Chapter Text
Things were going better than expected. Caleb and Beau were able to get invitations to the party masquerading as a married couple with minimal effort and they had succeeded in keeping the head honcho busy and out of his office long enough for Nott to sneak in and get the information they needed for the Gentleman. This con was the accumulation of weeks of planning, of assimilating into local politics, and weeks of hell for both Caleb and Beau being forced to live and present as a married couple. But it was finally going to pay off.
At the moment, the three of them were hastening through a long room, off limits to guests, as a means of escape from the party. "Warte auf, halt...." Caleb slowed to a stop in front of a glass display case. Beau turned back to watch him. "What now Caleb? We've got to go man." Beau was shifting from foot to foot waiting for guards to rush in any moment. Their good luck was bound to run out eventually.
"What's going on in there?" Came Fjords voice to all three of their minds. A little spell Caleb picked up before this mission to help them stay in touch. "I don't know Fjord. Caleb’s gone all ogly over a piece of dirty old junk in here." She replies before tugging on Caleb’s coat sleeve, much nicer and cleaner then his usual travel coat. "Caleb, what is it?"
Instead of replying Caleb turns to Nott, "If I open a portal in the case, could you mage hand that ring out to me?"
Nott, who had been silently watching Caleb during this transaction replies "Sure. But it's not very shiny. I've got shinier ones at home if you want a ring Caleb."
"Nein." Caleb starts summoning an arcane gate. "Thank you Liebling, but this one is perfect for what I need." As he finished speaking a small portal opens on the ground between him and Nott, a matching one inside the glass container. Caleb freezes and glances around, listening for any kind of alarm to be sounded from the use of magic on the container, but this city was not accustomed to magic users, and the city government didn’t care enough about historical junk to protect it. “Okay Nott, go ahead.” Nott casts mage hand and goes through the first portal into the case to grab the ring. “Come on come on....” Beau anxiously checks the doors. She’d feel much better when she was out of this dress and back in her robes.
“Voilà!” Nott holds up the ring triumphantly. Caleb grins as he takes it from her, putting it on one of his fingers and ruffling her hair as he dismisses the gates. “Wunderbar Nott. Thank you.” He glances around like he's coming back from a dream, “Beau, what are you waiting for? Lets go!” And he tugs Nott along continuing their escape. Beau huffs but starts moving behind them. “We’re on our way Fjord, be ready with the distraction.”
As they reach the main door to the museum and start descending the stairs Beau thinks they might actually be in the clear. “Hey, you! Stop right there!” Beau accelerates, shoving Caleb in front of her to make him go faster. “Any time man....” She says into the link to Fjord. She can hear the guards footsteps on the stairs behind her when suddenly a loud “BOOM” is heard from the back courtyard shaking the ground making her loose her footing momentarily barely having time to catch herself as she hears the guard get knocked on his ass sputtering, “w-wha-”
The party of three reach the bottom of the steps and round a corner where Caleb casts Seeming to make them all appear dressed like the caterers for the party and head further down the sidewalk where they nearly run head on with Jester actually dressed in a server uniform coming out of an ally from behind the museum. Beau has just enough strength to stop from getting knocked over. “Ung! Hey Jes. Slow down before you barrel over someone. Geez...” She set Jester standing up right and sees Fjord in his uniform and can't help but grin, trying to suppress a laugh. “Why Fjord, you look so dapper.”
They start off across the street, putting distance between them and the museum before heading towards the inn where Yasha and Caduceus were waiting. “Doesn't he?!” Jester trills linking arms with Fjord and begins crooning over how handsome he looks. She notices Fjord turning a darker green before turning her attention back to Caleb. He’s flexing and unflexing his hand admiring his new ring. The look on his face is unreadable, but that could also be the spell he cast masking his expressions. She could never be sure with him. “Where on our way back; so far so good,” she sends to Yasha and Cad, not taking her eyes off Caleb.
“Hey Caleb.” He doesn't look up. He’s entranced by the ring so she shoulder checks him, not hard enough to hurt him, but enough to cause him to stumble. “Exandria to weirdo. What is that thing? Why was it so important to get?”
“Oh, uh. It isn't necessarily important. It just looks familiar...” He stops to consider the item. “I believe I have read about this ring. If it is what I think, I could use it for a very powerful spell in the future. Something good... Very gut.....” Caleb trails off and stares at his hand again.
“Okay... Good talk.” She turns to check on Fjord and Jester and see Jester still trying to flirt at a flustered Fjord so she turns to Nott. “Hey Nott. Get anything cool when you were in that guys office?” Nott grins and starts listing off all the new shinnies she took as they walk to the inn.
