Gustave dragged Luke onto the boat and away from the birds he had been feeding.

Luke frowned, he had never seen Gustave so stressed in his entire life.

"Father? What's wrong with Eli?" Luke questioned.

Gustave felt a bit sick to his stomach, he was a father, and he hadn't even had 9 months notice.

He suddenly realized what taking care of Luke meant, it meant him and Autumn would never newlyweds, never be alone. But he reminded himself it was worth it, Luke was worth it.

Gustave felt his voice choke out an answer, "There was an accident, he got hurt."

Autumn rushed the bags over, breathing heavily, "That's everything."

"I've never left New York," Luke whispered with a quiver.

"You'll love it," Autumn said with a smile, she had taken upon herself to make sure that Gustave would smile at least once a day. She had never seen Erik in him more than she had these past three days. They had enjoyed their dinner with friends in peace until Gustave had discovered the second somber letter underneath the first.

The boat ride was long and tedious, and not even Lukes sea sickness was amusing enough to keep the burden off Gustave's mind.

"What if he's dead," Gustave whispered one night turning to Autumn.

"Gustave!"Autumn scolded, "Don't you dare even think it."

"I'd never forgiven myself. I'm supposed to watch him, I'm supposed to be there for him."

Autumn placed a warm comforting hand on his cheek, "Gustave, no brother travels halfway across the world for someone they don't care about."

"He's so young," Gustave sighed, "Too young Autumn I can't- Who would shoot a Child?!"

"The same people who hunt your father, who plague Ilios because they don't know where she's from. The world is cruel Gustave, but we can't hide him from it."

Gustave shook his head, "Fathers never going to let him out now. Never again. I can only imagine, when my mother was shot, he lost all control he-"

Autumn watched in silent grief as Gustave's voice broke.

"I'm sorry," he laughed through a sniffle, "I just-"

"I know," Autumn said with a nod. "I know."

--------

"Hurts," Eli whimpered, his eyes searching his Doctors.

"I know," Fred nodded, "But it needs to be done if you want to get better."

Eli nodded and bit hard on his blanket as Fred poured the alcohol on the wound to sterilize it.

"When is your brother getting here?" Fred asked curiously.

"Morrow," Eli muttered.

"That's a shame, two more days and you would have been able to tackle him with a lasso of your own."

Eli gave a small smile.

"There!" Fred exclaimed, "I knew you had some humor in there somewhere."

Elis smile quickly vanished and his brazen humor returned, his skin growing paler and his mind weaker.

"Listen, kid," Fred sighed, "I'm not your family, I won't give you some sugar-coated lie. Your sick, you might die, you might not. These next few days are crucial. You understand?"

Eli stared blankly, for days they had all been telling him he'd be fine, and in all honesty, he didn't want to be. It was this stark honesty, this fact of death approaching that made Eli tremble.

Fred put a hand on his shoulder, "I need you to listen carefully and do as I say. You need to eat. You need to rest."

Eli nodded scaredly.

"You're the quietest patient I've ever had you know?" Fred smiled. "Besides my wife. And my daughter, hardly utters a word that girl, too busy stuffing herself with candies."

Eli seemed to pay more attention now.

"I spoil that child but heaven knows she deserves it." he continued on in more detail after a curious look from Eli, "She was sick, when she was born early, she wouldn't eat, wouldn't sleep, it was looking rough. But she pulled through, with my help. That's how I met my wife, I was her doctor. One thing led to another and-"

He pointed with a hearty laugh to the ring on his finger, "And now," he hissed teasingly, "I'm trapped."

Eli grinned as Anabel popped her head around the doorway. "You're what?" She snapped.

"Nothing dear, I said misshaped. This whole thing was a terrible mishap." He gave a small wink to Eli and flashed his charming smile at his wife.

"How is she?"

"Your fathers taking good care of her not to worry," Anabel nodded, "She's doing fine. Even without the candy."

