Alexander studied Daniel in the low light of the morgue. The young man was bent over the corpse of their most recent visitor, connecting the apparatus to drain the life essence out of her so it could be converted into vitae, a small frown marred his brow as he concentrated to make sure he did everything perfectly right; he always took such pains to please. Daniel glanced up and, observing that Alexander's gaze was upon him, flashed a small smile. It was a pale echo of the smiles he used to give Alexander and his heart constricted at the thought.

"Come, that is enough for tonight. I have had enough of this place."

"But the vitae."

"You have the blood, we can distill it tomorrow. Just set it there."

Daniel shrugged, setting down the jar he had collected. He began to gather up the tubes, but Alexander grabbed his hand and pulled him away. "I said leave it."

"What has come over you tonight?" Daniel shook his head, annoyed, but let the baron lead him through the halls to the elevator chamber.

Nothing but the whirl of the machines that powered the elevator disturbed their silence. Daniel gasped, cocked his head the side as if listening for something, a habit he had recently acquired, but whenever Alexander inquired if anything was the matter, he would start and quickly assure that everything was fine. The baron had quit asking. That didn't stop him from worrying though. He pulled the lever, halting the elevator midway to the ground floors.

"Why did you stop us?" Daniel asked, more curious than concerned.

"Daniel, I'm worried about you."

"There's nothing to worry about. I keep telling you I'm fine." He wouldn't meet Alexander's eyes when he said it.

"You hardly look fine." He murmured tracing a dark circle under Daniel's eye with his thumb. "It looks like you've given up sleeping altogether."

"I try to sleep as little as possible. My dreams are…disturbing."

"The shadow? You hear its call coming closer."

"Yes. And no. Most times I dream of it, but…"

"Go on."

"I dream of my past. Of my sister. What she would think of what her brother has sunk to save…" He broke off, biting his lip.

"Daniel, Daniel." The baron soothed. "She would understand. She loved you with all her heart and would have wanted you to do anything in your power to save yourself."

"Surely anything but this."

"We've been over this time and time again. I grow weary of it."

"I know. I know. I'm sorry." He cast his eyes down, studied the gold embroidery on Alexander's coat, reached out to trace it with one finger. "How do you know she would accept it? This preservation of my life?"

"Let's just say that when it comes to you I'm certain she and I have some similar views."

He nodded. "Can you tell me how much longer? Just a guess so I might steel myself."

"A week or two, Daniel. The end of August at the most."

He looked up, eyes wide. "It's come that close to us?"

"I thought you could tell. Even I can hear it baying in the night now." He brushed a lock of Daniel's hair behind his ear, traced a finger down his cheek.

"Are we ready yet?"

"No. Not even near ready. But we will be." He hastened to add, seeing Daniel's face collapse into despair.

"And you'll be safe as well? I don't want…" He looked away.

"Don't want what?" He tried to gentle his voice, to be coaxing.

"I have this fear at times. About you."

"You think I would betray you?"

"No! How could you think I would think that?"

Alexander smiled at the vehemence in the boy's protest. "What then?"

"That you would…You seem fond of me. Overly so at times."

A pause. "And?"

"You won't…You will survive this too, won't you?"

"What?"

"I have this fear that you won't. That you'll do something noble and…" He took a breath. "I have no family anymore with my sister's passing, none I would care to claim at least, and if the months since I've come here, you have come to mean something greatly to me." He looked up then, meeting Alexander's eyes. "I don't want to be alone in the world again."

"Oh, my silly child, come here." He pulled him into an awkward embrace; Daniel's back stiff as he tried not to throw himself into the other man's arms and start sobbing. "Remember that night we went to Altstadt? Do you remember what you promised me?"

"Yes."

"Do you honestly think I had no intention of holding you to it? Of not living to see it collected upon? I won't leave you or lose you to something as paltry as this shadow."

"Don't belittle it. I've seen what it can do." Daniel tried to pull away, but the baron held firm.

