She was back again. That rot Andrea was back, and Tanner longed for the subhuman creature to leave. Everything inside Tanner cried out just from being in that trash's presence.

This would be the third visit in a row where Tanner was aware of her. Tanner was still in the same spot, sitting crouched up, knees to his chest, right where Midge had saved him. It was also the same spot where Andrea had almost stabbed him to death.

Like the other visits, Andrea waited for the timer to count down to the very last second of the allotted hour before she stood. Tanner wanted to pull away when Andrea came and touched his forehead. He wanted to spit at her; he wanted to yell. All the things he wished he could do would flood his mind at the end of every visit.

Today was no different. As usual, when the time ran out, Andrea touched Tanner's forehead, forcing him to absorb energy. Red must have taught her, someone must have taught her, because Andrea could never learn anything on her own. She was good for nothing.

Try as he might, Tanner couldn't get his body to move. He hated that he needed that energy from Andrea just to keep himself awake. He felt helpless, once again trapped in a body that wouldn't work.

The days lumbered by without Andrea there, leaving Tanner with more than enough time to think about the knife to his gut.

That familiar flutter in his stomach was back again. Andrea had come. Tanner still couldn't move, but he opened his eyes. He opened his eyes with the intention of voicing his anger, to voice his fury, but all the words faded from his mind when he saw the woman before him.

Andrea was trim, not as slim as Tanner knew was the average, but much smaller than she had been when she'd come there with demands and a dagger.

That wasn't as surprising as the suit—and not just any suit. The texture of the black shirt and gray pants she wore was that of the suits guards wore to weddings and funerals.

Andrea looked good. The hat was overdoing it, Tanner thought, but the rest—the flawless uniform, the polished boots, and the gray hat—was a sight.

"H-hi," Andrea managed to stutter out. "How are you feeling?"

Tanner didn't answer; he had nothing to say. Instead he stared that human trash down, willing her to leave.

"You've, "Andrea began, her lips trembling. "Red said you might be disoriented with regards to time. You were asleep for a month and a half. You've been...." She choked back a sharp sound. "You've been pretending to sleep for six weeks on top of that."

Andrea waited, expecting an excuse, as if Tanner would waste his time caring what she thought.

Eventually, she said, "I mean, I-I know what you sound like when you sleep. So I know you've been faking it, but, I'm...I'm just glad you're all right. Do you need anything? I can bring it with me next time."

And on she went, but Tanner wasn't listening. Instead he stared past Andrea and didn't focus.

Tanner wondered what the woman wanted. She wasn't wearing an image, and now that she was slimming down, he could only assume the subhuman filth wanted something else.

The rambling finally ceased, and still Tanner said nothing. He had nothing to say to the woman before him. Should he open his mouth, it would be to tell her not to come back. Slowly but surely, Tanner realized that he couldn't speak. He waited through the hour of awkward silence and was relieved when it was finally over.

When he was alone, the cave dimmed, and he stared straight ahead into the black. Tanner's body ached when he tried to move; his joints were still locked up.

That's it then. You've put me back where I was. Broken down and useless.

Tanner feared closing his eyes. He told himself he should be more afraid that one of the imps in Cerberus would find him as he slept and lop off his head, but that didn't concern him as much as the darkness.

It was Tanner's own fault. When he'd met Andrea, he'd only seen a sad, tentative weakling, easily led from place to place. What had he expected? That he could do anything to change that? To change the very nature of someone? Andrea came from a long line of cruel people; it only seemed fitting that she was just as cruel as everybody else.

And it was cruelty. Tanner had worked hard his entire life, and now he sat alone in prison, his body tensed up and unresponsive, and worse yet, he had to endure the presence of the one who had put him there.

Andrea had the grace to shut her mouth for most of the next visit. Toward the end she shared a small story or two. Tanner tried to ignore her.

"So." Andrea's voice sounded steadier this time around. "Gara and Midge aren't on speaking terms, what with how Gara treated Red, but...."

Every hesitant pause as she waited to receive a response was annoying. Tanner prayed time would speed up and those seconds would tick by faster. Maybe his mood was telling—maybe that idiot Andrea had finally gotten her head out of her ass and noticed Tanner's discomfort—but she thankfully stopped talking.

With this bout of energy, Tanner could move his right pinky. He heard about Rene and Kobal's reconciliation on the next visit, and how Gara had passed to become a guard. He heard about other unimportant things, but after that hour, Tanner could move his hands. The prospect of getting more energy, getting more movement, had the inadvertent effect of causing Tanner to look forward to each visit.