Fred frowned, "She should have something special."

Anabel rolled her eyes, "Honestly Fred you'll rot her teeth out."

"Doesn't matter what she looks like," Fred smiled, wrapping his two strong hands around Anabel's waist, "As long as she's part of you I'll adore her till my dying days."

Eli gave a small uncomfortable cough and the two separated with a blush.

"Right," Fred nodded clearing his throat. "What was I doing then- Ah yes," he returned to Elis bedside, sitting him up carefully and helping him to eat his food.

"The baby?"

Fred smiled and gave a nod, "Healthy. You know your mother thinks that your slow for your age. I think shes misjudged you."

Eli looked away and Anabel nodded, confirming Fred suspicion.

"I think you're a very talented young man Eli. More talented than you let on."

"What you speak of I know not," Eli stated firmly.

Fred shrugged continuing to spoon the warm soup into Elis' mouth. "I'm just saying, to calculate the angles of that curtain so fast, to make it all the way to the catwalk, and with your sister on your back too, why shes nearly as big as you are, and quite as heavy."

Eli gave a small shrug, "Lucky guess."

Fred stared back, his face showing no signs of amusement for the first time Eli could remember since their acquaintance began. "Lucky guesses get you killed."

"I did get dieded," Eli remarked playing dumb, "Almoset."

Fred frowned, but then his face softened.

A game. A test. Slowly creeping into his intelligent mind.

"Fine. I must have been mistaken," Fred shrugged. "You know, to save you, Eli, you are looking quite pale, I think we'll have to remove the arm. Yes, the whole arm completely."

Elis eyes widened, "What?!"

"Your arm we'll have to take it off."

Elis' mouth hung open. Was he joking?

"Yes," Fred nodded solemnly, "Its a necessary evil. You see the bullet is stuck in your arm and we'll have to remove it."

"But you can't!" Eli spoke weakly, "You couldn't!"

Fred looked on him with intrigue, "And why not?!"

"Because!" Eli shrieked.

Fred frowned and Anabel tried not to laugh, "Well little Eli, that's not a very scientific reason. no, unless there was a very good medical reason, I see no point as to why the whole thing cant just go."

He reached for the scapel and Eli was ready to muster all remaining life to run away.

"No!" he called hoarsely, "I'm dying of loss of blood, there's no infection, amputation would only worsen my condition and put me in a state of critical care and temporary paralysis from shock."

Fred slowly set down the scalpel and smiled. "Temporary paralysis from shock eh?"

Eli bit his tongue, realizing his outburst and nodded hesitantly.

"Fascinating, isn't it Anabel, what they're teaching 7-year-old these days."

Anabel nodded with a smile, giving a glance to her husband, "Fascinating."

Fred ruffled Elis hair, "Your secret is safe with us. I think, with proper care, you'll pull through Eli. You'll find a way."

Fred gathered his things and watched as Eli collapsed into a brief fit of convulsions and chills before falling into a deep sleep.

"How is he really?" Anabel sighed, her arms crossed on her chest.

Fred moaned and rubbed his hand on the back of his neck, "I couldn't say. He's so small, it's unprecedented, everything has to be changed, every medicine dose every procedure. All I can hope is that I'm doing everything right."

"Gustaves coming," Anabel sighed, "Last time I saw Autumn she was coming after him."

Fred closed his eyes at the pain of the memory and shook his head, "It's all behind me dear. We found each other, that's all I need."

"Still," Anabel murmured, "He might blame you, Fred. He has a temper worse than Erik when he wants to."

"I know," Fred shuddered. "That's why I need to save him. Our daughter needs a father and I intend to be there."

Anabel watched in fascination as a new look of determination swept her husbands face.

"I intend to get that boy better," Fred stated, "And more than that, I intend on him showing everyone just what he's capable of."

"How?" Anabel laughed.

Fred sighed putting a hand to the bridge of his nose, "That's the question isn't it? How?"