Hey, all.

I know that I've been able to update at least once per week in the past, but some major assignments went my way last week. However, I was able to resume playing a bit of Xenoblade Chronicles X the past President's Day weekend, so I caught up on a lot of post-story madness. And by that, I meant I finally maxed out affinities with Irina, Gwin, Doug, Nagi, and Mia. Before the beginning of the year, I had just maxed out with Elma, Lin, Lao, L, and Celica.

So until I have a chance to continue it, I'll be continuing work with Phog, Murderess, and Hope. I already got three hearts with Frye, so I decided to switch to Phog to pick up the pace.

Anyway, sorry for taking long to update and for the winding exposition of events above. I finally got something to write for Doug.

Enjoy!

Cross didn't really consider himself the sentimental type.

However, it wasn't because of the lack of emotion he displayed in the general public. He was capable of expressing joy, anger, and annoyance, usually the latter when dealing with problematic quirks from his BLADE colleagues and the middle when facing troublesome hostile indigens and rogue BLADEs.

The true was that he didn't really have anything of sentimental value to have and hold onto.

It was already disconcerting as it was when he first lost his memories. And upon gradually recovering them before locating the Lifehold Core, everyone and everything he cared about were left behind on Earth to burn away.

The only person from his past that was among the survivors on Mira was Defense Secretary Nagi, who took him in when he had nothing else left to go on for. But that is a story for another time.

He was casually passing through Division Drive early on in the day when he overheard a peculiar chat from a female BLADE. She mentioned about wanting Doug's new sports car for herself, along those lines at the very least. He recalled catching the burly Harrier at an elevated parking lot in the commercial district with a shiny new sports car by his side.

Another interesting detail he remembered from their conversation was how one could tell of someone's personality depending on what kind of car they wanted to drive. Beforehand, Cross had opted to buy an SUV if he had a chance, recalling that he and his small team could ride and enjoy the open roads of Mira together.

Of course, that was before Doug had shut down the prospect upon mentioning indigens reducing it into a pile of scrap within moments, but that was beside the point.

Things got dark rather quickly when the Harrier mentioned that Lao would've also chosen an SUV as to take his family out on camping trips. Upon vocalizing that thought, Doug felt himself unable to continue speaking and had bid Cross adieu until next time.

Cross had then momentarily reconsidered choosing an SUV in his mind, recalling that he promised to take Elma out for a ride once classic automobiles were restored to their former glory. She had been top priority for quite a while now and supposedly from her last meeting with BLADE command, they might've been able to recover enough data from the Lifehold to recreate those particular vehicles.

True be told, it didn't matter much to him as long as she was happy with, which would lead to realize that he was generally indifferent with material possessions that would bring others joy.

He figured he was happy as long as his friends were.

"Yo, Cross!"

The sharp BLADE had noticed the elevator platform having arrived from the hangar, carrying a sole occupant in the large form of Doug Barrett. He appeared to be as easygoing as ever.

"Hey there," Cross greeted back.

"Just came back and exterminated a Tyrant in Oblivia," Doug grinned. "Also made quite the killer earnings for taking that bad boy down. What's new with you? And how're Lin and Elma?"

"Just walking, really," Cross shrugged. "And they're back at the barracks. Nothing big so far."

"Hey, bro, wanna hang for a bit?" Doug proposed out of nowhere. Catching the skeptical confusion on the shorter man's face, the Harrier further elaborated. "There are actually some things I want to talk to you about, man to man. You're one of the manliest men I know within BLADE aside from big ol' Colonel Square-tache."

"Tch," Cross couldn't help but snort at Vandham's decided nickname.

"Come on," Doug urged. "I can come up some more snappy nicknames for Vandham if that's what it takes."

"Not really necessary, but sure," Cross replied. "I'll hear you out."

"Sweet!" Doug exclaimed in gratitude. "Thanks, man! You're a real bro! No wonder Gwin looks up to you big time for helping him out with Irina."

"They're still together?" Cross inquired, sounding genuinely surprised.

"I know what you mean," Doug added on. "It was obvious to see what he felt for her and I always thought she saw him more as an annoying younger brother instead. Thought it'd be weird for her and all that crap. I guess every dogged guy has his day."

"Have someone you're into?" Cross followed up.

"I have endless possibilities in New LA now that the Lifehold Core's been secured," Doug said, flourishing an arm to view the rest of the city behind him. "Of course, I did have an eye on a pretty little lady that hangs by this new restaurant that just opened up. Funny thing is I told Lao about it and he recommended asking her out to there."

"Oh…"

Doug appeared to hesitate again after mentioning the Master Marksman's name. He then shook his head vigorously and slapped both sides of his face hard. Cross's right eye mildly twitched from catching the strident sounds of the slaps.

