AATS
Chapter 38
Matchmaker


"There are two great tragedies in life. One is to lose your heart's desire. The other is to gain it."

-Man and Superman, George Bernard Shaw


"I love him. I love him, Gaignun."

Regret. It was an emotion that Albedo had never felt. He almost didn't recognize it but there was no mistaking it. The deep pain in Rubedo's voice was proof of what those precious nights had cost him. It was proof of what they had cost them both. As he watched him shiver, cradled in Nigredo's arms there was only one question on his mind: was it worth it?

It was a victory. It was a defeat. The confession wasn't enough.

Rubedo's warmth. Rubedo's acceptance. Rubedo's easy, confident smiles. The quick color in his cheeks. Albedo felt all of those precious moments slip through his fingers. Wilhelm had granted him a gift, an opportunity to lift the veil, to show Rubedo who he could be and he had missed it by mere seconds. He would never get that chance again.

"You've never been anything but a monster."

It hadn't been the first time the word had left his lips, but it had been the first time it had truly hurt. And if Albedo were to return to him, to try to wrestle that same confession from his lips it would be in the form of a monster. Would Rubedo trust him or would it become an unending torturous cycle?

Rubedo was right; things were different now. He couldn't go back. It would never be the same. These thoughts felt like madness. New madness. Crippling madness.

Albedo slammed an open palm onto the image of his brothers, covering their huddled forms. Nigredo was golden now, glowing with Yuriev from the inside.

"Unwitting villain. How different our positions have become. How ruinous."

The three of them were constantly climbing on top of each other, each one determined to save the others. They always fell, tangling into each other on the way down, creating new problems, new obstacles like rungs in a ladder for the next brother to climb.

"You wanted to save them both."

Virgil's voice cut harshly through his thoughts.

"How sweet." Virgil slid heavily to the ground, bouncing slightly from the impact. "Looks like a lost cause now."

Albedo didn't answer him. He stayed crouched over the image.

"You can't kill him," Virgil said after a few minutes. "At least not yet."

Albedo continued to ignore him.

"Listen to me," Virgil said, leaning slightly forward. "You haven't lost but if you go in person you will."

Their earlier fighting had devolved into wrestling as Virgil attempted to keep Albedo from disappearing to the Foundation and had continued until they had heard Jr.'s confession. Virgil couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so physically drained. He stared listlessly after Albedo as he sat uncomfortably balanced on the ruined crystal floor. Albedo refused to acknowledge him. He only had eyes for Rubedo.

The image cut off abruptly, leaving their surroundings an open, naked crystal. Albedo stood and Virgil's eyes followed him as he rose. He raised his mask to his face. It clicked softly into place.

"Albedo," he started but Albedo was already walking past him, looking to exit. "Albedo!"

There was a little more force in his voice, enough to finally make Albedo pause.

"Where are you going? What are you going to do?"

Albedo turned to Virgil but remained silent.

"You don't have a clue, do you? You're all out of ideas."

Albedo didn't argue. He didn't stiffen. Virgil's words had drawn no reaction from him. Virgil rose from his place on the floor, grunting with the effort.

"You're worried. I get that," Virgil said as he made his way to Albedo's side. "But I don't think he's in imminent danger. He can handle himself."

Virgil had no idea what Nigredo was capable of or of what his dangerous compromise had cost him. A Testament's knowledge hadn't been enough. He knew what Albedo had fed him. Albedo's people had never been Virgil's people until now and still, his knowledge remained so shallow.

"Come with me."

Virgil had never liked to wear his mask, even when commanded. Especially when commanded. Albedo had never thought him particularly handsome, but he had always loved his scars. They pulled with such violence at his every facial expression. He had even found himself wondering if the scars ran lower, if they covered his body in every place imaginable. As he looked at him now, as he watched those scars pull with the motion of his lips, he knew that wasn't what had made him so attractive. It was that vindictive smile; so full of absolute contempt for everyone and everything. Albedo was drawn to that. They both were.

Virgil nodded to the destroyed crystal behind them.

"I could use a partner. You could use a break."

Virgil's words dulled in Albedo's ears. He was thinking about Rubedo again, about every mistake he had made. Albedo wondered if he should have listened to Virgil from the beginning. He wondered if he had only ever been a monster. How soft his Rubedo had made him.

