Andrea didn't know how other people of the Colony lived, so she assumed this was just one way. Considering the fact that she was holding chocolates given to her as a gesture of good faith, she didn't want to cause any trouble. Tanner was gone the next morning when Andrea awoke, and to her horror, she found that she was trapped inside the...house. She'd dreamed about E's and thought of how glamorous it must have been to be one. She'd never imagined that they lived in cylinders.

Tanner arrived late that night. He looked worse for wear, but he presented Andrea with a blanket and was pleased with the smile he received in return.

"I saw you were shaking last night," Tanner said, "I'm sorry for that."

When he sat down, Andrea took the blanket and smiled. "Thank you."

"Listen. We...we should talk."

"About why you can speak now?" Andrea asked.

The E didn't have a response at first, but in time he nodded. "Yeah. That, too. But...but about—about you and I and...and what happened." He let out a haggard breath. "I understand. I understand why...why you sought affection from someone else. And I wanted to tell you, I...I'm sorry about that. But—"

"No. No. Wait a second." Andrea closed her eyes; it was the only way she could get the words out. "I just felt useless. I thought you'd left. I...that wasn't your fault."

"Then that's finished, then."

It was said with such confidence that although Andrea feared that it wasn't that simple, she didn't have the heart to say anything along those lines. She only nodded.

"Good," Tanner said as he took the diskette from behind his back. "I signed up for some fights and for the mines. We can start tomorrow. I wasn't able to afford more of the clothes that you're used to, but I'll see to it."

"Tan?" A voice echoed throughout the room. Unlike the System's direct voice which was preceded by a chime, this voice had no prompter.

Tanner looked up. "Yes, sir?"

Andrea couldn't find the source. After a brief pause, it rang through once more. "You have her, then?"

Communication through the System often worked that way; a voice would sound when a call was made. Depending on the time it took to answer, the channel would remain open.

"Yes," Tanner replied as he met Andrea's gaze.

"Where?"

After chewing his bottom lip, Tanner sighed. "At my roost."

Another brief pause followed, then a measured tone. "You could have said something. We would have provided a care package."

"I don't need anything," Tanner said, sounding annoyed. "Is that all?"

"Did you brief her?"

"I'm doing that right now."

"Well, what about money?"

"I'm fine. Give me a break already."

The man with whom Tanner was talking hesitated and hazarded, "The roost is cold. I'm sure—"

"I said I'm fine. I already got a blanket and everything. Just leave us alone."

"But—"

Eyes closed, Tanner growled. "Bitte."

Whatever he mumbled afterward in German did the trick, because the voice chimed out with a soft bing sound and was gone.

There was that familiar look again. Andrea knew it, because whenever she'd try hard and everyone thought she was a screw up, she was sure she had worn that very same expression a time or two. It was that look, and that look alone, that made her lie to Tanner when the man finally calmed enough to meet her gaze and ask her, "You're all right, right? You don't need anything? You're okay?"

Andrea nodded, confident as she said, "I'm fine. I'm perfect. The best I've been in years."

"The best in years?" Tanner's face was aglow. "Good. You can come to the mines with me tomorrow. Then we can do a game, like racing or fighting or something, to make some extra credits to buy you your stuff."

"Thank you. I'd love to go."

They rose at five o'clock the next day and headed out without much preparation. Andrea hoped she would run into Midge so she could ask Gara permission to use their shower. It didn't seem like Tanner had one, or anything else for that matter. No way to brush her teeth, no way to bathe, and no toilet.

The mines were their first stop. Tanner rented some equipment at the entrance to the cave. He walked into the darkness with confidence, but Andrea really wished she'd brought her box of chocolates along because she felt frightened enough to need a comfort blanket to hold. The place was horrible; it smelled and was pitch-black in areas.

Clean-ish people went in, but the ones who came out were covered in soot from head to toe. Everyone there was lean, so trim, and when Andrea passed by, she received a lot of attention. Tanner didn't pay it any mind; he just kept walking, going farther and farther into the mine until he found a free spot. On one shoulder, he carried the rented pickaxes. He handed one to Andrea and pointed to an area close by.

"That looks like the safest spot. We have to be mindful of cave-ins. If anything falls, give a holler and I'll come get you, all right?"