"You've probably guessed what… or who… I wanted to talk to you about, Cross," Doug surmised somberly.

"… …" Cross nodded, prompting him to continue on at a comfortable pace.

"Listen, I don't like admitting this, even if I am an open book about it," Doug resumed. "But I'm a guy that just has trouble letting go of the past. I know that you, Elma, Lin, and even that little Nopon tater can attest to that."

"Hmm…"

"I'm still determined to pay off the amount of my old man's debts and create memorials for him on Mira. I want to enjoy all of my sports past times without those xenos ruining them with their disregard for the rules. I want to speed down the open roads in a fancy sports car like I did in my teen years. And I don't want my best friend to be lost to history, especially since that same dumbass still hasn't made up for his crimes."

"You really feel strongly about this, don't you?"

"You have no idea, man."

Doug then pulled the shorter BLADE into a more reclusive location, leading him through the narrow alleys near the large elevator. They were practically behind the stands and terminals of Armory Alley.

"So what is it about Lao you wanted to discuss?" Cross prompted.

"The thing is that new BLADEs are joining us every day, so obviously we need to make room for them," Doug explained. "My team and I were the ones who cleaned out the belongings of the late Team Belisarda. I have all of Lao's old things on me, including spare bodysuits, sniper rifles, javelins, booze, and even a framed picture of his family back on Earth. He never looked so happy. I know Charmaine and Chenshi were really lucky to have such a rocking husband and father."

"Can I have the booze?" Cross jested dryly, knowing how the big guy would react.

"Ha! Dream on!" Doug chuckled before resuming a serious look. "Anyway, I wanted to leave all of these things where they were out of hope for the bastard's return, but we have the future to think about, which is why I'm leaving a good majority of Lao's belongings to you, Cross. Well, except for the booze and the family photo."

"Wait, what?" Cross took a double-take.

"I know you two were pretty close and you both have those similarities, from the black hair, intimidating eyes, the serious manly facades, and−."

"I got that, but I still don't understand why I can't just have the free alcohol."

"Hey, Lao and I have history, so I should be privileged to have the stuff," Doug rebutted. "You should be grateful as is to have the rest of his belongings. I know he considers you a close friend despite going all Benedict Arnold on us. So consider this an even, if not one-sided, distribution of his remnants."

"Fair enough," Cross conceded with a sigh, holding up his hands.

Doug then gave a wide grin and wrapped a hulking armored arm around Cross's shoulders, pulling him in to whisper something in his ear. As Cross listened in, he did the best he could to fight the curling smirk rising from a corner of his lips.

"You up for it?" Doug asked.

"I'm not too fond of the idea, but I think I can live with the expected results," Cross responded, maintaining his neutral face. "I still feel you owe me for this."

"Fine, I'll let you have a taste of Lao's stored booze," Doug relented. "Tonight if you go through with it now."

"Just show me where they are."

"Heh, you really are a sentimental SOB, aren't ya? Just like me!"

Sometime later at the BLADE barracks…

"This is a really interesting book," Elma remarked aloud, sitting on the sofa with one leg over the other with said book on hand. The team's pet Abyssinian was curled up next to her. "Thanks for the suggestion, Lin."

"I figured the Hungry Games series could be related to us, seeing as we're practically fighting for survival here," Lin replied from the kitchen. "Really thankful that Maurice isn't a corrupt politician that's having us fight one another for sport."

"Perhaps," Elma nodded. "Personally, if I could choose which series should be real, it'd be Harold Pottery. I've entertained the idea about having magic spells and potions in place of advanced tech and giant robots."

"Probably helps that you already look like a magical elf," Lin joked. "Though you'd more likely fit in with Lord of the Precious, you definitely can pull off the look if we could get some lavish medieval robes for you to wear."

"Thanks, but you won't see me walking around in public with such things on," Elma chuckled. "I still have some semblance of dignity to maintain regarding my position."

"I'd imagine once humanity is finally settled in, the old comic cons might start up again," Lin said. "I know we're already working on having our first Skell con pretty soon. Alexa and I have been working on the funding and now, we just need more support from Skell lovers scattered around New LA and we're sure to be a hit!"

"Friends!" Tatsu suddenly alerted. "Tatsu heard someone enter from back door of Skell garage."

"It's probably Cross back from his walk," Elma surmised, turning a page of her book. "I'll check with him once I finish this chapter."

"Tatsu, would you mind greeting him?" Lin requested. "The tea is almost done here. I'll catch up."

"Tatsu is on the case, Linly," Tatsu obliged, waddling off to meet with their third member.

The tea had just finished and Lin was ready to pour into her cup and Elma's when a startled scream echoing out from the resident Nopon was heard. Out of panic, Lin threw aside the tea kettle while Elma did the same with her Hunger Games book, taking a quick mental note on which page she left off before the both of them leapt into action.

