FicWad

Stained Halo
Chapter 4: Pictures of Success

Swing your legs some. Sigh some. Look at your watch some. Sip your drink although it's empty some. Rinse and repeat some.

This pattern was what Aeris came to know far too well each time she had to meet Luke anywhere. In her eight years of living with him, he'd never changed; he was always late and then conjured up an entrance brilliant enough to do away with the need of an explanation. So far, his entrance was half an hour late in the making. She sighed, annoyed at herself for being on time. Sitting in a small café in upper Midgar, she had nothing better to do than glance at the people around her. All rich and careless, and completely self absorbed and boring.

Her eyes wandered over to the counter where Todd, one of Luke's three bodyguards, was sipping a beer. Luke had gone out of town on business, and left him in charge of the house. Of course, Aeris hadn't been informed of his leaving, and knew of his return only a day after he'd arrived. It wasn't anything new to her, despite living in the same house, she could go days without seeing Luke due to his busy schedule and interests that strayed every which place except towards the area of raising a daughter. She'd found out about him wanting to have lunch with her an hour before Todd drove her to the café.

But such was life.

When Aeris agreed to be adopted by the man, she had no idea what she was getting herself into. As a scared seven year old who had just lost her mother, the thought of any parental love had been utter bliss, and there was no way she would have been able to refuse.

That same day she had been swept into the life of a princess. Monetarily speaking anyway. She was introduced to the house's staff, who were ordered to take care of whatever it was that she wanted or needed. First there was Magda, the head maid, who was pretty much in charge of all the domestic workers. These seemed to be constantly occupied throughout the day, and retired to their homes after work. Aeris tried to befriend them, but they were always somewhat resentful towards the girl and avoided her unless they were ordered to do something for her.

Of course, they were ordered to do plenty for her. Everything in fact. Luke paid good money for her upbringing.

Aeris played with her straw a bit, staring into the empty glass that it leaned against, reminiscing about select instances in her "wonderful childhood."

She had been nine years old when one of the cleaning ladies had brought her daughter along for the day. She had ordered the little girl not to stray from the kitchen, but upon finding out there was someone her age in the house Aeris had run to go meet her. They'd gone to the garden to play, and did so blissfully for a good hour until the cleaning lady's angry shouts interrupted them. She grabbed her daughter's hand and pulled her away from Aeris, quietly scolding her for mingling with "privileged brats raised in households with no morals." Of course, Aeris was not meant to hear those words. She didn't understand why the woman had reacted like that and looked for Magda to get her to explain what she had meant. Fear was etched into Magda's old features as Aeris told her the story, and she made Aeris promise that she wouldn't tell Luke what the woman had said. Aeris did so, but insisted Magda tell her why everyone hated her.

"Hush, no one hates you. You're just imagining things."

"Yes they do! Everyone is so mean to me and I never did anything to anyone. All I want is to be friends, but no one in this house cares."

"We're all very busy, we don't have time to be your playmates, child."

"Why do you hate me Magda?"

Magda stared in disbelief at the question.

"I never did anything to you."

"I don't hate you."

But Aeris shook her head, wiping at her eyes.

"It's alright. I'm gonna go outside."

She turned to walk away, but the older woman grabbed her arm and turned her back around to face her with a grim expression.

"You're a little too young to understand this but, sometimes people get mad when they see others with something they want. Something they know they'll never have," Aeris fixed her usual searching look on her, trying desperately to understand the woman's sudden show of emotion. Magda gave off a nervous little laugh, releasing Aeris from her grip, and attempted a smile, "But don't pay too much attention to us, living in the slums has a tendency to get people down. I, I'm sorry if I ever come across as hateful."

It wasn't until three years later that she fully understood where the resentment stemmed from. But when the realization hit her, everything became much more clear. What it all boiled down to was Luke.

He was rich and charming - the ideal business man. The fact that his business was the most important thing to him also added to his immense success. But Aeris had never really prodded into the subject of what exactly his business was. Little questions were asked every once in a while about the constant visitors and "business associates" and why he needed three bodyguards, but Luke was skilled at providing indirect answers that easily satisfied her as a child, and his advisor Byrne was good at telling her to mind her own business.