Andrea nodded and turned to the stone she was expected to break. She'd never touched a pickax in her life. It was heavier than it looked, and she had great difficulty bringing the thing up. Gravity helped with bringing it down again, but she wasn't precise and almost hit herself in the foot more than once.

As she worked, she realized that Tanner was staring, along with several other miners who had stopped in their task to watch the pitiful undertaking. Andrea looked around at the interested people and caught sight of Tanner's frown. The E looked uncomfortable, and Andrea heard his distant thought: At this rate our wages are going to be too small.

Andrea was about to bring the pickax down once more, but Tanner caught it while wearing a one-sided smile.

"Here, I'll dig and...and you gather. Okay?"

"Okay." After taking the black bag, Andrea knelt to pluck up the stone fragments from her own work and then Tanner's. That part wasn't so bad. Each time she put one in the bag, however, she wiped her hands off on her trousers, so the task took some time.

She met Tanner's gaze, and the E sighed, hurrying to work faster. Eventually, Tanner broke the rock and shadowed behind Andrea to scoop the fragments up into the bag.

Tanner didn't scold, but he sounded anxious as he worked. "The shift is gonna end soon. We've gotta hurry up. Just pick them up already."

Andrea remembered about not having water to bathe, but then she thought of Gara and decided to make the best of it. It felt strange to pick up dirt.

They finished just as the gong sounded.

"Shit, that was close." Tanner walked past her toward the entrance. Andrea smiled as she trailed behind, quite happy to have been somewhat useful. By the time she'd reached the entrance to see Tanner waiting for her, however, Andrea's smile had faded and she kept her head down.

Tanner seemed satisfied with their morning, but he frowned at the sight of her. "What? What's wrong?"

Andrea shook her head. "Nothing. Just...can we go?"

Laughter came from behind them, and one dirty hand reached out to squeeze Andrea on the ass.

"Thanks for giving us something to look at, sweetie." The joker choked when Tanner caught him by the throat.

"Get your gaw-ro hands off my woman," Tanner barked before he head-butted the man and let him fall. The E regarded Andrea doubtfully, sounding hurt. "Why did you let him do that? How could you let someone do that?"

Tanner's strong reaction was surprising, and it left Andrea tense as she struggled with her own frustration. "What was I supposed to do, huh?"

"But you didn't do anything."

The violence of the situation made Andrea queasy. "You don't have to hit someone for something as stupid as that."

Something dimmed in Tanner's eyes, and the E asked, "Did you want him to touch you?"

Andrea's spirits sank; she hadn't thought of it as a violation, but it was. "No."

"Okay then." Tanner seemed relieved. "Then down he should go."

"Yeah, but you act like me not fighting means I complied."

The E didn't respond; he only looked down to the unconscious man and sighed. He took Andrea by the arm, pulling her on. As they walked, Tanner dusted himself off. Once they were far from the entrance to the mine, he paused in his stride.

Andrea was still sullen, but her curiosity got the better of her.

Tanner looked down at himself, closed his eyes, and exhaled. His body glowed, and the soot on his skin faded.

He caught sight of Andrea's scrutiny and went back to brushing himself off. "Others can clean everything in one go. Skin, clothes—hell, even other people. I'm still learning, so I'll just do what I always do."

Once he started to walk again, Andrea followed and was surprised when Tanner crossed behind her to brush her off. The E's hand fell lower to Andrea's backside, where it eventually came to rest as they walked.

"Just try to stay out of trouble at the fights, all right?"

Andrea, quite happy to find that Tanner hadn't let go of her rump, forgot her bitterness. The E tucked his hand in Andrea's back pocket.

***

The fights were a salvation for Andrea when she saw Gara sitting in Midge's lap as they watched the competition from the stands. Tanner left Andrea to make her way down to them on her own while he went to register.

Midge had his hands wrapped around the small woman's waist, under her shirt. Gara beamed, and Andrea found the happiness to be infectious. She was surprised at herself because she was actually excited for them. Not even a little bit jealous. Andrea never felt happy for anyone, not even for herself. She envied them for a lot of reasons, but she took genuine pleasure in seeing them so content. All this time she had been terrified of being alone or being left to fend on her own, and now that she was technically homeless, she was more at ease in her own skin than ever.

