"I don't want you to go back in." He said softly, running his fingers through the shock of bright white hair. It had been a kind of desperate relief she had sought him out after training. He hadn't questioned her, dark eyes merely resting on her in a welcoming manner. Being alive was enough for both of them, all and nothing, always and never.

"But I have to." She countered, eyes finding his. "I know I can beat the thing, I know…"

"Please Switch, I don't want you going back in there."

"Why?" She was perplexed, it showed in her eyes, in the way she stopped touching his skin. Contact had been their comfort in private, closeness in public. He sighed.

"Because I know you can't do it, no matter how hard you try, you just won't be able to."

"What?" She asked softly, eyes growing harder as the time elapsed.

"You don't have whatever it is that lets you bend the rules far enough." He almost mentioned the other woman's name, but the fury in her eyes stopped him.

"You really believe that?" There was a pause, he assessed her reaction and for a moment he considered taking back the harsh but true words. But they were out there, they were in the air and they couldn't be called back now.

"Yes, I do. I'm with you now, but there's no guarantees…" He said something else after that but she failed to hear him, the message from the Oracle echoed in her ears. Suddenly she couldn't breathe, couldn't find a way to stop the walls closing in on her. With a suppressed cry of distress, she stumbled out of the bed, fully clothed, bar her boots, which she didn't bother with.

"Switch." He called softly in the almost silent night. She shook her head, clawing at the door, which opened into the cold corridor. Her feet failed as she reached the door of her own room. It tore at his heart, the sound of the hardly used door opening, her weight landing with considerable force and echoing in the hollow hull. In the same moment, they pressed their eyes closed, both fighting against tears. He knew she would be angry now, would be determined to prove that she could be as good as the others. How much did being on the same ship as the legendary Trinity and the mad man Morpheus need for a toll? How much could they afford to pay? How much did they have left?

*~*

A/N: This was also part of chapter 1, edited a little to make more sense. Please enjoy!