Olivia looked dumbfounded for the most part and the word pregnant confused her even more. She hated being laughed at also and she just turned around and crossed her arms. She didn't want to hear the rest of the story then, it didn't sound good anymore.

She threw the sandwich at him after a moment and looked stubbonly at the opposite wall. It was in her nature to be childish, it was part of her character since she was a very slightly lower class citizen than her father and brother, like her mother was. She didn't inherit some of the important genes because her parents didn't want her to. She was there to look nice and smile for the most art.

"Don't laugh at me if I haven't heard of any of these things.... why I don't even know what it means to be pregnant," she said after a moment. "I've never seen a pregnant person but I'm guessing it's hideous since she didn't fit her old clothing."

"Wait...your serious arn't you? Oh geeze Olivia I'm sorry, I thought you were joking." Now he felt bad... Wiping some of the sandwich goo off of himself he blushed a little. "Ah well...see...its like this...Pregnant is when a woman becomes a mother. She...ah...well..." He became more flustered as he thought of how to explain this to someone who had never heard of the concept.

"Ok! Before they had test tube babies, before the science for it was around people had to have children another way...the old way." He avoided using the term natural knowing it would upset her. "Um see...A man and a woman who love each other...share genetics and the woman becomes pregnant. The baby grows in her womb and after nine months gives birth to the baby. Its..the main difference in boys and girls, y'know?" Or at least he hoped she knew, how could they have never even taught her the base of life!
"Its why men and woman are physically different...you need both to come together to create new life."

He could feel his face burning red as he spoke, toying with the book in his hands as though it had the answers. "...its why after you turned into a young woman you started to get a monthly period." At least...he assumed she did. He didn't really know the biology of the higher citizens but he assumed they at least still had that in common!

"Ew," she said after a moment. She knew what he was talking about now and that concept just grossed her out. She shivered slightly before gaging as she thought about it. She stood up and paced to calm herself down from the shock.

"That's... ew... gross... I don't think I'll eat for a while. But please don't laugh at me. I feel stupid and my parents said... well my hand maid said my parents' hand maid said that their chef said that I wasn't stupid," she said giving her signature pouty look that she used to get what she wanted from some people.

It was almost automatic now and she barely realized she was giving it. She decided at this point that she would comply for a while at least, then she would escape if the world that she was in was full of 'pregnant' women.

"Speaking of which I might need new under garments within the next week or so... I'd prefer to speak to a female that's polite and doesn't hate me about that matter." The genetics had made the cramping worse since there was not possibility of pregnancy, or at least that's what they've thought.

Neal nodded embarrassedly. "R-right, I'll have one of the doctors come down a-and talk to you." He was still blushing and staring at his book. "..I didn't mean to make you feel bad. I thought you were just playing with me." Glanced at her. "...you should never feel bad for not understanding something. No one knows everything."

Standing up he shifted, suddenly feeling like he was a stupid teenager again. "Um...should..I go?" He asked a little uncertain. The mood from reading now ruined.

"No," she said suddenly. The word surprised herself and she seemed to shrink into the back of her cell, blushing. It was a new thing for her and it made her even more embarrassed that she already was. She was complying even though at this moment she didn't want to. She wanted to admit to something now and just get it over with.

"Please don't go, you're the only familiar face around her... not that it's a good thing since the last time I saw you, you were trying to kidnap me." She didn't admit what she wanted to though, that if her maids hadn't taken her before she had the chance to reach out she would have willingly taken his hand, she'd so wanted someone to be with then and he still did now. It was hard to hide it from herself but rather easy to hide it from others.

"If you want to go you can," she said, cooling herself own, trying to rid herself of the utter confusion that seemed to plague her at the moment. She shivered again and wondered where the dripping noise was coming again. It had stopped for a while but it was starting again. "You have a leak somewhere in here."

He paused and listened. "Oh thats from the river over head." He said then stopped himself, paling. He shouldn't of said that...if he gave away there location it could get all of them killed. Clearing his throat he looked down at the book trying to cover for his mistake.

"W-why don't I pick out another story? One with no pregnancy." He added hopefully before sitting back down. "Hm...maybe snow white and the seven dwarfs... or maybe the swan princess...?" He muttered more to himself as he flipped through the worn pages of the book. He just wanted something to fill this awkwardness, and it had been going so well too he thought grimly.

