Wake Up

Ngm...

Wha'...?

I... I don't...

Mmm.... My head... what word? What word do I want... hurt. Yeah... that's the word I want... hurt... My head hurts... so much...

Where... Where am I? I...

I. That's... funny. I. I. I, it means... me. But me... who is me? Who am I?

My head hurts again.

"Wake up, my Kitty."

No... go away... stay out of here... this is MINE. Wherever I am, whoever I am... this is mine. Whoever you are, stay out of my place... Go away...

"Kitten, it's time to wake up." The voice was back... Someone's here with me...

No... leave me alone... I like it here...

"Kitten, you can't sleep forever."

Watch me! I'll do whatever I want...

I want to stay here... I want to hide here...

"Kitten. Up. Now." The voice was clipped, reproachfull, annoyed. Angry.

Almost on instinct I opened my eyes to a bright light. I closed them again, then slowly, reopened them, blinking slowly. I looked around me. A person leaned over me. I was on some sort of... table... in a metal room. The person leaning over me had colored hair and dark eyes. His lips moved up in a friendly manner. I didn't understand much. He was covered in dark stuff, his hands were braced on the table.

"That's better, Kitten. Now, what's your name?"

Name...

"What's a name?" I asked quickly. I froze, eyes wide in wonder and bewilderment. My voice was... different from his. It was soft... sweet... He made a funny, happy sound.

"Hah. That is something I've never heard before. A name is what others call you by. Your title. My name is Rufus Shin-Ra."

"Rufus?" I repeated. He bobbed his head. "Rufus Shin-ra. Rufus Shin-Ra. Shin-Ra Rufus. Your name is Rufus Shin-Ra?" His lips moved up again, and he bobbed his head again.

"Good. Very good." His tone was gentle. I liked it. I moved my lips up like he had. "Now, can you tell me your name?"

"Is... is it Kitten?" His lips twitched up. He was doing that a lot.

"I guess it is."

"What's that?" I asked, pointing towards his face. His forehead got lines in it, and he pursued his lips.

"What's what?"

"When your lips move up. You do it alot. What is it? Is it... good?" I asked hurredly, in a stream of questions. He made that happy-funny noise again.

"It's called a smile. It's good. It means someone's happy." I smiled. I had made him happy. It was a funny feeling, it made me happy that I had made him happy. I was... proud.

"Now, can you sit up?" He asked, moving out of my way. I bit my lip, moving my arms carefully. They stung painfully, but it was dull. I winced, but I ignored it. I moved to sit up, Rufus helping me as I did so.

"Good, good." He smiled again. I returned the gesture. "Can you stand?" I scrunched up my forehead with lines like he had earlier and, once again with his help, moved my legs to hang over the edge of the metal table. I looked at my bare feet, then to the black stuff covering his, before I asked another question.

"What is on your feet?" I asked. He sighed, rubbing his forehead, but smiled.

"Hojo said you would be like this. Like a new kitten." He made the happy-funny noise before continuing. "They're my shoes. I wear them so that I don't hurt my feet while walking or running." I bobbed my head in confirmation, and moved to get off the table. It was like a short, fall. It was... scary. It was also strange. I landed on my feet, the jolt going through my body from the impact wasn't felt. I stood easily, my muscles prepared to run. I relaxed them, and stood casually. Comfortably.

"Good. Can you walk around to me?"

And so the tests continued.

Cloud lay in the church, the necklace fondled between his fingers. It had been the necklace she had been given by Zack. He didn't even dare think her name. It still hurt. He didn't even bother to wonder when it wouldn't hurt. It felt like it would hurt forever. The necklace was wrapped around his neck, he hadn't taken it off for a long time now. He did bother to wonder, as he stared down at the fog-cloaked city of Edge, why he kept it on. A constant reminder. Maybe the pain would stop if it wasn't always there. But he wanted to keep it as a reminder. He had made a mistake. He knew she had been hurting. He hadn't done anything about it. She had changed so much...

And now she was gone.

"Tseng, this is Rufus."

"Boss."

"I'm calling about your new trainee. Her basic training beneath the SOLDIER will be done in two weeks. Are the preperations taken care of?"

"Yeah."

"We've changed her name for security reasons. She calls herself Kitten now."

"Kitten?"

"Do you have a problem with that?"

"Of course not."

"Good."

"Everything's been taken care of. Her new housing will be ready within the next week."

"I assume you have arranged for one of the other Turk to be living with her?"

"Yeah. Rude will."

"Why not Reno? Rude seems a bit... silent for her. Cold."

"Reno would sexually assault her."