Tanner had regained the use of his upper body by the next meeting, and he wondered if that was the reason Andrea was uninterested in talking today. She had been doing well talking to herself so far.

Today, however, she did something strange; she mimicked Tanner's voice, almost perfectly, and said, "Guten Morgen, Andrea."

Answering herself, Andrea returned to her normal voice and answered, "Hi. What's new with you, Tanner?"

In Tanner's voice, Andrea said, "Nothing much, Andrea. I just put a new rock in my rock garden. I'll tell you when it's in full bloom. How about you; how are you doing?"

Andrea allowed her normal voice to return. "Oh. Nothing much going on with me, but I've been thinking of taking up Assist training."

She dropped her voice again to mimic Tanner once more. "Oh yeah? Why would you do that?"

"I don't know. Word has it I'm supposed to be an Assist, and I don't even know what the hell that is. Besides, I got nobody around to fight for me, so I could learn to fight my own battles."

She could mimic voices. And it wasn't just the voice; Tanner could recognize himself in the body language Andrea took on. All this time Tanner hadn't known Andrea had a talent. Seeing himself personified brought up a chuckle which Tanner cursed himself for.

Andrea's face lit up at the sound. That jerk had said something else though, something more important, and Tanner focused on it in time. Assist training.

When Andrea used Tanner's voice next, she was less enthusiastic. "Go hang yourself, Andrea. I don't want you as my Assist."

Tanner didn't make eye contact with that trash Andrea, who stood with a sigh and said, "Let's cut the meeting short then, yeah? Because I think I've just ruined it." She hesitated but approached to give Tanner his dosage of energy. "There. Stay safe till next time."

And she left. Tanner wasn't sure how long Andrea had stayed, but he found himself resenting the fact that the woman had left before the time was up.

Tanner had no reason to feel sad about it. He'd wanted Andrea to stop coming altogether. This time around he was able to sit back from his crouch. It took days for his feet to respond, but they did in time. That should have been Tanner's only focus, but instead he wondered why Andrea had left halfway. The knucklehead hadn't left all the times he had pretended to be asleep.

Though well aware that he should work on conserving his energy, Tanner found himself drifting. Without having a link to Andrea, reaching his Assist's thoughts at this distance would take much more energy than Tanner could afford to waste.

He had the timing down to a science, so when Andrea was late, actually late on her next visit, Tanner was resentful. It couldn't have been more than five minutes or so, and Andrea apologized when she hurried in.

Five minutes. The jerk had thirteen days and all the time in the world, yet she couldn't afford Tanner five minutes. It was sneaky, and Tanner wasn't proud of himself, but he not only took a bit extra energy, but he forged a small link at the end of their meeting. It would fade after a few days, but it was better than nothing.

When the darkness came that day, Tanner closed his eyes and listened.

"Say one word...about—me jiggling and I'll...I'll gaw-ro kill you."

Jiggling? Tanner wondered.

"Can't talk. Must run. Shut up."

He sighed with relief. She's running?

Had Andrea been serious about the Assist training?

A bigger link would have afforded Tanner the ability to hear what Andrea could hear as well, but he decided to make do with the one-sided conversation.

"I need your advice. I didn't...I mean, I think he and I are dating somehow, but...but I'm not sure. Yes, the one-arm guy."

Dating? Tanner nodded, shocked but not surprised. "Some things never change," he told himself.

A distant thought reached him before he could sever the link.

"No. I haven't slept with anyone since Reed, and I'm keeping it that way. So give me some advice. How do you break up with someone? Specifically, someone insecure about their body who you didn't even realize you were dating. Nicely. Because as a person who's had a relationship that was only in my own head a time or two myself, I can relate."

With that misunderstanding cleared up, Tanner had to admit that he felt some relief. Andrea was even on time for the next arrival.

She made herself comfortable by taking her usual spot on the wall opposite Tanner. As was her routine, she read off her evaluation diskettes first. When she quieted, Tanner found himself wanting to hear more.

"Do you ever want your own natural hair color back?" Andrea asked, sounding sincere.

Tanner decided to answer. "What do you mean, ma'am?"

Andrea tensed. "Stop calling me ma'am."

"Yes, Ma'am." Tanner paused to consider it and tried again. "Yes, Mistress Andrea."

With a soft groan, Andrea closed her eyes. "I'd prefer the ma'am to the mistress."

"Yes, ma'am." When Andrea sighed, Tanner said, "I don't need that hair color. It's a weak power level."

Andrea picked up a diskette by her foot. "What do you mean?"

"A richer color is better. A stronger color. Red, black, blue, or navy blue, really. Purple, even. White and yellow are markers of a weaker E. They're common when we're young. They change and darken over time. The color sometimes indicates what an E is good at."

