Chapter 58. (Un)expected.

Elie's POV.

"You're discharged."

I woke up abruptly, and turned to see who it was. A common look, but someone I didn't know the name. Probably she was a nurse or someone from the lab. Honestly, I didn't recognize her face.

"What?" I asked, a little confused. I felt sleepy, and wondered what time it was. She smiled softly before speaking again.

"Dr. Medina asked me to tell you that you can go home." She declared. "That's what I meant before."

I blinked, feeling I was actually day-dreaming.

"Really? Did he say that?"

The woman with the lab suit in front of me nodded. I was about to speak again but, before I could say something, she intervened.

"I have a bag with some of your own things here. Dr. Medina was kind enough to get these for you."

Her statement silenced me completely. I knew that bag. It had been the bag I had travelled with when I went to Nibelheim with the General; that specific bag. And then I recalled that bag supposedly would be in my previous 'so-called' apartment.

I took a deep breath and considered very well what to say next. Something was just… not right here. First of all, why wasn't he here? Why would John send someone to discharge me and not do it himself, in person?

I sat on the bed, feeling a little sore. Thank God I had put something on after… well, after last night's activities with Sephiroth. It had been… wild, in lack of a better word.

"Is John here? I would like to talk to him, please." I asked, as I grabbed the bag and rested it on the bed.

She made a face.

"He's absent. Took some days off."

What? John, taking days off? For moments I wasn't sure we were talking about the same person. John taking days off work was as awkward as finding Reno knitting. Highly unlikely.

"That's odd." I whispered, a little lost of words.

I sensed the woman move and stared at here.

"Well, I'll be going." She declared, always polite. "Before leaving, please meet me in room 409 so we can check you out properly."

I raised my eyebrows at her.

"Check me out properly?"

She snorted.

"Protocol. Check some vitals, blood test and Mako dosing."

I nodded at her, and she excused herself, leaving me alone with my duffel bag and very startled frown on my face.

For moments, I wondered if the same was happening with Sephiroth.

-/-

I unpacked slowly, astonished with the detail of the clothing inside the bag. I sighed as I realized John had been the one packing stuff for me to go home today. And that… made me feel a little nauseated, to be honest. From the lingerie to the pants, to the shirt and coat… everything had been carefully thought out. And I had no idea if that was good or bad. It just felt… wrong. I didn't know why, but it did.

I rushed to the bathroom, trying to figure out what to do to my hair. The waves I had previously were almost absent; my hair was shorter, barely touching my shoulders and it felt… strange, albeit the fiber felt really strong.

'Another side effect of Mako.', I concluded, as I tried to give it a decent look. I felt okay and somehow revigorated but there was something bothering me. I took a deep breath and looked at myself at the mirror again. So, here I was, ready to find out what on Earth was going on… and what would happen from here on.

With my duffel bag in my left hand, wearing a very Turk-ish suit, I exited the room. The eyes of two orderlies – I supposed they were orderlies – made me a sign to follow them. The route to room 409 was long and somehow labyrinthical, and I was super aware of everything, everyone around me. Definitely this was no ordinary hospital – this was something more than that, maybe even a base. To what goals… I wasn't the right person to guess that, but I had my suspicions.

Testing. But of course.

"Get inside, please."

The voice of someone right beside me made me gulp, at the indifference it broadcasted. It was like I was some item that should be handled according to… whatever standards these people had. I got inside and heard the door close behind me. The female face that had woken me up was there, entertained with tubes, needles and cotton little balls, her eyes meeting mine and offering me a mild smile.

"Very elegant." She said, and my answer couldn't be colder.

"Thank you."

She caught my mood and the sample of smile vanished, as she put some blue gloves on.

"You can seat here. I'll draw you some blood, then check your vitals as I told you before." She declared. How strangely neutral this woman was. The duffel bag rested in a corner and I did as she said: I sat, raised the sleeve of my shirt and there my arm was, exposed to her needles and tubes.