"And so have I. It and I are old acquaintances; I know it well and of old. Trust me when I say that it's a shoddy construct from Earth's more primordial days, a shambling corpse that should have had the decency to find its rest eons ago. We'll defeat it, easily. We just need to hasten in our gathering of vitae."

Daniel nodded, still doubtful. Alexander tapped his chin and smiled. "It will all be fine. Trust me as you always do."

Daniel's only reply was that odd jerk of his head to the side, eyes distant as if hearing something only he could. He was frowning, lips pursed.

Alexander sighed and pulled the lever again. Maybe all the boy needed was sleep. Sleep and an end to his nightmares.

The woman from the dungeon, dead for days now, was wading out into a river holding the hand of a small girl. Daniel called out to them, rushing into the ice cold water. He had to prevent the woman from doing what she was about to do, if only he could save one life, just one! He neared them and finally his cries were heard, they turned. He stopped, breath clawing at his lungs, horror at his heart. The woman was holding Hazel's little hand. They both looked at him calmly, a bit amused.

"Stop. Don't do this." He whispered.

"But Danny," Hazel tilted her head to the side, brown curls swaying. "I asked her to."

Tears stung his eyes. "Why?"

"Because it's better than living in the same world as a monster like you." The woman answered in Hazel's voice, she grabbed the girl's shoulder and shoved her sweet face under the water. Hazel began to thrash, to beat at the water with her tiny fists. Daniel screamed. He ran faster, fighting the water that seemed to be pushing him back, fighting it with every fiber of his being. When he finally reached the woman, Hazel was no longer fighting. She lay still under the woman's hands, hair bobbing in the current. "You bitch! I'm glad I killed you! I'm glad you died!" He shook her, hands wrapping around her throat.

"The wrong person died that day, Danny." She smiled, but what looked out of her eyes wasn't the woman, wasn't Hazel, wasn't even human. The Shadow. Daniel whimpered. "You walked into a war, and chose the wrong side. You can still make amends though." Claws sunk into his flesh, searching for his heart.

Daniel woke up gasping. He had known better than to lie down for a few moment. He had known! The dream had been horrible; they were all horrible of late. You could stop them you know. That reasonable voice said in his head, the one he was sure wasn't his. You could creep into the chambers deep beneath Brennenberg and steal back that which Alexander stole from you. Give it back to that abomination. Free us all from this horrible cycle.

He moaned, pressing his hands to his ears. He was mad, he had to be mad. If he could have stopped the Shadow with something as simple as giving the orb back, wouldn't Alexander have told him? He's a liar! He wants it for his own selfish ends. Give it back! Daniel shook his head.

He needed the laudanum, he needed more of it. Unfortunately that meant wandering down dark hallways and waking up Alexander to ask for it. The old man refused to let Daniel have his own supply in his rooms for some reason and it was damn inconvenient for them both at times. The voice kept nattering away, begging, cajoling, and lecturing. He couldn't last until dawn like this.

He swung his legs off the bed. He debated throwing on clothes, but decided that he didn't need to be decent at this late hour, and hadn't the baron agreed that this was Daniel's home now? He made sure the nightgown was buttoned properly, then taking a deep breath, threw open his door to the darkness that waited outside. He debated just shouting for Alexander and hoping that the man could hear him through a corridor of stone or that the servants would go fetch their master to silence him. Picking up the candlestick with trembling fingers, he made his way down the hall.

Sometimes he wondered if the baron ever slept. As soon as he knocked on the door, more like grazing it with his knuckles than a proper knock, it was thrown open and he was being ushered inside. "Daniel, what is it?"

"Nightmare."

"I'll make some tea." Alexander picked up the dressing gown that had been thrown over one of the armchairs, and wrapped it around himself. "Stand by the fire, boy. You should be freezing. What possessed you to walk around dressed just in that?"

