Gwen leaned back a bit, startled. "...I meant it only as a last resort, Owen. I never want to have to do that to any of them, you know that." She crossed her arms, having abandoned the coffee a minute ago. The thick terrycloth was comforting against her sudden shiver.

"I'm sure he is. But you and I both know that Blue is his only stopgap. The only one. I saw his face when he brought her down to the beach, Owen. He was terrified, but absolutely furious at the same time. I'll admit it to you right now, he still scares the hell out of me sometimes."

Hands in the opposite sleeve, Gwen rubbed at her arms. "This might all be a moot point anyway, at least I hope. But you can't sit there and tell me we shouldn't formulate a contingency plan."