HI ! :) Sorry about the wait, and if the edit/grammar/spelling is sloppy. ( I've been really busy)
Disclaimer: I do not own Pandora Hearts or any of it's characters.
XXXWarmXXX
Gilbert woke up late the next morning; he could have kicked himself for sleeping so hard. He looked down and saw that Oz was still fast asleep. The boy was so close to Gilbert's body that he was practically under him. Gilbert yawned quietly and sat up in bed, taking a minute to gather his bearings before he got up. After fixing the bed so that the covers were over the blond; then he left the room.
Gilbert left the door cracked so he could hear the boy if he called. As he walked to the kitchen he was surprised that the smell of breakfast wasn't in the air. He didn't see Martha or Mrs. Kate running around taking care of house work, nor did he see Oscar. So, he focused his intentions on making a late brunch for Oz.
He always liked making breakfast because it was the epitome of the last part of its name...fast. He perfectly poached four eggs and made some creamy white porridge instead of oatmeal. He then sprinkled sugar on it and diced up two fat strawberries that he placed on the soft fluffy mass in the bowls. He butter some toast and placed everything on the tray; not forgetting the utensils, napkins, and a two cups of freshly squeezed orange juice.
Unlike other breakfast that jolted someone with energy like griddle cakes and syrup with bacon, this breakfast was a type of "comfort" meal, the kind that went down warm and landed heavy on the stomach…A breakfast that left you sleepy and full at the end, not to mention that it got that job done without the cook making anything extravagant.
As he walked down the hall with the tray, he was surprised to find Mrs. Kate standing in Oz's doorway with two suitcases at her side and a handkerchief in her hand. She sniffled and wiped the space under her nose. Gilbert stopped in his tracks and observed the woman, listening to her whimper lightly. When she finally felt his presence watching her, she quickly turned her head away from him and dabbed her watery eyes. She cleared her throat as though she hadn't just been crying and lifted her luggage from the floor before she started heading in his direction. Her eyes were set straight in front of her, and her chin was held high.
"Don't get comfortable," she said in a condescending breath. Those were her last three words to him as she walked passed the raven.
He turned to watch her exit the long hall, and all he could do was ponder on her last words and how ironic they were. She dared to tell him not to get comfortable...when she was the one who had to pack up and relocate. By the look of it, it seemed like she wouldn't be back, at least not for a while.
When he finally brought the food to the boy, he found that Oz was still asleep.
"Oz…"
"..."
Gilbert put the tray on the bedside table and sat on the bed; he caressed the boy's blond hair.
"Oz, it's time for breakfast."
The boy took a minute to open his overly sleepy green eyes and looked up at Gilbert before he looked at the meal next to him. Oz gave a weary smile, "It looks delicious..." he said groggily before rolling away from him and curing up again, "I'll eat it in a few minutes...Ok."
Any other day Gilbert would have laughed off the action, but Oz didn't turn over in fun stubbornness or throw the cover over his head with a laugh. The boy's movements were slow and listless, and Gilbert could also tell that it wasn't only from physical exhaustion.
"You need to eat something, you can sleep after…"
Oz gave a sigh in the pillow, and then he turned over and pushed himself up in bed. Gilbert brought the tray over his knees and when Oz was settled he began to eat.
As Gilbert ate with the boy he noticed that Oz's pace was three notches below normal, and his hand quivered sometimes and made clinking sounds against the bowl. It made Gilbert frown when he saw that Oz's hand was so unsteady that sometimes the porridge and egg yoke would fall from his mouth and run down his chin; Gilbert didn't hesitate to quickly wipe it for him.
His green eyes weren't awake and life-filled…they were only half open and dull.
"This is good..." Oz said as he took another unsteady bite.
Gilbert supposed that Oz wasn't only trying to flatter him since he surprisingly ate all the food...even if it did take a while. When he was finished Gilbert removed the tray from his master's bed and placed it back on the little table. When he looked back at the boy Oz gave him a sight motion with his hand so Gilbert would come to his side. When the raven got close Oz sat up a little more and slid his hand onto the back of Gilbert's neck, lowering Gilbert's head and kissing his cheek; whispering a grateful thank you.
Gilbert's cheeks flushed under Oz's lips and when the blond settled back in bed, he let his hand caress the shell of Gilbert's ear affectionately before he slipped his hand away from the man's face and turned over on his side.
As Gilbert began to silently collect the tray he heard Oz speak.
"Hey, Gil... Did something bad happen last night?" Oz asked distantly, still not facing the raven.
Gilbert swallowed silently, "Not really...you just, weren't feeling well," he lied unevenly, knowing very well that the previous night was horrible, and that if Oz had no recollection of it then he refused to plague him with troublesome reminders...
The bed creaked as the boy turned over to face him, then closed his eyes and rubbed his face against the pillow.
"Then why do I feel like I killed someone?" he opened his sleepy green eyes and stared at the bed sheets. When Gilbert didn't say anything Oz moved his hand to the side of the bed and patted it, wanting the man's warmth to help numb the heaviness in his chest.
Gilbert put the tray down and crawled into the bed getting under the covers and taking Oz into his arms. The boy laid his head on his chest.
"Have you ever seen something moving in a dark room, but when you try to stare at it directly, it disappears?"
Gilbert caressed his back as he spoke, "It happens to me sometimes, but only when I'm really tired. Why do you ask?"
"Well...That's what it feels like. Like the truth is there in my mind but when I try to see it, it disappears."
