Simon pulled himself from a dreamless stasis after two hours, scanning the darkening room and unable to stop his growing nervousness. Kate still wasn't back, and he'd promised her that he wouldn't leave the room. If she hadn't been so angry when he'd said it, he would have already been searching the house for her. As it was, he was trapped in the strange prison of Kate's past, his agonizing helplessness starting to drive him into a frenzy.

He paced through the room, for the first time having no interest in the items around him. It was difficult for him not to assume what was happening outside. Kate hadn't told him what she was doing, but he was almost positive she'd gone to speak to her father. At first, the thought had made him anxious. Richard clearly preferred that Simon wasn't with Kate, and that Kate stayed at her father's if not indefinitely then at least long enough for Kate to consider the house home. But Simon reassured himself that there was nothing Kate could learn from her father that she didn't already know to some degree. The android at her house had spoken about deviancy before, and she'd chosen Simon over logic. He had to believe she'd do the same again.

As the windows turned black, Simon moved from corner to corner in an attempt to calm his nerves. He ran his hands over his face and breathed out, trying and failing to focus on something other than what Kate was doing. He checked the time again even though he knew exactly how many minutes it'd been since he last checked it. 7:26 PM. It was now three hours since she'd left the room. Apprehension burned through him and he moved again, walking in a slow circle in front of the bed. There had to be something he could do as long as it didn't involve leaving the room. His restlessness was nearly driving him insane.

He paused in the middle of the room, closing his eyes and running a hand through his hair. If she wasn't back by 9:00 PM, he would go looking for her. It meant breaking his promise, and she would be angry with him, but he needed to know that she wasn't in danger or had decided to do something rash. Nothing would make her stay away from the safety of her room for this long unless something serious had happened. He tensed his eyebrows as the uncomfortable possibilities flashed through his mind. Perhaps it would be better to search for her at 8:00 PM. Four hours gone was no better than five. She would have to understand. He could deal with her anger if it meant he could be confident in her safety.

He stood still, giving himself a moment to avoid constantly pacing. A subtle doubt was stirring under his anxiety. He couldn't avoid the nagging thought that coming here had been a terrible idea. It wasn't just the ominous presence of Kate's father, the risk of CyberLife discovering them through any of the countless androids on the property, or the strange environment that Simon was forbidden to look at. It was Kate's frequent frustrated expressions towards him. How she hadn't invited him to lay with her. That her behavior towards him was more like he was an annoyance that she had to deal with. He couldn't help but worry that he was slowly losing her.

His anxiety got him moving again, and he walked around her bed. He needed to talk to her. He had to convince her that nothing had changed for him. That she was still his guiding light in the void of endless possibilities. She'd believed in it before when there was no reason for her to accept him. As Simon walked around her bed for the hundred and thirty-third time, a pit of dread filled him. He had no idea how he convinced her the first time. It had been so natural. So clear to him. Now he couldn't even imagine where to begin again.

There was a knock at the door, and Simon froze. His system erupted in a mixture of shock and relief. With an almost panicked energy, he moved quickly to the bedroom door and swung it open.

"Hello," said Clark. "Is Ms. Hayes in her room?"

The wave of relief faded almost as quickly as it came on. Simon felt his shoulders drop a bit. It took him a while to gather himself. "No. She hasn't been back for three hours and forty-five minutes."

"Very well then," said Clark. He shifted on the spot and Simon noticed he was carrying three duffel bags. "I have returned with Ms. Hayes' belongings from her house on Greeley Street. I'll leave them inside for her."

Simon stepped to the side as Clark moved into the bedroom. He wouldn't have allowed this under different circumstances, but somehow having Clark there distracted him from his worries. Clark set the bags down in front of the dresser, then straightened and brushed off his white uniform.

"Is there anything Ms. Hayes requires while I'm here?" said Clark. "I could bring her tonight's dinner if she hasn't eaten yet."

Simon shook his head. "I don't know where she is. She asked me not to leave the room. It's not like her to be gone this long. I'm getting─" He caught himself just in time, and took a deep breath to reset himself. "─ I'm wondering if you'd be able to look for her for me."

"Of course," said Clark. "I saw her in the library two hours ago. She was quite upset. Crying actually."

