Hello again. I was away all day and just barely managed to finish this. (It's done!) I think it's pretty clear that Elliot told Gil what was really going on, and now we just see the few scenes before Elliot leaves with Ash to the port city of Neshi. (Why do I automaticly think of Portland?) Also, thanks to Person for being my first reveiwer. Yeah, I wish this story had more reveiws, and, sadly, by the end of this chapter, things will get a bit worse for Leo.

I do not own Pandora Hearts in any way

~Sucker Punch~

Chapter 5: Departure

'I must be going mad.' Gilbert thought to himself. Nah, he wasn't going mad. If he was, it would of happened a long time ago, right after the moment his master was taken by the Abyss.

The girl he had met earlier, Ash, would be here soon and her and Elliot would be off for Neshi, and meanwhile the younger Nightray had put Gilbert in charge of watching over Leo while he was away. Elliot was actually with him right now. The raven-haired man knew he could take care of the ill servant, but based on what Elliot had said to him before he went off to see Leo, he knew the would have to keep quiet about the real reason he was leaving with Ash.

Gilbert had originally believed that Leo would have to be bedridden for at least a weak because his illness was so bad, but it turns out that Elliot was keeping the real truth hidden. The reality of what Elliot had entrusted him with was still playing out like a film in his head.

(Flashback)

"Gilbert, I'm glad I found you." Elliot said from behind him.

Gilbert had just returned to preparing food for this evening, when Elliot had come back once more. Turning back around to face his younger sibling, Elliot's face appeared to be blank of any emotion.

"What is it, Elliot?" The raven asked.

"First off, did you give Leo his food?"

Gilbert nodded in return. "Yes, he was reading when I walked into the room."

"Okay." He paused. "How is he?"

"He appeared to be fine, but, I'm not sure. He looked like he still had a fever." This time, Gilbert was the one who paused in his own sentence. "Elliot, I think he's getting worse."

Elliot was silent for a moment, but then signed angrily and ran a hand through his hair. "I know. Believe me, I know. And that's why I need to tell you something."

"And that would be?"

Elliot took a deep breath and adjusted his necktie. "Gilbert, what I'm about to tell you needs to remain between you, me, and Ash. Also, you can't let Leo know about this ether."

Gilbert couldn't help but be confused. "Elliot, what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that…Leo was poisoned."

The older Nightray's eyes widened in shock. "What? Are you sure?"

He nodded nervously "I'm sure. Ash confirmed it after doing some research."

"Who would want to do that?"

"I'm not sure, but Ash has a possible lead on it, and we're heading out to Neshi to find an antidote."

The raven-haired man instantly stiffened up. "Wait, you're leaving?"

"Gilbert, I have to!" He quickly calmed down and regained his composure. "That's why I need you to look after Leo for me while I'm away, and you can't tell anyone, not even Leo." Gilbert looked hesitant, it was clearly written all over his face. "Please, you have to. If you don't help me out here…Leo could die."

Gilbert was debating this over and over, wondering if this was the right thing to be doing. He knew the younger Nightray cared a lot for his servant, even if he almost never showed it. He did believe what Elliot said, Gilbert having experienced the effect first hand himself when he was a target of the Headhunter, so the possibility did exist.

They were a part of the same family now, so what choice did he really have here?

"Alright, I'll do it." He answered.

Elliot's face seemed to brighten with this answer "Really? Good, I knew we could count on you, Gilbert."

"When are you and Ash leaving?" Gilbert needed this information if he was going to do this job correctly.

"She's coming at 5:00. Father just left yesterday, so he won't return for another week and a half, that' plenty of time. Neshi is a half day's journey from here, and if anyone asks, tell them an old friend called me out for something."

"Got it, but…what are you going to tell your servant?"

"I…" Elliot's words were hesitant and nervous. "I'm going to tell him myself."

(End flashback.)

Thinking back now, Gilbert didn't know if this was such a good idea after all, but, he couldn't betray Elliot, not when he had promised take care of the noirette.

"As Raven's contractor, and as my older brother…"

Those words…he still remembered them.

There was no way Gilbert could back out of this now; there was no turning back.

"Leo." He whispered the name softly as the door creaked upon opening it. No reply came back, in fact, the only sound Elliot heard upon entering the room was of someone coughing, which could be no one other than Leo. Elliot frowned and walked over to the other's bed, only seeing a clump of sheets at first, but he knew who was under them. Pulling them down, he saw that Leo was curled up into a ball, his head half on and off the pillows.

He took to lightly shaking the other's shoulder, which got him to wake up.

"Elli…ot?" His voice croaked.

"Yeah, I'm here." Elliot tried to move the noirette from his spot, but Leo pushed his hands away and readjusted it himself, now burring his face into the pillow.

