Ignis sat at his desk typing out yet another report Noctis failed to finish before his wedding. While he considered his job to be somewhat of a glorified secretary to the Prince, it still irked him slightly all the work he ended up doing for his friend.

He supposed his touchy attitude was also due to other stresses he currently had going on in his personal life. Now that Noct's grand wedding was out of the way, it was time to plan his own. If he was being completely honest, a small part of him simply didn't wish to. Not that he didn't want to get married. He had spent the last month rigorously planning the royal wedding of the decade, and now had to immediately plan the second most important wedding in Insomnia, and technically the world. And with it being his own, he felt just as much pressure to make it as perfect for his bride to be as he did for his friend's. Y/N had already spent a week picking a lot of things out, from the food to flowers. He regretted scheduling all those meetings the week prior to the Prince's nuptials. He never dreamed he would be as busy as he was or lose track of time the way he did.

He still felt incredibly guilty for leaving her alone. She seemed so offended and hurt by his actions. He was looking forward to dancing with her again all week leading up to the royal affair. It was one of the only things pushing him through the long nights he spent double checking plans and making sure orders were coming in. It left him feeling quite defeated at the reception that she left so early. He couldn't even admire her from afar. She simply wasn't even there.

He wondered if perhaps that was the reason she wasn't answering any of his text messages. He knew from experience that she was a bit touchy in the communications department. He still hadn't learned when to back off and give her space and when to push to be there for her. She also hadn't shown up to the last two appointments he had booked with the wedding planner. He ended up hiring someone to help with the load a bit. They still had final say in everything, but she was there simply to make sure it all went smoothly so he didn't burn himself out. He hadn't heard from Y/N in a few days.

Ignis took off his glasses and rubbed a hand down his face, pulling himself out of his head and trying to get back to the work he had piled in front of him. In that moment, Gladio walked through his office door.

"Hey Iggy. How's it going?" Gladio asked as he plopped down hard in one of the leather chairs across from Ignis' desk.

"Good morning Gladio. Busy as usual. How are you?" he continued typing.

"Bored as hell. Noct is still 'on his honey moon' in his quarters. I ain't standing around the hallway outside his door all damn day. That's what the Glaives and Crownsguard are for-"

"You are Crownsguard, Gladio," Ignis interrupted.

"Okay, smartass, but I'm his shield and supposed to be around him all day everywhere he goes and I ain't standing around a hallway like a standard soldier. I'm…" Gladio tried searching for the best way to phrase what he was trying to say.

"Above them?" Ignis cocked a disapproving eyebrow at him.

"I mean…if you want to get technical…yes!" Gladio answered honestly.

Ignis just rolled his eyes and continued typing.

"Why do you have so much damn paperwork on your desk?" Gladio asked, scrunching his nose.

"Well, considering I fell a bit behind the last couple weeks and Noctis is on his honey moon-"

"If that's what you call locking yourself in your room for a week. I mean, I get that he can't just leave the country right now with everything going on. But, at least send him to Galden Quay or something. We all know what's going on behind those doors," Gladio snickered.

"He cannot leave the protection of the wall right now. Tensions are high," Ignis answered, ignoring what Gladio was implying.

"But why? Isn't that what these weddings are supposed to solve? "

"I'm getting an odd suspicion it's not that simple anymore…" Ignis quietly responded.

"Why? What do you know?" Gladio asked, suddenly a bit concerned.

"I don't know anything," Ignis sat up straighter, adjusting his glasses just to do something with his hands. "I just feel an unease as I speak with the council and the King. It feels…like something is weighing heavy on King Regis. More so than usual."

"His only kid just got married and his health seems to be getting worse quicker. It could be anything."

"Yes…it could. Forget I mentioned it."

Ignis sat typing on his computer for a few minutes. Gladio just sat in his chair looking around the room for something to keep him busy. He didn't want to bother Ignis, but he was so bored and needed something to occupy his time for a moment other than work.

"Sooooo….how's things?" Gladio asked.

Ignis paused a moment and cocked an eyebrow at his friend.

