“Okay, kiddo I am heading to the grocery store. Are you sure you’ll be okay for about a half hour while I’m out?” Patton hollered up to Virgil as he grabbed his keys of the hook.

“Ya, I think I’ll be good. I am just gonna to listen to music while you’re gone.” Virgil says not entirely sure how true it is. He has been afraid to be alone ever since the incident in the bathroom, but he can’t just rely on Patton all the time. So, he has to be fine, otherwise he will just be more of problem for Patton.

Patton not totally convinced, hesitates by the door. What if something bad happens to his friend while he is away? He couldn’t live with himself if Virgil ever felt lonely and did something bad to himself while he was away, but they were completely out of food to make meals with. He refused to let Virgil try to sustain himself on the cups of noodles in the cupboard. So, he had to go to the store… Lets just double check one more time. “Is there anything you want me to get you while at the store, kiddo?”

Virgil sighed, he had hoped the long silence had meant Patton had believed him when he said he was fine. Clearly he was not convinced, and has not left. “Nothing specifically Pat,” He paused for a second, “Don’t forget to get more garlic bread.”

Patton smiled at that request, “Okay, kiddo. I won’t forget.” With that Patton felt good enough to leave.

__________

“LOGAN! My wings hurt being wrapped up like this!” Roman wines to Logan’s annoyance. Roman had been complaining for the last twenty minutes and Logan’s calm exterior was wearing thin. If this whinney man didn’t shut up he was going to hurl him off a bridge with his wings still strapped tightly to his body.

“Roman, do you wish to help your Ward or not?” Logan almost growled. Roman whimpered like a kicked puppy. No, absolutely not, Logan is not about to feel sorry for this annoying flamboyant Guardian, who has no work ethic, is obnoxious, irritating, infuriating, exasperating, maddening, trying, tiresome, troublesome, bothersome, irksome, vexing, vexatious, galling, provoking, displeasing, and difficult. While coming up with all the synonyms to annoying that he could. Roman began to pout. Giving up Logan rolls his eyes and sighs, “Are we clear on the plan.” Logan says trying to distract the man-child. Roman thankfully perks up and nods vigorously.

“Though, I am not sure it will work,” Roman states innocently enough, but it ruffles Logan’s feathers. How dare he insult Logan’s brilliant well thought out plan. Admittedly Logan also thought it was a long shot, but no way was he letting Roman know that.

“I have been observing my Ward for a long time, I can deduced from his behavior that this will work. Especially given his history of taking in strays.” Logan said matter-of-factly.

Roman puffed up at this, “Virgil is no stray!”

“Not the point of my previous statement, but whatever. This will work I am sure of it.” Even though Logan wasn’t really sure it would.

___________

Patton hummed contently as he pushed his shopping cart around the store. He liked the familiarity of moving around the store and knowing where everything was. It was a small place without a lot of people. Patton liked it that way, because the people who did come there were generally returning customers. Patton liked passing the familiar faces and giving them a friendly smile. Patton was having a wonderful time. He even had a merry skip in his walk as he went. Partially because it was fun, but also partially because it made him move faster and would help him get back to Virgil faster. He didn't want to be gone too long. He was rounding one of the isle corners when he came to an abrupt halt. And that was because he had skipped his right into a person. Wait no, two people. And they had both fallen to the ground from the sudden collision with the shopping cart.

“Ohmygosh, I am so sorry. I wasn’t watching where I was going and I am so clumsy. Oh gosh I am so sorry.” Patton quickly apologized to the two men as they, rather ungracefully they tried to get back on their feet. Patton tried hard to refrain from a giggle as the two men tried to stand up from the pretzel they had entwined themselves into. “Here let me help.” Patton reached out both his hands to take the their hands. They both looked at eachother fo a brief moment before one spoke up.

“No, need to fear good citizen no harm done. Prince Roman shall not be defeated by a simple shopping cart.” The man said boastfully. Patton giggled. The man, who Patton could assume was named Roman, stood up finally finding his footing. Without Patton’s help. Feeling guilty about not helping Roman up Patton turned his full attention to the other man who was still tumbled on the floor.

He didn’t look like he would to bother getting up. Patton however, could not let the man stay down there and gave him a big smile. Logan sighed, and begrudgingly lifted up his hand. Pleased with the turn of events Patton went to grab the man’s hand. When their hands touched Patton was flooded by a wonderful feeling. He felt light, happy, and like he could fly. After the feeling became more subdued he gripped the mans hand and hoisted him up. Patton had to tilt his head up to meet the tall man's eyes. For the briefest moment they both looked at each other. Like they were the only two people in the store. Then Patton tilted his head with a quizzical look on his face. “Have we met somewhere before?”

