They were almost to Lestallum when it happened. Just as they exited the tunnel a large daemon emerged from the road right in front of their truck. When the armored car swerved suddenly, Prompto braced himself in the corner and stuck out an arm to help hold Iris in place. Gladio, who had not braced himself, ended up on the bench in between Prompto and Iris spewing curses. The truck screeched to a halt and all three summoned their weapons expecting the worst.

All three hurried out the back and hesitated slightly when they took in the size of their enemy. "It's a Red Giant," Iris heard Prompto mutter. The beast was very large with blood-red skin and a sword that glistened with fire. The daemon had caught sight of them and was headed their way. Iris took a deep breath and looked at her brother who seemed to radiate determination. With just the three of them plus the driver, she hoped it would be enough. You can do this, Iris. Make Gladio and Noctis proud.

"Okay Gladdy, how do we do this?" When he locked eyes with her, it looked as if he just realized she was with them.

"Iris, go back to the truck."

She felt her jaw go slack. "What? You guys need me!"

Before Gladio could respond, Prompto started shooting and walking forward toward the daemon. "Now's not the time for arguing, guys."

Iris could see the indecision in her brother's face before he went charging toward the monster. Following his lead, she too charged forward. As they fought, she couldn't help but notice the fluid grace with which the three men fought, especially Prompto and Gladio. When one struggled, the other stepped in, and they would sometimes combine attacks to deal particularly devastating blows. Iris felt a twinge of jealousy and realized she needed to start training with the guys and stop training alone all of the time. She also wondered if they guys were missing Ignis is much as she did; they could have really benefited from his talents, even with his blindness.

Iris avoided the flaming blade as it swung her way and hurried behind the creature to focus on the left leg. One of the first things she had learned about large daemons was to make them immobile. Galdio joined her and she could hear Prompto and their driver fighting from a distance. Gladio paid her no mind, and Iris couldn't help but smile. She finally began to feel part of the team.

"Uh, guys?" Prompto yelled over the roaring of the daemon. "I think he's about to pull us in!"

"Run!" Gladio yelled. Iris felt him grab her arm and pull her away and toward the truck. Without looking back, she ran toward Prompto who was behind the truck. She was almost there when she saw Prompto's eyes go big. Her world went dark.

Prompto couldn't will himself to move. Iris lay on the ground after being struck by the Red Giant. Gladio had avoided the blow by throwing himself to the ground and was trying to drag Iris with him against the pull of the Daemon. "Prompto!" Gladio's cry for aid was enough for him to take action. Leaving one hand on the truck for stability, he reached the other toward Gladio who grabbed hold. Prompto looked passed Gladio just in time to see their driver being pulled in toward the beast and pummeled. Prompto felt his chest ache. This wasn't the way the mission was suppose to unfold.

With great effort, Prompto helped pull his two friends to safety behind the truck. Gladio set Iris between the two of them against the truck. Prompto felt for a pulse at her neck and let out a breath of relief. "She's just unconscious."

"I knew I shouldn't have let her come," he mumbled as he pulled her into his lap.

Prompto couldn't help himself. He had been around Iris long enough to know she would have responsed to Gladio's comment. "She wanted to come. Honestly, sometimes I think she's a better fighter than I am." Gladio appeared to be ignoring him. "It isn't your fault. It was her decision."

Gladio's eyes made contact with him and Prompto flinched at the intensity. "Of course it is my fault. It'salways my responsibility. You are all my responsibility."

Before Prompto could respond, the truck they were hiding behind was lifted and tossed off of the cliff on the other side of the road. He looked to Gladio who for once looked as scared as he felt. "Run!" he yelled and Prompto obeyed. Gladio gathered Iris in his arms and they took off toward the tree line. The sound of the daemon behind him urged him further. Prompto turned to fire a few shots without looking.

When all they heard was the sound of their own breathing, they both stopped. Gladio set the still unconscious Iris on a rock and looked to Prompto. "We need to get Lestallum as soon as possible."

Prompto saw the pain in his eyes. His friend needed this. He needed his sister to be okay. Prompto nodded and walked further into the forest. "I can get us there."

