He couldn't sleep, his mind on the girl. He couldn't help but feel as if he should check on her. It wasn't possible that she could be escaping, but he made his way to her cell anyways.

Unlocking her door, he stepped into her cell that smelled of rotting garbage, -all the trainee's rooms smelled like that, another part of making them 'tougher'- and found her curled up in a ball, sobs still escaping from her.

"Miranda?" he called, for lack of another name.

She didn't respond, but her sobs ceased to echo through the room.

He walked in a little more, towards her. "Are you? Are you okay?" he asked awkwardly.

No response.

He finally made his way over to her, sitting down next to the girl.

"Why are you here?" She asked in almost a whisper, her back towards him as she lay on her side.

"Why were you crying?" he asked, concern edging his voice.

She was about to retort with a sarcastic comment, when he started rubbing her back in a soothing way, making any reasonable thought leave her mind.

"Why, why are you being so nice?" she asked, sitting up to look at him.

"I'm not nice." he scowled, removing his hand from her back.

"But you're being nice now." she persisted.

He took in her appearance, not replying, his mind flashing back to his dream.

Why would she help him? Why was she the one to be captured? As a worker of the country, she would have been exempt from that kind of treatment.

"Dallen?" he inquiring voice broke him out of his thoughts. Turning his gaze to her, so she would know he was listening.

Just then realizing her distraught look from fighting against everything all day, knowing it was his fault for bringing her there.

Choosing people without friends or relatives was quite a smart way for the organization to go about it. But for just a second, he wished she could be happy instead.

He gave her an awkward sideways hug, gentleness and caring in his every move.

She stiffened at his touch, but soon gave into the comfort of it, snuggling into his chest, almost curling up in a ball on his lap like a huge cat.

"It's okay." he whispered to her, not knowing where these protective feelings were coming from.

His words reminded her of her sorrow, her tears starting again. Her pride had already been lost, she didn't care what he thought.

"Don't cry, you're okay." he said, combing his fingers through her hair, acting on instinct.

It only caused her to sob harder, drawing comfort from another person.

She eventually fell asleep, relaxing even more against him. For once she was warm in her cell, peace penetrating her dreams.

He wasn't used to the hardness of the cell's floor, nor the dampness. Scooting out from underneath her, he started on his way back to his bedroom. Thinking better of it, he took a blanket from the many that were not being used in a cupboard, and draped it over her.

With sleep calling to him, his eyes droopy, he made his way back into bed. Sleep claiming him as soon as he made contact with the soft, comfortable bed.