Chapter 56

Sasha fidgets on her seat, excitedly waiting for the dish Nikolo is preparing. She would've liked to follow him work, maybe sneak a taste test or two along the way, but he'd said she was a bother and told her to sit down if she wanted anything at all. Normally, he wasn't that strict with her, so she assumed he was in a bad mood and did as he told, not wanting to ruin his day further. Still, she did wonder what was wrong. Would he tell her if she asked? They got along these days, she'd even dare to say, though not to his face yet, that they were friends, but in the end, they were still soldiers from two different nations in a war. It would be awkward for the both of them if his bad mood was simply about homesickness or the like and one of his captors would ask him to talk about it. Not that she wouldn't if he wanted to talk; she'd help him out no matter how awkward it'd be for her, she both felt like she owed him that and just genuinely wanted to help, but she doubted it'd happen.

Twirling a napkin in her hands, Sasha watches from her seat at a corner table as Nikolo moves about the kitchen, his long sleeves gathered above his elbows, exposing his muscled arms. She can't see clearly what exactly he's doing since he always blocks her line of sight, though that's probably not on purpose, but she still can't tear her eyes away. She supposes it's not really the food being cooked that she's watching now but the chef himself. It's nice watching him when he's like this, all relaxed and his movements natural… such a relaxed posture must mean that whatever had been bothering him had slipped from his mind by now. Guess he didn't need her help… well, all's well that ends well.

Speaking of things ending well, whatever Nikolo had put in the oven was starting to fill the kitchen with a heavenly smell. It smelled a lot like bread, but she couldn't bring herself to believe he was making something that simple, so it must've been a part of some greater dish. Sasha swallows and makes sure she isn't drooling, no, not this time. She would be in her best behavior in order to make sure she'd get the first taste instead of the Garrison officers she knew were waiting upstairs.

As if on cue, Nikolo takes something out of the oven, and Sasha catches sight of it. It is indeed some type of bread, though instead of the big loafs he usually makes, there are several smaller rolls. No longer able to hold in her curiosity, she asks: "What are you making?"

Nikolo glances at her over his shoulder as he puts the tin plate down.

"Hamburgers. From what I've gathered, they aren't a common dish around here, right?"

"I don't think so. What are they?"

Nikolo beckoned her over, and she gladly complied. He explained to her how a meat patty was put between the bread rolls along with other things, usually vegetables sliced thin and perhaps cheese, and they made a hamburger together. Apparently, it was also common to have long, thin slices of potatoes accompanying it as a side dish. It was rather simple and a lot like a sandwich, but it wouldn't have occurred to Sasha to try something like that. She didn't think it had occurred to anyone here. It made her wonder how many other dishes there were that they could easily prepare with the ingredients at hand if they just knew about them.

She watches as Nikolo sets up the food, four portions going upstairs to the Garrison soldiers and one for her. She doesn't miss the way he measures up the meat patties, which are almost the same size each but not quite, and puts the biggest one in to the meal he's set aside for her. It makes her happy, and she would comment on it if not for the fear that her teasing would cause him to change his mind and take away her food.

Grior walks in, but he's gone as quick as he came, simply arriving to take the meals upstairs. Sasha had barely gotten in a word before he was gone again. A bummer; she'd rather get along with both of them, yet she hadn't been able to make any process with Grior. Ah well, maybe next time.

Nikolo brings her meal to the corner table, and she doesn't waste any time returning to her seat. As soon as the cook gives her a go ahead, she tries to mind her manners in his presence, she eagerly digs in to her food, starting with the hamburger. It tastes heavenly; everything in it fits together so well!

"Slow down!" Nikolo barks at her not too long in to her meal, and for a moment, she stops, realizing that she forgot her manners as soon as she got her hands on some food. Oops.

"Sorry" she says, embarrassed, more so than usual. She always ate like this, at least if meat was involved, and her friends were used to it, even if they did complain about it sometimes, so she didn't try to hold herself back in their presence, but with Nikolo, it was different. She tried to give off a good impression, both for the island's sake and for her own so that he wouldn't tell her not to come anymore. She really wanted to try out these new foods "…The way I eat is too gross, isn't it?"

She was used to hearing that. It was irritating at times, but mostly, she was used to it. But that didn't mean she'd be eager to hear unpleasant, new descriptions of exactly how gross it was. She knew Nikolo could have a bad mouth, she'd heard him before, and hoped he'd hold back at least a little bit, if for nothing else then his earlier good mood.

To her surprise, Nikolo just shrugs uncomfortably, sounding sincere when he says: "A little yeah, but that's not the issue here. The way you eat is dangerous; you could choke."

Sasha gapes at him. That was his problem? As in, he was worried about her? Not that she'd actually go and choke on her food, she never did, all of her friends knew that, but Nikolo didn't, and he worried. About her. The realization pulls her mouth together as her lips curl upwards. If he worried about her safety, that had to mean that he cared about her. Guess they really were friends now; he no longer thought of her as just a devil.

But would he get mad if she pointed that out? Thinking about that and going over her options, Sasha almost missed Nikolo's little mutter that most likely wasn't meant for her, or anyone else's, ears.

