Here it is! And this time we delve a little into the history of the Verius Family and what Gido knows about their relationship. I hope you enjoy it.

Everything was good.

For once in his life, Frau actually dared to be certain of that. Sure, he was dead now and he had lost the love of his life, but death had reunited him with another love of a different kind. And since he was dead now, they both were, this one wouldn't be taken so easily from him.

Frau watched Gido's sleeping face, knowing that he would wake him if he snuggled into his arms: knowing that two warm, solid arms would close around him and not let go, but Frau didn't move. As he watched, a sleepy smile played around the corners of his mouth, and for all he knew, Frau felt tired enough to fall back asleep any moment. Except he didn't want to. He wanted to watch some more and just indulge in the fact that Gido was with him and that he had missed Frau and that everything was okay for once. With that thought, Frau nuzzled into Gido's arms, closing his eyes and drifting off into sleep again.

He barely noticed the tired hand running through his hair and a quiet mutter of words that didn't make sense anymore as he was falling asleep. But he still noticed Gido's warm breath, the sound of a deep, sleepy voice and the kiss that pressed to his head. It made Frau smile as he fell asleep.

When he woke again the bed was empty, but it wasn't cold and immediately the smile came back to his lips. Frau rolled over onto his stomach, nose buried in the mattress. A sigh escaped his lips and he was about to doze off again when he noticed as someone sat down next to him. And...there was the smell of coffee.

In an instant Frau had opened his eyes and sat up. He hadn't had coffee in what felt like ages. But now Gido's hands where holding one cup filled with the dark, heavenly liquid. Oh God, what he would give for just a sip of it...

When Gido handed him the cup, Frau could nothing do but stare at it for several minutes before he had fully comprehended the situation. It was only then that he started drinking. It was bitter and thick and hot but it warmed his insides in a very pleasant way. With a little sigh leaving his lips, Frau closed his eyes for a moment. Gido had even memorised how he liked his coffee: black, no sugar, no milk, no anything.

Even as a child, Frau had never much liked sweets, though his tolerance had been higher back then. As he had grown older his hunger for anything sweet had rapidly decreased so that by now it was easily sated by a bar of chocolate or a few sugar cubes now and then. Frau wondered whether Gido had remembered this or if it came from watching him through the lake for so long. Either way he was more than glad for it.

"Why do I deserve this treat?" Frau asked with a smile, but all Gido did was smile as well and ruffle his hair. There was another cup in his hands now. This one had a substance of milky brown, he noticed, his smile still visible on half his face. Gido had probably half a dozen sugar cubes in there, he mused. For all Frau lacked in a hunger for candy, Gido seemed to have twice the appetite for it.

It was nice how Gido always messed up his hair; he had done that a lot when Frau had still been a kid. In fact, a lot of people had done that while he had still been a kid, but seldom ever since he had grown to tower above their heads. By then he had been too tall for them to reach him without it being awkward. Back then he had seldom welcomed it, as other hands on his head made him feel a lot smaller than he actually was. Besides, it had been a lot of wordless comfort, which had served particularly well as a reminder of the pain gnawing inside his chest.

Gido probably didn't get his head patted as much as well. At least not as often. The thought and the act that followed made Frau feel a bit childish, but still he reached out to run a hand through Gido's thick, black hair. It slid easy between his fingers when he tousled it, softly scratching his head. Smiling, he noticed how Gido leaned into his touch, so he let his hand rest on the side of Gido's head for a while. Frau's thumb was running lines over the spot next to his eye.

He had been right, he thought as he smiled to himself. "You do know that this lasts only as long as Teito harbours Pandora's Box, don't you?" he mused, running a couple fingers over Gido's forehead. A content sound answered him and Frau took a gulp of his coffee.

Gido was sipping at his own, not answering immediately, but when he did it was with a smile. "I am aware," he said, but Frau could not tell what it meant to him.

Saying he would not go back running to Teito would be a lie, and while most likely Gido had already known that, Frau felt a certain sense of obligation to tell him anyway. He wanted it to be said, so they were clear on this as well.

"Does that mean I shall seize the chance while I still have it?" Gido mused, wondering. Something seemed to lie on his tongue, but he let it rest there as Frau heard no more word from him.