"You mean the blank spots in your memory?"
Oz nodded against him, "The only thing that's left over is the feeling. That's how I know something bad happened," Oz lifted his head to look at the man, "It makes sense right? I wouldn't feel bad unless I did something I regret. And it's not always regret…at times I feel guilty, and other times it's more like disappointment, or I just feel sad for no reason…Sometimes I think that I could be making the truth disappear myself, because it would hurt too much to know what it is."
Oz sat up, "Are you sure nothing happened? All I remember is..."Oz trailed off then looked down at the bed, "Crying."
Gilbert bit his lip.
"It's always like that...I can recall the last moments of something I did...and sometimes I'll find thing I must have done."
"Like the phone cord?" Gilbert asked.
"You figured that out, huh?" he gave a guilty half smile without looking at the raven.
Gilbert sat up and took the boys face in his hands, then he kissed his lips several times before he spoke, "Whatever's happening to you we'll figure it out...I don't really believe you're doing those things anyway."
"You think it's Jack?"
Gilbert nodded.
"I told you he hasn't said anything to me...but sometimes I think I see what he sees...or what he saw."
"Alice?"
"Yeah…when she was younger."
"Well…There have been times when he's possessed you without warning" he said as a side fact.
"Yeah, but...Why now? Before, he always seemed to have a good reason."
Gilbert shrugged his shoulders, "We just need to find out why he's doing it now…"The raven said, taking the boy back in his arms and holding him close.
-::::::::::-
Gilbert was wide awake, but his body was tired. He lay there with the blond asleep in his arms. It was a lazy Sunday that rendered the house drowsy. It was one of those days that you found yourself appreciating the little things. Like the clean smell of your pillow and the soft feeling of warm blankets covering your body in a chilly room, especially when your mind was free from tending to anything else but rest. It was the type of day that colored the house gray and quiet...peaceful. Yes, that's what Sunday was supposed to be like.
That's until the doorbell rang.
Gilbert dreaded answering it; he wasn't ready to let the world invade their peaceful home. His first thought was that it was Mrs. Kate, but then he thought it was Alice coming back home which would surely throw Oz into a state of confusion again.
When the person started ringing uncontrollably he huffed and got off the bed; surprised that all the noise didn't wake his master. When he walked out of the room he shut the door quietly and hurried to the door to see who it was.
In a very hermit like fashion, Gilbert walked up to the front door and opened it...but only a little bit. When he saw who it was he tried to shut the door again, but Break placed his foot in the way.
"Good Morning!" The mad man said too lively.
"What do you want?" Gilbert asked with annoyance, still refusing to open the door any wider.
"That's a rude way to speak to the person who helped you last night...even though you didn't return the favor," the man said with amusement, "But I'm willing to forgive that since I got Alice back safe... somehow."
"Did you come all the way here to complain about that?" the raven was losing patients.
"As much as I would like to, I actually came here to speak with Oz."
Gilbert's eyes narrowed, "Oz isn't feeling well. I'm not allowing anyone to see him today...or tomorrow," Gilbert tried to shut the door again, but the white haired man wouldn't move his foot.
"May I speak with you, then? This information is quite serious" Break leaned in close and whispered, "I wouldn't want to use alternative methods to enter the house...and you know I won't hesitate to do so" he said with a sparkling high voice and an enthusiastic smile.
Gilbert frowned, "Fine. But I'm not letting you see him."
"Very well."
Gilbert hesitantly opened the door and stepped aside letting the man walk passed him. As they walked down the hall toward the living room, he saw Martha. Break didn't hesitate to ask the girl to "be a dear" and get them some tea. By the time they settled into the living room, the girl had already brought the tea tray with two cups and a steaming porcelain kettle. She also bought a small pie, forks, and a few saucers with her.
"What is this about?" Gilbert finally asked lighting a cigarette, crossing his legs, and leaning back comfortably in the couch as he put his free arm across the top of it.
Break twirled his spoon in his tea before taking a sip, "I'm sure you're not oblivious to what's been going on with Oz, since you are the one who discovered what he was doing with Alice last night."
Break looked back up and caught the raven nodding in agreement.
Break sighed and continued, "I have a tentative theory about his behavior, but it would be far easier to confirm it if I speak to him myself," the man's red eye gleamed with serious anticipation as he spoke, but Gilbert held fast.
"You can speak to him when he's feeling better. For now, I'll make sure to let him know what you think," he said, lightly tapping the ash off the tip of his cigarette and into the small tray on the table.
Break gave a defeated side nod. He knew getting passed Gilbert was going to be difficult; the man was like a damn fortress when it came to Oz, "Well then, I'll get to the point so I don't waste any more of your time."
Even though he said that, he still took three minutes to drink some more of his tea, and eat some of the black berry pie off of his plate. It took Gilbert to clear his throat loudly in order for the man to get back to business.
With a large huff and the lowering of his small plate, Break began. "I suspect that Oz is being partially possessed by Jack."
"Partially?" the raven responded with critical eyes and smoke traveling through his nose.
"Maybe a better word is emotionally. According to Alice, Oz's personality is not completely absent when he's with her, it's only altered. So that means one of two things: Jack can either mimic Oz's voice and mannerisms perfectly...or Jack's whole personally isn't what's been coming to the forefront."
"Then what is it?"
"His feelings...and maybe a bit of his memories. At first I thought it was a full possession, a very sophisticated one, but then I found that somewhat absurd since from what I hear about Jack, he wasn't that conniving and underhanded."
