Gilan rubbed his eyes tiredly and looked around the Commandments office, his office now. Crowley had died just shy of 8 months ago now and he was dearly missed but, they had lives to get back to and unfortunately although the old commandment may be, crime doesn't sleep and neither did paperwork. Gilan barely came out of the office nowadays, all he saw was paper paper more paper and occasionally the bottom of an empty mug. This worried Halt, Crowley was his best friend and losing him wasn't easy but he couldn't imagine what it would be like to replace him and although he wasn't at Castle Araluen full time, he and Will visited when they could and Horace also checked up of Gil when he found the time.

Halt wondered through the halls of Castle Araluen, stopping before the Commandments door, he knocked and then entered anyway, Gilan didn't even look up as he entered. Halt noticed some differences from when he was last here, for starters there was more stacks of paperwork littering various chairs now and Gilan looked ready to drop. The usual bright and cheerful youth was more sullen and composed and dark circles lay under his dimmed blue eyes. Halt watched as the quill scribbled over paper before he shifted it to the pile on his left and taking another sheet of paper from the pile on his right. "You going to stand there or take a seat?" he commented dryly but Halt did not move.

"Come to lunch with me," he said instead, he remembered this from when Crowley became commandment, he worked himself to the bone to the point where he couldn't function properly, would skip meals in favour of getting more work done, seeing this in Gilan broke his heart. He shook his head.

"Can't." he replied, "Too busy,"

"Take a break," Halt pleaded and stepped forward slightly, gently removing the quill from his grasp and setting it down on the desk, finally Gilan looked up. It didn't escape Halt how his hand shook as he rubbed it over his drooping eyes.

"There's too much to do, paperwork to send, files to be put away, documents to be authorised, not to mention I haven't even started on planning the gathering for this year." he took a deep breath. "I'm sorry Halt not today," he smiled sadly and began to scribble again. Halt searched his former apprentice for something different, this new workaholic attitude couldn't have been just from the new commandment job, could it? There was the envelope of a letter dated three weeks ago, sitting with presumably the read letter inside of it, on the very corner of the desk.

"There's something else isn't there? What aren't you telling me Gil." He said slowly and deliberately, watching as Gilan relented and put down his quill. When he looked at Halt tears had began to pool in his vivid blue eyes.

"I miss him Halt." his voice sounded so alone and so far away. Halt moved behind him and began to rub smooth circles around his back, telling him he would listen when he was ready.

"Crowley?" he asked. Gilan nodded then shook his head.

"I miss Crowley," he said but Halt could tell that there was more to the sentence. "But it's not him," the tears spilled over and Halt wrapped his arms around his shaking shoulders while Gilan cried into the folds of his cloak. He reached out with one careful hand, the other arm still holding Gilan to him and read the letter he had noticed previously. He scanned it, reading the words 'Sir David' and 'deceased'. He placed it back onto the table and stepped back to look at Gilan. His eyes were red and puffy and he looked tired, older than the boy that had followed him home all those years ago.

"Gil, I am so so sorry." he nodded acknowledgingly and hugged back when Halt wrapped his arms around him. Halt released him, but still kept his hands on his shoulders. "You need to rest." He said sternly. Gilan looked like he was about to retaliate but then smiled weakly.

"Alright then," he stood up and moved to the door of his bedroom, pausing to look back at Halt. "When will you next visit?"

"I think I'll stay a while." he smiled.

"Thank you Halt."

"You're welcome Gil." As the door shut with a small click, Halt looked at the scattered papers wondering which ones he could burn.