We got stuck on the road for 4 hours on Saturday :') I'm okay...

~~~

Rory woke up first.

She didn't know the exact time, but it looked like the sun was about to rise. It was pretty early.

Decha was still in a deep sleep. To Rory, that was a good sign. Not only did it mean she could sneak out of the room without anyone noticing, but she could complete what she originally came in for.

She wanted to fix his gloves. Even if what Decha said was true, she felt like she needed to do more.

Decha was skilled in close combat, but the problem was that he was very used to offensive attacks. It's not that he was bad at defensive moves, but he needed to work on them more.

Rory remembered the last time she saw him and Jax fight. Decha was extremely talented. He was fast. He was focused. But he lacked a range of defense.

Rory pulled the gloves off of his hands carefully. Fortunately for her, she remained in his slumber. The wound must've had a strong impact on him. He had never been this sound before.

Rory rubbed her thumb across the padding. What exactly could she do for Decha to utilize both defensive and offensive attacks to his full capability?

Weapons were illegal to make without a license, so she needed to find a way to upgrade the gloves without breaking the law.

Although she saw him fight, she still didn't know where his skill set lies. How much could he do? He was able to shoot a blaster gun although close combat was his primary focus.

Rory stopped to think. Close combat ranged in variety. If she remembered correctly, Sector A had an ancient traditional fighting technique. The history books she read at Grandell said so.

Rory pulled out her phone and began to search for the name of it, or the description she could best think of.

"Astell's ancient treasure..." Rory mumbled to herself in reading. "The void staff is one of the oldest weapons in Astellian history. It was crafted by a hybrid man...?" Rory scrolled down to read more.

The article described a weapon that was used in the first war. It was a wooden staff with sharp tongs at the ends of it. The weapon was great for blocking blows, as well as striking an opponent from a close or wide range.

It was ranked under the close combat category. But the rating for it was low, as the technique got lost over time. No one remembered how to fight the same way. A few false historians have claimed to know it, but they were proven to be phonies.

Other than that, there wasn't much information on the skill.

Rory sighed in disappointment, but she didn't lose hope. She wanted to craft something similar within the gloves. A long staff seemed too much for Decha. So she got the idea of splitting them into two short sticks that would connect to a staff when necessary.

She acknowledged that Decha was a fast learner. He was good with both of his hands. Two sticks were probably better than one. The staff would materialize in his hands and disappear the moment he finished fighting.

And what if she added an extra effect? She wanted to use the same energy from blasters in the staff.

The energy beams that came out of Astellian weapons were coated in a barrier heavy enough to knock someone back or prevent a strike as if it were a shield.

Rory nodded to herself. She liked that idea very much. But she had to work fast. She wasn't sure how long Decha would stay asleep.

~~~

"How do you feel?" Jessica was very surprised to find Decha in the dining room so late in the afternoon. She was more surprised by the fact that he stayed in and was getting rest.

Decha's hair was a bit of a mess. He had dark rings forming under his eyes. His center was still bandaged. Jessica would have to change it later.

He placed down his glass of water and glanced at her lazily. "Better,"

"I see." Jessica smiled at him. "You see what happens when you take a break once in a while? This is why you should listen to me more. You, men, don't understand the value of a woman's words."

Jessica grabbed a bowl of roasted fish and placed 2 pieces on his plate. "You should eat to regain all the energy you lost. Afterward, I'll have the maids prepare a warm bath for you."

"I'm not staying for long. I just slept through my alarm." Decha nudged the plate away and began to stand, but Jessica grabbed his shoulder and slammed him back into the chair. "Agh!" Decha swore and glared at his mother. It was almost like she forgot he was in pain.

"You're not going anywhere today. I already called your father about letting you have time to heal."

"I have an investigation to complete. I'm on a time limit!"

"Not anymore you don't." Jessica placed the plate of fish and other dishes right in front of him. "When your father gets back from work, you can talk to him all about it. But for now,"

Jessica brushed Decha's hair and kissed the top of his head while leaning dangerously forward. "You're going to eat and rest. I'll prepare a hot bath for you,"

Decha felt a slight chill over his bare shoulder. His mother's tone came across as very threatening. "Also, after your bath, there's something I want to discuss with you. Meet me in the infirmary."

"Fine," Decha leaned forward and picked up one of the pieces of fish. When he bit into it, his mother backed away in satisfaction.

Occasionally, she had to remind the men in her life who the boss of the household really was. All she had to do was teach Rory the same method.

Jessica left the room after commanding one of the maids to clean after Decha once he was finished. And just as she said, she made sure to ask the maids to fill the bath with hot water for Decha.

Rory walked in soon after, along with Avon following close behind. The moment he felt Decha's presence, he rushed over to him.

"Decha!"

"Avon," Decha widened his eyes. He'd never seen the little boy run and avoid obstacles like that before. "You shouldn't run like that."

He feared that the child would fall and hurt himself. He was blind after all.