"You two are so cute," Andrea admitted.

Gara gave Midge a smug smile, beaming. "See?"

The E simply chuckled. "Okay, okay. I give. If we 'ad kids, they'd be picture-perfect cute. 'appy now?"

Andrea's brow rose. "Kids?"

The smaller woman turned to look at the stadium below and muttered, "It was just a joke."

Midge waved at Tanner, who was looking for them. "Ah'm surprised Tan's here. He's a miser; he shouldn' need de money." When Tanner reached them, Midge grinned. "Couldn't wait, could you?"

"You kidding me?" Tanner handed over a diskette, his smile blinding. "You have no idea how liberating this is. I finally get to do my own thing."

Midge inspected the diskette. He asked, "Are yu sure? Dis-a heavy load for yer power level."

"My power level's growing every minute. I can do this thing without power, anyway, so with it should be easy as hell."

Nodding while handing the diskette back, Midge reluctantly agreed. "Sure. If yer certain."

"I'm positive." Tanner's eyes held affection when he gave Andrea a smile. "You can buy whatever you want by tomorrow. No worries."

Andrea would have said something along the lines of "I don't need anything," but Tanner said a speedy goodbye as he rushed away.

Gara's smile seemed odd somehow. When Andrea met her gaze, the smaller woman assured her, "Don't worry," Gara said. "I'm just a little gone. But I'm all right."

Somehow Andrea had figured Gara's habit would magically vanish. When she glanced at Midge and saw the E's frown, she was even more confused.

"It's not what you think," Gara offered. "It's just to take the edge off. I don't plan to waste a month in recovery. No way I'd waste it to go through withdrawal. We haven't had time for us in a long time." She twisted to give Midge a solemn look. "I promise. And you have my word; we'll figure it out—but not now."

Andrea hadn't expected Midge to relent so quickly, but the blue-haired E did, going so far as to receive the small peck that Gara offered. Even in a situation like this, they still looked cute to Andrea, and she felt more at ease.

Gara sat up and flashed a smile. "So...." She leaned closer to Andrea and whispered, "Did you guys reconcile?"

That question needed a lot of thought. Eventually, Andrea nodded, and the small woman grinned wickedly.

"Oh yeah? How often? 'Cause we reconciled like three times before breakfast—"

"Lee!" Midge yelled, leaving Andrea stunned.

Midge not only knew Gara's informal name but was free to use it. That was a privilege reserved only for couples in wedlock. Not even London had dared use it, but Midge had. Midge could. Andrea remembered when she'd first caught sight of Gara's branding tattoo on Midge's arm; she'd thought nothing of it. Midge would have been property a hundred years ago; now he was just considered Gara's servant. Andrea wondered at the implications of their use of names. She wondered about how they looked like a picture-perfect pair, and she wondered what the hell Gara thought she was doing, acting like a married couple with a servant.

Gara ignored Midge's reproach. "Well, Midge doesn't want any details, but I wouldn't mind hearing."

Andrea laughed and shook her head. "Nothing like that. He's been really sweet—"

"To hell with being sweet. Who knows how long this will all last. You better live life to the fullest."

Gara didn't notice Midge's look of concern, but Andrea caught it and her spirits sank. Andrea knew Gara didn't mean it the way it sounded, but at that moment, she was sure she understood Queen's hostility toward the upper crust.

It all made Andrea think of her own situation and if she should try to enjoy Tanner for "as long as it lasts." Then she thought of the unfortunate kiss with the guardsman and how Tanner had said that was "finished." So could they actually pick up where they left off? If the hand that had been on her ass all through the morning was any indication, then who knew; maybe they'd be the cute and cuddly couple next time instead.

Was life getting better? It all depended on the perspective. On one hand she was homeless. Her mother was probably hunting for her dead carcass. She'd kissed another man hours after giving herself wholeheartedly to Tanner—and she'd been caught, too. She'd suffered a great deal of humiliation this morning at the mines. She had no idea what tomorrow would bring or how long it would all last. In truth, the future was even more uncertain.

That was the old Andrea's way of thinking.