But she figured out the answer for herself one rainy day. At this point she had been with Luke for five years, and was twelve years old.

She was sitting on the stone steps in front of the house's entrance, humming to herself as she did the problems her home school tutor assigned to her, when an angry scream startled her.

At the gateway of the house stood a disheveled man, violently shaking the bars separating him from the front yard.

"LUKE DAMN YOU COME OUT!"

Aeris' first instinct was to turn and run into the house. But she stopped when she realized she recognized the man. He had been one of the many who frequently visited the house, and one of the few who was actually nice to her while he was over. As far as she could remember, he was one of Luke's friends. Why was he so angry now?

He noticed her as well and stopped his yelling, trying to compose himself as much as possible.

"Ae, Aeris? Is that you dear? Won't you let me in?"

Of course she would ... under any other circumstances. She'd have rushed to the gate as soon as she saw him, but now he looked so, so, crazy.

Nevertheless she took a few hesitant steps towards him, "Hey, Heath, what's wrong?"

Despite curling his lips into a smile, something in the way he looked at her was extremely unsettling. It was a desperation that she had seen in the eyes of only one other person, a person struggling to hold on to the last remnant of their life, clinging desperately to it with the full knowledge that it would nevertheless escape. It was this recognition that kept her little feet steadily stepping towards him. Every one of her senses screamed that this was a dangerous situation and that she should flee into the safety of the mansion behind her. But she ignored these emotions and overwrote them with her helpful nature.

Before she knew it she was standing directly before the disheveled man. Only the gate was separating them and they were both fully aware of this.

"That's a good girl. Let me in, will you? I have to talk to Luke."

She broke eye contact and looked down at the ground, idly noticing the way a drizzle was beginning to fall from the clouds above.

Her foot dug into the moistened earth, "Uhm, why didn't you just call him and tell him to let you in?"

His knuckles whitened as he strengthened his grip around the bars of the gate, "I just couldn't reach him is all. Please, I have something really important to tell him, let me in."

Aeris chewed at her bottom lip and wrung her hands together. She was afraid, but was trying not to show it. He needed her help after all, so she should help him. But at the same time... Her vision left the ground and searched his face. His lies were blatantly exposed on his features. He resembled a trapped animal waiting for release in order to pounce on his cruel captor.

"I'm sorry Heath, I'm really not allowed to open the gate," she lied, "but I'll just go get Magda or Byrne or Luke and one of them will let you in."

She never had a chance to move. He crouched down and reached his arms through the bars, roughly grabbing her and slamming her against the gate. Not a second was given to her to recover before he began to howl in her face.

"Your fucking father ruined my life little girl. Now you let me in or I'll break your neck!"

It wasn't really an order anymore. Something within him had reached its edge and dove over headfirst. Although he was telling her to open the gate, his grip only tightened on her small body. All of his anger towards Luke was being taken out on her.

But after a few moments of struggling against him, Aeris gave in to his violent shaking. Tears trickled down her cheek, but she ignored them, fixing her sad gaze upon his wretched expression.

"What did he do to you," she whispered.

He stopped shaking her but did not let go. However, his surprise did not stun him long, after a few seconds his anger resumed its reign.

"He took everything from me, Aeris," he murmured, looking about frantically as if recalling Luke's exact actions, "everything. I gave him my allegiance and loyalty and he stabbed me in the back and robbed me."

His eyes stopped searching and settled on her young face, which was etched with signs that she was desperately trying to understand what he meant.

"He never told you did he? What he does for a living? How he gets all his stinking money," he didn't wait for a response, "Luke, darling, he's the biggest black market lord this city's ever seen. And that's saying a lot. All those poor idiots in the slums who can't get their lives together because they're filled up with drugs, who do you think they get that stuff from? Who's the main driving force behind the importation of weapons, the same weapons that push the crime rates in the slums to insane highs?"

A bitter, far away look kept him talking, "He doesn't look it does he? That's only because he's got a whole network of people working under him who do his dirty work while he remains in his little palace up here spotlessly clean. He even got himself a perfect little daughter to add to his look," his teeth flashed at her as he pulled her face closer to his, "that's all you are to him you know? Nothing more than an image enhancing tool - a business strategy. He doesn't give a shit about you, nor about anyone else. Me, his 'closest, most trusted associate and friend' he stabbed in the back. It's only a matter of time before he does the same to you, little girl."