"You asked me that when you came in. I've just been busy as usual, between my duties and wedding planning."

"No, I mean how are things. With the fiancé. Haven't heard you mention her in a few days. In fact I haven't heard much from or about her at all the last couple days."

"Yes, well, that makes two of us."

"Man, what now?" Gladio rolled his eyes sighing. "Does it have anything to do with that fight you two obviously had at Noct's wedding?"

"What makes you think we had an argument?" Ignis asked.

"Well, considering you were smiling like a goon the whole wedding and then looked depressed out of your mind the whole reception. You also weren't seen with her but for two minutes, where I gotta say she didn't look happy to be talking to you. And she wasn't seen again after that. Tell me you guys didn't have an argument," Gladio raised an eyebrow challenging his friend to prove him wrong.

"Yes, you're right," Ignis sighed, sitting back in his chair.

"Why does she always-"

"It was completely my fault, Gladio."

"You always say that-"

"No, I don't. I did one other time and it was because my actions had hurt her. And it was the same thing this time. She wasn't picking a fight or being touchy. I had hurt her with my actions. Or lack thereof, more like it. She wasn't just mad, she was upset."

"So, what did you do? Or not do or whatever?"

"I was so busy finalizing everything on Noct's wedding that I neglected my own nuptial planning I had scheduled with her. I left her alone to pick out food and flowers and didn't even respond to her messages until well into the night. And the biggest flub of all is I left her in the city by herself."

"I thought she wasn't supposed to leave the Citadel by herself?"

"She's not. She was accompanied by a glaive. And I sent The Marshal to retrieve her instead of myself."

"Ig…I know you love Noct like a brother and all, hell we all love him in a way. But you baby the living hell out of him. And you break down entirely too easy with him and do too much for him. You gotta let the guy do some shit for himself."

"I wasn't about to let his wedding fall apart. It was one of the biggest world events. It had to be precisely perfect."

"Okay I get that to an extent, but you gotta cut the umbilical cord sometime, dude! He probably assumed you would just take the reins and do everything because you always do. You could have made him sit down with you and tie up the loose ends. It didn't have to be just you. It doesn't always have to be just you all the time doing everything. And look at where it's getting you! It's ruining your own relationship. There has to be a bit of a shift in your priorities now, Iggy!"

"She can never be my top priority," Ignis almost whispered sadly. "The Marshal told me himself. Noctis is always first."

"And I get that, when it comes to his damn life and it's really unfortunate for Y/N, but there still has to be a shift somewhere. He doesn't have to come first when he's being a lazy self-entitled piece of shit. He doesn't come first when his place is messy and needs cleaned. He doesn't come first when he's dumping his work load on you because he simply doesn't want to do it. And if there's a gun pointed at Noct's head and Y/N's, yes you're expected to jump in front of him instead of her. But if I'm there, that's my job and I got it covered. You can still make her a priority, too. You just have to know when those moments are and take advantage of them. "

"I never thought I would hear you defend her so strongly…" Ignis was almost a bit taken aback.

"I told you. I'm calling a truce. No sense in always fighting because of her. She's not a bad person, just a moody one." Gladio shrugged.

Ignis was quite surprised by his friend's admission. Of all three of his friends, he figured Gladio would take the longest to accept her. Their relationship still seemed rocky and would probably always have its bumps given Gladio's personality and hers.

"I'm very glad to hear that," Ignis told him.

"So you really haven't heard from her at all?"

"No, unfortunately. She hasn't answered any of my text messages and all of my calls go straight to voicemail."

"Did you try calling her from another phone? One she wouldn't recognize?"

"Do you think she would answer an unknown number?"

"I mean, it's worth a shot…right?"

Ignis looked at the phone on the corner of his desk. He didn't use it often except to speak with staff in various quarters of the Citadel. And most people just got ahold of him on his cellphone, never knowing where he was most of the day. He pulled Y/N's number up on his cell phone and dialed it into the land line on his desk, but it wasn't a moment later he was hanging back up again.

"Same thing," he shook his head. "Straight to voicemail."

