Puck turned to Ben and Ben looked up at him, folding his hands in his lap neatly. Puck glowered before pulling out a recording device, setting it down. "This conversation will be recorded," he said smoothly. "Everything you say can and will be used against you. Do you understand?" "Yes." "Good." He pressed the button before he began speaking. "State your name for the record." "Benedict Luther," Ben replied easily, leaning back against the wall, crossing his arms. (Zoop?)
Hours passed. She would be walking the hallway when she would see Puck exit the war room. His shoulders were slumped and he didn't see her, heading down the hallway.
Ben was still in his cell when she arrived and he looked up. His face was troubled, but he still seemed happy to see her nonetheless. "Hey, Cal."
He fell silent too, and there was awkwardness in the air, as if he was uncertain about how to act around her.
She was quiet for a long moment before reaching up and pressing her fingers to her temples. "I'm.. I'm sorry, Ben. I feel like this is all my fault and I've really screwed things over for everyone."
She shook her head, looking a little panicked.. "I don't know. I just think it's my fault. Maybe if I had made better decisions, or something.."
He reached over and took her by the arms, watching her intently. "Calliope, sweet girl, you have nothing to feel sorry for," he said gently, his grey eyes tracing her features. "You saved me. Really, I..." He hesitated before continuing. "I would have died if I had stayed there for a couple more days. I owe you my life. And to know that you went against the person you love most in the world for a person you had just met because you thought it was the right thing to do? Calliope, an integrity of that kind is... it's amazing. Please don't apologize for that."
She looked surprised as he took her arm, her expression slowly softening. She leaned forward, hugging him after her had finished speaking.
He sighed a little, hesitated before one of his hands rested on her back, the other cupping the nape of her neck gently. "Don't worry. Please don't worry. You've been so brave."
She slipped her arms around his waist when she hugged him, but pulled away after a moment. "Thank you, Ben. I really care about you, you know."
