The drive to Gehenna felt longer than usual, yet it felt absurdly short, all the same. Jim knew that he probably wasn't going to resolve all of his problems or figure out the answer to them in the span of that drive, especially since he didn't in the couple of hours between the fight he had with Luka and the moment he set off, but he at least hoped he would be in a better place when he went to see Daniel. The brunet was asking for his help, after all. The menace felt like he ought to have his shit together better than this if he was going to do that.

How was he going to help others when he couldn't even help himself? This question plagued him, not just in this situation, but in many others. Sometimes, he yearned for peace of mind, but dreaded the consequences that would realistically entail. He could not have an ordinary and "simple" life, free of pain or hardship. It would bore him to tears and the plentiful peace would prove agonising for him. He was set in stone, it seemed, but Luka didn't have to be. It was hypocritical, yes, but contradiction was how one got through the day. Things simply weren't fair, sometimes, and Luka simply needed to learn that, as much as the menace wanted him to not suffer.

Jim parked the car outside of the gates and decided to walk to the small square where he agreed to meet Daniel. It was sunny out and a pretty alright day, despite some clouds appearing over the horizon. Jim figured he had a few hours until it started to rain. Plenty of time to talk to Daniel and maybe find shelter, if the talk went on past that. Although, Jim wondered if he was bringing storm clouds with him, as townsfolk seemed to stay out of his way, and not in the usual venerative way.

Once one reached the end of Main Street, there was the square, in the center of town. Well, as close to "center" as possible. On Jim's maps, it was a little off. It was an odd place, as it had been put there after the buildings that once stood on that spot were declared condemned and couldn't be salvaged and subsequently, had to be developed and repaved, but it wasn't paved quite like the road. One could still drive on it, and vehicles always had the right of way, but people sort of walked wherever, the majority of the time. Few people had cars in Gehenna, so there was no point in being too cautious. Most of the time, it was just easier to take a detour around it if one was traveling by car, but emergency vehicles always had the right to cut through immediately.

This was a popular gathering place for people in Gehenna, as it was where many food stalls congregated at lunch time. Most changed spots to other parts of the city until dinner, but some stayed put all day. All of the buildings were brightly painted, here, most of them having some sort of mural on them. There was at least one Gehennan flag hanging from the upstairs window of one of the houses, and stone benches with lions carved into them sat along the walls and around the fountain in the center. Naturally, it looked like a lion with water spilling out of its mouth. They were definitely patriotic, here. It made the menace a bit uncomfortable, if he was honest. He never really liked his symbol being adopted this way. It felt like idol worship, somehow, and he didn't want to be anybody's idol. He just wasn't the type, he felt. Still, this was where Daniel told him to meet with him, and sure enough, he saw the brunet sitting in front of the fountain, staring at one of the food stalls and seeming to give it a lot of thought.

"What's up, Danny-boy?" Jim called out, capturing the other man's attention while taking a seat on the bench beside him.

"Not much, Jimmy-boy," Daniel answered. "Well, there is stuff, but you know what I mean."

"I get you. So, the old hag got your number, huh?"

"Ugh… Yeah…" Mister Westley groaned, immediately seeming as though he were in pain at the memory. "I stayed up last night making sure I took down all of those old listings. I think I got them all. I should change my number, soon, but I was holding off in case she called back."

"Isn't that like, the exact opposite of what you want?"

"It is, but I'm hoping that she'll accidentally tell me if she's found out what school Sam's going to. If she crashes the move-in, I'm going to go fucking mental..."

"Want some thugs to help keep the peace?" Jim offered.

"If you could, that would be great. It would make me feel better, at least," Daniel sighed, leaning forward. "If anything happens after that, I'm pretty sure Sam will tell Gerry and get the Midfords mobilised."

"Which will also get the Phantomhives heading out. Don't worry about it. We take care of our people," For a moment, there, Jim actually felt nonchalant and casual, despite his own problems. "It's just more stress you don't need, though, isn't it?"

