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The Path to Redemption	By : Nakkinomiko Category: Final Fantasy VII > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 1095 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don’t own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters. SquareEnix does. I make no money from this…I just like to play with them.

Chapter List
- 7
- 8
- 9
Disclaimer: I don’t own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters. SquareEnix does. I make no money from this…I just like to play with them.
A/N: Oh, wow, so Muci pointed out an error that I made in Chapter 6, so I fixed it. I got Penelope and Maggie’s last names confused! Yes, Muci, it is Maggie Winters…Dr. Winterfell is someone else entirely. I’m not sure why I picked two last names that were so similar. :S I wrote this nearly five years ago, so who knows what I was thinking at the time! Thanks so much for catching that. I’ll make sure to check for that little error before posting the other chapters!
Warnings for this chapter…um, really emo Sephiroth and Kadaj…but, I figure they’ve been through hell…they’re allowed. :D
*****
Chapter 8
Maggie released a breath she hadn’t even realized she’d been holding when she saw the black car pull up to the curve. A little part of her hadn’t wanted to believe that Rufus Shinra was really going to help her face down her ex-fiancé, so she was relieved as she watched the car come to a stop. The driver’s side door opened, and Reno emerged, all wild fire-red hair and grins. He winked at her as he slammed the door shut.
“Yo, gorgeous,” he called. “Heard you needed a little muscle this morning.”
“Reno, shut up,” Rude said as he unfolded himself from the front passenger side. He smiled slightly in Maggie’s direction. “Good morning, Maggie.”
Maggie stifled a giggle behind her hand when Reno rolled his eyes and snorted in his partner’s direction.
“No one ever lets me have any fun,” Reno complained dramatically.
“Work isn’t supposed to be fun,” Rufus informed him as he emerged from the back of the car.
“Of course not, sir,” Reno said, rolling his eyes again. He winked at Maggie again, and she smiled back at him. She’d gotten to know both Turks almost as well as Rufus, for more often than not, they were assigned guard duty. She was happy to see them.
“Thanks for coming,” Maggie said.
“As if we wouldn’t,” Reno scoffed. He walked around the car and opened the back passenger side door. “Personally, I want to rough the guy up a little.”
“Reno,” Rufus’s voice held a warning.
“What? You can’t tell me you don’t feel the same!” Reno smiled at the young silver-haired man that emerged from the car. The young man tentatively returned it before he turned his head slightly to meet Maggie’s gaze.
“Hi,” Kadaj said quietly.
“Hello, Kadaj,” Maggie said. She put all the warmth she could into her voice. “Thanks for coming along to help. I know this isn’t exactly fun.”
“It’s okay,” he said. “I . . .I guess this is how I can thank you for being so kind while I was in the hospital.”
“You were there for a whole night,” Maggie said with a laugh. She glanced upward at the tall apartment building and sighed. “I guess we should get this over with.” She went to her car and unlocked the trunk to get at the boxes she’d brought. Reno and Rude gently elbowed her out of the way.
“I’ll be damned if you do anything but pack these boxes,” Reno told her with a soft smile. He took the boxes out of the trunk and slammed it closed. “Let us do the hard work.”
Maggie swallowed hard against the sudden lump she felt in her throat. She was overwhelmed by a sudden rush of gratitude.
“Thanks,” she managed. She blinked against the sting of tears and turned and walked towards the building’s entrance.
They rode the elevator in silence, and when they arrived on the fifth floor, Maggie walked with dread to Daniel’s apartment door. She fished the key from her pocket and unlocked it for the last time. She pushed the door open and walked in, dread making her stomach cramp almost painfully.
“Maggie.”
She froze in the doorway. Daniel was standing in the middle of the living room.
“Daniel,” she managed.
“I knew you’d come back,” he said. His expression was hopeful, and for some reason, that hurt more than finding him in bed with another woman. Did he really think she was that naïve, that she would forgive him?
“Only to pack my things,” she said flatly.
“Maggie, I’m sorry.”
“I don’t care,” she said, and found that she really meant it. She walked into the room further, and Daniel opened his mouth to say something else, but froze when Rufus walked into the apartment behind her.
“Who the hell is that?” Daniel snapped. His expression grew ugly.
“A friend,” Maggie snapped. She set a box on the dining room table and turned to face him. “You didn’t honestly think I’d come back here by myself, did you? I’d actually have to trust you to do that, wouldn’t I? And I don’t trust you, Daniel, not anymore.”
“Not that I blame her, really,” Reno drawled as he walked in behind Rufus.
“Maggie . . .” Daniel started.
“Stop, Daniel,” she said with a sigh. “I’m getting my things and I’m leaving.”
“I won’t let you!” he shouted. “Not until you give me a chance to explain!”
“Explain?” Maggie felt anger wash over her. “What is there to explain, Daniel? You were fucking another woman! Or are you going to try and deny what I saw?”