The new Andrea would consider the fact that there wasn't a damn thing she missed about being home, and that at least this way she wasn't alone. And her mother could hunt and hunt, but she and Tanner always walked so that there was no way to trace their movements. Andrea'd tricked the System, which was bad enough, but no one would be able to find her and bring up charges so long as they stayed off the grid. And sure, she'd kissed another man, but it had only been a kiss, thank the Colony, and Tanner had said it was forgiven. And so what if she was humiliated that morning? Tanner had fought for her, had protected her. And maybe not knowing what tomorrow would bring wasn't such a bad thing. She was free now, free and safe, and things were different. Maybe she could...she could even try to be ELETE. Tanner would be sure to help her. Yes, she could be ELETE. It had only been a small dream before, but she could now that she didn't have anyone to tell her how much of a failure she was. She could do it—she could do anything. Become ELETE and saunter back into that school and claim her title. She could get what was rightfully hers—what she deserved.

Midge's voice sounded distant as he said, "Whoa, whoa, whoa! What's that bonehead doing?"

On the field Tanner rammed his small, bubble-shaped vehicle, headlong into another. At the impact Andrea's body twisted, and she wailed.

Andrea's world went black, but she could hear Gara's panic-stricken voice cry out, "Midge, do something!"

"Shit." Midge's voice trailed off, maybe he ran down the stands. "I'll ge' Tan!"

***

Andrea opened her eyes. She was in a small white room; that much she could make out. There was something gripped tightly in her hand. She had to bring it up to the light to be sure she was right.

"A cookie? What the—"

"Here. Eat it before Tan comes back. Hurry!"

The woman's voice caught Andrea off guard, and she looked up to see a dark-skinned woman with short black hair.

A row of white teeth smiled down brilliantly at Andrea, and she tried to smile in return.

"My back—"

"Your spine, yes. But it's all right now," she said. "You've got a link to Tan. Any injury you feel, he'll feel. And any injury he feels...."

Andrea stared past her in an effort to remember. "I'll feel."

"Yes. Especially depending on the proximity. The closer you are, the stronger it is." She hesitated, but said, "It's also the same with intimacy. A good thought or emotion can be fed between the two of you again and again. That goes for arousal as well. Same with a negative."

When Andrea looked up into the bright lights and was silent, the woman scooted closer in her chair to see her.

"My name's Red, by the way. I took care of your injuries. And I just want to let you know that it wasn't intentional—"

"How can you say that?" Andrea asked, her voice quivering. "You said it yourself that he knows all about it."

"No. No, he actually doesn't. You see, he's only been a fully powered E for...." She waited, and when their eyes met, she smiled. "How long have you been bald?"

Andrea muttered, "Two days."

"All right. He's only been an E for two days, then." Red didn't wait for Andrea to ask. "He is an E by birth officially. When he was twelve, he got lost. A family took him in and kept him captive. He won't say what happened, exactly, but the patriarch of the family stole his youth. That experience left him numb. His hair fell out, and he's had to live without power until now. Being with you, it healed him. He's chosen an Assist, and he's synced with you, so he's been reborn. So everything he could do until now was based on his bare physical strength and state of mind. He's not used to using his abilities fully, so he doesn't really understand just how dangerous they can be. I have a favor to ask you, though."

Favor? Andrea didn't like the sound of that. "Yeah?"

"Met will be here soon. I will change your hair back to the way it was. I'll owe you a favor, if you do one thing for me." At Andrea's risen eyebrow, the woman pleaded, "You won't let him know that you've mated with Tan physically. If he figures it out, you tell him that you both held on to each other and somehow this connection happened. You won't let him know you've...you've had intercourse. Is that clear?"

Andrea's face warmed. What was this lady asking her?

She was cautious. "In other words...."

"You're just friends."

The words pounded in Andrea's skull like a bat hitting a watermelon.

"Friends?"

"Just...." Red hovered her hand over Andrea's head. The tingling sensation meant she was doing something to Andrea's hair. "Just trust me. It's better this way." Distant voices outside the room drew near, and Red stood. "This residue will wear off soon, but I'll just speed it up. You'll have all your hair back by morning."

Andrea recognized one of the voices as Kobal's, and when she heard Gara's frantic chatter and Midge's strange accent, she sat up as best she could. Red seemed ready to help her but hesitated. When Andrea saw the black gloves on her hands, she was curious.

