Ambrose slowed his pace and exhaled heavily as he approached the doors to the dinning room for breakfast. Honestly, he couldn’t say what was bothering him... it wasn’t like he even knew the man after all, it was just... well, it was just annoying really, and he didn’t see a cause for it. The witch had been defeated back in September, just two months ago, and his brain had been successfully returned shortly after that. In fact, he had just recently returned to his duties as the Queen’s advisor. But still...

Sighing and shaking his head to clear it, Ambrose moved forward and opened the doors to the dinning room pausing only briefly to scan the room. DG was there, along with Raw and young Kalm enjoying a morning meal and talking with... him. The conversation paused briefly and Ambrose caught the flash of icy blue eyes before they moved away.

“Hey kid, I gotta go...”

“Oh, all right, Mister Cain,” DG said as the man gathered up his coat and put his hat back on, organizing his dishes quickly in a neat pile for the maid to pick up later.

“Your mom’s got some things for me to look over and I still got a lot of paperwork to sort out.”

DG nodded with a faint smile.

Ambrose exhaled a heavy breath before moving over to the table as the man brushed passed him without so much as a nod.

“Good morning, Ambrose,” DG greeted him as he sat down, taking up a chair next to the one Cain had vacated and began filling his plate with various fruits and toast.

“Good morning, Princess, Mister Raw,” he said with a nod to them. “And to you, young Mister Kalm.”

DG chuckled softly, covering her mouth with the back of her wrist as Raw and Kalm both smiled in greeting.

“It’s just DG,” she said when she could speak again. “How many times do I have to tell you, Ambrose? You don’t have to call me princess. We’re all friends here.”

Ambrose sighed and lowered his gaze feeling chastised. “Not all of us, apparently,” he replied quietly before looking up to meet her concerned gaze. “Is it just me, or is he always like that?”

“Who, Mister Cain?” DG asked and Ambrose nodded. “Well, he...” She trailed off not certain how to finish her thoughts, and sighed. “I wouldn’t worry about it too much, Ambrose,” she finished weakly.

Ambrose swallowed, his stomach rolling uncomfortably for reasons he couldn’t explain. “Please excuse me,” he said, pushing his barely touched plate away.

“But you just got here,” DG protested.

“I’m just not...” Ambrose began and shook his head. “Suddenly, I’m just not as hungry as I thought I was,” he murmured and stood, nodding slightly to Raw and Kalm who blinked, looking at him questioningly but he turned and departed without another word and DG sighed heavily, resting her chin in her hand.

“Well, so much for a friendly breakfast once in a while,” she muttered, and Raw nodded sympathetically.

*          *          *

“Please, Mister Cain,” DG pleaded a few days later leaning over the man’s desk in his cramped and cluttered office on the second floor. “We haven’t seen him in days... not since the last time you did.”

“I’m sorry, kid,” Cain said looking up at her. “He’s not my problem.”

“But he is!” DG nearly shouted, stomping her foot in frustration. “You’re head of security, everyone is your problem!” She exhaled heavily when he didn’t answer. “Look, all I’m asking is that you find him and check on him, okay? He hasn’t shown up for any meals since that day at breakfast. I’ve asked mother and dad and Az; no one’s even seen him.”

Cain sighed heavily and ran a hand over his face. “All right,” he said after a moment, leaning back in his chair before getting to his feet. “I’ll go look for him.”

DG beamed. “Good,” she said as she flounced out the door as Cain grabbed his coat and put his hat on. “You can stop by the kitchen and get him some food. Who knows when he ate last?”

Cain sighed heavily and turned his gaze skyward, praying for patience before following her out the door.

*          *          * 

“Enter.”

The command came through the door of Ambrose’s lab an hour later and Cain sighed, closing his eyes, praying for patience once more before he opened the door, stepping inside. Blinking, he looked around at the organized chaos around him. It was the first time he’d been in the man’s lab before.

There was a long row of wooden cabinets along one wall under the window providing plenty of counter space, all of which was completely used in a neat fashion of course, with evenly spaced gizmos and gadgets of all kinds, none of which Cain recognized. There were also several large tables that were each covered with organized stacks of paperwork. Taking a step further inside the large room, his gaze traveled down the rows of tables to find the man hunched over some more papers, scribbling away and muttering to himself, not looking up.

