When the time finally came to be woken, the Junior Deputy had not expected it to be Burke that would do it. The creaking of the metal door weighing on the hinges startled her awake from her dreamless slumber and her hand instantly went to the rifle under her bed.

"Whoa, whoa—hey!" he called as he held up one hand. In his other hand, he held a plate of food that he awkwardly raised to show he didn't have anything dangerous. "Didn't mean to startle you. Just thought you might be hungry."

Seeing that it was not one of the Seed siblings coming to drag her back to her nightmares, Avery relaxed and sat up in the bed, leaving her rifle on the floor; the familiar ache in her temple was present but she tried not to think about it. In that moment, she was more interested in the food Burke had brought.

"Thanks. I could use something to eat."

Burke smiled and took a seat by her bed as he handed her the plate. Avery eagerly took it, knowing it was a decent change from the deer jerky. Looking down she was pleased to see what looked like either chicken or turkey with mashed potatoes.

"Looks tasty," she commented as she grabbed her fork and began to eat.

"Yeah, it wasn't too bad," Burke agreed. Looking at the end table he noted she didn't have any more water left. Luckily, he knew there was a case by the door. "You thirsty?"

Avery finished swallowing her food before looking at the end table where Burke motioned to. Seeing the semi-crushed plastic bottle, she returned her attention to the Marshal and nodded. "More water would be great."

Standing up, he walked over to the door to get a couple bottles as Avery went back to her food, reminding herself not to scarf down the meal in front of her guest. Though she was starving, she didn't want to show rude table manners. Her visitor didn't seem to notice either way as he returned with her water.

"Thanks again," she replied while taking the bottle and drinking a few swigs. "So, what brings you to my neck of the woods?"

Burke took his seat in the chair and leaned back with his arms crossed over his chest and legs kicked out. There was a small shadow of arrogance that had returned to him but it was miniscule. Avery wasn't complaining, however. Even though she hated his attitude before, she just wanted him to recover from his time in the Bliss, even if it meant annoying her again. Having the drug mess with one's mind to where they lose a part of themself was something that twisted a knot in her stomach. What she saw now from Burke was just a hint of his former self, but it was still reassuring to know that he was closer to being back to normal. Vaguely, she wondered how long it would take before he made a full recovery.

After getting comfortable, Burke shrugged. "Just figured I could check in on you. See how you were fairing after your last encounter with Faith."

"I'm doing alright…. Just a splitting headache but you know how that goes…" She took another drink of water and studied the man in front of her. Reading his posture and behavior was harder now and she couldn't shake the uncomfortable feeling that something had shifted in him. Whether it was good or bad was yet to be determined. He wasn't his over-confident self, but neither was he timid. The marshal almost seemed to be content and calm, something she was having a hard time mastering herself.

Burke didn't seem to mind her staring as he took a glance around the medical bay.

"Can't say I miss being in here. Got myself a nicer room in someone's old office," he explained before bringing his gaze back to Avery.

"That's an improvement at least," she replied. She really hated making small talk and part of her really wished he would find somewhere else to be. All she wanted in that moment was to throw her manners out the window and eat in peace.

"It is. Still a crappy cot but it works…. How's the food?"

Avery tensed slightly at his question; paranoia gnawed at her self-control as the small voice in her head warned that the food might be poisoned. But she mentally shook the thought away, knowing she was just jumping to unnecessary conclusions, most likely a side effect from all the Bliss. It would explain her need to go for her rifle when being woken.

"It's pretty good. Better than the jerky I have been living off of. Is this chicken?" she asked as she tried to hide her brief nervousness.

"Turkey," Burke answered. "There was a bunch outside the gate earlier this morning. The guards took advantage of it which turned out good for us."

Avery took another bite but couldn't muster enough manners to not talk with her mouth full. "I have to agree with you on that."

There was another pregnant pause as she ate quietly before she spoke again, not liking the silence between them. It only seemed to make her not want the company the longer he stayed. "How are you feeling? Sheriff Whitehorse said you were making improvements."