"You mean like fire and stuff?" Tanner's eyebrow rose, and Andrea flushed. "I...I started some Assist training. So I got your care package finally." She waited, maybe expecting Tanner to raise hell.

Care package? Tanner thought long and hard, trying to remember why he'd never wanted that damn care package again. His gaze lowered, and he saw it, the ring. On Andrea's right ring finger, a silver band glistened. Tanner made no sound; he was indifferent. He had made that ring with his bare hands, and now Andrea wore it.

Finally, Andrea said, "I didn't really believe any of that shit about the hair color."

"Shit?" Tanner asked as all amicable feelings receded from his body.

"Yeah, I thought it was shit."

"I see."

They fell silent.

Andrea stood, apprehensive. Her unexpected departure would mean she was cutting her time short again.

When she approached, Tanner leaned away to avoid her grip. Tanner needed the energy; he couldn't afford to go without it. As much as he needed it, he wanted to be away from this woman more.

He was taken aback when he looked into Andrea's eyes.

"Take it," Andrea commanded, and the sternness of her words caught Tanner off guard.

Since when was Andrea anything but tentative and indecisive?

Eventually, Tanner dropped his gaze and hung his head, allowing Andrea's touch. He shouldn't have taken another link, but he was angry enough to do so.

It was another two days before Tanner got a clear thought. He figured Andrea had been running again, and the over-exhausted state of mind made the connection easier.

He heard when Andrea asked about E hair colors. And he heard when Andrea assured someone—Tanner assumed it was Gara—that the one-armed man was no longer a problem. He heard all that and more up until the jail foreman, an elderly man with few teeth, arrived to poke at him with a rod.

"Get up! If yer healed, ye can go back. Get up."

Tanner lumbered to his feet. It had to end sometime, the sanctuary the cave had provided. As he lurched from the spot he had inhabited for months, he was simply thankful to be able to walk and talk. He would need his energy, so the links would have to go.

At the next meeting, Tanner found himself running late instead. Relief spread across Andrea's face once he'd arrived. Andrea carried a bag today, teaming with diskettes.

They sat down while eying each other. Andrea took the bag from her shoulder and rummaged through it.

"Gara passed her Assist training. I have a recording of it, if you want to see. Though I'll warn you...." Andrea handed the device over. "She and Midge did the eval together, and Midge threw up. And when I say threw up, I mean gloriously so."

"I have a strong stomach," Tanner answered as he took the diskette.

"Well, then you're going to need it when you get to the end."

Tanner let curiosity get the better of him. He scrolled forward and smiled at the sight of Midge's inhospitable frown.

"Dat was—" came Midge's voice from the tablet device, followed by a violent heave and a gag from the crowd. Tanner shook his head, watching as Midge threw up again and again. When Gara's hurried chatter accompanied it, he laughed.

"Midge, I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Midge hunched, his hands on his knees as he said, "I wan-ta kiss you right now, darling. But I doubt you'd let me."

Gara grabbed him and did just that, to Tanner's chagrin.

"Eww," Tanner muttered, and Andrea chuckled.

"Nobody could believe they kissed. And we're talking a deep-throating kiss." Tanner had to laugh, but Andrea shuddered. "I mean, Gara said once she'd do anything for Midge, even kick a baby. I thought she was joking, but now, seriously, kissing a guy who just puked all over himself. Shit, that must be love." She shuddered as she flopped back against the wall. "That was last week, so now they're all kissy-face again. Gara is an official guard now, so everyone's doing okay I guess." She began to pick at her boots. "Everyone's doing okay."

She repeated it to herself, and Tanner still wore a smile as he sat back.

"Did Queen hear? He's pretty protective of Midge. He'd be happy to hear Gara can bring him out of danger if he's ever hurt."

Andrea looked at him, surprised he'd spoken on his own accord. "He wasn't there, but maybe someone told him. I'll go ahead and spread the word and see if he knows, though." Their gaze locked until Andrea found interest in the ground between her boots as she spoke. "But man, Midge was so proud of her. He forgave everything. It's...I wish I could get a reaction like that from someone." A short bout of silence lulled over them until Andrea flashed a different diskette. "Got a BABA, Below-Average-But-Acceptable, this time around. Only one PINA, Poor-In-Need-of-Attention, but I passed, so who cares?"

Tanner nodded though he didn't look at her. "That's good."

"You're out of here in two months. Do you have any plans?" Tanner only shook his head, and Andrea continued, "You and me could—"

"There's no you and me. Get that through your head." Tanner looked her in the eye. "Ma'am."