Chapter Nineteen: Lost and Found
Heya, everyone! *glomps readers for reviews and support* I now have all chapters edited and will be posting them simultaneously. Thank you soooo much for bearing with me. Chase-chan and I are really glad you've liked our story, and the end is near! ^^ Oh, by the way, (before I forget) I added three or four paragraphs to the last chapter, so you might want to go back and read it.) Thanks! Keep reading!
A ways away from the apartment, Julia had finally found her partner. She called to him.
"Adrian! Adrian, you twit, slow down! Do you have any idea what you've done?" she shouted angrily.
He turned a cold eye toward her. "Enlighten me," he answered darkly.
"How many partners do you plan on losing in one lifetime, Adrian? I have to have all of those boys put together and at least halfway sane before tomorrow and you go and tell the most fragile one of them all that he'll kill the first person he's gotten attached to in years. If the interview fails tomorrow, you've signed my death certificate, you idiot."
Adrian's expression softened slightly. Only slightly. "He wouldn't dare. He needs you to help train those kids."
"Please, you don't think he'd wouldn't just recruit someone else from Rosenkreuz? It wouldn't be that difficult." she said. "And you know it."
He scowled. "You're the one who brought him here. You know he'll cause trouble with or without my tampering with him."
"You don't have to add to the situation!"
"I'm not going to be the reason for your death, Julia. That kid is."
"Thank you for sounding like you care. When did you become so cold, Adrian? What has this kid ever done to you? He's just like us, trying to survive. You don't have to make it harder."
"Hn.," was the response she received.
Julia tried to swallow her anger. "Fine, if that's the way you want it. As soon as they're trained, I'll go ahead and move out. I can live with a killer, Adrian, I can't live with someone cold blooded."
"Why are you so attached to this kid?"
"Because this is their only chance, and our future lies in them." her tone became smug. "You should know that."
"To be quite honest," he whispered, "I can't see anything in these kids' future. That frustrates me."
"Were you lying when you told Schuldig he would kill Brad?" Julia asked quietly.
Adrian took a deep breath. "No one should get too attached to another person. Sooner or later they will loose them."
Julia shut her eyes for a brief second. So it was true. "Great. Just peachy."
"It wasn't a full lie, nor the full truth," he said quietly.
"Will it happen within the next five years?"
"From what I saw, yes."
"One of us will be dead by then, so I guess it doesn't matter, ne? They can take care of themselves, can't they?" Julia muttered.
"The German doesn't seem to be able to."
"That's what he has Brad for."
"And when he looses Brad?"
Julia bit her lip. "He dies. You're right in the fact that that's life; they'll die eventually anyway. Everyone does. It's just a matter of when and how. I just wish it didn't have to be like that..."
"We're not immortal, no matter what Rosenkreuz tries to teach," Adrian responded as he came closer to her.
"They're good kids. It had to be like this, though." she said softly.
Adrian wrapped his arms around her shoulders and rested his chin against her head.
Julia leaned against him for a long moment before asking the inevitable. "Am I going to die tomorrow?"
"No. I won't let you," he responded quietly.
She laughed quietly. "You're getting protective after all these years."
"Had to happen sooner or later."
"Can we go home now or am I going to have to drag you on a leash, boy?"
He chuckled. "Let's go home."
"Behave, for me, onegai?"
He frowned slightly. "For you only, but I better not ever see him on anything again."
Julia saluted him. "Yessir."
He smiled and the started back for the apartment.
Julia opened the door and lifted an eyebrow. Schuldig was curled up on the couch, not looking all that well, Brad was asleep on the floor beneath him, and Nagi was reading in the chair across from them. Not to mention the window was still broken and the glass pieces were scattered in and out of the apartment. She shook her head. "I'm ordering pizza." she said with a sigh.
Nagi looked up. "Konban wa," he greeted them.
"Konban wa, Nagi." Julia said.
Adrian nodded in acknowledgement and headed for the kitchen. "What do you want on the pizza? Olives, pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, peppers, what?" he called quietly.
"Just cheese for me," Nagi answered.
Brad stirred from his place next to the couch.
"Olives and sausage for me, Adrian." Julia said.
He nodded and reached for the phone.
Brad's dark blue orbs slid open sleepily and looked around the room. He noticed Julia.
"You could use one of the beds, you know." she said with a grin.
"I didn't really mean to fall asleep," he mumbled with a yawn. He looked back to see Schuldig curled up, golden eyes focused on him.
"Hey," Brad said quietly.
/Hey,/ the voice rang in his head.