***
It took them a few days to get back to Zadash. The trip was unremarkable in every way. The only exception was Caleb being extra weird and standoffish. Except, that was pretty normal so to think of it, yeah, unremarkable. They were quick to deliver the information Nott had snagged and receive their pay. But as soon as they stepped out of the Evening Nip Caleb held Beau back telling the rest to continue on ahead. “Uh Beauregard. I have a favor to ask.” He was back to not making eye contact even after pretending to be married for nearly 3 weeks.
“Spit it out man. And it better not be some weird couple shit. That was all fake, you know that right?” She eyes him suspiciously.
Finally Caleb makes eye contact in a glare. “Yes Beauregard," his voice hard with exasperation. "I know it was fake. You prefer the company of women. And I...” He trails off breaking eye contact to look over her shoulder before shaking his head and looking at the top of her top knot in true Caleb fashion. “It is not a weird thing. I just need to get into the library again. Will you please escort me?”
Beau adjusts her stance leaning on her staff. "Uh... Sure. But I thought you said you've already read through all the important stuff. There wasn't anything left for you there."
"There isn't. Uh, wasn't. Eh its hard to explain. I need to reread something. I need to refresh my memory." Beau scoffs but starts walking towards the Cobalt reserve library.
"Well come on then Mr. Lionett." She mocks him.
"Please stop calling me that...." he grumbles as he follows her.
***
"No... no... no... Wo war es....." Caleb runs his fingers along shelf after shelf looking for something specific. He had said he remembered the section the book he was looking for was in, however once they got here his “impeccable memory” had failed him. She's followed him through nearly half this wing trailing behind him as he read every book spine. Beau turns away finding the girl behind the counter watching her. Beau winks at her and the girl blushes and looks away.
"Ah hah!" Caleb straightens up suddenly holding a small book.
"Shhhh." several monks turned in their direction with stern expressions.
"Ah sorry. Its a very good book..." Caleb stage whispers sheepishly before heading to one of the furthest unoccupied corners and opening the book skimming. Beau watches as Caleb's face goes from hopeful to pensive to ecstatic. "Beau..." He snaps the book closed and grabs her by her shoulders. "This is gut. Very gut." He kisses her cheek excitedly. Before letting her go and starts walking along the wall, glancing around and looking out each window.
"Ugh Caleb what the hell man?" Beau wipes her cheek where he kissed her and follows him.
"I am about to do something slightly illegal. Again…. Will you turn me in?" Caleb pauses by a window and turns to Beau expectantly.
Beau looks between Caleb's face and the book in his hands, then the window. She grins. "Why, Mr. Lionett, are you about to steal a book?" She glances around dropping her voice further. "The minute that book crosses the windowsill alarms are going to blare. What's the plan?"
"Just be my look out." He stuffs the book into his coat and then begins casting a spell. In front of him, just like at the museum, a portal appears. A second portal appears outside the library across the street near a tree. He looks back to Beau, "fingers crossed..." and steps through.
Beau braces for alarms but nothing happens. She watches as Caleb emerges across the street and looks towards the library with a questioning look. Beau gives him a thumbs up and then turns her back to the window to keep watch. At first shes surprised that worked, but then she realized that every non Cobalt Soul visitor is supposed to be escorted by a monk, and the library isn’t expecting one of their own to allow a wizard to steal anything. Beau smiles to herself as she looks for snoopers.
Outside, Caleb takes off his scarf and looks around before wrapping the book up and putting it in the crook of the tree. He takes one last hesitant look before stepping back through the portal and back into the library. "Lets go," he says before briskly walking towards the exit. "Thank you. Goodbye." He says to the attendant as he whisks past the front door.
"Thanks," Beau winks at the attendant again as she leaves.
They make their way around the building and courtyard to the tree where Caleb hid the book and he reaches to take it down. He puts the book back into his coat and replaced the scarf around his neck as he starts walking. "Thank you Beauregard. This will be a very good thing if I am right."
Beau eyes him as they walk back to the inn, her eyes glues to the back of his head as if she can suddenly read his mind if she tried hard enough.
When they walk into the Leaky Tap, Nott immediately rushes them. "Caleb, I got you some more ink! I know you ran out last week." She pulls a small inkwell from one of her many pockets and gives it to him.
"Oh thank you liebling, you did not have to do that." He takes it from her and puts it away carefully. They follow Nott to the table where the rest are seated laughing at one of Jester's sketches of the head chef from the kitchen of thelast job.
