So glad I finished this chapter. I have to go back to school tomorrow, so the next chapter will take a little longer. I'll work on it though. Not much of a chapter, I know, but at least Elliot and Ash will get the confrimation to their questions. As for Leo, we'll see how he's handling this new development.

Again, thanks again to Person and Alliyse for reveiwing. Oh, and Alliyse, I'll take your sugestion into mind, although it might not be a table (a pillow would be much more funnier)

I do not own Pandora Hearts in any way.

~Sucker Punch~

Chapter 8: Crying In Your Sleep

"Wake up, you ninny!" Ash's voice rang out of nowhere. With that, her voice pulled Elliot from the horrific dream he was having, his eyes flying open to see Ash next to him, a tight grip on his arm.

"Let go of me!" He pulled his arm from her grip and scurried back against the wood of the bed behind him. It took him a moment for his brain to register that Ash wasn't an illusion of the dream, she was right here in front of him.

"You," His words came out in shallow and fast breaths "What was…that…about?"

"Calm down, Elliot-kun." Ash warned him. "If you don't, you could hyper-ventilate. Besides, it was the only way I could think of to wake you." Her expression then calmed and she tilted her head to the side. "Is something wrong?"

"N-no. I'm good." He was a little calmer now, but that dream wasn't something he wanted to talk to Ash about. He never talked to anyone about his twisted dreams except for Leo.

"You're lying."

Elliot gritted his teeth together. 'Crap, she saw right through it.'

"You were very restless. It's clear that things aren't alright with you."

"Ash, I'm alright."

"Elliot-kun, if it's a dream that's bothering you, it won't do any good. Maybe if you tell me, it will make you feel better." She sat down on her bed and looked at him with a thoughtful look in her eyes. "It's okay to tell me."

She was right (That makes three in a row), if he didn't tell someone about it, the dream would just keep eating away at him and keep distracting him from the task at hand. He needed to focus on finding the antidote, not worry about the dream, even though it was a real possibility now.

"Fine. Happy now?" He had finally given in. Ash didn't respond, only watched as he took in another breath of air, trying to figure out where to begin.

He briefly recalled the last time he had done something like this, which was when the previous dream that had been causing him trouble had appeared. He still remembered it; the building was burning, and dead bodies surrounded him. He never knew what was going on, but his sword had their blood on it. The first, and only, person he had told was Leo. He had listened to every word and from there on, whenever he had that dream, Leo was right there by his side to comfort the shaken Nightray.

This dream wasn't that one though, it was a different one, and the circumstances were bent; he'd rather be talking to Leo, but Ash would have to do.

"I'm alone, no one else but me in my house." He started, recalling those events. "I'm searching for someone, anyone. When I reach the piano room, he's there; Leo. He'll smile and say my name, but, at that moment…he'll…collapse onto the floor, and…he'll be dead; just a lifeless body in my arms."

Silence enveloped the room, nether one daring to speak a word to each other.

Ash was worried that if she said something, it would upset Elliot. This dream he had just described to her, it was like something was telling him that Leo would perish. No, Ash didn't believe that. She didn't know what exactly it was that gave her this certainty, but she could feel it. It was like she could feel the noirette's life-force. He was continuing to slowly get worse, but, there was something keeping it from changing. She truly believed that he could survive this.

Elliot, on the other hand, was starting to wish for the other dream to come back, even though it might be ten times worse and he hated seeing that fill his dreams at night. Still, he couldn't take seeing a dream where Leo would die very single time, no matter what he did. He could try and try to change it, but it would always end in the same way. Maybe their efforts were worthless too, maybe the course of these events couldn't be changed, just like the dream.

'No, stop thinking that!' The more reasonable part of him insisted, the part that refused to give up. 'Like Ash said, Leo wouldn't die! Everything will be okay.'

Still, there was silence in the room, but after a moment, Elliot filled the silent void by changing the subject.

"You never mentioned you were a noble." He said, immediately catching Ash's attention.

"Ah, no I didn't, did I?" She grinned lightly at him. "I was actually wondering when you were going to ask."

"Well, when Algood said the word 'noble', I was a tad surprised."

She chuckled. "Yeah, I am, and I wanted to become a doctor, but, oh yes, my father's death affected my family and I got a position working with Dr. Hall because my elder brother, ever since he became family head, didn't like me all too well."

"So, you took it to get away from him."

"Well, that's the short version, but, yes. He knows I'm next in line and doesn't want me around."

"Do you ever think about going back?"

She nodded at him. "When the time is right, I'll prove my worth to my brother."