"No worries." Rory chipped in. "He's wearing VATE. He can't see you, but it's training his muscle memory so he knows where to go."

Decha blinked at Rory in surprise and helped the boy onto his lap. Then he studied the small earpiece that was tucked into his ear. "You made sure to test it well enough so there are no mistakes?"

It's not that he didn't trust Rory's inventions, but his little brother was involved. He was very protective and weary about everything offered to him.

"You know I did," Rory sat beside him and picked up his glass, not knowing it belonged to him. She pressed the tip of it to her lips and drank the water.

"That's... mine..." Decha pointed at her.

"What?" Rory brought the glass away and looked at where he was pointing. When she realized what she did, she panicked. "Oh gosh! I'm so sorry!"

Decha grabbed the glass out of her hands and placed it back on the table. He was getting annoyed by all her apologies. "We've already kissed before, no need to act so—"

Rory slapped her hand over his mouth, surprising him into silence. "You... you can't say that!"

"Why not?" Decha raised a brow at her.

"Because there's a child! I don't want Jessica to find out."

"Avon? He's not gonna tell anyone." Decha shrugged. "You're good at keeping secrets, right Von?"

"Yeah!"

"Don't tell mom,"

"Okay."

"Decha, he's a child! He might not even remember that it's a secret!"

"Avon is very smart. Not like other kids his age." Decha scoffed. "I told you that before."

"I won't tell mommy, Roree," Avon promised.

Rory wiped her mouth and looked down at Decha's plate on the table. "Decha, I have a question. Well, a small concern. I wouldn't say it's a concern though, because it's simple."

"What is it?" Decha shoved a spoon full of rice into his mouth.

"Do you know much about the first war? There are not many records of it in the books. Even the textbooks I use for my history class tread lightly about it."

"The first war was almost 800 years ago. Documents about it got lost over time."

"I know," Rory bit her lip nervously. She was trying to figure out if he knew anything about the ancient techniques hybrid warriors used during that time.

"From what I found on the web, I learned that there was a major group of men who had a combat system similar to the Generals today. If you had the chance to go back in time... would you want to learn from them?"

"Their system is very outdated. I learned a bit about it when I was a cadet. But they've proven to be a waste."

"Oh." Rory frowned.

"Why are you asking about it?"

"I've been studying. You know, so I'm still at the same level when I go back to Grandell." Rory lied.

"Don't overwork yourself," Decha advised, wanting her to keep alert about her time and energy.

"Same to you," Rory smiled. "Are you going to be busy today?"

"I was, but I think the Sectors will be disturbed by Jessica if I attempt to leave." Decha huffed jokingly, but he still kept a stern face.

"So you'll be home all day?"

"Seems like it." Decha turned to face her. "Why?"

"Well... I just... want to spend some time with you."

"Haven't you already?" Decha was talking about the night before when they shared a moment.

"Not like that... I want it to be a bit more... formal. If it's okay with you." Rory wanted a date from him. An official one. Not just deep conversations that led her to confusion. "Maybe you can show me your old paintings?"

"Is that all?"

"Um... well maybe we can watch something together? I have some cool recommendations." Rory imagined it. She wanted to watch an action-packed romance movie. And during the middle of it, she wanted to hold his hand.

"I'd... rather not. Movies bore me easily." Decha turned the invitation down. He had watched so many movies and memorized them all, so watching them again would feel repetitive.

"Okay, um... how about this? You can teach me how to paint. I've always wanted to try and create something artistic that was decent." Rory wanted Decha to help guide her like in the movies. Imagining his arms around her made her feel giddy.

Decha laughed at the request. "I've been painting for years. It's not easy to learn. And you already invent. It's somewhere under the art category if I'm not mistaken." Decha felt that painting would be too boring. He had no inspiration and didn't feel in the mood to teach.

Rory was becoming frustrated with all the rejection. She pouted and crossed her arms. She glanced at the window and smiled. "How about a nice long walk in the garden? We can just chat. It's getting warmer outside."

"We're already chatting right now. What's the difference between here and there?"

"Can't you just keep me company for the day, Decha? Why do you have to be so logical all the time?" Rory whined.

Decha stared at her. He didn't want to upset her so he thought carefully about his next words. "Okay."

"Promise me." Rory narrowed her eyes at him.

"I always keep my word."

"Well, just promise me."