This seemed to knock the man out of his trance and he spoke. “Certainly not.” He said harshly.

Patton visibly deflated. “Oh, I’m sorry. You just seem so familiar. I didn’t mean to… sorry.”

Sensing Patton's distress, Roman took the reins of the conversation, “Oh, ignore him Logan is always a sour puss, and his pride got bruised at needing to be assisted up.”

“I’m sorry, none of this would have happened if I had been watching where I was going.”

Logan after regaining his composure after that weird feeling that had just occurred between him and his Ward spoke up, “Nonsense, we are just as much at fault for not paying attention as we walk through the store. Clearly Roman and I should not have been so deep in conversation while walking through a public area.”

Patton relaxed at these words, so it wasn’t all his fault, but still he felt he should make it up to them for running them over with his cart.

Roman and Logan both felt bad for trying to guilt trip Patton into him inviting them over, but they couldn’t just walk into the house and strike up a conversation with Virgil and tell him he was in danger now could they. So they kinda intentionally got ran over with the cart. Whoops.

Roman continued from where Logan left off, “Besides nobody got hurt, and that's what's important.”

“Yes but I still feel bad,” Patton paused and glanced at the cart that was almost full of food, and got an idea.
___________

“Virgil! I’m home!” Patton hollers up the stairs. Almost immediately Virgil appears at the top of the stairs panting heavily. He had almost had two panic attacks while waiting for Patton and was in the midst of working himself up into another close call when Patton had called up. The voices in his head were trying to convince him that Patton had given up on him and had left forever, he knew it wasn’t true but they wouldn’t stop. So, when he heard Patton’s voice he had ran to it as fast as he possibly could. The only thing that prevented Virgil from leaping into the kind man’s arms was what he saw behind him.

“Pat, who the Hell are they?” Virgil says sinking in on himself. Half thinking that it was another hallucination.  

“Oh, I ran over these nice fellows at the grocery store, and I felt bad so I invited them over for dinner.” Patton explains to Virgil at least confirming that they are, in fact, real. This did leave Virgil with a lot of questions though.

“Why would you feel bad about meeting someone?” Not understanding Patton’s strange reasoning.

Patton looked sheepishly at the two men before looking back at Virgil, “I literally ran over them… With my shopping cart.”

Well that solves one mystery, but Virgil was not done, “Patton may I speak to you in the other room for a minute.”  

“Sure thing kiddo, I have to put away the groceries anyways, lets head into the kitchen. Would you two mind waiting in our living room for a minute. I am afraid I may have sprung this dinner party on my friend rather suddenly.”  

The two men looked at eachother, and seemed to have a silent conversation in their heads before the one with glasses, who Patton now knew as Logan responded, “Very well, we do not mind. Seeing as we have never been in your house before would you mind pointing us in the direction of your living room.”

“Right down the hall and to the right.” Patton responded cheerly without a care in the world. Virgil huffed annoyed. Logan gave a curt nod and headed in that direction. Roman followed him like an obedient puppy follows his master down the hall.

Virgil and Patton stride into the kitchen so that Patton could put away his groceries.  “What the Hell man! I said I wanted garlic bread, not two strange men over for dinner! Patton they could be thieves or worse sociopaths who are gonna murder us in our sleep!”  

“One, keep your voice down they might hear you, two I don’t think they will. They seem like very nice people. This was the least I could do considering I ran them over with my shopping cart. I can see that this is upsetting you and I’ll admit now that I am seeing that it makes you this upset I might not have done it, but I like to always see the good in people.” Patton says in his stern almost fatherly voice.

“But, Pat, you can’t always afford to. We have two random strangers sitting in our living room. As we speak they could be laying out plans to rob us.”  

________

“No offense Logan, but Patton is gonna get himself killed with how trusting he is.”  

“I am aware of this fact I hope to address this problem in the future. However, at this time I think we should focus on the issue with your Ward first.” Logan says slightly grimacing at how easily they were invited over to his Ward's house.

“Oh, right! So, what’s the plan for telling Virgil he is danger?”  Roman asks waiting for directions. Logan freezes, eyes bulging, at a sudden realization that flies through his head.

“It seems I have made a slight miscalculation in my plan.” Logan says not ready to elaborate on his mistake.

“What, what happened? What did you not think of?” Roman asks suddenly frantic.

Logan drops his head in shame, “I didn’t think this far ahead. I don’t know what we are going to tell your Ward.”

“You have got to be kidding me Logan. I tied my wings and threw myself in the path of a fast moving shopping cart and you didn’t think this far ahead.”

Logan thinks fast on his feet trying to fix his error, “Perhaps the Gatherer has attached himself to an object in the house. Maybe, if we find that object and remove it we won’t even have to tell your Ward anything.” Logan says, trying desperately to amend his egregious error.

