Disclaimer: I do not own the characters nor Fire Emblem.

Notes: I wanted to finish this chapter before the holidays, but it didn't make it in time. And for that, I apologize. It doesn't help that I am a slow writer either. *sigh* But you have been very patient readers, so you have all my gratitude for having stayed with me so far. I hope you'll enjoy this chapter (hopefully Aesha will be back soon!) as much as I enjoyed writing it. Oh, and a short foreword: I know NOTHING about social work. I'm studying to become a counselor, so you'll find out that plenty of the stuff Legault will talk about is related to that stuff.

And now, let's go with the story!

Legend:

Legault

Heath

Lloyd

JUNE 21ST

"... and one should always keep in mind the concept of 'client opposition'-"

"Resistance. Client resistance."

"Client resistance – which may result from a social worker ignoring the client's point of view-"

"Too harsh."

"... you should be sleeping, you know?"

"I can't sleep with an F on my conscience."

"While I may be flattered by your concern – and I am – a bit more of optimism wouldn't hurt."

"I'll be more optimistic when you'll get that chapter right. Start again, from the beginning."

"You must be joking."

"Humour me."

"Ooh. Very funny."

"Don't complain. You were the one to propose this... arrangement."

"Yeesh, can't you just relax? What about we take a break and chat for ten minutes?"

"Don't be a lazy bastard. Two."

"Eight."

"Five."

"Deal. Do you have any plans for tomorrow?"

"... why do you ask?"

"So wary... well, you shouldn't be allowed on the phone at this hour, so I guess you are on leave. Unless you are somewhere on a mission, in which case my phone bill's reaching astronomical heights."

"... You've really thought this through, haven't you?"

"Nothing like the prospect of two hours studying psychology to stimulate the imagination."

"... you think I'd be here worrying about your goddamned exam if I were on the field?"

"Point. So you are on leave."

"... Something like that."

"That is?"

"I have temporarily left the army for medical reasons."

"Temporarily as in, you'll get back soon?"

"If the commander doesn't kill me tomorrow."

"Ouch. I had forgot. Well, good luck with that."

"Shouldn't you be more optimistic?"

"Wow, are you taking from me already?"

"Hopefully I won't be taking your laziness as well."

"Too harsh."

"... I can't believe you actually said that."

"See? We're rubbing off on each other."

"Stop sounding so dirty. I need to rest!"

"You need your beauty sleep?"

"I need to get back into the army. No, actually I want to get back into the army!"

"Well, that I cannot understand."

"Wait, what?"

"You. Soldiers. Maybe I'm a coward, but why'd one want to do such a thing? Risk your life, kill other people..."

"Listen, don't st-"

"Don't you wish anything else for yourself?"

"... I'm sorry?"

"I mean, have a family. Buy a house. The kind of stuff people usually do. Which is not hiding from snipers and seeing corpses everywhere."

"I don't..."

"Don't what?"

"Look, just... no. No. No, no-"

"Stranger? Are you okay?"

"I-I gotta go. Sorry."

"Wait-"

–

(1) Message: Lloyd Reed

11:12 P.M.

I am still waiting for your call, Legault.

11:21 P.M.

Oh, right. Sorry 'bout that. Put up with me a bit longer? I'm in a... quandary.

11:22 P.M.

I'll make it short and sweet. Sonia wants to train Nino.

11:23 P.M.

Calling you.

11:24 P.M.

Don't.

11: 25 P.M.

Can't get out. Father disagrees, don't know how long it'll last. See you tomorrow morning, you know where.

JUNE 22ND

11:12 A.M.

I am sorry for hanging up on you yesterday.

11:16 A.M.

Wasn't angry, just... sensitive to the subject.

11:18 P.M.

By the way, Vaida was furious. She threw a chair at me. But I'm still in.

11:19 P.M.

Thought you might want to know.

02:32 P.M.

I am sorry. If you still want to study, I'm free tonight.

/Incoming call; 06:02 P.M./

"He-"

"Gods, yes, I'm sorry, I turned on the phone just now. I should've checked it earlier, I know, but it took Lloyd the whole blasted morning just to tell me - my, he never. Stopped. Talking. Once."

"Wait-"

"You have no idea how much I had to restrain myself from choking him with the scarf! Seriously, the man has issues – "

"Well-"

"- because you have to be mentally unstable to talk about how fucked up your life is with someone whose life is even more fucked up! Truly, what the hell?! I dearly hope it'll at least pay off some of my bad karma before the exam because man, you wouldn't believe it but I'd have given an arm to split my head open over those books rather than-wait. Are you laughing?"

"S-sorry. Mrf-"

"... I can't believe it. I spent one of the worst mornings of my life and you are giggling?"

"I'm trying not to!"

"Yes, stranger, I can clearly see that."

"O-okay, sorry. Here. Not laughing anymore."

"Sure?"

"Sure."

"Good. Now can I go on?"

"There is more?"

"... I can still hear you, you know."

"..."

"Are you hysterical? Just askin'."

"It's the tension from this morning. I-I think."

"Oh, yes. Your commander must be enchanting."

"'Brutal' is the word, I think. That chair..."

"Well, I hope it didn't crak your head open. You are still in charge of my academic well-being, stranger."

"... Heath."

"Excuse me?"

"Heath. Name's Heath."

"Oh."

"... yours?"

"Uh? Oh, yes. Legault. Mh..."

"Yes?"

"... nothing. And about yesterday-"

"You're going fine. Could even get a C."

"... are you falling for me?"

"You say another word, you get a chair into your face."