I slept pretty well that night, shrieking wind and all, probably half to do with the exhaustion, or to do with the drugs that Claude asked me to take before bed. Maybe the beers we'd drunk had helped too. Sleep came and went, I felt warm and cosy, aware of a hand clasping mine from Roberto- he'd curled up so that our heads were nearly touching.

However scary the storm was, I felt pretty okay in that blanket fort, sleeping near a friend, our hands clasped tight on each other. I only really woke up properly once- when I'd decided I wanted my necklace back- and had made sure it was tight around my neck before falling asleep.

When morning came, I knew people were standing, moving, felt the hand release mine, but I was far too caught up in sleep to really wake up properly. I was just ...warm. Maybe I had a bit of an infection too. Or maybe, realistically, I felt warm because it was summer.

Either way, I didn't really wake up till everyone else was already up and moving around, and I really only snapped out of my sleepy state when I heard glass being broken nearby.

My eyes flew open to see a familiar sight bending over Prince Glenn. Yu? His butler? He was wearing, out of all things, a pair of boxer shorts and looked fairly damp.

"Um. Hi." I said, trying to lean up on my elbow, noticing that the blanket fort was mostly demolished now. The couches were back where they belonged, books back, food scraps gone. "You didn't drown."

"Of course not." Yu turned to bow in my direction. "We had help."

His eyes went to someone I hadn't noticed yet. That young bodyguard person from before. The one who'd had Prince Alan! She bowed as well... so much bowing!... and I had to remind myself that this was normal in Oriens.

"Sorry, I can't bow..." I was a little embarrassed.

"No, please." She insisted, flushing as well, sort of cute as she stood up again. "Of course not. Sorry. I guess... it's a habit. Don't feel bad."

"She found us as we were looking for shelter." Yu started to brush something against Prince Glenn's temple. I noticed that Prince Glenn was sweating now, clearly in a bad state, his body trembling and covered in a blanket. Yu spoke to me as he tended to his Prince, "There's some food there. Please eat quickly."

Another shatter of glass made me jump. "What was that!"

"The house must look as though it was the cyclone that used it. Not us." Yu was smooth enough but he seemed tired when he turned to smile warmly at me. "Please don't be concerned. Just enjoy your food. El, can you pass me that first aid kit?"

I tried to, laying there, listening to butlers wreck the place. Yu and El were focused on Prince Glenn intently, muttering about how to get him safely onto the boat without moving him too much, padding his shoulder with something.

"We're leaving?"

"Soon. Yes." Whatever friendly show Yu had been putting on was gone now. He had one priority and it showed.

"Where?"

"Liberty, most likely. We have found a boat that broke free of its moorings and are borrowing it- it seems to still be in good working order." El was the one to speak this time.

"Ah." I went back to eating quickly.

"We could try Alteria." El hesitated. She seemed to be doubting herself a little all of a sudden. Maybe she'd thought my lack of an answer was ... disagreeing with her? "I know it's closer. The patrols in that direction are a worry. Liberty may require some open ocean sailing but it is closer to us and we'd run less risk of patrols searching boats."

"So... if it's closer where are we?" I spoke up. I felt light headed myself now and shut my eyes as a wave of dizziness washed over me. Oh boy. I didn't feel good either now.

"On the side of Oriens closest to Liberty."

"Oh, that's lucky..."

"Not luck." Yu spoke up. He stood up, untangling the last of the blanket fort and throwing it aside, adding, "It was El that suggested this location as a safe place to remain."

"I wouldn't be much of an apprentice if I didn't know such things, would I?" She seemed embarrased, flushing, and smiled at Yu. "We researched into his known residances and found this place would be sheltered from the storm and on the correct side of Oriens. I suspected he wouldn't wish to visit, although his pattern of movement suggests he wouldn't at this time of the year anyway, because staying in a building near the ocean while a cyclone passes is very irrasponsible."

"Yeah, we saw how high the tide got." I muttered. I glanced outside. A shaft of sunlight had broken through the rain a moment. "It's calm now."

"Yes. It may not have seemed it but it really was very sheltered here." She seemed so nervous and shy, bowing once again, adding, "I appoloise for the fear you must have felt."

"It's ... it's okay, relax." I tried to smile and waved my hands. "It was fun. We had a blanket fort and everything."

Yu knelt beside me. I was shocked to see blood, even though Claude had changed it last night, but he didn't seem surprised at all. He called, "Jan, another change," before he stood up and bowed. "I will carry Prince Glenn onto the ship. The sooner we leave the better."

"Agreed."

He lifted Prince Glenn up, slowly, and Prince Glenn groaned somewhat. As they were heading outside Jan appeared, a quick bow to me that he didn't seem to competely be into, before he knelt beside my leg. It was obvious what his interest really was.

"I will change it with a tighter bandage. The bleeding has increased somewhat but I'm not concerned." He said lightly.

"You know first aid then, I guess... is that normal for a butler?"

