Faithless Memories

Weighing the Options

Chapter 29

She had to take the train back, but she always had her pass on her, so it wasn't a problem. Being distracted the whole way was. She still couldn't figure out what Genesis was up to. It terrified her that she was starting not to care. The way he talked to her and treated her made her tingle all over, and as far as she was concerned, that wasn't necessarily a good thing. She had never thought of anyone that way before, and there was still the fact that she knew he could never find her attractive, at least not all of her. There were still things that no one outside of her family had seen for a good reason. The thought of his reaction to those things was a sobering one. At least she was not acting like a ditz anymore by the time she walked back into the store.

Mr. Alexandros greeted her with a relieved smile. "I'm glad to see you back. Since it was only a couple hours, does that mean it wasn't trouble?"

She shook her head with a wry smile. After her run-in with Genesis, she had completely forgotten why she was there in the first place. "Ah, actually, they asked me to visit because they were trying to recruit me into the Turks." She felt it was best to be honest, especially with her boss.

His shocked look didn't help, however. After a few seconds, he looked around to verify the store was empty before he motioned her to the back. "Why don't you tell me what happened?" She wasn't surprised; she only hoped he knew that she would never abandon her job.

They left the door open in case anyone came in, but he gestured to a seat. "You know, it isn't often that the Turks recruit like that. They're not known for giving choices. What happened to make them ask you?"

Kris sighed. She hadn't told him about her spar with Genesis. She hadn't told him about Genesis at all since it was a personal matter, but since it now might affect her job, she didn't see a way around it. "It's because I sparred with Commander Rhapsodos, and they seemed to like the way I handled myself."

Had it been under any other circumstances, she might have laughed at the look he gave her. "What? Why? I mean, how could that even happen? Did Zack talk you into doing something stupid?"

She did chuckle at his question but shook her head. "No, actually, he tried to talk me out of it. It's a long story, but basically, both Commander Rhapsodos and Commander Hewley came to see Zack after his first solo mission. When they found out I was the one that taught my brother his skills with staves, Genesis asked if I would be interested in a bout with him."

Kris wasn't sure how, but his shocked expression became even more exaggerated. Whatever he had been about to say was interrupted by the dinging of the entrance bell. When Kris got up to see who had come in, she was stopped momentarily. "This sounds like a story you will need to tell me in detail another time."

She nodded and smiled. "Of course."

He watched her go greet the young couple that had just come in, but his mind was elsewhere. He had worked for Shinra for most of his life before he finally decided it was too much. He knew he was out of touch, but not so far that he didn't know what the Turks were. He wasn't sure what to think of the idea that his capable assistant was talented in martial arts to the extent that it caught their eye. There was obviously much more to her than he ever thought.

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It turned out that the last part of the afternoon was busy enough that they never had the chance to talk. Mr. Alexandros stayed until closing, but he could tell her mind was already occupied and felt it could wait.

When she got home, Zack was still up. Kris was surprised since he was usually asleep when she came in on the weekends. He didn't say anything when she joined him in the kitchen. All he did was hand her a cup of tea. She smiled at his thoughtfulness. "I suppose this means you heard already?"

"Yeah, Reno and I talk a lot, so he told me they tracked you down. I'm sorry. When he asked yesterday, I didn't really think he was serious. If I'd have known that they wanted to talk to you for real, I would have given you a heads up."

She took a sip of tea and shook her head. "Nah, don't worry about it. Did he also tell you why?"

Zack grimaced. "He said Tseng asked you to be a Turk. Was he serious?"

Kris sighed and nodded. "Yeah. He even offered to hire me part-time, so I wouldn't have to quit my job."

Zack's eyes widened. "Really!? Woah, that's unheard of."

Kris shared his grimace. "That's lovely to hear."

He shook his head and gave a sympathetic look. "What'd you tell him?"

"I told him I'd think about it. He expects an answer by the end of next week."

"Well, I guess that's something. If he was willing to let you wait, maybe he won't get angry when you tell him no."

Kris paused with the cup halfway to her lips. She set it back down slowly and gave him a curious look. "Who said I was going to say no? I'm still deciding."

Zack gave her a look like she was crazy. "Of course you don't want to be a Turk. They're killers."

Kris had to take a deep breath through her nose and out her mouth before she answered. "Zack, I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but aren't you too? I mean, you haven't been to Wutai yet, but if you were sent, wouldn't you go and fight without question?"

He looked as if she had just slapped him. He stood up in a rush. "That isn't the same thing at all!"

She held up both her hands in a conciliatory gesture. "I told you I wasn't trying to make you mad. I know enough from what you have told me already that they deal with the darker side of things, but as you always say, orders are orders, no?"

He shook his head with a frown, but he didn't speak right away. Finally, he sat down again with a sigh. "Yeah, I guess they are just following orders too, but why would you want to put yourself in the position to have to do that kind of stuff. I can't see you doing it."

She sighed and laid her head on the table. Her voice was muffled when she spoke. "I never said I was. I just don't know yet. It could be beneficial for us both, but you're right about me not liking it." She sat back up and grinned at him. "If my conversation with Tseng is anything to go by, I might end up court-martialed anyway. I doubt I could hold my tongue forever."

"Court-martialed? What is that?"

Kris looked surprised for a moment before she sighed again. "It means being tried for insubordination. Sorry, I don't know where I got that."

Zack shook his head again and grinned at her. "There is no telling. But you're right. I can see you butting heads with Tseng." His grin widened. "It might be worth it just to see that. Reno is always trying to get him to loosen up. Maybe you can help!"

She laughed at his expression. "You are way too into that idea. If Reno is behind it, then it might be safer for me to stay out."

"But it might be fun for us all to hang out!"

Kris laughed at his enthusiasm. She could already see the wheels turning in his mind. She could tell he was already thinking about ways to get her to mingle with people. She appreciated his concern and might even go out with him, now that he wasn't trying to hide the fact that he had a sister. She let the thought go as he started in on something else. She knew she would need to decide soon, but at least he wasn't fighting her on this decision. At least not yet. She had a feeling that if she did choose to be a Turk, that might change.