AN: I Would like to thank Tevios115 for adding this story to your favourites and Juneselene for both the fav and follow. And a special thank-you to NoUsernamesAreAvailable . There really are no words to describe how reading your review made me feel. Thank-you for taking the time to write it - it means a lot to me.

Please enjoy this little chapter, the calm before the proverbial storm. From the next chapter onwards - there's some real heartache to be had :( (:P)

Yuul x

Alex Mahone did not sleep at all that night, not that he had expected to. He wasn't used to the creature comforts of a 9-5 work life that came with a complimentary healthy sleep cycle. No. Alex Mahone was lucky if he got 40 winks in a 72 hour period.

He currently lay, half naked atop his bed, the images of the woman he'd saved that night still plaguing his mind. It was reminiscent of when he watched Shales' die in his dreams over and over and over and… His finger tips dragged down from his forehead all the way down in chin until he wrapped his hands tight around his neck, mimicking the suffocating feeling his life was having on him right now. Sometimes he wished that he could just have the guts to grab the gun he'd thrown on his bedside table and place it in his bloody mouth and end it all. But he was too much of a coward.

His fingers slowly unlaced themselves and found themselves spread apart as Alex stretched his arms out by his sides, mimicking the stance children making snow angels took. He closed his eyes as he remembered the last Christmas he had spent with his own kid, making snow angels in the back garden. And with all of his happy thoughts, this memory was dragged into the abyss and ripped to pieces by his skeletons. His backyard held darker secrets than happy memories could handle.

"Fuck fuck fuck!" He groaned, deciding that laying on the bed wasn't going to make his demons go away. He turned onto his side and pushed himself up - opting for a shower and a change of clothes. After that, he'd visit the hospital to check on Miss Jones before heading to the courthouse to meet LJ Burrows and execute his plan to get him to talk. Sounded like a plan. Kids were often easier to coerce than adults.

So, he stripped and stepped in the shower, letting the blood and dirt he'd accumulated throughout the day fall off his body. He couldn't exactly turn up to the hospital looking like he should be admitted. He found his thought a little funny and smiled, turning the hot water higher. As he let the water cover his body, he thought about exactly how he'd gotten himself into that situation.

"You've got to see this" - "It was previously unknown" "we don't know how viable it is but -"

Lang had no idea what she had uncovered, and its weight was worth more than gold seeing as Kellerman had gotten off his high horse and made the trip down to the hospital. The fact he hadn't been waiting outside to force policy down Alex's throat, made him suspect that it was more to do with the girl than anything, and it probably wasn't to bring her flowers.

Although he and Kellerman had exchanged but a few words in the short space of time they had known each other, Kellermans tone and threats were the only thing keeping Alex in line with this madness. It wasn't enough that Kellerman had threatened to expose the secrets that lay below his perfectly kept lawn, but he had thrown in the name of his son and ex-wife, saying it was 'adequate incentive' or a 'motivational trigger' to get Mahone to cooperate and complete his mission. Alex was truly afraid that if he failed, his family would die.

With that thought, his breathing sped up. What if that was the fate waiting for the girl he'd saved yesterday? He'd just left her there, probably to the devices of The Company - would she even be alive when he got there? She better be he mused. That girl potentially had vital information that he needed to catch Scofield before he made his next move. And the quicker he did that, the quicker he could walk away with his family intact.

He pushed back his sodden hair and let the water hit his face with pull force. In that moment, surrounded by the steam from the shower, he wondered what it would feel like to drown. To begin with, sure, it would feel awful at first, but then it would be almost peaceful right? Experiencing those last moments in the water, in the nice warm…

"Maybe Miss Jones has the right idea" He shivered, shutting the water off. He stepped out of the shower, leaving a trail of water drops as he scuffed his feet through to the bedroom, where he grabbed his dirty clothes and threw them into the trash can in the corner of his bedroom. He had better things to do than to be washing clothes right now - besides, he had a dozen more.

As promised, Mahone made his way to the hospital to pay an early morning visit to the young woman. He wanted to get an update from the doctor to know when he would be able to question her but, to his surprise, the doctor was no-where to be seen. When he queried at the front desk, the receptionist was adamant that no man that fit the description he gave of the doctor worked there - this alone confirmed his suspicions. He felt his nerves tingle as he cased his surroundings, suddenly feeling like he was the prey instead of the hunter.

