Author's Note: And now, some insight on Herbert and Daniel's relationship. Enjoy!^^

Disclaimer: Apply the usual here; copyright goes to Frictional Games. I do own Elias, though.

III

Like Family

Since he'd been a mere child, Daniel had always been told about the sea. He would hear stories of seamen who did and didn't return from their voyages; he would hear of other boys some years his senior entertain younger ones with stories of pirates and treasures, and so would the adults do. He'd asked his father what he knew about it, that large and seemingly endless extension of water; Elias, his father, had replied dryly but with hidden emotion.

That's how Daniel remembered it.

Now, it was the 6th of May, and Daniel was on his way to Gibraltar. From there, they would take another ship to Algeria, and their expedition would begin.

It was incredible: Daniel was in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by only sea. He had seen it on art and drawings, but never with his own eyes. As he stared on, he felt indifferent. Whilst it did instil some sort of positive feeling into him, the sea also conveyed a feeling of loneliness.

And Daniel hated being alone.

Ironically, he was on his own now, nobody of confidence to be with. Well, nobody except Herbert. Just like their physician Dr. Tate, the professor had been an old family friend, and it had been him who had given Daniel the initiative to dedicate himself to more extensive and thorough studies, like mathematics and physics. But strangely enough, Herbert took it upon himself to introduce Daniel to the world of Archaeology, and there he was: on his way to Algeria on an expedition… with Herbert, no less.

Daniel sighed, his thoughts drifting to Hazel. How delighted would she be if she could get out of bed, if only for a moment, to catch sight of such scenery? How delighted would she be? Daniel was proud of his younger sister, if not envious: she was in such a condition, her lifespan having been predicted dozens of times, and she was still strong, still smiling. There were things Daniel could never hope to understand.

"Since when do you fancy being alone, Daniel?"

Daniel turned just in time to see Herbert approaching him. He smiled briefly and turned his back to the professor.

Herbert was a peculiar man. Despite being like a knight with impenetrable armour when it came to emotions, he often opened up when around Daniel. Did Herbert trust him that much? Daniel wondered. He was a man in whose eyes distrust and bitter sarcasm towards life was omnipresent, a man whose heart was partly made of stone, a man whose tongue spoke mystery and wit. He was the best person Daniel had even come across.

"I suppose I'm not allowed to comment on your fancies, am I, Herbert?" Daniel inquired in return, shifting his stance as the professor came to lean against the railing. "But yes," Daniel finally said, giving in, "I did feel like distancing myself from the rest."

Herbert snorted. "You haven't opened your mouth, not a single time, since we left Dover. Cat got your tongue, hm?"

"I knew something felt weird," Daniel joked. It took Herbert a few seconds to chuckle, obviously not amused by Daniel's sense of humour. "I haven't felt like talking, that's all. There's nothing wrong."

"Do you sincerely have to pretend, boy?"

Daniel snapped his head at Herbert. "I thought we'd left that behind, old man."

Herbert suddenly pointed a finger at Daniel. "Oh, look over there, behind you!"

And Daniel did.

"By Jove, boy, you're as dumb as always!" Herbert exclaimed, flicking the back of Daniel's head. That was enough for Daniel to complain through gritted teeth. But Herbert's features suddenly mellowed. "Forgive me for bringing something as unpleasant as that."

"Never mind," Daniel said, dismissive. "I hadn't been called that in a while."

When Daniel looked at Herbert, he found his companion staring at him, wide-eyed.

"Oh no, what has this world come to?" Herbert asked the heavens, throwing a hint that literally got to Daniel's nerves. "What did you expect to be called then?" Herbert released a bark of laughter, and Daniel blushed. "You obviously aren't at your best, son. I thought you knew me."

"For God's sake, Herbert…"

"Now, now, don't be so stiff," said the professor, fixing his steely gaze on the sea. Silence reigned between them, all the while Daniel was staring down at his hands. "It's something to do with you family, is it?" Eventually, Daniel nodded. "Why am I not surprised?"

But the young man was not bothered by such sarcasm. It was true: whenever Daniel would present Herbert with a problem, it would always concern his family. Despite being twenty-five, Daniel still had the tactlessness of an orphan: never in his life had he been subtle when trying to solve a problem with Elias. Because Elias would never listen.

He heard Herbert sigh. "Oh, old Elias…" he uttered, smiling briefly. "Now then, what's this about?"

Daniel was taken aback: Herbert, willing to listen in the middle of such a journey? Daniel had imagined he would return inside the ship and go back to his readings, yet there he was, lending the support Daniel had hardly ever received. He couldn't help a smile.

Elias wouldn't listen, but at least Herbert did.

And it meant the world to him.

A/N: Herbert did strike me as this kind of man out of what Daniel wrote in his diary, how Herbert's voice was like and the few interactions in the flashbacks we saw in-game. So, I decided to pull this off just to see what I could do with it. Didn't turn out too bad, didn't it? Ma certo, that is up to you to decide.

Special thanks to Zeoness for their support!^^

Reviews are appreciated!^^