"Kid's fine for now so come on. You can tell me all about it."


"Jr.!" Gaignun shouted as he burst into their shared office. The year was T.C. 4752 and at twenty-one, Gaignun Kukai was the famous young director of one of the fastest-growing corporations the galaxy had ever seen. But he hadn't rushed into their office, or his yet-to-be pronounced son's side to talk about operations or politics. He had a more worrying problem, one he wasn't equipped to deal with.

"I did exactly what you told me to do," Gaignun said as he swept into the room, loosening his tie and grabbing the first available seat. "And it did-"

He paused mid-sentence. Jr. was sitting on the other side of the desk with a few large black and white sheets of paper in his hands. They covered him from the waist up, completely hiding his figure from Gaignun's view.

"What is that?" Gaignun asked.

Jr. slammed the papers down on the desk between them, revealing a large grin on his face.

"Check it out, Gaignun," he said excitedly, smoothing his hands over the papers. Gaignun leaned forward and saw that the black was actually small words in dark print. His eyes scanned the words for a moment before shaking his head in confusion.

"It's a newspaper, Gaignun," Jr. explained with a roll of his eyes. "Like the ones from Lost Jerusalem."

He tapped the top corner of a page.

"It has the date it was printed at the top. Visitors can buy these and take them home with them. They're not real paper, of course, but it's still a pretty cool idea. People are gonna love it. It's like taking a piece of the Foundation ho-"

Gaignun wasn't paying attention. He wasn't visibly squirming or showing any other signs of impatience, but he was a force at the end of their link. Jr. could feel his heart leaping out of his chest.

"I can see that you're not in the mood," Jr. said, leaning back in his seat. He picked up the papers and gave them a sharp little shake to straighten them out. "I'm listening."

"I did what you said, and it backfired spectacularly."

Jr. hummed from behind his papers. "Gonna have to be more specific."

"Mary and Shelley."

"Oh, the girls."

The papers drooped slightly, enough for Gaignun to catch the shock of understanding as it lit up his face.

"Oh, the girls."

Gaignun grabbed the papers out of Jr.'s hands and slammed them to one side of the desk.

"Hold on," Jr. said, his interest suddenly piqued. He pulled his seat closer to the desk, leaning over it to give Gaignun his full attention. "What exactly did you say?"

"I told them that I cared about both of them too much to be able to choose between them."

Jr. nodded enthusiastically and waved for Gaignun to continue.

"And they said...?"

"They said that-" Gaignun leaned forward, elbows on the table. "Shelley said that I didn't have to choose. She said that I could be with them both."

The revelation came as much of a shock to Jr. as it had to Gaignun. Gaignun watched as he sat silenced by disbelief. A few stiff moments passed before a question broke through the silence.

"And Mary agreed to this?"

Gaignun nodded slowly, looking down at the desk. He was still in disbelief himself.

"Mary said that they had known I wouldn't be able to choose. This way I wouldn't have to."

Jr. slammed his hand onto the top of the desk and laughed. His sudden change in mood shattered Gaignun's disbelief, and he could only look in confusion at Jr.'s triumphant smile.

"I thought you said my advice backfired."

"Jr., this isn't a good thing," Gaignun said, offended.

Jr. rolled his eyes and reached for his newspaper.

"Only a guy like you would say something so incredibly stupid."

Jr.'s fingers landed on the corner of his papers as he tried to slide them back. Gaignun's hand landed in the middle of the papers, anchoring them to the desk.

"I really don't see the problem."

"There is no scenario in which this situation turns out well for any of us."

"You told me that you loved them," Jr. said, quirking a brow. "And that you couldn't choose between them, so you wouldn't. They offer you a solution to this problem, and you shoot them down?"

"I didn't...give them an answer."

"Oh. So you ran away?"

"Yes," Gaignun replied sarcastically. "I ran away."

"What's the real problem?" Jr. asked. His voice had turned serious but there was a sharp glint in his eyes suggesting that there was still plenty of humor left in him.

"There are a multitude of problems," Gaignun replied in annoyance. "The most important being that..."

He removed his hand from Jr.'s papers and leaned back.

"These types of relationships aren't ideal. They don't last. Someone's bound to become jealous. Situations like these ruin friendships. I don't want to risk it."

