Canon Omake:

The room was large. I'd even go so far as to say it was cavernous. It had cherry wood hard-floors, was two stories tall, with the second story dominated by a mezzanine like balcony, three out of the the four walls, both on the first story and the second story were lined with rows of books

Towards the end of the room there was the A-typical long seat, across from it was a red leather chair that seemed very comfortable. Probably had to be given that the user had to sit there for hours on end. In between the long seat and the red leather chair was a small table.

And lastly there was a rather… tall window. It did wonders for the room's lighting really. Though, honestly, its the biggest window I've ever seen. It seemed rather much. Whoever designed this room believed in human photosynthesis or something.

The guard closed the door behind me, leaving me alone in the massive room.

I let my eyes wander, trailing them up to the rows and rows of books.

How long since I last had the time to read?

I walk over to the book shelves, reaching towards the first title that draws me in just for sheer irony.

'The Rise and Fall of The Knight'

You almost had to laugh about it.

I looked at the back of the hardbook to the synopsis. It was thin, wouldn't take me long to read. Maybe three hours. Historical; Or so the description read.

Behind me, I hear the door open and turn to see a woman closing it. She's asian, thin. Her black hair is done up in a bun at the back of her head, with a red suit thin glasses rest on the bridge of her nose.

"You'd be Miss Yamada then right?" I ask, though I honestly don't have to. Name and face are kind of a giveaway of what you could expect.

She nods. "I am." She steps forward, the sharp click of her heels echoing through the cavernous room as she holds out her hand to shake. "It's a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance Miss Hebert. Or would you prefer I call you Taylor?"

I shrug. "Taylor's fine."

She nods, offering something I can only describe as a bow even though all she moved was her head. Her hand gestures towards the long seat and lounge chair.

I step closer towards it, keeping the book in hand.

"As you know, one of the reasons I'm here is to oversee your recovery as well as to evaluate your state of mind after the recent events." She set down her pad on the singular table, the slender black pen resting over it as she set herself down on the plushy, comfortable looking chair.

"I kinda figured that even before they told me." I said, hopping up onto the long chair. Honestly, I was perfectly fine with a normal chair. Why do they insist patients lay down?

"Figured what exactly Taylor?"

I stopped, turning my eyes to look at her. Was she… on medication or something? She just told me...

"That... you're here to evaluate me." I ventured.

"I see." She said as though I'd just given some insight. Even going so far as to write down in the little pad she'd placed on the table.

The hell was wrong with this woman?

Maybe Dad was right and all shrinks were full of crap.

"Is there anything in particular you'd like to discuss?" She asked.

I blinked, caught off guard again.

"I thought you asked me questions, not the other way around." "Why did you think that?" She questioned, perfectly neutral.

"Because…" I paused, more than a little flat footed. "I don't know, because… you and I don't have anything to really talk about right now? I don't even know you and I've been stuck in a glorified hospital jail cell for the better part of a week? What exactly are we gonna talk about?"

"Whatever you you'd like to talk about Taylor." She answered as though it should be obvious. She didn't smile, but her tone seemed gentle, I guess. "This is your hour. No one elses."

I blinked. Right. We'll see how long that lasts.

You know what, to hell with it.

I lift up the book. "Wouldn't mind me starting on this then?"

I expected her to say no. That this was meant to 'evaluate' me, not give me an hour to catch up on my reading.

"If you like."

I blinked, surprised. "Wait...what?"

"This is your hour Taylor." She repeated.

I blinked, staring at her, half expecting someone to jump out from behind a vase or something and yell "Psych!" At the top of their lungs.

But she didn't and neither did anyone else.

I leaned back on the chair, finally succumbing to the incessant nagging to lie down as I held the book in front of my face and started to read.

She didn't say one word for the whole hour.

(X)(X)(X)

Soon enough, the hour's over. The officer arrives and Taylor takes that as her cue to leave.

