HALLO! Sorry, this chapter took a little longer to get out, mainly because I just couldn't get myself into Grin's perspective. When I finally did, I had to do some research on auras, herbal tea, and some other stuff. I've actually learned some stuff from my research on metaphysics

P.S. Why do they call plain cookies "tea cakes"? My mom makes them and calls them that, saying my great-great-great grandma brought the recipe from Germany. But somehow, I kinda doubt it...

Disclaimer: I don't own MD:TAS. If I did, I'd be rich


Grin was the next up in visitors; he came about an hour after Nosedive had left, with a tray that held what Tanya had called "afternoon snacks". All it really was though was a pot of herbal tea for himself and Duke to share, mugs, and along with them a snack that the team tech provided. What did she call it again? Oh yes, tea cakes.

Why they were called that, the larger drake would never know, since these didn't have to be eaten with tea. And they just looked like plain cookies, not anything like cakes.

As the door to Duke's room opened, Grin asked, "Are you awake friend?"

"I'm awake," the ex-thief's voice called from his bunk. "I've been readin' is all."

Grin could hear a book closing as he made his way to his injured teammate's bedside, pulling a small, moving table along with him (Tanya had thought it would be best to have one of these rolling things in the room for Duke since he wasn't supposed to be out of bed). The larger drake placed the tray on the table and pulled over a seat when he had the items next to Duke. "I have a different tea for you today," Grin said, pouring a mug.

"Don't you usually have a different one everyday?" Duke asked, a hint of amusement in his voice and a smile on his face.

"Technically yes," Grin said, pouring the drinks. "But this is one meant for health; it will help you recover from your illness while I can keep my wellbeing the same."

The former jewel thief eyed the cookies as well. "Those wouldn't happen to do anythin' for my health too, would they?" he asked, still smiling. Grin merely chuckled, handing a mug to his friend. "Not that I am aware of," he answered.

Duke took the mug and slipped it into his left hand (which was a little hard considering it was in a cast and sling) so he could grab a cookie with his good hand. He took a bite into the plain cookie and chewed.

"Huh," he merely said after swallowing. "Not the taste I would have imagined." But he just shrugged and took another bite as Grin sipped his tea, smiling.

After a few moments, the former jewel thief spoke. "Hey Grin?"

"Yes?"

"I…I dunno what you did durin' the time I was out, but-"

"You do. You just don't want to say it."

Duke looked at him in surprise. "Wha?"

Grin smirked. "I know that you were aware of everything that was going on," he answered. "A person's aura changes in each stage of life or whatever condition they are in."

When he noticed that the older drake looked confused (like whenever Nosedive and Grin got into whether or not Bernie the Bear was in fact a bear or not,) the Zen-oriented duck continued. "Before, when you were walking to the Aerowing and before you collapsed, the air around you was that as it normally is. But after you did pass out, your aura was…clouded. Different than yours is normally. Over the week it stayed the same."

Duke waited for him to continue. When he didn't, the ex-thief merely said, "And…?"

Grin placed his mug down. "When you threatened to leave us, I couldn't feel your presence anymore," he said, a bleak look on his face. "I was just as afraid as the rest that you had indeed left us."

"You?" Duke asked, a look of disbelief on his face. "You hardly ev'a afraid."

Grin sighed. "It may seem that way friend," he said. "But I try to understand it."

"What do ya mean?"

"What is needed, rather than running away or controlling or suppressing or any other resistance, is understanding fear; that means, watch it, learn about it, come directly into contact with it. We are to learn about fear, not how to escape from it," Grin answered. When Duke looked a tad confused, the other answered, "A quote from Jiddu Krishnamurti."

"Ah," the ex-thief simply answered. "So you knew the entire time that I was aware of stuff goin' on around me?"

The larger drake nodded. "After you came back to us, your awakening brought on a much brighter air than it had been the entire week," he continued. "So I knew you were with us once more."

A silence hung in the air for a few minutes. Then, Duke spoke again. "You haven't told the oth'ahs, have you?"

"No friend," Grin answered. "Only Wildwing knows." When he noticed that the other drake was surprised, Grin smiled. "I accidentally overheard your conversation when you woke up. I had come down to investigate when I heard your voices through the door."

"…thanks for not tellin' Tanya, Mallory, and the kid."

Grin nodded. "You are most welcome."

RVRVRVRVRVRVRV

The larger drake left Duke's room after another hour and a half. Not much had been said after the conversation about how Grin had known about Duke's "condition" when he was practically comatose. They had simply spent time, taking in each other's company and munching on the snacks Tanya had provided.

Grin smiled. He knew that if he had told his friend about how it was that he knew about the "awareness" (as Grin called it,) that Duke would be surprised. He also figured that the ex-thief wouldn't want him to tell the girls or Nosedive about what only Wildwing and Grin knew.

In a way, they were alike. Both Grin and Duke had had hard times in their life in which someone or something had turned them around. In the case of Grin, his temper being horrible due to a terrible family life up until he had found Master Tai Quack Do, whereas Duke's was a little later in life with the Brotherhood of the Blade, then reforming when joining the Resistance.

Kindred spirits, Grin merely thought.