"I don't think they would have offered if they weren't prepared to be serious about this."

"I don't doubt their sincerity," Gaignun said, shaking his head. "I just..."

"There are plenty of people in relationships like this. They make it work. There's a chairwoman on-"

"They're young," Gaignun blurted out. Jr. blinked in surprise at the uncharacteristic outburst and pursed his lips tight, trying his best to suppress a smile.

"You're not exactly a silver fox."

"Don't be a smart ass."

"I'm not. I don't think the age gap is big enough to worry about, and you've been a legal adult for how long? A couple of months?"

Jr. snatched his newspaper before Gaignun could stop him. Jr. rolled it up and waved it around in the air.

"I recently heard that the sole heir of Soze Kukai just became old enough to inherit his fortune. Imagine that. A man of such a young age continuing his father's legacy."

"Jr..."

Jr. grinned.

"You don't have to tell me," he said, opening his newspaper again. "You think they're lovesick little girls, and you're taking advantage of them. As if they couldn't have thought about this rationally and come to their own conclusions because they're not mature enough to understand their own emotions. As if you're not the one in my office having a damn panic attack."

He turned to Gaignun.

"Those girls have been in love with you since the moment they first laid eyes on you. We both know it. They've been competing for your attention for years, and you're so stiff and formal that you're just now starting to see it. My guess is that they have decided that they love each other more than they love you so instead of fighting with each other it's both of them or neither of them. Those are your options."

Jr. frowned at his papers. They had been crumpled in the struggle. He shook them out a little, trying to relax them.

"And we both know what you're going to choose. Because we both know that you love them."

"I can't."

"You can and you will."

"You can't make that decision for me."

"I don't have to. You've already decided."

"Don't treat me like a child."

"Stop acting like one."

There was a flash of anger at the end of their link but before Gaignun could open his mouth to speak Jr. held up a hand to stop him.

"You're allowed to think it but you better not say it. Not even once," he said without lifting his eyes from his papers.

Gaignun's lips pressed tight into a stubborn line as he sat heavily in his seat. He was frustrated and disappointed with himself. He was usually so calm, so in control, and it was unlike him to be so harshly unfair.

"These are extenuating circumstances," Jr. said with the air of an apology accepted. His eyes stayed on his paper. "Nothing about our lives or theirs has been normal. This isn't a scandalous high school romance. They don't have an angry father to confront you or a mother to contact the authorities. They're...like us and those girls deserve the best that we can give them. We all deserve the best."

Jr. shrugged and flipped to the next section of his paper. "I think you're the best we can offer."

He looked up suddenly and turned to his brother.

"Unless there's someone else. Someone you haven't told me about."

Gaignun paused for a few moments and watched as Jr. resisted the urge to decipher that silence, to go probing at their link to discover if there was a mystery person and if so, who it was. Jr.'s fingers creased the paper as he waited for the answer, each second adding more wrinkles that would ultimately render the paper beyond saving.

"You read too many romance novels," Gaignun grumbled finally as he leaned back in his seat.

"I'm a well-read guy," Jr. quipped but there was still a sense of suspicion in his voice. He didn't return to his newspaper.

"There are a lot of things to consider."

"I never said it would be easy, but I think you should at least try. I know you love them."

"You love them too," was Gaignun's response.

Jr. shook his head and smiled, "It's not the same, and you know it."

"Let's say that this somehow works. Then how will we play this off," Gaignun asked. He was leaning over the desk again. He had gone from denial to something more conspiratory. Gaignun was close to surrendering, he just needed a little push, some reassurance.

"I'm full of ideas," Jr. said. He began flipping quickly through the papers in his hand. He found the one he was looking for and flattened it out on the desk. "I wouldn't worry so much. I've got it all figured out. You can thank me later."

The memory of that day reflected at Gaignun through the eyes of the very women Jr. had advocated so strongly for all those years ago. He could still remember the headline of the article at the top of the paper:

"The Mysterious Young Women of the Kukai Foundation"

Gaignun couldn't remember now what the actual article had read, but he remembered the picture of the two of them in stark black and white; some casual photo no doubt taken by Jr. and given to whoever the creator of this newspaper had been. The memory would have made him laugh at any other time. He had been wildly embarrassed, but it was a warm thought now, something to be fond of. As the memory replayed before him, however, as he looked at the very women Jr. had fought so strongly for, it felt hard and cold; as colorless as the newspaper that hung in his mind.