"I will see you the day after tomorrow Taylor."

"Yeah, sure." She looks at the book, making a note of the page.

"You can take it with you if you'd like." Yamada declares.

Taylor shrugs and thanks her.

Then she's gone. Marching through the halls with her guard back to her room/cell.

The dark haired woman remains sitting in the lounge chair for a moment before looking to her notes.

When she arrived in the room, she'd told Taylor that she was there to both evaluate her, and help her recovery.

Taylor had focussed on the former more than the latter.

Ms. Hebert's words belie an innate defensive reaction.

It wasn't unexpected. After everything that had occurred, the PRT, Shadow Stalker, Coil, Emma, and now even her own power, the young woman very likely felt very defensive, needing to defend herself from everyone.

Further proof of that was how unprepared, perhaps even fearful, she was to ask her questions. She'd been convinced that Yamada would be the one taking the 'offensive' role. A status-quo she was more comfortable with even though all prior knowledge and profiling demonstrated that she did not like to be the center of attention.

That meant it was a conditioned response… a recent development.

Her choice of wording as well, demonstrated a perception that Yamada wouldn't be interested in 'Taylor' or anything Taylor had to say. She believed Yamada's interest began and ended, only in how far it was 'important.'

IE: Her power, or her "evaluation."

Again... sadly, not unexpected given recent events.

In truth, allowing her to read the book was a calculated risk. She often preferred her patients to want to talk to her, and was only agressive in her tactics when it came to criminals or people that were forced by court order to seek help like Emma

In this case, Taylor very much fell into the latter category, someone forced to see her. It meant that she should have been aggressive. What she'd done offered Taylor an escape from questions, either her own or Yamada's, something that would make diagnosis even more difficult if she continued to retreat from these questions.

Even so...difficult or not, it wouldn't be impossible. The mere action of retreat if it was continued for an extended period in and of itself would provide information. Not only the sheer aversion to conversation that would indicate a truly worrying level of distrust for those affiliated with the PRT, but also the unhealthy beginnings of an anti-social behavior.

But still, by and large she didn't want to force Taylor. Taylor was a clever girl, and she might very well simply lie if she thought she could get away with it. Yamada had faith in her skills, she might spot it once, or even a hundred times... but there was going to be one time that she wasn't going to see it. One time she slipped up.

And that might very well be enough to cause even more damage.

Especially to Taylor.

Too much had been done wrong with this girl for her to half ass it.

If it took longer, so be it. But she truly believed Taylor needed to want to talk to her if any trust could be established between them. And trust above all things was more necessary here than in any other case she'd seen in at least the last decade of her career.

Taylor had been offered pretty words all her life… and every last person that offered those words ended up betraying her in some way or other.

Her trust was now a rare commodity. One that she didn't hand out to anyone. Even her own father was kept at arm's length.

Hence… why she ultimately handed Taylor full control.

Taylor would speak with her… when she wanted to.

No sooner, no later.

It was one of the biggest risks she'd taken in her professional life.

Even so she didn't regret it.

This was a girl that was under attack from all sides… The villains that wanted her blood, the heroes keeping her under lock and key, watching her under a microscope, the populace and general community leery of her,even her powers, the one thing a cape could take some solace in after the trauma needed to achieve them in the first place, had turned against her in their own way…

Friends that she did not fully trust, a parent that could be described as estranged at the best of times, everything just seemed… stacked… Trying to bring her down.

And she just stood back up… over and over again.

If the only comfort that could be offered her amidst all that was a single… insignificant hour of solace… a room where she was the one in complete control…

Well… even if that meant being ignored, Yamada couldn't regret giving her that much at the very least.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Hello all :) The Hiatus is almost over :D

This piece was too short to stand on its own, so its officially an Omake. Taking place between Chapters 5.5 and 6.1 aproximately 5 - 7 days after Taylor's return to PRT custody.

The actual chapter will be posted on Thursday Night. Enjoy :)