"…And in its own way, it's kind of cute" he was looking away from her when he said this, and Sasha was glad he was, for he couldn't see the moment her face flared red. Cute? Her? This wasn't the first time she'd been called cute, but usually, it was by some drunken, middle aged fellow soldiers who'd call any young woman cute, that much Sasha knew. But this came from Nikolo, who had trouble in dealing with her people, yet he still called her cute.

"Are you okay?" he asks suddenly, now facing her, and to her confusion, a look of alarm raises to his face "Just when I told you-! You shouldn't have eaten so fast!"

"Huh?" is all she can say before he's already at her side, and before she gets the chance to react, hits her back. Hard. "Ow! What was that for!?"

"Eh!? Um, you… weren't choking? Your face got all red, so I thought you couldn't breathe!" Nikolo hastily explained, hands help up as he took a few steps away, out of Sasha's immediate reach.

"Oh" Sasha felt herself blush again "No, I'm fine, just um… the food was a little hot, so… yeah…"

"Oh" was all Nikolo said to that. Well, at least he fell for it… she felt like telling the truth could've been a bit too awkward right now. Desperate to do something about the uncomfortable situation, Sasha says: "I'll… try to eat a bit slower and be more careful?"

"Yeah, yeah you do that. It's a good idea" Nikolo said, avoiding looking at her. Was he just embarrassed, or was he worried that she was mad at him for hitting her and he'd get in trouble? Should she assure him that it wasn't the case?

Before she could decide, Grior walked in again, and Sasha was glad for the distraction. The man paused at the door, looking at both of them in turn, asking: "Am I interrupting something?"

"No" Nikolo and Sasha said as one, avoiding looking at the man. He stared at them, and Sasha wondered what she should say if he started asking questions. Thankfully though, he didn't "Whatever, it's none of my business. I just came here to get the wine."

He does just that, fetching a bottle and ignoring everything else, but just as Sasha thinks he's leaving, he pauses at the door.

"Would you like some?"

It takes the scout a moment to realize that the question is directed at her.

"Yes, please" she says with a smile. She wasn't much of a drinker, much rather focusing on fine food, but she wasn't one to turn down a drink when offered one. Plus, how could she refuse when Grior, who always acted like she was the worst thing he could possibly run in to, was the one offering? It seems like he was finally warming up to her!

Grior was about to open the bottle, but to Sasha's surprise, Nikolo interfered.

"No" he said, reaching out a hand and physically stopping the other man from his task "That's not for her."

Sasha blinks, confused, watching the two men stare each other down, both seeming annoyed with each other. Eventually, it's Grior who relents.

"Fine, have it your way" he says, leaving with the still unopened bottle, giving Sasha none. Frowning, she turns to Nikolo "What was that about?"

Nikolo only gives her a brief glance before quickly looking away again.

"The way you eat is dangerous enough as it is; no need to make it a bigger risk by getting you drunk" he says, making Sasha pout. Like one class of wine would've gotten her drunk! Was he teasing her, or did he just not want her to drink the wine? Would he have gotten in trouble if he had given a freeloader like her something that expensive? …No, that wasn't it. It would make sense if she had asked for it herself and he had refused, but Grior had offered some to her. She was sure the other man knew just as well as Nikolo, if not better, what they were or weren't allowed to do, so it wasn't about money.

Sasha frowns, watching Nikolo's back as he moves around the kitchen, already preparing something else for other customers.

She did not understand that man.

Sasha's eyes open, and she blinks a few times, the memory from years ago that she'd seen in her dream still fresh in her mind as she stares up at the ceiling. She hadn't thought of that specific occasion in years, but now that it did come to her mind, she realized she finally understood what had happened at the time: Grior had tried to get her to drink the poisoned wine. Nikolo had stopped him. She groans, covering her face with her hands. Why had she just brushed it off as Nikolo being weird at the time?! If she'd looked in to it back then, who knows how much trouble they could've avoided!

"Well, no use in crying over spilled milk…" she tells herself, uncovering her face and letting her hands rest on both sides of her head. This realization made her even more convinced that keeping her mouth shut about Nikolo had been the right decision; she owed him so much.

Sasha lets her head roll to the side, taking in the sight of the small cell she'd spent the last months in. Not that there was much to look at; aside from the bench and the mattress on it that worked as her bed that she now lay on, there was only a toilet in one corner, a small desk a meter or so away from her bed with a single chair and a light hanging from the ceiling. And that was it. The only window she had was on the door, so even if she looked out through the bars on it, all she could see was the door of the opposite cell, which had been empty as long as she'd been here. The door also had a small hatch at the bottom that her food trays were pushed through, but she couldn't see anything interesting from that, either. She'd checked.

How long had she been in here, in Marley, again? She'd lost the track of time, but had concluded that it had to have been at least three months, five at most, the exact number of days certainly somewhere in between. She tried not to be too hard on herself for losing the track of the time, reasoning with herself that it was understandable under these circumstances. The days tended to blend together, and things that took only an hour or so on one day, could take four or five on the next. She was pretty convinced the Marleyans did it on purpose in order to disorient her.