It had been a little over a week since Jr. had returned to the Durandal and Mary and Shelley had noticed a drastic change in him. He was unusually quiet and consumed by some constant frustration that he refused to explain. The only time he would leave his room was to work in his office. They had never seen him so distant.

"I thought y'all had gotten into some kinda fight," Mary said, "But I guess it was a lot bigger than that."

"We are worried about the two of you and wanted to know if there was anything we could do to help," Shelley added.

Gaignun looked up at the both of them from his desk chair, hoping that he didn't appear as lost as he felt. Mary and Shelley had always been very good about giving them the space they needed during their arguments, rare as they were. They had expected Gaignun and Jr. to work it out. They had assumed that one of them would inevitably give in and apologize and life would return to normal. But there was something wrong about this particular fight, something different. Gaignun had been able to avoid the topic until now but there had been no way to hide it. He sighed. The sound rattled in his chest.

"I made a mistake, and I'm unsure of how to fix it."

They had been standing on the opposite side of his desk but moved around it immediately as if Gaignun's words had been a call to action. Mary seated herself on the side of his desk. She crossed her legs and placed her hands on one knee, bouncing slightly with a thousand questions, a thousand solutions. Shelley came to stand beside her sister, her hands folded quietly in front of her.

"Were we correct in assuming that the Little Master had someone special?"

Gaignun took a moment to properly organize his thoughts. He wasn't willing to give away all of Jr.'s secrets. Gaignun felt that he had invaded enough of Jr.'s privacy.

"Yes, you were correct."

He wasn't quite sure what gave it away. It was a twitch of his face or a dip in his voice - something unconscious. He had never been able to hide from either of them. They could read him even better than Jr. When Mary pipped up and said, "Oh no. Master Gaignun, did you chase her off?" He shouldn't have been surprised but he was.

"It was accidental, but yes. I didn't understand what I was seeing."

Admitting it to others had a way of making the guilt almost palpable. He felt it on his tongue with every word that left him.

"Didn't understand?" Mary asked incredulously. "I find that kinda hard to believe."

Gaignun's lips twitched into a slight smile. "I thought he was in trouble."

"Did ya now?"

"Mary," Shelley chided, but she was smiling too. She turned to Gaignun and asked, "Is he serious about this person? Would he like to keep their relationship a secret?"

"I'll be as honest with you as I can, but I can't tell you much about them," Gaignun replied, turning to her. "I can say that he is indeed serious about this person and that he doesn't intend to keep the relationship a secret, at least not from you. I'm not sure what he would say if you were to ask him about it."

"I don't understand, Master Gaignun," Mary said, with a shake of her head. "Why is he so upset? I get that you interrupted them, and it was probably embrassin' for everybody but..."

"It's because she's not coming back."

They both turned to Shelley. She stood rigid with her shoulders back and her eyes hard. Shelley's gaze wasn't accusatory. She held no blame for Gaignun. She was thinking of how painful the situation must be for her Little Master.

"Did your presence upset her so badly that she won't be coming back?"

"You...could say that."

Mary's brow furrowed, and she leaned forward between them, trying to find Gaignun's eyes.

"You didn't say somethin' mean to her, did you?"

"No. I just don't think they were ready for anyone to know and the shock of the situation was too much."

"It can't be easy to date someone who has to stay a secret," Mary said sadly. "I wonder how they met. Do you know, Master Gaignun?"

"They've known each other for a long time," he replied. "But if you want to know more than that, you'll have to hear it from Jr."

"A long time!" Mary shouted. "And you didn't tell us?"

"I didn't know either, Mary," Gaignun reminded her. Her outburst brought back his smile for a brief second.

"Have we met this person?" Shelley pressed.

"I won't tell you who it is if that's what you two are asking."

"It is," Mary said with a sharp nod. "I would like to meet her. Maybe..." She turned quickly to Shelley. "Maybe we can talk to her and apologize for the Kaiser and change her mind. It'll be better comin' from us. It's the least we could do for the Little Master."

