Welcome back for the 5th chapter!

I can't say how sorry I am for the long hiatus I took. I temporarily moved to a new part of the country with one of my mom's contracts and have been trying to adjust. It hasn't been easy, but I'm coming back now to finally wrap this bad boy up.

There's not many chapters left, so I hope you enjoy these last few pieces.

Now, as always, please enjoy your update!

Jude leaned on the railing of the ship. The salty spray distracted him from the recent events that plagued his mind. He stared at the water rippling around them as the time slugged on like half-frozen syrup. He felt someone come up behind him and glanced back, finding Leia standing awkwardly in the sunlight.

"Are you okay, Jude?" she asked, easing up to him. She glanced out at the water herself, trying to seem more collected.

"Yeah," Jude said, "I'm fine, Leia. I'm just thinking about going back home. We haven't been here since before Milla..."

"I know," she said, touching her shoulder for a moment, "I've been a little more than nervous about seeing Mom and Dad."

Jude smiled mildly. "Yeah, the moment Master Sonia finds the scar..."

"I won't tell her if you won't," Leia said, "and if it does get brought up, Alvin didn't do it. Fair?"

"Let's just not say anything about who may have done that," Jude said, "Maybe she won't ask."

"I don't think we're that lucky," Leia said, "It's been so long since I've even written to her that I'm half expecting a lecture."

Jude grew quiet and looked away from her. "How's he doing?"

"He's basically the same as he was," Leia said.

"Are you okay?" Jude asked, staring hard at her.

Leia shook her head. "I don't know," she said, leaning on the rail, "Alvin's been trying so hard since he rejoined us, but I just can't seem to get past what happened. He tried to apologize to me, but..."

"You're scared to let your guard down enough to really forgive him?" Jude finished.

"I guess that's it," she said, "I just don't know. He seemed to understand, but after this, I feel like I'm being unfair to him."

"We still don't know for sure how he ended up like this," Jude said, "Don't beat yourself up about it. It's not like you did this."

"I know," Leia said, "but when we were resting beside that stream and he – well, you know what he did – I guess I realized I feel more sorry for him than anything."

Jude nodded, unsure of what to say.

"I think it's a good thing, Jude," she whispered, "but like you said, I'm not letting my guard down."

Jude looked toward the front of the ship. "It won't be long now. Let's just hope they have some antidote."

"They will!" Leia said, pumping her fists toward herself.

Jude smiled awkwardly, this whole mess had been more than a little strange. After all that had happened, why this all of a sudden? He couldn't help but wonder if they'd ever know how Alvin ended up getting poisoned to begin with, but maybe it was better that way.

"Absolutely not," Doctor Mathis growled, glaring down at his son, "There's a limited supply of that antidote. I'm not wasting any of it on him,not with the recent outbreak. Surely, you understand."

"But as a doctor, aren't you sworn to treat everyone that needs care?" Leia argued, stepping closer to Jude defensively.

"I'll just have to overlook that little detail," he replied, squaring his shoulders and heading for the exit, "This is a special case."

Jude clinched his fist, watching the door close behind his father. He felt anger boiling up inside him. Here they'd come all this way just for another one of them to be denied treatment. As different as the situation may have been from before, it still turned Jude's vision red.

Leia touched his arm carefully, half expecting him to slam his fist onto the table at his side. She glanced over at the bed where Jude's mother had them place Alvin, who – though still unconscious – suffered visibly from fever and the number of other symptoms he displayed. She turned her gaze back on Jude has he relaxed under her hand.

"Leia," he said, his voice eerily calm, "go outside and tell the others that we've gotten the help he needs."

"Are you –"

"Of course," Jude said, fire in his amber eyes, "I already said he isn't going to die. If he doesn't get that antidote here, he won't survive long enough for us to get him to Fennmont."

"If we go by ship –"

"But there's still no guarantee that there's any antidote in Fennmont," Jude said, shaking his head, "He has to be helped here, no matter how you look at it."

Leia looked at her feet, worry twisting her gut. "Are you at least going to ask your mom for help?"

"If he won't help," Jude said, "she'll have a hard time getting around him. I'm just going to have to do it myself."

Leia met Jude's confident gaze and felt her own gusto return. "Okay," she said, vibrantly, "I'll go talk to the others while you get the antidote."

"I'll be quick," Jude said, glancing at Alvin before heading toward the door, "and I may need your help encase he wakes up."

"And if he doesn't?" Leia asked.

"We'll have to move him to your inn, anyway," he said, "That way he can rest up without clashing with anyone."

"Okay," she said, relaxing, "that sounds like a plan." She watched Jude walk out of the room. She glanced back at Alvin again, still asleep just a few steps away. "Please, don't let our efforts go to waste."

Leia stepped out of the clinic and met eyes with Milla and Rowen. Elize and Teepo weren't far away themselves, managing somehow to stay distracted.

"Well?" Milla asked, moving closer to Leia, "How did it go?"

"They're getting the antidote now," Leia said, "He's going to need time to rest. Jude thinks we should take him to the inn to free up room in the clinic."

Rowen joined Milla closer to Leia and folded his arms behind his back. "I see," he said, "We were lucky that they had the correct medicine. I doubt he could have handled any more travel in his current condition."

"I agree," Milla said, "I will be pleased to see him back to normal soon. We've all been more than a little worried for him."

Leia looked over at Elize, who was crouched close to the ground as she bounced Teepo. She stopped and turned around, folding her hands in front of her as she made her way over to the others.

"I'm glad," Elize said.

"Elly even started to miss his teasing," Teepo added.

Elize stamped her foot at him, only to receive a mid-air twirl from the doll.

Leia smiled, letting a short chuckle escape her throat. "I think we all did to a degree," she agreed, "but it may still be a day or two before he's doing that again."

Elize nodded, trying to mask her mild disappointment.

"That sucks," Teepo whined, "I want him to get better now!"

"That's enough, Teepo," Milla scolded, "We'll just have to wait. That's how this works."

Elize caught Teepo out of the air, holding him against her. "When are we going to take him to the inn?"

Leia looked down at her. She hadn't thought about that.

"Whenever Jude thinks it's time," she heard herself say, "It may take a little bit longer to administer the antidote."

Well, that's it for chapter 5.

We're getting close to the end, finally. I think everyone's been through more than enough chaos for one fic.

Please, drop a review!

Thanks.