"Seriously? Maybe she knows your office line, let me try…" Gladio reached across the desk and grabbed Ignis' phone. Dialing the phone number into his own cell phone, he raised it to his ear. But once again, it only took a short moment for him to hang up. "No ringing or anything. Her phone has to be off. Does she have a room phone?"

"Not that I am aware of. The room she is staying in isn't meant for permanent stay. It's a guest room, she doesn't have many amenities."

"How does she stay in there so much then? Isn't that boring? Does she have TV or anything?"

"I don't recall a television in her room when I was in there. I didn't look around much, but quite certain she didn't have one," Ignis responded, rubbing his hand along his chin, suddenly a bit worried that she may be ill.

"You're worried now. I can see it on your face. Want me to go to her room? Or send Cor or something? She doesn't answer for him, and he's allowed by law to unlock her door and open it himself."

"I do not wish to barge in her room. That would only upset her further. I just hope she hasn't fallen ill and perhaps forgot to charge her phone and is too weak to answer the door. She could need medical assistance and we wouldn't know it."

"Then like I said, send Cor down there or something. What about her butler or whatever the hell he is. Did we ever find out, by the way? Like what the hell is his purpose?"

"Y/N explained to me he has been with her since she was young. I think he's more a security blanket and a way of her mother assuring she isn't mistreated. Possibly a way for him to send her information, but he's not present with Y/N enough for me to expect him to be a mole."

"Yeah, he's kind of just a dweeb in a suit."

"Gladio!" Ignis scolded. While he may not have liked him much himself, he wasn't for name calling of Y/N's most trusted companions.

"What? My father's words, not mine!" Gladio held up his hands. "Either way, have you spoken to him?"

"No…I didn't think of that actually."

"Do you have his number by any chance? I mean, if he's supposed to be looking after her, I would think he talks to her at least every day."

"That's a very good thought, Gladio. I'll have to get in touch with him."

Ignis was now thankful for his friend's interruption of his work. Y/N's silence was beginning to worry him and he now had a new plan to try and figure out why she had been so absent lately.

Ignis was walking from the parking garage to the Citadel the next morning. He was going to return a book to the library before heading into his office, but first wanted a cup of ebony from the coffee shop. With Noctis being in his room all week, he wasn't dining in the Great Hall with King Regis. He knew he was welcome there regardless of if Noct was present or not, but it still felt wrong of him to be there without the Prince he served. He still stood outside the door the first few moments of each meal, just in case Y/N stopped in to eat. He still remembered how much she disliked eating there alone. While she wasn't truly alone, there was always at least the King and Clarus, a small part of him beamed at the fact that she specifically wanted him there with her to not feel alone. Gladio also mentioned she was there for breakfast a week ago and seemed to be looking for him. He now knew that's exactly what she was doing that day. He was unreachable by phone so she sought him out in person. Even going so far as to go to the coffee shop with Prompto. He really hoped he hadn't hurt her too badly with his poor choices. The fact that she wasn't even showing up now to their scheduled wedding planning meetings was worrisome.

As he waited at the end of the counter for his coffee order, he noticed Bernard walking up to the counter to put in his own order. Ignis quickly glanced around to see if Y/N was nearby. After scanning the few faces seated and walking around the area, his shoulders slouched a bit at not finding her. He decided this was his moment to ask about her like Gladio suggested yesterday. As Bernard made his way down to the order pick up end of the counter, Ignis approached him.

"Good morning, Mr. Fournier," Ignis greeted. It took him a moment to remember the man's last name. Y/N only ever referred to him as "Bernie".

"Ah! Pleasant morning to you, Mr. Sciencia!" Bernard greeted back cheerfully. "How have you been?"

"Quite busy, thank you."

"I don't doubt that for a second!" Bernard chuckled. "It's rare I even see you around!"

Ignis knew the man didn't mean what he said offensively, but Ignis couldn't help but flinch a bit. If this man didn't see him around often, that meant his own fiancé didn't either. He suddenly felt a bit foolish and humiliated to ask the question he was about to ask, but he knew Bernard was his best bet at finding out about Y/N.

