Cole nods. That's right, Julien. He can't help but do it. It's easier—and besides, it just feels right. "It's what I am. Command called me compassion. But I'm just Cole."

Compassion explains a lot. Why else would he be drawn to Julien, someone with so much hurt it threatened to swallow him whole. Cole can reach in, seeing the pain, the memories, the worries about himself and about her. Julien is just a bundle of pains. The least Cole can do is try to make things a little bit better. He can't fix them all, some run deep and down, but he can at least try.

"Replace the cover on a book and it's still the same book. Fixing the holes or adding patches doesn't change the thing."