A small chuckle came from his throat and Frau let go of his hair, sliding his hand down to his neck, scratching the soft flesh. "Not exactly. To tell the truth I wouldn't mind, but what you make of this is entirely up to you. I just wanted you to know."

When Gido looked at him again there was a playful edge to his smile, but also a sliver of forgiveness in his eyes. The kind that came from understanding why, and it suddenly reminded Frau of what Gido had told him not all too long ago. "You would do the same, wouldn't you?" He asked, suddenly quiet, and he had to swallow something that seemed stuck in his throat. Why did this feel so far from relief? Frau sighed, trying to smile once again, tried to figure out what Gido was thinking, but the man's face was an unrevealing mask of smiles and rainbows. What the hell... This was so unfair. Gido could see through him in a minute, but to Frau everything about him seemed a mystery no matter how much information he gained.

"I'm not sure..." Gido replied to his surprise. "Not anymore."

"Why?" Frau asked, surprised that he didn't stutter since his insides felt all wobbly suddenly. Hopefully this talk would not go where this suggested it might, because then he might just not know what to do about it.

A deep, heavy sigh escaped Gido's throat and he deflated back into the masses of pillows behind them, his mug set on his stomach so as to not to spill the coffee. "Stuff..." he finally said. "A lot of stuff... happened. I'm not sure anymore he still is the man I once knew – or thought I knew."

"What... stuff?" Apparently that was a question to remain unanswered Frau realised, as after a moment or two still nothing came. "Do you still love him?"

For a long time there came no answer, Gido merely sipped on his coffee, and when he finally did reply all he did was repeat, "I'm not sure." This time Frau put a hand on Gido's knee, squeezing it lightly. "Maybe I get a few more years to figure that out. Maybe we both do."

That puzzled Frau. "Will he die?" he asked in confusion.

"He might. He is, in a way – a different way, a time bomb like your brat, so..."

There was no need to explain; Frau already knew. So instead he leaned back and huddled close to Gido. "Let's hope for years we don't have to deal with it," Gido added with a sigh as he made himself comfortable. Again Frau was puzzled. "Well, I might like to discuss a few things with my boyfriend and I might even need to smack him in the head a few times, but that doesn't mean I explicitly wish for him to throw away his life just to cater the needs of little-old lonely me stuck in heaven."

Attentive, Frau listened, and gave an amused snort at his last remark. "No, for that I am here, of course," he grinned. "But I do see your point." Only that Pandora's Box had no seal to be trusted, and that it might burst open any day and then the shadow would come to devour Teito and probably, most likely, certainly he would escape, and somehow end up here when he died anyway. Otherwise, Frau will have to kick a few asses to get the boy to where he belongs.

If there was anyone who deserved a place up here, in heaven, where everything was okay for once, then it was Teito.

"Be careful what you wish for..." Gido told him quietly and smiled ruefully. As if to answer Frau's confusion he added, "I know what you're thinking of, but... you'll never know what'll happen. Maybe the seal will hold."

Frau's answer consisted only of shaking his head first. There was just no way it would hold the strain, as he had already seen the cracks, and Gido would certainly agree if he had seen them too. Again Frau shook his head. "It's not gonna stand a chance when it happens and it won't hold much longer either. I know Teito will..." he tried, he tried hard but the word would not come from his lips. "I know he will," Frau finally said, his voice thick. "I just don't know whether that makes me happy at all." Although, it would mean they would get to spend more time together. He would get to kiss him and hold him and – God, how he missed it. "Do you ever... miss him?"

To that there was no answer, but Frau thought he could read on the lines of his face that he did. "Tell me more," he insisted, running a hand over his eyes, kneading the bridge of his nose. For the longest time in his life the terms Gido and relationship had never coexisted in a single thought in his mind. Unless it came to Magdalen, and though Gido told of something different, Frau found it troublesome to believe that.

The puzzle pieces in his head rather worked the other way for some reason. Maybe it was because he had a four-letter-name and a pretty smile. Frau sighed to himself, closing his eyes for another bit. Maybe... Maya. The name rung no particular bell in his head, only an uncertain feeling of something that had once been familiar. Frau wondered how much more he had forgotten, but did not want to ask. Fear whispered to him that he already knew the answer.

His memory served him most well when it came to finding anything in the replica of the Great Church of the seventh district of the Barsburg Empire. Well, technically, as Gido had told him what seemed so very long ago, the Church downstairs was the replica and this the original – even down to the smallest details, which was kind of scary when he thought too long about it.