Something seemed to change in Burke's eyes but before Avery could figure out what she saw, it was gone. "I will be better soon enough."

Avery nodded her head, not knowing what to really say from there. Did she mention that she hated small talk? Never was good at it. Her specialty lied in sarcasm and jokes. Something she wasn't sure would be appropriate in this situation. Quietly, she shuffled her food around on her plate, trying to find some topic of conversation to avoid the awkward pauses. If there was a way for her to politely ask him to leave, then she wasn't sure how to go about it. The phrases she had running through her head all sounded either pushy or rude and she didn't want to come off as unappreciative. Luckily, it seemed like she wouldn't have to worry about it seeing as Burke was being extra talkative at that moment.

"I heard you were almost out of the region when Faith got ahold of you. It must have been quite the surprise."

"….Mhmm…" She didn't bother to give more of an answer, choosing to keep a short response in hopes that he would take the hint to drop the subject.

He didn't seem to take the sign as anything except to continue. Leaning forward so his elbows rested on his legs, he looked to her, clearly studying her reaction for something she didn't know. His searching made her worry that her façade would slip and show her mild irritation which she made a point to guard more closely. She didn't want this awkward encounter to become any more uncomfortable. Instead of meeting his gaze, Avery forced herself to focus on the food on her plate, which was beginning to look less appealing.

"When I was in there…," Burke began, "it all seemed so clear. What she said and the happiness I felt. It was like everything life was supposed to be. The stress of the job, catching criminals, playing politics to gain promotions—hell even going home to an empty apartment all seemed like petty after thoughts. In there, it was relaxed and freeing…" he sighed heavily. "I understand that it was all the effects of Bliss. But it was the closest thing to peace that I knew. I can see why people turn to drugs when their life is a wreck… the high allows them to escape reality."

Avery listened to him talk but didn't offer a response. Instead, she started pressing the fork into the potatoes, watching it rise between the edges. She could feel her appetite decreasing the more he talked. Instead of listening to him, Avery allowed her thoughts to wander to the list of things she wanted to get done before she left the region. Anything to distract her from the topic at hand was welcoming at this point Unfortunately, his discussion still seemed to interrupt her concentration.

"Now I'm not justifying what addicts do," he continued. "I'm just saying I understand the release from it. There was a clarity to it all. Like maybe the world we live in now really is a part of hell. This own version of hell that we created… The world that the Seeds want and can offer is something more. Its peace and acceptance. There isn't war and greed. Just happiness. Did you feel that too? The tranquility? The—"

"I am going to stop you right there," she replied while setting her fork down, food only half eaten. "When I was in there, I was wanting to get you free. I didn't care for what Faith had to say and I wasn't there to enjoy the scenery. I understand that things seem simpler there but…"

It was her turn to sigh as she tried to think of what to say next. "Look. I try to focus on the mission. It's just the way I have been wired since the military. The mission was the only thing that mattered until it was completed. Everything else was just white noise."

Green eyes looked to study his reaction from her blunt response. His features were unreadable, so she decided to continue while she had the momentum built up.

"I wanted to save you-Like I want to save the others. Getting you free was mission. The Bliss-Faith… the illusions… they were only distractions that I tried not to pay attention to."

She looked back to her food as silence swelled once again in the medical bay. Part of her felt a little guilty at interrupting Burke like that. He was opening up to her and she just shut him down. He was in the Bliss significantly longer then her, so it made sense why he was talking about it. It even seemed like he was venting to her because, perhaps if anyone would understand him, it would be her.

But the simple and hard truth was that the Bliss scared her.

It imprisoned her and left her a mindless puppet for the Seeds' amusement. She wasn't naïve enough to believe she had a chance to fight back when she was in the realm. Joseph allowed her to try but they both knew she couldn't do anything about it. If anything, it proved to be an entertaining spectacle to him. Avery wasn't too keen to talk about her experience either but given the circumstances, perhaps she would have to push aside her feelings to help Burke vent. Then again, she wasn't so sure that would be a door she wanted to open.

