Author's Note: Okay, so it would be a lie if I blamed this late update on real life. But as fellow gamers you must understand the lure of a new game, right? You can't get a new game and then not start playing it. And once you start, if it's a good game you just can't stop, and... yeah. In other words, you have Pokemon: Pearl and Zelda: Twilight Princess to blame for the horrendously late update. Or, if you prefer, you can blame the people who gave me such awesome games for my birthday.

And since I haven't mentioned it in a while, I would like to remind all my reviewers that I love them and want their children. I also love the people who read my story and like it but are too shy to review. Just not as much. ;)

The servants in Duke Fabre's manor were a bit panicked at having so many visitors show up unexpectedly, but with much scrambling they were able to prepare lunch for everyone. Guy said that they would not mind staying the night at the inn (earning himself a glare from Anise), but Luke, who had never been very sensitive to the plight of the servants or how much work they would have to do, insisted that they all stay in the manor. Guy appealed to Tear, figuring she had likely thought of what her oblivious husband had not. Luke found himself being scolded for something he had not even realized was inconsiderate.

It was finally decided that Guy, Anise, Jade, and Noelle would spend that night at the inn, giving the maids and servants more time to prepare rooms, and then would stay at the manor for the remainder of their visit, the exact length of which was still undecided. Luke tried to convince Noelle that it would be a good idea for her to take Mieu with her when she went to the inn, but when he found himself being scolded by Tear again he reluctantly dropped the issue.

With all that settled, the seven companions (eight including Mieu) sat down to eat, taking the opportunity to share what was going on in their respective parts of the world.

"Stuff is still pretty chaotic in Daath," Anise said solemnly. "I knew completely reforming a religion would be tough, but I didn't realize it would take so long! I guess when the entire basis of an organization is destroyed, it's not easy to make it work again. I'm sure it doesn't help that we still don't have an official Fon Master! Teodoro's basically the leader right now, but it's been years and we still don't have anyone officially in charge."

Natalia frowned. "My, that's quite a long time to go without a leader. I would have expected by now that a new Fon Master would have been chosen."

"That's just it!" Anise cried in exasperation. "No one can agree on how to choose the next Fon Master! There are some people who say Florian, because he's technically the only living relative of the last Fon Master. But then there are other people who say no, because he's a replica." Luke looked noticeably irritated by that news, but decide it was not necessary to comment, since it was clear by Anise's tone that she was equally disgusted by the notion. "Then there are others that say since the Order is being completely reformed, we should have a new way of choosing a Fon Master as well. Most of those people want some kind of voting system."

Luke gave her a friendly smile. "Well if they decide on that, you've got my vote Anise."

Anise looked startled by the compliment, then she turned to Tear and smirked. "You'd better watch out Tear. You've only been married a few months and Luke's already hitting on other women."

Luke panicked, afraid that Tear might believe he would aim his affections at someone other than her. Unfortunately, panicking made his bad way with words that much worse. "I didn't mean- I was just- I wouldn't-"

Tear laughed, placing her free hand (as the other was being used to hold her fork) over Luke's. "It's okay. I know."

Luke smiled in relief, leaning in to give her a quick kiss on the lips. While the two of them were distracted Anise made a gagging motion, causing Noelle to giggle and Guy to smile in spite of attempts to suppress it.

When Luke and Tear turned to face the table again they were aware that they had missed something, but no one seemed ready to explain what. Tear mentally shrugged it off and turned to look at Guy and Jade. "What is the situation in Grand Chokmah?"

Guy glanced over at Jade, and sighed when he saw that the Colonel was watching him as expectantly as everyone else at the table. "Things have been as good as they can be. People are still having trouble coping without the Score, but so far no one's done anything worse than complain a lot. There's also some concern about who will take the throne next, since Emperor Peony still refuses to marry. Other than that, life goes on as usual."

Luke turned to address Jade directly, since it was obvious he was not going to volunteer himself to speak. "How goes the Fomicry research, Jade?"

Jade looked at Guy again, but the blond noble hastily shook his head. "You'll have to explain this one on your own. I don't understand half of it myself."