Simon took a step forward. "Crying─ why? Did she say why?" He held himself back as Clark tilted his head at him, his LED spinning yellow.

"No. She simply asked to be left alone."

Simon gazed at the ground, his worry returning on top of the trepidation he felt at his emotional outburst. Clark moved towards him.

"We do have surveillance on the property," he said. "Did your owner give you permission to register with the household? You would have much less restrictions if you did."

Simon looked up at him, a new energy burning through him. He nodded and held out his hand. "Yes. Yes, I'd like to register."

Clark nodded back. "Very good." He took Simon's hand and the skin from both androids melted away to their wrists. A map seemed to spread in Simon's mind as the information was downloaded to him, revealing every corner of the house and every tendril of the home network. A database of androids and other machines was created, and he became aware of every bit of software connected to the home. As his own data was uploaded, he cautiously withheld certain information and scrambled his own serial number. Clark seemed not to notice, and smiled at him when the sync was complete.

"It's good to have you on board," said Clark as he released Simon's hand. "Let me know if there's anything else you need."

"Just… please look for Kate for me," said Simon. "And thank you for your help."

"Absolutely," said Clark. "Call me if you need me." He moved past him and exited through the bedroom door, closing it quietly behind him.

Simon immediately went to work scanning the surveillance grid one by one, analyzing each room in the house. The house was bigger than he expected. There were a total of twenty-four rooms with eighteen of them having surveillance. He searched through them quickly at first, the cameras flashing through his mind in a frantic blur. After the first round, he closed his eyes and sighed, forcing himself to concentrate. The second pass was more informative. Most of the rooms were empty and dark with only minor activity from a few busy androids. Richard was in his office, slumped to one side with his forehead in his palm as he worked the computer with one hand. Someone was in the room with him, but Simon felt a small wave of disappointment when he saw the wavy blond hair of Gloria. The two seemed to be in a deep conversation.

He flicked through the rest of the surveillance and spotted Clark in the hallway. The android appeared to be nonchalantly gazing around as he moved, peering quickly into the library before moving on into the sitting room. Simon watched the android and tried to bury the aching worry in his chest as the android moved from room to room. After what Simon knew to be twenty-four minutes, Clark spoke with another android before moving into the kitchen and preparing what appeared to be a small meal.

Simon withdrew from the surveillance, closing his eyes and letting out a frustrated sigh. Clark hadn't exactly tried very hard. Yet even his small effort was some relief compared to the helplessness of being trapped in Kate's room. Again, Simon debated whether it was worth it to leave and search for her himself. She could still be in any of the rooms that didn't have security cameras. It wasn't entirely out of the question that she was simply taking another long shower. There was such a massive distance between unimaginable danger and nothing at all. He wished he could convince himself of the latter.

After another quick scan of the cameras, Simon moved around the bed again. He ran his hands over his face, drawing in a deep breath. He'd never had such a blind desire to speed up time if it meant he could curb his nervous anticipation. The room seemed to be getting smaller with each pass he made from one wall to the other. He'd memorized every object's description and location despite purposely avoiding them. A combination of his respect for Kate's history and the memory of his shame kept him from burying himself in the library of information that surrounded him. It certainly would have provided some level of distraction and at least some relief to his anxious thoughts.

As he passed the front of the bed again, he suddenly slowed and stared at the floor in front of Kate's dresser. He'd completely forgotten about the duffel bags that Clark had brought in. They were stacked neatly, one on top of the other in a triangle order. Simon felt a pleasant shift from nervousness to curiosity as he looked at them. He'd said they were belongings from Kate's previous house. It wouldn't exactly be an invasion of privacy if he sorted through them for her, and anything at this point was better than aimlessly pacing for hours.

