A/N: Hello again! I know there has been a major slowdown on all my updates, and I apologize for that. I have had long hours at work and the worst case of writer's block I have ever had, but this one invaded and demanded to be written. Hopefully, that means my dry spell is on the way out. For now, I hope you enjoy this. Please let me know what you think so far. Thanks for reading and cheers!

Chapter 1

It was cold and dark, with the distant sounds of the city barely audible in the background. Senna Rhodes wrapped her arms around herself as she tried to get her fuzzy thoughts to make sense. The best she could do at first was wonder if she had forgotten to turn the heat on before she went to bed. The forecast had predicted a drastic drop in temperature.

That thought was followed by another wondering if her pipes would freeze, but the idea got lost when the darkness around her began to fade enough for her to see that she was standing on top of some sort of highrise. She wasn't sure what city she was supposed to be in, but the lights blinked endlessly below her.

She swallowed thickly as she stepped back from the ledge. It was then that she heard voices shouting nearby. There was no telling where she was, and the only way to know would be to ask. Even if the sounds the others were making were less than hospitable.

The sounds were coming from the other side of the curved walkway she was standing on, so she followed them around. When she rounded the last bit, she froze and blinked in confusion as an odd group of people were rushing in the opposite direction. Only two men were left, and it did not take her long to realize she recognized them both. It was then that she realized she must be dreaming. That didn't mean her pipes weren't still in danger, but at least she knew she wasn't.

Senna strode to the edge of the helipad with a smirk. Neither Cloud nor Rufus had noticed her presence yet, but she was content to see how things would play out for the moment. At least she knew how things were supposed to go, but dreams rarely made that much sense. However, it didn't take her long to realize something was going on.

Cloud was still glaring at Rufus and declaring his intent to take the youngest Shinra down, but Rufus did not seem to be listening. Instead, the young now-president was looking around with a slight furrow between his brows. His gaze finally flitted to where Senna was standing, and one finely arched brow rose in surprise, but that was the only indication of any emotion.

When that was all that happened, Senna decided to take matters into her own hands. It was her dream, after all. She confidently strode forward and stopped square in between the two men. She completely ignored the fact that she was still wearing her satin PJs as she looked first at Cloud and then at Rufus before she said, "I get why things came to this, but don't you think there is a better way?"

She then faced Cloud and said, "I know he's a Shinra, but do we have to jump to violence? Maybe try to negotiate first? He isn't irredeemable."

Cloud did not seem to even acknowledge her presence, much less agree to put the sword away. At least he didn't seem to be rushing to attack either. Senna made a frustrated noise before she turned back toward Rufus. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw that he was right behind her.

The young Shinra gave her an evaluating look as he started to circle her and said, "Who are you? And what exactly do you believe I should be redeemed from?"

Senna rolled her eyes as she said, "Please. We both know that your goal to rule with an iron fist is just your way of proving you are better than your father, but that doesn't make it right."

Rufus seemed utterly nonplussed by her answer. If anything, he looked amused. He finally stopped with a smirk as he said, "Wouldn't that necessitate removing my father from power first?"

She gave him a confused look but had no time to figure out what he meant. Her attention was snagged by movement. Her eyes widened when she saw Cloud had finally moved, and the Buster Sword was headed toward Rufus's head at high speed. She could have called out, but her instincts had her tackling Rufus out of the way instead.

Senna was reeling with adrenaline, but Rufus did not seem perturbed. His smirk was still firmly in place as he said, "That reaction was quite unexpected."

It took a half-second longer for Senna to regain control of her breathing. She scowled down at the man and worked to disentangle herself as she said, "I guess I'll take that as thanks."

Instead of waiting for a response, she immediately turned to face Cloud with a frown. She was practically yelling as she said, "What part of hold on did you not understand. I'm not with Shinra. I'm playing mediator here, so the least you could do is hear me out. I could have been hit too, you know?"

There was no indication that Cloud heard her at all. He was still glaring over her shoulder to where Rufus was finally back on his feet. She was startled once again when she heard Rufus's voice next to her ear as he whispered, "He doesn't seem to be interested in negotiating. Perhaps it would be best if you stepped aside."

She looked over her shoulder with a glare as she said, "He's not that bloodthirsty. I just need to prove that I'm not only advocating for you. If this is my dream, then I should damn well be able to make you both see reason."

One of Rufus's brows rose as he chuckled. "Your dream?"

