It took awhile. But I baked those Ozbert cookies. XD I think I could stand to improve the recipe…I was expecting uber flavor considering all the crap that went into them, but in the end (and even with some adjustments) it came out as a sort of…blueberry cake cookie with subtle hints of the other flavors. It's actually fairly tasty, I would make it again, I just think it can be improved upon XD I did sneak in some honey and maple syrup to try to get rid of the blandness. I don't understand how the chocolate and peanut butter got muted out so much but oh well. XD In the end, I'd give them a 6 ½ on the yummy scale. I considered making a recipe fic of Gil or Oz making them (for the other, of course) sort of a 'Cooking With..." but I dunno if that's yummy enough for that. XD Tasty, but maybe not fanfic tasty, dig? XD

"Can I trust that you'll actually go to sleep now, Oz?" Gilbert asked as he leaned against the door way and regarded his master with a faintly lifted brow.

Oz huffed. "Gil is being so arrogant for a servant. How mean. But yes, if you must know. I'm done having adventures for tonight." he announced with a faint grin at his servant. In truth, he was immensely relieved. If he and Gilbert had ended the night on a fight again…well…he wasn't certain what he might have done.

Break had sent Gilbert and Oz off to bed and headed off to take care of his own matters. He'd given them much to think about. If Lucero was the heir, did he know it? And if so, what did that mean for Sharon?

"Oz Vessalius of the white, I swear myself to your service, in body and soul, in mind and heart. My life is yours, my being your vessel. My magic is yours to command. I swear this, Lucero Alaciel Dare, this bond by blood and word, my eternal vow."

And what did that mean for Oz? He was surprised Gilbert hadn't shot Lucero right then and there, but ah, he didn't have his guns on him, did he? Lucero had called him strange, but Oz felt that that was a great example of the pot calling the kettle black.

Oz climbed onto the couch with a faint sigh, and as he lay back he blinked in surprise as he was covered with a blanket. "Gil.."

"Get some sleep. You've had a long few days." Gilbert murmured.

Oz frowned and sat up a bit to close his fist around a bit of Gilbert's shirt as he tugged it lightly. "Me? It's you I'm worried about." he huffed. "Becoming a bird…and you call me troublesome." Gilbert didn't reply and Oz added. "You're worth it to, you know." a faint blush darkened his cheeks in the dim moonlight. "Pain. And trouble…and putting up with having such a sissy for a servant…you're worth it."

Golden eyes widened in astonishment. Surely Hell had frozen over. Oz was practically an emotional wreck this evening, compared to his usual nature. Did this mean he really was worried, or did he think he still needed to get Gilbert to forgive him? "Is that right..?" he murmured with a slight chuckle as he gently pushed Oz back down before he ruffled his young master's hair lightly. "I won't lock my door. If you need anything…"

"Then I'll be sure to wake you up extra loud, Gil! As usual!" Oz chimed and grinned up at Gilbert as he released the other's shirt.

"Wake seaweed head up all you want…but stop waking me up." Alice growled from the bed and Oz chuckled lightly.

"Night, Gil." Oz said as he poked Gilbert's hand lightly as a return gesture of affection. Gilbert smiled faintly as he lifted.

"Good night, Oz." Gilbert said before he left the room. Once in the hallway, his smile slipped as he stared ahead on the way to his room. Today had been strange in any number of ways, but the fact that someone else had now sworn themselves to Oz's service did nothing to ease his agitation. The thought of Oz bestowing his favor on someone else like that…of someone else holding his prized position…

Before he'd known what he was doing, Gilbert slammed a fist into the nearest wall-startled when his fist went through said wall and let a fist-shaped hole. "Shit." Gilbert cursed as he scowled through his surprise. The perfect ending to such a night, eh? He'd have to fix that later…and for the second time as he went to bed, Gilbert could have sworn he heard the faint jingle of bells…

"Break! Oz and that stupid rabbit, they're gone!"

Morning had come and brought a stream of sunlight in through the window to the tired Gilbert. His sleep had been troubled and he'd awoken earlier than usual, but laid in bed long after the sunlight had passed over his bed. Oz, on the other hand, had not come out yet. Nor the stupid rabbit (little that Gilbert cared) and when he'd taken a look in Oz's room…he'd found neither.

A quick search of likely places had provided no answers and an anxious Gilbert found his way to Break who seemed infinitely amused.