The image of the two of them tracking Albedo down and begging him to take Jr. back popped into Gaignun's mind; Mary with her bubbly enthusiasm and Shelley with her quiet sincerity...and Albedo... Gaignun didn't know how Albedo would react. Gaignun realized that he didn't know Albedo at all. The Albedo that Jr. had killed on Abel's Ark and the one who had left him lovesick at the beach house felt like different people. Gaignun tapped his fingers on his desk distractedly as he remembered the way Albedo reached out over the lake to the Durandal.

"Oh do I yearn."

Jr. had been very careful to conceal the reality of his emotions from Gaignun. Everything had been heavily sanitized. Gaignun knew that Albedo's nightmares had been what ultimately lead Jr. to search for him, but he didn't know what they had contained. He finally understood what had happened on Pleroma and the space station Alviss and what significance the soldier held but their birthday remained blank. The dreams that Gaignun had interrupted were also a mess; a murky, watery mess. They were flavorless facts; the details without the true sense of them. Jr. was full of secrets but the way he had clung to Gaignun, soaking wet from the rain, and confessing through tears had been all the information that he needed.

He had never expected Jr.'s feelings to be sudden or so strong but Albedo's reciprocation hadn't surprised him in the least. Albedo had never tried to hide his obsession. Gaignun tried to reach out for Albedo. He was met with absolute silence, and it felt like another failure - his inability to keep Jr. safe.

Or to monitor him. Yuriev's presence was a sour echo in his gut.

Albedo's obsession had been nothing but dangerous before but whatever he had done to earn Jr.'s trust had worked. Gaignun would have no choice but to trust him as well.

Gaignun forced Yuriev back. He was still weak, still recovering. Gaignun still had time.

He was reaching for his console when Shelley's calm voice broke through his thoughts.

"It's not our place, Mary. The Little Master wouldn't want us to meddle. It might make him angrier with Master Gaignun."

"You're right," Mary said with a nod. "But I want to help. The whole thing just breaks my heart. There's gotta be something we can do."

Shelley turned to Gaignun and asked, as gently as she could, "Has he spoken to you since you've returned to the Durandal?"

"No," Gaignun replied with a sense of awkwardness. "I've been trying to give him some space. He told me that he would find a way to fix the situation. I was hoping that he would come to me with a plan when he was ready, but he hasn't yet."

Gaignun's eyes turned to the console's screen. He shrugged slightly as he scrolled through the white lettering.

"I don't know if he has a plan, but I've promised not to interfere, and I promised that neither of you would either."

He looked pointedly at Mary who grinned back at him.

"Doesn't mean I can't worry about him."

"I don't think any of us can help that. He's been through a lot."

"But so have you," Shelley said as she moved around her sister to place a hand on his shoulder. He leaned into the touch, abandoning the console to look up at her. "Little Master wasn't the only one affected by what occurred on Abel's Ark. Neither of you have been quite the same since."

"It was far worse for him," Gaignun replied. He placed his hand over hers for a moment before sliding it into his breast pocket and pulling out a small black box.

"Finally gonna propose to us?" Mary teased, trying to lessen the weight that had settled so securely over him. It worked slightly but not enough for a full smile.

"It's for Jr.," Gaignun said. "It's his birthday present."

Mary reached over and plucked it gently from his hands.

"Oh, so this is what you were waitin' for," she said, as she turned the box in her hands. She opened it a little to take a quick peek inside.

"He missed you," She said suddenly, softly. The box made a quiet little click as she allowed it to close. "Even though he wouldn't admit it."

Gaignun remembered that night and the explosive heat that rushed down their link. He wondered if the inexplicable pain and sadness that had consumed him had anything to do with Albedo.

I'm not good alone.

That simple sentence had forced Gaignun to pull himself together enough to come home. Despite the risk, he'd felt that he had to see Jr. Perhaps that had been a mistake. He took in the beautiful women around him and noted bitterly that without Jr. he would never have agreed to their arrangement. He tried to imagine how miserable the three of them would be without it and realized the full gravity of what Jr. had been deprived of.

Shelley's hand left his shoulder. Gaignun looked up in time to see her snatch the box out of Mary's hand. She held it to her chest, wrapped possessively in both hands. She seemed as surprised at her actions as Gaignun.

"Shelley...?" Mary asked, concern and confusion evident in her voice.

