"I don't know what to do Jess," Groaning in distress, I plopped down in the middle of the meeting house floor. "I mean, I don't know if I'm ready to go back to the apartment or not."
"Well," Jess started. "Why don't you go to Xian Du and watch the tournament? That's your favorite thing to do."
"I don't know," I groaned again and turned over on to my stomach. "Maybe I'll take Bri out and about doing odd jobs."
"Or," Jess peeked out the window with a grin on her lips. "You can hang out with your other friends instead of moping around here."
I rolled over on to my back again, reluctantly sitting up. "You see them?"
"They're coming this way," She replied.
"Who?" I asked, a little nervous that it would be Alvin.
She shook her head. "It's that Ludger guy and the little one. Jude, and Elize as well."
A sigh of relief escaped me and I jumped up from where I sat. I grabbed my sword and popped the door open. "Alright. I'll see you soon."
"Have fun!" Jess waved and closed the door behind me.
She must have been dying to get me out. All I've done is mope and whine for the last two days. Jess has been trying to cheer me up and even told me that she would come with me back to the apartment. I wasn't ready though. I wasn't ready to face him. He was so angry. I was frightened. Really frightened. The last time I was scared of Alvin was when he tried to kill me. I had to face him sooner or later, but I needed more time.
"Hey Achlys!" Jude waved. "How have you been?"
"I've been fine," I forced a smile. "How are you guys?"
"We're great!" Elle shouted. "Milla and Ludger have been cooking for me every day! It's like they're having a contest to see who's food I like better!"
I giggled into my hand. "Well, that must be great," My smile faded slowly and my gazed shifted to the ground. "Did you see Alvin yesterday or today?"
"We saw him in passing just a bit ago on our way here," Elize told me. "We didn't talk to him or anything, but he looked quite upset."
"In what way?" I asked.
"You know, I've never seen that guy cry before, but he looked like he had been crying for days!" Teepo finally spoke up. "By the way! You're not wearing Alvin's coat! Why?"
I waved my hand at the doll. "Left it at home. I've been here for a few days on business matters so, I haven't had the chance to go back."
Ludger rolled his eyes as his GHS rang. He picked it up and put it on speaker for us. "DODA here. We've just found a new fractured dimension over Hamil. I've sent the coordinates to your GHS. Go there and destroy the catalyst," There was a beep and then nothing.
"Can I come?" I asked a little impatiently. "I need to get my mind off things."
"Are you sure?" Ludger frowned. "Last time was really hard for you."
I nodded. "I'll be fine. Let's go."
Ludger nodded and pushed enter on his GHS, and we were rushed to the fractured Hamil. It looked fine. No one that I could see looked different from the prime dimension. I could smell the napples and cider that were being made. Elle looked around and a smile grew on her face. Oh, I love when kids smile. They either don't smile or they smile big. There's no in between. I was suddenly pushed aside and back against the wall of a house.
"What the hell, Jude?"
"Look," He pointed through the tree at this dimensions Alvin.
He wasn't that far away and he seemed like the normal Alvin. He wore his business suit like usual and was talking on his GHS. He looked really happy. I wonder if he was here to check up on a delivery of poranges. I looked at Ludger to ask if he was the catalyst, but it was like he had read my mind and shook his head. I looked back at fractured Alvin and as he ran his fingers through his hair, I noticed a shimmering ring on his left ring finger.
"Daddy!" A small voice yelled.
My heart sank. From the west side of the town, came a small, female child running towards Alvin. The child had to be around three or four. She was so tiny and she looked just like Alvin. The child hugged his leg and waited for him to hang up before giving the international gesture to be picked up.
"Hey princess," Alvin picked the child up and nuzzled his nose with hers. "I thought you were with mommy."
"I'm here! I'm here!" A panting version of me came jogging up to them. "She's faster... than I thought... she was."
I looked back at Ludger. "Are any of them the catalyst?"
Ludger shook his head again. "No."
"You know you shouldn't make mommy run," Alvin twirled around with the girl. "She's still getting over her illness."
"Sorry daddy," The girl whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck and planting a kiss on his cheek.
The fractured version of me stood up, coughed a bit, and then gently gripped Alvin's arm. "Dinner is almost ready. Are you done here?"
Alvin nodded and shifted the child in his arms. "Yurgen wants to check out a new shipper tomorrow."
"Are you really leaving again, daddy?" The girl asked, teary eyed.