However, that was all he was able to get out. Senna nearly screamed when he grabbed her almost before he was done speaking and pulled her close as he jumped back several feet. The maneuver left her feeling nauseous, so it took her a moment to find her voice. "What the hell—"

The sound of the Buster Sword hitting the metal behind her cut her off before she could finish. Her breath froze in her lungs as she realized what it must have meant. It was only confirmed when Rufus said, "It would seem my debt is repaid already." He then paused, and his eyes turned cold as he looked over her shoulder and continued, "Now, what to do about our persistent guest?"

Senna felt instant dread at the promise of violence she could see in the man's eyes. That feeling was immediately followed by a quick burst of anger. What was the point of knowing she was dreaming if she couldn't affect anything? Most of the time, she would force herself awake if all else failed, but so far, it didn't feel like she could, and that only made her angrier.

Somehow, she managed to push away from Rufus and gained enough ground to see both men again. She tried not to glare as she looked at Rufus and said, "Thank you for saving me, but this fight shouldn't happen. The world is about to be swallowed by hell, and the two of you need to learn to look past your differences. A lot of people could be saved if you weren't so greedy and prideful."

For a split second, the expression on Rufus's face turned surprised and almost dour, but his smirk was back quickly. "And here I thought you were an ally. You did save me from a rouge Soldier, after all."

Senna made an exasperated noise as she shook her head. "I said I was a mediator." She then chose to ignore the young Shinra and turned back to where Cloud was still glaring at the other man. Her voice was nearly pleading as she said, "I get why you are angry at Shinra. Probably more than you do right now, but that is no reason to act without considering the consequences."

If she had anything else to say, it was cut off when Cloud lunged again. Rufus managed to dodge several times in succession, thankfully. Senna briefly wondered where his shotgun was, as he currently appeared unarmed, but she didn't dwell on it. Instead, she jumped at the opportunity when the men faced off once again.

Cloud was standing near the edge of the platform, and Senna had the sudden feeling that they were running out of time. When he lifted the sword for one more attack, she threw her doubt to the wind and ran to tackle the ex-Shinra employee. If he refused to listen to words, then she would use actions. It wasn't her brightest idea, but the sword was pointed away from her, so maybe she had a chance.

However, all her worry about what Cloud might do when she grabbed him flew out of her mind as she passed right through him. The lack of any tangible thing along with her momentum had her completely off-balance. There was no way for her to correct herself before she hit the edge of the platform and tumbled off. She scrambled for any handhold, but it unexpectedly felt as though everything was made of mist. Nothing connected, and she finally screamed along with the wind as it rushed past her.

Senna gasped for air as her eyes flew open. For just a moment, the blackness of the room around her made her nearly panic until she realized there was no sound of the screaming wind. Not only that, but she was lying on something soft and warm. A gusty sigh was pulled from her before she rolled over and buried her face in the pillow. Even though no one was near to hear it, her voice was muffled as she said, "God, I hate falling in dreams."

Several seconds passed before she rolled back over and sat up. It took a few seconds of fumbling before she managed to get the lamp next to her bed turned on. The brightness made her cringe for a moment, but it wasn't long before she grabbed her phone to see what time it was. Another sigh left her when the lock screen showed 03:37.

That was just great. Her heart was still pounding, and there was no way she was going to be able to get back to sleep before five. Plus, she had to be in the office early to prep for her first ride-along. Or at least that was what they were calling it. Even if she wasn't doing much more than taking care of the paperwork, it could be a big break for her if things went smoothly.

She leaned her head back against the wall for a few moments as she debated whether to try and sleep again or not. It was an easy choice. She swallowed a groan as she threw the covers back and stood to stretch. She made a mental note to make extra coffee as she turned on some music and stepped into the shower. It would be a long morning, but maybe she could go in a little earlier than planned. It couldn't hurt to be extra prepared.

The caffeine was still buzzing through Senna's veins, which she was grateful for. The nine-a.m. case was going to start in thirty minutes, and she was going to need every ounce of her attention to make sure she didn't miss anything. She had already checked her notes thoroughly, and she was sure they would have no problem proving the client's argument, but she was still distracted.

She had her nose buried in the notes as she walked and nearly ran into the side of the doorway. She looked up just in time to prevent the collision, but that didn't keep her coworker from saying something. "All right, Senna, what gives? This is your big chance, and you are acting like your head is in the clouds. Don't tell me you're nervous?"

Senna made a disgusted noise as she tossed the folder on her desk. She then rubbed one temple as she frowned and said, "No, of course not. Well, maybe."