/Feel any better?/
/A little./
/Need anything?/
/Nah./ Schuldig smiled. "Did you find him?" he asked Julia.
"Yes. He's in the kitchen." Julia replied. "Just cut back on your pill intake and he'll let you live." she said, teasing tone in her voice.
He smiled slightly. /I really hope he doesn't look at the pill bottles,/ he muttered to his American friend.
"Julia..." Adrian called warningly.
"I took Tylenol before I left." she called back. She winked at Schu. "But no more. You're going to be sick as it is." she whispered.
He nodded sheepishly.
Adrian came up behind Julia, wrapping his arms around her shoulders, holding the empty Tylenol bottle in front of her. "The whole bottle, Jule?"
"Schu took some too, you dolt." She kissed one of his hands. "We were running low, you know that."
He frowned. "We had near half a bottle." There was no real anger in his voice. It had faded to more of a concern.
"It'll be fine, relax. I'll pick some more up at the store." she said quietly.
/He found them,/ Schuldig thought worriedly to Brad.
/I know. He won't do anything, it's okay./
Schuldig curled himself into a tighter ball than he was all ready in and shuddered. He felt awful.
/Sleep./
/I'm not tired./
/It'll be worse for you if you ride it awake, you know that./
/I know./ He shuddered again and his eyes locked with his friend's dark blue ones. /But I can't sleep anymore./
/I can block you from dreaming./
/And the voices? And the pain? You can't block me from everything, Brad./
Brad dropped his gaze to the floor. /I know./ he thought harshly. He stood and went to the broken window.
Schuldig sat up and looked over the back of the sofa, towards his friend. He rested his chin against the cushions. /I need to figure this out,/ he thought to his friend quietly. /By myself. You won't always be there to watch over me. I have to be ready to take care of myself then./
Brad did not reply. He already knew. He pushed some of the glass away with his foot, and headed for one of the bedrooms Julia had told them they could have.
Schuldig's eyes seemed to focus on the floor and several strands of green-blond hair fell in his eyes. He looked up to see Adrian standing next to him, a neutral look on his face.
The doorbell rang and Julia went to answer it. She sighed inside. They were growing up too fast. Much too fast.
Adrian smiled slightly, reaching down and putting a hand on the young German's head. Quiet apology. Quiet warning to be careful.
Heya, everyone! *glomps readers for reviews and support* I now have all chapters edited and will be posting them simultaneously. Thank you soooo much for bearing with me. Chase-chan and I are really glad you've liked our story, and the end is near! ^^ Oh, by the way, (before I forget) I added three or four paragraphs to the last chapter, so you might want to go back and read it.) Thanks! Keep reading!
A ways away from the apartment, Julia had finally found her partner. She called to him.
"Adrian! Adrian, you twit, slow down! Do you have any idea what you've done?" she shouted angrily.
He turned a cold eye toward her. "Enlighten me," he answered darkly.
"How many partners do you plan on losing in one lifetime, Adrian? I have to have all of those boys put together and at least halfway sane before tomorrow and you go and tell the most fragile one of them all that he'll kill the first person he's gotten attached to in years. If the interview fails tomorrow, you've signed my death certificate, you idiot."
Adrian's expression softened slightly. Only slightly. "He wouldn't dare. He needs you to help train those kids."
"Please, you don't think he'd wouldn't just recruit someone else from Rosenkreuz? It wouldn't be that difficult." she said. "And you know it."
He scowled. "You're the one who brought him here. You know he'll cause trouble with or without my tampering with him."
"You don't have to add to the situation!"
"I'm not going to be the reason for your death, Julia. That kid is."
"Thank you for sounding like you care. When did you become so cold, Adrian? What has this kid ever done to you? He's just like us, trying to survive. You don't have to make it harder."
"Hn.," was the response she received.
Julia tried to swallow her anger. "Fine, if that's the way you want it. As soon as they're trained, I'll go ahead and move out. I can live with a killer, Adrian, I can't live with someone cold blooded."
"Why are you so attached to this kid?"
"Because this is their only chance, and our future lies in them." her tone became smug. "You should know that."
"To be quite honest," he whispered, "I can't see anything in these kids' future. That frustrates me."
"Were you lying when you told Schuldig he would kill Brad?" Julia asked quietly.
Adrian took a deep breath. "No one should get too attached to another person. Sooner or later they will loose them."
Julia shut her eyes for a brief second. So it was true. "Great. Just peachy."
"It wasn't a full lie, nor the full truth," he said quietly.
"Will it happen within the next five years?"