Cain exhaled heavily and headed down the row, carrying the plate he’d retrieved from the kitchens and cleared his throat, coming to a stop at the table Ambrose was working at, but still the man didn’t look up. Cain rolled his eyes and set the plate down. “Here,” he said, turning to go. “The kid wanted me to check on you... she’s been worried.” Still the man didn’t answer or look up and so with a sigh and a shake of his head, Cain headed for the door.

Ambrose tightened his hand around his pen, gripping it so tight that his knuckles turned white and his hand started shaking before he dropped it with a clatter to the table and shoved his stool back, scraping it across the floor and glared up at Cain’s retreating form. “You’re not the only one, you know?” he snapped angrily.

Cain paused, his hand nearly to the doorknob and blinked, looking back to find Ambrose glaring at him. “What?” he asked. “What are you talking about?”

“You,” Ambrose snapped, still glaring. “It’s not easy being around you either, but at least I try… at least I don’t run away. Don’t worry, Mister Cain,” he continued tersely. “I hardly ever worked directly with the head of security. You needn’t run off if you need space. I’m sure the castle is big enough for both of us. You don’t ever have to see me if that’s your desire. You won’t even know I exist.”

Cain stiffened at the attack, drawing himself up though he tried to remain calm as he looked around the room once more before his gaze came back to rest on Ambrose. “No, you didn’t,” he replied. “You just hid.” Opening the door when no barb seemed forthcoming, Cain left closing the door with a click.

Ambrose stood tense a moment after the door closed before slumping back onto the stool, staring at what he’d been working on when Cain came in. Glancing morosely to the plate he left behind, Ambrose got to his feet ignoring it and left the room through another door off the lab, turning off the lights on his way out, unable to focus any longer.

*          *          * 

DG was back in Cain’s office two days later when Ambrose still hadn’t made an appearance, and Cain sighed heavily.

“Look, I did what you asked,” he said wearily. “I found him and left the food.”

“And?” DG asked her hands on her hips as she stood over his desk.

“And I wasn’t going to stand there and listen to him insult me,” Cain replied.

“Insult you?” DG asked looking slightly surprised. “What do you mean, ‘insult you’? What did he say?” 

Cain exhaled heavily and looked at her. 

“No, come on, I’m serious,” DG said. “What did he say?” 

 “He said,” Cain started and sighed, not meeting her eyes.  “He said he wasn’t the one who ran away…” 

DG blinked, looking slightly surprised as she thought over what Ambrose had said to her the last time she’d seen him. “And?” she asked. 

“And what?” Cain countered, looking up at her. 

“Well,” DG said shifting slightly uneasily as she looked at him. “What did you say?” 

Cain sighed heavily and lowered his gaze. 

“That bad, huh?” DG asked gently. 

“I…” Cain started and paused. “I said…” He paused again and looked up at her. He didn’t really feel guilty for what he’d said, he knew he’d been right after all, but seeing the surprised, hurt and angry look on the man’s face had haunted him since he’d left. Sighing again he finished quietly, “I said he was hiding.” 

DG exhaled softly and sat down in the chair across from him, her mind spinning. “Well,” she ventured quietly after a few moments of silence and peered up at him. “He’s right… isn’t he?” 

Cain blinked and looked at her incredulously. 

“Well, think about it,” she said in defense before he had a chance to tear into her. “I don’t know what’s gone on between the two of you, but ever since he had his surgery, the two of you have been different… at one time, I would almost have said you were best friends… and now…” she trailed off, lowering her gaze. “Now you hardly even talk. You get up and leave whenever he comes into the room… I just… never noticed it until now…” 

“And what about him?” Cain asked tersely. 

“Hey, I’m not saying you’re not right, too…” DG said in defense. “I just mean, well… yes, he is hiding… no one’s seen him aside from you two days ago, but…” 

“But?” Cain asked, not letting up. 

“Well, do you honestly expect him to hang around where he doesn’t feel wanted? Where he feels ignored?” 

“He has you,” Cain said. “I kind of doubt he’d feel unwanted or ignored.” 

DG sighed and got to her feet. “Maybe,” she said gently as she headed for the door and opened it, pausing to look back at him over her shoulder. “He’s not looking for me… Just think about it, Mister Cain… that’s all I’m saying.” 

Cain sighed as the door closed behind her with a soft click, her words resounding in his ears. The kid just didn’t get it… he had been thinking about it… thinking about it for the last two days, thinking about it since the door closed behind him that day… he just wasn’t good at apologies… that was all. Exhaling heavily at the thought, he slumped in his chair.