"Yes well, there's a lot to plan right now. Um, speaking of which," Ignis internally flinched again. He hated that he let the word um slip past his lips. It gave away his uncertainty. "Have you heard from Y/N as of late?" He purposely didn't attach a time frame to his question. He wasn't about to let the man know just how long it had been since he had spoken to his future wife.

"I haven't actually." A look of worry passed over Bernard's face as his shoulders slumped a bit. "I've tried calling and visiting her the past few days with no answer. I've been worried ever since she left the wedding in a rush to get back to her room. I wasn't even aware she had left until well after the fact.

Ignis felt his heart sink a little more. He was the reason behind her abrupt departure. He wasn't about to admit that to the man before him, however.

"You haven't seen or heard from her at all?"

"I haven't. Have you? I was actually getting close to coming to you to see if you have. It's not uncommon for Y/N to throw a fit and close herself off from others, but she's never done so entirely. She usually always still leaves a line of communication open with someone. And that someone is usually me. I only hope I haven't offended her in some way."

"I'm sure you haven't," Ignis assured him. It was then that Ignis' ebony order was done and handed to him. He now had a new destination instead of his office this morning. "Thank you for your time, Mr. Fournier. Have a pleasant day! And do let me know if you hear from Y/N."

"I will. Have a find day, yourself!"

Ignis quickly took the book in his hands to the library but refrained from finding another. He hoped to speak with Cor before the man headed down to the Dining Hall with the King for breakfast, and he didn't wish to speak his concerns in front of everyone who may ask questions. As he got closer to The Marshal's door and saw it was open, he realized he made it on time. Apparently just on time. The two men almost collided as Ignis went to walk through the threshold. Cor took a quick step backwards, surprised.

"Apologies Marshal!" Ignis held a hand up and bowed his head quickly as a show of respect. "I wondered if I could speak with you quickly about an important matter."

"If it can't wait until later, speak quickly," Cor answered him.

"It's about Y/N. I haven't heard from her in over a week. No one has."

Cor's eyes widened a bit and his browns pulled together.

"Have you spoken with Bernard Fournier?"

"I just did. He hasn't heard from her either."

"A week is too long. You should have spoken to me sooner," Cor scolded as he quickly made his way over to his desk and turned his computer monitor on, waking up his computer.

"Apologies. I simply assumed…" He paused a moment.

"Assumed what?" Cor pushed.

"We had a disagreement. I assumed she was only ignoring me."

"I see. What was the disagreement about?"

"I…I neglected important time promised to her. I was busy helping Noctis with his wedding plans and failed to assist in planning my own. She was upset with me."

"Explains why she was so upset when I picked her up from the flower shop."

"Yes. Thank you again for that. She was quite distraught over my absence."

Cor typed a few things on his computer before looking back at Ignis.

"So you've called and messaged her with no answer, yes?"

"Yes. Her phone goes straight to voicemail. Gladio tried calling her as well to see if she simply blocked my calls but he got the same thing."

Cor brought her number up on the computer and lifted his office phone to try himself. It didn't take him long to hang up, as he got the same thing the other men had gotten. Immediate voicemail.

"You've gone to her room yourself?"

"I have. Mr. Fournier also mentioned calling her and trying her room as well. No one has gotten an answer."

Cor typed some more on his computer, frown still in place, before dialing another number he read off the screen in front of him. It took only a couple rings before the person on the other line answered.

"Mr. Fournier, it's Cor Leonis….I'm fine. I have a few questions. When was the last time you spoke with Princess Y/N?...When was the last time you saw her in person?...Have you heard anything from or about her from anyone other than herself?...He's speaking with me right now, thank you. I encourage you in the future to inform me after twenty-four hours of no contact…..Thank you for your time." Cor hung up the phone and went back to typing and clicking around on his computer. "The same goes for you Sciencia. No more than twenty-four hours. A week of no contact, she could be across the globe by now or picked off by a glaive guarding the wall for all we know."

Ignis felt his stomach sink as his eyes widened. He never thought she might try to escape. She would surely disguise herself and if she was shot as a trespasser, no one would think twice.