He moved to the dresser and knelt down, carefully unzipping the first bag. It was what he expected; mostly clothes and a few pairs of shoes. Simon divided them into stacks and set them on top of the dresser, not wanting to risk Kate's anger by trying to organize them in the drawers and mixing them with her old clothes. He took extra time than was probably necessary, picking up each item of clothing at a time and picturing the last time he'd seen Kate wearing it. He didn't recognize an emerald blouse and doubted Kate would even want to wear it. But he found the black v-neck tank top that she often wore on her days off from school. Not many layers down was the pair of loose shorts that she wore with them, and had taken months before Simon noticed she appeared comfortable letting Simon see her in them. After stacking them separately on the dresser, Simon returned to the bag and paused as a tense cascade of apprehension swept through him. He reached down and picked up an unusually soft blue t-shirt. The material was smooth between his fingers, and he held it there as he let the memory wash over him of how he'd grasped the bottom of it in one hand and hesitated before pulling it up and off of Kate's shoulders, revealing her perfect body underneath him…

He pressed the fabric to his mouth and closed his eyes, drawing in a deep breath. It had been five days since that moment. Five days since he'd been that safe with her. But for what it was worth, it may as well have been a lifetime ago.

He set the shirt with the stack of other shirts, and continued to sort through the clothing although with some degree of restraint in remembering the significance of them. He cleared one bag and set it aside, moving to the next one. The activity was oddly therapeutic, and he found himself losing track of the time he'd been so compulsively monitoring. There were a few other items that Simon recognized and guessed Clark had assumed were important. Several books, a hairbrush, Kate's laptop, a tablet, and her toothbrush were folded neatly in separate towels that had been hanging in the bathroom. As Simon gathered them together and prepared to lift them up, he felt something soft brush his hand.

A wave of disbelief flowed through him. With more energy than he'd planned, he pulled the items out of the bag and dropped them onto the floor next to him. He let out a shocked laugh and put a hand to his forehead.

"Spot!"

The cat was in his folded factory pose, his LED dark and his eyes closed as if he were sleeping. Simon carefully picked the cat up, cradling him gently against his chest. He couldn't believe he'd completely forgotten about him, the thought of the little android animal wandering the house alone dredging up subtle feelings of guilt. He turned the cat over and pressed a finger to the tiny round LED, holding it there for several seconds. Then Spot stretched out, twisting his little body into life.

Simon was aware of his own smile as he held the cat in front of him, both hands wrapped almost completely around the cat's midsection so that his front legs stuck straight out. Spot purred and licked his lips.

"Hello, Spot," said Simon.

A thud at the door immediately caught Simon's attention. He twisted still crouched, and lowered Spot to the ground so that the cat deftly landed on his front paws and slinked away. As Simon stood up, the terrible anticipation filled him again. Before he could move to the door, it suddenly swung open.

At first, he thought strangers had come to the door by accident. A young woman with short black hair was holding someone up with one arm draped over her shoulder. Simon tilted his head as his exposure adjusted to the dark shadows of the hallway, then a sickening dread fell over him. His breath froze in his throat, and his system seemed to lock up as the situation in front of him came into clarity.

He couldn't see Kate's face. She was slouched over, one hand on the doorframe and her other arm locked over the young woman's shoulders. Her head was dropped to one side so that her hair fell over her face in messy waves. She seemed to sway slightly on the spot as if the ground were moving underneath her and she was adjusting herself to compensate.

Simon didn't hesitate. He rushed forward without thinking, already reaching out for her. "Kate? Kate, what─"

He felt a hand against his chest, and staggered back slightly as the young woman pushed him away.

"Dude, fuck off," she muttered under her breath as she moved into the room. Kate staggered along with her, grasping along the wall and the bookcases as she moved. Simon took a step forward, then moved back again, his mind exploding with terrifying panic and hesitation. He needed to help. He needed to scan her. But he was also frantically aware of his own obvious behavior in front of a new human. Instead, he watched as the young woman guided Kate to the bed and turned, helping Kate to lean against it.

"Christ, you're heavier than you look," said the woman. "I thought you weighed about ten pounds."

Kate fell forward, laying halfway on the bed on her stomach. "Th-thisssss ain't my rum. Why's thur so mush yellow?"

At the sound of her voice, Simon felt panic spur him forward. He moved to the edge of the bed. "I need to scan her. Please, she could be having an episode."

Neither of them seemed to hear him. Another wave of panic fell over him as he watched Kate roll onto her side and stare up at the ceiling. Her face was red, her eyes dull and dilated, and her mouth slightly gaped as though she were struggling to comprehend where she was. The young woman laughed next to her.