My eyes laid on the tray with someone's blood samples – most likely Sephiroth's. I took a deep breath, as curiosity and a very intense desire to see him invaded me. I missed him terribly, and after last night… I felt I was absolutely dependent on him.

"Are those from the General?" I dared to ask, my eyes shifting from the tray to her eyes – cold, blue. I sensed how she put a little cotton ball pressing on my vein as the removed the needle. She was clearly considering what to answer me.

"They are. Apply some pressure as I code your tubes properly, please."

I didn't answer or say a word more, I simply did what she said. In silence, she then put a fast-aid in the pinched area and checked my blood pressure, oximetry, temperature, taking her time to write everything down in some charts next to the samples' tray.

"Can I go?" I asked, bothered with such silence. She smirked as she heard my words.

"Do you know the way out?"

I gulped dry. She was right. I had no idea how to leave this place.

"I didn't think so." She said, and I didn't miss the sarcasm. Really, what was wrong with her? "Wait up, someone will take you to the exits. Let me check which one."

She handed the phone on the wall and dialed three numbers. I could hear the waiting ring, until finally someone answered.

"Boss, to which exit should she be taken to?"

The person answering her didn't say much, and she hummed before the next question.

"And the escort? Two or just one will do?"

I couldn't feel more constricted under the stare of that woman, as I heard a male voice screamed 'Two, you idiot. Obviously you're oblivious to the value of Eleanor Stevens!'

The woman gulped and blushed, before dismissing the call.

"Very well."

The uncomfortable silence returned again but thankfully, she guided me to the door, and when it opened, someone was already expecting me. Two men I knew already.

My mouth opened in awe. And joy.

"Reno!" I said, and the reaction was immediate. That genuine smile, that red hair, so red it made my eyes hurt, involved me in a hug. I could feel the gratification of the man that held me in that moment.

"I missed you, Stevens." He said, right next to my ear, and I smiled. When the hug finally ended, our stares met and I couldn't help but to speak my heart to him:

"I thought I would never see you again. I… "

"You made me feel like a sentimental idiot since you've been gone." He laughed. "Anyway, I'm glad you're back. This place isn't the same without you, Stevens."

I actually felt touched with Reno's words.

"I have to admit it's true." The other Turk said, and I took my time realizing it was Rude. My eyes searched his, but all I found was his dark glasses. As usual. "Your absence was noted at all levels, Miss Stevens."

I smiled and shook my head.

"Thank you, Rude."

He nodded, and I turned to face Reno again, who already had my duffel bag with him.

"Let's go, girl. Time to leave the bunker."

I had to laugh at that. Only Reno would say something like that.

"God, I missed your sarcasm and your inconvenience so much, you crazy red head!"

We talked as they walked me out, through corridors I didn't know.

"You did?" He blinked. "Well you don't imagine what has it been like in here, namely since Rufus is in charge."

I made a face.

"Come on, he cannot be that bad."

Reno took a deep breath before answering me, his eyes first on Rude, then on me. As if he was considering what to say next.

"I wouldn't put it that way. The man isn't bad per se, but… clearly he can't match his father and he knows it, we all know it and it basically sucks."

"He'll get the hang of it." I declared. "I told that to the General, once. You have to give him time, to adjust. Being competent at managing a company of this magnitude is not remotely easy."

"You're right, well…" Reno hesitated. "Maybe it's just that… we need to give the man time."

We reached an elevator door and Rude pushed the button. Neon blue circled the metallic button and I wondered where on the Planet would I be. Or, to be exact, how many feet under would I be.

"So, how many floors until we reached the surface?" I asked, with a naughty smile. But I had no luck.

"I'm not allowed to answer that. And Rude's neither." Reno smirked.

I widened my eyes at his answer, not believing what he was saying.

"Come on, Reno." I said, rolling my eyes. But he didn't say a thing. He just stood there, serious as ever. "You've got to be kidding me."

I was about to protest a bit more, when the elevator door opened. We got inside and I saw Rude push a couple of buttons. Sadly, they didn't have numbers. Or letters. They were blank.