"And A Miss Jones? Do you have any record of her?" He had asked, impatiently clicking at his tongue. Would she be another individual they didn't have any record of? Had the company swept in a dealt with that in the only way that he knew they worked? He pulled his glasses down his nose and began to impatiently tap them on the countertop as the receptionist tapped away on the keyboard. She didn't seem to get distracted at all by his impatient lack of rhythm.

"Are you family?" She asked, her tone overly cheerful for any hour before sunrise.

"No, I'm not" He huffed, pocketing his glasses and scratching his chin nervously. "I brought her in -" He pulled out his badge and showed it to her, hoping the blonde would get to the point "and I just want to check she's ok" A smile flickered onto his face, as he awaited an answer the his original question "So, which room is she in?" He reminded her, just in case her air head had not received the original request.

"Yes, yes - ok" She obviously interpreted his repetition as impatience, which was a correct interpretation, and with a few more clicks, she was writing down a room number on a post-it-note for him, flashing a smile his way as she did so. "Here you go sir"

"Thanks" He breathed, grabbing the note and making his way to the room written of the paper. It was a private room, a fact that both surprised and slightly confused Alex. Her insurance details wouldn't have gone through quick enough to ensure this treatment. He shook it off, knowing that it wasn't important. What was important was finding out whether she was even in the room, and was she even alive. He couldn't answer the first, straight away as the blinds were drawn shut, so all he could do, was see for himself. Alex couldn't help but look over his shoulder before opening the door to the secluded room, his heart beating uncontrollably. But it seemed to be unwarranted as the door opened and no men flew out from behind the scenes. No guns blazing. Nothing. His nerves were getting the best of him at the strangest of times, he thought to himself, letting out a smile breath of laughter as he pushed the door open fully, revealing the patient within.

He stepped in and let the door close with a click behind him, and he leant there for a moment, simply looking at the figure lay, motionless. He wasn't sure what he had expected. After such trauma, she wasn't going to be up and about and ready for questioning so soon, but a small, nagging part of him had hoped that was the case. With each passing moment, it felt like the knife at his throat was getting closer and closer to cutting - but the worst of it, was that it wasn't really his throat that would be cut but theirs: His family.

All he had to do was kill the escapees and it would all be over. That is what he'd been telling himself since he was employed to perform this task. That is what he had been telling himself every waking moment since the infamous case file and photos of his family were sent to him as a warning. Kill them all and save his family. And save himself.

Ironically, it is exactly what he had told himself when he found himself in much similarly impossible manhunt. Shales. He had told himself that when he was found, his family would be safe. He had told himself that when he was found, he would be able to return to normal, he had told himself to many things, yet he wasn't with his wife and kid - he was stood, in the hospital room of a stranger, projecting his desperation for a quick ending to this situation into her recovery. If The Company were involved, the was important.

"So…" He shook his head to rid himself of the morbid thoughts and stepped towards the bed, the machines on each side flashing with positive indications of her survival "I guess, this might seem odd, me being here" He continued, taking small steps towards her bedside. "But you are going to help me find them" His fingers tapped the bed, beside her hand "Yes - I don't know why, but I have a feeling, you are going to help" He stared at his fingers remained just millimetres away from her hand, tapping gently on the linen. With each tap, his fingers moved a fraction closer, until his fingertips were touching her skin. It sent shivers down his spine to feel the warmth that came from her smooth skin and he smiled. She wasn't going to die, after all.

The silence was broken by the sound of his cell vibrating in his pocket.

"Yes" He answered sharply, his voice barely above a whisper.

"It's Lang"

"I know - and it's 6 in the morning, what are you doing up?" His fingers moved from just the side of her thumb to trace the outline of her hand, his eyes now fixated on her peaceful face. He hadn't had a chance to really see the woman he'd read about in his one page report. There had been no photo and there had been no time for him to look at her properly when she was bleeding out just hours before. But now, there was plenty of time.

"Same thing you are, I guess - working" Lang laughed down the phone as she spoke, distracting him slightly from his thoughts

"What you got for me?" His voice remained quiet, afraid to destroy the calm that he began to feel in the room he currently occupied. Despite the tragic circumstances behind his arrival, he could honestly say that he had not felt such calm in a long time. Even the disjointed rhythm of the various machines that were littered at either side of the bed provided a gentle symphony that did not bother him.

"It's all set. The hearing is at three and your meeting is at noon" He sat back down

"Good"

"Still need me to cover for you?" She asked, phishing.

