[And he looks at her properly now, a humourless, habitual smile ghosting over his face. He's fighting tears away, trying to breathe normally around a lump in his throat. It hurts to think about Allison gone, maybe it'll always hurt, even if he gets his deal. A piece of his soul died with her, that tether that bound them binding him to something cold where she should have been.
He has to put it aside. He has to compartmentalise, like Chris said. She's here now. They're both here now. He's going to save her. Biting his lip, he shakes his head, returning to the problem at hand.]
I'm not-- Things change. It's been a long time, you know? She's going to have to find out sometime.
[But he can't tell her. He can't be the one to do that to her, not after the vault. He might be here for Allison, but Erica was his first failure. ]
Private
[And he looks at her properly now, a humourless, habitual smile ghosting over his face. He's fighting tears away, trying to breathe normally around a lump in his throat. It hurts to think about Allison gone, maybe it'll always hurt, even if he gets his deal. A piece of his soul died with her, that tether that bound them binding him to something cold where she should have been.
He has to put it aside. He has to compartmentalise, like Chris said. She's here now. They're both here now. He's going to save her. Biting his lip, he shakes his head, returning to the problem at hand.]
I'm not-- Things change. It's been a long time, you know? She's going to have to find out sometime.
[But he can't tell her. He can't be the one to do that to her, not after the vault. He might be here for Allison, but Erica was his first failure. ]