The Aeronaut's Daughter

A New Member of the House

(Y/N P.O.V) 

We arrived back at the cafe, thankfully avoiding all the horrible girls and boys who tormented (M/C). He had been rather quiet during the short trip back. He also was doing his best to avoid eye contact with us. 

I couldn't blame him. He had just been told that we have to help him find his true home and that he was connected to a strange substance which doesn't seem to agree with him. It's like whenever he feels it, he tries to fight it rather than let it flow through his mind the same way Lyra lets it flow through hers when she asks a question on the Alethiometer. 

What I was more concerned about was the fact that he had just been asked not to go looking for the man who killed his best friend. Like Lyra I believed that killing the man who talked to us would do him no good. In fact it would make him no different and it wouldn't bring his best friend back. I could tell my Lyra's sorrowful expression at him that she understood what he was going through. 

She knew in her heart that killing her father wouldn't bring Roger back. But if ever there was a chance, than I would help her in bringing Asriel to justice. 

We arrived back at the cafe. 

"It's time we all ate something," I spoke up. "It's been a long eventful day for all of us,"

"I couldn't agree with you more (Y/N)," Lyra smiled at me. 

"Thank goodness I don't have to go inside this bag again," Aster complained crawling over my shoulders and leaping to the ground along with Pantolimon. "I swear if you make me do that again (Y/N)..."

"Oh shut up Aster," I hissed. 

"(M/C)! Wait!" Lyra cried out. 

Looking up, I saw (M/C) about to waddle away. He turned around. 

"Look I know that you're quite shocked..."

"Shocked?! Shocked doesn't even begin to describe how I feel,"

"You don't have to lie (M/C)," Will Parry spoke up again. "It's okay to be scared. I'm scared all the time too,"

(M/C) tried to bottle his feelings but it did him no good and he growled out in anger. "Okay. I'm scared! Okay?!" he looked he was about to cry. "I'm scared that I'm being haunted by a strange substance which gives horrible headaches and nightmares. And I'm also angry that you guys expect me not to bring justice to my best friend's killer,"

"(M/C)! It won't bring her back. And think about the consequences it might have. If you were caught, the policeman would find this world and you'd be putting us in danger,"

"You'll expose Will's hideout if you do that," I supported. "Not to mention the possibility of these other worlds. Maybe a lot of worlds aren't meant to know about each other,"

Once again, (M/C) tried to argue back but he remained silent. He looked rather shaken, fragile, heartbroken. 

"You and Lion are more than welcome to come and stay in our hideout," Will offered kindly. 

He raised his head. 

"Unless you don't want..." Will paused.

"No one except my best friend has even offered me something like that before,"

"Well, why don't you come stay with us?" Lyra spoke up. "Since we need to help you, we might as well stick together,"

"And it's better than sleeping on the rooftop all the time right?" I challenged. 

(M/C) looked rather touched. Even though he had pursued us, we were offering genuine generosity. I could tell by his glassy eyes that he hadn't received a high degree of this deep gesture.