"Do they not…report trespassers, sir? Specifically ones they…disposed of?"

"There's a no questions order in place when it comes to wall hoppers."

"But if she was going out of the city…that's not the same as trespassing in," Ignis tried reasoning. Why would they shoot someone simply leaving?

"She could be someone escaping with stolen documents or sneaking back out. What other reason does someone have to hop the wall unless they are hiding something?"

Ignis swallowed hard and began to twist his hands together the way he did when he was nervous. If his actions resulted in her unnecessary death, he could never forgive himself. But he didn't think she would actually leave over their argument.

"I don't think she left, sir. I mean, we had a fight and she was really upset…but I don't see her leaving over it-"

"She didn't." Cor interrupted.

"She…what?"

"Either she didn't or she left her phone behind. Which, honestly, would be the smart thing to do."

"How do you…"

"I pinged her phone. Even with it off, unless the battery was pulled I can remotely turn it on and locate it. She will receive a message, however, saying her phone is on and being located. So she now knows we're on to her. I'll head to room." Cor dialed a number on his cell phone. "Monica, meet me at Y/N's room immediately." He hung up and looked at Ignis before walking passed him. "I'll call you if I find anything out."

"Thank you sir!" Ignis watched him quickly walk down the hallway to the elevators. Ignis was tempted to follow but knew Cor implied that he not follow him. He trusted Cor to find her. He only hoped the man wouldn't scare her away further.

Y/N lay in her bed staring up at the ceiling. She managed a warm bath today, which was more than she had done the last…how many days now? She had quickly lost track. She turned her phone off the day after the wedding. Every time it beeped or vibrated or rang, she jumped out of her skin.

She didn't dare leave her room either. She didn't want to risk running into…him again. She figured she could ask Bernie or someone else to accompany her. But the very halls of the Citadel themselves frightened her now. Every time she glanced down them, the walls seemed to close in on her. Her breath caught in her throat and she slammed the door shut again. She gave up trying to leave on day two. She ordered food be brought to her room only once a day and they had to leave it at the door and walk away. She didn't want to see anyone. Everyone's face seemed to morph into his.

It was just like in her dreams. The man who attacked her in the hallway never seemed to leave her alone. He followed her into sleep every night. Every person she talked to in her dreams went from pleasantly smiling at her to suddenly sneering and grabbing her throat. Every dark corner she turned, he was standing on the other side. At this point she wasn't sure if it was her scared mind playing tricks on her in her sleep or if the man was actually capable to being in her dreams.

It all reminded her of a very traumatic experience as a small child. The very reason Bernard became her bodyguard.

Y/N knew she was a mess. She barely ate. She only bathed once in the last week. And she rarely slept. Any sleep she did get was rudely interrupted. She had heard a few people come to her door and knock. She couldn't answer, though. She didn't want anyone to see her like this. Not to mention, she always feared it was him. Even hearing voices of others she knew on the other side of the door made her skeptical. It brought her back to her dreams of friends morphing into his face. She knew people were getting desperate to hear from her when Gladio showed up at her door yesterday. He tried calling through the door to her, which is how she knew it was him. He told her to call Ignis, saying he was worried about her. She felt bad to worry people. But maybe they should worry. She was definitely not okay. But how could anyone help? She couldn't tell anyone about him. Something told her they either wouldn't believe her or that it would make the horrible man somehow retaliate against her. He didn't threaten her not to speak of him…but the threat still felt implied.

She hadn't even brought herself to talk to LeAnn this week. She spoke to her friend almost every day and knew she was probably worried. She wasn't even sure what she would talk about. She had been locked in her room for days doing nothing. She wrote a bit. At least she was accomplishing that. But even her wedding plans weren't on her mind. Nothing was. Except him.

Her phone suddenly lit up beside her and let out a strange beeping noise. How was her phone turning on? She had shut it off completely last week and hadn't plugged it in. Apparently the battery still held life in it. But how did it turn on? Did he do it? Was he somehow now hacking into her phone? She glanced at the screen and her breath caught in her throat.