Jade sighed dramatically and made a show of slowly putting down his silverware and taking off his glasses to clean them with his napkin before finally responding to the question. "I'm developing a way to replicate only part of a human, rather than the whole thing. I have the theory worked out but I have yet to test it in practice."

"Part of a human?" Luke's confusion was clearly written on his face. "Like, an arm or something?"

Jade shook his head at Luke's less-than-intelligent question. "No, I mean more along the lines of an organ, to be used by someone who requires a transplant."

"Oh, I get it," Luke said, slightly embarrassed. "That would be pretty cool, to be able to help people out like that."

"Indeed," Jade replied. "Unfortunately, there is resistance to the idea, since it still requires a person to go through a replication process. It seems I was not specific enough when I set the ban on using Fomicry on living things."

"I see," Luke said, a little sadly. "Well, good luck with that."

Jade nodded briefly in acknowledgment before picking up his silverware again, showing that he was finished with explanations for the time being.

A short silence followed, and Guy took the opportunity to turn to Noelle, his eyes ablaze with excitement. "What about you? Any news from Sheridan?"

Noelle blushed slightly at the interest with which Guy regarded her, before she realized that his only concern was hearing about the latest Fon machines. "Aston's been working hard to continue the projects that he started with his close friends. It's too much for him to do alone though, so he's taken in some apprentices from both Sheridan and Belkend." She smiled. "The Luke Bridge has been proving very useful."

Luke cringed. He really wished they had decided to name the bridge something else. At the very least, they could have named it after someone with a more interesting name.

"And?" Guy practically demanded of Noelle. His excitement was getting the better of him. "Have they come up with anything? I've been pretty busy lately, so I haven't had time to keep up on all my Fon machine magazines."

"Well," Noelle said nervously, a bit uncomfortable due to the fact that Guy seemed to be subconsciously leaning in closer and closer to her. "Aston's been going on about this new communication device he's making. He claims that it well let people talk to each other from anywhere in the world."

"Really?" Guy asked, his eyes widening with fascination. "That sounds amazing! How does it work? When did he start making it? Is it almost done? Do you think he'd let me see it if I went over there?"

Luke rolled his eyes and concentrated on his food, tuning out Guy's rant. Poor Noelle continued to be bombarded by questions, even as she tried to explain that she did not know any of the details.

Several minutes passed and the situation did not change, so Tear decided it was time to rescue Noelle from the over-zealous Fon machine buff. She turned to Natalia and asked loudly, "So Natalia, how is your replica project going?"

Natalia regarded her with confusion. "I always tell you and Luke first if anything new occurs with that."

"Yes," Tear replied pointedly, "But I'm sure everyone else would like an update as well." She motioned toward Guy and Noelle.

Natalia seemed to catch on. "Oh, I see. Well, I suppose I should explain the situation then."

The plan was a success; Guy realized that Natalia was speaking, and knowing that it would be rude to talk over her, went silent. Noelle breathed a sigh of relief before also giving her attention to Natalia.

"It is going quite well," Natalia announced proudly. "There are still some replicas without homes, but more and more people are seeing the importance of giving them places to live, if only to keep them off the streets. At first there were people suggesting solutions as horrible as simply slaughtering them all, but thankfully those people are becoming the minority, so they rarely speak out anymore." Her face fell a little. "One problem that still remains is a way for the replicas to earn a living. It is difficult for them to get jobs since most of them know very little, and there is still so much prejudice against them. Some of those that are already settled have been given jobs to build homes for the others, which seems to be working as a short-term solution."

Anise smiled, though there was a distinct sadness in her eyes. "I'm sure Ion would be happy to hear that so much is being done for the replicas."

"Yeah," Luke agreed, the same hint of grief present in his tone, "I know I am."

Not wanting her comment to lead to a depressing silence, Anise quickly addressed Luke and Tear. "How have things been in Baticul?"

Tear thought for a moment before responding. "About the same as in Grand Chokmah, I suppose. People are upset, but nothing major has happened."

