Don't Play With Fire (Turks FFVII)

XXXII) Mine

"What is that?"

"Sapphire Weapon. It attacked Junon while Tifa and Barret where supposed to be executed. You didn't see it from the ship?"

"I was in the belly of the beast. There are more Weapons, aren't there?"

"Yes."

"How are we going to stop them?" I sigh, shaking my head. "Especially with Cloud the way he is now."

"We'll be alright. Cid has it under control."

"You're three people short." I straighten, crossing my arms. "You'd better think of some other way to help them. And quick—I'm not supposed to be here."

"I'll figure it out." Reeve tugs at his beard, looking up at me. "Why don't you go home? It's getting late."

"Okay." I start toward his door, though I stop after a few steps. "Are you going home, too?"

"In a few minutes, yes."

"Okay."

"May I ask why you're concerned?"

"Just wanted to make sure you're not killing yourself," I tease, opening his office door. "Goodnight, Reeve."

"Goodnight."

I close the door behind me softly, hurrying away from his door. The hallways are dark and bland, empty. Silent. A voice rips a startled gasp from my throat.

"I was about to call you."

"Gods, Ru—Sir." I press a hand to my heart, feeling it pound against my ribs as I turn to face him. "You scared me."

"Pay more attention to your surroundings." Rufus eyes me coldly, tugging at his gloves. "Come to my office."

Oh crap. He didn't skip the email, did he? Makes me wonder what Marx put in the subject line. Something like "Urgent News: your dumb employee is causing problems for you again" maybe. I can see it. The walk is stuffed with silence, threatening to burst by the time the door closes behind me. Rufus heads all the way up to his enormous desk but he doesn't sit. Instead, he types something into his computer and clicks around while he waits for me to stand before him. Finally, he straightens, hands clasped behind his back and sharp eyes looking me up and down.

"How are you feeling?"

"What?" I frown, taken off guard.

He raises an eyebrow. "I heard you've been sick."

"Oh, um, yeah. I'm fine."

"Good." Rufus takes a deep breath, turning to stare at the towering windows that reflect the office right back at us. There's no looking outside. It's a cage of mirrors where I can see us from all angles. It's suffocating.

"What did you need me for?"

"I wanted to..." His voice trails off and he shakes his head. "No, I'm not beating around the bush."

"Sorry?"

He brushes a paper aside, watching it move with his eyes narrowed. "Kat, do you know how many illegitimate children my father had?"

"N-no?" I stammer, confused. So he does know. "I'm sorry, sir, I—"

"Two. Both sons." He shakes his falling hair out of his eyes and looks up at me. "Perhaps you remember Director Lazard."

"The director of SOLDIER?"

"Yes. His mother was a slum woman." Rufus puffs out a dry laugh and hangs his head. "And Evan... He was the secretary's."