Beau plops down between Yasha and Fjord and grabs for some meat off Fjords plate. "Caleb had me locked up in that torture room all day. What did you all get up to?"
"I did not force you. You could have said no." Caleb takes a seat but glances to the stairs, and rubs the corner of the book through his coat.
As the others started talking about their day Beau kept watching Caleb fiddle with the book. "Hey Caleb." She interrupts Jester as she was talking about a new spell she had learned. "You look exhausted man. Why don't you head up early and get some shut eye?" Caleb looked like he was about to argue so she raised her eyebrow.
"Oh yes Caleb. You look very tired. As your primary doctor I suggest a good meal and more sleep. Right Caddy?" Jester looks to Caduceus sitting between her and Fjord.
“Good food and good sleep can work wonders on a tired body and soul.” Cad answers, nodding to Jester then looking over Caleb’s fidgeting. “You feeling alright Mr. Caleb?”
"Oh, uh, yes I am just very tired as Beau said. That last assignment and then all that time at the library. I think I will just go rest my eyes. Good night everyone." He kisses Nott on the head as he stands and waves to the table before practically running upstairs.
"It's only just past midday. He must be very tired indeed," Caduceus says watching Caleb’s retreating figure before the conversation picks back up.
***
It's dinner the next night before they see Caleb again. When he comes down it is very obvious to anyone caring enough to look that he did not, in fact, "rest his eyes."
When Nott had tried to go to bed the night before, Caleb told her he wasn't feeling up to touch or company that night, and asked her if she could stay with the girls to give him some space. Though rare, Caleb sometimes needed a night away from others to regain some sanity, so Nott of course agreed. But only after forcing him to drink a tankard of water in true mom-friend fashion before she scampered away to the other room.
That morning when Fjord made wake-up calls, Caleb pretended to be sleeping in, which was not uncommon when he stayed up so late transcribing spells or reading so they let him be. But when they sent Nott to check on him at lunch and she only got mumbled responses as he scribbled notes at the desk, she noticed that the bed was not even touched. Again these things were not uncommon behavior for Caleb, but that did not mean they thought it was healthy. They decided to give him until morning to get this out of his system before they intervened with Caduceus' sleepy tea.
So seeing Caleb come down for dinner was clearly a relief. The bags under his eyes and the anxious look on his face however were not. "Caleb? Did you find a new spell?" Nott asks.
"Hmm? Oh. Uh yes. In a way. A theory more so." He begins picking at the plate Nott put in front of him absentmindedly, not actually eating much. His mind is clearly still in his books upstairs.
"A theory? About magic? You're so smart Caleb. Isn't he?" Nott turns to the rest of the Nein, watching Caleb with varying expressions of concern.
Fjord clears his throat. "Of course he is." He pushes a tankard of water over the table towards them. "Is this a theory we can help with? You know we love to help with those experiments of yours."
"Oh yes!" Jester adds excitedly. "The last time when you had me and Caddy cast Inflict wounds and Cure wounds at the same time was so fun! Who knew our magic would react that way. I would love to do that ag--"
"Uh okay, maybe not that again." Fjord interjects nervously. "Please... Not that…"
Caleb looks from Nott’s concern, to Fjords overly eager offer to help, to Caduceus watching him like a hawk. "Listen, I appreciate this. Thank you. I do not mean to worry you. I have found a very interesting book, but I am finished with it now." He makes the effort to meet all of their gazes, except Yasha who is looking down at the table. "Truly, thank you. And uh, I actually am quite tired. I think I will go lie down and get some actual sleep." He stands, grabbing a chunk of bread from his barely touched food and heads back upstairs. They all watch him go before they turn back to their table.
"So..... Anyone else think he's acting like, suuuper weird?" asks Jester as she doodles a sleep walking zombie Caleb in her journal.
Beau coughs out a laugh. "You mean weirder then his normal weird?"
"You heard him," Nott starts, "he was working on a theory. And now he's finished it. I'm sure he's going to go up there and get a good night's sleep."
"I'm sure he will now that he's drank my tea." They turn towards Caduceus as he speaks. "I slipped it into that water he was drinking. He should be asleep in no time."
"It's probably nothing." Fjord adds. "He was like this before the museum job too, working on that telepathic mind thing. Whatever he's doing, I'm sure it's for the betterment of himself, which in turn betters us as a unit, okay? We just have to be here to make sure he doesn't burn himself out."
Nott pops up from under the table between Fjord and Caduceus, pointing an angry finger at the latter, "you roofied my boy?!!"