"Hey four-eyes! You gon' pay for your girlfriend's lunch?" one of the boys in the cafeteria called out. His friends snickered.

Fifteen-year-old Genard Alouette sighed and turned beet red. He was used to hearing things like that, and even more used to being called four-eyes. Kids had been calling him that since he started school ten years before.

Genard's companion and one of his best friends, Mercy Cordeau, glared at the boys and whispered to Genard,

"Jus' ignore dem. Dey don' know what dey're talkin' 'bout an' you're better den dey are."

"You know, I always used to t'ink dat by de time we were in high school, dey'd stop hatin' us b'cause of who our fathers are." Genard replied as they got their lunches and searched the cafeteria. Their friend, Henri LeBeau, waved them over to the table he and Emil Lapin had claimed.

"Dat guy is a jerk." Emil commented as they sat down. "He's in two of my classes an' he's a jerk in dem too."

"You know," Henri said thoughtfully. "You'd t'ink dey'd leave us alone. Dey used to. Dey used to be 'fraid dat we'd get our fathers after dem. Maybe we should. Dey're not scared now."

"I t'ink dey are, deep down," Mercy replied. "Dey're jus' bein' normal high school kids who t'ink dey're invincible."

"We t'ink we're invincible. Does dat makes us normal high school kids too?" Genard asked.

"I don' t'ink I'm invincible," Emil rejoined.

Henri laughed. "When you're in front of a computer you are, kiddo. I've never seen anyt'ing like you for bein' a computer whiz."

Genard looked up from his lunch and groaned. There was a girl approaching their table. "Incoming at three o'clock," he warned his friends. They all looked up.

"Um…hi. My friends an' I were wonderin' somet'ing." The girl started. The four thieves-in-training looked at her expectantly and she continued. "Your fathers are in the Thieves Guild, right?"

"Yeah…so? Henri replied shortly. He wondered where this was going and wasn't sure if they were going to like it. He got the impression there was a joke coming up. Nor was he wrong.

"Well, can anyone join?" the girl continued. Henri, Mercy, Genard and Emil all shook their heads, causing the girl to fake a sigh. "Oh," she said. "Dat's too bad, 'cause we were really kinda hopin' to join…we'd love to be losers, jus' like you!" She laughed evilly and walked away to join her giggling friends.

"You know," Mercy commented, shaking her head in disgust. "I t'ink I liked it better when we were little an' dey couldn' t'ink of t'ings like dat."

"You're not alone dere, sister." Genard replied, remembering the jerk from earlier.

"You're awfully quiet tonight, mon fils. Is anyt'ing wrong?" Pierre Alouette asked his son later that night at suppertime.

"Oh, it's not'ing, Papa. Really." Genard replied quickly.

Pierre raised an eyebrow at his son. "I t'ought we told you kids two years ago dat you can talk to us 'bout anyt'ing dat's botherin' you," he commented.

Genard looked down. "You did, it's jus'…"

Pierre reached across the table and took his sons hand. It wasn't easy on him, being a single parent. His wife had died many years ago, when Genard was just two years old. The Assassins had killed her in a raid, and Pierre had been lucky to get himself and his son out alive. "Jus' what?" he asked softly.

Genard sighed. "We were mindin' our own business, eatin' lunch, an' dis girl came over an' said she an' her friends wanted to join de Guild b'cause dey wanted to be losers like us. Den dey all laughed at us." He explained sadly.

Pierre frowned, not liking what his son had told him at all. "I'm sorry to hear dat, Genard. I t'ought Mercy said de kids all pretty much left you alone?"

"Dey used to. Dey still do, for de most part, but some of dem are a little bolder den others. Dey don' seem to care 'bout hurtin' us." Genard replied, looking down at his plate again.

Pierre took his son's chin in his hand and titled the boy's head up. Looking in Genard's eyes, he said, "You an' de others are not losers. You are smart, talented kids, an' no matter what anyone says, bein' children of de Guild does not make you losers. If anyone are de losers, it's de kids who say dose t'ings to you."

"I know, Papa. It's jus' hard to remember dat sometimes." Genard replied with a small smile.

"Oh no…" Henri whispered.

"Where's Emil?" Genard demanded.

Jean-Luc sighed. "He's in de back yard. An' as you can imagine, he's not takin' it well at all."

