". . . somehow..." Madison said quietly as she just stared off to the side, not looking at anything.

He stayed with her for about an hour before heading off to look into getting her some food. Sure enough, he returned with it, and she accepted it... but when he checked in on her a couple hours later, she hadn't eaten any of it.

And it continued like that for what seemed like forever.

She wasn't eating much, was losing a lot fo weight, and it wasn't hard to tell that she had shut in on herself, lamenting what had happened. Her school work continued, and she did about as well as was surprising. She didn't actually chat with people, though. Even those that she'd potentially considered friends in the past weren't hearing anything from her.

She basically shut down. She was doing what she needed, and her grades were improving - if anything. She was devoting her everything to her studies, but there was an emptiness to her, still.

It was something that no one could deny, or get away from. And it was affecting her.

Sure, her grades were improving, but her health wasn't. She ate and drank enough to survive, but... that was it.

---

Aimee was silent as she set her bag down before making her way over to her brother and sitting down next to him. She wrapped an arm around him, her mana going from her to him to help him at least a little bit.

"Hey..." She said, almost hesitant.

She knew what the problem was. It wasn't something surprising, as they'd been over this quite a bit by this point.

"Lex, it's ok." She said after a moment or two. She knew it wouldn't likely be taken seriously, or he'd snap on her, but it was, at least, something.

---

Aimee was silent for a moment as she just pulled her brother in close.

"I don't know what we can do." She said before sighing.

"I... may have a small solution for her mood though." She told him honestly.

"I'm not sure... but maybe...?" She pulled something out of her bag and set it on the coffee table. AS she did so, he saw that it was a few pages that were staples together.

---

"Hollie herself is the one that suggested it." Aimee answered with a light laugh.

"I think her love of history will count for more than one might thing." She added.

"It's.... well, all we can do is try, really." She finished with before sighing.

"Take it up, see if she'll respond. Maybe... maybe she will."

---

There was silence from within the room before he heard a sigh.

"Sure." She answered, her voice as deadpan as was pretty much the standard lately. As he made his way into the room, he saw her sitting at her desk, writing something, by hand no less.

She didn't say anything as she set the pen down and turned in her chair to face her.

"Yes?" She asked

---

Madison was silent as she accepted what he'd brought. She took a look at it, and paused.

"Wait... what?" She asked.

"How the hell..." She paused before meeting his gaze. There was... something... there. Something more than had been there in what felt like forever, but it had only been a couple years.

".... this ... could take me away for ... " she double checked "...months if I'm accepted. is... are you really ok with that?" She asked after a moment or two.

---

Madison was silent, completely silent, as Lex said all he did. She didn't know what to say before just sighing.

"Maybe." She said simply.

"... Maybe." She repeated after a minute or two. It may not have been much, but he could hear the interest. She may not be showing it quite as she used to, but it was there. Even if subdued and tiny... The interest was there.

Before the lock, she'd expressed interest of going on a dig at some point if she ever could. Seemed that desire, while small, was still there.

---

Madison was silent, not knowing what to say or make of this, but at least Lex was able to tell that there was something that wasn't there before.

Lex, being himself, he made his way downstairs and ended up falling asleep on the couch. He woke acouple hours later to something smelling good in the kitchen. When he made his way out to see who he expected would be his sister, he saw Madison cooking instead. She paused as she heard his footsteps, but didn't say anything.

---

Madison just sighed lightly as she set the pan down on the burner after transfering what had been in it to a pot with a sauce.

". . . I'm making food." She answered. She still sounded as she had before, but there was certainly something to her voice.

"Just go sit. It'll be done soon." She added before pausing.

"And chicken cacciatore."

---

Sure enough, about fifteen minutes later, Madison called out for him to come to the table for food.

By the time he reached the table, there was already food there and she was sitting in one of the seats, almost looking disinterested.

"I know you have questions." She then said as he took his seat. "So ask. Can't promise I'll answer though."

---