"It is. God, we don't need this… Sam's moving out on her own for the first time, which has her a bit nervous already, and I… Well… I'm going to start living on my own again. I missed her the first time, but this time? I'm really gonna miss her…"

"It's hard, isn't it?" the menace sighed. "We're working on getting Revy out of the house, too, but it's probably different, since I didn't raise him."

"Look forward to Luka, then," Daniel laughed, looking at the ground before looking back up at his friend. His smile faltered, hesitating as he observed the blonde's face. His friend nodded lightly and gave him a smile, but it was a bit dull in its luster. "You alright?"

"Hm? Oh… Yeah… I had a bit of a row with Luka earlier today," the blonde informed, folding his hands together. "Thing is, I think he's right. One of the things I actually admire you for, Dan, is that you stuck with Sam, even when it was hard. I think I might've ended up dumping Luka on Sebastian the first chance I had."

Blinking, Mister Westley pondered that for a moment. "Well, thanks, I guess," he said. "But I don't think it's really admirable or anything. I just didn't have a choice. If I had a butler like Sebastian, I might've done the same. It's a lot of responsibility, y'know? It kinda would've been nice to have somebody else being the 'grown up,' especially since I wasn't really done growing yet, myself. I'm still not grown, yet."

Letting out a sigh, the other man seemed to deflate in his seat, resting his elbows on his knees as he leaned forward. "Yeah, I kinda get that… It's just what you have to do, isn't it? But I don't really think Luka sees it that way. I was his parent and then I just kinda… pissed off and left him with Sebastian while I went to do God knows what… I just-" Jim paused, taking a breath. "I just… wanted him to have a better life, y'know? I didn't think I could give that to him. Sebastian's got his shit together, while I..."

"...Am fucking feral?" Daniel concluded.

"Pretty much, yeah."

"I don't think you're wrong for that," stated the brunet, looking up as he tried to see if he could peek over the rooftops to see if he could spot the occasional beehive that sat on top of one. "Everybody in this situation's gotta do what they have to do to take care of the smaller ones. Lately, though, I've been kind of worried that my time looking after Sam is ending..."

"That's bullshit. You know you're going to be doting on her all through college, and when she graduates or gets married, you'll be right there, blubbering your eyes out," retorted the menace, finally smiling for real again.

"And you're gonna do all of that for Luka, aren't you? You'll get to laugh at me, but then I get to roast you when it's your turn, dick."

"Yeah, you're probably right..." Then, his smile fell again. "I just don't know how to make it up to him, though..."

"What's there to make up? Just tell him how it is."

"Ciel and I have been talking about having kids..."

In an instant, the two of them were rendered silent. Daniel was silent so that he could dwell on that information, while Jim was silent in order to gauge his friend's reaction. From the silence, however, Jim didn't think it seemed good.

"I mean, we're not ready for it yet, and we still haven't decided exactly how it's gonna work, but yeah..." he continued, awkwardly breaking the silence in an effort to move it along. "If it's gonna happen, though, I don't want Luka to feel like I just abandoned him in favour of someone else… Even though, that's kinda what it seems like..." He paused again before looking at the other. "Is that wrong of me?"

"I dunno..." Daniel answered. He really didn't. He had no idea. "I think I kinda understand, though. It's part of the reason why I'm not moving in with Ted after Sam moves out. I need to find myself better as someone who's like, separate from everyone else, right? But… I also don't really want to be a parent to Ruby yet… It's like I've moved on to fast, y'know? For you, though? Well… I think you're gonna need to have a bit of a heart to heart with Luka? You really didn't abandon him. I know what abandoning your child looks like, believe me… Barbara Westley? She's the fucking queen of that shit… That's not what you did… You stayed with him, even if you're not like, his main caretaker, you're still looking out for him and taking care of him where you can, right? You're being a bit hard on yourself. It's not your job to be his dad. You're his brother. In an ideal world, that's how it would be for everybody, including me and Sam, but it's not. It's not that clear cut. We both do our best, but at the end of the day… We just do our best," Daniel said, letting out a sigh. "We raise 'em up the best we can, even though we're still growing, too, and then, we have to let them loose and have them do their own thing."

