Disclaimer: Same one as always, don't own them and never will…

A/N: I could have been left as one chapter, but it would have felt too long that way…

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He's doing it again. Before he was cured he had said that if he survived Geostigma he wouldn't take life for granted and would go out and actually enjoy some of it; not live for work.

Well, he was cured and he did enjoy life; for about two weeks. Then he got so caught up in the restoration that he never even took time out for himself. Now he stays awake for days and works until he passes out. If it wouldn't be for someone picking him up and actually taking him to rest, his bed would rarely, if ever, be used.

He used to talk to us and treat us like his friends. Now he barely even looks at us and if he does it's only to give us a new mission, or tell us he's going to talk to Reeve and say that one of us has to go with him.

I don't know what changed in the course of two weeks. He had changed so much in the last two years, all of it for the better. He matured, learned from his mistakes, treated people like people, realized that there is more to life then work, appreciated the little things in life. It's amazing what a near death experience will do to your outlook on life, at least for a while.

The only benefit to him going back to his old working ways is that he is working for the greater good of the world, not for his own personal gain. I appreciate that he's doing all he can to rebuild a world that he admits was mostly ruined by his company, however pushing himself to the edge is a little much. No one expects everything to be rebuilt in a day. No one, apparently, except for him.

It may sound odd and perhaps slightly selfish to say, but in a way I do wish that things would go back to the way they were when he was sick. He paid attention to us, gave a damn about us, gave a damn about himself, laughed, joked, basically just appreciated the fact that he was still alive. Now? You're lucky if you get a smile out of him after you tell him a joke.

I want the old him back. Not the smart-ass "I'm better then everyone" guy that he was before Geostigma or before he was blown up. I guess then that would mean I want the new him back. I willingly followed him when he was a stuck-up brat, but I never felt more loyal to anyone in my life when he gave a damn about us.

Was it all just a ruse to get us to take care of him? If it was the old him, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised. I wouldn't expect that from him now, unless he really did manage to play all of us for fools. I miss the way he used to cuddle up to me at night when he was sick, like he was hanging on to me for his life. I miss the smiles he used to give me in the morning when he woke up in my arms. I just miss him.

Like I said though, I do understand why he's working so hard. The city needs to get back on its feet; the people need work and his construction projects are employing a lot of people. He and Reeve actually do make a great team; Reeve has always been concerned about the people in the city rather then the city itself while he is now only too happy to give some of his money back to the people that helped make him rich in the first place. They do end up working long hours together, longer then I like, but I do know that it is for the greater good of everyone around.

Don't misinterpret me; I'm not jealous of the time they spend together and I do realize that it is strictly a professional relationship that they have. I have been assured by the others when I'm not there that it's all work that they talk about when they're together. There is some arguing, but it's usually very productive.

I myself am busy; since getting the company back on its feet, the other three have been scouting for new recruits. I have the job of going through the files of the recruits they bring in and decide if they're worth the time to train. I did protest the need for an army in the beginning, but both he and Reeve made a valid point; order has to be maintained. Without the army or other authoritative figures, people would run rampant in the city and chaos, not order, would prevail.

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I must have been lost in my thoughts; I didn't hear someone come in. I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist from behind and the familiar weight of his head on my back. I miss his hugs as well; they're not as strong as they used to be. But now that he is well, he will be able to regain his strength.

I don't turn around or acknowledge that he is hugging me. He senses that something is wrong; I feel him tensing up against me. I want to turn around and hold him, tell him that I miss him, but doing that wouldn't change anything. It would only show that I'm alright with the way things are and that I don't mind him treating us the way he is. As much as I want to turn around and hold him, I am going to stand my ground.