This originally was meant to be a H/T oneshot of some sorts, but it just kind of took off and I got a bunch of ideas, so I decided to make it a chapter story. My effort at an angsty story, and not to cry. yeah, right.

It was like any other day, that day. The day many souls in the LEP were changed forever. There was absolutely nothing out of the ordinary. Elves chatted over sim-coffee as they arrived for work. The same grumbled complaints about paperwork hung in the air. The same gossip, same jokes, same normal steady-paced working day. Why did fate choose that day, out of so many, to shock and potentially destroy the lives of many elves. Because fate was cruel. Relentless. Evil.

When Captain Holly Short awoke that morning, she, like so many, expected just another work day. She had no idea that in the next six hours, her life would change forever.

Commander Trouble Kelp, too, suspected nothing wrong. He went through the first hour of his day as he regularly did; pinning those Commander acorns on his lapel with pride, giving an air of superiority off to every officer ranked below him. Nothing apparent out of the ordinary.

The two elves arrived at their workplace at about the same time, Commander Kelp holding the door open politely for Captain Short, secretly marveling in her beauty and confidence. She gives her thanks, catching his deep, chocolate eyes with her own sparkling hazel on ones. If either had know that that little unconscious express of emotion would be the only for a long time, more words would have been traded through their masks of containment. But fate wouldn't allow it.

They parted ways. Trouble to his office, Holly to her cubicle. As was the ritual every day. Nothing made it different. But, later, when one would sit for hours on end in the hospital by the other's side, that elf would wonder why it didn't say a few more words to the other that morning. Maybe none of it would have happened.

But that wasn't the truth. It happened anyway. Fate made sure of it.

Holly sat at her desk, fuming for the thousandth time that it wasn't bigger. As was the norm. She trades greetings between coworkers, all oblivious to what the day has in store. Chix Verbil comments seductively about her evening plans, and she turned him down with a forced smile. Lili Frond hopped back and forth between cubicles, thinking her blond act fooled people. As was the daily ritual.

Trouble sat at his own large Commander's desk, wishing desperately that he had more coffee. He watched the busy morning hustle through the window of his office and tapped a pen on his desk. The stress of his responsibility weighed on his mind again. He had the two Opal Koboi s running around to worry about, the tension between the goblins and dwarves occupying most of the news with gang violence and riots, and he really wanted a cup of coffee. He tossed down his pen and pushed his intercom button.

"Gr -- Captain Kelp, get down here."

Holly had been asleep, drooling a puddle on her desk, when she jumped awake at the sound of Trouble Kelp's commanding voice over the intercom. She looked out of her cubicle as Grub Kelp rushed down the hall, jittery and nervous as a new-born pup. Holly rolled her eyes and yawned. She scratched her nose lazily and thought, 'I could use some coffee.' A decision that made her fate certain. She stretched and got up for the break room, making sure to trip Ash Vein as he passed her. Everything normal and as it should be. For now.

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Captain Kelp arrived in Commander Kelp's office, breathless and nervous. Trouble made a face, then ordered, "Go get me a cup of coffee, Captain."

Grub pouted. "Mummy said you can't treat me like your slave just because you're Commander now."

"I'm not. I could make any one of the officers get me a cup of coffee. And none of them would have whined about Mummy."

"But you chose me 'cause you're a big bully," Grub sniffed miserably.

"No, I chose you, Captain, because I know that all you were doing was sitting in you cubicle, picking your nose, thinking about writing a complaint concerning having tissue boxes every two feet so you wouldn't have to keep messing up your fingers. You know the girls don't like 'em green."

Grub winced.

"And another thing," Trouble continued, angry that he wasn't getting his coffee, "you are so big of a pussy that someone could tell you to stand up straight and you would call them a bully. It's about time you toughened up and learned to be a man, Grub. I'm getting sick of always having to cover you when you turn coward and run. You can't keep needing me for your protection, Grub. Live your own damn life."

Trouble paused.

"And get me my coffee."

Grub looked as if Trouble had reached out and slapped him. Tears welled up in the younger brother's eyes and his fists clenched, fingernails digging into his palms. If Trouble had known how much his word cut his brother's heart, he wouldn't have glared at him as he turned to leave. Grub paused as he opened the door, knuckles white as he gripped it. He looked back at Trouble, his eyes steel and his expression empty of his previous sadness.

"One of these days, Trouble," Grub said calmly, "you're going to need me. And I might not be there." With that he left the office to get Trouble's coffee.

Trouble stood at his desk a moment, staring at the door. The calmness and seriousness of his brother's voice scared him. In the many months after the events of this day, Trouble would fall apart, blaming himself, wishing with all of his heart that he could go back in time, catch the hurt in Grub's eyes, act like the big brother he always could have been, but never was.

But fate wouldn't allow it.

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The brown, sim-caffeine-rich liquid flowed into Holly's cup smoothly, sending up mini mushroom-shaped puffs of steam. She stared dreamily at it before bringing the heavenly drink to her lips. It slid over her tongue and down her throat, burning in the most mesmerizing way. She closed her eyes blissfully, savoring her first sip. She immediately felt warm and awake. With a small smile, she took another drink.

