DT Serum, Primary Testing In Progress

Gaster didn't show up, but Ashton did. "Oh good, you're up." He told Lex. "I got you dinner. It's in the breakroom. Want me to bring it here for you?"

"Yeah, sure, here sounds good, thanks," Lex said abruptly.  Thank you, Ashton!  Good guy was always getting him out of trouble.

Ashton nodded. "Wanna come with, and make sure I picked out the right thing?" He asked Lex.

Lex hesitated then struggled to get up.  He wobbled a little but was able to stand on his own. Leadenly, he followed Ashton out.

Ashton was patient and let Lex take his time. "You okay? You had a 'help me' look on your face when I walked in." He asked when they reached the hall.

"I cannot be in a relationship!" Lex blurted.  "Not with Layla, not with anyone.  I don't know what the bloody hell she wants!"

Ashton looked puzzled. "Annnnd why can't you be in a relationship? Seems to me that you should be set for life now. Safe place to call home, people who give a damn, and even a cute girl who likes you for whatever reason."

"Because I don't know what I want," Lex growled softly.  "I got all this stuff now, and I love it, it's a sweet gig, but what the hell am I supposed to do now?  How am I supposed to feel?  How am I supposed to act around her?  You're the only person I've let close in some 20 years.  I don't know what I'm doing, and I don't know what she wants."

"Have you asked her?" Ashton questioned. "What do you feel like doing? Not so much thinking, but emotionally?"

"I tried, but I think I said something wrong," Lex mumbled, shoving his hands into his pockets.  "And I don't know.  I don't know jack sh-."

Ashton sighed. "I just know what I've seen. Clearly, that woman sees something in you. What, I'm not entirely sure, but she was willing enough to run out alone into the streets and look for you, and even get hurt for you. She also told me while you were out that if Geena hadn't stopped her, Layla would have gone right back out there to look some more." He paused a moment. "Okay, what would you have done if it was the other way around? Layla ran off, without so much as a trace or reason why. What would you do?"

Lex Shifted.  "Go look.  She needs me.  I couldn't let her down."  It was that simple.  Layla needed to be protected, needed to be... saved.  Looked after.  Cared about.  Lex had spent his entire life looking after things and people as a mass.  Now he instinctively needed to again.

"Why?" Ashton asked. "Because you need to? She's a druggee and a hooker of sorts. In theory, more baggage than you need. Or is it because of something else?"

Lex turned, pacing.  "She needs help.  I can help.  I don't... she... I..."  Lex stopped, rubbing his temples.  His brain hurt.

"And you've already helped." Ashton pointed out. "She's off of her drug addiction, why do you need to help her more?"

"Because if she leaves now, she'll go straight to drugs," Lex said.  "She doesn't have a safe place or even a real job.  What do you expect her to do?"

"Why should you care?" Ashton countered. "When she first came under our roof, you told me she was our project.... and since then, you've asked for my help less and less. Why should you care about a project? Your only goal then was to get her off of drugs and appease the Doc about doing the right thing. Why keep this up now?"

"I DON'T KNOW!" Lex shouted.  He caught himself and repeated more quietly but with equal force, "I don't know.  That's what I'm saying.  I.  Don't.  Know."

Ashton paused for a moment. "When I was calling her baggage.... did that irk you?" He asked quietly.

"No one is baggage," Lex said tightly.  "You start calling people baggage, you get into Proditer territory.  No one is baggage."

"What makes her special then?" Ashton changed. "Why is she no different than anyone else? There are dozens at least of Street rats like her, like us, like Black Jack.... Why is she anything special?"

"Because she fell into my lap and she wanted help," Lex said flatly.

Ashton paused a moment. "So what happens after she has a decent job then? She needs no more help; she can take care of herself. What then?"

"Then she goes.  She lives her life," Lex shrugged.  "If that's what she wants, that's what happens."

"But where does that leave you?" Ashton asked.