"No." He replied quickly, his hand now covering the young woman's entirely. "I'll - I'll be there soon"

He snapped shut the phone, and took a seat in the chair that was conveniently placed besides the bed, wondering whether she'd be angry to know she was being kept alive, against her will. His elbows were now digging into his thighs as he raked his hands through his hair. Something he felt anger at the fact he was still alive - but only because he felt that he wasn't really living, but why he was delving into such a philosophical state of thought was beyond him. He simply sat back, just watching the steady rise and fall of her chest, his mind void of thought and he was happy for it.

4 years ago

Chicago at night was a sight to be seen. It mattered not whether it was a Friday night or a Tuesday evening, there was life in the city and it shined. Of course, December in Chicago was an even more spectacular sight, with fairy lights littering all of the shop windows, snow and sparkles littering the side walks as happiness was palpable in the air. Christmas brought everyone together and it was the most beautiful thing to see.

Nicole sat, legs crosses at a high table in one of the bars on Clark Street, pausing to look at the patrons of the establishment she currently occupied. It had been so long since she'd been in Chicago that she was excited just to watch the locals. She hadn't decided whether the direct exposure to Chicagos born and raised was bringing back good or bad memories, but the fact that she had already finished her third coconut daiquiri dulled the blow either way. She was just happy to be home.

Raising a hand to call over the waiter to order her fourth, she caught a glimpse of a familiar face coming in the door, wrapped in a scarf, winter hat and ear muffs.

"Michael!" She called, waving him over holding a finger to the waiter, asking him to wait a moment "What can I get you?"

"Mulled wine" He replied, shooting a smile to the waiter, who nodded and left the pair. Michael proceeded to remove his winter accessories, placing them on the table in an orderly fashion before embracing the young woman before her "It's so great to see you" Nicole fell into the embrace, ignoring the feeling of his cold skin on her own. It had been too long.

"And you. Wow. You look great Michael" She pulled out of his arms, and took a moment to look him over. "Success looks good on you"

"And you" He raised his hand to lace his fingers around a lock of her hair. Sure, she wasn't a structural engineer, but she had done well for herself in her own field.

Nicole Jones had been the lucky recipient of a Harvard University Scholarship, sponsored by the university's department of mathematics. After a successful stint at university she was offered a fully funded Doctorate straight out of university and three years later, she had completed her PhD in Applied Cryptography at Stanford. So, Officially, she was Dr. Nicole Jones, but she hated using it. People always assumed she had a medi-kit on her and it took so long to explain that she had decided to drop it on her official paperwork. To the world she was just Nicole jones, born in Chicago Ilinois. She was so happy to be back.

"I have missed you so much" Michael's voice seemed to get caught in his throat as he spoke, tears lacing his eyes. He smiled at her, which warmed her up to no end.

"Well, I'm here now" She spoke, rubbing his arms encouragingly "And so are our drinks!" The waiter, who looked similar to a penguin sat the two glasses down pushing them towards each of them. Nicole smiled at him, amused by the mental image of a flightless bird before her, which he obviously misinterpreted, as he winked at her before turning away. She laughed, and shook her head in disbelief. He certainly wasn't her type.

"Cheers" Michael said, lifting his steaming glass.

"Christmas Cheer!" She mirrored his action, tapping her daiquiri lightly against his mulled wine. "So, Hows linc?"She asked, after taking a sip of her favourite drink.

"How he always is" Michael answered, dismissively. Nicole didn't press. He knew Michaels stance on the matter.

"And Veronica?" She asked, trying to gather as much information about those from her past. Of course, she'd make an effort to see them all soon enough. She had missed them all so much.

"Getting Married" Michael raised a knowing eyebrow as he looked at her, taking a sip of his drink, his eyes baring straight into her own.

"To who?" Nicole asked, shocked, her eyes widening at the thought. Veronica Donovan - married - and not to Lincoln!

"To some guy, Sebastian I think his name is." He shrugged, sitting back in the high chair he had occupied opposite her.

"Wow." She whispered. "I always thought -" If there was anything that she would have bet on as a kid, it was that Lincoln and Veronica were a match made in heaven that would last for all eternity. But then, she had gone away to college, Lincoln had a kid, and it all sort of fell to pieces. Lincolns not so squeaky clean criminal record could be blamed for the most part - but it was still so sad to know that Veronica had literally hit one nail out with another and getting married to some other human. On some levels, it was unfair, Nicole thought.