Shelley held her sister's gaze for a moment before turning sharply to Gaignun.

"Master Gaignun," she started but her words came out more forcefully than she intended. She paused for a moment, trying to reign in the sudden flood of emotion bubbling behind the little black box pressed tight against her chest. "I would like to give this to him if you would allow me to."

There was an urgency in her stance and a slight trembling in her hands. He considered her for a moment and knew that their thoughts were very similar.

"Sure," he said, lowering his eyes to the desk. "It might be better this way. If I wait for him to come to me, he may never get it."

Shelley bowed slightly and rushed out of the door without another word. Mary turned to watch her leave, resisting the urge to call her back.

"It's alright, Mary," Gaignun said as the doors slid shut behind Shelley. "She knows what she's doing."

Gaignun turned back to his console.

"I've already contacted The Elsa, Master Gaignun."

Gaignun paused and swung his head toward her, but she was still looking after her sister.

"chaos is on his way home. Should be back in a couple 'a days."

Her expression lightened when she turned to face him. She uncrossed her legs and gave him a quick wink.

"I'm way ahead of you, Master Gaignun."

"Are you?"

"I am."

She leaned forward, her pink lips pulled into a seductive smile. She reached for him, untucking his tie and sliding her fingers along the length of it.

"Since Shelley's takin' care of the Little Master..." She said, pulling lightly on his tie. He followed her motion, moving to sit at the edge of his chair, closer to her.

"How 'bout I take care of you?"

He stood, and she spread her legs so that he could stand between them, so that she could touch more of him. She looked up at him, the tie still in her hands. Gaignun wrapped his hands around her waist. She sighed as if his touch breathed new life into her, and it occurred to Gaignun how much he had neglected their relationship. He knew that he hadn't had much of a choice. He also knew that neither Mary nor Shelley would accuse him or blame him for any of the time they had lost. They seemed genuinely happy, grateful even, for whatever time they had with him. The hunger in her eyes was the product of periodic starvation. Gaignun pressed a hand against her back, between her shoulder blades. She arched into him.

There were so many things he had left to do. So many people needed him. He felt the passing of time like the sharp clicking of an old clock. He couldn't ignore it, no matter how hard he tried. If he only had a few moments left with each of them, he needed to make them count.

"How 'bout it?" Gaignun teased in a horrific imitation of her accent. Mary loved it. She threw her arms around his neck, giggling as she pulled him down.


Jr. didn't dream. It was as if he'd forgotten how. When he fell asleep he would collapse in a heap on his bed. He awoke in that same heap in the morning with Alby at the end of his vision; a white cloud with big purple, sleepy eyes.

He'd been reaching for Albedo every day. Every free minute, every free second was spent inspecting their link and that painful blockage at the end of it. He was determined to understand it and to unravel it. It was the only lead he had. He had to follow it.

Jr. thought of it like a tangle of yarn, something he could carefully unwind with enough time and patience. He felt that he didn't have enough of either. Alby licked at his nose and Jr. sighed, petting him gently. He pushed up from the bed. He had a slight headache from another day of inspecting their link. As he sat, rolling uncomfortable kinks out of his neck and shoulders, he wondered if Albedo was watching him.

Jr. thought about Albedo constantly. He couldn't keep from thinking about him. Before the dreams Albedo had been a constant presence in his mind but now he was all-consuming. And although he didn't dream the memories were so real it was almost as if he were. The door to his office would open, and he'd get a flash of Albedo standing in the doorway. He'd walk the Foundation streets and remember the way Albedo had walked so effortlessly through them, as if had always walked them, as if he belonged. Jr. would pull off his shirt and feel Albedo's hands all over him. He would crawl into bed and swear that he felt Albedo pulling him against his chest.

He felt removed from his world and desperate to escape to the one Albedo had created. Albedo had absolutely destroyed him in a way that Jr. had never anticipated. Jr. fell back onto his bed, arms stretched out to his sides as he stared at the ceiling. Alby took that as an invitation to crawl onto his chest. Jr. hadn't been able to shake him since his four-day sleep at the beach house.

"We have to get up," Jr. said, more to himself thank Alby. "We have things to do."

Alby licked his chin and jumped off.

