Moment of Reflection

Gage just hugs Sapphire close, filled with an emotion he couldn't describe. He was excited, relieved, grateful and scared to death all at the same time. He felt unworthy of this gift of mercy. He felt undeserving. Yet so happy at the same time.

Pulling away, he finds Sapphire's eyes again... those eyes that captured him every time he looked into them. "You'll... you'll help me, won't you? I don't even know where to start."


"Well, I've got off tomorrow too." Ty shrugs. "So any time I guess." He gives her a wry grin. "Don't expect much. I'll let you try, but other people have tried too."

Why he was letting someone else try to help him read again, he didn't know. It had failed every other time, and he didn't like the feeling he got when trying to read - he always felt stupid no matter how many times they said he wasn't. Katie had helped him a little bit. For a while, he'd been able to decipher small bits and pieces of letters he got from his mom at least. But Ty hadn't liked bothering Katie with it. He knew she was willing, but she was also busy with the Elite and Jason, and Ty hadn't wanted to interfere any more than he already had. Wyatt had tried to help, but Ty hadn't let him very much. Hal had offered, but Ty had just shrugged off the whole thing. Why Libby? Maybe because she got that excited little gleam in her eye when she talked about helping him. If she enjoyed helping him that much, he'd let her.

Feeling her bump his foot and receiving her apology, he chuckles. "It's okay. I got another foot if you kick that one off."

Teasing her, he taps her foot back under the table. "So, did you drive your pickup in today?"


Alec fingers the bag a moment before daring to pull out the food Ryan had brought. It still smelled great, and he could feel his stomach gurgling. Finding a fork, he takes a bite of the turkey. It tasted even better than it smelled. The mashed potatoes melted in his mouth and even to someone who didn't like many vegetables, the green beans tasted good too.

Glancing back up to Ryan, his eyes narrow a little as he watches her. "Didn't think you'd trust me with your cards again," he comments.

Getting up again, he goes to the little sink to pour himself some water in a paper cup then returns to his meal. He'd forgotten how much better homemade food was than restaurant or store-bought. And for a moment, he longed to be free for a completely different set of reasons.

His chewing slows and he looks down at his plate, both elbows on the table, and his fork hanging in mid-air. Maybe being away from the Agency long enough eventually did do something to a man's mind. Poisoned by their control, perhaps over time it eventually did become deluded enough for a man to remember what it was like before being trapped within their world.

Alec didn't realize he'd lapsed into a stare for several moments before he finally snaps himself back to reality and takes another bite of potatoes.

"Once they throw me in prison, you won't be able to come play cards," he points out. "Why get in the habit?"