"I guess..." Jim seemed to be coming around to the idea, perking up a bit. His smile had a bit of glow to it, now as he sat there, looking at his feet, still. "I don't wanna be wrong, though," he said. "I don't wanna be wrong and lose him forever, or fuck him up. I want him… I want him to have it better than I do… I mean, I have it good right now, don't get me wrong. I have it really good right now… But Luka could be better. He doesn't have to do the crazy shit I do. He doesn't have to be fucked up like me. He could do literally whatever the fuck he wants to."

"Even if that means following in your footsteps?"

"Everything… except that..." The menace's lips formed a thin line as he frowned, furrowing his brow as he became irritated at no one in particular. He wasn't upset with Daniel or Luka, and he wasn't even really all that upset with himself, but rather, with the situation, it seemed. "I know it's kinda… shitty of me, but I just don't really want him doing this job. He's got all the potential in the world. He could go out and live a pretty normal and happy life! I just… I don't get it… I don't fucking understand what he sees in it or why he wants to do this nasty... horrible... gig."

A glimmer of amusement flickered in Daniel's chest for a moment, sending the command for him to smile up to his face like a pulse of electricity. It was hard to get his muscles to move the way he wanted them to and to hide the smile that desperately fought to form on his face.

"I kinda thought Sam should be prime minister." Daniel said. "She has the brains for it. Really, she could change the world, if she put her mind to it, but now she's obsessed with supernatural culture and history. That's what she wants to do and I can't tell her different, even if I don't really think she should do something that keeps her tethered to this part of the world." he explained, gesturing around them. "No offense. Supernaturals are great, but… Yeah… She's an adult who can make her own choices, now. There's nothing I can do to change her mind, so all I can do is support her and make sure she's making it, alright. I think there's gonna probably come a time like that for you and Luka, too."

"I know..." relented the menace, albeit somewhat begrudgingly. "And I hate it. I know that if he's gonna go off and do what he's gonna do, and I want to protect him… I'm gonna have to teach him, now."

"And you don't want to?"

"It hurts to," Jim stated. "I just don't wanna talk about that stuff with him. I know it's selfish, but… I don't want to. He's going to grow up someday and stop being a kid, but I want him to be a kid as long as possible. I want him to have more time than I did," Pausing, he turned his head to face his friend. "Don't you? Don't you wish Sam could?"

"Yeah," Daniel nodded. "That's why I'm going to help her out. I'm not just going to cut her off completely, you know. That's not what this is. I'm always going to look after Samantha-Whether she likes it or not. It's my job and I'm not giving it up for anything. You don't have to, either. I know that it's not really the same, but… If he's going to go into… that business… He's probably got the best shot of being good at it possible. He's got you to help him and teach him how to be the baddest assassin who ever lived."

"That's one way to look at it, I suppose..." The menace didn't seem to terrible convinced, but he at least conceded to that much. Still, he didn't quite think that Daniel understood. The Westley was at least trying his best to be helpful and in a way, he was. He gave Jim ideas to expand upon and entertain. He gave him reassurance, which is sort of what he needed to hear, but he didn't give the menace what he wanted to hear, and Jim was thankful for that.

No, Jim couldn't keep Luka from changing. He couldn't keep him from doing the things that Jim did not want him to do forever. He couldn't shield him from the world's ills or prevent him from ever feeling pain. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't. That was just the way things were. Exposure could happen to anyone, but if anyone was going to see more of the world of night, it was probably Luka and that scared Jim. Worse, the menace felt as though he was partially to blame.

It was obvious to everyone, however, including himself, that this was not the case. It was an impossibility. Pure and simple. Jim was not the one who put them out on the street in the first place, and neither were their parents. It was a freak accident. A cruel game of chance, or fate, or whatever one wanted to call it. It was a gamble one was forced to take simply by virtue of living in the first place.