She then sighed and leaned against her desk as she gave the other woman a tired smile. "I had a shitty night and was up before four. You know I have vivid dreams, but that nightmare was something else. Being strung out on caffeine isn't helping."

Natasha, the other new legal aide that shared Senna's office, gave her a commiserating look. "Yikes. I feel you there, but you can't let it stop you. You know, the rest of the newbies all wondered how you got the spot. If it wasn't for the fact that we all know Ms. Kartch loves the D, we might have questioned you getting a case study before the rest of us."

Senna immediately groaned and covered her eyes with one hand as though the action could block out the memories. "Please, don't remind me. I am the one that found that out the hard way, remember?"

Natasha chuckled darkly as she patted Senna's arm and said, "That's what you get for working late when you don't have to."

Senna looked over with a glare, but before she could get out a reprimand, the other woman grinned and continued, "And now you are too worried about finding mind bleach to be anxious about the case. You're welcome."

Senna snapped her jaw shut as she debated. On one hand, the woman was right. However, that was a memory Senna would have preferred to never get mentioned again. Finally, she let out a weak chuckle and grabbed the notes again. "I won't thank you, but I'm glad I talked to you."

She then paused in the doorway and held up the notes as she continued. "I'll try not to worry about that dream being an omen. Wish me luck."

Natasha rolled her eyes and made a shooing motion as she said, "Like you need it. Plus, dreams are better left in the bedroom. What I will wish for you is to find someone that will make sure you are too tired at night to have nightmares."

There was a choking noise as Senna tried not to laugh out loud. It wasn't the first time one of her coworkers had mentioned her lack of a significant other, but only Natasha focused on that part. Instead of commenting, Senna shook her head and closed the door behind her as she headed to the courtroom. She let Natasha's comments and all her worries fade into the background as she made her way to the lead lawyer's side. There was no time for any of it, and she had a client to help represent.

Rufus was on his way to a meeting with his father and the rest of the directors. He was still not allowed to participate, as his position as vice-president had not been made official yet. Nor did it seem as though his father wanted to make that announcement any time soon. Although Rufus objected to the delay, he already had other plans brewing. He could bide his time for the foreseeable future. At least he was allowed to observe.

If only his plans were the only thing to have him distracted. He had made it to the executive elevators, and as soon as the doors were closed, the Turk that had been following him like a shadow finally said, "Sir, pardon me if this seems inappropriate, but is there something bothering you? You have been rather pensive and quiet all day."

Yes, there was something that bothered him, but he wasn't about to share that. Not even with Tseng. He made a barely discernable negating gesture as he said, "No more than usual. I'm sure my father's meeting will be all the cure I need for boredom."

Tseng did not look convinced, and Rufus was partially glad to see it. It meant the man was doing his job correctly. Still, he was not saddened that the only response was a nod. The rest of the trip up to the 65th floor was quiet.

Unfortunately, the combination of the silence and Tseng's question once again reminded Rufus why he was unsettled. He dreamt the same as anyone, yet the one that had woken him in the early hours of the morning had been unlike anything he had experienced before. Yes, he knew he was dreaming, but things had seemed too real.

He recognized the helipad outside his father's office, even if there were minute differences. He had even identified the sword the scrawny blonde had been wielding. Why it was that stranger instead of Commander Hewley was another question altogether, but not what had his mind occupied. No, that spot went entirely to the odd raven-haired woman that had also been there.

She had almost seemed like she was not part of the dream. Something about her felt far too solid for something as ephemeral as that. Plus, the way she talked to him was unusual. He would never admit it aloud, but his dreams often catered to his fantasies. If any involved women, those were no exceptions. While the stranger did suit his tastes, her continued lack of respect was not at all his usual fare. Although, that did beg the question as to why she had saved him and more than once tried to convince the stranger that he was 'not irredeemable,' as she put it.

He had never before believed that dreams had meaning but still could not set aside how odd his last one was. Not to mention that he woke uncomfortably close to being upset after watching the strange woman fall from the building. Why had he even cared that minuscule amount? It made no sense.

The dinging of the elevator doors as they opened drew him from his contemplation. He fought a frown as he realized how distracted he had been. Now was not the time to go soft. It was nothing more than a strange dream that would be forgotten before the next time he slept. For now, he had better things to focus on—like garnering as much intel as possible on Shinra military to use as a bargaining chip in the days to come.

He still had not had his first meeting with Avalanche, but it was only a matter of time. A slight smirk worked its way onto his lips as he thought of deposing his father. No, there was no time for worry about anything but the goals he had already set in motion.