***First Sane Day***

Sebastian broke out of his shock and lurched towards Joseph and grabbed the gun from his shaking hands. He then stumbled backwards into the wall and slumped against it, all the adrenaline having left his body. Sebastian, too, was shaking now, from the extremely potent mix of shock and relief, the thoughts running around his head weren't helping either.

Joseph lifted his head and smiled slightly and said, "I'll take you up on the drink now".

Sebastian looked over at him and sighed.

The ride to the bar was long and silent as Sebastian was simultaneously worried sick about his partner and furious with himself. He should have realised that something was wrong after they both got out. He should have never let Joseph go home by himself! What if I hadn't been there in time? What if Joseph had actually... Sebastian went cold at the thought. He had almost lost Joseph, now he had to find out why.

Those were his thoughts as they finally reached the small pub just a few miles from Joseph's complex. They walked into the dingy restaurant and sat down at the bar.

The bartender walked up cleaning a glass with a dirty rag, "What'll you have?", he asked roughly.

"A beer for me", Seb said

"Whiskey", Joseph said and ran his hand through his hair.

Sebastian looked over at Joseph and said back to the bartender, "We'll have two beers thanks."

"Sure" the bartender walked back to get the drinks.

"So, Seb, you don't think I can handle my alcohol? What was that-", Joseph started.

"No, you know what Joseph, let's stop screwing around here. I want to know what is happening and what just happened", Sebastian didn't feel like dancing around this topic for long.

"I told you, Seb-"

Sebastian interrupted again, impatient, "Yeah, I know that Joseph, but how do you know that it's followed you out of the STEM? And why did you think that the only answer was to...kill yourself?"

He smiled slightly and said, "Well it's not exactly like they have a cure for it".

Sebastian tensed up, "Dammit, Joseph, this isn't a joke", he practically growled. He was getting frustrated with Joseph acting like this wasn't serious, like it was a joke.

"Don't you think I know that Seb? Why else do you think I would try that stunt?",his partner's face was filled with guilt and defeat.

At the realization that talking about this was taking a toll on Joseph, Sebastian softened up and put his hand on his partner's shoulder.

"Sorry Joseph", he said, "Why don't you start with how you know that it's still happening?"

He sighed and took a gulp from his beer. "It was almost right after I came out of the Stem. I'm sure you must have noticed it, it felt exactly like it did in the Stem, headache, ringing, etcetera.", he said tiredly, "I figured it must have been a lingering effect, until my nose started to bleed, and I started to change, and then I blacked out. It must not have been for long, since I was back when the paramedics found me, but it felt the same as when I was in the Stem, maybe even stronger", Joseph was getting pretty worked up at this point and Sebastian tried to calm him down.

"Well maybe your right Joseph, it could just be a lingering effect, a side effect from being in the Stem so long. Your right, I felt it too, but I didn't turn, it was probably just that one time, there's no reason to think that it's permanent", Sebastian insisted.

"Yeah Seb, that would make sense, if it hadn't already happened again." Joseph's head sunk in to his hands.

"What?! When did it happened?!" Sebastian demanded.

"Just a little while after I got to my apartment. It's never happened with so little time between incidences, what if it keeps happening, what if I change, permanently?" Joseph's face was contorted in pain and fright. "What if I hurt, or even kill somebody while I'm like that? Do you understand now, why I did what I did?", he implored.

"Joseph, I'm never going to understand why you tried to end your own life, but..." He held up his hand as Joseph opened his mouth to argue, "but, I understand what going on, and I understand that I will do whatever I have to to fix this."

Joseph looked surprised, "What do you mean Seb?"

"What do you think I mean? I'm saying that we'll fix whatever is happening to you and stop these incidents. You think I'd just leave you to become a zombie?", he asked jokingly.

Joseph smiled, but the expression was quickly replaced by a frown.

"I don't think you should be involved in this, Sebastian."

"What?! Why?", he demanded

Joseph looked over at him and seemed to be debating on whether to tell him or not.

"I know that we're friends, Seb, and I think that because of that, you won't be able to do what's necessary if I do permanently change", he sighed, "I don't want to put you in that situation either, if it comes to that."

"Joseph, it's not going to come to that, we are going to get rid of any trace of the Stem in you, trust me."

Joseph bit his lip, "Thanks Seb, I do trust you," he looked out the window, "I just don't trust myself." He said under his breath.

"Come on, let's finish this"

Seb slapped some bills on the counter as he and Joseph walked out of the dirty bar.

A woman walked out of the Stem lab. She hurried towards a large, brightly lit office, just off to the side of the examining tables, desperate to tell her superior of what she had just witnessed. The woman rushed in to the office and screeched to a halt in front a large white desk. A figure sat at the desk looking over some papers, but was hidden by a light shinning from behind.

"What is it?", the monotone voice asked

The young woman brushed some brown hair from her face, "Director, we have a problem", she said seriously.

The figure looked up from the papers, "Explain."

"One of the test subjects has lingering traces of Stem technology in them, a side effect we hadn't found in the reports", she said.

"Test subject? Which one?"

"Joseph Oda"

"The detective?", the figure smiled, "You should be able to take care of him, Kid."

"He's changing," the woman stated, "just as he did in the Stem."

The smile slipped from the figures face, "What? When did this happen?"

"Just as he awoke from the Stem, he turned for about a minute and a half before turning back just before some paramedics found him.", the younger woman said, "I believe that he may be a threat to our mission, Hanson."

"I agree," the figure stood up, fixed her platinum blonde bun and said, " I guess we'll just have to take care of this then. Set up a containment team and suit up, Kid", Hanson smiled, "We're going hunting."

A/N: SORRY! I apologize for the super late update, but I had a bad case of writer's block for months, any-who, have this chapter and my apologies, and please review! Thank you so much!

P.S. Thanks TheAngelOfFate, I really liked your ideas and I'm using most of them as shown XP