Now nether had anything more to say, and silence once again took hold of them. They had run out of things to say, and both were feeling worn out at this point.

"I'm going back to sleep." Elliot said finally, rolling over on his side away from Ash. She did the same, pulling the sheets of her bed closer to her.

"That's a good idea." She said with a tired voice. "You know what we're doing tomorrow."

"Yeah, it'll all end tomorrow."

"Remember, the only way to rid a poisonous flower is to nip it at the bud."

Those words confused Elliot at first, but, as he drifted off to sleep, the meaning suddenly sunk in and he knew what she meant.

'I see now, and your right about that, Ash.'

The moon shone through the window as the two slept, casting a firstly glow on their peaceful faces, their bodies resting for what would decide everything; the events of the coming day.

The first thing he noticed was that his throat was dry, and then he noticed that there was something warm and his head was resting on something soft like a feather.

'Oh, right. I'm still in my bed.' As the noirette opened his eyes, he felt something wet on his cheeks. Putting a hand gently on his face, he found that there was tears there. Had he been crying? For what reason would he be crying?

Leo had figured he had just had the most horrible dream, but, then again, what he had felt and what he'd seen, it wasn't-

"You found out, huh?" Weakly propping himself up on his elbows, he saw Gilbert leaning back against the foot of the empty bed next to him, both hands on the footboard. "I'm sorry you had to find out this way, he should have told you."

Suddenly those memories came rushing back, the unfinished letter he had found in Gilbert's room, the things written there, and the startling truth.

He felt misery swelling up inside him again. "I don't…I don't get it. Why?"

Gilbert sighed and came over to sit in front of him on the other bed now. "Look, I know Elliot didn't tell you, and I know it's hard to believe."

"Believe what?" Leo said in a low tone. "That I was poisoned and Elliot has left me here to die?"

"You were, and we have no idea how."

"Says the one of the people who have kept this from me." He laid down and turned away from Gilbert, coughing as he did so.

"Leo-kun, I honestly don't know what Elliot was thinking, but I can say this, he hasn't left you to die." Gilbert was doing all he could at this point to comfort the shaken servant.

"You don't know that."

"Leo-kun, Elliot hasn't abandoned you, he left to find the antidote, the very thing that could save your life! He didn't happen to meet Ash there, she joined him in order to help him find the antidote. Right now they are working together to save you, and Elliot will come back, I know so."

Leo had been listening to Gilbert the entire time, whether he knew it or not, and he didn't even know that the noirette had started crying, silent tears sliding down his face. Gilbert was right; if this is what Elliot was doing, then he would definitely come back for him.

'What was I thinking, really?' He thought to himself. 'Yes, I'm mad at him for lying to me, but to know he'll come back…it's relieving; it's like taking an unseen pressure off me.'

Knowing this, he knew Elliot would come back, but with this poison running through him and things getting worse by the minute, would he be too late?

"Gilbert," His voice rasped, tiered from talking. "When is he coming back?"

"I'm not sure."

"I want him to come back." Leo knew his fever must be making him delirious right now, saying these sappy things that would annoy Elliot if he were here. "I need him here, so I'm not…alone. I miss him."

Gilbert was quiet for a moment before he spoke. "You act so calm. I though you'd be more worried."

"I am, Gilbert." Leo answered. "I'm terrified. I don't want to die, not now."

"I know, you're too young to die. But, if I can live through being poisoned then so can you!"

He took in a shaky breath, then rubbing his dry throat. "I'm thirsty."

"I brought in some tea for you just before you woke up." Leo rolled over on his back again and saw the cup of tea on the nightstand.

"What time is it?" He asked as he managed to sit up, Gilbert adjusting the pillows so the other could lean back on them. When he was finished, the Leo leaned back against them, the pillows now supporting his back so he was in a semi-sitting position.

"7:47 A.M." Gilbert answered. "You were having a panic attack when I found you. Does that happen a lot?"

"No, not often, only when I get too stressed out about something." He answered as Gilbert got the cup of tea from his nightstand.

"I guess it was because you found out the truth, huh?" He asked, handing Leo the tea cup.

"Yes, you can't even begin to imagine how high my stress was at that point."

"I suppose not." Gilbert had felt something nostalgic about all this. It was like he was reenacting the times when he would be serving his master's every whim. Yes, maybe that's what it was.

'It's just like…all the times before; before…he was taken.' Gilbert thought silently to himself.

Just then he noticed the noirette set the tea cup back down on the small glass saucer that had been sitting on his lap. "Something wrong, Leo-kun?"

"Um, what kind is this?" He asked timidly.

