Sorry I've been gone so much, I've been sick, and dealing with a horrible roommate. On top of that my homework load hasn't been gentle.

Anyway... Next chapter, Read REVIEW and Enjoy!

I studied the main building of our encampment. It looked more solid and was much larger. It was sided with heavy metal, and from here I could feel the edges of the heat. It was an ugly building. I'd never thought of a building as being ugly, but it was, and it wasn't well made. Too much of the heat was allowed to escape; not like the huts of the tribe. I frowned at the building.

Lam tapped me on the side of the head, "Hey, are you coming or what?"

I blinked at her before I smiled, "Yeah sorry, Alchemist instinct took over." I followed her in. The first room we entered was the mess hall, after that we went into a hallway with doors on either side. Lam took me in the second to last room, closing the door firmly behind us. Rob was sitting in his uniform behind his desk, a cot was in the corner. I smiled, he was using his office as sleeping quarters again, just so he could answer the phones quickly. He glanced up from his book then looked back down. I giggled as he looked up again before shooting out of his chair.

"Dalka!" He said surprised.

I smiled, "Yep." I held a finger to my lips, "But I want to surprise them." We could all hear Sou and Genz talking in the room. You couldn't hear what they were saying but you could hear them.

Rob smiled, "They'd like that. Go on," He gestured with his head.

Lam went first, knocking on the door, while I hid my hair under my hood, and pulled my face scarf up. She slipped into the room completely serious. I heard both men stop talking as she came in. I pressed my ear to the wall next to the door.

"What is it Lam?" Sou asked, he sounded tired.

"Lieutenant Colonel, Captain," Lam said, I could just see her saluting them, "We found someone while on out on recon."

"Who?" Genz sounded harsh. I couldn't believe he'd accepted a move up in his rank.

"I think you should see for yourselves, sirs," She said turning the door handle, quickly I moved in front of the door, dropping my head so all they'd see was my white hood. "Come on in," Lam hooked my elbow and led me in until I was standing in front of Sou's desk, he'd had his good one sent up north. I could see the bottom of his desk and two sets of shoes. One pair was Lam's, the other looked like Genz's size.

"Well," Sou said, I flinched at his harsh tone. "Speak up, who are you and why are you here?"

I fiddled with my hands suddenly I couldn't think of any words. I lifted my head until I could see Sou and Genz's waist line. I noticed Genz's hands tighten. "That sword…" He was grinding his teeth, "That's Dalka's sword…"

Sou leaned forward looking at the blade at my side, "It is… How did you get that?" He demanded.

Finally words came to me, "I am someone very close to you both…" I started answering Sou's questions, "And I am here because this is where I belong." My voice was muffled, and sounded strange even to my ears.

Sou moved suddenly gripping the front of my coat and lifting me several inches off the ground, "How the hell did you get that sword!" He very nearly shook me. Lam grabbed him, and Sou seemed taken aback by his outburst, "What happen to that sword's real owner?"

With some difficulty I looked at him. "I am the real owner," I said in a harsh, unable to breathe voice.

Genz's eyes widened, just as everyone else's had. Carefully he set me down and backed away. "How…"

I reached up pulling down my mouth scarf, then carefully reached up and pulled my hood back. I looked at both men as my hair fell around my shoulders. "After all," I continued, "My grandfather did have this sword made for me."

Genz turned his back to me.

"Hesperus…" Sou breathed, "How did you… You're really here?"

I smiled at him like it was a joke, "It would be kind of weird if I wasn't really here."

Sou walked around his desk and put his hands on my shoulders, his smile was weak, like he was fighting not to cry or he was having trouble believing it was me, "You're really here… You're really alive." He pulled me in to a gruff hug, "Hesperus, we thought those bastards had killed you." He pulled away from me, "You're not hurt? They didn't touch you did they?"

