Vincent had just started to doze off, his book laying on his chest. He had only gotten partway through; his mind was hardly focused on reading at the moment. Allison. Why had they been hired to kidnap her? What was the goal here? It made him nervous, caused his skin to crawl. None of this was right. If someone wanted him, or his crew, dead… they wouldn’t have let them take the girl. They would have killed them all after they had landed and called it that. So why was she here now? It had to be about her, somehow.

And then he woke with a jolt. Screaming, and crying. It was Allison! Did someone get into the room? The impossibiltiy of it staggered him: the doors were locked, nobody on the crew could've managed to get in. Somehow, they had. He pushed himself up quickly and felt at his hip. He didn’t have his sabre… Why didn’t he have it? Had he taken it off? Had he left it in his room? He cursed himself for being so foolish, she could even have it and be trying to lure him down. But he thought better of that – it didn’t seem like it was within her character. He had to get to her, to check on her… to save her, if needed.

He threw open the hatch and slid down the ladder, ready for anything. Ready for a fight. What he saw was not quite what he had expected: Allison was thrashing on the bed, obviously having a nightmare. He rushed to the bedside, sitting on the edge of and placing his hand on her cheek. “Wake up, you’re okay,” he said softly, trying to wake her but not wanting to shock her, or offend her, by getting too close. But it wasn’t working. She continued to panic in her slumber. He wanted to calm her, to let her know everything was alright.

He wanted to hold her.

He wrapped his arm around her back, pulling her close to his body, letting her feel him there. “It’s okay, Allison… You’re alright…” He hugged her tightly, hoping to calm down. She’d forgive him for getting so close, invading her privacy, waking her up… maybe. If she didn’t, he’d deal with that. He hoped he’d forgive himself for showing so much weakness here, for showing emotion for what was really his captive. Keeping her in his room, giving her his bed, comforting her… He would never hear the end of it from his crew. As it was, they’d probably just assume he had kept her for ‘entertainment’, and leave it at that. Let them think that way for all he cared. He continued to hold her loosely and stared down at her, waiting to feel the consequences. When she woke she’d likely slap him, tell him to keep his hands to himself. Well, consequences be damned. This, right now... this was worth it.