Anise was not about to be tided over with just a general description of Baticul's status as a whole. She demanded details on their personal lives as well. A little reluctantly, they explained the situation with Veronica, and the trouble she had caused.

"Want me to take her out with Tokunaga?" Anise suggested with a sadistic grin, pointing to the doll that was still strapped to her back.

Luke adopted the same grin and looked about to accept the offer, but Tear stopped him with a glare before speaking up. "I would rather not give her a real reason to hate us."

Both Luke and Anise looked disappointed, but they both knew she was right so neither one protested. Instead, Luke looked around the table at all of his friends. "Well, I guess everyone has had a chance to share-"

"What about me?"

Luke suppressed a shudder when Mieu's shrill voice rang out as he jumped from Tear's lap to the tabletop.

Tear pretended not to notice Luke's irritation. "Yes Mieu, why don't you tell everyone what has been happening in the Cheagle Woods?"

Mieu puffed up his fur, clearly pleased that he was now the center of attention. "The Elder said that I wasn't in trouble anymore since I helped save the whole world. Since the Elder forgave me most of the other cheagles did too, so now I have lots of friends! The ligers have a new queen, but they mostly leave us alone now since there are less of them than before and they don't run out of food so easily."

Having finished his report, Mieu glanced around the table to see how the others would react. Natalia smiled kindly and said, "I'm pleased to hear the situation in the Cheagle Woods has improved significantly."

Mieu was clearly happy with her response, and smiled in delight.

Jade decided it was time for one of his infamously disturbing comments. "It sounds like everything is going rather well."

Guy eyed him suspiciously. "Why do you sound almost disappointed by that?"

"Do I?" Jade asked in what was likely supposed to be an innocent tone. "I assure you I'm quite happy. I've had enough excitement in my life."

"That's right," Anise said, sneering, "Old men don't like a lot of excitement."

"Precisely," Jade replied, pretending he did not realize she was teasing him.

From there the conversation took many turns. It jumped between reminiscences about the past, current events, and ideas for the future. When everyone finished eating they moved to the courtyard, continuing to talk and laugh about old times.

It was dark when they finally decided it was time to part ways for the night. Those who were staying at the inn left to get their rooms, while Natalia returned home to the castle. Luke, Tear, and Mieu remained at the manor, ready to retire for the night.

It was then that they received another interesting surprise.

Their friends had only just left when Duke Fabre approached, addressing Luke and Tear. "Could I please speak to you two?"

Luke and Tear exchanged confused glances. The Duke sounded almost nervous; nothing like he had when he had last approached them for a "talk." They were both wary, but since the Duke seemed to want to speak to them both at the same time it made Luke and Tear more confident. Together they could handle anything.

Tear gave Luke a quick nod, showing that she believed they should hear him out. That was all the encouragement that Luke needed. He turned to face his father again, trying not to sound worried when he spoke. "Alright, what is it?"

The Duke hastily dismissed all the servants in the area. He then glanced down at Mieu, who was watching the scene with wide-eyed curiosity. The Duke seemed about to dismiss the cheagle as well, but apparently decided it did not matter and instead looked up at his son and daughter-in-law, noting that they both looked ready to defend themselves if necessary.

An increasingly awkward silence pervaded the room as Luke and Tear waited, and the Duke seemed to be trying to find the right words. Even Mieu was silent, anxious to see how the encounter would unfold.

The Duke finally let out a sigh and spoke. "I would like to... apologize. I realize that I've been unfair to the both of you."

Luke looked startled at first, but this was quickly replaced with a wry smile. "You spoke to Mother, didn't you?"

The Duke shifted slightly, and Tear immediately recognized it as a sign of embarrassment, as it was shockingly similar to a movement she had seen Luke make many times. Though when he spoke, he did a fine job of concealing his emotions. "Yes, your mother and I did have a talk. However, I do not want you to think that I am only apologizing to please her. She made me realize how thoughtless I have been, and I would like to atone for it."

Another silence followed as the Duke again seemed to be searching for the proper words. It was clear that apologizing was not something he did often. Tear found it cute in a way, how he was trying so hard to do something nice that he was not at all used to doing. It reminded her much of how Luke had been when he was first trying to change; pushing so hard to be a better person, even though everyone teased him the moment he started thanking people.