"Oz isn't either!" the raven said defensively.
Break held up a hand to calm the man, "I didn't say he was...but that doesn't mean he lacks the potential to get that way."
"What are you saying?" Gilbert said with a bit of spite. His crossed leg began to shake impatiently.
"I'm saying that whatever Jack feels for Alice has become so strong that it's shutting down pieces of Oz's rationale."
Break gave Gilbert a minute to take in the information before he continued.
"Let say that Jack has a minimal level of awareness within Oz, and that he could observe Alice whenever he wanted. Who's to say that he hasn't fallen in love with her over the time that she's come back from the Abyss. After all… she's no longer the young girl that he probably remembers."
Gilbert sighed and nodded, it made sense…
"The key to this is that because Alice is connected to Oz through the contract, Jack can still enjoy her closeness to a degree. And maybe with the progression of the seal, the intensity of the feelings might have also increased."
"If that's the reason then this should have started happening before."
"Not necessarily. The difference now is that everything has become complicated."
"In what way?"
"For one, Oz's relationship with you differs from what many people thought was exclusively Alice's fate with him. His feelings for you probably threw Jack off as well...but it doesn't mean that Jack's feelings changed. But that's not the only complication..." he smiled, and picked up his tea, "Alice is also in a relationship with someone other than Oz, so Jack can't "have" her anymore. I think to a certain extent Jack was expecting to benefit from Oz's relationship with her...but it didn't happen that way."
The white haired man sipped his tea and sighed sadly before he continued.
"The problem is...I don't know if Jack's emotions have literally taken on a mind of their own and developed into a "middle" personality, or if it just becomes so overwhelming to Oz that he doesn't realize that he's letting them control his behavior. Either way, it's clear that the main goal is to satisfy the desire to have Alice's affection back, so it doesn't hurt anymore."
"Wait, if Oz's is trying to satisfy Jack's feelings, why wouldn't Jack try to stop Oz from hurting her?...if he loves her so much."
Break took a sip of his tea and looked up at the ceiling apathetically,"I thought about that too...and the only thing I can come up with is that he's either choosing to be ignorant, or he's deeply depressed to the point that he's having a hard time dealing with everything. But that depression can be evoking Oz even more...making him go to an even larger extent to get rid of it. Hence, the attempted rape that took place last night," Break looked back in time to see Gilbert cringe at the word.
Break continued, "And of course... there's always the possibility that Jack is allowing Oz to act out in hopes that the boy succeeds in reclaiming Alice, which can mean that the contract has distorted Jack's judgment as well. But the only way I could see Jack benefiting from that is if he chooses to fully possess Oz the moment the boy succeeds."
Break noticed that Gilbert looked lost and distant, "You look upset, you should be happy that Oz's true emotions aren't the ones in question."
Gilbert sighed, "What about a few days ago? Oz was able to remember being with her, and he could even justify it when I was suspicious," The raven looked back at him "How do you know all of this isn't just Oz being unsure of his own feelings?"
Break laughed, "Are you that insecure, Gilbert?" Gilbert blushed at the question, "Do you think Oz would have, how did you say it last night?...'did sex with you' if he wasn't really sure he wanted to?"
Gilbert's blush deepened.
"Look at last week as the beginning stages. The change in him most likely happened the moment he felt that Alice was acting strangely, which made Jack realize that as well. I think Oz was trying his best to consciously balance out both his feelings and Jack's, writing off Jack's suspicion and jealousy as his own concern for her safety. But when Alice moved father out of reach it became more severe."
Break quickly finished his pie in a few accurate bites, "At this rate I fear that this "middle personality" will either get smarter or more desperate, and less able to control its impulses."
"What are we supposed to do now? How do I get Oz back to normal?"
Break laughed darkly, "Has he ever been normal?"
"This isn't funny, Break…" Gilbert said angrily.
"Well, has he been abnormal when he's with you?"
"He's fine when it's just us"
Break placed his plate on the table and leaned back on the couch, "That reminds me...Alice said something striking. She told me that when you're involved in any way that he seems to revert back to himself, did you witness this?"
Gilbert nodded.
Break gave a "humm" sound, "I don't know how long that's going to hold up, though."
"What do you mean?"
"You said he saw you at the ball last night...but he ignored you. That's a sign that this is progressing, soon you might not be able to bring him back."
Gilbert didn't want to hear that. He got up and began pacing, hands going to his forehead as if it would help him concentrate, "...There has to be something that can be done..." He paused at the fireplace and let his elbow rest on the marble ledge as he mumbled out a possibility, "If we could only get rid of that damn seal..."
"And where does that leave Alice?" Break raised an angry brow, "If we get rid of the seal we risk condemning her back to the Abyss."
Gilbert snapped his head in the man's direction, "And if we don't were leaving Oz to get mentally ruined, the seal was going to have to get removed anyway."
"You're being selfish." Break pointed out.
"And you're not? She's a chain Break...she's was going to have to go back eventually. You know that."
"Gilbert, I'm very disgusted with your insensitivity..."
"Alright then, maybe she doesn't have to go back. What about what that man said, can't you confirm if chains can find other contractors?"
"We don't know if that's true or not, and I won't let Alice be the first test subject." Break stood up, "There are other ways to deal with Jack...and until we find those ways tying to break the seal is out of the question."