Jr. barely felt him. He was already poking around at their link, wishing he could hold it in his hands so that he could turn it over and over, so that he could find a frayed edge to pull on. His headache began to worsen. He pulled away from the connection, deciding that he didn't need to inflame it so early in the morning. He was back to thinking about Albedo and wondering if he was still watching him.

Jr. tried very hard not to seem distracted, but he knew he was failing. The headaches made him irritable. Certain memories left him red-faced and frantic for space. He was worrying everyone again. Jr. could feel the constant hovering from every person on the ship. From crew members who had no idea who Albedo was, to Foundation citizens who knew Jr. by his friendly, confident smiles and frequent visits; everyone could sense that there was something off about their Little Master. He was doing a piss-poor job of hiding it. Albedo was a sickness. Jr. was searching for the cure.

Jr. finally pushed away from the bed and made his way to his office. Alby bounded happily after him, feeling that as long as Jr. was in some sort of motion all was right with the world.

Jr. sat at his desk, trying to read the words on his screen, shuffling through the papers on his desk. Since Gaignun had returned, there hadn't been as much work for him. He was grateful for that. It meant he could spend more time on untangling the stubborn barrier.

There was no way Albedo could stay hidden from him if they were still connected. It had to be possible to reach him. The pain was meant to be a deterrent but Jr. could handle the headaches if it meant finding Albedo on the other side.

Jr. worked through the pain. Jr. lived with the pain. Jr. ate, slept and showered through the pain. He existed in it, with it, in differing doses and extremes. His days obscured until the only places that made sense were his office or his room.

I really am insane, Jr. thought as he leaned over his desk, head in his hands. If I wasn't before I definitely am now. Albedo's voice was a slick, sweet echo in his ear:

Once I have had you, Rubedo. You will forget that anyone else exists.

Jr. hadn't had a real conversation with anyone since he'd returned. He had pushed everyone away. All of his focus, all of his time was spent on Albedo.

Gaignun hadn't tried to speak to him since their return. Jr. assumed that he was afraid to. We can make up after Albedo's home, Jr. decided. He'd walled Gaignun out again, hoping to keep him completely in the dark. He didn't trust Gaignun to stay away, despite the promise. Jr. had to move faster. He had to try harder.

Jr. pulled away from his desk, eyes bleary from the strain. He placed his fingers against his temples and found the skin hot and throbbing. He couldn't keep this up much longer. The pain would eventually leak through to Gaignun, and he would stop him. He dropped his arms onto the desk and glared at the transparent screen in front of him. He had to find a way to Albedo and find a way to keep Gaignun out of his head. He didn't want to find Albedo only for Gaignun to tear them apart again.

Jr. leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes, his mind roving their link like fingers. He had learned over the past few days that simply slamming against it and hoping to break through with brute force wasn't going to work. He'd tried so hard the first time that he'd fainted from the pain. Now that he thought about it, he was surprised that Gaignun hadn't come rushing in from the back blow. Then again, Jr. wouldn't have known if someone had come to check on him. All he knew is that when he had awoken, he was alone. Except for Alby who absolutely refused to leave him.

Albedo had expected Jr. to slam against it. He also expected the pain to keep him out but Jr. wondered if he had ever planned to visit Jr. in any other way than a nightmare. The longer Jr. thought about their link and inspected it, the more he was drawn back to the way it had felt when it was free and open. It wasn't a straight line, the way he had always imagined, the way it felt when he reached for Gaignun. It was a rollercoaster full of steep cliffs, deep spirals and large curves as if...as if it had been untied, unwound...untangled.

Jr. sat straighter in his chair and placed his hands against the edge of the desk for balance. Alby looked curiously up at him but Jr. was gone; lost in his mind. Untangled. Their link really was a ball of yarn. He and Albedo were the frayed edges. This pulse, this barrier was simply their link twisted over and over and again into an incomprehensible tangle that pulled tighter when Jr. tried to slam against it. But if he were to twist it...in just the right way...

Jr. cried out and fell against the chair. He cradled his head in both hands and leaned over, breathing heavily as every bone in his spine was set aflame. He groaned and curled in on himself. Jr. couldn't straighten out without feeling sharp, searing pangs rushing up and down every bone in his back.

Alby whimpered desperately at his feet. He had leaped away from Jr. and sat worriedly on the floor at Jr.'s legs.

