"More than usual." Michael replied with a soft laugh, sliding his hands into his pockets as Lincoln started talking. When he finished the whole story, Michael simply rolled it around in his head...the facts, the way Linc's face lit up and tightened, just a little...he felt something for this girl. It was real, too...real and raw, but he was oddly possessed of himself.

The only other woman Michael had ever known his brother to have such strong feelings for had been Veronica...and back then, when he'd been bitten by that bug, Lincoln had been a lot lighter...a lot more drunk on his own euphoria.

Linc wasn't in love...yet, anyway. But he was caught in something he couldn't pull away from...something chemical and mental and spiritual that was hitting all his buttons, and Lincoln seemed to know that.

"The night she was with you...I came back to the room and found you two asleep in bed." Michael admitted. "So I left for awhile longer...it was before you woke up and saw me. I remember thinking how...relaxed you looked. Normal...for the first time in years."

He paused, glancing over at Lincoln. "Can you be *sure* she's safe, Linc? She's not like us...I've been keeping my ears open, doing some looking. She's not innocent, and she's been eluding capture for a while now. She's...extreme, to say the least." He paused, sighing heavily. "Ever since you saw her again...it's like a light went back on in you that I haven't seen since...we got out. And I'm glad for that, but Linc...be careful. If she runs, and you can't let her go..."