"And LJ?" She spoke, more lively, trying to push the subject of Lincolns lost love life out of her head

"Good. Straight A student" Michael replied, beaming with pride. Michael had never stricken her as having a paternal edge to his unique personality, but whenever he spoke of LJ (and he spoke of him a lot), Nicole could almost taste the love and admiration he had for the young boy.

"My influence, of course" She winked, taking a sip, as proud of LJ and Michael. He had a brain in his head, and she hoped to god he'd continue to use it.

"Certainly not from his father" Michael's comment was a cheap shot that sucked all of the previously accumulated joy out of the conversation.

"Give him a break Michael" She rolled her eyes at him. She opened her mouth to berate him further, but was interrupted by the sound of her cell. "Speak of the devil?"

"Nikki?"

"Hey you, how are you?" She heard him sign, relaxing at the sound of her voice. Michael, on the other hand looked visibly more tense than he had a moment ago, much like a kid does when they are on the verge of being caught out. Nikki raised an eyebrow at him, but put it down to the fact that Lincoln was not his favourite person, and not because he had done anything wrong.

"I'm good." There was a long pause "And you?"

"Spiffing." She replied, in a chipper tone, playing with the straw that was floating in her drink, her eyes still fixated on the man before her "I was actually just wondering whether you were up for getting food tomorrow night? I am keen to re-familiarise myself with the Chicago Cuisine"

"What?" His question had not been what she expected, catching her off guard. She pulled there straw out of the drink and placed it on the table.

"Oh, I mean - " She shifted in her seat, feeling like she'd overstepped some boundary of some sort "If you want we could just get Chinese take-out if you wanted, watch a rubbish film. Or or- nothing. No pressure. I just wanted to see you" She rushed through her words.

"You're in Chicago?"

"Yes" She laughed "Moved in yesterday, didn't Michael tell you?" She looked up to see Michael staring blankly at the straw she'd placed on the table. He didn't tell him.

"It must have, umm, slipped his mind" Lincolns voice was just as stoic as it always was. Out of all of them, he was the best when it came to hiding emotions. Michael was second in that race - but Nikki - she wore her heart on her sleeve, and had fire on her tongue.

"Yeah. It must have" She replied, unconvinced. Michael never forgot anything. Ever. "But yeah. I'm back. You feel like meeting up tomorrow then?" She looked away from Michael now, feeling the anger begin to surge from within, and she didn't want Lincoln to pay for that.

"Of course" He was smiling now. It filtered into his voice.

"Still living at - "

"You know it" He let out a small laugh.

"Then I'll come get you around 4, ok?" She slipped off the high chair, pulling at the black dress she'd donned for the occasion. And what an occasion it was.

"Perfect." He said

Nicole snapped the flip phone shut after saying her goodbyes, and dropped it into her open back. "You're an ass" She spat, grabbing her coat off the back of the chair "A real ass" she reiterated, reaching for her bag that was draped on the back of the chair.

"I didn't - I -" Michael jumped up from his chair and stood in front of her. He didn't want her to go.

"Am. An. Ass." She spoke, staccato, pocking his chest with each syllable "Just because you have this unbearable superiority complex, doesn't mean the rest of the world does, Michael" She scrabbled into her purse, pulling out some cash to pay for her drinks

"Nicole, I'm sorry. I just didn't want you to let him down" he held his hands up, creating some sort of barricade.

"What?" She was in shock. Her? - let Lincoln down? Never! "What the hell is that supposed to mean!?" Shock turned to anger.

"I didn't think you were really going to come back." He admitted "I mean, you said you were coming back so many times and…" He explained, dropping his arms down to allow his hands to lace nervously "Lincoln, well, he only just found out about Veronica and I didn't want to get his hopes up and you -"

She held her hand up, indicating she wanted him to stop talking, immediately. "You do not get to decide what people feel Michael. I have told you that before" She slung her purse over her shoulder and began to zip up the front of her coat.

"Im sorry" His apology was so sincere. And she knew that he never did anything to deliberately hurt or upset anyone - but he still had so much to learn. He was a 27 year old man - not a child, and sooner or later, he'd have to be held responsible for his actions.

"Yeah. I'm sure you are" She replied curtly, snaking around him and out of the bar, jumping into the first taxi that came to the entrance.

Welcome home. She mused, looking out the back of the cab, catching Michaels eyes, looking out at her as she left him, once again.

