Cassidy Hawke. 20 years. Blonde, blue eyes. Studying at the University of California. Brian scrolled down her Facebook page and once again wondered what people uploaded there. Pictures of her partying with friends. Pictures of her pretty drunk. Pictures of her in… was that one a nude? He tilted his head, staring at it for a long time. No. Skin-colored underwear. He never understood why people liked that color. He once crossed a street and came to a sudden stop when a woman in a skin-colored overall passed him. For this one second, he was convinced she was naked. Not the weirdest sight in New York City, but at least forbidden by law. Public nudity.

Shaking his head, he searched for her Twitter profile. That one was a bit more serious. Commenting on political topics, sharing photos of hiking in the national parks.

Brian leaned back in his chair, staring at the screen of his stone-age computer. His eyes flicked to the door of the little computer room the moment Lyanne entered. She greeted him and sat down beside him. She was doing the same as he did for the campaign. Study online profiles and decide whether the person would be contacted in an effort to win her to their side. Brian had asked if he could do that for the first time. Looked like Cassidy would be a first for him. His first woman. How sweet. He frowned softly and chuckled at the same time. Lyanne threw a glance.

"Everything okay over there?"

"Yeah, yeah. I just thought…" he started to laugh a little "I have asked if I could contact one of those we find here. A try if I can do that, you know. Win people for our thing. And ah… I just thought she'll be my first one."

Lyanne grinned after he set the picture. She knew he had a male lover. Looking at other people's lives could be tiring as fuck. They had started to talk casually. And a little time later they knew each other's life stories. Well, except for the name of his love of course. He referred to him with vague phrases, like boyfriend or lover.

"Oww, you're gonna lose your contacting virginity to her. Be sweet and gentle, okay? Girls don't like it rough. Well, except when they like it rough. But not on a first date, sweetie."

Brian burst into laughter. "Are we still talking about contacting people?"

"Who knows?" she wiggled her eyebrows, a huge grin on her face.

A moment passed, she tried to concentrate on her work but failed. Brian could see that she was curious.

"Well… how was it? Your reunion?"

She knew that his lover had just returned from a long trip. He had been all giddy the day he was coming back. Hard to miss, really.

Brian was silent for a moment. "Curiosity isn't a virtue, you know?" he commented dryly. He could hear her chuckle.

"I don't wanna have details. That would be awkward. Except when you want to share details?" there was this half-smirk on her face. He knew she thought two males making out was hot. Did all women think like that?

He paused for a long moment. "Well…" did he want to tell her? They weren't real friends, just good colleagues. Nonetheless, they knew basically everything about each other. Everything that he could talk about without being branded as an enemy of the state or killed by his lover. He was sure she had secrets, too. They all had. Maybe it was part of the human nature.

"We didn't talk that much." This time he wiggled his eyebrows. "And we haven't slept that much either. I might tell you, that we were damn close to having sex in the elevator. Made it to his apartment, luckily. I think I would die of embarrassment if someone saw us."

She giggled softly, was silent for a moment. "When you wanna have sex in an elevator… go for it if you two happen to be in one during a blackout or other malfunctions. Just try to be finished with that business before electricity is back up or you're saved."

Brian tilted his head. "Did you do this?"

She simply shrugged, trying to look all innocent. He stared at her for a few moments, shook his head and let his eyes return to his own screen. He would contact Cassidy later that day. First, he wanted to do the job he got here for. He didn't know if he would be good in convincing her, hence he wanted to find some other 'victims' for more experienced people.

The day went by in no time. Lyanne was just powering off the PC she had used when the door opened once again. Brian looked up and felt how his heart skipped a beat. Ed. Lyanne saw their potential president and snickered.

"Told you he would come by earlier or later. He has a chat with all of his volunteers. Makes you feel needed and such." She whispered into Brian's ear right before she got up.

"Mister Morra." She said cheerily. The both of them faced each other for a moment, standing in front of the open door.

"Miss Charles." Ed responded softly.

Miss Charles chuckled. "You see, Brian? He even knows my name." a pause. "I'll soon be Mrs. Jones." She flashed her engagement ring with a huge smile on her face.

Ed returned the smile. "Make sure to leave me a note with the date, okay? I have to at least send my congratulations."

Lyanne giggled once again, said her good-byes to both of them and closed the door while leaving for her much-deserved weekend.

Ed looked at him for a moment, then walked through the room, shook his hand and sat down on the chair Lyanne had occupied moments ago. He seemed relaxed, completely in his element. "Well, Mister Finch. Do you like what you did so far, or would you want to change things up?"

Brian looked at him. Edward was good at separating work and private life, he could see that. Did he feel guilty because of that, too? Did he have worries because of that? He needed to ask him that. Later. Hopefully.

"No, I really like what I do."

Some minutes of casual, work-related talk followed. Ed asked how his life was going, if everything was fine. He seemed to genuinely be interested in the people working for him. Just like Lyanne had said. It made you feel needed, not just a resource Ed didn't need to pay.

After a little Edward grew silent, looking at him. The expression in his eyes changed. From guy, who didn't pay you a penny for your work to guy, who loved you. Brian had learned to see that affection within Ed's gaze. He knew Ed loved him. Yet, he wondered why Ed wouldn't say it out loud. He wanted to hear it, dammit.

"Since when are you working on these calculations without you-know-what?"

Brian stared at him for a moment, not understanding the question. Since when…? After a few seconds realization hit him, and it hit him hard. He had free today, no work for the FBI. He came here around midday and had started to work. Like usual. Except, unlike usual, he wasn't on NZT. Brian blinked confusedly.

"I. Never. I didn't even realize that I…" he stopped stumbling over his words and remained silent. A long moment passed.

"I was never much of a researcher. Never. I always had troubles to concentrate long enough on boring printed characters. One of the reasons I failed in school so badly." Brian nearly whispered, his eyes wide with horror. Another moment passed. Then he rose his eyes, looking into Ed's worried ones. "What's happening with me?"

Ed was silent for a long moment, then sighed softly. "The enzyme protects you from NZT's side-effects. Like, seeing things, hearing voices, memory loss, becoming paranoid. Death, at the end of that list. They are all connected to lowering the dose of the drug in your system. As long as you maintain a steady level, nothing of this ever comes to pass. As no-one can maintain a steady level, due to a certain shortness of available NZT, the enzyme is needed." It was one of the ways to bind people to his side permanently, after all. Getting drug addicted and being forced to stay with him. Death was the other alternative.

"However, NZT changes your brain, every time you take a pill. Activates all those dormant brain connections, makes things seem easy which were impossible a moment ago. When you take the drug for long enough, some of those connections simply remain active."

Brian looked at Ed, both horrified and stunned. Some moments went by. "Oh." He exclaimed. "That's why I always wonder whether you're off NZT when you're off. Because you don't seem to be off, just… less on it." He closed his eyes, sighing. He could feel a cold, dark thing grabbing his heart. He gulped. The one, the most important question, remained unasked. Simply, because he was afraid of the answer. He didn't want to hear what he knew he would hear.

"Will it change me?"