The past months hadn't been easy, though she'd gotten off with far less pain and fear than she would've imagined while she was on her way here. Back in the ship, the only contact she had with other people was when they brought her food, but even then, they didn't talk to her. Not that she'd tried to start a conversation, either; at that point, she'd focused on trying to not anger them in order to have it just a bit easier, never knowing when one of them might actually storm in to her cell and start questioning her.

Once they got to Marley, she was prepared for the worst, but if she ignored the hostile, venom filled glares she got from literally everyone, the harsh words and the not exactly gentle shoves and pushes, she had been treated surprisingly civilly.

She had been interrogated, over and over again hearing the same questions, and over and over again, she'd given them the same answers. How these sessions went varied a little on who was in charge; in the most civilized ones, her interrogators kept their words professional and even their tones weren't all that harsh, though they couldn't keep their disgust off their faces, save for captain Frank perhaps. The worst ones included a lot of yelling, though usually not from her; she knew better than that, and on those, she usually ended up punched or kicked a time or two, once even cut a little, but that was the worst of it. Never, not even once, was she tortured, unless the repetitive things they did counted as some form of mental torture.

During most of her interrogations, she sat in a chair, her hands tied either behind her, on the arms of the chair or in front of her, but sometimes, they made her stand during them, even though they took hours. Sasha wasn't sure if it was a tactic to tire her out and make her slip something, if the Marleyans just wanted to annoy her, or possibly both, but after the first few times, she realized that they wouldn't actually do anything to her and it became easy, if not boring, to tolerate. Things could be much worse.

And sometimes, they were. Sometimes, they retrieved her from her cell, brought her elsewhere, tied her hands uncomfortably tightly, sometimes in very uncomfortable ankles, and left her in that room, tied up in a way where she couldn't switch in to a more comfortable position. Usually, when they did this, the soldiers stayed behind to watch for a while, occasionally mocking or insulting her, before eventually getting bored and going who knows where, leaving her alone in her discomfort, usually for hours at a time. Of course, someone always came to get her, eventually. Sometimes after what was definitely more than an hour, but probably not even two, and sometimes it took longer than that. Once, she was sure she'd been standing against the wall with her hands uncomfortably tied above her head, her feet barely reaching the floor, for at least five hours straight. That hadn't been fun.

The first few times, she had mentioned about the ropes being too tight and about the awkward position, politely asking if the soldiers present could do something about it. That had gotten her mockery and insults, and seeing how they seemed to have fun, she eventually deducted that her discomfort and minor pain was the whole point. She stopped asking after that.

She'd say that so far, this was the closest thing to torture she'd gotten, not that she would refer to it as such. While it was very uncomfortable and occasionally hurt, she had, in her younger days, heard what a person sounded like when being tortured, and she knew her experiences weren't comparable. So, instead of using the word "torture", she referred to it as bullying in her mind. Rather severe bullying, easily topping any she ever experienced elsewhere, but still, just bullying. It wasn't that bad. She was fine.

Fortunately, not nearly all of them did things like that. In fact, it was only five specific people, and even among them, there seemed to be a pair meaner than the others, for one of the two was always present when they did these things. It had made her wonder if they did it behind their superiors' backs, without any actual orders to mess with her. They probably did, unless Richter put them up to it. She wouldn't put it past him… and of course, there were probably other jerks like him around. Few people had already given her that impression, though so far no one actually hit her as much as that particular man. Then again, the other more violent ones didn't get a chance as often as Richter did. She saw him pretty often, unfortunately. Luckily, he wasn't always in charge. Hadn't been today, or was it yesterday, she wasn't sure how long she'd slept, either, though he'd been there, glaring daggers at her as she gave the same old answers to the same old questions. The others there hadn't been pleased with her, either, but from the looks of it, they hadn't expected anything new anyway. The two who had escorted her back to her cell had been a little rough, but she'd just gotten a few new bruises, if even that.

Recently, she had been wondering why they kept this up instead of taking more extreme measures or just leaving her in her cell to rot. Did they still expect her to eventually reveal something new if they just kept this up? Did they expect to tire her out? Then again, she had been taken out for interrogation a bit more rarely lately. The change had come two or three weeks ago, and by now, she was sure she hadn't imagined it. Maybe they were slowly approaching the point where they'd eventually leave her alone, only coming over to her cell to bring food twice a day… or maybe they'd finally decide that she was of no use after all and would just kill her.

Sasha sat up abruptly, shaking her head. She wasn't supposed to go there! She took a few deep breaths, and then frowned as she noticed that several strands of her hair had come out from her ponytail again. Taking out her hairband, she'd been allowed to keep it, unlike her own clothes that were now replaced with a pair of grey pants and a long-sleeved shirt of the same material, she gathered her hair back before tying it again. Hair good, all good, as she'd heard Hitch sometimes say.

…Right, Hitch. What was her friend doing right now, she wondered? Could be anything since she didn't know the time of the day. Had Jean proposed to her already? …He better have; life was too short to be wasted on hesitating!