"I'm sorry," she spoke after a moment. "I'm still shaken up from it all. I know you have been through a lot and I don't want you to think I don't care."

Burke didn't respond.

Did I really piss him off? She could feel the urge to fidget nervously but tried to ignore it. Maybe if I open up a bit, he will start talking.

Again, the thought of opening the door to a conversation she didn't want to pursue crossed her mind, but Avery chose to push on rather then sit in another awkward silence.

"If I'm being honest," she began, "what Faith said did make sense when I was under the Bliss. I can see how it would be easy to lose your bearing in there. I suppose I was a little harsh when I interrupted you but it's just easier for me to shut it off and not think about it all."

Pause.

Another moment of silence passed, and Avery was beginning to grow a more irritated. He was just sitting there. Even through the hints for him to leave, the small talk, uncomfortable lulls, and trying to relate to him, he still found a way to get under her skin and do the opposite of what she wanted. The deputy's head throbbed and a glance at her food made it apparent that she was not in the mood to eat anymore. With the risk of being rude, Avery decided it was time to send him away now. There was no point of trying to be polite if he was going to ignore it all.

Before she could get any words out, Burk quickly spoke.

"What did you see when you were in the Bliss?" he questioned bluntly.

The look he fixed her with was unmoving and his jaw muscles were tense. It suddenly dawned on her that something had indeed shifted in the marshal and the man that sat before her now was not the same as the one that entered the room earlier. He seemed to be unmoving on the subject and even defensive. She knew at that moment that this topic was leading down a path she did not want to tread across. The conversation needed to be shut down.

"… Look, I'm really tired and I appreciate you bringing me food, but I really should try to sleep off this headache-"

"Were you afraid?" Burke asked, cutting her off. He had shifted closer in his seat while holding her in place with his intense gaze. He continued with a stern voice, almost as if interrogating her. "How do you really feel, especially now knowing the truth? Are you confused about their motives?"

If she wasn't uncomfortable before, she sure was now. The way he stared fixedly at her, waiting for a response made her feel like she was being cornered; something that she did not like one bit, and she felt her grip tighten on her plate.

After not getting a response, Burke was becoming annoyed. "You know he is right, don't you? He knows what is going to happen and we have to listen."

Avery felt her heart skip a beat at his implication. The sense of Déjà vu hit her as she remembered having a similar conversation with Tracey not too long ago. With Tracey, she felt more comfortable in telling the truth due to her leaving the Project on her own accord.

Burke on the other hand… well she wasn't so eager to put that trust in him.

Schooling her features to keep any surprise from showing, she met his intense gaze with composure.

"…I'm assuming you don't mean Faith?"

An impatient look was shot towards her. "You know who I'm talking about-the Father. You had just spoke with him."

Avery quickly thought over her conversation with him, trying to remember if she had let anything slip on accident.

Perhaps, Tracey had not kept her promise to keep the knowledge to herself, she began to ponder but she realized that Tracey wasn't that type of person. Trying to wrack her brain, she still came up with nothing. There was no indication on her part that the Bliss held anyone other than her and Faith. How did he know?

Hiding her growing concern, she poked at her remaining food with her fork, now feeling nauseous. "I don't know what you mean by that. I haven't seen him since we arrested him. Or at least when we attempted to."

Burke offered a sly smile and rested his hand on her knee as a friend would. Stilling her fork, green eyes looked down at the hand and then back to him, her carefree demeanor slipping for a fraction of a second before falling back into place. What was going on?

"You have nothing to worry about. I know the truth. He visited you with Faith and showed you the reality of what is to happen. Now you see how he is trying to help." Reaching into his vest pocket, he pulled out a needle with milky, white liquid in it. Avery's eyes landed on the syringe, causing her mind to race to put the pieces of what was happening together. Burke, too, was looking at the syringe while shaking his head. "You are truly blessed to be chosen. The Father has given this to you so that it will bring you home to him."