Present Day

Alex was lost in thought, sat, like he did many days, in his back garden, staring at the bird bowl with such intensity he was sure his stare would destroy the stone figure. But it didn't, it simply remained their, a constant reminder of the evil beneath, the very thing that ate him up inside, destroyed his life and drove him to the edge of sanity.

He was sat on a wooden chair as he spoke to Ives about setting up the border controls - he wasn't about to lose the lot of them completely. His assignment was clear and he would pull every string he was able to get his hands on to reign them in and end them. Before cutting the conversation short, Ives mentioned having found all of the information he'd requested. Amongst that, was hopefully something that would shed light on something that wasn't so clear. The agenda The Company had with Nicole Jones.

He had left about an hour after the phone call with Lang, relishing in the calm that resonated from the woman, giving him the boost he needed. It wasn't until he left, did he realise that he hadn't picked up his pen from his jacket he'd thrown on his bedroom floor just hours before, knowing. The calm Miss Jones had bestowed upon him would not last him the entire day - hence why he was back home, staring at the bird bowl, pocketing his phone and checking his pocket, just to be sure. He was probably going to need it.

And he was right.

Mahone had made two visits to the Burrows boy. The conclusion of the first, was that LJ Burrows was a smart ass, just like he suspected his father was. He'd asked him to appear on TV and help him bring his father and uncle in to custody, but he'd refused. Curiously enough, he had accused Mahone of forming part of the conspiracy against his father - a fact that almost amused Alex, for it was actually true. He was part of this crazy conspiracy now. But amusement had no place in the current conversation. He needed LJ burrows to forget about being the saviour and start looking out for himself. He was 16 years old. He shouldn't have to waste his life away behind bars because of a government conspiracy that wanted his father dead - no. LJ should live his life as was intended, and probably how his father intended. Out of danger. Alex couldn't help but drawn some roundabout comparison to himself. He had stepped away from his own son to keep him safe - Lincoln Burrows should man up and do the same.

But LJ Burrows didn't break.

Mahone had left the kid with all of the advice he could muster without screaming at him to give his father and uncle up. He left him to think it all through, and hoped that he would jump at the deal - for two hours later his hearing would decided whether he was tried as a minor or an adult, and Mahone knew the outcome already. Alex left the courthouse and decided that he needed to go away and do some thinking of his own.

In the following hour or so, he received two very interesting phone calls. The first, Nick Savrinn had been found shot in his home alongside his father, a man who was recently released from prison after a 15 year stint. Alex found all of this quite coincidental, but didn't give it too much thought. He had 8 escaped convicts to find, and the death of one lawyer wasn't going to help. At least thats what he thought. The second phone call came an hour later. It was Lang. She wanted to let him know that LJ burrows had received a phone call and that it had been recorded, like he'd asked.

Mahone didn't give her time to explain the nature of the phone call. He simply jumped in his car, went to the field office, picked up a copy and played it over and over again as he was driving back to talk to LJ once again.

"On the 3rd look up for Otis right?" He repeated every time he listened to Lincoln Burrows voice on the tape. Soon, he'd simply ask the boy and he'd get the answers he needed.

Unsurprisingly, LJ denied any knowledge as to what his father was referring to with the phrase. Mahone was growing more and more impatient with the impetulant child, threatening to make his life impossible. When he continued to obstruct the investigation, Mahone made the call to the prosecutor. He was going to request - no insist - that this hid was 'hung out to dry'. It was at this moment, that everything began to make sense.

LJ had bent down to tie his shoes - but it was just to bide time. Alex noticed that they were on the third floor and that the boy was now entering the right side elevator made by - "Otis" He whispered, pushing to stop the elevator, telling the guard that he'd do the honours. He had only to ponder for a few moments as to what the elaborate plan was supposed to be when he saw them, the two big fish, atop the elevator within which the boy and Mahone were stood, looking up in confusion.

"LJ, pass me his gun" Alex heard Lincoln say to the boy. But he was not looking at either Burrow, much more fixated on the fear in the eyes of the other brother. "Give me your hand" Lincoln continued to converse with the boy, but Alex just watched. Did they really think this was going to work? He mused, looking up at the two guns that were pointed at him.

Actually - now only one.