She seemed to calm down, she hadn't been out much so she had no idea what a river looked like. She'd learned about it in books of course but that was it. She'd never actually been to a river and if she gained their trust she'd ask to see it. She was more curious than she was inteded to be.

"Please do," she said after a moment. "The Swan Princess... I like swans. They're very graceful and about the only non-modified creature I can think of at the moment. Then again they are more skiddish than the rest of the animals because of it."

She stopped hersef before she went on a tangent and sat down again, close to the bars so she could see if there were any pictures in the book like there were in the books that were still stored in her former nursrey. She was curious, she wanted to know what the prince and princess looked like. They refered to princesses these days as the people who were the most attractive and it had nothing to do with status for her.

Glancing at her over his shoulder he turned the book to her that did indeed had ink drawings of the scenes and started to read to her the story of the Swan princess. And hour went by as he read and he felt Olivia grow at ease with him as he read the sad story of a cursed young girl and her tragic love with a prince. Neal had gotten so into it he hadn't even heard anyone come down the stairs and through the hall way.

"Ahem.' Said a old man with a twist cane that he leaned on, looking at the pair in the floor through bushy white eyebrows. Neals head snapped up and was quickly followed by the rest of his body.
"G-grandfather!" He blushed as he stood there, book still in hand. He looked like a child that had just gotten caught with his hand in the proverbial cookie jar.

The Old man smiled as Neal, a long beard hung down the front of his shirt though his head was shiny and bald. "I'm glad to see your treating our guest so kindly my boy but I'd like to speak with the young lady."

"No disrespect sir, but shes only been her for one full day-"

"I am aware of that my boy, but do not worry, It is just a few gentle words of welcome." He smiled as he moved forward to face Olivia. "Hello my dear, it is a pleasure to finally meet you. I am know as Grandfather, leader of the HARA resistance."

She was gripping the iron bars so that she could see over his shoulder at the page. She loved the images and she stared at them as he read, feeling like a kid once more. She wanted to hold the book and she felt horrible for the princess. She felt almost like her for some reason, trapped in her room all the time and destined to be with someone that was quite literally made for her and she would die from her status as soon as her brother would be married. She would never again she her brother after that.

Olivia's thoughts were jarred to a close when she heard someone approaching them very softly. She ignored it though and looked at the pages, not even flinching when the man cleared his throat to have them stop doing what they were doing. What were they doing anyways? Just sitting together or communicating in some strange way.

"Grandfather?" she asked with a perplexed expression. "What is a grandfather or father? For a matter of fact what is a mother? I think I've asked that question at least five times and no one has answered. What are these strange things you tell me about? Love? Mothers? Parents? Fathers? Daughters? I only have those people that pay for the things that let me exist but tha will end soon enough, my brother has chosen...."

She froze when she realized that she was just blurting out what she was thinking. She slapped her hand over her mouth. The only time she did that kind of a thing was when she was tired and she was too afraid to sleep at the moment because she'd have another nightmare and it would probably contain this scary looking old man. Age? So peculiar yet so interesting at the same time.

In the modified world people were created so that they were resistant to age and it didn't matter. They would stay young but they would still die eventually, get sent to those strange places in the east that took care of all of these victims of the disease know as 'the end.'

She was looking at Neal now with a curious expression as she recalled him reaching out her hand to her. She seemed to reach out for an invisible hand herself but stopped herself when she realied that wasn't what was happening. She was hungry and it seemed there food wasn't quite nutritious enough. It was a problem with her, she always needed something to supply energy to keep going. She finally just sat down on the bed. She wanted Neal to stay down here and be here when she had a nightmare because she was always scared. Neal could read her another story so that she would get distracted and feel better sooner.

Grandfather watched the girls mixed emotions as she sat away from them on the bed, his dark color eyes calculating her will and resistance. The girl could still be bended to there cause, it was as plain as day to him now. He had been worried about it last night when he saw the bruises on Neals neck, but know he knew she was just reacting out of fear.
"All in due time my dear, we will explain all of that and more." He smiled softly as he leaned forward on his cane. "But I do not want to overwhelm you. Not when your still adjusting, no I would like you to feel more at ease." He reached out and took Neal by the forearm.