"... I promise." Decha rolled his eyes. He didn't understand why she was so serious about it. But there were so many things he didn't understand about her.

~~~

After taking a steamy bath and washing his hair, Decha made his way down the stairs and to the infirmary. His hair was still damp. He didn't have the time to blow dry because he promised to meet with Rory later. So he dried his hair in a towel to save time.

"Decha! Come in." Jessica grabbed Decha by his arm and dragged him into the room before he neared the doorframe. Jessica closed the door behind her and smiled at him.

"What?" Decha pulled away, suspicious of her expression. Although Jessica was a loving parent, he knew that she was up to something odd whenever she smiled at him the way she was.

"I did what you told me. I made sure to run a test based on your last scan."

Decha straightened his shoulders and waited anxiously for Jessica's answer.

"You're compatible."

Decha slumped against the wall and caught himself before he fell to the ground. Jessica helped steady him.

"Decha!" She gasped.

He felt all the warmth on his face disappear. He was so overwhelmed with emotion, he wasn't sure how to react to the news. Deep down, he was ecstatic.

He was eligible to donate one of his kidneys to save Rory. That meant that he could save her. But that also meant he could be a detriment to her if anything happened to him. He had to make sure he was always in the best of health.

"Are you okay?" Jessica grabbed Decha's face and tilted it around. She wanted to make sure he wasn't sick.

"Fine," Decha muttered.

"Your face..."

"I'm... okay..." Decha grabbed her hands softly and nudged them away. "Are you sure about the results?" He wanted to confirm for himself.

"Absolutely. You guys share the same blood type. And you both are a full match."

"When can you start the surgery?"

"Before we even think about that, we have to consider some things."

"What's there to consider?" Decha snapped. "If there's an agreement I have to sign, I'll sign it. The sooner Rory gets surgery, the sooner she can get better. We don't know how long she has left."

"Decha, it's not common for a man to donate his kidney to a woman. It doesn't mean that she won't get better after the transplant, but it means that it'll take some time for her to heal."

Jessica crossed her arms and frowned at him. "We don't know what this will mean for you. Your career—"

"Don't bring that up," Decha growled. As much as he enjoyed working hard to protect the Sectors, he felt saving Rory was more important. She was valuable to both Sectors. Her inventions could save lives.

Rory would be able to prove to everyone the benefit of working together. And not only that, he felt an attachment to her. He wasn't sure if it was love. But the thought of Rory dying made him so uneasy.

"I know you want to make a sacrifice for Rory, but you have to think about the consequences. Don't be rash."

"I've thought about them for a while. That's why I'm serious about doing this."

"Oh, my son," Jessica sighed. She was very proud of him for wanting to do something big for Rory. But she was afraid of what would happen to his mentality. "I just want you to be aware. Donating won't necessarily stop you from being a General. But operating on one kidney will slow you down."

"Then I'll train until I'm up to speed."

"It could take you years to recover, Decha."

"I don't care if it takes an entire lifetime."

"Decha," Jessica began to tear up. "I hate seeing Rory suffer, but I can't bare to see my child become weaker. You have to understand my fear as your mother."

Jessica cupped his face and took a deep breath. This was an important decision. She wanted him to understand that. "I love you so much. I'm not worried about our reputation. I only worry about your health and well-being. Even when you were on the Outside, I couldn't sleep well."

A tear finally escaped. As it fell down her cheek, Decha wiped them away. More continued to fall and Jessica began to sob. "What you're doing for the Sectors is enough. Don't push yourself too hard. I can see guilt in your eyes every time you look at Rory. You don't owe anything to her."

"I'm not doing it because of guilt," Decha stated. "I did at first, but... I don't know what changed."

Admittedly, Decha only took care of Rory because he felt he had to redeem himself for Chai. But, he didn't feel much of that anymore. The guilt he had before was replaced by something he couldn't identify.

He was over Chai. He barely even thought of her. And he couldn't remember the last time he had migraines because of the horrible memories.

Guilt wasn't going to bring Chai back. And he wasn't even sure if he wanted her to come back. If she was alive, there had to have been a reason why she didn't return for a year.

The thought of Rory dying made him feel uncomfortable. It made him uneasy.

He hated when she rambled, but he'd gotten so used to it that he didn't even know what it would be like to not hear it all the time.

And she was always so klutzy around him. Rory always welcomed him with a smile. She was initially the first woman he'd ever encountered who would worry herself sick because of him.

If Bracketers practiced witchcraft or were skilled in manipulation, he knew that Rory wasn't anything like them. Her feelings were real. He could tell.

He unknowingly let all his walls down around her. He didn't have many walls in the first place, but Rory had gotten to know him in ways that no one else has. All because of her stupid persistence. If she wasn't so naive, he wouldn't find himself explaining a lot of things to her.

She broke him. He realized that.

"Rory deserves a chance to accomplish her goals just like I have. If I can help her get to that point, I'm content. I'm saying that it'll feel like the greatest accomplishment to the Sectors I've ever done." Decha explained. "The Sectors need Rory. They need her smarts and her inventions. She can help a lot more people than I ever have."

"... Decha..."

"I can understand where you're coming from, Mom. But I made my decision." Decha wiped the rest of Jessica's tears away and pulled her in for a warm embrace.

"Set a Date for the surgery. And... don't tell Rory that I'll be the one donating."

"Why not?" Jessica sniffled.

"I want her to focus on the positive. She will get worried when she finds out that I'm the donor."