I smiled at him sadly, having to look at his shoulder, "I'm not hurt anymore… They shot me, but… I… I killed two of them." I notice Genz flinch at those words, but he didn't face me. I pulled away from Sou and stepped over to Genz. I could see his fist clinched tightly, and his real arm, the left one, was shaking. "Genz?"

He didn't move.

"I heard that you were a captain…"

His hand tightened again.

"Congratulations… You're perfect for the job."

His entire arm was shaking.

"I had hoped you'd be my brother again, but you have other jobs. I'm sure someone else can do it." I continued, "I bet Jacob or Byan, maybe Anderson could be my…"

Genz punched the wall, leaving a large dent. He turned to me, "I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD!" He barked at me. I noticed the white thing tied around his wrist, it was one of my feathers. "I was going to kill every one of those bastards for even thinking of touching you. I took the rank so I would have the power…" He was still shaking. He bent his head lower, "We found your feather, and your dagger… It was with those graves… I thought they'd killed you…"

I reached forward, spreading my hands over the front of his uniform, over his chest. I could fill him shaking through my hands. I kept my eyes on my spread fingers. Slowly I closed my hands gripping his uniform coat. I stepped closer, laying my forehead on his chest, "I'm sorry…" I whispered, "I'm sorry brother… I tried to come as quickly as I could, but…"

Genz hadn't moved.

I gripped his coat tighter, trying to keep him from pulling away from me, "I'm sorry… I miss you… I missed you so much… You always took care of me, and when I killed those men…" I was fighting sobs, "I just wanted my brother… I wanted you to be by my side, but you weren't there… I'm sorry… God, I'm so very sorry…"

Genz wrapped his arms around me and leaned down until both of us were leaning against the other's shoulder. We were both crying. We stayed like that until both of us had stopped. I pulled back cupping his face, my gloves were in my pockets so I could feel his three day old beard and his scars. It looked like he'd aged so much since the last time I'd seen him. His Mohawk had grown out and he wasn't bothering to spike it anymore. He had bags under his eyes, and his skin didn't have that bronze tint to it anymore. He looked sick and tired.

"Look at us," I smiled, "We're a mess. We can't last six weeks without one another…"

"Eight weeks," He corrected. I hadn't been counting the time I'd been with the other team.

I smiled wider and the tips of his lips quirked, "Eight weeks. You look like you haven't sleep since I disappeared."

His frown deepened.

I moved my hand to his, "Come on, let's get dinner… I haven't had eatable food in weeks."

Genz laughed, it was a forced noise, "I think it's been longer since either of us have eaten anything that resembles real food"

I smiled brightly, "I don't know, At least We know what's suppose to be in our food."

Genz shook his head, "Alright, if you insist." He gripped my hand, "Sou, I'll be back later." He sent a wave over his shoulder and led me out of the office by my hand. Genz didn't eat much, but the food had never tasted better to me. I told Genz about getting back, and complained about the other team who'd died. I called them seven kinds of stupid, and felt horrible for it. Genz hardly spoke, normally he didn't but this was somehow different than normal. Eventually Jacob and Lam joined us, Jacob telling me everything that had happened since I'd joined the other team. How when Genz had found my team dead he'd paved the path for everyone else in hunting down the enemy. The way he talked Genz had single handedly destroyed an encampment of the enemy, for which he'd been promoted. After that I couldn't look at him. I couldn't imagine Genz doing anything other than killing to protect me, I couldn't picture him killing like a mad man. It made him sound evil.

Eventually Jacob and Genz took Lam and I back to our tent. I asked Genz to come and talk with me some more, and Lam ended up pushing Jacob off to his tent, asking about his gun. Ami had made my bed for me while I'd been in the main building, it was set like I'd never left, my things right where they belonged. I sat on my bed and Genz eventually sat on the floor. I talked. I talked for a long time. I talked until I noticed Genz had fallen asleep, his chest rising and falling steadily. I pulled a blanket off my bed and wrapped it around him. He deserved this rest.

Don't you just love heart felt reunions? Next chapter should be interesting too... Will try to post next week. REVIEW so I remember!