"Neal has been looking after you I see. I'd like for that to continue." He could already see a bond of sorts growing between them. He knew that Neal felt he had to look after her, that it was not only his duty to capture her but keep her contained as well. He had been raised to think that was after all, but no where in his training did they ever say that he had to like her.
"Neal." He spoke in a commanding tone, "You will be assigned as her personal guard."

"Y-yes sir." Neal gripped the book a little tighter, he almost seemed afraid of this frail old man. It was intimidating to speak with there leader like this.

"Thats a good boy." Grandfather patted his shoulder before turning to leave. "I'll have a new room prepared for the two of you." And at first Neal didn't understand what he had meant till only half an hour later they were both escorted at gun point up the stairs and into another hallway. As Olivi setting into a much nicer room Neal was given a small shove to follow her in.

There was still no windows but the overhead lighting gave off an almost sunny color along the tan walls. Two beds were present, one on each side of the room as well as a small screen for privacy. A bench was placed between the two bed and a small bookshelf was built into the wall.
This was one of the containment rooms for when there was issues in there society. Neal had never been forced to stay here before but he knew others that had gotten into fights and had to sleep down here.

The door closed behind them and Neal heard the lock slide into place. It was odd he almost felt...angry for being locked away like this. What reason did grandfather have for treating him like a criminal, or even worse a traitor? All he had done was look after Olivia, the very thing he had been told to do. Did he really need to be locked in with her to guard her?

Neal's expressions perplexed her and she was still shaken from being taken up here at gun point. She had not made any notion of that in her movements but now that the rest were gone she sat down on the bench and stared at the floor in the most uninterested fashion. She was wondering at the moment the reason for her very existance, why she was here to only to be watched by him.

She felt more comfortable up here though but she could sense his discomfort. She was looking at him now, wanting to know what he was thinking and wanting so much to know what a mother was. Her mood changed drastically a moment later when she realized what she was doing and a cold and expressionless gaze crossed her face. She was sitting at the moment so she stood, walking across the room and then walking back.

She felt weak though and knew she couldn't keep this stance up much longer. She would have to change he tactics soon since there food was horrid for the most part and never contained the right amount of nutrients for her. It was such a desperate want and need for something that was real land she could eat that she was nearly blinded from hat she was really trying to do at the moment.

Her foul temper came from a lack of contact with other human beings. From a very early age she had spent much of her time alone. It was part of the conditioing that people like her received to be sure that she wouldn't question the authorities or her brother. She knew more than she was supposed to though, and what she knew was that there were dangers in her position, that soon she would not be needed and could be cast out whenever her brother said so. Maybe the true escape route was through this place.

"I have to apologize for what I did to you neck," she said politely. "You found my weakness though. I'm a failure aren't I. I have a weakness."

Neal looked away from the small glass window in the door as Olivia spoke. He gave her an almost sad smile before he held a hand out to her.
"Your not a failure Olivia, and you shouldn't think so. You've done nothing but try to do what your world expected of you. They were the ones that failed you for making you think you had to fit perfectly in place to be worth anything." He didn't want to just make her angry again but he felt like he had to say this, even if it did mean a few most lumps and bruises.

"You don't know what a family is because I don't think you've ever really had one. In name sure, but... you've never had your mother kiss away tears after you fell down and scraped your knees. Your father never scared away the monsters from the closet after you had a nightmare. The only ones that tended to you when you were sick was doctors and hand maids... I don't think thats fair to you. I don't know what its like to be you Olivia and i can't pretend to understand how lonely that had to of been for you. But what we... what I want is to offer you something different here."
Digging into his faded jeans pockets he took a folded piece of paper out.
"Look at this."

He unfolded a old faded image of five people all sitting under tree. In the center was a smiling woman with her hair tumbling over her shoulders and against the face of a small smiling boy in her lap. A older boy sat to the woman's right and as holding a small girl that clutched onto the woman's arm. And to the woman's right was a strong looking man that bore a strong resemblance to Neal.
"This is a photo of my family." He pointed out each person as he spoke. "My dad, my older brother, my little sister, me... and my mom." For a moment his smile fell before he recovered it as he look down at the image. "We took this photo back when I was barely seven. It was my mothers birthday and we had gone out for a picnic at the old compound. It's one of the last good memories I had with my family."

