"Are you sure you're up for work?" Jude asked, casting a worried gaze up at Alvin as they traversed the short distance from the ferry docks to Helioborg. In spite of the chaos around them, things had returned to normal the following morning. This was due almost entirely to Alvin's insistence that he was fine, and that Jude had healed him enough that he didn't need to take any days off. Jude wasn't so inclined to believe him; he had found out firsthand just how much Alvin liked to play down his injuries, even critical ones. He wondered if this was due to his line of work, or some other conviction engrained in the snarky mercenary.

Jude didn't feel it his place to ask.

"I'm fine, Jude." Alvin said, casting him a spirited grin in return and patting him on the back. "I'm not the type of guy that a bullet can take down."

"A bullet can take anyone down if aimed right, Alvin." Jude groused, giving Alvin a jab in the side, causing the man to wince. "And just because I healed you doesn't give you the excuse to act reckless."

Alvin mocked offense, a hand pressed to his chest. "Me? Reckless? Perish the thought!"

Jude groaned at his antics. He was glad that he was able to help Alvin, there was no doubting that, but there were things weighing on his mind now, things he hadn't considered.

Exodus, the terrorists that claimed they wished to purify the land of Rieze Maxians, had openly attacked one of the busiest cities on their home turf. Not only that, but there had been dozens of casualties from both sides of the border, yet the anger and outrage from the people didn't seem to change a thing. Wouldn't an attack on a public space like that call for more guards to be put on patrol? Why did it take them so long to arrive at the square? And why hadn't the parliament made a statement?

It must have been a media nightmare to have a terrorist attack a public venue, and even more so when a second attack took place in only a few weeks. But Jude couldn't help but wonder why everyone seemed so relaxed about it. If something like that had occurred in Rashugal, the chief of staff would have the military lock down every port and highroad to make sure the culprits didn't escape. Hell, if it happened in Auj Oule, the King's personal army would have been dispatched to remedy the situation.

Yet, the Elympion Parliament was completely silent. The attack made the news, but no public officials had made a statement. It was odd, and unsettling, and Jude knew it was because the attacks were directly related to the presence of his people in Trigleph.

It left a poor taste in his mouth, especially Alvin's words the day before.

'You're the reason they're in this mess.'

The comment was directed at Rieze Maxians as a whole, but it still hurt. The death of his mentor, the attack on the square… Jude blamed himself for them, even though he knew it was useless to think that way. The sinking feeling he felt whenever he thought about those incidents, the gripping fear, the guilt, it all made him want to curl up in a corner and vomit. But at the same time he knew if he did, it'd only make things worse. What if I can't complete Haus's work? What if I'm not smart enough to figure it out? What if all these people really did die because of me? What if the attacks just get more violent and eventually…

"Jude."

Jude physically jumped when his name was spoken, breaking him from his nihilistic thoughts. Before he could properly answer, Alvin draped an arm around his shoulder and pulled him close, leaning close to his face. "You're thinking too much. Just focus on your work, yeah?" Alvin winked, and Jude fought the blush on his cheeks from having him so close.

Yet another thing plaguing his mind; Alvin. How could he be so calm when he could have died the day before? When he saw his own brethren shot just for being in the wrong place at the wrong time? Jude admired his strength, his ability to keep going even when Jude himself wanted to hide in the lab until his research was complete or the world stopped turning, whichever came first.

"Right, sorry." Jude was, however, grateful that Alvin didn't pry. These were things he wasn't ready to share with anyone, let alone the seemingly care-free bodyguard that had been thrust upon him.

I just hope this is all over soon.

The lab was in an uproar when they arrived. Balan was hastily rifling through a large crate of papers while Mary skittered about the room, pinning pages to corkboards and displays in an attempt to organize it all. Jude would have been surprised if this level of excitement wasn't normal for the team whenever either of them made a breakthrough.