Aeris kept her gaze firm and steady. She wanted to scream at him, deny everything he was accusing Luke of. But it made too much sense. The Planet itself had tried to warn her with its whispers, but it had been quickly shot down by her refusal to listen it. She wouldn't do this man the same injustice though.

"I'm sorry," she murmured, "I'm sorry this happened. But Luke's not a monster. I can talk to him and maybe he can give you your things back, and maybe..."

His anger increased tenfold, "You don't understand a thing. He's..."

The statement was never finished and for the second time in her life Aeris saw someone die before her very eyes. The sound of the shot behind her was one that would invade her dreams many nights from that point on. She felt the bullet race past her, not so much as grazing her cheek before it tore through John's skin, skull, and brain in front of her. His grip on her was released as he fell against the gate, his frozen face inches away from her own, and the blood squirting out of the bullet wound on his head was sprinkling on her skin.

She screamed and fell to her knees oblivious to everything but the blood and the emotionless look on John's face. A countenance with death scraped all over it but centering the strongest in the sickeningly white color protruding from his barely open eyelids. She wished badly she could close her eyes and shut out the image in front of her, but when she tried it only burned further into her thoughts.

A hand was placed on her shoulder, and she knew it was Luke's. He helped her up and pulled her away from the corpse, towards the house. Her stupefied state numbed her too intensely to do anything other than follow him, keeping her vision on the body the whole time.

Her dulled demeanor was broken when she heard Luke tell Todd to 'get rid of it.' She ripped her hand from his and lurched a few steps away from him, before falling on all fours and vomiting; the crazed emotions within her forcing their way out. Tears were now freely flowing and she would have passed out in the now strong rain had Magda, who had run out at the sound of the shot and the remembrance that Aeris was still out there, not gathered her up and carried her inside.

Once inside, Magda cleaned her up, trying best she could to not show worry in her expression. Then she was shuffled into Luke's lounge, where she sat on a couch, leaning against its armrest. Luke entered only moments after she did and shut the door behind him. She did not waste a second before shooting an accusing glare his way.

His usually playful blue eyes were now stern, "What did he say to you?"

She averted her eyes from his and kept her gaze straight ahead of her, staring at something seemingly far away, "Everything."

He nodded to himself with his jaw set, "Right then. I'm going to explain a few things to you and after that I don't want to hear about this again. If you don't like what you hear, you know where the door is."

Aeris' eyebrows furrowed together at his harsh tone.

"My business is one that exists because people in Midgar ask for it. If I don't give these fools what they want, then someone else will. And then I wind up at the bottom. That wouldn't be too smart, now would it?"

She didn't give him a response.

"No it wouldn't. So I do what I have to do, which in turn works out for everyone," he leaned on his desk, "It works out for me because I get what I want. It works out for my customers because they get what they want. And you too Aeris."

Her mouth fell open to retort angrily but he cut her off, "Now don't pretend you don't enjoy all the things you have in this house. Hell, even that jerk out there got what he wanted," he was referring to Heath, "He was the greediest of the whole bunch I deal with. Wouldn't waste a second putting out anyone in his way. I just gave him some of his own treatment."

"How can you act like this? Like his death didn't matter at all? Luke, he was a human being with a life that you took away!"

And then the bastard laughed. Laughed! Aeris couldn't believe her ears and angrily demanded to know what was so funny.

"Aeris, hon, although I'm sure your infinite eleven year old wisdom provides you with plenty to say about life and death, I bid you not to preach about it to me."

"Twelve."

"What?"

Aeris sighed, "I'm twelve years old," she looked up at him, "and I know a lot more about it than I wish I did."

He tilted his head at her as a challenge, "Aeris this man was a murderer. Don't throw away what you have in order to defend him."

She said nothing more. He gave her the night to think about whether or not she wanted to leave. Of course she'd chosen to stay. She hated to admit how dependable she was on the man, but she literally had nowhere else to go. He wouldn't want her leaving because it'd taint the image he was trying to put forth onto the more public, and seemingly legal businesses out there. And she wouldn't want to leave because she would probably just wind up in worse conditions. So in a way, Luke hadn't given her a choice at all. It was just one of his ingenious ways of getting what he wanted - in this case her silence. And she had given it to him. Because despite how she felt, she knew that she had needs, and she was selfish, and she didn't want to give everything up for a murderer after all.

