Hadley's soft smile became a concerned look as she listened to Alex's story. His voice was soft but harsh, so only the two of them could hear one another. Hadley's teeth sunk into her lip as she watched tears start to form in the boy's eyes. She didn't want to see him cry, and she wan't to see him in pain. She couldn't believe his story, not because she felt that he was lying but because she couldn't believe how strong and brave he had been, while she would have cowered in the corner.

"Am I .....am I a murderer?"

Alex's question caused Hadley to let out a exasperated breath as she began to cry for the boy. She couldn't help but wrap her arms around him in an embrace. Though she knew that wasn't very appropriate, she couldn't help it. She remembered that her parent's embraced her when she had been hurt or upset, and that is the only thing she knew to do. She spoke against his shoulder, quietly enough for him to hear, [i]"No, you're not a murderer. You're one of the bravest people I know."[/i] she encouraged him, holding him for a moment before letting go. [i]"I'm sorry."[/i] she apologized quickly, knowing she overstepped her bounds by a lot. She hoped he wouldn't be mad, and be understanding of her doing so.