Or could it be that he was too busy with work, too busy trying to do something for her, to even spend time with Hitch, much less propose? She didn't like that idea, not one bit. Of course, she wanted out of here, and she was sure Jean was still working on it, but he mustn't sacrifice his personal life for it. His mom would get worried if he worked too hard, too…

The thought of Jean's mom brought her own one to her mind, too. She must've heard of what happened by now, her whole family must've. How did they take it? Were they okay? What about Connie, how hard did this hit him? She really hoped Kaya would be able to comfort him.

Sasha sighs. At the beginning, thinking of her friends and family gave her comfort and helped her to deal with everything, but now it just made her depressed. She missed them too much, and there was the chance that-

"Nope, not going there!" she cut off her own thoughts out loud. She'd see them again, somehow. Eventually.

Knowing she had to get her mind off of wrong kinds of thoughts, she got up and took a few steps to the middle of her small cell before dropping down to do some pushups. As a soldier, she had to stay in shape, and it's not like there were any other things for her to do. She wasn't much of a reader, but right now it would be nice to have a book or two. Any kind of one would do at this point… would asking for one go too far? She wouldn't get beaten for it as long as she didn't ask the wrong person, but any of them could get annoyed by it. Would it be worth the shot? But if their plan was to make her crack with boredom, then they definitely wouldn't get her one… or maybe they would try to strike some kind of deal with her?

A deal… the word brought a new kind of idea to her. She wasn't expert on these kinds of things, not even close, but maybe, even if they got no information out of her, they'd keep her around in case they'd find use for her later, to use her in some kind of deal with The Scouts. Like a prisoner exchange, in case one of their own messed something up while on the island and was punished for it. Or maybe in exchange for some goods like with the merchants… Sasha frowned at the thought, not liking the idea of being switched to objects like some kind of property, but if something like that could get her home, she'd gladly take the deal.

Her frown was now replaced with a smile. Yeah, all would be good. They wouldn't get rid of her even if they got nothing out of her; she was harmless here in her cell, and could be of use to them in the future, eventually. If she was able to understand that, though a bit late, the Marleyan higher ups must've known it as well.

She just had to be patient.

XXXXX

Something was off, Nikolo was sure. It had been four months, he's sure he counted correctly; he wasn't that out of it anymore, since Jonas came back from Paradis, yet he hadn't heard of the guy at all, not even once. No visit, no message, no nothing. Even if, by a chance, he had counted wrong and it hadn't really been that long yet, it had still been too long. Could Jonas be avoiding him? Maybe he'd told something to Sasha, against his wishes, and didn't want to admit it to him? Or had he let something slip to her and was now too ashamed to face him?

…No, this was something else. Jonas aside, he hadn't seen Thomas in months, either. If he had, he would've asked him about Jonas instead of wondering, but the guy stayed away. Unlike with Jonas, Nikolo couldn't think of any reason why Thomas would want to avoid him, so he had to be doing so because of some outside factor. Had they both been stationed elsewhere, perhaps urgently? Or had they been forbidden from visiting him? He supposed the later could be the case; while he couldn't think of a reason why the doctor would suddenly forbid his former colleagues from visiting, he could see his family doing that. Though if that was the case, Jonas would probably find his way in anyway… unless Thomas found out and reeled him in. That sounded like something the responsible guy would do.

He sighs, stopping pacing around his room and sitting down on his bed instead. Was there a point in thinking about this? He could just flat out ask his family about it when one of them visited next time. Not that he trusted them to be completely honest, but since he'd be looking out for it, he should be able to catch a lie if there was one.

But if there wasn't, then what had happened? Would he have to wait until he got to know anything? Not that it mattered; he'd be out soon. His good behavior was paying off.

If he'd taken the damn deal from the beginning, he'd be long since out of here and wouldn't have to sit here wondering this.

With an even deeper sigh, he slumps down on his bed. No use thinking about that; what was done was done, and that was that. Instead, he should think of how not to make even more mistakes. Not too long ago, Dr. Becker had informed him with more detail about what he wanted him to do. Somehow, the man knew about a large gathering of business men that would take place in a few weeks that his family would be hosting, and he wanted Nikolo to participate as well. This time, he wouldn't actually have to do anything, or so the doctor had said, just make sure that he was taken notice of by as many people as possible to get the word to spread.

To let the people who mattered know that the former soldier, gone crazy second son of a man with flourishing business, was back in the game.

Nikolo didn't need to think hard to understand the picture. Word would spread, people would get curious, and eventually, someone or the other would dare to ask him about the island, even if his family would try to shelter him from those questions. And that would be his que to start talking about it, as negatively as possible, and eventually, at some point, make actual speeches about it in front of crowds. About the dangers of working with the devils. The more people he managed to discourage, the surer it would be that not only would Marley get a monopoly over the goods from Paradis, but also that only the people they approved of, in other words, could control, would be involved. Not his favorite plan to be part of, but he kept reminding himself that even if he did his part, no one would be in danger because of it.