“I . . .” Daniel snapped his mouth shut and looked away.
“I thought so,” Maggie sneered. “Why don’t you just step aside and let me get this over with?”
“I love you,” Daniel whispered.
“Apparently not enough to be faithful,” Maggie returned. There were tears burning in her eyes again. “I don’t know what it was I did, but you could have talked to me, whatever it was. We might have been able to work through it, but . . . Gods, Daniel! I can’t even look at you right now! In my job I’ve cared for people that have killed others, and they never disgusted me as much as you do right now.”
Anger blossomed in his expression, and he took a violent step towards her.
“I wouldn’t,” a soft, intense voice said.
Daniel froze, and Maggie glanced back to find Kadaj standing just inside the door. His green eyes glowed with Mako energy, and she felt a shiver run down her spine as he gave Daniel a slow, dangerous smile.
“Who the hell are you?”
Kadaj’s smile grew more pronounced. “I’m one of the people she cared for.”
Daniel’s face turned white, and he backed several steps until the couch against his legs forced him to sit.
“Now be a good boy and stay there,” Reno said. His expression had gone cold as he looked at Daniel. “We’ll be out of your hair in moment.”
Maggie moved quickly through the apartment, and less than half an hour later, she had three boxes packed with everything that was hers. Rufus, Reno and Rude each took one and left the apartment without a backward glance, and Kadaj lingered in the doorway, waiting for her.
“Maggie . . .” Daniel started, but Kadaj’s cold, green glare silenced him.
“Goodbye, Daniel,” Maggie murmured.
Kadaj turned and left the apartment, and Maggie followed. She shut the door firmly behind her. She managed to hold it together until she was on the elevator, and then quite suddenly, she was crying. She was dimly aware of all four men uttering quiet curses, and then she felt arms around her shoulders and someone was holding her close as she wept.
“It’s okay,” Kadaj whispered into her ear. “It will be okay, you’ll see.”
Maggie tried to get herself under control, and she pulled away from Kadaj and tried to wipe the tears away. They were quickly replaced by fresh ones, though, and she made a frustrated noise. “Why am I even crying? He cheated on me! I should be happy to be getting away from him, right?”
“It’s never that easy,” Rufus said quietly. “A betrayed trust is a hard thing to swallow.”
“Yes,” Kadaj said softly. “It is.”
Maggie tried to smile, but couldn’t quite manage it. “I’m so sorry I dragged you all over here.”
“I’m not,” Reno said with a snort. “He was going to hit you, Maggie. You realize that, right?”
“Yeah,” Maggie said. More tears welled in her eyes. She hadn’t known Daniel as well as she thought. It scared her to think about what might have happened had they not been there.
The elevator dinged softly and the doors opened to reveal the lobby. Maggie felt Kadaj’s hand underneath her elbow, and she leaned into him, grateful for the support. She wasn’t exactly feeling sure-footed at the moment.
“Give me your keys,” Reno said as they approached the cars. “You’re not driving. You can ride in the car with Rufus. I’ll drive your car back to your house.”
Maggie hesitated.
“Give him the keys,” Rufus urged gently. “We’ll take you back to your home.”
Maggie gave Reno the keys before she met Rufus’s gaze. “I don’t want to be alone today,” she found herself whispering to him. “I think I’m going to go into work after all today. Can . . . can you guys give me a ride?”
“It’s no problem at all,” Rufus said. He reached up to wipe a tear from her cheek. “We were headed there anyway.” Rufus handed the box he was carrying to Reno before he stepped forward and wrapped Maggie in a fierce hug.
“Thank you,” Maggie said. “I don’t think I could have done that without you.”
“Whenever you need someone to lean on, I’m here,” Rufus assured her. He pulled away and smiled down at her. He motioned towards the car. “Shall we, Nurse Maggie?”
Maggie managed to give him a genuine smile. “Of course, Mr. President.”
*****
Kadaj stood in the white hospital hallway and stared at the door before him. He’d been staring it for at least a minute now, and still could not bring himself to walk through it.
“Kadaj, we don’t have to do this now, if you don’t want to,” Rufus said. The President was standing directly behind him, his hand warm in the small of Kadaj’s back and his breath against Kadaj’s ear.
“I have to do this now,” Kadaj murmured in reply. He’d spent the better half of the morning screwing up the courage he knew he would need to walk through that door, and knew that if he walked away now he might not ever find the courage again. He’d spent his whole existence both fearing and hating what lay beyond that door, simply because Sephiroth was a big unknown in his life. The more he thought about it, the clearer his feelings were becoming on the matter, and he knew that if he ever wanted a resolution, he would have to walk through that door.
“Kadaj?” Rufus’s voice was gentle.
“I’m scared,” Kadaj confessed.