Lincoln had dropped the plastic fun, giving Mahone the opportunity to grab the kid by the waist, pulling him back down. Scofield threatened to shoot, but Alex knew the fear in his eyes. He didn't have it in him to kill a man, not like his brother, who was too busy trying to pull his kid up, out of Mahones grasp - and to no avail. He let go and closed the hatchet, leaving Mahone alone with the boy. He was a seconds away from taking his frustrations out on the kid but refrained from doing to - he was just an innocent pawn in the system.

"They're up there!" He screamed, stepping out of the elevator "Scofield and Burrows are in the building"

But they wouldn't be for long. Just 5 minutes later, he had been informed that a vehicle they had stolen was found abandoned. He drove straight to where the vehicle was abandoned, noticed the blood. He didn't care to know which brother was bleeding, he just wished that they would bleed out - saving him one individual to chase. But one thing was for sure; they either went to a hospital, or they die, and either way - he'd be waiting.

He just stood at the end of the bed. He wasn't sure why he was there, but he was. He didn't even make an attempt to talk to the receptionist this time, simply walking in the front door and taking the elevator to the third floor where Miss Jones remained in very much the same position she had been this morning. It was such a contrast to where he felt that he was.

Alex had being within feet of both Scofield and Burrows that afternoon, and they had escaped - again. The phone call he had received moments after the media flurry was one he had expected, but it had made the blow no duller. Kellerman was not entirely happy with how it was turning out - but Alex had been adamant that he should not underestimate his skills. 14 years in the bureau had given him a certain amount of intuition and he knew that they would slip up soon enough. He'd put eyes and ears on all hospitals and walk in clinics - if they even stepped close to a place that sold plasters, they would get them.

Kellerman had seemed to be almost reasonable and accepting of what Alex had to say. The tone of his voice was lighter, and Alex felt a little less on edge, talking to him. The relaxed state didn't last too long though, as the final thing Kellerman said put him right on edge.

"Oh, and Mahone - Stay away from Nicole ok? She's not your concern"

Had there been any reservations of the involvement of The Company with the young woman he'd saved almost 24 hours ago, they had been destroyed with those words. Yet, he had not heeded those words of warning, for he was stood, at the edge of her bed, with a bouquet of flowers in his hand, looking awkward as he tried to think of what to say to a woman that wouldn't respond.

"So, I -" he began wiping his face with his free hand "I got you these" He raised the flowers slightly, as if showing her to what he was referring "I saw them in the hospital gift shop and thought it might make the room more colourful" He explained, laying them on the table that was pushed up against the bed frame beside him. "I guess, I'll just leave them here"

He fumbled around with the bottom of his shirt jacket, biting his lip nervously as the events of the past 24 hours rushed through his mind.

"Stop stop stop" He muttered hitting himself lightly on the side of the head. He turned around, back to the patient, and pulled out the pen that resided in his pocket, unscrewing it and placing it quickly on his tongue. The pen disappeared straight afterwards, and he turned, smiling a weak smile at the woman as he did so, embarrassment dancing behind his eyes.

"I had them" he whispered, looking down at her "I was so close" his fingers curled into fists as he voiced his frustration. "He is smart - too smart" He released his fingers and stepped around the bed to take a seat, looking at Nicole with such intensity "But you know - " he continued "- that will be his downfall" He leant back in the chair, leaning back and pulling at his head in both directions to release the tension "That will be his downfall" He repeated, to himself, looking down at the floor, thinking about what his next move would be, until his eyes grew heavy and he could fight it no longer - succumbing to sleep.

Her eyelids felt like they were being weighed down as she tried to open them. While focusing most of her efforts on that act, the remaining brain cells worked hard to understand what the hell was going on. Had she not ended all of this? If that was the case, then why did she feel such restraint and feel - cold? This wasn't what she had expected to feel. Not one bit.

Finally, she was able to push open her eyes, fluttering as they tried to fight her conscious attempt to visualise her surroundings. From the look of the ceiling above her and what she could see in her peripheral vision, she realised that she was in a hospital. She'd seen enough of those in her time to know that. But what she did know, was the identity of the man that sat in the chair beside her bed. She knew they had never met before - she had a particularly brilliant memory for faces, so why was he asleep, beside her in the middle of the night?

She turned her head to look towards him, trying to assess him for some indication of who he was and what his reasoning for being there was - but she wasn't awake long enough to make much of a stab at the attempt. She simply felt her eye lids grow heavy once more and she had no energy to fight it. She would deal with the stranger in the morning, a sense of security coming over her as she took his vision from the eve of reality into the world of dreams.