The years had carried on and she knew the whole time of how blood-soaked the riches she was living among were. She understood why the house's staff was resentful of Luke - it was for the same reason that she was resentful of him, which was that they could not do anything about what he was doing because they needed him to continue it. But she didn't really hate him for it. It would be a lie to say she loved him as a father, because he wasn't really a father to her. At public events they tuned up their relationship and she called him "dad" but at all other times she was much like part of the house's staff, there only to serve the role he assigned her. But since her character was one that did not give into hatred, and she had the curse of caring easily for people, she still treated him with respect, and spent what little time she needed to with him pleasantly.

So Aeris had not exactly had the most enriching of childhoods.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard someone call her name. She stopped reminiscing and turned around only to be faced with a thick bouquet of brilliant flowers. A smile immediately crossed her features and she stood up to grab them.

"These are beautiful! Where did you find them?" She smiled at Luke who was standing before her with a self satisfied look.

"I was in Mideel for a few days, where these grow all over the place. Thought they'd make the perfect graduation present."

Aeris was shocked he remembered, "Thank you so much. I adore them."

They both sat at the table and began to talk after he ordered a latte from the waiter, "Yes, you and your flowers. I managed to get some seeds too, for you to grow if you want."

He handed her a small pack, which she took happily. Dazzling entrance, indeed. That was Luke's way, he either completely ignored you or made you feel like you were the most important person in the world. The gifts he showered her with were anything but mindless, and this time he'd really hit the jackpot. She bit her lip slightly, recalling how he discovered her love for flowers.

Aeris was fourteen when Luke made one of his "brilliant" business decisions. The past year had been an exceptionally good one for drug dealers everywhere with demand shooting sky high and he had made a few extra millions on top of his usual sum. However, he was beginning to grow annoyed by having to transport his crop from the outskirts of Midgar into the city, so he decided to up production on the grounds of his very house.

The backyard was extended by a good acre or so and he placed two large "green houses" on the land. Aeris hated the idea, but what could she really do about it? Soon enough production was under way and he had his little field of what she considered pre-packaged death.

One day, barely a few weeks into the finishing of the green houses, Magda was taking drinks over to the scientists and workers laboring in them. She was struggling with trying to balance five cups, so Aeris decided to help her. As they stepped in the warm, humid environment Aeris' eyes widened at the endless green surrounding them.

It was like a small jungle, and after she set the drinks down she went about her way exploring. No matter what the vegetation was used for, she couldn't help but be curiously drawn to it, she did love all plants after all, and was surrounded by more than she would see anywhere else in Midgar. She fingered the leaves here and there, having quite the time in the garden of poison she was finding herself in.

She was inspecting some plants closely, squinting at them, when one of the scientists walked up to her, most likely to order her out.

"You ought to lower the air pressure some," she mumbled before he said anything.

He placed his hands on his hips and glared at her, "What?"

"They're drowning in too much air, they'll start to wither if you don't," she responded, getting up from her crouching position to face the scientist. He did not look amused. Instead of dignifying her with so much as a nod he called one of the workers and told him to 'get her out'. She smiled at the worker and told him she knew her own way out.

"Suit yourself," she waved at the scientist before she left.

It only took a week for Byrne to come storming into her room, demanding she go speak to Luke. Upon walking into his study she found him and the same scientist from before with very unsatisfied looks on their faces. Luke waved her over hurriedly.

"Yes?"

Before Luke said anything, the scientist burst out angrily, "How could you possibly tell the air pressure wasn't right? Did you do something to the plants to make them die?"

Aeris looked back at him innocently, "Don't accuse me. I tried to warn you," she turned to Luke smiling, "as for how I knew, those plants grow in high altitudes. They'll die you don't get that part of their habitat right. That and I have a bit of a green thumb I guess."

Luke responded slowly, "Yes, yes, I'm sorry this mongrel ignored you," he shot the angry scientist an unhappy look to emphasize, "but the point is I now need you to go in there and see if you can think of anything that can be done. Those plants are anything but cheap."

