I don't normally do song stories but this one just snuck up on me. : )
**text** = Arcane's voice
|| text = lyrics to the Bonnie Raitt song "I Can't Make You Love Me"
//text// = Graham's thoughts

Graham sighed as he walked into his bedroom. It had been a long day for him. Dr. Arcane's latest experiment was having difficulties and so, of course, he was taking his bad temper out on the easiest target - Graham. Under normal circumstances, it wouldn't have been so bad. Having it happen so soon after that damnable experiment that had temporarily turned Arcane into a goodie-goodie made it unbearable. He'd always figured that he didn't stand a chance with Arcane because of Tatania but to see him getting all smarmy with that Kipp woman was really just too much. Flopping down on the bed, he reached over and hit the sleep button on his clock so that he could fill some of the quiet that merely served to remind him of how alone he really was. He nearly flinched as he heard the song coming out of his radio.

//Perfect. Just perfect. This particular song had to be playing right now?//

|| Lay down with me, tell me no lies
|| Just hold me close, don't patronize - don't patronize me

//As if Arcane ever does anything but patronize me. He certainly isn't about to lay down anywhere with me. Why Anton Arcane? Of all people! Someone like him needs someone he can respect. That isn't me. **Graham, you fool! Can't you do anything right?!? Use your head, man!**//

|| Cause I can't make you love me if you don't
|| You can't make your heart feel something it won't

//Ain't that the truth. Dr. Arcane tolerates me. Sometimes. He's never going to come around. What is there for him to see in a short, balding flunky? **Bloody Hell! If you can't keep your adlepated brain of yours on the matter at hand, leave before you ruin anything else!**//

|| Here in the dark, in these lonely hours
|| I will lay down my heart and I'll feel the power
|| But you won't, no you won't
|| 'Cause I can't make you love me, if you don't

Graham forced himself to get back up off the bed and get undressed. It wasn't easy when all he wanted to do was curl up into a ball. He wasn't normally so hard on himself but then he was usually able to let Arcane's words slide off him. Each of his employer's cutting comments had hit home today.

**Do you know what this means, Graham? No, of course you don't, but then I didn't hire you for your staggering intellect, did I? After all it isn't often one comes across a parolee with a masters degree, even if it is from a state correctional facility.** //Did he have to bring that up in front of the others? It's hard enough getting people to listen to me without their knowing I got my degree while I was inside.//

|| I'll close my eyes, then I won't see
|| The love you don't feel when you're holding me
|| Morning will come and I'll do what's right

Once Graham was down to his plain cotton boxers, he crawled into the bed and pulled the covers up. He didn't even know why he bothered. He knew what he should do. He should pack up what he could and sneak out of the compound. Dr. Arcane wouldn't even notice that he'd gone until it was too late if he left tonight.

//Like he'd even care. All that would matter to him is that I might know enough about his experiments to tell one of his rivals.//

|| Just give me till then to give up this fight
|| And I will give up this fight

//I really should give up on this and go. There isn't any reason for me to stay. Aside from the high mortality rate among the doctor's ex-employees, of course.//

With that thought, Graham pulled himself up into a sitting position and looked around his room. Opening the drawer of the bedside table, he looked at the framed picture of Arcane that rested inside.

|| Cause I can't make you love me if you don't
|| You can't make your heart feel something it won't
|| Here in the dark, in these final hours

Graham slammed the drawer shut and turned off his radio. Pushing himself off the bed, he quickly tugged on old comfortable jeans and a T-shirt before pulling his suitcase from the back of his closet. He tossed it on the bed and started going through his things, trying to decide what he wanted to take with him. Packing didn't take much time, he didn't really have that much anyway. Picking up his suitcase, he headed out of the room.

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