Well I have to get going, Kari" He stood up and placed a kiss on her cheek, "I get off at four."
A/N: Review? I miss them. The idea for Rufus' character was actually something I got from reading an ElenaxRufus story, called Flux by Violet-S-Veil. I loved it, and as I read more, I decided what if he had a daughter, and of course she would be in Shinra, yadda yadda yadda. Thus Kaci was born! (And I tweaked his character, just to play with it) I made up the fact of her mother divorced, just so our heroine isn't too perfect, and to give her a lot of mental issues, more or less. (That sounded bad, didn't it?) Well, I'll get my foot out of my mouth, and thank you for being so faithful to this story.