Genard got up and headed out into the back yard. Henri stayed behind to talk to his father about the attack and what the Guild would do about it.

Once in the back yard, Genard didn't see Emil anywhere. "Emil?" he called.

"In de tree, Genard," came the reply. Genard shrugged and walked over to the huge tree. He climbed up and sat on a branch near where Emil was sitting. Then he waited for Emil to speak.

"I hate dem," Emil said softly, his voice filled with the tears that were flowing down his cheeks. "It wasn' like dey had any real reason to do it, it was jus' a random attack on us.

"I know," Genard replied, reaching over and putting his hand on Emil's shaking shoulder.

"Genard, I'm scared…an' I feel so alone…" Emil said, looking at his best friend, his grief and fear showing in his blue eyes. He was only seventeen years old, and the idea of suddenly losing his entire family was something he hadn't been prepared for, even growing up surrounded by the Thieves Guild.

Genard didn't quite know what to say. Henri, who had slipped out and was standing below them, said it for him. "You're not alone, Emil. You'll never be alone, de Guild will make sure of dat. An' more importantly, Genard an' I will make sure of it."

"Oui…" Genard continued. "If you need us, we're here. We'll always be here. We're de Three Musketeers, remember? We gotta look out for each other. All for one an' one for all."

As Henri climbed the tree and joined them, Emil cracked a small smile through his tears. "I know," he said. "T'anks you guys. I don' know what I'd do right now if you weren' here."

The support Genard and Henri gave Emil stood strong over the next three days. The entire Guild stayed at the LeBeau mansion to be there for him if he needed them, and he appreciated it, but it was Genard and Henri who gave him the most attention.

The triple funeral was the hardest part to get through. Emil was as calm and stoic as he could possibly be under the circumstances. It helped a great deal that his two best friends stayed by him, one on each side, during the entire ordeal. They were there for him when he needed them, like the true best friends they were, and when it was over they hung out with him in the tree in the back yard again.

When Emil went to bed, Genard and Henri sat at the picnic table in the back yard and talked.

"What's de Guild goin' to do 'bout dis?" Genard asked. "I mean, dey can' jus' let it go without doin' somet'ing. It's not fair. Why'd dey do it, anyway?"

"To answer both questions, I don' know." Henri replied. "Papa didn' know de other day when I asked him. An' as to why dey did it, it's simple. Dey did it b'cause dey hate us. An' no, it's not fair…Do you t'ink he's goin' to be okay?"

"Oui, he'll be okay. He'll go away to dat school in California an' when he comes back he'll be de best computer specialist in de south. He's already halfway dere anyways. He'll survive. Jus' like any of us would if it was us." Genard replied.

"Yeah. Well, I know you're right. I jus' wish dat school was a little closer to home, non? We won' see him for four years. Dat's not a short amount of time…" Henri sighed.

"I never t'ought of dat…" Genard said softly, not liking the idea at all, but knowing it couldn't be stopped.

Two months later, they took Emil to the airport to catch his flight to Los Angeles. He was going away to school and wouldn't be back for four long years. Well, long to the three of them at any rate.

"Okay, you know dat nice little invention called de telephone? Use it. Frequently. Please?" Genard begged as they waited for the plane to empty so the new passengers could board.

Emil laughed. "I will if you will, Genard."

"Deal!" Genard nodded vigorously, glasses sliding down his nose. He shoved them back up so he could see properly as the announcer came over the loudspeaker and told the waiting passengers that the plane was ready for boarding.

Genard and Henri looked at their old friend. They had never been separated before, and none of them liked it much. But Emil was set on going to the school, and his friends supported his decision.

"I guess dis is it, huh?" Henri said.

"Yeah…" Emil agreed. "I should get on de plane…I'm goin' to miss you guys."

"We're goin' to miss you too, Red." Genard replied, silently willing the tears to stay inside his eyes, at least until he was safely alone in his own bedroom and not out in public. "You take care of yourself, okay?"

"You too," Emil agreed.

"Last call for passengers boarding flight 408 to Los Angeles," the announcer said over the loudspeaker.

Emil looked toward the gate then back at his friends. "I gotta…" he faltered, biting his lip. "…Bye…"

Genard and Henri watched the plane take off and then Henri put his hand on Genard's shoulder.

"Dis sucks, Henri." Genard said bitterly.

"I know. Come on. Let's go home."