…That was a sorry defense for digging up the earth his friends stood on, but for now, it was all he had. If he changed his mind now, he wouldn't get out at all, and if he started rebelling just after getting out, he'd either get thrown right back in or worse, he'd be taken care of. Neither was an option for him, so he had to be smart about this, had to play along for now. And who knows, if he played his cards right, he could find a way out of their grasp before he managed to do any actual damage.

But in order for anything to move forward, he had to be able to take part in that event; Dr. Becker had made that clear. Of course, if he wasn't allowed to be there, he could just sneak in. His family would spot him there too eventually, but they couldn't drag him out by force without creating a scene, so once he got in, he'd stay in. Still, if he pulled a stunt like that, his family would be less likely to let him join them in the future, so it'd be better if he went there with their blessings. And for that, he'd need to think of how to convince them.

Should be easier than coming up with an escape plan, right?

XXXXX

Sasha sits on her bed, anxiously drumming her fingers against the edge. What was going on? She had stopped doing her pushups when she first heard footsteps, waiting for whoever it was, but while she was sure that the person had stopped very close to her cell door, it had not opened, nor had she heard the person say anything or walk away. They were still there, and not knowing why was making her anxious. This hadn't happened before. If someone came, they either brought her food and then left or came in to take her somewhere. That was it; they did nothing else around here. Why was it changing now? Was it just someone who got lost? No, surely someone like that would've turned back by now…

Too anxious to sit still any longer and able to move, Sasha gets up and tiptoes to the door, peeking out. She can't see anyone, but there's definitely someone there; now that she's closer, she can hear them breathing. She bites her lip, wondering if she should call out. Could doing so get her in trouble? The chances for that were high, but she wanted to know what this was about, and it'd be nice to talk to someone. Or at least try to; the person probably wouldn't want to have a chat with her… unless that's what they were here for and was now hesitating? If that was the case, it should be someone she knew. Who? Eric? Horst? She hadn't seen either of them since leaving the island, but…

"Hello? Is someone there?" she decided to call out. There was no answer, but since she was focused on listening to her surroundings, she could still hear the breathing. Should she point that out? "Hello?"

"I knew it'd be you, but actually hearing it is pretty bizarre" she finally gets a reply, and she freezes at the familiar voice "Am I ever going to get rid of you?"

Sasha can't get the name out, can't question the person to make sure it is who she thinks it is, but she doesn't have to, for after having spoken, the man comes in to her line of sight, far enough from the bars that he can't be touched, but close enough that she can see him clearly.

Grior

The two stare at each other, Sasha too stunned to speak, and Grior, well, the woman has no idea what he's thinking. He's just standing there, right in front of the other cell's door with his arms crossed, like he's waiting for something. Should she say something? He was always so annoyed with everything she did, so maybe she should just-

"Really? This is the one time in your life that you actually decide to shut up?" he says, raising an eyebrow "All those years I wanted you to stay quiet for even one second without success, yet now you're not saying anything?"

Sasha knew he was riling her up, but that didn't stop the heat from rising up to her face. Glaring at him, she hisses: "Usually you don't like it when I try to speak with you; how was I supposed to know that you wanted to talk now?"

"Why else would I have bothered to come here?"

"Like I'd know what you're thinking, especially since you just stood there for at least ten minutes without saying anything!" at that, Grior's eyes widen briefly before they narrow again and he glares.

"How did you know?"

"I have ears" Sasha says, and goes as far to point at them as she smirks smugly. Small sound in the back of her head warns her that she shouldn't be taunting the man, but she ignores it. It had been too long since she had talked to someone other than the people interrogating her, and having an actual conversation, even a mean one with Grior of all people, felt good.

"So, for once you've decided to actually use them?"

Sasha's face flushes even more, and she wants to give back a heated and smart reply, but can't come up with anything to fit the situation. A rather ridiculous one, really. Here they were, throwing jabs at each other like back in the day, except this time she was the prisoner, and he was not. Still, it brought memories forward, and while not all of them were entirely good ones with all of Grior's insults and having to see Nikolo in the cells, the nostalgy got to her, almost bringing her to tears. But she was not going to cry in front of him.

"…Guess you got me there" she admits, counting it as a small victory when a look of surprise passes over his face "So, whatcha doing here?"

"I heard bits and pieces of an incident on Paradis, and got a little curious. When I managed to figure out some names, I had to come see this myself" Grior answered, surprisingly compliant "Never thought the day would come when I would get to see you locked up."

"Well, that makes two of us; trust me, this was not intentional" Sasha laughs, but stops when the man doesn't join in. She had actually thought he would. Not to laugh with her, of course, but at her, though even that seemed too much when she was laughing, too. Or maybe he just wasn't the type of person to laugh much; she certainly hadn't seen him doing so much… actually, probably not ever.

Sasha bites her lip, wondering what to say to him. She should probably start by asking how he'd been, just for politeness' sake though she doubted she'd get an answer. She also wanted to ask him about Nikolo, but she was worried that someone would overhear. There was also the possibility that Grior would somehow pull him in to this because she brought him up, but she doubted it; she didn't think he'd want any trouble for his friend. Still, was it worth the risk? She'd been making sure he wouldn't get involved for months already; risking it all because of her selfish desires would be short sighted.