I made a face, a little annoyed.

"Okay." I whispered, and in silence we made our travel up. It took us a minute, give or take, to reach the surface, which meant I had been seriously in the underground.

When I exited the elevator, I recognized the area. This was the building where John had had his first lab – the Science Division, as I knew it from my first time here. The halls, the granite floor, the receptionist behind the balcony and the doors a little bit ahead by the left. Oh, the doors that led outside.

I could see the sky, blue; the light, so comforting. We walked slowly through those aisles, as I contemplated with some nostalgia all the details around me. It felt I was living a dream, something so vivid I couldn't tell if it was real or not.

"Your ride is here." Reno interrupted me, and I turned to eye him, making a face.

"What do you mean, my ride? I thought you were my ride."

Reno smiled as he re-positioned my duffel bag.

"Oh, no… this ride in particular made it very clear to be your ride."

At first I couldn't quite grasp what on the Planet he meant with that but, as we exited the building, I understood what he had said.

Sephiroth stood, right next to the doors, just like I had ever known him. Dressed in black, his green eyes meeting mine with absolutely no rush at all. He took his time staring at me, and for a moment, something flowed between us: a mix of surprise, wanton, all of it with an intensity only I could feel. My heartbeat peaked in that moment and I took a deep breath, smiling mildly. I didn't know what to say.

All I felt was he was here for me. I just knew.

"And here it is. Our stop." Reno said, interrupting the silence. I eyed Reno for a moment, thanking him for bringing me outside. He smiled at me and waved with a nod, greeting the General at well.

"General."

"Reno. Rude." I heard him say, and hearing the slow tone of his voice made me feel goosebumps along my spine. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Reno and Rude went inside the building again and I stared briefly to my duffel bag. I didn't know if I should grab it or not – and in the middle of my hesitation I sensed him move. Sephiroth walked towards me, with an ease that contrasted with my silly nervousness. His eyes scanned me, as if contemplating if I was in once piece, if I was who I was – focused for a moment in my breathing.

"You are as nervous as the first time you saw me." He declared, and I opened my mouth to speak – but nothing came out. "It's not fright… I hope." He smiled faintly, as his left hand touched my left ear. His index finger delineated the form of my ear, traveling slowly across my jaw, chin, stopping there, right below the line of my lower lip.

This thing that he was doing was really driving me crazy. But we were out in the open, wind flowing and people certainly staring at us. It all felt very new to me, because Sephiroth wasn't clearly a man of showing affection in public.

But, before I could think or do, or even consider say something, his left hand grasped my face and angled me up – towards him, our mouths touching. I complied, but couldn't move. My lips remained in contact with his and I had my eyes wide open – in awe. As if totally caught by surprise with… kissing in public? Really? This was so not… normal. I mean, I would never expect him to… do that.

The kiss was quick enough and as our faces took some distance, I saw him raise an eyebrow at me. I had a feeling I stood there like a perfect idiot.

"You look like you've seen a ghost, Stevens." He said, as he took his time to get my duffel bag.

"No, no, it's just…" I really made an effort to sound coherent. But it was very difficult, it really was. "I didn't know you… I mean, wanted to just-"

"You mean, kissing you out here in front of an entire building?" He said, as he slowly walked and I followed, side by side.

I made a face.

"Yes, that. You have to admit it's not…"

He smiled and looked at me. Oh, those eyes.

"It's not normal, right?"

I smiled back.

"I would never expect you'd do something like that. Really."

There was a moment of silence, and by the time we reached the gates that led outside, to the city, he spoke again.

"Get used to unexpected, Stevens."

A/N: There you go, two chapters in a row. I am so very sorry for the lack of updates, but it's been very difficult to combine work and… have time to just end this story properly (the plot is very thought out), as well as my other pending fics such as Dreamchaser, which plot is also designed. Good grief, if only real life could give me a little break! All I can do is promise I will be updating as life allows but yes, I have the intention of ending these two fics. (PORTAL and Dreamchaser).

Anyway, enjoy and see you soon I hope :)