"At least think about it! If she finds another contractor then she's free from Oz for good...you won't have to worry about him coming after her."
"I wouldn't allow that regardless. What you mean to say is that you won't have to worry about him being unfaithful."
With those words Gilbert opened his mouth to retort, but then he closed it. The raven's features soften with new shame…because he knew Break was right.
-::::::::::-
Break could tell that Gilbert was happy to finally escort him out the house, but...Break wasn't exactly ready to leave. He stayed four feet behind the man as they walked down the long hall and kept his eyes on each door they passed. If he remembered correctly, Oz's room would be coming up...
It was a stroke of luck that he heard a rustling sound coming from behind one of the doors, and then, "Gil…are you out there..?" Break and Gilbert stopped walking at the same time. Break watched Gilbert look back at him as if he could read Break's thoughts, but it was too late. Break dashed for the bedroom door so quickly that Gilbert took a step back at the share speed that Break exerted while he ran passed the raven and into the room; slamming the door behind him.
"BREAK! Open the door! OPEN IT!" Gilbert said frantically while jiggling the knob; but Break quickly locked it.
Break smirked at the relentless effort that Gilbert was using to open the door. It was funny to hear all the cursing that the raven was doing and the threats he was making about "If you touch him...blah blah blah." Break blocked it out and turned to the boy that was wide eyed in the bed. He walked toward him as the sound on the other side of the door concluded with a three harsh kicks and then silence.
"Break, what's going on?" Oz said with confusion, flinching when Break's hand connected with his forehead.
"Hum…I don't feel a fever. Tell me Oz, do you like being catered to, or do you want to help Gilbert feel useful by playing sick for him?"
"I'm not sick. Gil wants me to rest today," Oz said, as he looked down at the blankets.
Break removed his hand and sat on the side of the bed, half noticing that Gilbert was being extremely quiet out in the hall...which was a bad sign.
"I don't mean to be rude, but why did you come here?" the blond asked looking up at the man who was staring into space.
Break turned to look at him, "I just wanted to inform you that because of what happened, I think it's only wise for you to keep your distance from Alice, at least until you have more control over the situation."
What is he talking about...
Break got up and looked out the window next to the bed, "If you really need to see her, then I'll allow supervised visits. Meaning either Gilbert or I would have to be present for the duration of the time you're with her."
Oz clutched at the blankets as his mind wrapped around what the man was saying, "Isn't that...a bit extreme?" He noticed that his words sparked a bit of repressed rage in the man; although, it was contained.
"Gilbert didn't tell you?" Break said calmly, even though his features contradicted his reserved stance.
"Tell me what?"
As if on cue the bedroom door crashed open, revealing an angry flustered raven with a key in his hand, Gilbert was breathing heavy as he walked deeper into the room, "Get Out!" he yelled at Break, pointing at the door, " Get Out Now!"
Break sighed. He turned his body around and leaned his back against the windowsill; folding his arms, "You make it sound like I was in here assaulting him."
Assault...The word traveled through Oz's ears and struck something in his skull. His eyes widened and his hand slowly went to his forehead as if a headache had just attacked him.
"I raped her...?" he said, his voice sounded far away as his fearful eyes turned to rest on Gilbert.
Gilbert looked over at the boy who was going ridged with shock. Then the raven turned his furious eyes on Break, "See what you did! He was fine until you got here, he was just fine!" Gilbert walked over toward the bed.
As soon as Gilbert was close enough Oz grabbed at the man's arm and looked up at him, "Gil, did I rape her?" Oz asked, desperately needing an answer.
Gilbert shook his head and stooped down beside the bed so he was at Oz's level, "...You didn't," he said softly, trying to move some of the blond's bangs out of his eyes.
"But you did try," Break chimed in, causing Gilbert and Oz to look at him, "And you would have succeeded if Gilbert never showed up."
Gilbert sighed in defeat when Oz looked back at him, "Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you say anything when I asked you?" Oz said angrily.
"I wanted to wait until you got some more rest...I didn't want to make you upset again," Gilbert's eyes never met the boy's when he spoke.
"Damn it, Gil!" Oz turned away from the man and abruptly got out of bed.
"Oz-"
"I have to see her, I need to apologize," Oz open his top dresser draw looking for a shirt to wear.
Gilbert stood up, "Oz, it can wait. You should finish resting today."
Oz stopped rummaging through his clothes, seeming to consider the request, then he mumbled "I can't" and continued looking through his draw.
"Oz..."
"Would you clarify why he needs rest today," Break asked, causing Gilbert to turn his head in the man's direction.
"In case you haven't noticed he looks exhausted. You said it yourself, if Jack's suffering it's affecting Oz's body...and you barging in here and pointing a finger at him isn't helping either."
"You do realize that Oz is not the only victim in this situation...how do you think Alice feels?" Break said, causing Gilbert to let out a sigh that clearly showed that he really didn't care about that.
"She probably hates me...and I don't blame her," Oz finally said, bring the attention back on him. He held his clothes close to his chest as he finished, "But even if she does, I have to let her know that I'm sorry."
"I suggest that you write her a letter instead. She may not be ready to see you so soon." Break advised.
"But-"
"You do want what's best for her, right?" the white haired man prompted.
After a minute, Oz nodded. His voice cracked slightly when he pushed a broken "yes" past the growing apple in his throat. He swallowed hard, blinking his tears back into his eyes. And even though not a single tear fell he still saw Gilbert walking over to him. The man took the clothes out of Oz's arms and placed them on the bed. Then he turned back to the boy and embraced him, kissing the top of his head as he did so.