"I don't know but that was a shit ton of yellow coming out of you just now," said the woman. Kate closed her eyes and laughed widely in a way Simon had never seen her before, as though she were faking it. Kate raised a finger up and pointed towards the ceiling.

"Thenks for helping me piss," said Kate. "I prob─ perb─ perter─" She swallowed, clenching her eyes shut. "Pro─bab─ly… woulda drowned in the toilet 'n my own."

Simon clutched the edge of the bed, his nervousness pressuring him to move again. "Kate, you need to let me scan you. You're acting delirious and confused."

"That's because she's shitfaced, dumbass," said the woman. She leaned forward on the bed next to Kate so that she half rested on it. "Are you sure you want to stay in here tonight? I mean, I don't mind making a pillow fort next to my bed and tying you to the post by your ankle so you don't go sleepwalking."

"D's that happen whin you drink?" said Kate.

The woman shrugged. "Sometimes."

Kate let out a gasp and rolled over slightly to look at the woman with wide eyes. "Holy ssshhhhit. So we're… we're… like zombies?"

The young woman laughed, burying her face in the mattress before lifting her head back up again. "Oh my god. You're amazing when you're drunk."

Simon let go of the bedpost to move back and forward again in an attempt to settle his energy. He knew it would look odd in front of the woman but it seemed a fair exchange from simply pushing her out of the way in order to get nearer to Kate. It was painful being held back from her like this, every circuit in his body burning for the need to hold her and make certain that she hadn't had another seizure. It terrified him to see her acting so different. As if she wasn't the same person. He couldn't help the irrational fear that the Kate he knew was gone from him forever.

He paused as he saw Kate turn again so that she faced up towards the ceiling. Her eyes were closed and she seemed to be losing strength, her body sliding limply over the bed. She slipped onto her knees, and Simon shot forward with a blinding panic. Once again however, he found his path blocked by the young woman who moved next to her.

"Whoa now." The woman gripped Kate under both arms, supporting her before she could fall further. "Come on, let's get you in bed before you pass out."

Simon took another step back, reaching up to run his hand through his hair but stopping in painful frustration and pacing in front of the bed instead. He watched as the young woman struggled to push Kate up onto the mattress as if Kate were a large doll.

"'M I gonna pass out?" said Kate.

"Probably," said the woman, moving to Kate's legs and raising them so she centered her.

"Will I dream?"

"If you do, you'll have to tell me about it."

"I won't if─" Kate's face suddenly tensed and she shut her eyes. Then she brought her legs up and pressed a hand to her mouth.

"Kate!" Simon rushed forward, unable to stop himself this time. "She's going to vomit─" Something hard hit his chest, and he caught a tense glance from the woman as she brought her arm down.

"Seriously, just back the fuck off." The woman shook her head as she turned back to Kate. "Fucking walking talking dildo."

Everything seemed to freeze around him, and Simon lost all sensation. He could only stare as the woman went back to tending to Kate. Her words sank into him, and he felt himself unwittingly breathing harder as his mind scrambled to make sense of what she'd just said. He could deal with insults. He could handle physical damage. But that particular insult had been oddly specific.

Kate groaned as the woman pushed her onto her side, and Simon struggled to breath as he gazed at her. His shock gave way to agonizing clarity, and he took a step back as he let the obvious truth take hold. It took everything in him to keep himself together although he knew it wasn't enough. The suspicions he had were solidifying in his system, bringing with them a wave of despair. He'd been so worried that he was losing her. That she was beginning to doubt him and forget how he'd shown her what he felt for her. This almost certainly confirmed it. They were both exposed now, and growing ever more transparent. But Kate was drawing herself away from him. He was drifting deeper into the abyss of inevitability, and it was becoming clear to him that he was going to fall into it alone.

Simon pressed a hand to his mouth as he watched Kate settle on her side. The woman leaned over her and brushed her hair back over her shoulder.

"Sleep on your side so you don't choke in your sleep if you throw up," said the woman. "You okay?"

Kate nodded, her eyes still closed. The woman gave her shoulder a small shake.

"Alright then," said the woman. "Enjoy your hangover tomorrow." She stood up straight and stretched her back with her hands on her sides. Then she turned towards Simon, a dull frustration lined in her face. "Okay, she's all yours."

