Unsteady; House of Anubis *B2*

[79] House of Phantoms

Fabian knew that she was the closest person in the room who was feeling the same heartbreak he was feeling in that moment. He needed to be strong, be there for Amber.

That's what Camilla would want him to do.

"eh," Fabian turned to his papers and franticly looked through them. He needed to get his friends safely off the board.

"Fabian..." Alfie urged him to hurry as Amber started to shake in a worrying way.

"Everyone retrace your steps." He told them all.

"I can't remember..." Amber whimpered causing an alarmed Alfie to glance from the blonde to Fabian.

"Amber, eh," Fabian glanced down at his notes as he wiped at his eyes, "square to your left and back down the side of the board."

Amber grabbed onto Alfie's hand and the pair stepped together back the way they came.

Patricia grabbing Nina into a hug as the two girls reached the safety of the entrance, Fabian climbing down from the throne.

The moment she was safe Amber's legs gave way and she fell to the floor in a heap, Alfie gathering her into his arms and allowing her to cry into his chest as he rubbed her back. Alfie glanced up at the Sibuna's as a single tear slid down from his warm, butterscotch eyes, followed by another, and another, until soon he too had a steady stream of salty tears flowing their way down his dark cheeks, realising the horror, sadness and sorrow that he had held inside him at the loss of his best friend, but still he didn't make a sound as he comforted the blond girl who had lost her sister.

Nina took Fabian's hand, the boy hunched as if the weight of the world was now on his shoulders to get Camilla back, Patricia on his other side wrapping an arm around his shoulder leaning on him as they all silently stood in their shock.

As they turned to look at the board in horror as it had taken one of their own Robert Frobisher-Smyth's voice echoed around them. "my warnings ignored now count the cost, continue the task and all will be lost. But if fallen friends you wish to reclaim; you have no choice but to finish the game."

"We can get her back..." Nina whispered as she computed the warning.

"If we carry on," Amber whispered looking at the board, "we could lose everyone... but if we don't, we lose Cam forever."

"not an option." Fabian hissed in such a commanding tone they all knew not to argue with him. The boy that stood with them would get his sister back and anyone who stood in his way would learn not to do so again.

"Where ever she is, she must be okay..." Patricia added more for Fabian's benefit than anyone else's.

"it's Cam we're talking about, of course, she's okay." Nina agreed with the girl, "plus the message did say we can reclaim her."

"that doesn't mean she'll be back in one piece though!" Alfie added as he helped Amber to her feet causing the girl to hit him at the thought.

Fabian looked at Alfie horrified before racing off back down the tunnel, Nina race Alfie a look before racing after Fabian.

"Way to spin it, Alfie!" Patricia groaned the moment the two were out of earshot.

"What?!" the boy demanded of the two girls with him, Patricia just shook her head before glaring at the board and moving off.

"he's lost his twin..." Amber whispered to the boy, "his other half, he needs all the hope he can get." She told him.

Alfie looked apologetic for a second as he realised how his words would have sounded to Fabian, before putting an arm around Amber's waist and helping her after their friends.