His feet had carried him to the empty orphanage and other halls that he only knew full of life, and he had even dared to visit Bastien's chamber, but had regretted that as well. It was all too depressing, and his expectation began to sink lower and lower with each place he visited. There was no familiarity in this.

Of course there were the other Ghost's and Frau even found himself chatting with a few as he made his way around the church, yet they were a scarce population for such a big place.

All seven towers still stood high and proud and Frau guessed that since all former Ghost's were technically alive in this place, none of them would ever come crashing down. It was a comforting thought, since Frau still remembered the trembling feeling of dread at the sight of Vertrag's shattered tower: a life threatening, existential dread. It had always felt like he was able to taste it in the air, like a substance oozing slowly from the shattered stones. Danger, it had told him, made his instincts tingle. Even now when he looked at it something was bubbling beneath the surface of his conscience, and although he couldn't put it into words Frau knew it meant nothing good.

It was probably due to the loss of Devaki that he could not tell anymore. Frau had always felt as if she had amplified whatever the image of the shattered tower triggered in him. This now seemed clearer than ever to him.

Strolling through the library Frau did not know what he was looking for, and he didn't realise it until it was staring right in his face. Some strange notion urged him to take the heavy leather-bound book he had stumbled upon into his hands. On the back there was nothing but Zehel's insignia imprinted. At least the cover had some letters. It was written in Raggs, he noticed to his own surprise, furrowing his brows at the faded imprints. What once had been a shiny gold was now only dusty specks of the same colour. It made the words hard to read and Frau found himself running a finger over the imprints.

It was something about the history and lineage of the Verius family, though the title was way more eloquent on that.

Wondering why he even bothered, he walked over to one of the armchairs scattered across the library and leaned back into it. For a while when he had been younger there had been a curious moment where he had wanted to know more about the family that he was – apparently – a part of.

The mere fact that it named itself a sole introduction in the book would usually have been enough for him to put the book down, as reading had never been his favourite pastime. Although, he did happen to like it when Gido was the one reading to him. Then again, he was dead and whatever injuries had affected his body then were gone now. Or so he believed. Rubbing his right eye, more out of habit now, Frau made himself comfortable. Maybe it was the certainty that he would never have to deal with these people again that made him curious now. There was little sympathy in him for the noble, there never had been, and even less after the stories he had heard from Teito. Besides that he saw little point in finding out about things that did not concern him anyway. Technically it did not concern him now either, but somehow he felt drawn to it now. Like there was still a quiet little voice whispering in the back of his mind.

And so he opened the book and began to read.

It didn't exactly date back a thousand years, but the chapters started out with the general titbits of information about Zehel's founding of their family. The tale spun a bit more general when it came to that as it seemed some Ghost's had possessed live bodies while others had chosen a corpse at hand. The living vessels had soon withered away, their minds likewise, leaving nothing but a dead shell. This had led to the conclusion that dead people were the better option. Frau wondered if one could dig that out of the Cuvere somehow, as he was sure it had been noted down by the very first generation. He had always wondered how far back it dated in the first place, but he had never gotten around to figuring it out.

The Ghost's had soon come to understand that power of any kind, mostly religious and political, came to great use when it was to find certain things among the human society, which had lead for them to strive for such. In return this had made them less prone to call out the members of their families on their dirty deeds, as it didn't account well for trying to gain power.

It certainly did explain why all Houses of God seemed to be ruled by old men waging old wars, Frau thought. It also made him wonder what the first deadly tickets might have been. Betrayed wives, bastard sons and daughters, or bankruptcy? Frau would have even laughed, but then he remembered that it wasn't much different now. As if the nobles' problems would only vanish with their whole existence. Or rather when power and wealth would cease to exist, as the name those people gave themselves hardly mattered in the end.

Either way, Frau would not spend a tear for their graves.

As the families had gained power over the centuries, the Verius family had taken up the position of link between the kingdoms and the church. Well, technically it had only been the Ragg's kingdom, but as the Ghost's were a tightly knit family they shared the benefits of that. The concept that their family had built for that purpose was far from flawless though, which was why it had come to a few adjustments over the centuries.

As much as the church required a male regime, so did their family of archdukes.