Simon looked up at her, for the first time a deep hesitation holding him back. The woman narrowed her eyes at him, and he realized too late that he still had his hand over his mouth. He lowered it although he guessed that only revealed more of his terrified expression. The scrutinizing look she was giving him was adding to the anxiety that was already surging through his body, and he looked at Kate to ease it somewhat. At the break in eye-contact, the woman began to move away. The space opened between them and Simon felt the frantic energy return. Without a second thought to the woman, Simon pushed past her and rushed to the bedside.

"Kate…" He rested a hand on her hip as he leaned over her, running his hand through her hair. She was facing away from him, her face blank as though she were sleeping. Simon let out a frustrated breath and straightened himself over her so he could run his fingers deeper into her hair, the flesh melting away from his hand to expose the bare white plastic. He closed his eyes as he let the stream of data fill him. It was slow and unorganized, with some areas overstimulated and others almost completely silent. It didn't feel like her. The tell-tale signs of epilepsy were thankfully absent, but Simon couldn't avoid the disturbing feeling that he was inside someone else's head.

He heard the door open and shut behind him, and despite himself he breathed a sigh of relief. As he did, he felt Kate move underneath him. He opened his eyes and found himself meeting her weary gaze.

She stared at him for a moment, then smiled that strange fake-smile again. "Yer in my head…"

She slid her hand along his arm as he pulled it away, the flesh color returning to his skin. "How much alcohol did you drink?" he asked.

Kate rolled further onto her back, gesturing wildly. "I had sumtheng called fire whiskey. 'S like fire. Tasted like fire." She raised herself slightly and seemed to put all her effort into gazing strongly at him. "S'mon, if anybody gives you fire whiskey…" She shook her head, closing her eyes. "Dun drink it. You pour it out. Tell them. Tell them to gota hell."

Simon took her hand in an effort to calm her exaggerated gestures. He smoothed back her hair from her forehead as he tried to bury his exasperation. "Kate, you had very strong liquor. It will make you feel sick."

"Oh." Kate narrowed her eyes as she looked to the side. "Is that why I keep throwing up in m' mouth?"

Simon let out a tense breath and shook his head. He rested against the side of the bed, closing his eyes and quickly accessed the home network, sending a quick message to Clark. When he opened his eyes again, Kate was staring up at the ceiling as though studying it. He ran another hand over her forehead, his anxiety churning again.

"Your temperature is one-hundred and one degrees," he said.

"S'not too bad," said Kate.

"You're running a fever," said Simon. He shot another quick message to Clark, then shifted further onto the bed. "And you're dehydrated."

Kate looked at him. She smiled and bit her lip. "I guess that's why they call it fire whiskey."

Simon held her hand in both of his as she made another attempt to gesture. She tensed her eyes, then brought up her other hand and opened her fist in an explosive impression.

"Fire… fire…" she whispered, closing her eyes.

There was a soft knock. Simon turned quickly, somewhat surprised by the short time. With a nervous glance at Kate, he set her hand down on her chest, then stood carefully and moved to the door. He opened it to find Clark standing outside in the dark, a pitcher of water and a cup in one hand.

"Good evening," said Clark. "You requested water and aspirin."

"Thank you," said Simon. He took the water and cup from him, noting two white pills swirling at the bottom of the cup.

"Would Ms. Hayes like something to eat?" said Clark, peering slightly over Simon's shoulder.

Simon shook his head, shifting slightly to block his view. "That probably isn't a good idea."

Clark nodded and offered a small smile. "Good night, then."

Simon closed the door, realizing afterward how rude that may have seemed. He pressed his forehead to the cool surface of the wood for a moment before turning back towards the bed. Kate hadn't moved. She was still staring up at the ceiling, her tired eyes tensed as she analyzed it. She didn't acknowledge Simon as he sat on the edge of the bed, tilting the cup into his hand so that the pills fell onto his palm. He did his best to calm his racing heart as he filled the cup with water.

"Kate, take this," he said, handing the cup and pills to her.

"Oh god…" Kate made an effort to roll onto her side. "Can't drink anymore."

"It's aspirin. It will bring down your fever."

"I dun feel hot."

"Kate…" Simon set the cup and pills on the bedside table as he held onto her shoulders, gently keeping her steady. "Kate, you need to do this. It will help."