"Is everything alright?"

Leo coughed once more, then lifted his face from the pillow to speak. "No, isn't it obvious?"

"Leo-"

"I don't get it. After Gilbert left the room, my headache suddenly got worse and I started to feel faint." He rolled over onto his back, groaning as he did so. "I feel worse than before."

"Did you eat the food I had Gilbert bring you?" Elliot asked, trying to change the subject.

He shook his head. "It not like your older brother is a bad cook, and he's not."

'Ha! I wonder what you would think if you knew I made that?' He thought to himself.

"Actually, it was very good, but I had enough of it with one spoonful; I just couldn't eat it."

Elliot looked over to the nightstand to see the bowl of oatmeal sitting next to his glasses. "You didn't finish it?"

"That's what I just said. I'm afraid that if I do, my stomach won't be able to handle it. Elliot, I just feel too nauseous to eat."

Damn, Leo looked miserable just laying there, unable to do anything about what was happening to him. Of course, Elliot didn't want to tell him the truth, on the down chance that it could send Leo into a state of depression which would lead to him just not speaking to anyone and not doing anything at all, just waiting for the moment when the poison would stop his heart and he would die. Leo was rarely rattled by anything, but Elliot didn't rule out this possibility. He figured it would be the worst case scenario if his servant were to discover the truth.

Looking down at Leo, Elliot put his hand to the other's forehead, ignoring the cold sweat that coated his forehead, but quickly drew it back. "You're burning up."

"Huh?" It was clear his fever was starting to affect him. "I'm sure it…will go away."

"How can you say that with such a clam tone?" Leo only chuckled as Elliot went and got a washcloth, soaking it in cold water and then proceeding to place it on the other's forehead.

'This isn't good. His condition changed dramatically within the past hour.' Elliot knew that the poison was starting to go into full swing now, and Leo's health was deteriorating all the while. This only limited their time even more, and that was the hard part. If they couldn't find the antidote in time or this lead turned out to be a dead end…Leo would most certainly die; his survival depended on this mission.

This only meant that what he was about to say would be all the more harder for the both of them.

"Um, Leo," He started, suddenly feeling nervous. "I'm going away for a while."

This caught the noirette's attention, seeing as he was struggling to sit up. "W-what…?"

"Hey, don't try and sit up." Elliot gently pushed his servant back down, keeping him confined to the bed. "I'm sorry, but I am leaving. I…have something to pick up in another town, and I'll look for some medicine for you while I'm there."

Leo seemed to stare at him for a moment, but then grabbed his arm. "You…you're abandoning me, aren't you?"

"What? No, Leo, I'm not doing that! No way!"

"Then, w-why are you…" He paused, falling silent, and seeming to realize something. "I…I'm dying."

He wished Leo hadn't said that. "No, you're not dying! You'll be fine, you hear me?"

"But, Elliot, you're so tense."

"It doesn't matter!" He leaned more towards the noirette's pale face. "Listen to me, you are not going to die! I'll be back as soon as I can and you'll get better, okay?"

Elliot then realized how close the was to Leo, their foreheads nearly touching. He pulled away from the other, a blush coming across his face. Leo only looked up at him, still seeming uncertain of what his master had said.

Finally, his voice broke the silence. "I'll be fine…right?"

"Yes, believe me." Elliot managed to answer.

"But, I don't want you to leave."

"Gilbert will be looking after you, and I promise to look for some medicine for your illness while I'm away. You're gonna be fine." He glanced at the clock across the room, and it was nearly 5:00; Ash would be here soon. "I have to go now, don't die on me ether."

"Elliot-"

"Get some rest." That was all he said before leaving the room. He didn't feel good about lying to Leo, but he couldn't risk the possibility that he would give up on his own life if he knew he had been poisoned. He wasn't abandoning Leo ether, but, he had hit that second question right on.

'Sorry.'

Ash came by promptly at 5:00, just like she said. She had come by in her own carriage that she had at her house; it was a bit old, but you couldn't really tell the difference because she had fixed it up nicely. She had also brought along supplies for their voyage (food, blankets, all that stuff) and all Elliot had brought was a photograph and his sword.

"Really?" She asked him, looking over him carefully.

"This sword stays with me." He replied, sticking the photograph in his coat pocket.

"Very well. Did you talk to Gilbert?"

"Yeah, like I said though, he would understand; He'll keep our secret safe and take care of Leo for me."

"Good." She moved over on the drivers seat so Elliot could get up there as well. "Dr. Hall thinks I'm going to visit some relative."

"Good cover, I suppose."

"What about you? What did your father have to say?"

"He left yesterday for something and won't be back for a while. I really don't care if he finds out though. In the meantime, Gilbert will cover for us."