"You have a point, a very good point. What about her clothing? Supplies?"

"Taken care of. Her guns are ready, but we need the measurements for her holsters."

"I'll send them to you via email. I'll come introduce her the day before her first day, all right?"

"Of course."

"Good bye, Tseng. Have a good day."

"Right, Shin-Ra. You too."

I walked behind Rufus, my hands clasped behind my back, trying to hide my nervousness. I had met so many new people lately, but this was different. They were just in passing, people to help me reacquaint myself with my past skills that I had forgotten, the instincts that were now natural, my new abilities. This man was going to be my boss.

"Are you afraid, Kitten?"

"No, Rufus."

"Nervous, then?"

I knew better than to lie to him.

"Slightly, Rufus."

He laughed. He had taught me that word, actually. I still thought of it as a happy-funny noise, but laugh was easier to say.

"You are a piece of work, Kitten," he said, ruffling my hair. I grinned up at him. That gesture was a sign of praise. I had done something he liked.

"Thank you, Rufus." He laughed harder. I looked up at him in confusion. I wasn't quite sure what he had said, but it had been a praise of somesort. He just smiled.

"We're here." I nodded, and watched nervously as he knocked on the door.

"Tseng," Rufus said.

"Come in," a muffled voice replied. Rufus laid his hand on my back, leading me inside as he opened the door.

"Kitten, this is your superior, Tseng. Tseng, this is Kitten." I bowed deeply, as I thought it necessary to be polite. Rufus laughed slightly, as I had learned it was called. Though, personally, happy-funny noise suits it better, but laugh is shorter.

"Kitten? Tell me, Kitten, why pick that name?" Tseng asked, smiling. I blushed and lowered my head. I didn't want to speak. Rufus watched me carefully.

"It... It was... um... Rufus?" I looked up at him helplessly. I didn't know how to phrase it.

"It was given to you," he said.

"Given?"

"Given, to give. Like a gift. Or, if I placed something in your hand, and you kept it, it was given to you." Tseng watched him as he carefully explained it to me. I flushed darker.

"It was... given to me," I said, in deep embarassment, to Tseng. He nodded.

"I had no idea." He said, his tone funny. He was... amused.

"So, shall I show her around the Turks' wing of the building, and then get her situated at her home?"

Rufus nodded and left.

"Come along now, kitten."

"Rude, this is Kitten."

"Dood, she's a Turk?! She's hott!" Reno exclaimed. I looked up at him in confusion.

"No... I'm cold. It is... uh... Tseng?"

"Windy. And that's not what he meant." I nodded as if I had understood, then looked to Reno, Rude, then back at Tseng.

"So... what did he mean?" I asked innocently. Reno gave me a funny look before laughing.

"How old is she, Tseng?! Seriously!!" He laughed. I looked over at him.

"Rufus said... I am twenty-one and twenty-five." They all gave me confused looks. "What?" I asked, feeling nervous. We were all standing in the living room of my new home, an apartment. Reno was reclining in one of the seats, a can in his hand as he watched me. Rude stood, leaning in the doorway, watching me as well. I was sitting on the couch akwardly, and Tseng reclined against the kitchen counter that divided the two rooms.

"How can you have two ages?" Rude asked.

"Is it not good?"

"Normal. Not normal," Tseng corrected. "And no. It isn't normal."

"Why?" They all traded looks. Rude spoke up.

"I'll explain it later." I nodded, smiling nervously.

"So... about that explanation of hott..." Tseng gave Reno a look and he swiftly shut up.

"Rude, I have a meeting, Reno, you have a mission-"

"But-"

"-and we both need to go. Get Kitten situated, and show her how to use her holsters, and lay down the ground rules, all right?" Rude nodded, and as Reno protested, Tseng dragged him out by the collar, shutting the door behind him. I relaxed slightly, but was still tense.

"Are you hungry?" Rude asked. I looked up at the man and then quickly looked away. I shrugged. He sighed.

"All right, ground rules... don't go in my bedroom." I nodded. "Do you know how to use the bathroom?" I gave him an annoyed look, before blushing and looking away. I hadn't meant to be rude. I nodded. "All right... knock before you go in the bathroom..." I nodded. "Don't touch any of my things." I nodded. "When you're in your room, shut your door." I nodded. "Don't leave the apartment without my knowing and permission." I nodded. "Do not go home with any males." I gave him a look.

"Why?" He sighed, a heavy, exasperated sound, and rubbed his forehead. "Oh. I'm sorry... I'm just... new to this stuff, I guess."

"I know. I know. Did you lose your memory in an accident or something? Are you one of Hojo's dijjerydoos? Tseng didn't explain." I bit my lip and looked down.