Tear snapped back to the present as the Duke turned to address her personally. "Tear..." he began uncertainly, "I have been... unkind to you. Please forgive an old man for being stuck in his ways."

For a moment, Tear wondered if Duke Fabre was playing some sort of strange trick on her. She had never heard of him playing a practical joke on anyone, but it seemed more plausible than what was actually happening. She was unsure of how to respond, so she voiced her confusion with a simple, "Your Grace?"

The Duke took this as his cue to continue his speech, which Tear was relatively sure had been practiced. "I cannot pretend that I would not have preferred if Luke married someone more... accustomed to the life of nobility, but I am glad that he seems to be... happy with you."

Luke spoke up, sparing Tear from having to think of a response. "Father?"

The Duke turned to face him. He seemed to have trouble meeting Luke's gaze, but he forced himself to regardless. "Luke, my son. Please, forget the terrible things I said to you." There was no need to elaborate on what "things" he was referring to. "I was overjoyed when you returned, and that has never changed."

Luke had never been any good at "mushy" stuff, so he was at a complete loss for words when his father finished speaking. Normally he would laugh it off and act like the whole situation was a joke, making it easier to handle, but somehow that did not seem appropriate at the moment.

The Duke seemed to understand Luke's stunned silence and smiled, confusing his son further; he had hardly ever seen his father smile. Duke Fabre momentarily placed a hand on Luke's shoulder, then removed it and turned to exit the room, leaving behind his confused audience.

The moment the door closed behind him, Luke and Tear turned to look at each other, similar expressions of "What the hell just happened?" written on their faces.

"What was that about?" Luke asked in order to break the silence.

Tear shrugged, looking just as baffled. "It seems he felt guilty. He's your father, you should know better than I."

"We were never very close," Luke responded, frowning slightly.

"Master's father is a nice person, too!"

Both of them jumped at the voice; they had completely forgotten that Mieu was there. They looked down to see him grinning happily.

Luke shook his head at the cheagle, then shrugged. "Well, if Father wants to start being nicer to us, I'm not complaining."

Luke started to laugh to try and alleviate the shock, but stopped when he saw Tear's concerned expression. "What's wrong? Everything's going pretty well, isn't it?"

She focused her gaze on him, still looking worried. "I suppose it is. Maybe that's why I feel this way; everything is going too well. I just feel like something bad is going to happen."

Luke tried not to show that he was nervous; Tear's intuition was usually right. He stepped closer to her and smiled. "Don't worry, Tear. If worst comes to worst, I'll protect you."

Tear pretended to look hurt. "Only if worst comes to worst?"

Luke's smile widened and he wrapped an arm around her, pulling her closer. "Yes. Because I know you can take care of yourself otherwise."

Tear returned his smile and placed her hands on his chest. "And if for some reason I can't?"

Luke lowered his voice for dramatic effect, and his expression turned serious. "Then I will do whatever it takes to protect you, even if it means my life."

This was not the answer Tear was looking for. She felt her heart clench painfully and her breath catch in her throat. The smile instantly faded from her face, and when she spoke her voice was strained. "Please, don't talk about dying."

Her response did not surprise him. Luke wrapped his other arm around her and leaned forward so that his face was all but touching hers. He could feel her shuddering breaths. "Tear, I don't want to upset you but it's true. I would die for you."

"No..." Tear whimpered in response. She knew he was serious; Luke knew what it was to die for a cause, and he did not take it lightly. She thought of the year after Eldrant, and how she had almost fallen into despair even as the rest of the world was rebuilding. It had been the most miserable period of her life, and it still stung to think back on how painfully lonely she had been. She could not imagine surviving that feeling again without even the hope that Luke would return someday. Tear clutched onto the fabric of his shirt and buried her face in the collar. "No..."

Luke rubbed her back comfortingly, trying to make up for having upset her. "Don't worry, I have no intention of dying anytime soon."

"You'd better not," Tear responded, her voice muffled against him. "I'll kill you if you do."