Holly's coffee euphoria was broken by a sniff beside her. She opened her eyes to see Grub Kelp beside her, looking down at his own empty cup, fingernail scratching the Styrofoam. His brow bent with an unseen pain, his mouth twitching in a grimace. Holly saw a complaint coming.

"What is it, Grub?" she sighed. "Something wrong with a Styrofoam cup for coffee?"

Grub looked up, appearing startlingly exhausted, and met her gaze. His eyes gave the impression of a beaten puppy, but there was also a hint of iron and tolerance. He spoke with a flat tone. "It isn't mine. It's Trouble's."

Holly frowned. Grub wasn't himself today. She turned until she faced him. "You okay?"

Grub tried to keep his cold shell intact but Holly had that affect on people. His eyes filled with tears again as he slowly filled his cup with sim-coffee. When he spoke again, his voice was laced with hurt.

"It's just -- Sometimes I wonder why Trouble and I have grown so far apart. Everything he says to me is either a command or an insult. He doesn't appreciate me, and he takes every opportunity to downsize and humiliate me." Grub sighed. "And ever since he was promoted, it has made it worse. Now, he's not only my older brother, but my boss, too." The young elf pulled his now full cup back to his chest. "It just makes me feel so distant." He trailed off, biting his lip. He knew Trouble was at least partly right. He should man up and defend himself for once. But Grub had always had his older brother to idolize and stick up for him. A touching sibling loyalty Trouble never could return.

Holly wasn't sure what to say. Being an only child, she had never had the chance to look up to any sibling, or have any siblings look up to her. She took another sip of her coffee, searching for the right words.

"Trouble doesn't mean to be that way. He is trying his hardest to make up for Commander Root's death, and sometimes he tries a bit too hard, and forgets that you need his support as much as he needs yours."

Grub scoffed. "He wants you more than he'll ever need me…"

"Don't be ridiculous, Grub, you -- " Holly stopped, frowning. "Huh?"

Grub met her gaze squarely. "As if you hadn't noticed," he said, his voice shaking dangerously with suppressed anger and hurt. "You're all he ever talks about at home! All he ever thinks about! I see him in his room all the time, looking at the same picture of you, daydreaming to himself! You're the reason he never has time for me anymore! It's always, always, been you!" The desperate accusation burst out of Grub's lungs n a shout, echoing off the walls of the break room.

Holly stood speechless in front of him, her mouth hanging slightly open.

"Grub, no…it -- it's not-- "

Grub just shook his head and looked down, silencing Holly. For once in her career in the LEP, Holly saw Grub through new eyes. He could have been every bit as much of a fighter as his brother. There was a secret strength in him that no one had ever seen. That flare of steel determination in his chestnut-brown eyes was as much his own as in his brother's eyes.

An iron silence dropped on the two elves heavily. Grub looked down at his coffee again, regretting accusing Holly so harshly. She couldn't help being the main subject of Trouble's thoughts and dreams. Grub's cinnamon-colored fingers clenched, bending the Styrofoam cup. Well, he thought, she's partly to blame.

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Trouble was getting impatient. He wanted his damn coffee. No matter who was getting it. He paused by his door to scratch a 'Kill Grub' note on his office "Remind Me" screen and then left.

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After a few moments, Holly took another careful drink of her cooling coffee. She cleared her throat and looked at Grub tiredly.

"…I'm sorry, Grub. Your brother, he… he isn't good at expressing emotion… It makes him feel…awkward."

Grub didn't look up, but nodded a little, biting the inside of his cheek. Holly patted his shoulder.

"I should get some work done."

"Yeah…Trouble will be wanting his coffee."

Holly turned to leave, and then looked back.

"Give him a chance. Just a chance. He'll see what a precious brother you are."

Grub met her eye with a small smile.

Then the world ignited.

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Trouble strutted determined toward the break room. He caught a glimpse of Holly Short through the doorway and his step faltered briefly. His heart leapt in his chest and he felt as if he were viewing the world through a movie screen. A tired expression laced Holly's beautiful features. Trouble slid to the side to see what she was looking at and found Grub in front of her, looking down at a coffee cup. 'Mycoffee,' Trouble thought.

He saw Holly come to leave the break room, and then turn back.

Time moved like a button through tar.

Trouble watched Grub's small, sad smile fade.

He witnessed the wall behind his brother absorb into the brightest light.

He felt himself slip away as the world caught fire.

Heartbeat fading…vision dimming.

The last thing he saw was his brother get enveloped into a blazing wall of light.

The last thing he heard was Holly Short's scream.

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Heat and fire sucked the air into itself, scorching the halls.

\\//~*~\\//

Cubicle walls shredded and burned.

\\//~*~\\//

The whole of Police Plaza imploded.

\\//~*~\\//

And less than forty feet away, Opal Koboi cackled.

\\//~*~\\//

Then screamed a death-scream as the flames engulfed her, too.

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…

…thump…

Pain…

Shouting…

It hurts…

…thump…

Pain…

Fade…

Voices…

…thump…

Pain…

"Is she okay? Holly?"

…thump…

"Holly?!"

Pain…

Can't see…

"…Mu-ul…"

…fade…

…thump-thump…

...whisper…fallen…

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