“Do you know for sure that the Gatherer has attached itself to an item?” Roman asks skeptically.

“In full honesty… No I do not know for sure. I know that Gatherer’s require something to attach themselves to but it can be anywhere from a physical object like a phone or candlestick to something less removable like a person or a shadow. However, the more common Gatherer can only attach themselves to physical objects so that would be the first things we should check. Also if we can gain their trust we might get invited over again if we are in fact unsuccessful.”

Roman didn’t like the fact that they may not be able to help Virgil right away, but at the moment this is all they can do without totally breaking every rule as a Guardian. So he agreed to Logan’s idea and began searching for any item that seems off.

___________

After several minutes of Virgil lecturing Pattern on how dangerous his actions were, and Patton defending his decisions, the two had finally reached a stalemate. Neither one was moving on their position. So finally Virgil gave up. He didn’t like the idea of the men, albeit very attractive men, alone in the house for longer than they already had been. So he conceded to Patton that they would not kick them out immediately and let them have dinner with them. At his tiny victory Patton squealed enthusiastically.  He was sure the two men were good people and had no malicious intent to Virgil or himself. He finished putting away the groceries and preparing for dinner and decided it was time to properly welcome his two guests into their home.

________

Roman and Logan had been rummaging through stuff so they hadn’t heard Patton and Virgil’s conversation coming to a close. However, they did hear the footsteps as they quickly approached the living room. Roman had found what looked to be a very ugly, but very expensive antique teddy bear. It looked very evil to him staring its beady little eyes at him, but when he picked it up it had felt completely normal. However, with the fast approaching feet he panicked.

He chucked the stuffed bear at Logan’s head, “Hide it they are gonna think we are stealing from them!” Roman said frantically.”

Logan in a similar panic from being caught off guard tossed the bear back, “You found it, You hide it!”  

“No, you hide it!”

“No, you!”

This continued on with the small bear being tossed across the room several times. The poor bear had it been alive would have feared for it’s very life. Finally, they heard a small laugh from, the doorway.

“Oh dear, what are you two fellas doing with my bear?” Patton said in an authoritative voice, with his hands placed on his hips. Virgil is hunched in on himself almost hiding behind Patton, but he is glaring daggers into Roman who is holding the bear.

Roman’s chest clenches. He feels guilty that he has created that look of anger on his Ward’s face. Lucky for Roman, Logan thinks fast on his feet to explain, “I apologize for our odd behavior. Roman here saw your bear and found it interesting, so he picked it up to examine it. However, at hearing you approaching we panicked thinking you, might think we were stealing from you. Especially given our unknown background. I would understand if you wish for us to leave.” Logan answers honestly as possible. Roman looks at him like he has lost his mind. They couldn’t possibly leave now Virgil is still in danger.

Patton smiles, “There is no need for you fellas to leave. It is quite an adorable little bear I can see the interest.” It was Virgil's turn now to look at his friend like he is insane. How can Patton possibly think it is safe for them to stay in their house? Patton sensing Virgil's aprehnsion elaborates. “You don’t look like you are lying and you seem like you are good people. However…” Patton’s smile drops for just a second but because he is behind him Virgil misses the cold look in his eyes, “Do not abuse my trust.” As soon as this was said he lightened back up and gave a wide smile.   

Completely unnerved Roman and Logan nod vigorously at the small man. Who apparently can be quite intimidating when he wants to be. “Now, which one of you would like to help me make our dinner?” Patton asks cheerly.

“I can assist you.” Logan offers. Roman can’t help, but hear the enthusiasm that would go missed to unknowing ears.

Patton nudges Virgil, “Can you keep Roman entertained then.”

“I will watch him to make sure he doesn’t take anything.”

“Virgil!”

“Sorry, Pat I am not one for sugar coating things. I do not care if they know that I don’t trust them.”  Virgil growled.
“They’re our guests.” Patton responded.

“Your guests Patton, not mine.” Virgil said cautiously seeing he was making Patton distraught and starting to feel guilty for saying anything. Patton pouted.

Seeing that the two were both upset Roman stepped in. “No, worries I totally understand your concern, Virgil was it, it's a good thing to be cautious. It shows that you want to keep those around you and yourself safe, and that is a good thing.”

Virgil looks at him wearily, his eyes still unsure, but then he looked at the man’s hopeful face. God he looks like he wants to help so bad. Virgil’s resolve wavers.  Patton places a reassuring hand on Virgil’s back, and his shoulders loosen slightly. He then averts his gaze and goes from aggressive to submissive. His pale face blushes slightly. “Um.. thanks… Pat you can go make dinner now.”

Patton smiles a big toothy grin, “Okay!”