"It took me a while, but eventually, I got my hands on the whole report. While there's no proof, everyone's convinced that there's something you're not telling us about that night. And so am I. At first, I wasn't sure what, but once I found out who the dead guy used to work with, I- "

"Don't!" Sasha hisses, far louder than she meant to. She winces, hoping that no one heard "Don't say his name. Please. Someone could hear."

"No one's around, I checked. And if your hearing is really as good as you make it sound, you'll notice if someone will. And from your reaction, I take it that I was right; whatever you and this Jonas were up to, it had something to do with Nikolo. What I don't understand is why you haven't just come clean; while they might still have some suspicions, they'd at least have something to work on. It would raise your chances of getting back home."

Sasha bites her lip again, chewing on it as she thought. From the way he said it, it didn't seem like Grior had talked about this to anyone, and he didn't look like he was in a hurry to do so, either, but if she somehow messed up now, that might change.

"…I wonder what the higher ups would do with you if I told them about what I've pieced together."

"Don't!" Sasha says again, this time with even more panic "If you do that, Nikolo will get in even more trouble than he is now! I know you two had your disagreements, but he's your friend, isn't he? You don't want him to suffer more than he already is, right!?"

Grior just blinks at her.

"Sounds like you know he got fired. Did you also get the details?"

She didn't, but she knows what it was mainly about, and she tells him that. She also adds that she knows what happened after, and that she didn't want to hinder his chances of getting out, which was also the main reason she kept quiet. She hesitates, but also ends up telling him that the others knew no details, aside from respecting her wish of Nikolo not being mentioned. She says that they had promised to keep quiet, that she was going to keep quiet, and that if Grior himself also kept quiet, there was no more harm to their shared friend.

"Really? He, who was just a war prisoner you kept bothering for food, is the reason you're not cooperating with your captors in a situation that could cost you your life? He's that important to you?"

"Yes" Sasha says, not hesitating at all as she looks Grior straight in the eyes. She knows he doesn't care about her or her wellbeing, but surely, he cared about Nikolo more than he hated her. He had to.

"Why?"

Sasha's not sure what to say to that. Of course, she does know why, but should she tell him?

"I can always ask the higher ups for a theory if you're not talking."

Sasha frowns, trying to figure out if Grior is bluffing or not, but it's impossible to tell. He looks the same as ever, that slightly tired and clearly annoyed look seeming glued to his face. She decides to try her luck and keep quiet. Grior keeps staring at her, and she stares right back through the bars, unflinching. Maybe he'll drop it if this goes on long enough.

"Fine, have it your way, then. I'm telling everything to the others, and it'll be their problem from now on" he says and actually starts walking. Sasha panics, realizing she'd made a mistake. It was not bluff.

"Wait!" she calls after him, clutching the bars as she brings her face as close to them as she can, wanting to make sure the man doesn't get out of her line of sight "Don't say anything to them; I'll tell you everything!"

Grior stops, and after a few seconds of seemingly thinking of it, he walks back to his place. Sasha sighs in relief, fortunately still grasping the bars and getting support from them as her knees almost give out from under her. She hadn't felt such fear since she first ended up here.

"Talk" Grior says after a while, and Sasha gathers herself and looks at him again, back in his spot, though this time leaning against the opposite door.

"I… I just don't want any more harm to come to him. Because I love him" she says. She wasn't embarrassed to say it, not even when she was being stared at like that, but she still had to fight herself in order to be able to make eye contact when she said it. Seeing the disdain in his eyes to her confession was something she'd fully expected, but it was still hard for her.

"Well fuck" are the first words that Grior says to that. He neither looks or sounds surprised; apparently, he might've been one of those people who figured it out before Sasha herself did. Somehow, that really didn't sit well with her. Her friends and family were one thing, but Grior, the guy she had mutual dislike going on with? Was she really that dense?

Rubbing his temples, the man says: "Of course, I could see there was something going on with you two, but you were young, teenagers, so I was sure it was mostly just hormones. That it'd go away. And in Nikolo's case, I figured it was largely about you keeping him safe-, well, safer than he'd been without your backing, and that once he no longer needed you, he'd get over you. When we left the island, I was sure it would only be a matter of time. And that you, being a high ranked soldier and an adult now, would also finally come to your senses, forget him and live on as whatever counts as proper life there. But now? It's been years with neither of your two seeing the other, yet you're still crying after each other? Unbelievable."

Sasha watches Grior shake his head and muttering some more under his breath, no longer speaking clearly the way he did before, but she picks up words like "idiots, the both of you", which is rude but which she can't really disagree with.

Moving her hands from the bars, Sasha lets him mutter some more, waiting for him to calm down a little before gathering the courage to ask: "Have you talked to Nikolo lately? Is he okay?"

She actually gets a proper answer, much to her surprise.

"Saw him by coincidence about half a year ago, when he snuck out of the hospital. He'd planned on running away, but I managed to beat some sense in to him, and now he's trying to survive by being smarter than his captors. I've talked with his family a few times after that, and it sounds like he'll get out soon… assuming that nothing that could prevent it comes up, of course."