Oz knew Gilbert could see through his fake smiles, but he didn't know the man was that knee to know that he was on the edge of an emotion breaking down, especially when Gilbert had been on the other side of the room. It was almost like he could smell the developing tears in his eyes; the way one could smell the rain coming before it fell.
Oz didn't know if he wanted to cry because somewhere inside him Jack realized he couldn't see Alice anymore or...if he ,Oz Vessalius, was sad that he most likely lost a dear friend. And was it possible that they could be crying at the same time for different reasons?...just using the same eyes to do it.
When Gilbert felt Oz convulse slightly, he knew the tears were about to start, "Break, I think you should go now," he said softly with his back turned.
"You're right...this scene is reminding me of the other person who needs comforting right now. Well then, call me when you're ready to make a plan of action to resolve this matter."
Gilbert's jaw clenched before he spoke, "I don't think we'll need much of your assistance," Gilbert turned his head to look at the man, "On second thought, when you're ready to help us remove the seal... then give me a call."
Break chuckled, "If that's how it is, then don't wait by the phone," he said as he walked out the bedroom door; taking the easy Sunday atmosphere with him.
OOO
Alice sat in the flower garden in the back of the Rainsworth estate. She had been up for two hours. When she woke up, she was instantly aware that there were no warm arms around her, and instead of Break sharing the bed with her, there was only Emily left by her side. She found a note next to the bed on a rolling cart with a covered meal next to it. It read:
I went out for a few hours; I'll be back by mid-afternoon.
-X. Break
P.S. Feel free to eat 'till your heart's content.
At the bottom of the note there was a big heart, even though the note made her roll her eyes, she still read it several times as she sat in the garden with the note in one hand and Emily in the other.
When she wasn't think about how much she wished the man would have stayed home with her that day, she was pondering on everything that had happened over that last week. And even though it hurt to think about certain things…she made pretend that it didn't.
A week ago, she would have never thought she would be sitting there like that, waiting for Break to come back to her. Most likely she would be sitting in the library eating something and watching Oz read one of his boring books, or she would be in her room taking a nap since there wasn't anything else to do.
As her thoughts dipped onto different roads of recent memories, she barely noticed the sound of padded footsteps approaching her. She didn't need to look back to know who it was.
"Where were you?" She said, still facing the roses instead of the white haired man.
"Around," he said lightly as he sat down next to her in the grass.
"Chee" Alice pushed the annoyed sound between her teeth and turned further away from him.
He took the letter from her hand and then placed his hand upon hers, "I take it you don't like that answer."
"It wasn't a good answer," she said, fixing her hand more tightly in his despite her cold attitude. After a minute she spoke.
"You went to go see him?"
"…I did."
"You didn't have to do that," she said softly.
"I wanted to."
Alice turned to stare at him, and in an instant Break found arms around his neck and his back hit the ground as Alice literally threw herself at him. The air in his lungs was practically knocked out of him; but he still wrapped his arms around the girl.
"Alice..." he said out of bewilderment since the girl's actions came out of nowhere.
"Why didn't you wake me up before you left?" she said with emotional strain in her voice.
"...Is that what this is about?" He gave a light laugh that vibrated throughout both of their bodies as they lay there. "Would you have let me leave if I woke you up?"
She buried her face deeper in his neck and didn't answer.
For a while they continued to lie in the grass in silence. Break stoked her hair with his fingertips, and inhaled her sweet cinnamon like sent that was mixing with the smell of roses in the garden. He looked up at the semi gray sky; the same sky that didn't quite recover from the violent cloud rage of the previous night.
"Would you feel better if I agreed to wake you up next time?"
He felt her nodded against his chest, and then he shifted them to the side so that he was facing her. He held his head on his hand and used his other hand to caress her cheek. Her amethyst eyes were somewhat wary, but they were still at ease as they looked deeply into his red eye. And yes, there was still pain in those purple orbs even though she was trying to hide it. Slowly, he allowed his hand to descend down her neck and then rest over her heart.
"Does it hurt?" he asked quietly.
She looked down toward his hand and after a moment shook her head.
"Not when we're like this," She whispered, snuggling back up with him.
He gave a heart fluttering smile "Good," he said as a simple response. He kissed her forehead and held her tightly.
"I was thinking that it would be nice to do something today?"
"Like what?"
"Like getting your music box fixed, and perhaps have a nice lunch in town."
She looked up at him, "…Really?"
He nodded and for the first time in days he saw her give him one of those beautiful smiles. It was then that he was reminded why Jack was still hung up over her…and why the man was in that much pain over losing her. Break remembered Oz saying how Alice was his sun…bright and radiant. And now….and now, that sun was his. She kissed his lips with a delicate peck and wrapped her arms around him again.
"You're very affectionate when you miss me...maybe I should leave more often."
She used her knee to give his thigh a harsh nudge, "Don't even joke about that..." She said threateningly in his chest; making the man laugh lightly as he rubbed the bruised area on his leg.
XXX
As much as he didn't want to, Oz had sent Gilbert way from him. As soon as Break left the boy removed his hold on the older male and turned his back, requesting "alone time". It was times like that that made Oz feel guilty, forgetting that Gilbert was really sensitive to that kind of rejection. But, unlike other times in the past he didn't fall to his knees in question or cry out multiple pleads to stay in the room… ultimately causing Oz to change his mind.
