TRIGGER WARNING: This chapter contains violent and sexual implications. Don't worry. They don't involve Doug or Wheatley. Read at your own risk.

Doug's question puzzled Valentine for a moment.

"No, I'm not schizophrenic," she said, her voice trembling.

Doug could hear movement in the living room and Wheatley's confused voice. Then the apartment door shut.

"Shit!" Valentine exclaimed, sitting up in bed. "Did Spencer just make everyone leave?!"

Despite her panicked state, Doug couldn't help but notice that she was only wearing an oversized shirt and her underwear in bed. He tried not to draw attention to this, but Valentine seemed to know that he'd noticed as she quickly backed away from him and held the blanket up to her chest.

"Doug, p-please!" she stuttered. "Please g-get out of m-my room!"

"Valentine, I just want to help you," Doug said.

"Doug!" the Companion Cup called from the living room. "Just tell her how you feel about her! It will make her feel better!"

Shut up! Doug thought. Now isn't the time for that!

"Take her away to Aperture," a voice said. "Now would be the perfect time to do it."

No! I just want to make her feel better!

"Doug? What's going on in your head right now?" Valentine asked as she sat on the other edge of the bed.

"What? Nothing!" Doug said. "I mean, nothing bad! I-I just….Agh! Fuck it! Valentine, I like you a lot! I just want to make you feel better! You're making it extremely hard to go back to Aperture for Nora! You make me want to forget everything else! I just want to stay here and…" Doug could feel tears forming in his eyes. Why was he getting so emotional? Maybe it had something to do with how she looked terrified of him, but he couldn't stop now. "You're just so unique and strange and beautiful and I think I…"

He couldn't continue. For some reason he couldn't bring himself to say it. Just as Valentine started to ease up a little, she bombed him with a startling question.

"Y-You're not j-just trying to take advantage of me, are you?"

Doug stared at her incredulously with wide eyes. "W-What?"

"You're not just saying all of those nice things about me because you think you can get into bed with me, are you?" Valentine asked. She seemed completely serious.

"No!" Doug exclaimed. "God, no! I mean, I…I do find you, um, physically attractive, but I wouldn't act on that! I mean, not unless you wanted me to…"

Doug didn't know what he was saying. He felt like someone had cut into his mental filter so that now he had to speak whatever was on his mind. Sure, this often happened when he was having an episode of paranoia, but this time he had a clear mind. This kind of broken filter was different. It made him feel so stupid. Hell, it made him feel like Wheatley. He stood up from her bed. And wiped his eyes.

"I'll just…I'll leave," he said.

"Wait!" Valentine said. "Please don't go! And don't get the wrong idea either. Give me a chance to explain. Please sit back down."

Doug looked at her guiltily. "Are you sure?" he asked. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

"I'm sure," Valentine said. "Just give me a little space."

Doug sat down on the edge of the bed again and looked down at his hands in his lap. He couldn't bring himself to make eye-contact. If he saw those brilliant brown eyes again, he might start babbling and spill his heart out to her again.

"I've only told this to Spencer," Valentine said. She pulled her knees up to her chest and made sure that her legs were still covered. "It happened about two weeks ago during the rebellion. I was working on barricading the doors when a man forced his way into the apartment. He…He was big. He had a mean face." She had to swallow a lump in her throat before she continued. "Spencer was on the second floor. People were up there dumping boiling water onto the Combine soldiers. So this man was able to get through the door from the hall before I could get to it. This man…wanted something from me. He saw Marie's toys scattered around the living room. Thank god she wasn't here for that. She was staying with my mother. My mother had guns to fight off anyone dangerous. But I didn't. The man said he'd come back for Marie if I didn't…."

Valentine started to shake uncontrollably and she squeezed her legs together. "W-What else was I supposed to do?" she sobbed. Her voice was trembling so much that Doug could barely understand her. He felt his heart sink into the pit of his stomach. "I didn't want him coming after my daughter. I just sort of…let him…." She couldn't continue. She broke down into a sobbing mess.

Doug stared at her with tears reforming in his own eyes and he tried to restrain a sob. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. So many thoughts were raging around in his head. He wanted to hold her and comfort her, but at the same time, he wanted to kill the son of a bitch responsible for this.

"What did he look like?" Doug asked. He tried to keep an even tone but failed. "I-I'll kill him. I swear I will. I can't live knowing that this happened to you and that he's still alive."

"There's no need," Valentine said. "He's already dead."

Doug was even more surprised. "Did you…?"

Valentine let out a humorless laugh. "No, I didn't. You remember James a few doors down? His little brother has a personality disorder. He barged in and slit the guy's throat while he was still on top of me. His blood got all over my face." She seemed less traumatized by a man's blood spilling on her. "Then the kid gave me a look…..I thought that he just wanted me for himself, but then he suddenly….changed. He dropped his knife and kept apologizing for bursting into my apartment. He even apologized as he wiped the blood off my face with his shirt. Then he just dragged the body outside while I sat in the kitchen and cried." She stared off into nothing. "I still remember the feeling of that man's blood on my skin. It was hot and putrid, but also very bitter-sweet."

Doug sniffled and she looked at him. "Doug?" she asked. "Are you okay?"

"I know it's stupid," he said, "but I feel like shit that I couldn't be there to save you. That never should have happened to you."

"Well, it did," Valentine said. "I hate being in this apartment now. I hate being alone. What if it happens again? Do I need to carry a knife around? I don't know if I could actually bring myself to kill anyone."

"You don't need to worry about that anymore," Doug said. "I won't let anyone hurt you ever again."

Valentine actually smiled at Doug. "Did you mean all that stuff you said earlier?" she asked. "About me being beautiful and whatever?"

Doug was glad that it was dark enough for her not to see him blushing. "Well, uh, yeah," he said. "Y-You're very interesting and I like learning more about you and being around you. You've been so kind to me and surprisingly understanding of my condition."

"So are we still on for dinner tomorrow night?"

Doug smiled. "Yeah," he said. "That sounds great."