"From what I saw, yes."
"One of us will be dead by then, so I guess it doesn't matter, ne? They can take care of themselves, can't they?" Julia muttered.
"The German doesn't seem to be able to."
"That's what he has Brad for."
"And when he looses Brad?"
Julia bit her lip. "He dies. You're right in the fact that that's life; they'll die eventually anyway. Everyone does. It's just a matter of when and how. I just wish it didn't have to be like that..."
"We're not immortal, no matter what Rosenkreuz tries to teach," Adrian responded as he came closer to her.
"They're good kids. It had to be like this, though." she said softly.
Adrian wrapped his arms around her shoulders and rested his chin against her head.
Julia leaned against him for a long moment before asking the inevitable. "Am I going to die tomorrow?"
"No. I won't let you," he responded quietly.
She laughed quietly. "You're getting protective after all these years."
"Had to happen sooner or later."
"Can we go home now or am I going to have to drag you on a leash, boy?"
He chuckled. "Let's go home."
"Behave, for me, onegai?"
He frowned slightly. "For you only, but I better not ever see him on anything again."
Julia saluted him. "Yessir."
He smiled and the started back for the apartment.
Julia opened the door and lifted an eyebrow. Schuldig was curled up on the couch, not looking all that well, Brad was asleep on the floor beneath him, and Nagi was reading in the chair across from them. Not to mention the window was still broken and the glass pieces were scattered in and out of the apartment. She shook her head. "I'm ordering pizza." she said with a sigh.
Nagi looked up. "Konban wa," he greeted them.
"Konban wa, Nagi." Julia said.
Adrian nodded in acknowledgement and headed for the kitchen. "What do you want on the pizza? Olives, pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, peppers, what?" he called quietly.
"Just cheese for me," Nagi answered.
Brad stirred from his place next to the couch.
"Olives and sausage for me, Adrian." Julia said.
He nodded and reached for the phone.
Brad's dark blue orbs slid open sleepily and looked around the room. He noticed Julia.
"You could use one of the beds, you know." she said with a grin.
"I didn't really mean to fall asleep," he mumbled with a yawn. He looked back to see Schuldig curled up, golden eyes focused on him.
"Hey," Brad said quietly.
/Hey,/ the voice rang in his head.
/Feel any better?/
/A little./
/Need anything?/
/Nah./ Schuldig smiled. "Did you find him?" he asked Julia.
"Yes. He's in the kitchen." Julia replied. "Just cut back on your pill intake and he'll let you live." she said, teasing tone in her voice.
He smiled slightly. /I really hope he doesn't look at the pill bottles,/ he muttered to his American friend.
"Julia..." Adrian called warningly.
"I took Tylenol before I left." she called back. She winked at Schu. "But no more. You're going to be sick as it is." she whispered.
He nodded sheepishly.
Adrian came up behind Julia, wrapping his arms around her shoulders, holding the empty Tylenol bottle in front of her. "The whole bottle, Jule?"
"Schu took some too, you dolt." She kissed one of his hands. "We were running low, you know that."
He frowned. "We had near half a bottle." There was no real anger in his voice. It had faded to more of a concern.
"It'll be fine, relax. I'll pick some more up at the store." she said quietly.
/He found them,/ Schuldig thought worriedly to Brad.
/I know. He won't do anything, it's okay./
Schuldig curled himself into a tighter ball than he was all ready in and shuddered. He felt awful.
/Sleep./
/I'm not tired./
/It'll be worse for you if you ride it awake, you know that./
/I know./ He shuddered again and his eyes locked with his friend's dark blue ones. /But I can't sleep anymore./
/I can block you from dreaming./
/And the voices? And the pain? You can't block me from everything, Brad./
Brad dropped his gaze to the floor. /I know./ he thought harshly. He stood and went to the broken window.
Schuldig sat up and looked over the back of the sofa, towards his friend. He rested his chin against the cushions. /I need to figure this out,/ he thought to his friend quietly. /By myself. You won't always be there to watch over me. I have to be ready to take care of myself then./
Brad did not reply. He already knew. He pushed some of the glass away with his foot, and headed for one of the bedrooms Julia had told them they could have.
Schuldig's eyes seemed to focus on the floor and several strands of green-blond hair fell in his eyes. He looked up to see Adrian standing next to him, a neutral look on his face.
The doorbell rang and Julia went to answer it. She sighed inside. They were growing up too fast. Much too fast.
Adrian smiled slightly, reaching down and putting a hand on the young German's head. Quiet apology. Quiet warning to be careful.