But none of that meant that he left without verbal resistance and a heartbroken disposition.
Oz needed to think. He needed to consider everything that was happening and what he could possibly do about it. There was an underlying fear in him as well, along with the sadness, and the guilt, there was fear. And he knew it was his own fear...because behind every annoying thought and possible solution was the poking possibility that it wasn't him thinking that way.
For example, every time he wanted to disregard Break's request to leave Alice alone and still go apologize to her, he wondered if it was really him, or was it Jack's tainted feelings trying to justify a reason to go see her? He didn't know...and that's why after two hours, he called Gilbert back in the room.
The man stood in the closed doorway looking relieved, as if he had been let off punishment, or proven innocent after a heavy accusation. And after ten minutes of Gilbert trying to apologize again for not telling Oz about Alice...Oz silenced him and they sat on the bed trying to figure out what to do.
Gilbert sighed, "Maybe that man can help us." he said reluctantly.
"Who?"
"The Fortune Teller. I still don't like him, but he seems like the kind of person that would know what to do about this."
"Yeah...maybe..." Oz said, looking blankly over toward his door.
They sat in a brief silence before Gilbert got up.
"I'm going to head over there. It should only take a few hours."
"I'm coming with you," Oz said quickly.
"Oz-"
"Don't tell me that I need rest. I feel unproductive if I'm just sitting around letting everyone else figure this out for me," he said sadly.
"But-"
Oz got up and rested his forehead on Gilbert's chest, "Besides…Don't you think we've been separated for long enough?"
Gilbert didn't dare challenge that, it was the truth after all.
-::::::::-
After Oz got dressed he and Gilbert left the house together. He shook his head when Gilbert felt it necessary to bring a thick blanket with them, insisting that Oz try to rest even on the way to town. For a quarter of the trip Gilbert would lift the blanket and offer it to Oz, and each time Oz refused it. Until the last time when Oz took it out of frustration and wrapped it around himself. When he looked at Gilbert the man seemed satisfy, but he must have been even happier when he saw that Oz's was actually dozing off.
An hour and a half later they reached the town, and Gilbert decided to leave Oz sleeping and go to see the man by himself. The carriage driver parked on a side alley in the center of town and Gilbert set out in the location of the black booth that he remembered was in the small court yard past the tobacco store.
This time, the black booth stood alone. There were no people around to watch jugglers, or magicians doing card tricks, it was quiet and a few pigeons pecked their beaks in between the cracks of the cobbles stones looking for scraps of something to eat. The wind tapped at the leaves on the ground enough to annoy them and flip them over, and the busyness of people seemed to be restricted to the center of town.
Gilbert walked up to the booth and knocked on the wooden part, hoping the man was in there. After a moment the curtain moved to the side.
"Can I help you?" the man said, looking Gilbert over. The man wasn't dressed in a creepy black cloak, and his voice was different. He was dressed in a plain blue shirt and some black slacks. Gilbert was quickly able to deduce that it wasn't the same man.
"..Are you here for a reading?" the man asked, snapping the raven away from his thoughts.
"ah… no. I'm looking for another fortune teller that's here. I have to speak with him."
The man laughed, "Well, I might be able to help you out. Come in." The man disappeared behind the curtain and Gilbert followed. It was much brighter in the room than what Gilbert remembered. He stood near the entrance and watched the man sit at the table; he was in the process of putting a deck of graphic cards back into a box with a carving on it.
"Where's the man that used to be here?" he asked looking around.
The man looked frustrated by Gilbert's question, "He recently relocated. There are many of us that travel from town to town, so it isn't rare for someone new to take over an abandon location."
"Do you know where he is?"
The man shrugged, "I don't know, but I'm sure I can help you out. What's the problem?"
Gilbert wasn't sure it was even worth telling the man, since he may have not been as authentic as the last one, but he supposed it wouldn't hurt, "My master's being possessed by someone. The man who used to be here, he predicted that this would happen. I thought he'd be able to help."
"Possessed, huh? How do you know that's what it is?" he asked.
"It's hard to explain...But we know that's what's going on."
"Have you been to a church?"
Gilbert's brow knitted in brief confusion before he realized what the man was getting at, "It's not that kind of possession, Jack's not a demon."
"Oh, so this person has a name," the man said somewhat sarcastically.
Gilbert nodded.
"Have you been to a doctor?"
Gilbert suppressed a wave of annoyance, "My master's not 'sick'..."
The man didn't look convinced, he got up and with his brows raised in a hopeless I don't know what to tell you type of look on his face as he placed the carved box back on a small shelf, "Well, I don't specialize in that, I'm not sure any fortune teller does. But there are some people that can help."
The raven's eyes filled with hope, "Who?"
The man looked through a book that he had and retrieved a paper, walking over to Gilbert and handing it to him, "They call themselves the Ministry of Freedom. It would take a week or so to get there but if you can make the trip it might be worth it."
Gilbert looked over the paper; it had an address written there, "What do they do?"
The man shrugged, "Various things, their main building is that address right there," he nodded toward the paper, "I ran into them a few times and they recommended that I refer people to them if I came across a story like yours."
"...Are they trustworthy?" the raven said finally.
The man gave a laugh, "Out of all the people I met on my travels they're the nicest. They take pride in helping the troubled. And most of their work is done for free. Don't worry; your master will be well cared for."
"Umm...Thank you," Gilbert said as he looked back at the paper.