The concept required two sons, and while the eldest was meant to inherit the title as head of the house it meant little as he was sent to church, striving to become a bishop or pope. And so inherit said title, as it was bound to the pope. Which of course meant that sometimes it went into hands not from the Verius family, but only sometimes. As Frau read through the names listed on the pages, it seemed to him their family had provided a son for each of the last hundred centuries, and each had become a high ranking bishop or pope, though that was probably not true.

With the elder son as a servant of God, it was the task of the second son to become the actual head of the house, as he was the one representing them in the public image and doing all the political work.

Of course, the scheme had seldom worked out properly, and the family had taken up to grant their daughters the choice to keep their title in marriage and become head of the house. Any remaining son would be sent to the church, as to strengthen the bond of friendship which had bloomed between the two parties. Favours were called in and peaceful negotiations between kingdom and church were ensured.

With a sigh Frau let the book drop onto his chest, one hand rubbing his right eye and cursing under his breath. He was dead, so why the hell was this damned thing hurting.

Gido seemed to read the answer on his twisted face. "Some wounds go deep enough for the soul to remember, even in death..."

Frau only groaned, deflating into the armchair. "But I thought..."

"Alas, no..." Gido sighed, rubbing his shoulder and Frau wasn't sure if that was an example or to underline his words. "But it's just a placebo effect; you'll get rid of it over time."

Now that was finally some good news. Frau sighed, stretched himself and sunk back into the chair once more, closing his eyes for a bit.

"What did you read?"

"Hrmm", was all Frau had to offer to that and smirked, when he opened his eyes once more. Though somewhat reluctant he gave the page a dog ear and handed the book over to Gido. "I don't know, I was curious," he replied when Gido eyed him in question, the corners of his mouth still forming a slight grin.

"Marvellous... you didn't die from boredom," Gido answered with a chuckle as he skimmed the pages Frau had read.

More names and places and stories than he ever cared to remember had been mentioned. But the gist of it had been very interesting. Zehel had known quite a bit about their family, but he had not been very talkative when it came to Frau. So for all he knew was that he was a bastard and all these things had been kept from him all his life. This was finally a chance to catch up on everything.

A sudden thought made him chew his lip, studying Gido closely. Had he acted on mere hope when he had bestowed Zehel's fate on him? For all he knew the Ghost's did not have the power to make someone not their blood a vessel, and even if, there was little chance it would last for long. And then there was the fact that he looked quite a bit like Gido.

"You knew didn't you?" Frau had to close his eyes and press the words out between his teeth. "Or at least had a whim it would work... otherwise you wouldn't have given Zehel to me..." A heavy breath dropped from his lips when Frau opened his eyes again. Something inside him wanted him to be angry or feel betrayed or... he didn't even know anymore, only that he couldn't. He knew it all should be there, especially the yelling that Gido seemed to have missed so much, but it wasn't. Instead there was a gaping hole that seemed to have swallowed whatever feelings that should have been bubbling up.

But when Gido opened his mouth to reply, Frau only shook his head. "I don't wanna hear your excuses. Just tell me the truth. Did you know?" His eyes were now fixed on Gido, drilling holes into him.

At first Gido didn't answer and it was almost enough to get Frau angry after all, but before that could happen Gido spoke. "I did know." He seemed to press the words out between his teeth, reluctant to say anything about this matter. "I did know we were somehow related."

Frau shifted in his position, "I promise I won't freak out if you can assure me I'm not screwing my brother or something..."

An amused snort answered him. "I can assure you, you are not screwing your older brother," Gido chuckled and messed up Frau's hair. "I'm sorry I can't tell you anything specific, because I don't know much about this matter either. But you can rest assured that we don't share a parent."

Wondering, Frau eyed the book now placed on the table in front of him. Maybe it would be a good thing after all to read it and try to find out more about their family. His family. Although it didn't quite feel like family, as all these names that were mentioned meant nothing to him. They were strangers to him after all. "But you did know my mother, right? … And my dad?" The words sputtered from his lips even before he had thought the whole idea through. Yet Gido was older than him and Eden was a rather small island. At least not many people lived there. He certainly knew something.

"Yeah... I know a thing or two about them," he admitted, which resulted in a bright smile on Frau's face when he turned to face him. Gido had made himself comfortable on the window sill and Frau followed suit, eager to listen to what Gido had to tell him.