And there would come a time when Luka would feel pain again. Maybe he would be injured, or lose a loved one, or have his heart broken, but he would somehow, by any means, feel pain. Whether he consented to it or not, it was an inevitability. Daniel was right about one thing, though: Luka could either face it alone, or with the help of his brother. That was the real choice, here. They were the only options that Jim could choose. Luka had already made his choice in the matter. Clearly, to everyone including Jim, he wanted to brave the turbulent and merciless sea of life with his brother to guide and support him. No all that was left was for Jim to either accept or deny him.

"That's obvious, isn't it?" Jim asked. "It's just what we've got to do… I'll give it my best shot, but I still don't think I'm ready to get really real about that stuff with him right now…"

"I believe in you," Daniel said, slapping the menace on the back. "I don't think you have to get like, super real with him. It's probably okay to be a bit vague, but don't talk down to him or anything. Teenagers don't like that. They'll be out for blood and rebellion if they sense weakness."

"Did Samantha give you trouble or something?"

"Do you have any idea how difficult it is to try and parent somebody you know is smarter than you? Samantha is literally a genius and I'm pretty sure she could sense that I was intimidated. Sometimes, when I ran out of time to do it, she'd do my homework for me!"

"Damn, Daniel… I knew there was something up with a few of those papers of yours… Is it always like that, though? Kids are too damn smart sometimes," Narrowing his eyes, the blonde looked to his friend with a look of confusion and concern. He sat up straighter for a moment and gesticulated wildly as he spoke. "Like, I'll be talking to Luka sometimes and it's like: 'how the hell did you learn about that?' I mean, I get he's in our family, but Jesus..."

"I know! Samantha was the same! You just can't treat them like little kids, Jim. If you treat them more like equals, they tend to react better."

"That's part of my problem, though… I want him to be small and cute forever, but..." The menace took a deep breath and let it out again. "He's gonna grow up… I'll have to just… get the fuck over it, I guess..." He paused, resting his chin in his palm before laughing.

"I'm sorry," he continued. "You invited me here to help you with your shit, and I've been here, yammering on about my problems."

"Don't worry about it. It's honestly a little validating to be helping you out like this? I can't deal with ancient evils or organised crime, but I do kinda understand how to raise kids a little bit," Daniel laughed. His cheeks raised, wrinkling the corners of his green eyes while dimples formed at the corners of his mouth. The man always had a jolly-looking smile. It was the same when they were in school, only it felt a bit odd, now that he was wearing a button-up shirt with a necktie. "You will help me if Barbara shows up, though, right? As long as you can promise me that, you can talk all you want."

"Yeah, I think we can handle her," the blonde nodded. "Just tell me how much 'crime family' pizzazz you want and we'll take care of it."

"How much pizzazz are you offering?"

"Well, do you want a strongly worded letter, do you want us to just intimidated her if she shows up at Samantha's school, or are we talking a 'home visit?' I can arrange any of those, easy. Just say the word."

"I don't think a shakedown is nessecary..."

"I didn't say that. Just intimidation. A shakedown is when I intimidate and then using said intimidation, I encourage her to part with something of value. I don't want any of her stuff, so there's no point in that. I would just inform her that it is within her best interests to leave you and Samantha alone. See? Easy-peasy. Now, I can get criminal if you feel it is necessary, but I would only recommend it if you feel threatened by her."

"Well… I am worried that she might pressure Sam into leaving campus and going with her somewhere… If she does, she might pressure her into something else..."

"We can fix that," the Lion said. He smiled, but there was an odd sort of wickedness to his amusement. Daniel thought he resembled some mob boss from a movie, especially in the way that he worded things. For just a moment, the Westley thought it might be a bit cruel to send the lions and hounds upon the woman that birthed him, but then again, when he thought about the time she tried to marry off his little sister, he became progressively more okay with her being menaced. "Does Samantha have our numbers? Make sure she has them and tell her to call us if she ever feels like she's in danger. Doesn't matter if it's Barbara or not. We'll look out for her. I'm pretty sure the Midfords have the same idea, though…"

"Right, right… Having a rich girlfriend probably doesn't hurt."

"A rich girlfriend who's father is a member of the Round Table Conference and has kinda been wanting this relationship to happen for a while, I think."

"Really? What makes you say that?"

