Don't Play With Fire (Turks FFVII)

XXI) Good Grief

"Kat?"

"Sorry." I take a deep breath, sick to my stomach. "I just..."

"Did you see something?"

"Yeah." I twist my hands together. "Something pretty disturbing." Gods, is that real? I know it is, though, because I can feel it. Mom's hatred, Tseng's protection, all that blood... it's so familiar.

"What was it?"

"I—" I laugh, still in shock. "I killed a little girl and her father out of jealousy." Rude frowns. "Not what you were looking for?"

"No."

"Me either." My stomach churns and I turn back around, staring up at the ceiling. She didn't want my dad's "messed up genes?" What did she mean by that? "Rude, what was Reno upset about?"

"... You killed his father."

"His what?" I frown. The word doesn't fit with Reno at all. In fact, imagining him with a family is an incredibly foreign image in my mind. He's always been on his own, hasn't he? Apparently not.

"Not by blood," Rude mutters, pulling his shades off his face to wipe off a smudge. "He was left on the front steps of the church in Sector Five in the night and the minister found him the next morning. Took him in as his own."

My heart sinks. "I've never heard this." Guess we were both hiding things from each other.

"The minister was killed when Reno was fourteen."

"And that was my fault?"

"Yeah." He pauses to tug on his gloves. "At least, that's what I heard from Tseng and Reno."

"Why didn't he remember it was me?"

"Tseng said you were covered in blood and soot when you were apprehended. Unrecognizable."

"Why did he tell you and not me?"

"To avoid confusion." Rude slides his glasses back on, hiding his eyes. "But now that you're remembering... I don't see the problem."

I stand, brushing at the wrinkles in my clothes and pressing my lips together. For a moment, we stand in silence as we process the information that was exchanged. Katie... Why can I remember her name but not the rest of the family's? Shaking my head, I look down at Rude.

"I'm gonna go talk to him."

"Be careful."

"Don't have to tell me twice."

Once I leave, though, I decide to give Reno a little more time. He's probably still taking care of that bullet wound. Instead, I head back to Reeve's. No one answers when I knock, so I let myself in. Empty. Frowning, I wander inside, staring up at the diagrams on the walls. Guy's pretty good when it comes to envisioning developments for Midgar. I snort. Of course he is. He's the head of development.

For a moment, I consider calling Tseng to process the whole Katie situation. I want to hear him tell me it's not real. But he's on duty... If he's still inside the Temple, then I won't be able to reach him. Chewing my lip, I turn to Reeve's computer. Well... I won't stay for long.

I sit down quickly, pulling Reeve's headphones on. Only one Cait Sith is on, his eyes directed at an enormous crater in the ground. The Temple? I clear my throat and turn on the mic.

"Hang on, guys." Barret, the enormous gunman, turns to scowl at me. "Tseng was in the Temple. Where'd he go?"

"What, gotta know for your news?" he demands. Tifa sighs, shaking her head.