THIS DEVICE HAS BEEN TRACED. LEAVING YOUR LOCATION OR DEACTIVATING YOUR DEVICE WILL RESULT IN YOUR ARREST.

No. No no no no! He was tracing her phone. He was coming after her again. Y/N ripped the backing off her phone and immediately pulled the battery from the back. She stood from the bed and paced her room. Was he coming here? Did her phone already send back a signal of where she was? This wasn't happening! What should she do? Should she call Bernard to come over? Should she go to his room instead? Should she call Ignis? She was afraid to use her phone at all.

She paced her room back and forth for about ten minutes panicking over what she should do. Before she could make up her mind, though, a loud pounding sounded from her door causing her to almost scream in fright.

"Princess Y/N, open the door. It's Cor Leonis."

It was Cor. Or was it? If it was him, why was he here? Maybe he could help her. Maybe he would know what to do. Would he even believe her?

"Princess Y/N I command you open the door or I will be forced to open it myself. We traced your phone and know you're in there."

She stood still in fright, still unsure of what to do. Even his threats couldn't bring her to actually open the door. It was them who traced her phone? Not him?

"Princess Y/N, this is Monica," a female voice said, accompanied by lighter knocking. "We need you to please answer the door. If you are uncomfortable with The Marshal, let me know and I will come in instead. But you have to open the door."

Cor had brought Monica with him in case a female presence was needed instead of his. He knew some females weren't comfortable with a strong male presence. And it was probably a good thing he did. A moment later, the door slowly opened a crack. Y/N carefully peaked her face around the door she was hiding behind, with an uncertain look on her face. Her bloodshot eyes and dark circles took the pair back a bit. Her pale skin and messy hair only added to their concern.

"Miss Y/N, thank you for opening the door. Are you okay?" Monica asked her. Cor assumed it was her that coaxed Y/N to open the door so he let her take the reins for a bit.

"…yeah," Y/N hesitated. "Why?"

"We were worried about you. No one has heard from you in a while and you can understand our concern. Even the kitchen mentioned you hadn't ordered food yesterday or today."

Cor and Monica made a few calls around on their way to her room. Calling anyone they could think of who may have had contact with her or her room the past week.

"I um…I haven't been feeling well," Y/N's unused voice croaked out.

"Do you need medical assistance? We have an in house physician who can see you. You can go to the medical wing or he can come to your room if you wish."

"No!" she exclaimed, eyes widening a bit. "No, I…I just…I'll be fine."

"Miss Y/N…" Monica started slowly. "Do you need to speak with me privately about anything? I can come in or Mr. Leonis can step down the hall a bit if you wish."

"No no! I'm fine, really. Just…haven't been well."

She wasn't entirely lying. She hadn't been well…mentally.

"Please keep communication open in the future," Cor spoke up. "Tell Mr. Fournier or Ignis you are unwell. They are both worried. And we only assume the worst when your phone is off. Keep it on in the future. Deactivating it sends the wrong message and goes against your contract."

The look in Y/N's eyes at mention of the contract was enough to let both people at her door know she was getting upset.

"It's not to keep you prisoner," Monica spoke up. "It is simply a matter of your safety and well-being."

"I get it," Y/N whispered.

"If you are still unwell by Monday, please let me know. You are to start training again with Gladio next week. And if you are still sick, I'll put in a request with Medical to see you. Understood?"

"Yeah. I'm sure I'll be fine by then."

"Thank you. I'll inform Ignis of your condition. Get ahold of me or him if your condition worsens."

"Sure."

Cor nodded at her and started down the hallway. Monica lightly smiled at her before following him.

Y/N closed the door behind her.

She wasn't sure what she felt. Relief that it truly was Cor at her door. A bit of anger at mention that she had to keep her phone on. Nervous about training with Gladio again. Sadness at making everyone worry. But also a bit of something she couldn't put her finger on. People were worried about her? To the point of tracking her down?

She decided to put the battery back in her phone and turn it back on as commanded. She plugged it in as well, not sure of how much battery life was left. When it fully booted back up, the tracking message was no longer active on it. She also saw just how worried some people were about her. She had over one hundred text messages and about thirty missed calls. Some were from numbers she didn't recognize. The number sequence at the beginning of the phone number told her they were Insomnia numbers. And two of them had codes specifically assigned to Citadel phones. But she still had no idea who they belonged to.

