A note for the record, I've long since concluded that the rating on this "should" be M. I'm choosing to leave it as it is so it doesn't look like the story has just disappeared. This part is where things start going into different territory.

Fiona opened her eyes. She found Steven gazing at her. "So," she said. "That really happened."

"Apparently," he said. He looked at Fiona. "Look. I know you see, now. Yes. I love Melinda."

She shifted. "Actually, no," she said. "Did you ever tell her?"

Steven laughed. "She told me she loved me, once," he said. "She said she loved me like her big brother. He fought in the first war. I can see now, she already knew." He looked at Fiona. "What did he say to you?"

"He said he's proud of me," she said. "He said I make him as proud as his little girl."

"He meant he loves you," Steven said. "As much as he loves her."

"I know," she said. "Thank you." There was a pointed silence before she spoke again. "I've wanted to ask you something," she said. "What did the accident really do to you? I read the textbooks. I know the effects of losing a limb never end there."

"You're right," he said. He casually ran a hand through her hair. "To start with, I lost almost a third of my blood. That kicked the Hell out of my heart. It might have been even worse for the kidneys. Then the big thing is, I get tired easily. They say it's because the bone I lost isn't there to produce more blood. It can be hard to exercise as much as I should. I'm probably overweight, though they say I did a lot better than most."

"How much time did they really give you?" she asked.

"Less than I already lasted," he said. He cupped her cheek. "I'd say it's time enough."

He gasped as she drew him on top of her. "Now, why don't you show me what you can do for me?" she said.

"Wait," he said. "I… I can take care of you. Some women have told me they like that better."

"Don't worry," she said. "I can take care of us both. I always do."

"Really," he said.

"Always," she repeated.

"All right, I can see where you might," he said. "There's all kinds." He paused. "Here's the thing, from my experience… When you're doing it this way, it really is in the knees."

"Try," she said.

And they found he could do well enough.

A short distance from the hospital, Chloe and Yuri sat together in the back of the van. "Look, we have evidence that Loid Forger has a woman on the side," she said. "We aren't supposed to bring people in on morals violations anymore, but we can report them to the hospital."

"I know," Yuri said. "That's how I know there's nothing to it. Do you really think someone like her would have a chance with him? Even if she wasn't against my sister?"

Chloe considered only a moment. "Oh my god," she said. Then she burst out laughing. But her face quickly grew somber again. "Look, Yuri, there's something I haven't told anyone," she said. She allowed him to see a tear on her cheek. "I saw Twilight, when he was disguised as you. I knew something was off. I just called in to the captain that I saw someone in uniform going out of the line. It's why we found you before anyone else. I've tried to tell myself that I knew it wasn't you. But the fact is, I just… couldn't be sure. I can't believe that he could do that if he didn't know you, too."

"I saw him up close," Yuri said. "He talked like me, just to rub it in. I could tell how he did it, but I still couldn't tell who it was. I think that convinced me I didn't know him."

"What about what happened in Nielsberg?" Chloe said. "That was your hometown. Whoever she is, that woman was looking into you."

He smiled. "Do you think I never had a strange woman come onto me before?" he said.

"How many of those women got within 10 meter range without a surveillance officer getting a picture of her face?" she said.

"That's a point," Yuri said. "I have thought about it. Obviously, Loid has attracted a woman with a measure of real skill. Beyond that, who knows? There is a chance, however slim, that she works for the real Twilight. That might explain how he knows as much about me as he does. This fantasy that Loid Forger is Twilight could be planted in her mind to protect him. They say the most hardened agents can make themselves believe a cover story, by hypnosis or conditioning or sheer will. Or Twilight could have fooled her, perhaps by impersonating Loid as he did me. Or, of course, she could be what she appears, a neurotic woman Loid Forger discarded who has built him into Twilight in her own mind. It may well be that it all began as an idle bedroom game she can no longer recognize as pretend."

He continued to ponder, while Chloe looked on. "However it started, it was natural to take an interest in me once it was clear that I am important to Yor," he said. "She may have hoped to seduce me, regardless of whatever love' she thinks she has for Loid. Perhaps she thought she could convince me to betray my sister, or use my indiscretion against the Forgers in some more direct way. It could be as simple as blackmailing Yor into getting a divorce." He paused. "Which really wouldn't be a bad idea. Still, that is just melodrama."

He shrugged. "I wanted to believe Loid was Twilight," he said. "There was a moment when I was sure I would find Twilight's wounds on him. When I knew it wasn't true, I knew I had been unfair. I will never think he's right for Yor. I would love for him to be a spy, or just a philanderer, because it would be a reason why. But he's neither of those things."

Chloe nodded. "I still think you're wrong," she said. "But if I'm right, you're wrong for the right reasons. You know when what you see is what you want to believe. You would rather admit you could be wrong than assume you're right. That's what makes you a good officer. It makes you a good man, too."

Yuri looked into her eyes. "Why… thank you," he said with a smile.

She smiled back. "Just hypothetically," she said, "do you think we might ever have an affair?"

"Of course not!" he said instinctively. "You're my fellow officer and my subordinate, we aren't allowed to fraternize." After a moment, he allowed himself to smile again. "Besides, you're my friend."

She managed to smile. "Of course," she said.

Meanwhile, Fiona Frost gazed at Steven Stahl as he slept.

And in the hospital, the telepath named Rolf Marcovicz began to draw. The image that took shape was Steven Stahl, with the exact same pose and expression that Fiona looked upon. But the face was as young and handsome as he had been on film.