I sigh, rubbing my eyes... I get up from the couch. I basically start to get ready, but at my own pace, as always. I knock on Gilbert's door.
"Gilbert, are you ready?". There is no answer. I knock on the door again. "Gilbert?". And again, this time... consistently...
"DAMMIT, GILBERT! HURRY THE HELL UP!". I stop pounding on the door and think for a second... hm... that Seaweed Head probably went ahead without me! Tch, figures... I walk towards the door to the apartment and open it forcefully. I slam it closed. I stop again. Ok, maybe I should go back and... I turn around... it is...
"Gilbert?!". His face is all red... he is covering his nose with his sleeve... I notice the blood stained white shirt... I must have... slammed the door on him...
"Gilbert, I...", I start to say remorsefully. He avoids the embarrassment by starting to walk down the hallway.
"I was waiting for you..."
"B-..."
"You took too long... sometimes I wish you stayed ELSEWHERE!", says Gilbert, very pissed. He walks faster, ahead of me... I stop for a second before following him...

We are in the carriage. He is sitting across from me, his sleeve still covering his nose... he refuses to look at me. I look at him, still filled with sorrow.
"Gilbert... do you need a handkerchief?"
"Tch...", he says, still not looking at me. There is a pause... I reach my hand towards his sleeve...
"Maybe I could help you... let me see it..."
"NO!", he says, slapping my hand away using his bloody arm. I am shocked... not because of the slap but because he... he is... pointing his gun at me with his other hand from underneath his coat. He keeps his bloody arm to his side... blood is streaming from his nostrils... there is hate in his eyes... he is frowning and breathing heavily. The blood falls on his lips, enough for him to taste it. I cannot keep looking at the gun... a few seconds pass before his gun wielding hand starts to shake... he lets go of the gun, allowing it to fall on it's side. He closes his eyes and covers his face with his hand, ashamed. "I... apologize..."
"NO, NO! It's perfectly ok! Here...", I say, relieved. I hand him a handkerchief. He opens his eyes. He takes the handkerchief from me and places it over his nose. He looks out the window, not at me again. I look at him, still very concerned. "I hope I didn't break it...". He says nothing. There is a pause...
"If you want, I could get you a doctor!"
"That isn't necessary..."
"But if it's broken..."
"I said forget it..."
"But don't you want me to help you?"
"All I want is for you to leave me the hell alone!". I look at him, shocked. The carriage stops. "It stopped bleeding...", he says, wiping the remainder of the blood off his face and throwing the handkerchief on my lap as he stands up. He gets out of the carriage... a member of Pandora waits for him outside. I look at the handkerchief on my lap. I pick it up and squeeze it in my gloved hand, looking out the window and waiting for Gilbert to return...

"Have you talked with Duke Barma yet?"
"No, why?"
"When do you intend on meeting with him?"
"Soon, I suppose...". Oz looks at Gilbert, who is pacing around the room, holding his hand on his face, eyes closed... he is concerned...
"Is something wrong, Gil?". Gilbert stops. He glances at Oz from the corner of his eye. "You seem... aggravated...". Gilbert takes his hand off his face and looks at Oz completely... Oz notices the blood on his sleeve, but does not say anything...
"Oz... I want to be there when you consult with Rufus Barma... please... it is very necessary that I be there when he... explains everything...". Oz smiles. He nods his head.
"Yes, Gil... of course...". Gilbert walks to the door and stops, putting his hand on the side of it.
"Thank you... Oz...". He opens the door and leaves. Oz frowns as he watches him go...

Gilbert enters the carriage without greeting me. The ride is very quiet and awkward until we reach our destination. The carriage stops. I walk out first, holding my head high and ignoring him... if he does not want to talk to me, than fine... I will carry out his wishes... we both exit the carriage. I look around. We are in an alley. Several Pandora members are here, examining the area. I start walking, not paying any attention to what Gilbert is doing and whether he follows me or not. The wind is blowing ever so softly... I walk deeper down the alley... I do not realize no one is there... something... moves in my blood... something... something... calling me... calling me deeper... deeper... into the realms of the alley. I unawarely place my right hand on the alley wall, sliding it down as I walk... cautiously... curiously... I stop. My hearts beats quickly. Something... something is in the shadows... I abruptly collapse on my knees... I hold my arm... blood... BLOOD is running through my veins... sweat is falling from my face... I am shaking... SHAKING... like in a seizure, but I am conscious... I slowly lift my shaking head up, my teeth grinding...
"N-n... N-n... N-n...!", I try muttering. The pain... it comes from inside... I can hardly control my words... my body... aching... PAIN... unbearable pain...