She giggled. "You've got a good older brother. I hear he's the contractor of Raven."

"Yup, that's Gilbert for you." He paused, his face turning downcast as he climbed up to where Ash was. "I…had to say goodbye to Leo first."

"Ah." She sounded like she understood. "He must be lonely though without you around."

"I guess so, although he'll try to drown out this world with books until I return."

It was now 5:10 in the evening, and Elliot had long since left. Leo had started to miss his master, only because he wasn't here. The empty bed beside him was only another reminder that he was alone. Judging by the tone of his voice, it was like Elliot was tossing him aside and not caring anymore, but maybe that was just a feverish assumption. Elliot would never abandon him, right? He just couldn't do such a thing, because Elliot had been the one to take in Leo, and they were friends, even though they never acted like it most of the time.

This room was too silent for him though, and the only sound he could hear in the deafening silence was his own fluttering heartbeat. Apart from that, his body ached, and knew that there were many things wrong with him at the moment. For example, he had a splitting headache, which was interrupting his sleep, and he couldn't stand to eat anything anymore.

What he didn't understand though, is that one day, he had been perfectly fine, but sometime between when he had dinner, and when he had woken up in the middle of the night, he had become horribly sick, and he didn't understand it.

And the thought kept coming back to his mind, that he might…be dying.

"No, you're not dying! You'll be fine, you hear me?"

Those words, ones that could be only spoken by someone such as Elliot, and with such valor too. There was no way he could be dying, not when Elliot had said such things, telling him everything would be okay. Elliot wouldn't possibly lie about such a thing, and he said he would look for some medicine while he was away. He believed in Elliot's words. Still, Leo wasn't any closer to finding out what was wrong with him.

'Maybe it's some unknown disease.' He pondered. 'Or maybe like Elliot said, just a terrible case of the flu.'

He felt a bit content laying here, no one to really bother him while he rest and let his system fight off this strange illness, but, the room felt empty somehow. Maybe, it was because, Elliot had left. But, even before meeting him, he had always been alone, and it never felt empty. Ah, of course, at that time, he had been surrounded by books, his only company, the thing he fell in love with. His love towards books could only be described as a comfort, something to make him forget about the world. After Elliot adopted him, he had been a bit happier, even through their constant bickering, but Leo got used to it; Elliot became his light.

And, now, without that light here, he felt empty and alone. Maybe, it was because…Elliot made him feel…safe and…kept him from feeling the coldness of being alone.

'…I'm alone again.'

Suddenly, his eyes, which had been previously closed, snapped open, and he sat upright in an instant, the wet washcloth falling from his forehead. As he breathed, he got a weird feeling in his chest, and then he felt his stomach lurch violently.

"So, mind filling me in with more detail of what we're doing once we get to Neshi?" Elliot asked the girl next to him as she held the reins firmly in her hands.

Ash turned her head to him. "It will be late by the time we get there. We'll have to find an inn to stay at and-"

"No, I meant with this Algood guy."

"Oh. Well, Mr. Algood owns a fencing studio."

The Nightray rolled his eyes at her. "Let me guess…we're going undercover."

Ash nodded. "Exactly! If we want to find out if this really is the man who planned the attack, then we'll have to disguise ourselves as fencers and make ourselves known as top ranked fencers."

Elliot was quiet for a moment before he laughed. "Then you're in luck, because I just happen to be skilled in fencing and great with a sword." He then gestured to the sword strapped to his side, protected in its holster.

"I just happen to be good at those things too!" She proclaimed, trying to mimic Elliot's expression.

"Really now? We'll just have to see about that!"

They laughed together for a few moments before they calmed down and Ash readjusted her position. "The sun is setting, we should find somewhere to stop for the night."

"Ash, we don't really have time to look for a town and stop at an inn." He started to remember when he said goodbye to Leo. "I think the poison is starting to affect him again. He said that he's feeling worse and that he didn't want to eat the meal I had Gilbert bring for him. His condition worsened in less than an hour!"

Ash looked confused for a moment, but then sighed. "We must hurry then. We'll find somewhere to rest up, and we leave at the break of dawn, no stopping until we get to Neshi."

"Agreed."

His lungs ached, desperate for air, and his stomach still twisted, trying to force more bile up his throat. Leo was just barely managing to keep it down, not like there was anything more left in him at this point.

That didn't really concern him at the moment, but what did concern him was what had come up.

His own vomit was tainted with bright red blood.

See? I told you things would get worse for him. I kept thinking of an episode of House I watched on my laptop this morning while writing this last part (One of my new fav. shows. Crazy but brillant House XD). Anyhow, I'll get the next chapter up as soon as possible, I do have other stories I should be working on. Until then, feel free to leave a reveiw.