"The bird-brain hasn't checked the library yet, has he?" Emily tsked.

"Now, now. I'm sure Gilbert-kun hadn't expected his master to be so studious so early…" Break smiled.

"Studious…Oz is in the library?" Gilbert couldn't think of a reason for Oz's sudden interest in the library at this early hour.

"What was it he said, Emily?" Break queried with a pretend confusion.

" 'I'm going to see if I can find answers for Gil in the library, it's a start, anyway' is what he said."

"What a good memory, Emily!" Break praised and Emily seemed to fawn.

Gilbert blinked in surprise. Oz's early study session…was an attempt to help him? "Oz.."

"Even Miss Alice is helping Oz-kun, surprising, isn't it? I think she's worried about Gilbert-kun too, right, Emily?"

"Just like the bird brain worries about her all the time as well…he just won't admit it~" Emily giggled.

"Enough." Gilbert growled, and he flushed beneath his current form. "It's too early for that." he grumbled as he moved past Break, who chuckled. By 'helping' the stupid rabbit was probably just whining about meat to Oz.

So when he entered the library and found herself wearing a scowl as she read over a book, he was rather…surprised.

The sight of Oz however brought on a wave of nostalgia. Oz with his expression focused, bent over a book, a studious young noble. But things had changed. Oz's noble clothes had been exchanged for the motley ones gifted to him by Break, his home library had been left behind, and Oz was no longer studying for his father's approval…at the moment, apparently, it was to help Gilbert.

Oz didn't notice his entrance but Alice did and she slammed the book shut quickly with a faint blush. "Seaweed head! How dare you sleep all day while your master is so busy?" she demanded. "Honestly…" she said loftily.

Oz looked up at that and blinked at the sight of Gilbert before he smiled brightly. "Ah! Good morning, Gil! Did you sleep well?"

"I slept fine…how long have you been in here?" Gilbert queried as he noted faint, dark circles under Oz's eyes.

"Oh…just an hour or so.."

"Try three…he kept tossing and turning all night…and then before the sun even came up he begged me to come and help in here." she announced.

"Begged?" Oz repeated.

Alice's blush darkened lightly. "Anyway, how rude to leave your master unattended, seaweed head!" she chastised.

Gilbert shot her a faint look of annoyance before he turned his gaze onto Oz as he moved to the other's side and set a hand on the back of Oz's chair. "Have you…found anything?"

Oz sighed. "Not really…the only books on the Abyss I can find are fairy tale stories…they don't even mention Chains…and there don't seem to be many things on other powers either…but there must be something…"

Gilbert eyed his young master for a moment before he slid the book Oz was reading closed. Oz looked a bit affronted and he said. "How about I make us some breakfast…?"

"Breakfast? Oooh! Make meat! Like sausage! And bacon! And a mutton leg!" Alice rallied off excitedly.

Gilbert glared. "Why would I make food for a stupid rabbit?"

"Don't be dumb, you cook for me all the time. You wouldn't go against your master, would you?" Because of course, Oz wouldn't let her starve.

Oz chuckled lightly and both shot him a faint glare. Oz simply smiled as he leaned back to look up at Gilbert. "Gil's cooking is the best…soooo, you should hurry up already."

Gilbert felt a smile tweak his own lips. It never ceased to brighten him when Oz praised him, particularly where something like his cooking was concerned.

"And ooooh! Don't forget that it's Liam's birthday today, Gil~" Oz chimed.

Gilbert froze as his smile faded. "Oz…I can't…looking this way…"

"Don't worry, it's been taken care of. You'll be fine, 'kay?" Oz smiled brightly.

" 'Taken care of'?" Gilbert echoed as he eyed his young master with faint wariness.

Oz huffed. "Don't give your master that suspicious look, Gil. It's just gonna be a small party instead. Me, you, Alice, Break, Liam, Uncle Oscar, and little Sharon…Elliot and Leo were supposed to come too…but they must have had something else come up…" they hadn't responded. He'd heard nothing of the pair since the return from that nut Isla Yura's island. But then…the Headhunter had claimed his only blood sibling left, his older sister…which was all the more reason that Oz had wanted to cheer him up.

Gilbert would have paled if he could have. "M-Master Oscar? And Sharon…I-I can't-" Gilbert started to edge away and Oz aimed a hard kick at Gilbert's knee, satisfied when the other buckled to his knees. "Ow, Oz!"

