Amy and Joan were sitting on the couch poring over their history when Sam stumbled past, heading for his bedroom.
Joan wrinkled her nose.  “Ugh, poor guy.  They probably had him in the iso tank.”  It wasn’t said with much sincerity; not too many of the other lab kids liked Sam.
Sam pushed the door open and sank down on his bed, curling up as small as he could.  The pain was eating him alive – he knew what these experiments were doing to him, he knew that the Coats knew, but he was left to deal with it all.  He shut his eyes.  The guards would look the other way when he left the Compound tonight.
“Sam?  Are you all right?”
His eyes flew open.  He struggled to push himself up, turning to look at her.  She was hovering in the doorway, gazing at him anxiously.
Sam wiped aside the pain and fixed a glare on her, eyes narrowed.  “Amy, go away, all right?  I already told you about what happened in the quads – it wasn’t a good deed; you’ll owe me later.”
“I know, I know, you’ll want me to sneak you out of the Compound.”  She rolled her eyes.  “Now what’s wrong?  You don’t look so hot.”
“Just get lost!” Sam exploded.  “Can’t you keep to yourself, or are you always this freakin’ nosy?  Go talk to Kyle.  He actually likes you.”
Amy shrank back, golden eyes wide.  Sam forced himself to look away.  She hovered in the doorway, a tiny, delicate creature, so small and vulnerable…
He jumped when he felt a warm hand on his shoulder, and pain lanced through his body, leaving him shaky with need.  No – he was starving and he could hurt her.
“Sam?”
She was so close, this warm beacon, beckoning to him…
He twisted around to glare at her, praying that the fury would hide the agony in his eyes.  “Go away,” he snapped.
Amy’s brow furrowed, and her gaze locked with his. 
The anger drained away, and she could see the storm in his eyes, eyes that were gray like storm clouds, the roiling conflict turning them black with need.  “Go away, Amy.”
He tried to summon his fury – fury could take people beyond their normal strength.  “Just get out.  I don’t need you, or anyone else.” 
But the hand that lifted his head was unbearably gentle.
“Sam, what did they do to you?” she whispered.
He pulled away.  “Nothing,” he growled.  She reached out again, and it took all his strength not to reach out himself and start draining her dry.
She caught his wrist, felt his pulse fluttering weakly.  “Sam, tell me!”
He moved to shove her away, and she caught his other wrist.  They began a silent struggle for dominion over one another.  Sam was trying to push her back, make her leave before he hurt her, but she hung on stubbornly.
“Jeez Sam,” she hissed, grappling to keep him still.  He turned his gaze on her, praying that she saw the pleading in his eyes and left.  She stared back at him, golden eyes laser-intense, and watched something in his eyes shatter.
“Sam,” she breathed.  That was the last straw.  Need overruled sense and he caught her in his arms, dragging her close.  He forced her head down, pressing his lips to the back of her neck and nudging – slamming – with his mind.
He choked out a sob of relief as golden life spilled into him, cooling the burning heat in his veins.  He felt a rush of strength and stilled the girl struggling against him with firm hands.  Her mind was open to his, and he could feel her pain, knew he was hurting her, but he couldn’t stop.
Then she stopped struggling against him, and he felt a slight change in the power as it flowed towards him.  He wasn’t pulling anymore, she was giving…She was giving…
“Sam,” she whispered, and he forced himself to stop, pull away.  She was holding him now, her head resting on his shoulder.
“I’m sorry.”  He bit his lip.  He’d hurt her; he could see it in her mind.  He gave a start.  If he’d seen her mind, she’d seen his.  No…
“That wasn’t enough, was it?” she gasped.  She was tugging at him.  Their lips met as she touched her forehead to his, so they were almost mind-to-mind.  His barriers dissolved, and he began pulling again.  He was hurting her, a little bit, but his litany of I’m sorry somehow became I love you…