She stared at him for a moment, wobbling slightly and blinking slowly so that her eyes closed out of sync. Then she straightened slightly, and Simon helped her raise herself into more of a sitting position against the headboard. Feeling a bit more encouraged, Simon handed her the pills and cup. She took them from him, pausing before throwing the pills into her mouth and taking a long drink from the cup.

She rested a moment, her head tilted up and her eyes closed. When she opened them again she seemed a bit more focused, her expression returning to the tense one that Simon was more familiar with. It didn't do much to ease his fears. He found himself relaxing from the current issue only to fall back on the anxiety he felt towards the young woman. He looked away from Kate, the frustration building in his chest. He wished any aspect of this night would offer him some relief. Even as he did, he knew the night was far from over.

He let out a slow breath, resting his forehead in his hand. If this was considered a safe place to hide, it seemed to be doing an excellent job of the opposite. This was only the second day and he already felt further from Kate than he'd ever been. Her father was convinced he was a danger to her. The young woman clearly knew more than she ought to. And now Kate was in a place that he couldn't reach. It was all falling apart quicker than he could attempt to hold it together.

He closed his eyes and pressed his knuckles to his mouth, feeling a melancholy dread fill him. If he had any hope of a fighting chance, he at least needed to know. It wouldn't make much of a difference now, but a deep anguish forced him to try.

He turned slightly towards Kate who was now gazing at the cup as she turned it gently in her hands. "Kate." He felt a burning shame rise in his chest, and he had to work to push past it. "Did you tell that woman about… us?"

Kate looked up at him, the effort of keeping her gaze straight seeming too difficult. She lowered her head. "Us? You?" Her eyes widened and she lowered the cup. "Oh, you mean us."

Simon reached out and held her wrist before she could spill water on herself. A painful memory of that distant passion swept through him as he smoothed his thumb over her delicate knuckles. He gazed down at her hand, unable to meet her gaze. "Does she know why we're here? Why you're here?"

He heard Kate make a noise. She leaned back further against the headboard, then escaped his grasp as she pointed a finger at him.

"Look," she said. "I din tell her. She guessed. She guessed damn well. It was lack she was reading my mind. 'N I needed to figure out all the ssssshhit my dad said and she wanted to help. What wus I s'posed to say? 'No, I'd rather cry a river into the arm of a couch?'"

Simon pinched the bridge of his nose, clenching his eyes shut. "How much did you tell her?"

"I dunno, everything?" Kate shifted, and he looked up to see she had crossed her arms over her chest. "She had a lot of questions. Lotta stupid questions. I don' know what I'd do with a human guy. How the fuck would I know? N' what type of men 'm I into… obviously not real ones."

Simon gazed at her, the dread in his chest becoming almost unbearable. Kate was staring across the room, her expression somewhat shocked as if she were repeating the conversation in her head. He moved closer to her, drawing up every ounce of strength he had left. "Kate… do you still want this?"

She blinked, her eyes narrowing. "Want what?"

A nervous energy was beginning to burn through him as he raised his hand. He brushed her cheek and felt his heart race as she locked eyes with him, her gaze steadier than it had been so far. He breathed in slowly, fighting to keep his strength. "This," he said.

Kate's eyebrows tensed, and she shook her head. "Wull, whatta you think that whole conservation was for in the first place?"

Simon tilted his head as he nervously tried to make sense of her words. He felt himself pull towards her slightly as she gripped his arm, raising herself. She smiled and bit her lip, avoiding his gaze as she moved closer to him. When her eyes met his, they were bright and unfocused as if she weren't really seeing him.

"She said you're jus' a machine," said Kate. "That you're jus' a bunch of code and sofa-ware in a robot. She said you have no heart 'r soul. 'N you can' have feelings b'cause the idiots at the factory said you can't." Kate leaned into him, and Simon could detect the sharp smell of alcohol on her breath as she smiled. "But I told her what if you could? What if you had a soul, could love, could do everything a human could do? Because you can. Yer special, Simon. She doesn' know it, but I do. 'Cuz I didn't tell her everything. I didn' tell her I know you're a divergent."

Simon gazed at her, the last word pausing his wave of anxiety at what she'd said. "A what?"