Time seemed to freeze as her brain made sense of what he held in his hand and what he meant by that comment. Gripping the syringe tighter, Burke pushed the needle towards her, and she realized how much danger she was in. There was no mistaking that the cloudy liquid that descended towards her thigh was some form of Bliss, causing her to panic. Avery's instincts were luckily functioning as she swung the plate into his temple with one hand, while the other grabbed his wrist. Burke let out a frustrated growl as he recovered from her strike before using more strength to lower the needle. Gritting her teeth, Avery knew she wouldn't be able to withstand this much longer and was slowly losing inches between the tip of the needle and her thigh. Deciding quickly, Avery released Burke's wrists and shifted her legs to the side just as the needle plunged into the mattress.

The Marshal cursed as he realized that the needle had broken off in the bedding and was now useless. Enraged, he turned his attention to the Junior Deputy who was trying to kick her legs free from the blankets.

"No!" he yelled angrily as he gripped her upper arm and pushed her back to the mattress. "You ruined it! You had a chance to return and you threw it away."

Avery yelled at him to get off and continued to struggle to free herself. For a split second, she broke free from his grasp and made a dive for her rifle, but he pushed her back at the last moment.

"I would be honored to have been chosen and here you are with no appreciation!" he bellowed as he pinned her down with his knee to her chest. Avery clawed at his arms and bucked, trying to throw his balance off. She almost succeeded but he only snarled and added more weight to his knee. "Stop fighting it! The Father gave me a job and it's going to get done!"

"Burke, stop! You've fucking lost it!" she demanded.

"I have a clear mind! You just don't understand what he is trying to do—you're blinded!" he argued. Playing over his options in his head, he knew he had to get the bliss in her system. As he watched her struggle to throw him, he suddenly had an idea. Taking the opportunity presented, he grabbed her bottom jaw and sprayed the bliss into her mouth, fighting as she twisted her head, causing some to splash on her chin and cheeks. Once the syringe was emptied, he covered her mouth and continued his lecture the panicked deputy.

"I know you are confused but the Father and Faith will help you! I'm here to help you, Avery."

Muffled screams tried to make it past his hand, but he only pushed his weight into his grasp, causing a bruising pain to spread on her face. She knew she wouldn't be able to keep the bliss in her mouth forever and was afraid to think if the liquid could seep into her system just by having it anywhere near her. If the syringe was meant to get it into her veins or muscle, then who was to say that her mouth was any different. Deciding on the only tactic she had available, Avery ceased her struggling and feigned to swallow. This seemed to have the desired effect as Burke relaxed his grip before finally removing his hand. He still kept her pinned under his knee, fully expecting her to attempt another escape, but the look of relief was clear on his features. Unfortunately, he hadn't considered that she had not swallowed the bliss which she immediately spat in his face.

In that moment of time, everything came to a stop in the medical bay. Feeling the familiar sensation of light headedness, Avery turned her head to the side to spit out any lingering bliss. She could still taste the bitterness on her tongue, and she wasn't sure if it was still there or if she was just paranoid.

Seething above her, Burke wiped the liquid from his eyes and cheeks while the last of the pride he felt moments before finally ebbed away from him.

"Burke…" Avery began hesitantly, knowing he was just seconds away from his retaliation. "Let's just take a moment to figure out what's going on…"

Turning his attention back to the girl, his rage twisted across his features and Avery knew there was no reaching him. Just as she made a last effort to push his weight from her chest, his hands found her throat. Avery knew she was in trouble at this point and tried to reach for his own face and neck to apply pressure points or scratches, but it seemed pointless. She was a smaller woman and her arm length was no match for the fully grown man above her.

The crushing grip only increased in pressure and the pain was evident. She tried to call out for him to stop or for anyone to help but only a gasping wheeze came out. Tears blurred her vision and she was beginning to see black spots.

He's cutting off the blood from my arteries… she thought as she tried to figure out any last efforts to free herself. If he keeps applying pressure, I will pass out or he will crush my windpipe….

Trying one last thing, she attempted to land her elbows onto his legs or arms. But the awkward angle of her strikes was a minor discomfort to him at best.