More than half of her missed texts were from LeAnn. A couple were even from some of her friends back home she hadn't heard from since moving here. Ignis left her many messages. All expressing his concern and apologizing for upsetting her. He text and called her every day it seemed. One text was from one of the unknown numbers that had called her. She knew now that number belonged to Gladio.

You better get your head out of your ass and call Ignis. You have the guy worrying himself over you and it's pissing me off. At least let him know you didn't die because I think he's starting to think that.

A small ping of guilt hit her.

Ignis was sitting at his desk in his office lost in thought for the tenth time since he sat down. He was getting next to nothing done after his visit with Cor. It was supposed to make him feel better, not worse. All he could think about was Cor mentioning her trying to leave and being shot dead by the glaives guarding the wall. Would they remove her body and dump it in some grave? Or the lake? Or would they leave her there to just rot away? He wasn't familiar with trespasser protocol. His job was simply to get to the Prince and protect him at all cost. Everything else was left up to others and not to be questioned.

A slight tremor went through his hands as he took a shaky breath. He kept telling himself nothing that extreme had happened to her. It was simply worst case scenario.

Before he could get back to work, his cell phone rang. Seeing Cor's name, Ignis' heart stopped a moment before he quickly answered.

"Marshal…"

"Found her. She was in her room. She said she hasn't been feeling well and honestly didn't look well either. I told her if she wasn't better by Monday to get ahold of you or me and make an appointment with Medical."

"Absolutely. Should we make her an appointment now? She's been sick almost a week."

"She declined. That's why I gave her until Monday."

"Understood," Ignis responded. "And thank you sir. I appreciate it."

"Don't wait that long to get ahold of me again. Understood?"

"Yes, sir, of course."

"Good," Cor said before hanging up.

Ignis sunk back in his chair. She was safe. She was okay. She was sick, so much so that Cor said she even looked unwell. But she wasn't dead with a bullet in her chest. She wasn't simply avoiding him in anger. She hadn't tried to leave because of him. The wave of relief that washed over Ignis almost made him feel dizzy.

He picked his phone back up and sent a text to Gladio.

Ignis: Cor found Y/N. She was in her room and is sick.

Gladio: Well at least they found her and figured out wtf was going on. He send her to the medical wing?

Ignis: He said she refused to be seen but she's to go if she is still sick by Monday.

Gladio: She's supposed to train with me again starting Monday. If you don't see her by then I'll let ya know how she is.

Ignis: I appreciate it. Thank you.

Ignis' phone beeped again and he assumed Gladio text him back, but was surprised to see the name beside the message.

Y/N: Sorry

Ignis looked at her message for a long minute. It was one word but he still appreciated it and felt a warmth go through him at hearing directly from her once again.

Ignis: I heard you are unwell. Do you need me to get you any kind of medications? I can make soup or hot tea and bring to you if you wish.

It took a moment for her to respond, but he was so glad she did. Even if just to know she was willing to speak to him again.

Y/N: No thanks. I'll be fine.

Ignis: Please let me know if you need anything. I will gladly pick anything up for you or have anything brought to your room if you need it.

Y/N: Thanks

Ignis smiled at his phone. She was short but her condition made it understandable. Whether Cor told her to get ahold of him or not, he was glad to hear from her. With his mind finally clearing and his nerves not so shot, he got back to work on his computer.

A/N:

I had no idea almost 2 months passed wince I last posted. I'm so sorry. I kinda got caught up in my own personal life crap. Or I've been too busy reading instead of writing.

As usual, this chapter was suppose to carry on further but now that part got moved to the next chapter instead. Meaning the chapter will come sooner rather than later because half of it is written already lol

Thanks again so much to everyone for the comments I get on this story. I never imagined so many people would read this when I first started writing it. You all make me smile on my sad days. It's always when I'm having a crap time that I check my email and see a comment left by someone. And even the smallest ones make my day!