"Div─ mmm." Kate closed her eyes. "Deva… dela… a delegate?" She opened her eyes and looked at him with genuine confusion. "What did I say?"

Simon moved off the bed, taking her cup from her. "You said enough." He set the cup on the bedside table and placed a hand on her shoulder, gently pushing her back down onto the bed. "You should try to get some sleep."

Kate gripped his arm, looking up at him. "But… but what if I sleepwalk?"

"I'm right here," said Simon. "I won't let anything happen to you."

Kate nodded as she fell back onto the pillows. Her hand drifted down his arm until it fell limp on the mattress. "You're special, Simon. No one knows it, but I do. I know you're special."

Simon wasn't sure how to respond. The aching dread had filled him completely, partially due to what she had said but also because it felt as fake as her strange smile. He didn't know why he had expected anything different. He should have anticipated this considering what he was asking her in her drugged state. Her alcohol-filtered answers didn't make his worries any less real. If anything, he only had more questions and worries now that he'd confronted them directly.

He pushed Kate's shoulder so that she moved onto her side, drawing her legs up and sliding her hands under the pillow. She threw a glance up at him, her hazel eyes glinting in the soft light. "You'll be right here? You won' leave me?"

A miserable hope fluttered through him as he stood over her. He allowed himself to believe that she was asking him something very different. Something that was deeper than the alcohol was capable of. A small smile tugged at his mouth, and he found himself brushing her hair back as he looked at her. "I'll never leave you unless you want me to."

Kate shook her head. "I don' wanna be alone. If I turn into a zombie, you're gonna need─ holy shit, Spot!"

Kate reached forward as the cat prowled towards her, his paws sinking into the soft mattress as he moved. Spot butted his head against Kate's hand as he neared, his tail flicking straight up.

"I thought… oh my god, Spot." She pulled the cat into her chest, curling up into a tighter ball. "I didn't think I'd ever see you again."

Simon couldn't help his own smile as he watched Kate. Spot seemed somewhat perturbed, his front legs outstretched and claws clamped into the mattress as if bracing himself. Kate rubbed her face against his furry back as she wrapped both her arms around his body, the satisfied smile on her face far more convincing than her previous ones. Simon took the opportunity to observe the moment, a brief glimpse into what it was like to enjoy the little things that didn't matter but were still worth saving if it meant they didn't always have to exist in a state of constant uncertainty.

Kate seemed to relax, her shoulders falling slightly as she pressed her face into Spot's fur. Simon moved toward the bedside table, reaching for the lightswitch as he threw another glance at her. He flicked the switch and the room was plunged into darkness, punctured only by the tiny blue glow of Spot's LED.

Simon stood up and prepared to move to the corner he'd banished himself to. He stopped suddenly, gazing down through the darkness at the bed. Kate hadn't moved, her arms still wrapped tightly around the cat who had drawn his paws back. Simon looked away for a moment, a jolt of energy pressuring him to simply take advantage of the situation. Tomorrow would be a terrible day. He knew it would be simply from what he'd gathered from Kate's drunken ramblings. If the conversation he'd had was that stressful now, he could only imagine how hard it would be tomorrow when Kate was able to focus without the whiskey lens.

He turned back toward her and moved over the bed, resting one hand on her shoulder to avoid turning her over. He lowered himself down behind her on his side, bringing his legs up so that he fit against her body. As he settled into her, he felt her shift slightly, bringing her shoulders up and dropping her head back. He pressed his face into the space of her neck, drawing in the scent of her hair which was still just as he remembered it. With gentle care, he slid his hand along her arm until it met hers, and he laced his fingers through hers from behind, bringing her hand up to her chest.

He closed his eyes as he lost himself in the feel of her, the touch of her hand, the shampoo smell of her hair, the closeness of her body against his. She didn't move or make a sound, and Simon wasn't entirely sure that the alcohol had finally taken hold and rendered her unconscious. He could feel Spot's fur flex against his hand as the cat breathed in and out. It was still a tense situation. Everything was still wrong, and it would be even worse in the morning.

But for one night, if even for the last night, Simon let himself be swept away in the illusion that he was back where he was supposed to be, and that in this moment, everything was in its place.