"Meghan?", says Gilbert, looking around. He, like I, was not paying any attention to the other. He takes out his gun and runs down the alley. "Meghan?!". He stops. He grabs my arm from behind. I do not realize he is here until he does this.
"Gilbert?", I say, looking at him. He looks ticked off.
"Don't wander away! Pandora members are scavenging the area, looking for a Chain someone encountered yesterday..."
"Oh? What did it look like?". Gilbert covers his face with his hand, closing his eyes.
"It doesn't matter... you'll know a Chain when you see it...". I blink my eyes. There is a pause. Gilbert tightens the grip of my arm. "Come on...". He pulls me towards the front of the alley. I look back, noticing a shadow in the dark...
I look at Gilbert...
"Gilbert, these Chains are really a problem, aren't they...". Gilbert glances slightly at me, and forward again.
"They can be, why?"
"Pandora seems to go through a lot of trouble on behalf of them... it... kind of makes me feel they are unwanted in our world...". I look down slightly. We nearly reach the front of the alley. Gilbert lets go of my arm.
"That depends on who you are and how you feel about them... there are people who think Chains are beneficial to humanity, as well as those who believe all Chains deserve to die..."
"But... those are generalizing opinions...". I look up at the sun and smile. "If I was a Chain, I would want people to judge me... just... ME... not by what I am... but by WHO I am... I am individual, and that is all I want people to see!". Gilbert looks at me as I am speaking. He does not say anything. I look straight... I notice something...
"What is that?". I start to chase after it. Gilbert quickly follows me. I turn the corner and kneel down. I pick it up petting it. "Oh, you're so cute, pretty kitty!", I say, smiling and closing my eyes. I turn around, holding the cat in my arms. "Look, Gilbert! It's...". And... there is no one there. I stand up, holding the cat. I sense something around the corner. I smile. I lunge the cat with both hands around the corner. "AH-HA!"
"AAAH! GET THAT CAT AWAY FROM ME!", exclaims Gilbert, backing off quickly. I pull the cat back with a smile.
"Oh, but it's just a little kitty, Gilbert!"
"Put that... thing down... before I... I...". Gilbert is at a loss of words. This is strange... he does not usually act this way... he looks like he is going to pass out or something... I smile.
"You know, Gilbert, this cat would make a wonderful pet for the apartment..."
"Don't be ridiculous...", interrupts Gilbert, who is now cowering in the corner. I cannot help but laugh a little.
"Huh... ok...", I sigh, putting the cat down and letting it run away. He, he, I could take advantage of this...
"Just don't expect the cat to feel the same way...". I sneak up behind Gilbert, and obviously, because my arms and hands still have a trace of cat on them, Gilbert jumps up and starts spazzing, wailing his arms back and forth, trying to brush off a cat...
"AAAH! GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF!". Members of Pandora are looking at Gilbert with wide eyes. I cover my mouth, trying so hard not to laugh. Gilbert stops. He is stone dead. I laugh eccentrically. He looks at me with an I'm gonna kill you NOW look on his face... his lip twitches slightly. A Pandora member walks up to Gilbert, who is still giving me the death glare.
"Gilbert-san, the carriage headed for Pandora has arrived... Mr. Vessalius requests an urgent meeting with you and a fellow guest who has just arrived... Mr. Vessalius asks that Miss Arberry be taken to your apartment in preparation for tonight's ball... everything she needs has already been delivered..."
"Thank you...", says Gilbert, calming down a little. He grabs my wrist and walks me over to the carriage. "You just don't know WHEN to quit, do you?", he says under his breath. We enter the carriage. He closes the door. I laugh a little and smile.
"Not when there's a Nightray scared of something COMPLETELY harmless!", I say with a smile. Gilbert crosses his arms and looks out the window.

Tonight is the ball, and it seems as though Gilbert and Oz are meeting with someone very important to discuss something significant... who does it pertain to, and why? I guess we will both have to wait and see...