"Yes." He didn't even skip a beat. Jan hesitated and met my eyes, suddenly. "You might feel comfortable if you look away a moment, Miss Sophia, I noticed you were not so keen on syrengies."

Oh. "Thanks... yeah." I turned away and squeezed my eyes shut. It hurt like hell. I just concentrated on breathing, so used to this now, and let him fiddle around until he seemed to be standing.

"We will be no more than an hour. I'll take you to the bathroom, to wash, and Alberto will be waiting to help you to the yaught. Is there anything from here you wish to take?" Jan helped me up, slowly, and sat me on the couch.

"Take?"

"Food, a treat, any belongings."

"This stuff all belongs to my Father..." I muttered. "I think it can stay here."

"Understood." He didn't move though, pausing, adding, "If you are sure you mind nothing, documents, photos, other such things here being stolen or damaged..."

Oh. That was a good point. Roberto had already found some important stuff snooping, copies of important documents, and the moment I hesitated Jan smiled lightly down at me as I got his point. I wasn't sure what else was around here. "I don't know what's here. Roberto found a box with some stuff but... I suppose the police might be upset if there were some important documents they'd want. When they're charging him."

Jan bent down to lift me up, I let him, and we headed for the downstairs bathroom. Like yesterday someone had done the whole 'rose petals in water', buckets, hot water thing, and I had to assume it was Claude again- I saw him briefly pass by with a bag of food from the pantry. "If Miss Sophia would allow me to suggest something..."

"Go for it." I agreed.

"I have some experiance in knowing what may be important and what may not. If you would permit myself and Alberto- we would search on your behalf and hide what needs to be hidden in such a way that it will remain undamaged and unfound."

That kind of made sense. He was a butler, after all, and if there was two butlers on the case... but what about their 'wreck the house' plan? "You two don't have work to do?"

"I believe the work we have to do may be very compatiable with this." Jan set me down gently on the plastic chair near the bathing tubs.

"Okay. Go for it. Oh... there was box-"

"Prince Roberto has already made sure we understand that it must be taken and kept safe." Jan responded, bowing once again as he left the room, and he shut the door .

Trust him.

I made sure that quartz was around my neck, reassured myself it was safe, before bathing. This time I didn't take a long time. The butlers could bow and smile all they liked but there was a kind of tension now. It felt like we were rushing to get out as fast as we could. Father would probably send someone out to assess the damage, I figured, so I made sure that I only took a few minutes to wash this time. When I called Alberto appeared within seconds.

It was a magical change when Alberto helped me back out- the living room had gone from the last safe place from the storm to a disaster zone. Glass shattered inwards. The furinature exactly where it used to be, only it seemed to have been blown around against walls now, with water and bits of plant, tree, branch and outdoor furniture everywhere. The TV smashed. Pantry open, held open by pots and pans on the ground, kitchen filled with dirty water.

"Wow. You guys know how to ruin a house." I said, apprechiating the work, and Alberto frowned lightly. "Good work."

"We located some documents we believe you may prefer to keep safe." Alberto didn't seem to want to respond to my 'compliment'. He nodded towards Jan. Jan was wrapping something up in plastic at the kitchen bench.

"That was quick."

"Such things are usually hidden in the same locations." Jan responded. "I will check once more before we leave. I have also packed you a bag of food-" He held something out and Alberto strode across the living room, shoes crunching on glass, twig and debris, so that I could take it, "-which is also safely protected against water."

"Okay."

"There is also water. Please be sparing with it."

"Thanks." I gazed inside. Little packs of food, neatly wrapped and labeled, plus bottles of water. Also labeled. Cool.

"I'll meet you all on the boat. I ..." Yu turned to Prince Glenn, something flashing across his face, and he muttered, "I need to be sure his arm is properly immobalized."

If by bandanaged and in a sling, it clearly was, but Alberto just nodded and turned. I glanced back over Alberto's shoulder to see the concern flicker across Yu's face as he knelt beside Prince Glenn, gently stroking hair away from his face.

"You guys really care about each other, don't you?" I muttered... more ot myself than to Alberto, but he looked a little surprised as he gazed down at me. "I guess it comes with the job. You've got to have a big heart to spend your entire life supporting someone else."

"We..." His step faltered. What? Was I wrong?

"Al! Let me do that!"

A voice distracted us both, Roberto jogging up, and Alberto shook his head.

"You should have gotten on the first boat."

First boat?

Woah. Okay. I saw what they were talking about. A yaught, some distance out beyond some beautiful white waves that were still crashing down, and I could see in the distance that there were already a few figures onboard. And... for me... a rowboat. Well. It had a moter but it wasn't much bigger than one. It was up on the beach.

"Wait, that's how we're getting there? Through those waves?"

"You can't swim."

"Well, I ca-"

"You are not swimming with that leg." Alberto's face had returned to its normal 'Dare to argue with me' expression that I normally saw reserved for Roberto. He snapped his eyes up and cast it on Roberto as well. "Well, you may as well assist me in getting her to the yacht safely."

"That's the plan." Roberto wandered along side us, casting a look over Alberto and myself, a little pouty.