"Do you plan for something like that to come up?"

Grior seems to think of it for a moment, but it's also possible that he's already made up his mind and is dragging things on to make Sasha sweat. Jerk.

"As a soldier, I should tell them all I know. But as a soldier, I should've told them everything years ago when I first got back, too. I didn't because, like I said, I thought it'd all be meaningless in the end, but I was clearly wrong. But if I told all I know now, it could get me in trouble, too. And as annoying as he is, I don't want Nikolo to get in to an even bigger mess, either." he finally said, making Sasha let out a sigh of relief "One question though: how did you convince your friends to not tell the truth? I'm sure they care about your safety far more than his."

"They do, but Nikolo's their friend, too, and they know he'd get in trouble… and they know how important he is to me."

"It was that easy?"

"…Well, they weren't happy with it, but yeah. They might also think that whatever we'd gain from telling would be less than what we'd lose, so they could just consider silence a smarter move."

"At this point, it certainly is. While the whole thing isn't a big deal on larger scale, if they got caught having hidden something this long, whatever it would be would look big. It's too late for second thoughts."

"And you're not going to tell on us for hiding that? I know you don't exactly like us."

Grior narrows his eyes.

"Like you? I hate your guts. If I had a way to get rid of you lot safely, I'd do so without missing a beat. But if I let this information go forward, it would bring trouble to Nikolo and, at this point, most likely to me too. Your friends aren't the only ones who've been silent too long. And while I'd love to see you all gone, I'm not an idiot blinded by rage. I know that if we push you devils far enough in to a corner, you can and will use the rumbling. We can't repeatedly poke a sleeping bear and expect it to remain asleep. I also think that's the main reason why no one's torturing the information out of you nor have you been killed despite being of no use."

Well, Sasha supposes that confirms her earlier theory. Eventually, unless she really pissed off someone and got killed in a moment of anger as a result before that, she would end up being a bargaining chip or a hostage. She'd probably end up mulling over that information a lot in the upcoming days for who knows how long, but she'd rather push those worrisome thoughts away as long as she could, and since Grior was still there, she'd try to get him to help her with that. Not that she'd tell that to him; she bet that if she did, he'd walk away for no other reason than to have her plummet in to unpleasant thoughts faster.

"So um, how are you doing? Gotten used to free life again?"

Grior raises an eyebrow, asking: "Why are you asking me that?"

"Out of curiosity? And manners, too, I suppose. It's polite to ask how one's doing when reuniting with an old friend!"

"We're not friends" Grior hisses with a scowl, and Sasha smiles sheepishly. She'd been expecting that, but it was worth a shot.

"Acquaintances, then? No? Well, you get what I mean. And like I said, I'm curious. About the others too actually, but since you're the one here…" Sasha blabbered on, fully expecting Grior to start walking away any moment now, like he'd done so often in the past when he got tired of her, but instead, he stayed right where he was, glaring at what little he could see of her through the bars. Did he still have something he wanted to ask or say?

"Many of us had our lives completely wrecked while we were stuck on the island" he says, surprising Sasha. Before she can even wonder if it would be too nosy of her to ask more, he goes on: "Many lost family members… of course, during such a long time as nine years, that's simply natural for those with elderly relatives, but some had their health fail due to stress of losing someone to the devil's island, and few people even committed suicide out of despair. Some people moved on, basically cutting us who gave everything for our country out of their lives like it was nothing. Of course, things like these take their toll even on soldiers like us, and the consequences were dire for many. But Nikolo? Nikolo's family was perfectly fine, welcoming him back with open arms like he hadn't just been gone for nine years, and he settles right back in, aside from some minor trouble. And when trouble finally catches up to him, his family is still there for him, yet instead of being grateful to them like he should, he just keeps crying after you. It seriously pisses me off."

"You're jealous of him" the words left her mouth just as fast as the realization struck her, and while she did realize it was a mistake immediately after, it was too late. She'd already said it, and the look Grior gave her was murderous. Wanting to de-escalate the situation, she started: "I mean- "

"Of course, I am, was, and still are!" the man's loud admission catches Sasha by surprise as Grior charges forward. Few steps, and he's right in front of her, grasping her collar and pulling her face as close as he could after getting his hands in to the cell through the bars, her forehead hitting them when he'd yanked her forward "For the nine years that the rest of us suffered and were desperate to get home, he had fun with his little hobby, making new friends while at it, even finding the love of his life! And his family's fine, he lost nothing, and yet the rest of us… rest of us…"

Grior's voice trailed off, his shoulders shaking. He wasn't crying, at least not yet, but Sasha feared that he might start any moment now. Nothing embarrassing about that, of course, but he might get even angrier if she saw him doing so. She felt like crying too, not because her head hurt where she had hit it to the bars, but for the sake of the man in front of her and his comrades. Of course, she'd always known on some level that everything wouldn't just go back to the way it was for them once they got back home, but she had never thought much about it, about them, aside from Nikolo. But with the news thrown to her face like this, there was no way not to.