"What does he see in you?! I am the loyal one! Why does he want you?" he bellowed.

It was happening quicker than she expected… Her lungs felt like they were being steam-rolled and her head throbbed. She felt consciousness slipping from her and knew she only had seconds left. Her strikes to him now were feeble movements that faded every second.

"I will deliver you," Burke's voice still reached her through the blackness she was becoming engulfed in. "I will bring you to the Father and he will see…."

Unexpectedly, there was a cry that did not belong to her followed by a loud thud. The noise must have been the cause of something heavy because suddenly, Avery felt Burke and herself falling off the side of the bed by some unknown force.

Consciousness seemed to battle the blackness that swallowed her world as air made a burning return to her lungs. Coughing, she blindly sat up and blinked away the painful tears, trying to understand what was happening around her.

"Help! Sheriff!" a familiar voice called out. For a moment, Avery thought it was her but knew she couldn't be yelling and trying to catch her breath at the same time.

The familiar figure of Tracey appeared seconds later to her side. "Avery! Are you ok? What the hell happened? Are you hurt?"

Worried hands fluttered over her arms, checking to see if she had any other wounds but Avery paid no mind. Green eyes looked to the now unconscious man a couple feet from her. The sound of shuffling drew her attention away and back to the newcomer.

"Holy hell…." The sheriff muttered as he took in the scene. The bed had shifted from the wall and a smashed plate of food was scattered over a fallen chair. On the other side, the marshal was sprawled out on his stomach not far from his shaken deputy.

"He was trying to kill her," Tracey explained. It was clear from her demeanor how flustered she felt in that moment.

Whitehorse kneeled next to Avery and immediately his eyes were drawn to her neck. "Are you breathing alright?"

The brunette had to think about it for a moment and focus on the simple tasks. The pain was radiating but if it wasn't for the rise and fall of her chest, she wasn't sure she would be able to tell. Opening her mouth to answer, she was surprised when a feeble noise, rather than an answer, escaped her. Wincing at the sharp pain, she motioned for water.

Whitehorse quickly obliged by running to the case next to the door and returning it to her. "Tracey, go get some help and put Burke in one of the holding cells."

The fiery woman tossed a glare in his direction. "Hell no, Avery needs help—"

"I'll handle it. Just get him out of here before he wakes up. His damn brain is scrambled," the older man argued. Another moment passed and Avery wasn't sure if they were going to continue with the stare off or what. Luckily, Tracey conceded and left the medical bay to find someone.

"Here, let me see," Whitehorse said as he tilted his head to see her throat better.

"Yeah," he drawled out. "That's already starting to bruise."

Avery looked back to the unconscious man on the ground and scowled before drinking more water. The motion was agonizing, but it helped sooth the heat as it went down.

Seeing her nervous glance to the marshal, Whitehorse stood up and offered a hand to his deputy. "Let's get you out of this room so we can figure this out."

Taking his hand to get to her feet, she motioned to the bed. Confused, Whitehorse gave a glance to the awkward position it sat at before realizing she wanted her rifle. He was hesitant to give it to her the day prior but now he felt she was right to want it. Picking it up and handing the weapon to its owner, he motioned for her to follow. Together they walked out of the medical bay just as Tracey and two men walked past them in the hall. Tracey offered a sympathetic smile, but Avery couldn't muster to return it. Walking a few doors further, Whitehorse came to a stop and opened up an old doctor's office.

Exhausted from the day's events, Avery went in quietly and sat down at the desk with her rifle across her lap and water bottle resting on top of it. The click of the door and shuttering of the blinds falling to cover the windows filled the office, causing Avery to look back curiously. Seeing the broken and bent blinds, she realized that the act was more of a gesture than a purpose. The missing pieces did little in the way of offering privacy from those in the hallway but she didn't care to bring this up to her boss.

Walking back to the desk, Avery could see how exhausted he was. The added stress of her and Burke's situation only seemed to add to his troubles. Part of her wished that she had never bothered getting the marshal back from the Bliss. He could have just stayed drugged up and become one of Faith's angels. At least then she would know how to deal with him…

No. What was she thinking?

