Aidenâ€™s head was spinning.<span style="font-style: italic">I was talkative? What does that mean? What did I say?</span>he wondered to himself. He was so overwhelmed at being in Carinaâ€™s presence again that he had trouble concentrating at all. News that he had been shot explained much but nonetheless sent a chill through him. The stains on his T-shirt were visible even in the low-light of the place, and there was no mistaking them as anything other than bloodstains. All of this news â€“ and an overwhelming sense of well-being at being near Carina â€“ was simply too much for the young man to process. That was, until Marissaâ€™s derogatory comment forced him back to the harsh reality of the moment.<br/><br/>In response to Travionâ€™s question, Aiden dizzily stood up and took Carina by the hand. He intended to pull her onto her feet, but in his weakened state he only managed to pull himself off of his own. Luckily she caught and steadied him before he went down. As Aiden struggled to gain his balance, Jake replied to Travionâ€™s question, all the while glaring at Marissa.<br/><br/>â€œWe were down here helping Alphas escape from the Cityâ€¦ bitch,â€ he said with obvious disdain and complete disregard for the young ears around him. Alphas were bad enough to be around, Jake thought, but it took a special kind of person to drop a comment like that under the circumstances.<br/><br/>â€œJake, back off,â€ Aiden chided weakly. â€œShe canâ€™t help it. Just be grateful that theyâ€™re lousy shots. Now, youâ€™ll have to excuse us,â€ he added, stumbling towards a rear door with Carina in tow. â€œWe need to talk. In<span style="font-style: italic">private</span>,â€ he added. He did not wait for anyoneâ€™s advice or approval. Clearly the move had caught the others off guard, and the two of them managed to disappear into a deserted and nearly pitch-black hallway beyond, leaving the rest of the company and their unanswered questions behind.<br/><br/>Aiden took her â€“ or rather, she allowed herself to be led â€“ down the dim corridor and around a corner. When she began to protest Aiden turned to her. In one swift move, without permission or explanation, his kissed her with the passion of a reunited, long lost love. Although they had spent only a short time together, to Aiden that was exactly what Carina was.<br/><br/>As their faces met his palms came to rest gently against her cheeks as his fingers threaded lightly through her hair. Their goodbye kiss was intense, but this was something totally different for Aiden. While they were apart, distance and fear for her safety caused feelings for her to creep into every aspect of his daily life. She was never far from his mind. Now, by some miracle of chance, they had been reunited. A flood of raw emotion flowed through him, drowning out all conscious thought with an intensity he hadnâ€™t known was even possible. For that brief moment all of the prejudice and unfairness he had experienced; the lost opportunities; the physical and emotional torture that had plagued him all of his life â€“ all of it became worth it. It was all worth it, he realized, as long as she was here.<br/><br/>If he had sensed even the slightest hesitation on her part he would have stopped immediately, but it seemed from her embrace that she shared his feelings. This amplified the intensity of the moment, making him almost ecstatic with an overwhelming sense of joy and relief.<br/><br/>He didnâ€™t want the moment to end, but it had to eventually. Once he was profoundly short of air he began to ease off, allowing them both a chance to catch their breaths. With his forehead gently resting against hers, he breathed deeply through an ear-to-ear smile.<br/><br/>â€œNext time I tell you that Iâ€™m leaving for your own good,â€ he gasped slightly, â€œslap me. Donâ€™t let me do that again, OK?â€ He coughed back emotion as he spoke. â€œGod I missed you so much. It is<span style="font-style: italic">so good</span>to see youâ€¦ I thought you wereâ€¦ wellâ€¦â€ he said as his voice trailed off. He resisted the urge to kiss her again, and instead wrapped his arms around her in the dusty darkness.<br/><br/>â€œDonâ€™t worry, Iâ€™ll get you out of here. Anywhere you want to go, Iâ€™ll get you there. As long as you let me come along,â€ he added. Then came a cooly spoken caveat, straight to the point. â€œLetâ€™s ditch your friends â€“ it will be safer that way,â€ he added.