Aiden woke up from his sleep to find Zariah lying beside him. He sighed in relief, fearing everything that had happened between them the night before had all been just a dream. But, there she was, by his side, breathing steadily. Her chest rose and fell in a constant, soothing rhythm that made Aiden relax slightly. She looked peaceful when she was asleep. Rested, and at ease. He kissed her head, playing with a loose strand of her hair in his fingers.

He was careful not to disturb her slumber as he crawled out of bed, grabbed a pair of pants from the closest drawer and ducked into the bathroom to shower and change. He combed his fingers through his untidy brown hair, inspecting himself in the mirror. Aiden's grayish eyes clouded over as all the thoughts from the past few weeks replayed in his brain. He turned on the faucet and cupped cold, transparent water in his hands before splashing it onto his face. His skin tingled from the icy droplets, but Aiden hardly noticed. He couldn't help but think about Rhys, Zariah's former love interest. The way Zariah had talked about him made Aiden slightly envious. Rhys seemed like an exemplary soldier, selfless and clever. Sure, he may not have been able to save everyone, including himself, but he was able to save the person he loved. So far, Aiden wasn't doing such a great job at that one.

He hated to bring it up again, but he missed Jayda. She had been such a bright and brave recruit. No, she was more than that; she was his lifelong friend and companion. She and Theo had been together for a long time, and the two of them were practically inseparable. Aiden flinched when he thought about how Theo would be handling her passing. He'd loved Jayda more than words could describe. Aiden could see it in every little gesture Theo made in Jayda's company, the look in his eyes when he saw her approaching. They had always talked about leaving the Program and getting married, maybe even having a few kids once they were discharged. Now their future together was fractured, because Jayda had made the ultimate sacrifice; one that Aiden couldn't help but feel could have been avoided if he'd acted differently. Aiden had felt so high and mighty when he confronted Zariah the night before, even though truly, he was scared shitless. How was he supposed to protect his friends when he could barely protect himself?

"Hey, you," Zariah said from behind him. She leaned against the entrance to the bathroom. Aiden dried off his face, loosely hanging the towel on the nearby hook. She looked pretty, even in the morning, when he figured most people didn't look very attractive. She had borrowed a shirt from one of his dressers and pulled it on as makeshift clothing. Meanwhile, Aiden had only really put on a pair of pants and socks. He'd been fixing up his hair, so he hadn't thought to bother finding himself a shirt. Zariah didn't seem to mind. He supposed that even with the lack of clothing, he didn't look too indecent. After all, the prolonged years of intensive training made every guy in the Program look muscular and fit.

"Hey," Aiden replied, offering her a sheepish smile. He assessed Zariah's small figure in his much larger shirt. "You look nice in my clothes."

Zariah cracked a smile. "You look good without them," she remarked coolly. "You're thinking of Jayda, aren't you?"

"Are you a mind reader, in addition to being a professional bad-ass?" Aiden scratched his head. His fingers brushed past an old scar he'd gotten years ago etched into the base of his skull.

"It's a talent," Zariah dismissed. Aiden gave her a skeptical look, and she elaborated. "You get this... hazy look in your eyes. Like someone hollowed you out from the inside, and left you like that. I see it like this personal mirror you carry with you. That's how I know it's Jayda."

Aiden pressed his lips together, unable to respond accordingly. Zariah sighed, standing on the tips of her toes to give Aiden a soft kiss on the lips. She peered into his eyes with a curious, comforting expression. Her warmth made Aiden melt on the inside.

"It wasn't your fault, you know. Take it from me. Something we've got in common is harboring a lot of guilt for what happened to our friends. You've just got to trek on. We'll avenge the people we lost. We'll make them proud. We're the nation's last hope now," she murmured. "You've got brains, Colonel. Use them. You're exceptionally intelligent, courageous, daring, and above all; completely and totally selfless. There isn't an innocent soul in this world that you wouldn't die for in order to defend."

Aiden nodded reluctantly. That's what they were now, weren't they? The only ones with the capability to save the human race. They were the answer to everything. They were more than Programmers; they were able to think for themselves, and they had the skills to back it up. Aiden felt guilty for being jealous of Rhys, initially. Zariah believed in him just as much as Rhys. He couldn't fail her.

"You've got to promise me something, though," Aiden said seriously, before kissing her forehead. Zariah tilted her head, listening carefully.

"You better be right by my side. There's no way we can win this war unless you're here, right beside me, watching my back."

