This should be the last chapter before the action starts ;) I apologize for its shortness, however the next one will be much longer!

Sorry for the long wait! Hopefully I can find a way to combine some of the chapters. But thank you for staying with me, despite my lack of updates. It means so very much to me and I'm incredibly sorry! Also, add ROWAN to your reading lists PLEASE!! It'll be the story I write after this one and Patience of a Gordon. I've started it and it's been my favorite story to write so far!

Realization

I began walking to meet the others, Xena's story keeping my thoughts company. I still could not understand how she and the others could harbor so much hatred to the Lab when they were all here, in the Outside, where the world was much harsher. Survival in the Lab may be slim, however, it was still statistically higher than living in the Outside.

I could feel my feet slow down before all together stopping when I looked up and met the expressionless eyes of Cowen. He was leaning against a wall, simply staring at me. With his lack of expression, it was not doubtful that he would make a good lab coat within the Lab. Showing signs of expressions was frowned upon, and it seemed as if they had trained him well.

"It's astonishing that you're the most successful experiment this world has ever held, yet you're the densest person someone could meet," he said thoughtfully and I bristled, offended.

I thought about not replying to him to avoid confrontation, but the offended part of me would not allow that to happen. "I have a higher IQ than you and am more intellectual in every way. I will prove it however you desire," I replied calmly, holding my head high and standing tall. I would not allow his meaningless talk to intimidate me.

He only laughed, shaking his head at my words. I was puzzled, not understanding. Was it amusing that I was confident in my intellect? I found no amusement within my words and did not see reason for him to either.

"Tell me something, have you ever paid attention to the way Levi looks at you? Have you noticed how he looks at you with those fond eyes?" He asked, startling me. This conversation had taken a turn I had not expected or prepared for.

But I still scoffed at his words, denying them. They were not true; he was simply looking to get a rise out of me. I would not allow him to do so. "Levi does not, and would not, feel anything more than an acquaintance relationship with me. He knows I do not plan to remain here anyways," I replied, confident in my answer.

Cowen barks a laugh at the answer, causing my confidence to waiver. "You're telling me you've never noticed how he follows you around here like a lost puppy waiting to be told he can stay by your side forever?" He asked, an eyebrow raised. I opened my mouth to answer, but he continued talking.

"Did you ever realize that He only looked at you like the other scientists did?"

My mouth closed at that, unable to produce a sufficient response. I wanted to respond with childish, immature answers but knew they would not hold. They were ones provided by the emotional part of me, the part I despised the most. They were not rational answers.

But hearing Cowen say that caused something within me to ache, as if a fist was clenched around me. I shouldn't care so much about his words, however, I did and it scared me how much I still cared. I shouldn't care about Him anymore, especially after all the lies he had trained me to believe.

Cowen took my silence as an answer and smirked. "No one wants you here. You'd be doing us all a favor if you just left already," he muttered, pushing himself off the wall and disappearing around the corner.