"Are you an E?"

Red smiled; it was so wide that Andrea felt uncomfortable. Eventually, she laughed, but when a man with a stone-cold expression came into Andrea's view, that laughter died away. Red bowed her head and waited when the man entered.

Met.

Andrea had heard of Met. Everyone in the Colony knew of the top guard. There had been rumors as to who—or what—he really was. Machine, mutant, alien, a demon from hell. Anything was up for grabs at this point.

The chase is over, Andrea concluded. They'd tried to avoid the enforcers at least. Now Met—what Andrea'd done was so bad that they'd sent Met after her. It's all right, Andrea. Jail is better than Marian's wrath; just hope they throw your ass away fast and you don't have to meet her. She'd go quietly—she wouldn't even cry. And she'd make sure Tanner wasn't blamed either. She'd been the mastermind, not poor Tan.

Met marched in, gave her a fleeting glance, and turned back to the E's who'd followed him. The almost casual if not apathetic atmosphere stung Andrea's pride somewhat. Didn't Met care?

Apparently not. What the hell? Andrea had expected the man to barge in and send her home in cuffs, but there was no indication of that as far as she could tell. No guns, nothing. Met was famous for caring for the largest concentration of E's in the Colony. But Tanner wasn't a Colony-issued E; he worked the mines. Try as she might, Andrea couldn't wrap her head around why a High ELETE like Met would waste his time here. So when the man sighed, exasperated, Andrea swallowed hard.

Kobal sat down in Red's chair and picked up a diskette which he checked over. "We've repaired the damage, but I'd recommend that you do no heavy lifting in the next twenty-four hours. Also, you are severely dehydrated. When was the last time you drank or ate?"

"That doesn't matter," Tanner said in a low voice tinged with embarrassment. "She's got the full connection, so she doesn't need food or water anymore to live."

Met groaned and rolled his eyes. "For the love of the Colony, tell me I'm hearing things. In the past you collected energy, some you lived off of. Now that you are channeling to her completely, your energy is passing through her and finding an outlet as she moves. Meaning that you might not need food, but when you get low on energy, you will take it from her inadvertently. Sure, so long as you're alive, she will live, too, but that doesn't mean she won't suffer." He pointed to Andrea, though he looked at Tanner. "So are you telling me this woman has not eaten in days? You said you'd been briefed."

Red stepped in their path and was successful in calming them.

"This is not about blame," she soothed. "This is about making the transition easy and painless. For everyone." Though her words were measured and calm, the look she gave Met was anything but. It had a protective edge, and Met backed down.

"We just need to distribute the diskettes," Red said, "and the care package, and assign them a watcher for a few weeks. Then we can let them go from there."

"I don't know if she's staying." Tanner looked more broken than Andrea felt. "There's an audit now—"

"Well, let me assure you," said Met, glancing back to him and then to Andrea in sadness, "that audit has uncovered some unfortunate things. Let's just say that the house is gone. It doesn't exist anymore."

Andrea nearly fell off the hospital bed. "What?" Her stomach roiled. "Gone? It's gone?"

"That is what I said."

Met's expression was hard for Andrea to read. There was just nothing there. Surely having told someone that their entire heritage and bloodline had been isolated in the Colony records and wiped of its prestige and power, should have garnered at least a glint of emotion.

"All stipends from the Colony have ceased," Met continued. "The ranking has also fallen down to that of a typical Colony-dwelling citizen."

Kobal stood. "I'm sorry. I thought it would only interfere with business for a bit. I...I didn't expect this. The servants have left, but your family can still remain in the structure. I sincerely apologize."

"Don't apologize." Met glanced at Kobal and focused on Andrea, challenging her to say something. "This might be the best thing that ever happened to all the Johanns, especially this Johann here."

Her mouth having gone dry, Andrea squeaked, "Johann Andreas the Third, and...."

Met's blond eyebrow raised. "Yes? What about them?"

"Them..." Andrea willed her body to cease trembling. She wasn't sure she wanted to know. "The...third...."

"Yes?" Met furrowed his brow. "Both Johann Andreas the Second and the Third were in attendance when the audit was conducted. Both were informed of the results, if that's what you mean."