Zariah grinned, making Aiden's heart soar. "Of course. You better promise me the same thing, Colonel." She smacked his arm. "I'm going to get changed and head to my bunk. Thank you for being there for me."

"Alright," Aiden smiled wryly. "I'm not sure if I like you better with your clothes on or off, though."

"Depends if I'm saving your sorry ass or not," she reminded him. Mischief gleamed in her bright blue eyes. "Go put on a shirt, you infer."

Zariah changed quickly, and bid him farewell before exiting his bunk. He felt a little sad after she left. He wasn't sure what sort of relationship they shared now. It had always been a strict friendship, two colonels serving under the law of the Program. But now, it was so much more complicated. He wasn't sure if they were a couple, partners, a little more than friends, or what. He feared that Zariah had only done what she had because she was feeling weak. Aiden hated to think that their entire encounter had been a rash decision on both of their parts. The only thing he knew for sure was that his feelings for Zariah had been officially confirmed.

He pulled on a shirt and left his bunk behind for breakfast. He remained lost in thought the entire way to the dining hall. His new living quarter was still a little farther than he was used to, but he didn't mind. Today was one of those days when he appreciated the extra thinking time, even though he seemed to have plenty of that no matter where he went. A familiar voice jarred him to his senses. 

"Morning, Aiden," Rania said softly. "Mind if I join you for the walk?"

He'd forgotten that Rania's bunk assignment wasn't far from his own. Guilt instantly flushed through him. This was a girl who loved him, and he'd just slept with the one girl she feared would steal him away? He felt disgusted by himself. Rania was just a hallway away from him, separate from the elite Official's quarters. Her bunk was very small and cramped compared to Aiden's staggeringly huge space. It was a con of being a Private, he supposed. He hoped Rania would get the recognition she deserved in time. She was still quite young. There would be plenty of opportunities to showcase her skills in the future. He felt as though he'd betrayed her in some small, unintentional way. Then again, he couldn't blame himself for his feelings. 

Aiden nodded slowly. "Yeah, of course."

"How are you doing?" Rania asked cautiously, doing her best to keep up with Aiden's brisk pace. His legs were longer than Rania's, so his steps seemed slow in comparison to her short, quick saunter. "Recovering okay?" she continued.

"Yeah, I'm alright," Aiden assured her. His voice sounded insincere, and Rania seemed to pick up on it immediately. She shot him a concerned look, unconvinced. "Honestly, I miss Jay," he admitted speedily. He hadn't lied, at least not completely. He was feeling many things at the moment. Jayda's death was just one more item on top of it all. 

"I miss her too." Rania's voice cracked with emotion, and she did her best to cover it up. What was with girls and trying to hide what they were feeling? Jayda had been one of her closest friends, if not, her best friend. More guilt welled up in Aiden's stomach. He had completely forgotten to check on Rania, this whole time. He hadn't even checked in on Theo. He'd spent some time with Virgil, which had been their methods of coping, but how could he have neglected to consult two of his greatest comrades? What kind of a leader was he? 

Aiden quickly pulled Rania in for a hug. "I'm so sorry, Ran. I should've done things differently. I could have saved her."

Rania shook her head in dismay. Tears dotted the corners of her emerald eyes. "You were brilliant, Aiden. Things just didn't work out the way we expected. Things go wrong on missions all the time, and this one was especially dangerous. We all knew what we were getting into. Jay died like a hero. She's looking out for us, I know it," she insisted, smiling sadly. "If she were here, she'd say that she's watching our backs from the other side. Now our luck's been doubled. She wouldn't let anything bad happen to us, ever. Not even in a war as dirty as this one."

Aiden returned her empty smile. "Yeah, she would, wouldn't she?" Rania blushed. At least she appeared to be dealing with Jayda's death fairly well. She was pained by it, no doubt, but Rania was strong enough to know that she had to keep it together. She would heal, as all wounds did over time. Aiden was thankful for her barriers. 

"How's Theo?" Aiden inquired grimly.

"He's..." Rania faltered. "It hit him pretty hard, honestly. He's grieving, just like the rest of us. I'm worried about him, though. He's not going to do anything stupid, but I'm afraid we won't be able to bring him back. He's in a dark place, Aiden."

"That's what I was expecting," Aiden sighed. He still hadn't delivered Jayda's message to him. He promised himself to visit Theo later in the day, and follow up on how he was doing. He doubted the man was willing to see any visitors, but Aiden hoped that he would be a special case. After all, he was Mission Leader, and he'd been the last of his friends to see Jayda alive. Even if Theo turned him away, Aiden would keep coming back. Theo needed the support of his friends. Aiden just hoped that he had the skills in him to win Theo over.