He was a victim right now. The man on the helicopter wanted nothing more than to see Joseph in cuffs… he was just confused.

Or maybe he really did change sides, the voice in her head offered.

Clenching her jaw, she pushed the thoughts to the back of her mind for a later time.

"I'll try to ask you questions that are yes or no so you don't have to talk…" There was a moment that he let what he said linger between them before continuing. "Did he come in just to attack you?"

Avery thought about it for a moment and wasn't exactly sure how to answer it. He had come in there to give you the bliss but not necessarily to attack her. She shook her head.

"Did you provoke him in attacking you?"

A look of annoyance passed over her face and she tilted her head as if to say "really?"

Whitehorse knew what she was getting at and lifted his hands in the air as mock surrender. "I know you two never really got along is all. And… you are a smartass."

Avery shook her head and swallowed, testing to see how painful the motion was. Luckily for her, it seemed to be ebbing away slowly.

"Did something seem to trigger him?"

Again, Avery thought about it. It all was such a strange situation, which didn't seem possible to explain by answering with yes and no responses.

Swallowing some water, she gently tried to clear her throat before attempting to speak. "H-he… It seemed normal and h-e brought me food…"

"Don't force it, kid."

She waved off his concern. "He… was talking about bliss. About how… he missed it. I thought h-he was trying to vent."

She took another sip of water to ease the hoarseness of her voice before continuing. "He was acting strange… overly friendly at some points and extremely calm at others. It all was uncomfortable. I tried … to get him to leave at one point and he…"

Seeing her pause in midsentence with a look of realization made the sheriff lean in closer. "He what? Is that when he attacked you?"

Green eyes looked to him. "He had a syringe full of bliss. He said Joseph… gave it to him… I think there is a mole here."

A knot seemed to form in the man's stomach. As if things were not complicated enough already. "What happened with the syringe? Does he still have it?"

Avery shook her head. "It broke and he tried to get me to swallow it. But I didn't and… that's when he choked me."

Whitehorse thought over all that Avery had said and played the scene in his head. Trying to remember the events of the last couple days, he mentally followed Burke's traces to see if there was a chance that the man had left the premises at any point. Even going to the gate or being unattended for any amount of time would have allowed him to meet someone to get the bliss… And unfortunately, he knew there was quite a few moments that Burke was left alone; more than he would like to admit. How stupid had he been? He should have had Burke locked to a room until he had fully recovered.

"I'm sorry, rook," he said while shaking his own head. "I think you are right… There must be someone on the inside here helping the Seeds…damnit."

Avery brought a hand to her chest and rubbed lightly, hoping to ease the tightness. She knew it wasn't his fault that Burke had done what he had but now was not the time to discuss that. They needed to figure out how Burke got the bliss in the first place.

Almost as if reading her train of thought, the sheriff spoke up. "You need to leave. This is a problem I will deal with, but you are not safe here."

She attempted a scoff at his bossy tone. "Do you really think I'll be safer out there?"

"At least out there, you'll know who your enemies are."

Avery blinked and any argument she had faded away. He was right. She would be better off out there where she knew how to handle the situation. Those that were her enemies didn't hide behind the mask of a victim.

Before either of them could say anything more on the situation, their attentions were drawn to a commotion in the hall. The two men with Tracey before were now dragging out Burke who twisted and hollered obscenities at them.

"You are sinners! You are blind! Let me go!"

"Shut up already," Tracey exclaimed in frustration before tossing a glance at the sheriff and deputy inside the office. She gave them an eye roll and motioned at the marshal being dragged to the cells in front of her.

Whitehorse smirked and waved at her. He was sure he would hear about it from Tracey later. Turning back to Avery, he half expected her to find Tracey's attitude somewhat amusing. However, the seriousness of the situation reflected on her features as she scowled after the group of people; her focus on the yelling prisoner shouting words that he sincerely believed were the truth of the world.

"You will all burn! All of you sinners will burn!"