In attendance? He's not dead?

Before Andrea could open her mouth again, Met motioned for Tan to approach, and the E sat down on the bed. Andrea's thoughts raced a mile a minute. She couldn't even focus on Tanner, who sat beside her. Like Tanner, she hung her head, trying to come to terms with the news about her family. Tanner waited for his reprimand.

"I know you're too proud, Tan, though I don't know where all this pride is coming from. In your case, it's best if we just give you a foundation to start on," Met said.

Tanner kept his voice low. "With all due respect, sir. I don't want your charity. I can take care of this myself."

Met raised his hands in the air. Andrea flinched when Met growled and said, "Dammit, Tan! It's not charity. It's provided by the Colony—"

"I don't want it." Tanner glanced at Andrea. He lowered his gaze, watching the floor as he muttered, "I can take care of mine. I don't need any help, and I don't want it. I just...I just want to be left alone."

Red looked up and began to count down, an action that made Andrea curious. When Red reached one, Met turned to her and demanded, "Charge him for this medical bill." He raised his hand before she could protest. "I don't wanna hear it. This is me being 'nice.'"

***

When Andrea and Tanner walked home that night, Andrea was in the lead and the E followed. There was a tenseness they shared. Neither of them looked forward to entering that cylinder together again for various reasons.

The house was gone. Andrea knew the structure was intact, but what was stone without a purpose? A fallen family would lose all prestige; no one would associate with them. How can the name be gone? I don't get it. That was a lie. She understood. A dead body under the courtyard, perhaps, or an uncovered secret could easily cause a scandal big enough to annihilate any house in power. Met had said Johann Andreas the Third had been in attendance, though. Unless he'd misspoken and had meant to say the Fifth, Dom. Or had Johann the Third returned once Andrea had run away with Tanner? She could check, she knew. Now, with the house being so weak, anyone could check the public record to see what had brought them to their knees.

Grandfather must be turning over in his grave, Andrea thought. She took comfort in knowing they had at least done that burial right. The negative results of the audit had nothing to do with her grandfather—it couldn't possibly—but just in case, just in the slight 0.001 percent chance that it might, she decided it was better to not check.... No. This is Mother's doing; she ruined it. Now what?

Forget turning ELETE; Andrea could challenge her mother for the title now. How would they eat with no stipend from the Colony? With no prestige, the school would be ruined. All monetary credits must have stopped. The shunning did not concern Andrea as much as her family potentially starving to death. They should have enough to last another year, maybe two if they were careful. Marian would be in a bad way, surely. If Andrea went back now, Marian'd try to take her head; her mother would blame her.

Andrea had another problem; she didn't want to look behind her to confront it. This relationship. This romance was only days old. Tanner didn't say anything at all.

They walked on for some time in silence. Finally, Tanner spoke, his voice filled with hurt. "You told me you were all right. You lied to me. Why?"

Andrea felt equally slighted. "Am I your girlfriend, or am I a power source?"

They stopped in their strides and turned to each other, finally. Tanner was the first to speak.

"I'm supposed to take care of you," the E said, "I can't do that unless you tell me how. When you lie to me, you make a spectacle of me."

"That's you," Andrea said. "What about me? You hide me like I'm some awful secret. Like you're ashamed of me. How should I feel about that? And you did it before my house and status fell."

Tanner could only look into Andrea's eyes for an answer until he confessed, "Because you hurt me. Your family hurt me. I can't weep for them when they left me ruined for years. They poached me of my power, and I don't want anyone to know that I'm here with you again." He closed his eyes, anticipating Andrea's response. "I can't talk about that. All I want to say is that I'm sorry. I'm sorry I got you so injured. I didn't know the impact would resonate back to you so strongly. When I head-butted that guy, you didn't react. I thought I could contain all the pain. I...I never intended for you to feel it. I'm sorry."

Andrea focused on the E's chest so she wouldn't have to look into those sorrowful eyes. "It's fine. If you forgive me for not telling you the truth, then let's call it even."

Tanner said, pleading, "I want to take care of you. And I'm trying. I'm trying very hard, but I can't do it all. It's...it's like our first time in bed all over again. I don't know what I'm doing, and I won't know what you need unless you tell me. You really have to open your mouth and tell me."