"It's no problem. These types of things happen to the best of us," the man smiled.
Gilbert nodded, "Have a good day," he said before he left the booth, he heard the man say something about contacting them for Gilbert to let them know to expect him. And then the man disappeared back behind the curtain.
Before Gilbert went back to the carriage he stopped at the tobacco store and picked up some cigarettes. Then he walked over to a bench to have one.
For some reason, he was unsettled. Even though he had some information about more people that could help them, it all seemed sketchy. The man in the booth was far too vague and Gilbert hated that. Then again, the raven may have not been asking the right questions. He couldn't place it, but, something about what the man said bothered him. It could have been the language he used to explain what these people do; or lack of it. And the fact that they even had a building was odd. There couldn't have been that many people with Oz's situation that the people needed an actual building to support them all.
He raised his chin to the sky and huffed out a smoke cloud, then rolled his head across his shoulders to work out the stress in his muscles. After one last pull of his cigarette he got up and started walking. He knew he was going to have to take a risk with this one. He didn't like taking risk but for Oz's sake he had to do whatever he could. And if that meant taking a week's trip with Oz just to check out whether the people were legitimate than so be it.
-::::::::-
Oz was woken by a mix of noises, people laughing and talking, horse huffs hitting the ground, and people coughing. He threw the blankets off of him and looked around the carriage. Gilbert wasn't in there. After a moment of orientating himself to the situation, Oz opened the carriage and stepped out
He was familiar with the alley that he was in, and as he walked out of it he noticed the carriage driver was snoozing in the front. He didn't bother the man and continued to walk out to the main street. Even though it was Sunday it was still buzzing with people. Oz knew he shouldn't have left the carriage but he didn't just want to sit there. However, he was only able to take a few steps away from the alley before he was stopped in his tracks by the sight before him.
Up ahead he saw Break and Alice coming out of the repair shop, although they did not see him. Break had a bag in his hand, and when the couple stood in front of the store he saw Alice take the bag and lift out the music box. She opened it and looked it over several times, and each time that she did her smile grew wider.
He watched her stand there with a solid smile on her face, not the malevolent kind, nor the haughty kind that he was so used to seeing...but the real kind. It was the type of smile that HE used to get out of her, the smile that made her his sun. Radiant and beautiful, bright and warm...and now, it was being shown to someone else...no, someone else had caused it.
Break caused it.
And it only got worst. Break said something that made her sweet laughter followed right after and Oz clutched at his chest as he saw the white haired man give her cheek a long peck and then take her hand kindly as they began to walk away from the repair shop.
Something in him was screaming and making his heart slam against his frosted ribs with a force of a thousand impatient waves. He fell to his knees, wanting to run so badly, run to them and grab Alice's hand...take her far away from Break. But his legs wouldn't move as they lay bent beneath him on the ground and his hands tugged on his white shirt…wrinkling the neatly pressed fabric. He let his eyes fall to the ground in an unfocused fashion, and his body trembled. Oz didn't even notice the people that walked passed him and whispered baffled words about why he was kneeling in the middle of the street.
-:::::::::-
When Gilbert found Oz, the boy's mind was somewhere else. He had to lift Oz from the ground and carry him to the carriage and when they rode back home Oz was unable to tell him what had happened. Oz didn't say anything to him. A fear was growing in Gilbert that made his mind race with a million possibilities as to what happened while he was gone for those few minutes, but Oz refused to confirm any of his questions even when he asked.
It was one of those situations where Gilbert wanted to shake Oz, tell him to snap out of it. Yes, it was a somewhat selfish thought, but it was coming from the perspective of a devoted lover...and not a servant; Gilbert couldn't help but feel that way.
When they got back home Gilbert thought it would be best to make the boy an early dinner, run him a bath, and send him off to bed. For a while Gilbert noticed that Oz would stop and stare at Alice's bedroom door whenever he passed by it in the hall. But, after almost force feeding the blond and preparing his bath, Gilbert thought the boy had gone back to normal. Oz was talking a little more and requesting Gilbert to be with him in the room, but Gilbert wasn't expecting what happened next.
By late evening Gilbert had left Oz awake in the bed so he could make them some tea. When he was done, he walked through the dark hall with the tea in one hand and a lit candle in the other. He was startled to make out a figure standing in the darkest part of the hallway closet to the wall. The person didn't move. When he got closer he saw that it was Oz standing in front of Alice's bedroom door, resting his forehead against it.
When the boy failed to move from the spot, Gilbert called his name. After a moment Oz slowly turned his head to look at the man, and the raven quickly realized...that he was not dealing with "his" Oz at that moment. The look Oz was giving him was murderous. His eye's were hard and a burning dark green. Gilbert never thought that the boy would shift like that with Alice no where in sight.
"Oz" Gilbert swallowed hard. "..I...made you some tea-"
"Why'd you lock it?" he said, turning back and looking at the door.
"I…Think that you should t-try and get some sleep now, Oz."
"Why'd you lock this door, Gilbert?" the boys voice never waved, cracked or faltered, it was stern and cold. It also didn't get past Gilbert that Oz didn't call him Gil.
"I-I'm sorry." Gilbert said quietly.
Oz mumbled something incoherent and walked past Gilbert to get to his own room. Gilbert followed, but when they got there the door was slammed in his face…and locked.
"Oz!" Gilbert called on the other side of the door.
"..Go away."
