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"I had you pegged for some corporate James Bond," she said, and shook her head "Licensed to kill Driving soh-tech armored spy vehicle with rocket launchers Jesus, you have a car seat"

"Wouldn’t let ot three Oldest is Jeff; he’s seven Then Harry; she’s five Juliet’s the baby"

"I guess you’ve got a wife to go with that"

"Kylie," he said "Best wife in the world Best mom, too" He sounded quietly proud "Here Pictures" He opened the glove box, and there was an honest-to-God brag book in there, of char kids and a pretty wife Fideli looked like a different person in those pictures, relaxed and happy, a little goofy It was … adorable

And it re that way Not now She stared down at the picture of Juliet, a happy, giggling little baby in her mother’s arms, and her eyes filled with tears "I can’t have kids now, can I?" she asked

Fideli said nothing When she looked over at hiriripped the steering wheel She closed the picture albulove compartment The silence held until they were pulled up in front of the glowing marquee with all of the not-healthy choices

"I’ll have a Monster Burger with fries and a Coke," he said to the speaker, and then glanced at Bryn "How about you?"

"Sa," she said, and tried for a smile as she wiped her eyes "Guess cholesterol’s not an issue, right?"

"Bright side," he agreed, and conveyed the order "Might as well get extra cheese with that"

The smell of the food filled the cab as they pulled away from the payry Funny, she hadn’t expected to feel that at all, for soe

French fries still tasted as salty-delicious as ever She munched on them as Fideli drove the last two miles to her aparthborhood with hardworking people The aparteneric and cheaplyshe lived in, which indicated a little e about her than she felt strictly co SUV and said, "You mind if I take off? I like to eat with the fae, suddenly, as if she were looking at a building she didn’t know, facing an evening with a total stranger: herself She took her Coke and bagged food, butFideli watched her in silence

"Hey," he finally said "Better idea How about you come with me?"

She jerked a little in surprise, because she really hadn’t expected that She’d been waiting for him to impatiently order her out "What?"

"Home," he said "You look like you don’t need to sit alone and watch your burger get cold, Bryn It’s been a pretty full couple of days for you, I’d say" What he wasn’t saying was that he saw the fear in her Fear of facing life alone, the way she was now Whatever she was

"Joe …" She didn’t mean to use his first name; it was just instinct She bit her lip "Mr Fideli … there’s no chance I could be … contagious, is there? I er"

He shook his head "Can’t share the nanites, even through an open wound They’re keyed to your DNA, cease to function outside your body I wouldn’t let you around the kids if there were any risk, believefor brains or anything"

He laughed this time "You let me know if that happens But no It ain’t your zombie apocalypse scenario, not this time You’re just … you On perht, and even he stopped laughing He put the truck in reverse "No arguuest rooot some stuff that’ll fit you"

Bryn wasn’t really in the ht She was, deep inside, sobbingly grateful to hieneric walls of her apartment alone …

She wasn’t sure what she would have done