"I'm ok," Jr. ground out, but it came out as a shout and Alby's ears flattened hard against his skull.

The pain gradually began to subside. Jr. opened his eyes and his vision began to clear. He blinked and was surprised to find that the action hurt. His muscles and bones held a lingering, throbbing ache. He uncurled from his bent position and leaned slowly back into his chair. He was sweaty and tired. Jr. started to reach back for his connection, but it was still sensitive and even the smallest contact caused the pain to flare.

Alby whined and Jr. turned to look at him, remembering the shout.

"Sorry, boy," Jr. said, his voice a whisper. He leaned down carefully to pick him up and was thankful when the action didn't cause any pain. "I didn't mean to yell. I really am ok."

Alby forgave him instantly. Jr. held him lightly, scratching his ears as he waited impatiently for their link to reorient. He wasn't sure that it had worked and tried to quash any hope before it rose into chest. Jr. couldn't afford to get desperate now.

Jr. took a deep breath and tried again. It was easier this time, the pain far more tolerable. He moved down their link cautiously and as Jr. finally returned to that spot, he finally allowed that horrible, painful hope to materialize.

He had done it. The pulse was smaller. It had weakened. It was still there and still impossibly strong but there was less of it. All Jr. had to do was keep twisting until the entire thing was untangled.

Jr. laughed and lifted Alby above his head. He was overflowing with excitement, with victory, with agonizing, determined hope.

"I've got him," he said, smiling at the puppy. "I'm going to find that bastard."

It was going to be a slow and painful, but it was no longer impossible. This time he would be the one pulling Albedo in. He would become the nightmare.

"You're not getting away from me this time."


Virgil had far too much fun with his disguise. He'd decided that since he was stuck assisting Kevin with T-elos' integration at the CAT Facility, he might as well look like a proper assistant. He had created a disguise that resembled Shion as closely as possible. His creation looked different enough that he avoided any true repercussions but similar enough that the odd researcher, scientist, or engineer would stop him to ask if he was Ms. Uzuki or if he was related to her. It boiled Kevin's blood and although Virgil's new game was equal parts petty and satisfying, Albedo hadn't bothered to join in the fun. He was as silent as death; a total buzzkill.

They had been only been stationed on Fifth Jerusalem for a few days but to Virgil it felt like a lifetime. He would admit that Albedo's presence did make the whole thing far more bearable.

"It's only temporary," Virgil had assured him. "That's what you get for blowing up his base."

When they had arrived, Virgil had been determined to not only make his alter-ego torturous for Kevin but to also make it as different from himself as possible and was horribly disappointed in both Kevin's and Albedo's creations.

"A palette swap," Virgil had said disparagingly about Kevin's disguise. "You're no better but at least yours makes sense."

He nodded to Albedo's red hair and blue eyes.

"Miss him that bad, huh? Think it would hurt more to see his face in the mirror every day."

Albedo had said nothing. He hadn't spoken more than a few words since their arrival on Fifth Jerusalem. He was sickeningly quiet and sickeningly obedient. Virgil couldn't stand his brooding. So when Albedo paused suddenly in the hall behind him, Virgil turned on his heels to confront him. He placed a hand on his now round hips and brushed his long hair away from his shoulders. He tried to snarl, but it came out as a pout; completely nonthreatening. He was beginning to tell Albedo how absolutely pathetic he truly was but stopped short.

Albedo was glaring through black-rimmed glasses down at the floor as if studying the way it met the wall and the slim black lines the connected them.

"Problem?" Virgil asked, and it sounded nicer in his new voice, less sarcastic. He realized quickly that whatever had grabbed so much focus from Albedo after days of nothingness had to be important. "What's the deal?"

There was an unspoken surprise in Albedo's eyes; some shock, some unexplained anxiety. Albedo closed his eyes and looked away from the wall as if blinking back sentiments.

"Nothing," Albedo said, with a slight shake of his head. Albedo stepped past him, towering over Virgil in his shorter, more slender frame. "It was nothing."


A/N: I did it. I don't know how I managed it but here it is! And almost a month before my self-imposed deadline. I hope it's worth the wait. I wish you all Happy Holidays. Stay safe, warm and healthy and I'll see you all next year!