"Trust me… Rupert ships it," the menace said, narrowing his eyes in a closed-lip smile. "Yeah, it would probably be 'better' for her to marry a noble, but chemistry is chemistry. Though, I may be a bit biased." Poking his cheeks and batting his eyes for comedic effect, the menace forced a laugh from his friend.

"So if anything goes wrong, Rupert's going to make things happen, too?"

"Oh, you know it. Samantha's got backing, mate. She's the girlfriend of a powerful guy who's like, a distant cousin of another powerful guy, who's married to another powerful guy, and both of those guys are friends with her brother… Oh, and then she has the backing of all of your friends too, Dan, not just me and Ciel. Then, if we need to get HELLSING involved, we probably can, since they're wanting her for the research department and is related to both Ciel and Rupert… Honestly, anybody that messes with her is thoroughly fucked. There's no getting around that. Like… I'm not saying that we could make them 'disappear' but… It is an option..."

"I don't really think Barbara needs that..." the brunet explained. It came out a bit slower than he wanted it to, but his brain was catching up from the obvious devious dealings that Jim was alluding to. This wasn't the sort of thing that necessarily make Daniel feel surprised or threatened anymore, but occasionally, he felt like he needed a little extra time to process it.

"Oh, probably not, but it's on the table if it's ever necessary..."

"Let's do our best to avoid it, how about that?" While Daniel was pleased that his friend cared about things so intensely, he knew that he didn't want to resort to that. Barbara was a nuisance at best, although the man did find himself genuinely fearing that his mother would try and spirit his sister away to parts unknown for god knows what purpose, despite her having no legal means, now that Samantha was an adult. He knew that Barbara would either try to drain Samantha's assets, or marry her off as a bartering chip in order to further her own position. It wouldn't be the first time she attempted the latter if she did, and given her current financial situation, she was certainly capable of the prior.

He couldn't imagine that Barbara was looking for work or anything right then. Anything that she would be somewhat willing to do required connections that she no longer had. She could certainly try to work her way up, but that was impossible for two reasons: First, she had nothing to put on a resume. She had gotten married right out of college, earning her M-R-S degree and proudly so. Until now, she had been a "housewife" that was never really home. That lead directly into the second problem: She wasn't willing to do the work. Even if it was a small amount, she wouldn't dream of it. That combined with her rampant and abrasive classism barred her from any job she might have been actually qualified for.

That was why she was trying to reconnect with Daniel and Samantha. She was always the sort who needed a new handbag or two every fashion season and it was never cheap. Her predicament was truly her own doing, as she wanted to continue living like a rich woman when she had no income. Of course the inheritance was bound to run out. Daniel did feel sort of bad for Nathan, though. He didn't know for certain, but Daniel was sure that Barbara had bled his older brother dry, although Daniel didn't feel too poorly about it. Nathan was a mummy's boy and had inherited some of her vices. That's why Daniel was also certain that Nathan blew all of his money on crap, too. Probably bought a luxury car or two and it's sitting in the yard of whatever girl he's shacking up with to rot, as he can't afford the upkeep anymore. Or, maybe he sold it for booze or drugs. Either way, Daniel's pity did not run deep.

Still, the middle Westley sibling couldn't help but feel a nagging sense of curiosity about the situation. As useless and perhaps detrimental as it might be, he sort of wanted to see them. He didn't want to talk—heavens, no! They had done their talking. He just wanted to see them. He wanted to see how they were doing, and most likely failing. It was somewhat cruel and morbid of him, yes, but he still craved the sick and sweet schadenfreude of watching those pretentious, posh, putzes fall, fail, flail, and flounder. In an ideal world, they would realise their wrongdoings and work to rectify them. They would beg at his feet for his forgiveness and he would choose whether or not he would show them mercy.

But while Daniel was known for his somewhat modest intellect and lack of sense, he was not stupid. No, perhaps that is too harsh. Daniel had simply cracked the pattern and realised a rather harsh and unpleasant truth: He may never get that satisfaction.