Blue eyes peered through yellow lenses as Joseph watched the Junior Deputy and her dog leave the safety of the prison walls. He didn't have to worry about anyone seeing him as he was safely tucked away in the tree line with Faith beside him. Patiently, they observed the Cougars closing the gate behind the girl before disappearing from their view.

After the night of Bliss induced hallucinations, the Father was curious as to how Avery would react. From the looks of it, she seemed to have recovered from the effects and had a sound enough mind to be leaving.

"They are letting her go already? It seems too soon after the session." Faith questioned beside him. It didn't take a genius to figure out why that was the case. "Do you think we made a mistake leaving the Marshal there?"

"No," Joseph answered calmly, not looking away from Avery as she reached down to pet her dog and adjusted her bag. "He acted out because she had taken him from the path. He was doing what he thought was right. However, the fact that he does not fully understand that her death is not the goal may be an issue later."

Faith fell silent as she mulled over his words. The fact that Burke had tried to kill Avery was not something she would have normally let happen but the Father did not seem to be concerned. He even went so far as to keep Faith from interfering with the lingering Bliss in the Marshal's system. Her first instinct was to insist that she stop him but, on second thought, she knew it wouldn't change the situation.

Why had the Father been willing to allow Burke to strangle Avery? Perhaps Faith just didn't have the full story yet. The things the Father knew and did were always a mystery, but she trusted him enough to not ask too many questions. There was always a reason to what he did.

Regardless of why everything happened, Avery was, once again, attempting to leave her Region.

"Are we… are we going to let her leave this time?" Faith's voice had dropped a few octaves to a whisper which was enough to pull Joseph's attention.

At first, she didn't meet his gaze and she knew her shame over the failed sessions were being displayed. Seeing this, Joseph could understand her feeling she failed because, in a way… she had. But not in any fault of her own. The deputy just needed a different approach.

"Hmm. We will let her go to Holland Valley but do not think it is because you have done anything wrong with her. You did everything you were supposed to. She just needs a heavier hand."

Hearing his reassuring words, she looked up to his blue eyes with admiration. The small praise he gave her was enough to lift the stress away. "So that's it then? John is the one to turn her to the path?"

Joseph looked back towards the prison where he saw the deputy had now gotten into a car and was driving away. It was clear she was in a hurry to leave the area and he imagined Whitehorse feeling clever sending her out so soon; as if they were not expecting drastic measures. In all reality, Joseph would have been more surprised if they allowed her to stay longer in an attempt to keep her safe.

Feeling Faith's hopeful gaze, he pondered her question. Would John be able to make her atone?

Seeing her fight the hold the Bliss had on her, he knew it would be no easy task. She had shown fear during his demonstration of the collapse, but she still fought for control even when she knew it was futile. It was as if she only knew how to resist reason.

Muscle memory perhaps. Second nature? It definitely seemed ingrained in her being.

Because of this, a part of him felt like Jacob would be a better fit to stop her from causing problems. But he didn't want to make her a mindless weapon. She had a purpose. A purpose that he still was not fully aware of but still there was something. Some reason why God had shown her to be important.

Perhaps if Jacob used his trials on her to break the mind, it would cause her to cease this constant resistance she had. The girl had shown to be smart and her valid questions to seeing the collapse proved that she wasn't merely tuning him out.

She had an open mind. She was willing to listen to him… or at least a part of her was. The other, more stubborn, part seemed to dig her heels in and fight against just giving in. Perhaps it was some misplaced loyalty to the sinners. The more he thought about it, however, the more he felt that it would be Jacob who would be able to get the job done.

I should allow John an opportunity to make her atone for her sins first, he decided before his thoughts became too restless.

Looking to Faith for the first time in the last few minutes, he carefully explained. "John will have his chance as you have. There are plenty of options for us to use if that does not work as planned."

Faith mulled over his words for a moment before nodding. "I wonder if he has found her file yet. I'm curious what her record says."

A cat-like smile curled Joseph's lips as he pondered it himself. "As am I."