Soon, you might not be able to bring him back. Break's words rang in his head as he stood there speechless and confused. Gilbert only left the boy for ten minutes…and he shifted that quickly. Gilbert was truly afraid…what extent would he have to go to, to get Oz to shift back? And what was the time limit as to how long they could be separated…before a shift took place? Gilbert didn't know…but what he did know was that he needed to get Oz back into the right mind and do it quickly.
OOO
It was a late evening by the time Break had finally settled back in the house with Alice. He had bought her a few new things while they were out, and he watched the girl unpacked everything and nestle her belongings next to Break's without hesitation. He was glad she didn't hesitate to make herself at home because that's the way he wanted it to be.
He watched her store her clothes in his closet, hanging dresses on hangers and placing undergarments in the dresser draw blow his shirts. She positioned her music box on the dresser so she could admire it everyday she woke up in the room.
In any other household it would be considered uncustomary to have an unwed couple sharing a room so quickly, but the people who made the customs didn't know Break, and they most certainly didn't know Alice. Also meaning, that even if she had her own space...by nightfall they would end up snuggling together…and they both knew that.
While she tweaked the room to her liking, Break made his way to the living room where Sharon was. Sharon sat on a small blue sofa and engaged in some light reading while Break drank some tea and consumed chocolate cake while reading the Sunday paper he picked up in town. The dim candle light made the room a warm shade of soft orange and the sound of pages turning caused invisible paper cuts to slice through the thin silence.
After a while, Sharon put her book on her lap and looked over to her servant who looked bored with whatever he was reading.
"Liam called while you were out."
"..um. And what did he want?" he asked without looking up from his paper
"He was calling from headquarters. He said that there's going to be a dinner taking place in a few days."
"Really...," he said, only half listening.
"Yes...in your honor," she smiled brightly and got up.
"Come again...?" he asked, seeking clarification on her words. She basically twirled over to the confused man.
"That's right!" she clapped, "He wanted to tell you himself but...I just couldn't wait!"
"Why in the world would they want to do something that pointless?" he asked ambivalently.
"…For the promotion, silly. Don't tell me you've forgotten."
He sighed, "I was never interested in that. I thought it was just a rumor."
"Well it's not! This means you're in charge of what Pandora focuses on for research, no more waiting around for leads. You can do as much investigating on whatever you want."
"I was doing that anyway..." he said as a side comment.
"But now you'll have more help; it will get done quicker. You can have Sablier figured out by the end of the year if everything goes smoothly"
Break's only response was a "hum" sound.
"You don't seem happy about this, Break." She said almost threateningly.
"I'm flattered. But I think I'm going to decline the offer" he said while rolling up his paper.
Sharon was flabbergasted, "You're kidding...This is what you've worked so hard for, why would you-"
"There are too many nosy backstabbers in Pandora. They'll be watching my every move waiting for a slip up so they can move in and do their own research. If I take the position, that's an invitation for someone to try to exploit Alice" he sighed, "I don't want to risk that."
"It's not like anyone knows about you and Alice already...we're good at keeping secrets."
He chuckled, "Then I guess I lost my touch."
"Someone knows...who?"
"Rufus Barma." He watched her eyes widen, "He's plotting something; I can smell it. If he tells anyone about our relationship, Alice will be in danger and I'll be kicked out of Pandora."
She thought to herself for a moment, "What about the seals?..If you don't take the position to learn about Sablier…at least take it for the sake of your health. You can step down after you find that out."
"You have a point," he said.
"See..."
Before Break could continue considering the idea Alice appeared in the doorway. Sharon and Break turned to see her wearing her new white night gown. She leaned her shoulder against the doorway.
"I'm going to bed," she said looking at Sharon briefly before she let her eyes rest on Break. Break could tell that she was using code language which translated into: I don't want to sleep alone, so hurry up and get in there, Break smiled.
"I'll be in there in a minute," he said happily.
Alice smirked and started walking away.
"Good night, Alice," Sharon said warmly.
"Night," the girl said back as she gave a slight wave.
After she walked away, Sharon sighed and turned to Break who was still looking at the doorway with soft eyes.
"I'm happy for you." she said. A genuine smile graced her lips, "I don't think I ever seen you this at peace before."
He looked back at her, "I don't think I ever have been...until now."
Sharon giggled and grabbed his hands in excitement, "Well, all that's left is making a few bundles of joy so that-"
"-So that you can steal each one of them for yourself," he laughed " If you're that obsessed with playing mother then call up and make arraignments with him. He'd be happy to-"
SLAP!
Ok...so, lets look at the first 10 chapters as the "building of relationships, minor conflicts, and the discovery of Oz's problem" and now the next chapters will be about fixing Oz and keeping Break and Alice 'hush hush' plus more LOL. I love it! Man...there's many surprises in this..good surprises ;-D ( and to all of you keen readers I've been dropping many clues throughout this whole story about one of them XD ) anyway, I'm hella excited to start this new "season" of this fic. Stay tuned. Oh and yes, there will be more Ozbert lemons in this but not for a few chapters, and of course the Brealice lemons. Actually, there's an official Brealice lime in the next chapter YEAH Finally.
P.S. If you don't see any updates for a month...I'm still around it's just because I have 5 heavy classes, a job, I'm trying to study abroad in the spring so I'm running around taking care of paper work :) and I'll be volunteering throughout the semester...so I'm swamped...but I'll try to update at least once a month. Kay :D
Thanks for reading,
Rage.