Realistically, he knew that his mother and his brother would not see the ways that they had wronged him and still tried to wrong him. Even if they did, he knew that they would simply shove the blame onto him for making such a fuss about it, or just continue to deny it entirely. Their sweet words were all traps to get him to lower his guard and take pity on them. Then, they would strike. If that didn't work, they would make him out to be the villain so that he would bend to their wills, and if all else didn't work, they would resort to petty name calling and insults. The satisfaction of gaining the upperhand and triumphing over them would never come and he simply needed to accept that.

Even so, the curiosity plagued him. "Just once." he thought. Just to see their clothes. Or their hair. Maybe he could check to see if Barbara was wearing her usual brand of expensive perfume, or if she had substituted it with something similar, but cheaper. Were her clothes the same as last season? Or did she simply take out a loan or credit. Hopefully, they didn't put his name down on anything. That would be a pain. Luckily, he had friends in high places that could probably get him out of that situation should things come to that, but still, it was a scary thought. Perhaps it was best to stay away after all.

"I kinda wonder what they're doing, though..." he confessed aloud. "Probably struggling, now that they don't have money and don't want to work. Do you think you and Ciel can help me out if they put my name on a loan or something?"

"Fraud? Sure thing," Jim replied flatly, without any real thought at all. It just felt so obvious to him. "Fraud's super easy. They'll probably end up in jail, but we can fix it, no problem."

"Who knows… Might be good for them. Bring them to reality, maybe? But probably not..."

"Listen, Danny-boy," the demon stated, putting his arm on the other man's shoulder and giving it a pat. "Whatever dodgy nonsense they put you in the middle of, Ciel and I are a hundred times shadier. That's a promise."

"Is that something you should really be bragging about?"

"Dunno. That's a moral question that's far too complicated for me to want or care to get into right now," Jim wanted to continue, but as he spoke, he felt a drop of water land smack dab on the top of his head. Reaching up, he felt the spot, making sure it was indeed damp and that he didn't just hallucinate the sensation, before looking up. During the time that the two of them conversed, the dark clouds that were over the horizon had crept up on them, covering the blue sky and changing it into a typical English grey. Another droplet landed on the blonde's cheek, just below his eye. He wiped it away, making it look as though he were crying.

"Tut tut, it looks like rain," Daniel remarked, holding out a hand to catch something, but catching nothing. "We should probably start heading back. See if we can beat it."

"I'll walk you home," offered the demon. "It's on the way."

The two men rose from their seats and started the long walk to Daniel's house. It was along the same street that led here, but it was still a couple of blocks. It was a couple of blocks they started walking slowly on, but gradually, they began to pick up the pace to a trot as the sky continued to threaten them. A few droplets turned into a light drizzle and a light drizzle turned into light rain. Jim slowed his pace so that his human companion could keep up with him. It was just as well. He would have only been marginally drier by the time they both reached Daniel's front door.

"Take care, Dan," the demon said. "And thanks."

"Back at you," the human replied with a smile. "Go on and take care of yours and I'll see you on move-in day."

Nodding with a grin of his own, Jim began to turn his back, hearing the door shut and lock behind him as he looked down the long sidewalk. The streets were emptying as people began heading indoors. They ducked inside of shops to wait out the rain or simply returned home, while others bemoaned forgetting an umbrella on their way back. Others simply paid no mind. It was just a spot of rain. Nothing shocking or to lose one's head over. That was the sort that Jim was on his trek to the car. The rain wouldn't hurt him. He was much sturdier than that.

Closing the car door behind him, he could hear the rain beat down on the car outside and see it striking his window, running down like a river. He didn't feel wet until he reached the car and remembered what dry felt like. A shudder ran through him from the shock of it. His blonde hair laid flat against his head while his bangs and stray locks stuck to his face. In a feeble attempt to regain his feeling of comfort, he fruitlessly pulled at his clothes, trying to unstick them from his skin, only to give up and put on his seatbelt. Letting out a sigh, he switched on the car and began the trek back home. Although he had prided his resilience just moments ago, he sort of wished he didn't have to drive back, but heading back outside to seek shelter with Daniel was far worse. Maybe he had simply grown a bit soft.