"Please do not tempt me with such follies," she said as she spun around, swaying slightly as she did so from the lack of calories and carbohydrates. "I am merely a failure because I cannot hold my countenance in the strictest of situations."

She wanted to throw something at him now, even destroy him if she could. The images were heart shattering for her. She could not remember what her mother had looked like let alone recall what her childhood had been like. She felt ill at the moment, her face pale as she returned to sit, back to him as she was confident in her ability to avoid looking at him. She'd found her weakness though and if he discovered her weakness he would certainly use it against her.

It was ten years that were lost. Ten years of memories that started nightmares beyond one's imagination at times. She swayed again as she tried to stay awake and not let her waning energy take her. Such a stubborn girl she is.

"Hey... are you alright?"

Neal watched her sway as her skin turned a paler hue. Olivia sat down but even the she was still swaying. Worried Neal crossed to her and pressed his warm palm to her forehead. She was cool and he could almost feel her trembling. Had she gotten sick?
He had seen her eat most that sandwich so he never assumed that it was hunger that was wrong with her. After all she had bragged about how she could go for 48 hours without food, so why would her body be shutting down now? She had just eaten a few hours ago!

But she was still pale and her eyes had a almost far away look to them. Biting his lip Neal turned back to the door, though he had pulled Olivia back to lean on his hip, and called for a Doctor. Maybe something she had eaten wasn't agreeing with her? After all the food here was all naturally grown by those that lived here. Natural...

Neal cursed himself silently. Of course, Olivia wasn't used to natural anything!
"Hang on." He said softly. "Someone's on there way to help Olivia."

"Help," she said. "Why would I need help? I'm perfectly fine. Can't you see that I can still stand? Who call a doctor or whatever you all them down here, I ate but a few hours ago and feel perfectly fine."

Her denial did not let up as she attempted to get away from him but felt herself falter and her step became unsure. It was her habit to deny things that had gone wrong with her and the room was just beginning to grow blurry. There seemed to be black spots all around her.

"You poisoned me didn't you?" she asked, her suspicious nature getting the best of her at this moment. "I thought you could be trusted but here you go with your foolish..."

Her words had stopped because she had been so close to fainting merely because of the energy expended from being so angry. She did collapse then, into him though so there was no possibility of her getting injured in a fall.

He caught her, shocked as she just keeled over so easily. Yelling to the guards in the hallway he become a bit more panicked as he picked her up into his arms as he had done the night he stole her away from her home.

When Olivia woke up hours later she would feel surprisingly better. She had been given an injection that had flooded her system with both adrenaline and nutrients, they typically saved them for when people had been severely injured but with Olivias metabolism they had no choice but to waste it on her.

She was laying in her new bed, carefully tucked into the sheets and blankets. Next to her Neal was sitting on the bench that he had dragged beside her bed, with his head propped up on his knees. His eyes were closed and his breathing soft and calm, he had fallen asleep watching her rest.
He had blamed himself for not making sure that she ate properly, and he felt even worse that he hadn't noticed sooner. Making himself sick with worry he ran over and over in his mind what would happen if she died... or if she didn't would she ever trust him again. Would she hate him? Had he ruined any chance they had of showing her their way of life?
It was through all these thoughts he fell into sleep, hugging his legs against him.

It be so easy for Olivia to attack him at that moment, he was helpless and his reactions would be slowed from suddenly being awakened.

Olivia had the nightmare again but this time she did not wake up abruptly but rather calmly at first. She panicked though when she realized she was in her own room and then looked at the person that was sitting on the bench beside her bed. It must be his fault that she had suffered like that. She had crawled out of the bed and placed a hand on his chin, inspecting him.

Her kind was used to waking up abruptly and could quickly adjust. She however did not know if his kind, the 'natural' kind were easily awoken or not so the experimentation was to be used for later attacks if she ever indeed planned them. She could put her hands around his throat at the very moment. She began to but something was beginning to stop her.

She knocked him off the bench, swearing bitterly as she paced slightly, trying to recall the last time she'd felt like this. It was a wretched feeling and it burned in her so much that she wanted to snuff it out. She ran over to him finally and wrapped her hands around his neck. If he drew close she would back away most certainly, it was forbidden for her to be truly close to anyone and it had been ingrained in her mind since she was a baby.

"Why did you do that to me?" she asked as she tried to tighten her hands around his throat.