"It'll only be for a few days, princess. I'll make sure to get you a souvenir," Alvin gave the girl a gentle smile. "Come on. Let's go eat."
Once they were far enough, I stepped out from behind the house and started to slowly follow them.
"What are you doing?" Jude hissed, grabbing my arm.
"Following. There may be something that way that's the catalyst anyway," I replied, not turning to look at the boy.
"As long as we're not seen by them, everything should be fine," Elize whispered, following right behind me.
"Right," Ludger agreed.
Going around the corner to the western part of the village. The fractured versions of Alvin and I stepped into the little shack that Elize used to live in, and closed the door. The group and I kept low as to not be spotted out the windows. Ludger gasped and his chromatus went on and off, indicating that we had found the catalyst. Off to the side of the shack was a little garden filled with what looked like poranges.
"How are poranges the catalyst?" Elize asked in a hushed voice.
Jude crept up to the garden and examined the fruit. "These are not regular poranges."
"What do you mean?" Elle questioned.
"These are hybrids," He replied. "They look like they are a mix between poranges and napples. Huh, I wonder how Alvin did it."
I smirked, crossing my arms over my chest. "He must be using napples to make the poranges sweeter. As for how he knows how to do it. Well, his family owned the Oscore plant. They must have helped him."
Ludger transformed into his chromatus and stepped up to the porange that was a blueish color. I looked towards the shack again. So, neither Alvin, me, or the girl were the catalyst. Did that mean that this little fight of ours was just, what Rowen calls a 'hiccup' in our relationship? I hope so. This dimension... is what I want for us. I want us to be happy. I want Alvin's business to work out with Yurgen. I want a stress-free environment and I want my child to have loving parents. I closed my eyes and could feel the fractured dimension breaking around me, and being brought back to the prime dimension.
"You okay?" Ludger asked, transforming back into his regular self.
I nodded with a smile tugging on the edges of my lips. "Yes. That was... refreshing."
"The child looked just like Alvin!" Teepo screeched, floating around my head.
"But, you were sick," Elize frowned. "You could barely even jog far."
I shook my head. "It's nothing that I need to worry about right now."
"It's too bad that Alvin can't use Oscore to make poranges sweeter like that fractured Alvin probably did," Jude said.
I frowned, gazing to the floor. "Yeah. It is."
"Something wrong?" Ludger asked, putting his hand on my shoulder.
I sighed and started to rub my arm to the point where it was red, and raw. "The reason why Alvin seemed upset today was because he and I... had a fight a few days ago."
"A fight?" Elize huffed.
"Did he hurt you?" A very concerned ask which came from Jude.
"Lemme at him!" Teepo shouted.
"No, no, he didn't hurt me," I assured them. "However, I was pretty shocked. I've never seen him yell at me like that. I've never seen him so... frustrated."
"What prompted him to yell at you?" Ludger asked, putting a hand on a hip.
"Well," I started. "I went to Yurgen to see why he was acting so miserable. He told me that the business might be going down hill because of another sleazy Elympion company. So, I told him I had some farmers and shippers that were looking for jobs so, he signed their contracts. When Alvin got home, I showed him the contracts and he got so angry. He doesn't want me involved in his business. Then, he went into saying how everyone still thinks he's a rogue and a liar, and that I should stop acting like he wasn't and smell the roses."
"Oh, Achlys," Jude sighed, hooking an arm behind his back. "He should know that we don't think that."
"That's why you're not wearing his coat," Elize added.
I nodded. "And to top it all off, he called me Presa."
"Lemme at him!" Teepo roared. You could practically see the steam coming from ears.
"We'll talk to him," Ludger addressed.
"No, no," I dismissed the thought. "It's... fine. I just need a little more time to gather my own thoughts, and then I'll go home and talk to him."
"Are you sure?" Ludger asked with a slight frown.
"Yes," I turned my back to the group and straightened myself up. "I have some stuff to do. Please, excuse me."
"See you later, Achlys," The group all mumbled as I walked back to the meeting house.
Fuck me. When was I going to have the nerve to even go back to the apartment? I was never going to go back, was I? Alvin was too proud of a person to actually come to the meeting house let alone apologize. I guess that's a fault that we both exhibit. I dragged my feet back into the meeting house and plopped down on the couch. I guess Jess left for home. She probably thought that I would be happy enough to go back home myself and talk to Alvin after being with my friends. No. No she was wrong. I wish she wasn't.
