For a moment, when Aileen looked back to Francis, she saw him look almost crumpled, deflated, now that Rory was walking away. But then he noticed her eyes on him, and in the blink of an eye, he was smiling, straightened up again. Aileen could almost have believed she'd only just imagined seeing her old babysitter like that.<br/><br/>"I need to talk to you. About... well, it's a long story, but about a lot of things. About your future. And about your past." There was a softness, a warmth in the way he smiled at her that reminded her of those days when he would tell her bedtime stories, bedtime stories about a man who kept the sun in the sky for nine months so his lover would not be discovered by her husband. "You always liked my stories before - I know, you thought they were a little weird - so I hope you won't mind if I tell you one more. Is there somewhere we can go to talk we won't be overheard? Somewhere you feel safe," he added quickly.