Crashing to the floor had startled Neal and with no further assault he was left at first to wonder in a sleepy haze if he had fallen off the bench. It was only as Olivia wrapped her hands around his throat while he was still prone on the floor that he really understood what was going on. What he didn't understand was what she meant by what he had done to her, he hadn't done anything had he?

He was lucky though that her hands were so small and his neck was as large as it was. She wouldn't be able to kill him like this, not that it didn't hurt.
Wheezing a little he tried to sit up further so he could force her away.
"D-do what?" He croaked out as he tried to gain leverage. Had he really done something to deserve this?

"You poisoned me didn't you," she said sharply. "You wanted to get rid of me so you don't have to stay here."

She was getting closer to him and she tried to back away at the same time. It would be clear to him that her weakness was being so close to him, face to face. She faltered slightly and she came so close to him that she could see the specks in his eyes. She froze like that, unable to move much. It was pure terror that was in her expression at that mment.

What was this? The beauty in his eyes or was it danger. A danger that enticed her to stay here and told her that there was something else. She felt frozen and she couldn't wrap her hands around his neck.

As her hands fell slack from his neck his breathing slowed. And for just a moment he didn't know what to do with her, this was twice she had tried to kill him. But he saw it just for a moment, regret uncertainty. He almost fears what he was about to do would send her over the edge, that he he'd be pushing her too soon too fast. But that was an almost fear.

Grabbing the arm that rested on his shoulder he pulled her suddenly with a hard jerk against his own body. She had been at a odd enough angle that it wasn't hard to do. As she fell against his body he wrapped his arm around her waist to hold her in place.
In all her life she was alone, some how he knew this would be forign to her. And although he knew she'd struggle he kept her in a tight hug without saying anything.

Olivia was utterly shocked when she was pulled down. She struggled for a brief moment but found that she couldn't escape his hold. What as this anyways... an attack strategy? She could feel her heart pounding, nearly out of her chest at the moment and she began to cry.

"Please let go," she said. "I'm not supposed to be this close. They won't take me as their daughter please. I beg you don't leave..."

She was unsure what to do, completely perplexed as to what was occurring and why she didn't want him to leave. What was so great about him anyways? He wasn't as handsome as many of the people that she'd seen in the city. She felt light headed now and she realized that she wasn't breathing. She took in a sharp and shaky breath before struggling to get away again.

But Neal held fast, wrapping his other arm around her shoulders.
"Sshh." He cooed as he had done when he had comforted Mary just the day before. And no mater how she did struggle he didn't let go of her, he just gently rocked them both back and forth as he kept her pressed into his chest.

She had said it, 'don't leave.'
Hearing that had made Neals mind up. She didn't want to go back to being lonely. And he wasn't going to just let her either.
"Its alright." He soothed again as he gently rubbed her back to ease her crying. "I won't hurt you, and I won't let...not as long as you really don't want me to."

She could feel the seconds tick by and wasn't quite sure what to do at the moment. She could not cry even if she wanted to, she would not allow herself to give into such foolishness. She couldn't help it though and she began to weep a moment later.

There was a comfort in this strange action that she hadn't notice before. She was trying to hold herself togther and she struggled again. She could't take this much longer, it was too frightening. She could not tell if she was crying from fear of rejection by her family, being so lose, or being alone. She squirmed again, trying to get away.

It was like trying to hug his dog after he'd just been given a bath. Still he did his best to keep her in place.
"Shh." He soothed again as he started to hum a soft lullaby his mother would sing to him when he was small. It was a low almost sad tune and he pressed Olivia further against his neck so he could rest his cheek against her.

He remembered how his little sister used to throw tantrums like this...This always used to sooth her enough to at least get her to stop kicking things.

It was beginning to sooth her but her fear overpowered it and she continued to struggle. Finally she no longer had the adrenaline shot in her and she gave up. She used her hands to cover her eyes, not wanting to see what she was thinking or feeling.

"You don't know anything about my society do you?" she asked. "Please let go. It's not allowed for two to be this close. It frightens me."

Honesty for once? She felt awkward now and not quite sure what to do. She tried to struggle again but she knew it wouldn't work. She needed a large burst of energy, which would probably hurt him more than she could imagine, or even desire to. Not that she did desire to.