"It's Earl Grey. Elliot said it was your favorite, I thought you'd be able to recognize it because of the aroma and-" He then realized it, hoping his assumption was wrong as he watched Leo stare down into the tea, looking at his own blurry reflection. "What's wrong?"

"I…I can't smell it." He said, concern in his voice.

"Maybe it's because you-"

"No, I mean, I can't smell it."

That confirmed it right there. Gilbert had been concerned that the servant would eventually start to lose his senses, and now it was starting, beginning with his sense of smell. If he couldn't smell the clear aroma of the tea, then that was a sure sign.

"Don't worry about it." He then decided to change the subject. "If you're mad at me, that's understandable."

"Gilbert, I'm not mad at you." His anger wouldn't go to Gilbert since he had been forced not to say anything, but it would go to someone else. "But, when Elliot gets back…well, I'll have a few things to say to him."

They had risen at the first sign of morning light. Quietly, not saying a word to one another, they were preparing themselves for the events to come. Ash noticed Elliot's sword, and wondered why he had brought it with him, but she knew that it might be better off not asking. Unbeknownst to her, Elliot had his sword because he would use it if necessary, or if all those things he and Ash had discussed held true.

'At least my head doesn't hurt anymore.' He thought at one point while discarding the bandages that had been previously wrapped around his head.

Their first stop would be the fencing studio of course, and as they expected, it was closed. They then took to asking people who knew him where he might be. After asking no more than three people, they got their answer; the pier. Both in agreement, they headed to their next destination.

There were a few things on this list that they needed to confirm; one, whether Algood had been behind the attack after all and why he did it. Two, if there was an antidote and where it was. Three, if he had sabotaged the stage to collapse when Elliot was on it. And four, whether he was indeed connected to any of the Headhunter incidents.

The first or the second (possibly both) would be reason enough for Elliot to draw his sword, but he knew this was something that needed to be done carefully, they needed the antidote and they couldn't afford to lose it because of a careless mistake.

Once at the pier, they checked several market stands, most of them empty, until they came to a fish stand and found their target.

"Mr. Algood." Elliot called over.

The man noticed them right away as they approached. "Ah, Elliot and Ashley Phero. Good to see you this early."

"Yes, well, can we talk about something?"

"Sure. Follow me, I'll take you back to the studio and we can chat there."

. . .

"I saw the stage collapse last night, are you alright?"

"Yes, nothing serious." Elliot said in response to Algood's question. "So, Ashley tells me that you've been conducting quite and…unusual study."

"She spoke of the poison, Valily, then." Algood reached into his pocket and took out a folded sheet of paper, handing it to Elliot. "These are from the first test that a colleague of mine conducted."

His eyes slightly widened when he saw the contents of the paper; they were the very things Ash had said to him last night. "This was from a test?"

"Yes, although, the same colleague wondered what the effects would be on a human."

"Is there an antidote for this sort of thing?" Ash interrupted before Elliot could speak again.

"Yes, dear Ashley. I have just formulated it. Although, now I wonder how things are going on the other end.

Elliot's eyes narrowed at Algood. "What do you mean by 'other end'?"

It seems they had caught Algood off guard. "Well, between you and me, I recently had this tested on a human for the effects, actually a servant of some sort." Elliot felt frozen in place at hearing this. "It seems he was some kind of servant of some big fancy noble. No one ever paid him any mind, so he seemed to be perfect."

Elliot couldn't say a word, just one instinct beating in time with his heart hammering in his chest.

Protect.

Without hesitation, he drew his sword and pinned Algood down, pressing the sword to his neck. Ash only looked one at them .

"That's my servant you're talking about!" He hissed.

Algood only snickered. "I knew Ash Phero couldn't possibly have a brother named Elliot."

'He knows!' Within a moment's notice though, Algood used one foot to push Elliot off him. Ash leapt to his side as he fell back, but as she was helping him up-

"Ash!" Algood had hit her in the back of the head and she slumped down against Elliot, bringing him back down to the floor. "Ash, wake up!"

"So, you aren't her brother after all, you're the master of that servant."

He looked up at Algood, fire in his eyes. "Leave Leo out of this! Just give me the antidote!"

"I think not."

The same object not slammed down on Elliot's head and Ash fell from his grip as he collapsed on the floor.

"You…!" He breathed as darkness started to swarm his vision.

"Goodnight, Elliot Nightray."

Rushed ending again, I know, I'm terrible with scenes like that though. I will try my hardest to get the next chapter done, as the story is nearly to the end. In the meantime, feel free to leave a reveiw.