“There’s nothing to be afraid of,” Maggie assured him. She’d come with them to the hospital after they’d dropped her things off at her apartment and she’d changed into her nurse’s uniform. She reached out to place a comforting hand on his arm. He covered her hand with his own and tried to smile. Less than an hour ago he’d helped her achieve something difficult, and it seemed she now wanted to return the favor.
Kadaj swallowed hard and reached out and placed his palm against the door. He hesitated for a moment before he pushed it open and stepped into the room. Rufus moved with him, his hand never leaving the small of Kadaj’s back, and it gave Kadaj the courage he needed to look at the room’s occupant.
Kadaj’s breath hitched audibly as he met a gaze that was far greener than his own.
“Good morning, Sephiroth,” Rufus said from behind him. “I hope you had a good evening.”
“It was fine.” Sephiroth’s eyes never left Kadaj’s as he spoke. “The food was better than I remember it being.”
“No doubt it was the service that made it so,” Rufus said with a chuckle. “Maggie has a way of making everything in this place a little better.”
Kadaj watched Sephiroth’s lips curl into slight smile. “Indeed.” The green eyes darted away long enough to glance at the nurse before he met Kadaj’s gaze again. There was none of the arrogance that Kadaj had been expecting, only curiosity. He noticed other things, then, like the fact that the man’s silver hair was slightly mussed, and that Sephiroth looked undeniably tired. He was nothing at all what Kadaj had imagined he would be. He was no better than any person in the room. He’d been jealous of this?
Kadaj swallowed the hysterical laughter that was trying to bubble up from within, somehow sensing he would never be able to stop if he started. It became clear to him now just how much Jenova had twisted the truth, and just how right Rufus had been. They’d all been pawns. Jenova had never cared for Kadaj or Sephiroth beyond their usefulness to her. She’d purposely made him feel inferior just so she could control him with the hope that he might, someday, please her as much as Sephiroth did. The bitch had almost destroyed them all.
“Oh, god,” Kadaj whispered. He sank slowly to his knees as he started to weep softly. “Lies . . .so many lies. She never really cared . . .”
“Jenova was the queen of lies,” Sephiroth said quietly. “You shouldn’t feel ashamed for believing her. I fared no better, and neither did Cloud, for that matter.”
Kadaj wrapped his arms around himself and bowed his head. “I hated you,” he managed. “I hated you so much when I should have hated her.” Shame washed over him, and he stifled another sob. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry!”
*****
Sephiroth felt his heart twist sharply at the anguish in Kadaj’s voice. He wanted to move from the bed and comfort the man, because he knew he was the only person in the room that really understood. He glanced sharply in Rufus’s direction, and found that the President was watching him closely. Sephiroth tugged experimentally at the restraints, and met Rufus’s gaze again.
“Get these things off of me,” he all but growled.
Rufus didn‘t even hesitate before he spoke. “Maggie, please remove Sephiroth’s restraints.”
“Yes, sir.” She moved immediately to the bed and made quick work of the restraints.
“Thank you,” Sephiroth breathed. He stood from the bed and tightened the sash on his robe before he went to kneel before Kadaj. The younger man had buried his face in his hands and was still apologizing brokenly between soft sobs.
“Kadaj.” Sephiroth reached out and gently took Kadaj’s wrists and pulled the man’s hands from his face.
Kadaj made a startled sound and looked up sharply. “Sep . . Sephiroth?”
“Stop,” Sephiroth commanded. “I don’t blame you for any of it, and nor should you blame yourself.” He reached up and touched a pale cheek. He couldn’t get over how much the younger man looked like him. Sephiroth felt like he was ten years younger and staring into a mirror. If he had any doubts at all as to whether or not Rufus had told the truth about his clone brothers, they were all laid to rest now.
Kadaj was watching him closely, his green eyes wandering over his features repeatedly. Sephiroth smiled slightly and pressed his forehead against Kadaj’s. The younger man started slightly before closing his eyes and leaning into him.
“Get a good look,” Sephiroth said. Kadaj’s eyes opened, so close to his own, and Sephiroth found himself laughing a little. “This is what you are going to look like in ten years . . . Brother.”
“Brother?” Kadaj whispered the word.
“Yes.”
Tears filled those green eyes again, and Sephiroth gave in to the urge to wrap his arms around the smaller man and pull him into a fierce embrace. Kadaj tucked his head beneath Sephiroth’s chin and wrapped his arms around his waist. Sephiroth met Rufus’s eyes over the top of Kadaj’s silver head. The Shinra President offered him a slight smile.
Sephiroth returned it with a grateful one of his own, at the same time realizing that Rufus had shamelessly used Kadaj, although not in a bad way. For the first time in a very long time, Sephiroth found himself actually caring if he lived to see another day.
*****
TBC
- 7
- 8
- 9
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The Path to Redemption