It was an unusual turn of events as Locke was enveloped in a hug from his best friend. Intimacy was the furthest thing from his mind as he drew solace from her longstanding friendship.

Locke's arms instinctively rose to reciprocate, but apprehension at being misconstrued halted their progress. He was unsure of how exactly to convey that he would still protect her as he had since Kohlinghen irregardless of any inklings of romance.

One thing was obvious to him. She would not die on his watch as he softly added, "Not by yourself you won't."