Hammerhead

Aranea had finally gotten to sleep, but it hadn't been restful. She wished there had been a place other than the garage for her to sleep, but options were limited. She looked to her right and saw Ignis still lying on his cot on the other side of the room. It hadn't just been the thoughts that had kept her awake; it had also been his presence. She had appreciated his commitment to try to open up to her, but she doubt her own strength.

Ignis had had a point. Even though she faced death almost every day and was accustomed to it, there was a very real likelihood that Ignis wouldn't survive in his service to Noctis. She admired his devotion to his position and had noticed that his relationship with Noctis went beyond mere employment – he considered him a brother and close friend. She wondered if his statement had meant to imply that his duty to the new king would come before any commitment to her. As much as that realization hurt, she understood. She just doubted her ability to handle it.

According to the clock, it was already midmorning. Aranea cursed under her breath. She hadn't intended to sleep in so late. She checked her phone and noted that she didn't have any missed calls. She considered calling Gladio again to check in, but decided he would call in if needed. Aranea pulled on the rest of her clothes and her boots and moved toward the exit to check on local hunts. She knew should had to keep her eye on Ignis, but she also knew she wouldn't retain her sanity if she stayed idle in the garage all day.

"Aranea?"

His voice made her stop cold. She considered slipping out anyway, but she knew better with his hearing. He would know that she was dodging him. Instead of verbally answering, she walked over to him and stood in the same place she did last night. He was still bruised, but appeared to have more color in his face. He kept his gaze toward the ceiling and spoke quietly.

"Thank you for being patient with me. I am aware I can be… frustrating."

Aranea was startled by his statement being so soon after their heat to heart. She briefly wondered if he also hadn't slept well, or at all. "Yes, you are." Aranea quickly surveyed the room to ensure they were alone before she continued. "But… for some reason I…" She wasn't quite sure how to finish that thought. She knew cared for him, but wasn't sure how to say it or if she should.

After a few moments, Ignis bent his forearms in her direction with his hands stretched out toward her. She took a step back, unsure of his intension. "I… it has been a while since I have seen your face. May I?"

Once she realized what he was asking for, her eyes widened at his boldness. She wondered if what she had said about liking his bold remark he made around the fire is what fueled his his action. She sat down on the bed next to his arm and put her hands on his. She noted their warmth and rough texture as she guided them to her face. Aranea did her best to steady the shake of her hands so as to not give evidence of the butterflies in her stomach. She closed her eyes once his finger tips touched her cheeks and dropped her hands to the bed. His touch was light and hesitant at first, but before long he was exploring her face with both hands.

Aranea had to remind herself to breathe as his hands moved up over her eyes and traced the lines of her eye brows. After lingering there for a bit, he brush his fingers back and forth over her forehead and she opened her eyes slightly. His face was pointed toward the ceiling still, but his lips were now lightly parted. In that moment, she wished she had been able to read his thoughts. His gesture felt very comforting and intimate to her, but she wondered if he just viewed it as a practicality or if he enjoyed it as much as she was.

Ignis' fingers moved down the sides of her face and stopped briefly over her nose. Aranea shut her eyes again to fully savor his touch as his fingertips followed the line of her jaw on both sides of her face, meeting at her chin. She felt his hands pause in hesitation, and then just one finger grazed over her lips from one side to the other. She lightly parted them unable to breath. Suddenly sheheard the door to the garage open. His hand dropped back to his side and Aranea looked over her shoulder to see Cindy come in and head straight to one of the cars, oblivious to them.

With a sigh, Aranea whispered quietly, "It's just Cindy. She's working on one of the vehicles." Even though Cindy wasn't actively interfering, Aranea knew the moment was gone. In a bold gesture of her own, Aranea placed her hand on his and gave it gentle squeeze in thanks. "I'll be back in a few hours to check on you." He nodded as she stood.

Ignis' words were so quiet she wasn't sure if she heard them correctly, but as she started to walk away it sounded like he said, "Just as beautiful as I remember."

Sorry it took so long to post this chapter, I have been busy lately and I started to lose some steam. Thank you for the comments, they are keeping me going! This chapter, and the next, have been on my mind for a while and it's nice to finally get it down! If all goes as planned I hope to upload one more chapter this week as it is sort of "part two" for this one.