Jimmy sniffled softly, watching Danny who had fallen asleep soon after Cheshire left. He was scared. He promised to help Danny by stalling but what if Cheshire figured it out? What if she got angry and had his parents killed? All the emotional stress had caused him to break down shortly after Danny fell asleep. For all his intelligence, right now, he was helpless. He was trapped. He remembered how Goddard had exploded when shot trying to protect him. Jimmy hoped that the robot dog was just playing dead but there was a kernel of doubt in his mind where he feared the bullet had hit the power unit in the dog's body and caused the explosion. He'd lost track of time also. He didn't know how long he'd been a prisoner. A few hours, a day. Danny was right. It wasn't easy trying to keep track without a window or clock.

Jimmy ran over his plan to make a distress signal to call for help. But he wasn't so sure about going through with it now. He wanted to discuss it with Danny but he could see that the halfa was injured, weak and needed to rest. So he wouldn't wake the teen. Jimmy considered the teen. He was incredibly brave, to the point of being foolish. Jimmy found himself feeling safer in the cell with the halfa despite how weakened and trapped he was. He could tell that Danny would do everything in his power to prevent any harm befalling on Jimmy. In his work space, Jimmy was lost in his mind but he was wary of doing anything that would outright upset Cheshire. Danny didn't seem to have that. He upset her, defied her. But he never pushed it too far. But then again, Danny understood that he was needed alive and in fairly good condition in order to have his energy harvested.

Jimmy didn't know how long Danny slept or how long he cried for, but he was quick to dry his face and regain his composure when he heard Danny stir. Jimmy watched Danny as the teen opened his eyes and scanned the room tiredly. Danny flashed a quick reassuring smile at Jimmy that didn't reach his eyes.

"You okay?" Danny croaked wearily. Jimmy nodded quickly. Being scared was nothing compared to what the halfa was going through. Danny frowned slightly in concern.

"Jimmy, you don't have to pretend. It's okay if you're not," Danny added. Jimmy bit his lip and sighed in defeat.

"I'm sorry. I'm… I'm just scared. Cheshire caught me trying to smuggle a screwdriver in here and threatened to kill my parents or make things horrible for me here. I know it's nothing compared to what it's like here for you," Jimmy admitted softly.

"Hey, you don't think I'm scared too Jimmy? I'm not an easy person to catch. I know these people are dangerous and mean business. And I also know my family and friends aren't going to just sit back. They're out there looking for me. And I know when my family and people like Cheshire meet, someone gets hurt," Danny confessed.

"How are you so calm then?" Jimmy inquired quietly.

"Jimmy, I've been here a lot longer than you. You think I was like this the entire time? Not a chance. I was a nervous wreck for the first while, probably a day or two. I dunno since I can't keep track. And trust me, if I wasn't so exhausted all the time, I'd probably be a lot more worried and scared," Danny replied grimly. They fell silent for a short time as Jimmy absorbed that information.

Suddenly Jimmy's stomach rumbled loudly and Jimmy clutched his waist as he turned red in embarrassment. Danny smirked knowingly at the boy, he frowned briefly in concentration before nodding.

"Cheshire will be back soon. Power unit's almost full," Danny told the boy. Jimmy blinked.

"How can you tell?" Jimmy asked in surprise.

"Practice. I told you, I can sense my energy building in the collar. And after a few times you learn how much energy gathers there before Cheshire comes back to empty it," Danny answered. Less than a minute later the tell-tale screech of the bolt on the door opening filled the cell.

Cheshire walked in with a bottle of water and a bag of bread and cheese this time. Both were thrown in Jimmy's direction. She then ducked out of the room and returned with the first aid box a moment later. She crossed the room and knelt beside Danny.

"How are we feeling now?" Cheshire asked stiffly. Jimmy silently opened the bag and took out a piece of bread. Danny scowled at her in response. Cheshire clicked her tongue condescendingly. She then unwound the bandages and peeled away the green-soaked dressing in order to look at Danny's wound.

"You do heal fast," she commented. Danny gave a soft growl in annoyed warning when Cheshire gently examined the wound curiously. Cheshire looked up and chuckled softly, pushing against the wound purposefully hard. Danny jerked his leg away and bit back a yelp of agony as both the touch and movement aggravated the wound. Cheshire pulled the leg back to her with a dark snigger and replaced the dressings, tying the knot at the end of the bandage with excessive force.

Cheshire then shoved Danny's head back and took out the filled power unit and slipped it in her pocket. Danny waited for her to take out an empty one but instead, to his surprise, she pulled out the bag of grey smoothie stuff.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Danny pointed out, in his confusion forgetting his rage at this woman.

"No. It's been decided that we'll not replace the unit until you're healed. That and the fact that we only have one or two left after your kind donations," Cheshire explained tauntingly. Danny's expression hardened angrily as Cheshire unscrewed the cap to the spout on the bag for him.

"Open up cutie," Cheshire ordered teasingly. Danny growled in annoyance but obeyed.

Jimmy swallowed a mouthful of cheese and drank his water quietly as he watched the exchange. Cheshire was right. He had it pretty good right now. He wasn't hand fed questionable food. He could feed himself recognisable food stuffs and move around with ease. Jimmy wondered to himself when the last time Danny had anything proper to eat was. Danny had been gone for about a week at this point. Had he been given real food initially and the grey smoothie replaced that as a punishment? Jimmy was tempted to hide some bread or cheese in order to give it to Danny but then he recalled the last time they were given food. Danny had told Jimmy to eat the jerky as the smoothie stuff would start energising him soon. Jimmy wondered if real food would inhibit that. Or maybe in his ghost form, Danny couldn't digest real food.

Cheshire tucked the now empty food bag in her pocket and stood up. She turned to Jimmy and waited for him to finish eating the food and drinking the bottle of water. Jimmy handed the empty bottle and bag to Cheshire politely as he chewed the last piece of bread. Cheshire took them and scooped up the first aid bag in her other hand.

"Oh, by the way. Don't try anything when I come by later to pick up the kid. Personally I think one injury is enough, right cutie?" Cheshire called over her shoulder and the door thudded shut, the bolt scraped across to lock the door. Danny growled deeply in his throat in frustration. He knew Cheshire had a point. However there was hope. Without his energy being drained away, maybe he could gather his energy in a way to break the handcuffs or collar and they could escape.

"Danny, I wanted to ask your opinion," Jimmy began carefully. He already suspected the teen's answer but the boy genius had to ask. Danny turned to Jimmy and nodded, silently telling him to continue.

"I was thinking about making a machine that would emit a distress signal. It might be able to help people looking for us to find this place. But when I'm working, Cheshire stays in the room the entire time. I'd have to try and make one under her nose and activate it without anyone realising. Should I go ahead? I checked, I have everything I need," Jimmy explained. Danny bit his lip lightly in thought before nodding.

"Do it. But if you get caught, it was my idea. I can get away with more than you," Danny stipulated. Jimmy nodded.

So Jimmy's scared, Danny's not being drained of energy and a bit of bonding between prisoners.

Let me know what you guys think so far.

Until the next chapter.