The same yellow warm light that poured in from the windows of the church lit up Aeris' home in the same yellow color and warmth. The same yellow flowers bloomed around the small well built house, and even a small stream ran around the flowers, watering them on it's on will. Rufus breathed in the sweet smell of flowers and water, something he rarely experienced in Midgar. Normally he would smell smog and smoke, not these flowers and rivers.

"You live here?," he asked Aeris.

She nodded, "Yes. Come on in."

Rufus stepped into a well furnished living room, a brown wood table in the center of the house, a kitchen to the right and wood staircase leading to the second floor of the house. Aeris walked toward the kitchen, calling out for her mother. Shortly, a woman in a green dress and white apron appeared, her dark brown hair tied up in a bun. She was smiling at her daughter until a weary look came to her face when she saw Rufus.

"Mom, this is Rufus," Aeris said, introducing the two of them. "He helped me get away from some of the Turks today."

"Oh dear!," her mother exclaimed, "you were followed again?!"

Aeris shook her head at her mother with a smile coming to her face. Rufus noticed the woman's eyes on him, looking him over and seeming to rest on his suit. What if she realized he was an Angel? What then? Doing the best he could, Rufus pushed those thought to the back of his head. He would take whatever happened now as it was.

"Rufus helped me, mom," Aeris told her mother.

"Oh...," she replied, taking a step forward. "I should thank you for that. And my name is Elmyra Gainsborough."

Rufus nodded politely, "Rufus." Again he was careful not to mention his last name. He hoped Elmyra wouldn't ask for it either considering the mess he had now gotten himself in.

"Aeris, why don't you go put together a bed for Rufus?," Elmyra suggested. "You must be tired."

Aeris nodded, walking toward the staircase. Rufus' eyes followed her, then he turned his attention to Aeris' mother. She had returned to the kitchen, but came back with a cup of coffee for him. Rufus smiled falsely, thanking her in a low voice.

"I know that suit," she said suddenly. "You're an Angel, aren't you? Please, you can't take her away. Aeris is all I have in the world."

Rufus blinked, then set his cup on the table. He agreered with her. He had never wanted to get messed up in any of this, and the last thing he wanted to do was turn in Aeris to Shinra. Occasionally he had been asked to come down to the lab there, and he saw all the twisted creatures in the tubes there. It sent chills up his spine to think of that, and what Hojo might have a chance to do to Aeris in his lab.

"I agree with you," He said much to Elmyra's surprise. "I don't want that to happen anymore than you do. I'll leave tonight, without Aeris knowing."

* * *

As the clock in the Gainsborough struck 10:00 p.m., Rufus edged his way out of the bed Aeris had left for him. Creeping along in the darkness he slipped along the walls silently, making sure to pick up his shotgun from the table downstairs as he left. He slowly opened the door and slipped out as silently as he had when passing the staircase.

He didn't head out in Sector 5 immediately but walked over to where Aeris' flowers grew, his back to the house and stream. He noticed something shining in the back of a bush, and reached there to reveal a cover Materia. Shrugging, he pocketed the Materia and continued on his way. It wasn't a very good Materia, considering the fact all Angels had Mastered Master Magic and Summon, but it was still a Materia and these days Materia sold for good prices.

Rising to his feet satisfied with his find, he continued on his way out of the slums of Sector 5. Dim lights lined the few areas known to the people of the slums as streets, and barely lit up enough for Rufus to see more than a few dozen yards ahead of him in the smog that had fallen. It was cold that night, so naturally his hands fell to his pockets to warm them. As he approached the way into Wall Market, he was surprised to see Aeris standing there, waiting for him.

"What are you doing here?," he asked her.

"You can't get through the slums on your own," she said. "I'm going to be your guide. Besides, you're my bodyguard."

Rufus nodded. He had promised to be her bodyguard, and a Shinra' vow remained above all else, even if he was not supposed to even speak to this person as a friend. Orders for Angels and Turks were to capture any remaining Ancients alive. He had that odd feeling in the pit of his stomach when he thought about capturing Aeris and making her be a research specimen for Shinra's plans. The slums were dangerous, but she seemed accustomed with her surroundings and her way around. She would make a good guide.

Aeris led him through the streets nearby. Rufus noticed the torn up streets dirty with trash and broken down vehicles. This was why the rich people that lived on the plate never ventured here. They had grown to like their dull lives above, and considered people in the slums as what... Perhaps poor people. Few had any respect for this kind, but if they only knew it was Shinra who had forced these people into living that way.

Aeris walked away from the streets into the next area of Sector 5. It was a run down park, a huge Mog slide in the center and broken swing sets nearby. With a smile growing on her face Aeris ran forward, sighing as she looked over the small playground.

"I can't believe it's still here...," she sighed. She climbed up the back way of the slide, motioning for Rufus to join her. "Come on, Rufus!"

Shrugging simple, the Shinra followed her and climbed up the same way. He sat down slowly beside Aeris, bringing his legs down to hand over the edge of the Mog headed slide. Aeris brought her legs up, wrapping her arms around her knees and resting her head on her chin.

"I did recognize the uniform," she began.

For a moment Rufus turned slightly nervous wondering if she knew he was an Angel. To his relief her next words were simply about Turks, and not Angels. It was silly for him to be nervous. The Angels were sent out on few jobs so it might be that she had never seen one, much less know which people were Angels. His thoughts were lost when he heard the sounds of a Chocobo carriage leave Sector 7's gates. His eyes fell to the woman standing at the back of the carriage. Black hair tied up, green eyes glowing, and dressed in a sky blue dress.

"Lilith?," he asked.

He noticed the driver of the carriage next. Could that really be....

"Cloud?!," he exclaimed, louder this time.

Aeris also got to her feet, looking over the odd carriage and her gaze falling on the young woman in the back. The carriage continued along, right into Wall Market nearby. Rufus leapt of the top of the Mog slide, preparing to run after it. Aeris followed him, holding her Guard Stick at her side.

"Are those friends of yours?," she asked.

"Yes," he nodded. "I have to go get them."

To his surprise, Aeris ran into Wall Market, leaving him to follow. He called for her to stop, saying he would handle it himself. But she was already gone.