<span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 8pt;">Nicholas said nothing while they ascended to the top floor.  He found himself staring at those few scraps of paper that seemed so insignificant and yet...  Just wadded up garbage to most passersby, to those who could not <em>know.</em><br/><br/>When the metal doors slid open, he followed Lynia sedately back to her room, casually folding his hand over bits of paper. He waited until they were safely within the confines of the room before he relaxed.  Lynia tossed him a beer, which he caught without effort, though he didn't pop the top as she leaned back against the wall to study him.<br/><br/>And she was studying him, with those intense eyes of hers.   Nicholas could feel her gaze upon him, and made an effort not to meet it. He set the beer down on the tiny table by the bed.  With a faint grumble about her disorderly habits, he reached over to smooth the covers over the bed before laying the scraps of paper on the now flat surface of the comforter.  "Where did you get these?"  Lynia stiffened slightly, and only then did he realize the edge he felt had translated into his voice. There was a tiny prick of energy in the room that he easily recognized as the woman's ire spiked.  Crossing her arms over her chest, she simply stared at him, as if awaiting a more polite inquiry.<br/><br/>But the time for politeness might very well be beyond them at the moment.  "Mon ami, this is important.  Please, tell me who these came into your possession," Nick amended, unable to take his eyes off those small scraps of paper.  Just paper, nothing more.  Nothing sinister at all, not really.  How long had she been carrying these around?  Just what had this falling star gotten herself into this time?<br/></span>