"I'm sorry…" she said quietly. She knew that it wasn't exactly her fault, but as a soldier of Paradis, she was a part of the problem. Then, despite knowing it was definitely a bad idea, she couldn't keep herself from asking: "What happened to you?"

The look he gives her for that screams danger, and Sasha feels like she'd really be in one if it wasn't for the locked door between them. Grior still had a hold of her collar, but she should be able to wiggle out of his grip if she needed, though her clothes would probably tear on the way. She shouldn't have stayed this close to the door! But much to her surprise, and perhaps his as well, Grior lets go, pushing her away while at it. She staggers a little, taking a step back, but is otherwise unharmed. Sasha considers apologizing for the nosy question, but decides against it. It was probably better for her not to say anything for now and just wait for Grior to calm down. And if he walked off now, she was probably better off not trying to stop him.

A silence follows, and when Grior finally speaks, not looking at her, it takes Sasha a while to remember that she'd asked a question. Again, she's really surprised that he answered.

"Nothing that bad, really. No one died, so I know I shouldn't complain so much. Others lost family, loved ones… but watching him be so happy, when so many of us were in pain, was so frustrating. And even after we got back- "

He cuts off abruptly, and while Sasha wonders what he'd been about to say, she doesn't push. Instead, after making sure she was ready to leap back if he tried to grab her again, she asks: "Have you talked about this with him?"

"…Yeah, we had a talk, eventually. After I beat him up" Grior answers, and Sasha tenses for a moment. She's not sure if that actually happened, if he was exaggerating or outright lying to get a reaction out of her, so she chooses not to comment on it and follows up with another question: "So, all's good between you two?"

"As good as it can be, I guess. I still think he's an idiot and he probably thinks I'm an asshole."

That sounded about right, Sasha found herself thinking. But that didn't mean the two weren't friends; sometimes friends annoyed the hell out of each other. Take her and Jean as an example.

Grior takes a few steps away from the door, and when he raises his head, the usual glare is gone. His eyes still didn't have a friendly look in them, they were more tired than anything, but at least he didn't seem so hostile anymore.

"Should I tell Nikolo you're here?"

"No" Sasha says immediately. She would've thought that was a given "I said I don't want him to get in to any more trouble, didn't I?"

"If I just tell him and no one else, that alone won't get him in to trouble. It'd be his choice what he wants to do."

"And he'd choose to try to help me" somehow, Sasha could say that with absolute certainty. It both warmed her heart and filled her with dread, which was a weird combination to feel at once, but now was not the time to dwell on it "I don't want that. He shouldn't but himself at risk anymore."

"He'll still keep trying to get back to Paradis, though. What if he eventually succeeds, only to hear that you're stuck here in Marley? What do you think he'll do then?"

Sasha frowns, having not thought of that. If it did happen, what would it lead to? Would Nikolo do something stupid and careless that would put to waste her silence? Or would Jean and the others be able to make sure that nothing would happen?

"…We don't know if he can even do that" she says. Then, she asks something that was starting to bother her: "Why are you even asking when you hate me? Shouldn't you try to keep Nikolo from knowing?"

"Guess I should, but you saved my brother's life, and I don't like owing people, especially you" Grior says. Sasha hadn't been sure if he knew about it, but since he'd read a report of what happened, it made sense. She hadn't expected him to bring it up so directly, though.

"…I just did what anyone would've done in that situation" she says. Perhaps she's pushing her luck, but she tries anyway: "…But if you don't want to owe me anything, then pay me back by looking after Nikolo a little? Try to keep him out of trouble?"

"Seriously? You could ask me to put in a good word for you so that you'd get better treatment, or to bring you some food, I know how much of a glutton you are, or to bring you a book or something to pass time with, you could try anything, really, yet that's what you ask of me?"

Sasha blinks once. Twice.

"Oh. Guess I didn't think of that… but I still want you to watch after Nikolo. And if I did ask for something for myself, would you even do it?"

They stare at each other for a while, and then Grior chuckles.

"That's fair" he says "Fine. Guess I'm on babysitting duty, then."

And with that, he leaves, without saying goodbye or waiving over his shoulder. Not that Sasha had expected either, but she had thought he'd throw one final insult or do something similar. That would've been very Grior like… or well, very much like the way he always treated her; She had no idea what he was like around people he liked or had a neutral attitude towards. She'd seen him talking to Nikolo many times of course, but she hadn't paid that much attention, and he'd usually known she was there too, which probably made him sourer than he was when alone with Nikolo.

Sasha sighs, walking back over to her bed and sitting down, massaging her throbbing forehead. Hopefully, Grior would keep his word and not say anything to anyone.

A.N: Happy New Year!

I just counted that it's been a few days short of four years since I started publishing this and, um, this has gotten rather long, as I'm sure you've noticed. At this rate this'll still take a while to finish, so I'm considering changing to updating twice a month… I've been considering it before too, but wasn't sure if I could keep up with that. Now I feel like it could be possible, and updating in the middle of the month would be good too, but I'm gonna have a busy March this year, so I think that if I do start this new updating schedule, it'll happen in April, just to be safe. What do you guys think? Also, I haven't really heard what you guys think about the recent chapters. Care to share? Pretty please?