[ He opens his mouth to argue, to try and make some other argument why it's not her problem to solve. Why she has no obligation to stay. But any counter argument he would make just seems to fall on its face, even in his mind. She's not selfish, she's not a coward. She wouldn't run from this just because it's dangerous. ]

You could, because nothing's stopping you, but you wouldn't because you're not like that. You don't run.

[ He shakes his head. ] I don't think you'd run. [ I just wish she would, but I know that she won't.

He quiets again as she continues speaking, and then those words land and register in his mind. You're the one who decided I couldn't follow you--the one who left me.

There's an immediate change of expression on Alan's face. His shoulders slump slightly and a look of tiredness... of exhaustion slides into place. The bags under his eyes seem to become more pronounced as he just looks at her. ]

I want to stay here. I don't want to have to leave again.

[ The admission slides out of him quietly, but he doesn't want to call it back. But then she mentions the pages she has, and something in Alan seems to snap to attention. The tiredness remains, but his focus asserts itself again. ]

Yeah. Can I see them? It's not classified or something, is it?