Daniel didn't answer, but did move closer to the fire. "It's so thin I can almost see through it. Here, put this around you at least." A heavy blanket was draped over his shoulders. He smiled his thanks. Their hands brushed as Daniel settled it better around him, Alexander sprang back. He strode off, muttering about hot water and a kettle.

Daniel sunk into one of the chairs, pulling it closer to the fire. He drew his legs up and tucked them under the blanket. The flames were a reminder of more cheerful times and he watched them with yearning. How often had he and Hazel snuggled under a blanket and watched the small fire in their small home? How many times had he regaled her with tales before it to try to get her to forget the pain in her chest, the cough that wracked her frail, little body? He missed his sister. He missed many things.

"Don't sink into melancholy. Here. The tea." Alexander thrust a cup and saucer at him. Daniel blinked at it, took it. His hands had developed a slight tremor lately and the cup rattled, spilling tea onto his hand.

Alexander took it back and set it on the small table beside him.

"I'm sorry." He lowered his eyes back to the fire, ashamed.

A hand smoothed his hair. "Don't be. Something is troubling you more than these nightmares of yours. Tell me. Let me help ease whatever problems you have."

"You'd think me insane." Daniel shook his head.

The slightest pause, "I would never think that Daniel. Tell me." Daniel hid his face in his hands. "Daniel." His voice was harsh. He made an effort to soften it. "You told me once that I helped ease your pain and troubles. Does that not hold true anymore?"

"Of course it does!" Daniel raised his face, looked at Alexander in shock. "Now more than ever before! Your friendship has become as necessary to me as breath, as my blood."

Alexander smiled, flattered. "Then tell me."

"It's…It's as if, recently, I think things that aren't my own thoughts. Like a voice that comes from outside of me, but I can only hear it inside here." He pointed at his temple." Madness, am I right?" His voice trailed off into a whimper; Alexander's expression was wrath personified.

"No, you aren't mad and I will deal with this. Now."

He turned, heading for the door, but was stopped by Daniel's hand upon his arm. "Can't it wait until the morning? Don't leave me upset."

"I'm not angry at you."

"Please, then, stay. I can't bear to be alone."

Alexander leaned against the arm of the chair. "If you want it so, then so shall it be." He was stroking Daniel's hair again. He seemed very fond of petting Daniel, not that he minded. It was calming. Affection had been meager in Daniel's life and when he came across it he always craved more. He shifted so his shoulder was against Alexander's side. When the baron didn't move away, he leaned more of his weight against him. "What shall we do with you tonight, hm?"

"May I have some more laudanum?"

"You may have some tea and then you may go to bed."

Daniel shuddered. "Can I…Can I sleep here tonight?"

The fingers in his hair stilled.

"I can sleep in the chair. I've slept in worse places in my travels."

"You're so very fragile, Daniel. You'll be bruised all over come morning and stiff as a board. You may have the bed."

"I don't want to turn you out of your own room again, my friend. Here is fine."

"You won't. You mentioned before that the bed was big enough for two. I am sure we will manage somehow."

"Thank you." He whispered, shame at his weakness overcoming him.

"We will discuss this…problem you have more in the morning. For now, if you won't be finishing your tea, we will retire for the evening."

Daniel snuggled under the covers, luxuriating in the feel of them. They felt grand, finer than anything he had ever had growing up. Alexander slid in beside him, his face unreadable. "Do you feel tired yet?"

"Not really."

"Do you wish for me to read to you? Just for a few minutes."

"I would love that." Daniel thought of his reading to Hazel to comfort her and his heart was warmed that someone would ever do the same for him.

"It's another of Goethe's works. I hope you don't mind."

"I'm starting to develop a fondness for him." He smiled and closed his eyes.

Sorry this took a bit long to get up. I am doing Nano this year and things are a bit hectic for it. I will try to put up the next chapter this weekend. Thanks for being patient and thank you for all the lovely, lovely comments!