"This is a goldmine! Why did it take so long to arrive?" Balan shouted, pulling another stack from the box and flipping through the contents. "There's so much in here! The old codger really was holding out on us!"

"What's going on?" Jude finally made his presence known, tugging on his labcoat as he approached his colleague.

Balan grinned brightly and held up a binder labeled Spirit Channeling in relevance to the size of the Channeler's Mana Lobe. "They just arrived from Professor Haus's estate! It's all his research material that was missing from the lab!"

"The professor's research?"

Jude nearly knocked Balan off his feet in his excitement, leaning over the edge of the crate and pulling stacks of papers and notebooks and piling them onto the table. Research notes, theses, unpublished theories, hand drawn diagrams… It was a mountain of knowledge that might have been lost to the world if these materials never made it to the lab. A gift, a blessing, a chance to finally get their research on the road.

The binders were all neatly labeled, but the contents were messy, a smatter of ideas across multiple pages of rambling theories and charts. It wasn't the first time Jude had come across the professor's notes; the man was brilliant, but like many brilliant minds, he left the cleanup and organization to his assistants, Jude included. His first two weeks of internship were spent putting these very binders together, tidying all the pages into content-specific books to be used for reference later.

It had been time-consuming, and at the time he had almost regretted taking the position, but seeing all of their hard work again after so long made him feel nostalgic. It felt like he was holding a piece of his past, a simpler time, where all he wanted to do was learn and follow in Haus's footsteps.

Jude missed that, he really did.

"This is brilliant stuff." Balan pulled another notebook from the crate, skimming over the pages. "But… None of it seems to be related to his most recent research…"

Jude continued his dig into the crate, finding more notebooks, and sadly, recognizing a majority of them. "This must be the research work he had done before coming to Elympios." Jude said, setting another binder onto the worktable. "Most of these I had to put together myself, actually. It was a good way to learn the material when we first started working together."

One of the notebooks was plucked from the pile by Alvin, who looked over it with mild curiosity. "So none of this stuff is even worth having here, huh?"

"I wouldn't say that, exactly." Jude leaned over the edge of the crate, having to stand on his tip toes to reach further in. "A lot of this stuff is unknown to Elympions, so maybe it'd be worth look-" He paused, spotting something near the bottom of the box, a stack of binders he didn't recognize. "What's this?" He reached for it, scooting the other binders out of the way to reveal a small stack of notebooks, new ones, with printouts with Elympion writing sticking out of them.

"Hey, Balan, I think I found someth-" Jude slipped from the edge of the crate and fell headfirst into the materials, landing with an startled yelp. He managed to right himself among the papers as both Balan and Alvin peered down at him, trying not to laugh. Embarrassed, Jude held up the stack of notebooks with a sheepish grin. "Uh… here."

The notebooks were handed over to Balan, who immediately began scouring the numerous pages. The grin on his face widened and he held their findings aloft, "This is it!" Balan proclaimed. "These are his research notes!" He took the papers over to Mary, who began pulling down unneeded notes and replacing them with the new ones.

Jude struggled to escape the metal prison that was the shipping crate, finding his height to be a disadvantage, as usual. Thankfully, Alvin was there to offer a helping hand, or in this case, grab him under the arms and pulling him bodily from the crate. Once again he was grinning to mask his embarrassment. "T-thanks…"

"Got a little excited there, huh?" Alvin teased, setting him on his feet. "Is the stuff in that notebook really what you're looking for?"

"It has to be." Jude affirmed with a nod, heading over to where Balan was working. "Professor Haus's notes could be the difference between completing our research in a year or ten years. It's very important!"

The notes were messy, and numerous, as expected of his mentor, but as he and Balan went over the contents, something wasn't quite right. With each new page, the notes became messier, as if written hastily or under duress. The further they went, the more things seemed less coherent and pieceier, confused. It took the both of them a moment to realize.

"Balan."

"Yes, I see it, too."