There was only one way to that yacht. I supposed I had no choice in the matter. Why hadn't I had the hindsight to steal a helicopter? I was dropped into the bost carefully and when I turned back, Alberto and Roberto were sliding the boat along towards the waves. Towards the water. Oh god. Water splashed about as we met the waves coming towards us.

Wait.

"In your suit?"

"I did not bring a change of clothes for such activities." He didn't seem the least bit concerned as water suddenly splashed up over his suit... it was admittadly starting to look a little rumpled anyway... as his eyes focued on the waves. "Roberto, in."

Roberto slid into the boat as the water sunk up to his waist, grinning, and Alberto rolled himself into the boat as if it was the easiest thing in the world. Instantly he was behind me at the little engine and it was chugging along over the rise of waves.

"We're in the rip." Roberto explained, grinning as he reached out to grasp my hand, the other white on the edge of the boat on his side. "So it's not the same."

It didn't change the fact that I nearly forgot to breathe as a white capped wave came at us... only for us to pass over it just in time.

"This is crazy." I muttered.

"It's not that bad. Don't you like the ocean?"

"I love it... swimming in it!" I cringed as another wave nearly crashed, Alberto twisting the little boat one direction, till we were practically surfing over the top of it. A glance back and his face was taunt with concentration, eyes fixed forward, his own hand white with tension on the engine's little... moving thing.

But we'd already come some way, I noticed, and when I turned around to look forward, the boat was more or less metres away.

"You're so cute, Phia." Roberto laughed as he let go of my hand to wave. "They're just waves."

"Yeah, yeah." I muttered. I reached up to touch my face with my now damp hand, feeling it was beyond warm, so embarrassed that I'd been so paranoid about it. As soon as we were beside the yacht, Roberto scrambled up the ladder, the two boats bobbing up and down side by side. He reached down to help me up, Alberto lifting me up by my waist, and we turned to watch Alberto turn around with the boat and head back in to the beach. I still had the bag of food held tight in my hand, I realised, though I'd barely thought about it.

Roberto slid an arm under my shoulders, tugging me closer, his other hand holding onto a rail. "Now Glenny-bear and we're ready to go. Right?"

I reached up to ensure that necklace was still there before nodding. "I guess so."

"Come on. Come downstairs."

He helped me slowly along the deck, waiting patiently when I needed to stop, and then down some narrow steep stairs. I was very glad all of a sudden that Jan had decided to give me one of those 'kill all pain' injections. I needed it just to get down here. It was impossible to avoid bumping that part of my calf that was the source of all pain.

It was hard to believe we'd made it onto a boat. Once they had me on the boat they spent a little time ensuring Prince Glenn got here safely, he looked pretty awful by the time they got him up, and once we'd gotten Jan, Yu and that El girl on board, Alberto and Jan got the little boat- they called it a dingy- onto the back of the yacht.

"Ready to go?" Roberto called upstairs. He'd stayed with me, sitting across the tiny table, a book out in front of him.

"We're getting her moving now!"

I felt it just then- a gentle vibration and then a hum which had to signal a moter. That probably explained why the sail was away.

"Wow." I muttered. Prince Wilifred came down and slid beside Roberto, slumping somewhat, shutting his eyes. "I got you guys to a boat."

"Heh." Roberto grinned. "Nope. We had to rescue you in the end."

The embarrassing thing was... it was true. I flushed and gazed out the tiny little round window. "Well, at least it worked."

"It isn't a short voyage to Prince Keith." Wilifred spoke up softly. "I will relax when we've safely made it there."

"Good old Prince Keith." I agreed. Saving the day. I wondered if he even knew something was wrong? "I hope you're right- that he'll race to your rescue."

"If only because of his pride! We can always depend on his pride. His beautiful green eyed pride." Roberto's eyes locked in mine. "You like green eyes?"

"I... never thought about it. I guess I never cared much." But come to think about it- I hadn't really noticed how prominent the tinge of reddish hue was in Roberto's eyes. In the light of the sunlight, which only just then decided to cut into the window, they were surprisingly red. Like fire inside. His smile faded as we stared at each other.

We stared at one another for a long time, my cheeks going warm as I heard Wilifred chuckle softly and stand, and snapped out of it as he wandered off muttering something about helping.

"I'll stay here."

"I'm not able to help much now."

"Of course you can. Soon as we get you into a wheelchair you'll be wheeling around, telling us what to do, trying to save us." Roberto's smile returned. "With your bald head and your ability to read minds."

"Exactly." I agreed and relaxed as well, mirroring his smile, slumping onto my arms. "And getting all my X-men to back me up. But I wouldn't shave my head..."

"No. You'd be new. What power do you want? What? That's the worst one out there!"

And like that, the two of us found a safer topic, one that didn't make us so uncomfortable or point out the fact that... even with a boat... we hadn't quite escaped yet.

We didn't see Alberto standing in the distant corner, his eyes watching the two of us, so caught up in our pretend debate.