"I have the amulet."

Soren didn't turn to face Jesse. A moment later, he said, "What?"

"Gabriel gave it to me."

Soren turned, to see Jesse pleadingly holding out the amulet. Part of the reason was maybe hoping that he'd recognize it, but the other half was because her lower arms were getting rather uncomfortable in the Endersuit.

"Gabriel?"

Jesse took a deep breath. "Gabriel asked me to reassemble the Order of the Stone."

"They asked for me?" Soren asked, wonderingly, slowly. "I've always known they needed me, but... I never was sure if they wanted me. It's lonely down here, without your friends."

"Ellegaard's your friend," Jesse said, tentatively.

"Hmmm, I dunno. Does she ever talk about me?"

"Sure," Jesse said, sheepishly. Ellegaard HAD talked about Soren, so she wasn't lying...

"What kinds of things do they say? Specifically. Give me an example."

"That you were missed," Jesse said finally, putting her hands behind her back sheepishly.

Soren blinked a bit. "Really?"

"Maybe it was more... miss-ing," Jesse continued, slowly. "You have to read between the lines."

"Yes... yes, you do. But what about you?" Soren arched his eyebrow at Jesse. "Are you my friend?"

Jesse immediately nodded. She did remember bits and pieces about Soren. Especially how he'd bring them chocolate sometimes. And how well he and Lukas had gotten along. "Yes," she replied.

Soren's face broke out in a grin, and he threw his hands up into the air. "That's the best thing I've heard in years! ... admittedly, that's not a very high bar. Don't worry, I'll help you. That's what friends do."

Jesse was about to respond when the door banged open, and Lukas sprinted in, his face red with exertion and his blue-green eyes filled with panic. "Jesse?!" he practically shouted.

"Lukas?" Jesse turned to see him, but then she remembered Soren and swiveled back to the ginger builder-

He was staring. Like, he was literally staring at Lukas, mouth slightly open and grey eyes wider than dinner plates. Finally, he swallowed, coughed softly, and then said something so quietly that they could barely hear him.

"Lukas?"

Lukas was staring too at the builder, his blue-green eyes flicking over the builder, drinking him in hungrily as if he'd been a cup of water in the desert. "Soren?" he said finally, tentatively.

The syllables had barely come past his mouth when the builder had Lukas in a tight hug, Lukas's arms pinned at his sides as the builder squeezed him tightly. Lukas's eyes widened, and he awkwardly reached up and patted him on the back.

He'd barely done it once when Soren pushed him away and stared at him, a big grin coming across his face. "It's terrific to see you! And you're so much taller. Wait-" and he whirled on his heel, staring at Jesse. "That... Lukas just called you Jesse. Are you...?"

Jesse hesitated, before shooting a strand of string at the floor. Soren's grin widened. "Fantastic!" he exclaimed. Jesse was reminded of Lukas back at the temple, but the thought barely crossed her mind before Soren had grabbed both Jesse and Lukas and yanked them into a tight hug.

Lukas shared a bewildered look with Jesse, before his expression softened into a happy smile.

Jesse couldn't help but smile back as Soren released them, just as Olivia bleeped into the room again, followed closely by Axel.

"Soren?" Olivia gave Jesse a bewildered look.

Jesse shrugged and mouthed, "Tell you later."

Lukas stepped over to Jesse and took her hand, tugging her closer with a relieved purring sound. Jesse raised her eyebrow at her, but then her eyes widened as Petra came in.

She was worse. Going even grayer, the bags under her eyes nearly black. Her shoulders were hunched over, as though she were trying to curl into a ball while walking. Breathing so labored that you could hear it, even without listening for it. Her gold eyes- her formerly gold eyes- were turning dead black. No shine, no nothing. It looked as though she hadn't slept for centuries. And the temperature. Jesse was only ten feet from her, yet she could feel the chill radiating off of her redhead friend.

She looked like she was about to die.

"Nice to see you, Soren," Petra said, in a faint, scratchy voice.

Soren's eyes widened. "Petra?" he walked over to her. "You look... terrible."

"Gee, thanks," Petra rasped, but then her eyes shfited, and they widened.

Jesse looked over her shoulder, and repressed a loud gasp as they saw an Enderman standing in the dead center of the lab.

"I thought we're safe in here!" Jesse squeaked in fear.

"The Endermen don't know they're being held captive," Soren responded, his voice sounding a bit higher, "you can't escape when you don't know you're trapped. But... yeah. Yes, this is quite- quite bad."

"Not helping, Soren."

And then another one teleported in.

Everyone slapped their hands over their eyes, except for Olivia, who stared blankly back at them, hoping it might work.

It didn't. An Enderman started screeching in rage, the one next to it screeching, and then the two began screeching at each other.

"You've upset them!" Soren said, seeming torn between glaring at Jesse and hiding behind the spider hybrid, "you've altered their behavior!"

"Run!" And the seven of them (including Reuben) tore out of the room without any more words.

Not that it helped. The moment they opened the door, Jesse slapped her hand to her forehead.

The whole room was crawling with Endermen. There were so many that dodging around them without being spotted was as likely as finding a needle in a haystack. Which is to say, not all that likely.

"I wasn't expecting so many houseguests," Soren said, feebly. "There's no way I have enough seashell soaps for all of them."

"I can't tell if you're joking or not," Lukas whispered back.

Jesse dropped her face into her hands. "Just this once, couldn't something be easy?" she bemoaned.

A/N: Sorry for not updating yesterday! Algebra homework is terrible.

Kaos Ruin: Nope. and fluff for days.

DemonCatLady: Yep xD It's a bit noticeable

NinjaCat: Woot!

angelwings: I think that ship already exists...

rebekahtpe: Mine is also a dragon. And pfffttt xD

Wither: ? And no problem!

x.X. A.L. X.x