"We have to get Xylem," Rania muttered darkly. "He can't get away with this. I... I didn't realize what we were doing until the laboratories. How could we have been so stupid?"

"It's a scary world out there, Ran. When people are left to their own devices, things get unruly. Isn't that what humans want? Order? Xylem's a control freak. If we're going to avenge Jayda, we'll have to be smart about it," Aiden answered, careful not to draw attention from any nearby Officials. He wouldn't want Xylem knowing he was conspiring against the government. Not today, at least.

Oh, how things had changed, and in only a few short months.

He and Rania reached the dining hall, finding Zariah and Virgil silently seated at their table, eating their breakfasts. The entire hall was missing its usual chatter. It was mostly quiet and soft spoken, the occasional soldier accidentally clanging his cutlery on the edge of his metal tray, drawing some attention from those near to him. Everybody seemed to be lacking their spirits, as well as their appetites. Death did that to people; even when you hadn't known the person who'd passed away. Even more so when you knew the person who did. 

Aiden took a deep breath as he carried his tray of food to Virgil and Zariah. Rania followed closely behind him, and together they took their seats next to their friends.

"Hey, guys," Aiden greeted them.

"Morning, sunshine," Virgil grinned wearily. "Got enough beauty rest?"

"Something around those lines," Aiden nudged him. "How's the food?"

"Getting worse by the day," Zariah inspected her breakfast with a distasteful look on her face. "It's like they knew just how to start our day off on the wrong foot."

"That actually doesn't seem far from the truth. It's nearly inedible," Virgil agreed, stuffing a large spoonful of oatmeal into his mouth.

"You don't seem to be deterred," Aiden pointed out mildly.

"The faster I eat, the faster it gets off my plate, and the faster I can pretend I never ate it," Virgil countered with a mischievous smirk. 

"You'd eat anything that moved, infer," Rania smiled.

"Nothing is safe, sister," Virgil winked. Aiden lifted a good-size bite of oatmeal into his mouth. His face wrinkled in disgust.

"Oh, man," he sputtered. "That's actually nasty. What the hell is in that?"

Zariah shrugged. "Who knows? I overheard the Kitchen Officials talking about some sort of grain shortage. No bread for the next little while, I guess."

Virgil's mouth flew open. "What? No bread? That's a crime unlike any other. Start up a mission for it, already. I'll be the first to volunteer."

"And now I know for sure that I'm not touching that," Rania eyed the oatmeal fretfully. Despite the amount of loss that all four of them were feeling, at least they had a slight sense of normality. They had each other to rely on, and that was all they needed. Jayda was alive as long as the four of them kept her spirit alive with them. Aiden hoped Theo would be well enough to join them soon. He missed his friend's outgoing, friendly energy. They all needed it right now. 

Aiden, Virgil, Zariah and Rania made small talk the whole morning before dispersing to head to their duties for the day. Aiden couldn't help but keep his focus on Zariah the entire time, the memory of the previous night still fresh in his mind. His lips still felt the tingle of their first kiss, and the feeling of waking up to her the next morning. The two of them had acted so casually the morning after, as if nothing had even happened between them. Was this destined to be the rest of their relationship? Aiden recoiled from the thought. He had feelings for Zariah; that much was undeniable at this point. But to what extent? Aiden refused to admit that he loved her. He cared for her, yes, he knew that. But love seemed nearly indescribable. How did he know that Zariah even felt the same way? For all he knew, she could be using him as a method of coping, rather than feeling a genuine emotional attachment to him. All the thinking made him even more confused, and he abandoned his thoughts for a while as he carried on with his assignments for the day.

He pushed his way through the crowd of soldiers to the Foyer, where he was expected to help Alena train some new recruits. He was thankful to be visiting his former mentor. Aiden had put in a special request with Colonel Asphodel to ensure him the spot, and she'd come through. Perhaps she felt sorry for his loss. Maybe she'd assisted the General in playing a part in Jayda's death. However, Aiden had more faith in Colonel Asphodel than that. He hoped that Alena would be able to supply him with at least some advice on how to help Theo through this difficult time. Aiden knew Alena had cared about Jayda and the rest of his friends just as much as he did. 

I'm sorry, Jayda, he thought. No one else is going to end up like you. I swear it.