hey guys! I'm really sorry about how I kinda stopped updating this for a really long time. I've had a lot of things going on in the past month, with grades and family and health... so this chapter is kinda an apology for making you all wait so long? and also to apologize because, although part 3 is a couple thousand words in progress, I don't know exactly when it will be up ; ;
but I promise that I will definitely complete this whole work soon. I haven't forgotten about the lovely reviews and those of you who have subscribed to my fic. thank you all so much ;u;33
anyway, here is a short little thing from Greed-ler's POV, a little while after the last part. sorry again... but, hope you enjoy!

Interlude

The Once-ler slumps against his desk, letting his face rest on the cool wood. He can scarcely think with this headache; deciphering all this damn paperwork is completely out of the question. What the hell does he pay his staff for if all the petty legal work is left to him? Obviously, it's nothing worth keeping their useless asses around for.

He doesn't want to think about the person in the next room. But the boy has been a constant in his mind for weeks, and that isn't about to change. The estate's personnel is by now terrified of his obsessed frenzy – these days, he only sees them briefly before they shrink away into the shadows. All the better, really. He doesn't want to have a body on his hands because somebody discovers his Oncie – and, forbid, scares the little thing.

As if he needs any help in that area.

The Once-ler groans, sitting back in his chair and massaging his temples. No, last night hadn't been that bad. He'd only made one of the stupidest fucking mistakes of his life. Admittedly, the other day hadn't gone as well as he'd hoped. He'd let himself get a bit out of hand – but that happens to everyone from time to time. And the kid pretty much evened the score after the number he did on the office. The staff had cleaned up fast, but he was still sore on the matter of a worthy replacement chair.

But then he had to go and lose his head when the kid resisted. Any chance he might have had at smoothing this whole mess over was surely long gone. When he'd gone to check on him overnight, Oncie wouldn't move; and now, his darling pet doesn't even want to see him.

The Once-ler is angry, to say the least. He's angry at that pathetic reproduction of himself – for being so weak, and for turning the Once-ler's self-control to naught with his stupid-looking face.

But mostly, he's angry at himself. Because he's just as weak as that boy, losing himself over something that insignificant. He swore to himself that he'd take it easy on him. There's no excusing what he did.

So he'll do as Oncie asks. He can stay away from his room for a while, bar leaving the kid his meals. He has a whole fucking mansion to live in, and a leading corporation in need of biggering. The construction of Thneedville needs urging, and he can look into the recommendation to expand the product base.

He can wait. He'd waited for the device, and he'd waited for Oncie to come to him once. It'll be easy enough to do it again. His dear Oncie will see how much he needed him – it's only a matter of time.