Andrea let out a deep breath. "You don't seem keen on keeping me. I don't want to be a bother to you."

"I can promise you this: I won't leave this relationship until you do. If you make an effort for it, I'll meet you halfway," Tanner assured her. "But you need to meet me, too."

"Why? You could have anyone. Why me?"

"You're not just anyone," Tanner said. "You're my chosen Assist. Modern E's are too powerful. But there are some Yules who are on our energy frequency. They're rare, and being able to sync without the System analyzing the potential E match is rarer still. Eleven years ago you synced with me. We can only sync once, so I wanted to meet you, to know you."

"We synced?" Andrea shook her head. "I have no idea what you're talking about. We've met before, is that what you're saying?"

Tanner's expression seemed guarded and the E did hesitate to speak for some time. Eventually, he said, "Your gr—," his breath hitched and he took a moment to calm. Eyes misty, he said, "I don't think you really want to know. You only see what you want."

Andrea took a moment, analyzing the words, repeating them to herself again and again.

"I'm sorry," Tanner said, his body relaxing once more. "That was petty of me. It had nothing to do with you. Listen, we don't have to be together intimately, but you seem to be homeless right now, and I have to figure out how to be a proper E, so let's just try standing on our own...together, I guess."

So was it just an accident, then—us ending up together? As disappointed as Andrea felt, she also reasoned that she had no grounds to be. She'd wanted something from Tanner, too. She had no right to be outraged.

Andrea nodded. "Fine; if I tell you what I feel, then you need to answer my questions truthfully, too."

"Agreed."

After wetting her lips, Andrea said, "The reason why I didn't tell you...I didn't want you to think I was a bother. I don't want to be in your way."

"Okay. Then what do you need?"

"I need heat, for one," Andrea pleaded. "I need a shower. I...I need a sink. A chair to sit on. A...a friggin' bed."

Each word that passed her lips made Tanner's frown deepen. "We can't afford any of that now that I've paid that medical bill." When Andrea closed her eyes in response, Tanner hurried to assure her. "But I'll work. I'll take on some extra work, and we'll get it done. I'll get you everything you want, I promise."

"And what do you get out of it?"

"I don't know," Tanner said, finally. "For now, it's like you said. You are a power source for me. Before, I used to contain all the energy that I collected. Now, with my strength growing, if I try to contain all that energy, it'll poison me. With you connected to me, if I ever get weak, I can use your body to recharge me; I won't lie. As for what I get out of it, I honestly don't have a good answer."

Andrea was crushed by the admission. The idea of being used by another person was hard to bear. She didn't want to admit it to herself, but now she truly had to. Distant and nearly forgotten thoughts of Reed crept into focus. Has most of this relationship been in my head, too? Just like with Reed? She had thought of this as romance, but now she wondered if Tanner had simply been taking care of a power source—not a girlfriend.

"So why me? Why help me? You don't have to be close to me to keep this connection...or whatever it is, right?"

Tanner nodded, and Andrea shrugged yet again.

"So why me?"

The E seemed ready to repeat himself, but he paused and said, "I'm lonely. And you looked lonely, too. I thought maybe you could understand me. And when I found out that you had...you had the ability to laugh in the Colony's face by tampering with their data, even as a child, I was impressed. I was...blown away. And in bed...you, you were different there. You were aggressive, and passionate, and you were also patient with me, even though I wasn't very good. It hurt that you favored that guardsman more, but I can't blame you for that. I'm new to all these abilities, and I'm scared, so I hoped you would keep me company."

Andrea watched the ground, beyond crushed. "I see."

With a soft sigh, Tanner looked up and around. "And I'm shit about getting home on foot."

"We're here." Andrea nodded toward the path before them. "Just a little ways."

Tanner paused and turned to ask, "Will you stay?"

There really was no place to go. Gara and Andrea weren't great friends, but they'd become closer over the past few months. Andrea wondered if she could stay with Gara again once the smaller woman left and went back home to London.

"For now. I'll be here."

"Good. I'm glad." Tanner tried to smile. "As long as you're in it, I'm in it, too. Come on; let's see if we can't find you some food."