"But why?"

Concerned, Mary peered at the notes. "What's wrong?

Jude pulled the file from Balan's hands and began sifting through them more thoroughly. "There are pages missing. A lot of pages."

"Are they still in the crate?"

Jude shook his head, pointing to the spine, the scraps of paper still clinging to the metal coil. "Look here. The pages were ripped out…" His gaze rose to meet Balan, who appeared lost in thought. "Balan, is it possible that someone went through the crate before we got it?"

"The crate had the security tape still on it when it arrived. I imagine that they would have searched it before sending it up here."

That makes sense but… Security wouldn't have taken pages from the bottom of the pile, right? Jude fiddled with a stray strand of hair, evaluating their next steps. Having just a little research was better than none at all, but one had to wonder how useful those notes would be. They could try finding the extra pages, but…

A hand laid heavily on his shoulder. Alvin. "Jude, did Haus give you anything before he passed? Any papers or discs?"

He glanced to his bodyguard, shaking his head. "No, not a thing. I didn't think he was doing any work at home either… Usually he'd have me help if he was onto something…"

There was a collective sigh from the occupants of the room. Balan shook his head, one hand on his hip. "Well, at any rate, see what you can make if this, Jude. Perhaps we can fill the gaps with what we already know."

Jude gave a determined nod and crossed the room to his desk, setting the notebook down and getting to work. There was a lot of material, much of it that didn't make sense. What was going on in Professor Haus's head when he was writing all of this? When did he write all this? Shouldn't he have called me or Balan if he had made a breakthrough?

The more he thought about it, the more it didn't add up. Everything seemed so normal up until the night of the attack, what could possibly…

The night of the attack... What the professor had said… He said he was going away for a while after the event…

Realization dawned on him; the notes, the research… What if the professor knew he was in danger? That his research had landed him in some sort of trouble and he was going to be a target? Jude flipped through the notebook again, noting the missing pages, the hurried, frantic scribbling.

What did you find, professor?

"Jude." Balan's voice derailed his train of thought and Jude whirled around to face him. "You're the only one who was close enough to the professor to decipher his notes. It's imperative we find out the missing pieces sooner, rather than later."

"Right, sorry…" I can't tell Balan about this, Jude thought. If I do, then he could become a target, too…

The stress must have shown on his face, because as soon as the apology left his lips, Alvin was on the defensive. "Give him a break, Balan." He scolded. "The kid has been working his ass off, even when he's at home."

A blush rose to his cheeks for the third time in less than an hour as Jude stared up at Alvin, honestly surprised that he was coming to his defense. It was… nice, to have someone stand up for him like that. Somehow having Alvin do it was even better.

Balan, however, didn't agree. He crossed his arms, the lights from the lab equipment shining off his glasses. "Jude, did I ever tell you about the time Alvin ate an entire bag of cheese crisps, and cried in the bathroom for two hours?"

Alvin recoiled. "W-what?! Balan, don't tell him about that!"

Balan completely ignored his cousin, instead turning his attention to Jude. "He thought he was going to die, so he wrote his last will and testament in crayon on the back of a magazine."

Jude quickly covered his mouth, trying his best not to laugh. "W-what? You can't be serious."

"Balan…" A warning from Alvin, one that went entirely ignored.

"He left all of his toys to the little girl down the street that he fancied, and demanded peach pie be served at his funeral. He was five."

"Spare me, please."

Jude couldn't hold it in anymore. He started laughing, harder than he had in a long time. It was the sort of contagious laugh that had the rest of the group holding their sides. At first, Jude felt bad for laughing so hard at Alvin's expense, but then he realized Alvin was chuckling along with him, his ears red from either embarrassment, rage, or both.

It was nice, Jude thought, laughing with everyone like this. It made it easier to forget the madness that had occurred just a day before.