They rounded the corner where Tatsu went, finding the little Nopon shivering in astonishment at the figure in front of them. A better look at this stranger's outline caused their eyes to also widen in shock.

"Elma, is that…?!"

"No, it couldn't be!"

"T-Tatsu see it, b-but can't believe it!" Tatsu sputtered.

This figure stood with his back facing them. Under the dim lights of the Skell garage, the slimming dark body suit and the black hair were practically matching the same man that both Elma and Lin had on first impression. However, the hair was shorter on the back, and its style matched someone else's closer than…

"Lao!" Lin exclaimed.

"I'm afraid not, Lin," 'Lao' replied in a close imitation of his deep voice, turning around to reveal his true identity.

The reactions of the three had changed. Elma was mildly displeased, Lin was beginning to fume, and Tatsu fell on his back out of shock.

"How did Lao turn into friend Cross?" Tatsu mumbled in a daze.

"That's because Cross was wearing Lao's clothes!" Lin growled. "Not cool! Not cool at all!"

"How did you get Lao's body wear?" Elma inquired calmly.

She knew that Lao couldn't have returned, which was why she wasn't as upset as Lin was. Still, it was a rather underhanded trick he pulled, considering how much Lin really cared about the fallen Pathfinder, even if it was just supposed to be a simple prank.

"Doug had to clean out his team's place for new BLADEs to move in, so he gifted me his stuff in remembrance," Cross explained, showing off his new outfit. "How does it look?"

"You're not as tall as Lao, but it does show off your legs quite nicely," Elma commented with a catlike grin.

"You really did look like him from the back," Lin added, having calmed down from her earlier anger. "That is, if he had changed his hairstyle and shrunk a few inches. But other than that, it does look good on you. I think you and he are the only ones who could pull off this outfit. Even I'm finding you hot in this and you're probably more than ten years older than me."

Cross took an involuntary step back. There were some lines that he definitely wasn't going to risk, ahem, crossing.

"Don't worry, she never had a 'thing' for Lao," Elma assured. "They had a lot of common ground. And I think Lao saw her as another daughter as means to cope for the one he lost."

"But Cross isn't Lao," Lin pointed out. "Even though they're both cool father figures to me, no one can ever replace Lao."

"Nor do I want to replace him," Cross intervened. "Doug wanted me to help preserve his memory. That is why I plan on mastering the Partisan Eagle and Astral Crusader classes next."

"You've mastered a handful of classes already, haven't you?" Elma smirked, holding out her fingers to count and name some of them off. "You got to Duelist, Galactic Knight, Mastermind, and even Full Metal Jaguar, my specialty."

"All that's left would be the ones you mentioned, along with Shield Trooper and Bastion Warrior," Lin continued. "No one in the history of BLADE has mastered all six major classes before. That's what makes you who you are, Cross."

"I understand now it's to protect the people I've come to care for," Cross stated.

"And remember that we're here with you as a team," Elma added before briefly shaking her head. "No, we're more than just a team. We're your new family now."

"We've always been a family since we were put together day one," Lin corrected.

The two female BLADEs then approached Cross at both sides and ensnared him with unescapable hugs. Tatsu stood back up, shaking himself awake to find a group hug taking place.

"Oh, is it Team Tatsu huggy-hug time already?" Tatsu questioned before leaping up and grabbing onto Cross by the shoulders with his winglike arms.

This warm scene made Cross think back to his past where he still had his two close friends. Even living as underground thugs, they had each other to keep on pressing forward. These feelings of camaraderie had slowly resurfaced the longer he had bonded with his teammates, as well as fellow BLADEs he got to work with.

After all this time, he finally understood that he truly had people he cared about to protect. And he planned on giving his life for them if the occasion ever comes.

Guess Doug was right after all.

He did have some sentimentality after all. That, and a craving for Lao's special booze that night.

So I guess Doug's chapter turned out to be a modified version of his fifth heart-to-heart. I figured that Doug is the kind of guy that refuses to let go of the past, such as his friendship with Lao and his major complaint about human bodies having to be left behind on Earth only to be brain uploaded into the Lifehold database, at least something along those lines. And it was cool for him to actually give me Lao's things, which would've been lost forever otherwise.

My thanks also for the anonymous reader that tipped me off earlier about Doug's heart-to-heart moments before I got to see them for myself, as well as reminding me of Elma's desire to ride in classic automobiles. I didn't too much, but it helped out build up the interactions and relations here.

This should be a good build up for the next party member I'm going to write about. Yes, that is correct. Mr. Lao Huang is next on deck.

Looks like I've got a lot on my shoulders just to make his chapter awesome. Well, I'll give it a go when I have more free time.

And please review on how this chapter went! Thanks!