"Rufus said 'you went through some bad stuff and wanted to forget, so you came to me. You becoming a Turk was just part of the deal.' " I recited. Rude nodded.

"Come on. I'll show you what's yours." He lead me into the bathroom and showed me my supplies, then showed me my room which also doubled as a library. Technically, since the closest was as big as a regular room, I would be living in the closet. I shrugged it off. He showed me where all my weapons, holsters and cleaning supplies and clothing were, and where the laundry basket was. He said he would be doing the laundry until he had time to show me how. Then, with a stoic farewell, he went off to his room.

I sighed, falling onto my back onto my bed, my eyes closing in exaughstion as I cuddled my pillow.

"Good morning," a voice said. I opened my eyes quickly to see Rude standing beside my bed. "Pajamas?" he asked simply. I shrugged. I hadn't seen the reason for them. He seemed to suspect that. "Wear them. Your bed will get dirty, and you with it." I nodded. "Get up." I obeyed, him moving out of the way as groggily went to stand. I immediately fell to my knees, staring at the wall across from me. I smiled.

"Pretty..." I mumbled. Rude looked down at me in confusion. He sighed.

"You need to take a shower."

"Yeah... the rain-machine sounds like fun... theres the yellow monsters too...!" I giggled doubling over my knees and falling flat on my face. I whined, before slumping, and staring mindlessly up at a normally-stoic Rude. He looked confused now. For about five minutes I lay in that uncomfortable position, my neck cricking as my head-de-fogged. The minute I realized what was going on, I sat up, and apologized to Rude profusely. He cut me off.

"Shower. Teeth. Hair. Clothing. Food." He ordered, before walking out of the room. I sighed, moving to do my normal morning exercise routine. Twenty pushups, two pull-ups from the clothing bar in the room that had once been a closet, forty situps, forty crunches, then I jogged in place for five minutes. After that, I grabbed the towel on my night-stand and raced off to the bathroom.

Ten minutes later I was calling Rude for help.

"What?" He asked calmly, standing in the doorway. I was in my bra and underwear, and he blushed slightly, but averted his eyes to my hands, which were struggling in an attempt to turn the shower knob.

"Help," I whined. He sighed.

"I take it you can't turn it on?" I blinked, then nodded. I wasn't quite sure what he had said, but it sounded right. He moved past me, turned it on quickly, tested the temperature, walked out of the room, and shut the door behind him. It took me a few seconds to recover, before I was climbing in the shower. After my shower, I brushed my teeth and hair, wrapped my towel around my face, and opened the bathroom door and went into the kitchen.

"Rude what-" I froze when Rude had turned around and dropped something.

He curse softly under his breath.

"No wonder they didn't put you with Reno," he muttered. I cocked my head to the side in confusion.

"Rude, are you all right?" I asked. He nodded, rubbing his forehead in annoyance. I frowned. I had upset him. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" He asked quickly.

"Upsetting you." He waved it off.

"What do you want, Kitten?"

"Uh... I don't know what I have to wear."

"Wear one of the suits." I nodded, and left to change. Once I had changed, I walked back into the kitchen and sat down in a chair. Rude placed a plate in front of me.

"Eat," he said simply. I obeyed. "We need to leave. We're taking my car, and giving Reno a ride, okay?" I nodded, giving him my empty plate. He put it in the sink, before leading me into the hall, locking the door behind us, and banged on our neighbors door. A frazzled Reno stumbled out. Within a few seconds, he had straightened himself out.

"Oh! Rude, my man. Good morning, and where is- there she is, the beautiful little feline," he bowed before me, taking my hand and pressed his lips to it.

"What was that?" I asked as Rude pulled him off.

"What was what?" Both Reno and Rude asked at the same time.

"When he pressed his lips to my hand... what was it?" Reno grinned, he moved to walk beside me as we headed down the apartment hall, and slung his arm over my shoulder, his face close to mine.

"That my dear was a kiss?"

Not bothered or affected in any way by his actions, I replied. "A kiss?"

"A sign of affection or endearment. That was a polite kiss, a more casual kiss would be like-" he moved closer to me, stopping us from walking, pinning me against the wall, and pressed his lips against mine. A milisecond later, Rude had plied Reno off of me, shoving him away.

"Don't," he said simply to Reno. I blinked, touching my hand to my lips.

"A kiss..." I murmured. " I like that." Reno burst out laughing, but Rude cut him short with a threat to tell Tseng. I then asked why it was bad to kiss, since it felt so nice, and I was promptly pushed into a car seat.