Aeris shook her head, "No. First off I can't just go in there and 'fix them'. Secondly, I don't want to help you grow things you're going to turn into drugs."

"Yes, I was afraid of that," with a wave of his hand he ordered the other people out of the room. Once they were alone he took on what Aeris recognized as his bargaining pose. He ordered her to have a seat at his desk and he sat across from her.

"Now then," he said, putting his hands together, "when I took you in, it was a huge, huge favor wasn't it?"

Aeris couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"And I asked for nothing in return. Nothing at all! That was pretty generous of me, wasn't it?"

Bastard.

"And now I ask for this one little favor and you..."

She cracked, "Fine. I'll look over them. Under one condition."

A smile crept over his lips, satisfied at his always winning, "Shoot."

"A portion of those gardens are mine. With the money I'll be making you, I'd say I'll more than earn it. And I want to use it to grow something nice. In fact, I'm thinking flowers. And you're going to donate these flowers to hospitals in the slums."

She shut her mouth not knowing where that demanding tone had come from. But she had set forth the orders and there was nothing to be done about it. Feeling a little sheepish, she stared down at her lap and awaited his response.

Her gaze flew up again when she heard him laugh and was met with a very pleased look in Luke's royal blues. Ah yes, that's where the tone had come from.

"I certainly have taught you well. When you finish a deal though, you have to make sure to keep eye contact," he winked at her and extended his hand as a way to close their little deal.

So she had a new hobby for the next few years. She did manage to save Luke's precious plants and investment of millions of gil, which he was very grateful for. And as soon as her flowers began to grow, their house's expensive tables were all topped with lilacs, tulips, and roses.

She leaned back in her chair smelling the flowers once more.

"So how was your trip?"

He rolled his eyes, "Oh you know. Mostly tedious and boring. These small towns are like a plague. But some good did come out of it," he looked at her with a wicked grin, "I met President Shinra, and it turns out we have very similar business interests."

Her knuckles turned white from grabbing the side of her chair too hard.

"He's the most powerful man in the world. And I'm the most powerful man in what you could call the underworld," he explained, looking happy with his wording, "That's just the perfect set up for a beautiful friendship, don't you think? Aeris?"

She had turned deathly pale. The last name she ever wanted to bring back in her life was that of Shinra. But noticing the way Luke was peering at her, she straightened up.

"Uhm, yeah, definitely. Sorry, I have a minor headache."

She reminded herself that a decade had nearly passed since the time in the laboratory. They probably did not even have her on file anymore. In fact, Hojo was probably retired and fat by now. Retired anyway.

"Well, we can go home. I just wanted to congratulate you on graduating and ..." his words turned into a low whistle as his eyes locked on to something past her. Aeris looked confused, and searched behind her shoulder for what he as staring at. Upon finding a woman with long, golden curls at the bar, she let out an exasperated breath.

Aeris turned back to Luke, ready to warn him that he was already involved with too many women, but he was too fast. Having plucked a flower out of her bouquet he was already making his way over to the woman.

Ah yes, Luke's womanizing ways were infamous in upper Midgar. And unfortunately for Aeris, all the women brought over to the house despised her at first glance. She wanted to tell them that they didn't need to worry about having his precious attention stolen by a daughter, but didn't bother. They wouldn't last long anyway.

She leaned her cheek on her right fist and watched Luke with a bored expression. Having gone from most important person in the world to ignored, she was not too happy. When the woman at the bar turned around though, Aeris somewhat forgave him. She was physically breathtaking. Not like his usual floozies, but much like a queen. Her eyes were a deep brown, which contrasted marvelously with her golden hair. She had perfect facial features, not soft in the least, but strong, and unique. Unlike other women with bodies as sculpted as hers, she dressed conservatively, in a smart suit. And despite looking quite young, she didn't carry the starry eyed amazement that other girls did when Luke approached. No, she stayed serious, and cool.

If you're as sharp as you look, this is where you get up and leave. Aeris turned away from them and back to her flowers. Ah well, just another day out with Luke.

It would take a long time for Aeris to discover how deeply that meeting would affect her life. Had she known it then, she would not have been bored as she finished Luke's untouched latte.