Oz pinched Gilbert's nose with a stern look. "Don't even think about running away…you're staying for Liam's party, got it?"

Gilbert tugged away and rubbed his nose. "Oz…for Master Oscar to see me this way…"

"You're his precious son, remember?" Oz poked Gilbert's head as if to forcibly remind him. "You'll still be in any form. Just like you're still my Gil in any form." Oz explained with a bright smile.

Gilbert froze at that, and Oz could just imagine the other's adorable and all-too-typical blush. "O-Oz…that's not…"

"Just shut up and accept it already, seaweed head." Alice hissed, and Oz turned to look at her in surprise. "Oz and that crazy uncle of his…care about you. So quit whining about it all the time.." She remembered when she'd seen that… Oscar embracing Oz and Gilbert. It was something that she didn't have, didn't remember having, and didn't believe she'd ever have…but as much as she told herself that she didn't want it, truly, she did…and it irked her to see it dangled in front of her, to hear Gilbert whining about it all of the time.

"It's not your business, stupid rabbit." Gilbert retorted.

"Anything concerning my man servant is my business!" Alice snapped back.

"He's not your servant, he's my master!"

"Your master, maybe, and my servant definitely. I own Oz." Alice announced.

Gilbert clenched his hands into fists, and already he could feel his good mood fading. That damned Chain…how dare she? If he just gave her what she deserved, if he would just kill her, he could save his master…if he stuck his hands around her neck-

Gilbert found himself smacked on the head suddenly and he blinked in surprise as he found an anxious looking Oz standing over him. "Gil's eyes…they were…like a cat's again…"

Gilbert's eyes widened. The power…had he been about to lose control again? Ever since Sablier, his thoughts had been so…messed up…but in addition to that, just what was the effect of what Raven had done?

"Hey, Gil…maybe you should make breakfast now?" Oz suggested lightly as he set his hand lightly on Gilbert's head. "I'm looking forward to it." he smiled in an attempt to reassure and cheer his servant up.

Gilbert didn't reply for a moment and instead he stared up at Oz with a faintly stricken expression before he lowered his head and said softly. "I'll start then.." Gilbert wanted to stay in his position, he wanted to keep Oz near him, but instead he rose and started to turn away.

"And, Gil…?"

Gilbert didn't turn around but he tilted his gaze back at the other.

"I'll be by Gil's side, remember? So don't think you can just run away." Oz started out soft and ended in a commanding drawl.

Gilbert recognized the words for what they were. Thank you, Oz… "I'll remember that.." Gilbert smiled faintly as he left the room to prepare breakfast.

As soon as he was gone, Oz's smile dropped as he turned to Alice who had risen with a focused look on her face.

"Those eyes of his…that's plenty of proof that Raven did more than make that seaweed head look funny…there's something…wrong with him."

So even Alice had noticed. "We'll just have to help him through it then, right?"

"Pfft. Do what you want, it's not my concern…although I suppose that I have to help my servant tend to his servant.." Alice sighed and attempted to act as though she didn't care.

Oz smiled knowingly. "Thank you, Alice."

A faint blush. "Hmph…"

I wouldn't call this filler so much as purposeful faint-fluff? To be technical in a totally non-technical way XD The intense thing is officially happening tonight, after a happy dappy Liam birthday. XD Yes…the high-speed drama train is taking a stop in sweet-moment land… I'd like to play Elly and Leo, but considering how the manga left off…for the sake of being logical (and for spoilers) it seems best I leave them be for now. And then after the intense thing, it'll be Vincent to Gil's rescue! So to speak. Just to give you a tantalizing hint of my evil machinations to come…muwaahaha! XD Vinny's gonna date-rape Gil…Kidding, kidding…XD….Vincent wishes. XD Besides, Break already beat him to it…and by date rape, I mean got Gil horribly drunk and sort of, played mind games on him. 'Royal we'. XD *babbling now in an attempt at humor* *cough* Anyway! Remember your dream, Novel. It might be a premonition for Jun's torment of Oz! Or not. Either way XD If it were a roleplay…I so would have bunny-fied Oz, I love that stuff. Annnnd. Moonlight. You're gonna swell my poor ego from the joy of your reviews. XD I decided at work tonight that reviews are hugs for my soul. XDD