When the guffaws died down, Jude wiped the beginnings of tears from his face, casting a brilliant smile to the group. "Thanks, guys. I really needed that." He looked up at Alvin, his smile suddenly apologetic. "You must have been a really cute kid, Alvin."

Alvin clapped him on the back with a grin. "Yeah, well. Remind me to tell you about the time Balan got stuck in a tree."

"Do not tell him about that," Balan warned.

Alvin just waved him off, dipping low so he could whisper in Jude's ear. "I have to make a call, wait here."

"Huh? Oh, okay." Jude watched him leave the lab, curious. But before he could dwell on it too long, Balan had pulled him into another discussion about their schedule and the new materials they had acquired. They had a lot of work to do.

"Dinner?" Jude echoed, bewildered.

The two had just left the base when Alvin popped the question. Casually, of course; it was rare that Alvin said anything without a joke in his voice or a sultry wink in Jude's direction. But this one seemed at least somewhat serious, if only for the fact that Alvin was avoiding his gaze.

"Yeah, dinner. There's a place in Duval I go to a lot. The food isn't the greatest, but it's quiet. I usually go there with my friends during off-time."

Jude didn't know what was more shocking; the fact that Alvin was asking him to dinner, or the fact that he wanted to take him to a place he frequented with friends. Did Alvin consider him a friend? Weren't they in a strictly working relationship?

He was blushing before he knew it, and Jude glued his eyes to the ground just to avoid showing his red face to Alvin. "What, is this a date?"

Alvin stifled a laugh. "I was thinking more of a 'Thank you for not letting me bleed to death in an alley' type of dinner." He pat Jude on the back, an odd offering of comfort.

Then, a pause, as if Alvin finally realized the stipulations of his offer."…Do you want it to be a date?"

Did he? Jude had to wonder. Alvin was kind, strong, attractive, and he put up with all of Jude's quirks that Leia always said would keep him single forever. Hell, even Leia liked him, which was rare; she was a great judge of character, or so she claimed. And it was true that he did enjoy Alvin's company, probably more than he should for someone that was being paid to stay with him.

Jude realized he knew very little about him, but… going on a date with Alvin… That's part of getting to know someone you like, right? But what if he just wants to be friendly? A friend date? It's just dinner. He reminded himself. And he was hired to keep an eye on me, so I shouldn't make it awkward, but… Jude swallowed thickly, his face burning up. He somehow couldn't manage the words. What am I thinking? Do I seriously want this to be a date?

Jude stopped dead in his tracks. Oh, no… Do I… Do I actually like Alvin like that? Suddenly Jude was hyperaware of the heat in his face. He had known for a long time that he didn't care if the person he liked was a man or a woman, and the guys back in Fennmont always teased him for acting like a nervous git whenever he talked to the secretary at the hospital. He knew he liked her, but… Alvin. He didn't feel nervous around Alvin. Alvin made him feel safe, not just because he was his bodyguard, but just his presence, the way he carried himself. It felt like… Just being near him, things were going to be okay. Alvin didn't have to try to comfort him when he was scared, but he did. He didn't have to go out of his way to get Jude food or to carry him to bed when he was too exhausted to leave his desk. None of those things were required of a bodyguard, right? But Alvin did all that… Does he like me like that?

Neither spoke, and Jude hoped he hadn't just made things difficult for Alvin. What would he do if he couldn't continue his work because Jude had made him uncomfortable? How would that look on his resignation to Bakur? Sorry, can't keep this job, the kid has a crush on me.

The arm that was wrapped around his shoulders pulled him from his self-deprecating reverie, and Alvin was there, his face far too close for Jude to be comfortable with given his realization. "How about I take you on a date then?"

Jude didn't know his face could get any redder, but it somehow did. "Y-you're sure?"

And Alvin winked at him, erasing any insecurities he had on the matter. "Sure. This Friday, let's go on a date, Judy."

Jude glowered at the nickname. "Don't call me that."

It was going to be an interesting weekend.