Perhaps so, but he found it difficult to desire the alternative. Luka always wanted to go camping with him, and Jim had been once or twice since his resurrection, but as far as he was concerned, he had had his fill of camping. It was fine when done for survival, but he found it difficult to imagine doing regularly as a form of recreation. As he was surrounded by the ambiance of the rain, he felt vindicated in that. He found it difficult to imagine why Luka would want to intentionally return to such misery.

He'd have to try, if he wanted to get along with the boy, though, and he would. He would try. Perhaps he'd even go a few times, but definitely not as often as the boy wanted. That was where Jim drew the line. It was fun to sort of return to that life in bits and pieces, like on that anniversary trip he and his husband took, but not in full force. Jim liked living in a house with heating and cooling, he liked soft mattresses and pillows, and he liked that the place was clean and safe to reside in, apart from the few mishaps. There wasn't always dirt beneath his fingernails, or in his hair, or covering his skin in a thin layer. There was always food to eat. He didn't understand it. He didn't understand it at all.

This wasn't even the same world anymore. There were buildings of concrete, smoothly paved roads, and machines that could transport people miles in minutes. There were traffic lights stopping his car and advertisements flashing at him as he stayed stationary until the light changed green. Jim wasn't the same person he was, either. Luka needed to understand that. Jim needed him to understand that. Things had changed and there was no going back to the way things were before.

A long sigh escaped the menace as his vehicle came to a slow stop again. He sunk into his seat, deflating a bit as he thought about how much longer it was going to take him to get home and subsequently, how much longer he was going to stay in this awful weather. Then, his phone rang, eliciting a loud, drawn out groan as he realised that he needed to answer it. Sitting up, he glanced over at the screen in the center of his dashboard and pushed the "accept call" button.

"What's up, Bass-man?" he asked, putting on a smile as the light changed again.

"I'm afraid that we may have a bit of a problem," the butler lead with, but that alone didn't concern Jim in the slightest.

"What else is new?" Jim sighed. "What's happening, now?"

"Well, it would appear that Luka is caught outside in the rain," Sebastian calmly informed, his tone speckled with his usual air of bemusement. "He snuck out a while ago with his camping kit—Well, he thought he did, but you know me."

"And he hasn't come back in yet?" tapping his steering wheel, Jim's brow furrowed. "Have you tried calling him?"

"That was my initial thought, but I found his mobile on his bed."

"Ugh! That's just like him… Why even buy him the damn thing if he's never going to bring it with him?"

"Do you want me to go after him?" Sebastian inquired. "Initially, I was going to, but he seemed to be trying to make a bit of a point. I apologise for my hesitation."

"No, ugh… It's alright..." Rubbing his chin with one hand and keeping his hand on the wheel, he thought about it for a moment. "Just… Just wait him out, I guess. He'll have to come back inside eventually. We can try to talk some sense into him then."

"As you wish, Sir."

Hanging up, the menace carried on down the road in silence. How childish! What on Earth was that boy thinking? He wouldn't freeze or starve to death, and there weren't any wild animals that could hurt him, but still! Trying to camp out in the rain! All by himself!

...Did he at least bring a tent? And a blanket? It would be too wet for him to keep a fire going. Jim hoped that he wasn't too cold. It was almost September, so surely Luka wouldn't pack too light. Were his clothes warm enough? Why was he staying outside?

"Did I do this?" Jim thought, gripping the steering wheel as worry firmly took root inside of him. The roads were wet, but he rushed back home as quickly as he could without crashing another car. When he got there, though, Luka was nowhere to be seen.

A/N: Hello! It's been a while, hasn't it? I'm sorry about that... I'll try to get the next one up. It's always like, the middle of an arc that I always feel like I sort of drag my feet on lmao. It's 'cause I always just want to write the end!

Hopefully, that means the next one will be faster. I'll probably start on it as soon as this one's up. I've got some really neat stuff in mind. Part of it's going to be kind of hard, though, so I dunno how long that bit will take! I'll do my best!

Until the next chapter, my duckies~!