Colin leans against the wall, watching the others. There are five of them, four boys and one girl, milling nervously around the room, like a bunch of kids at their first Harvest bonfire. Whenever he has to attend a Matching, Colin can never quite believe that he and Cody were ever this young, even though it really wasn't all that long ago.

They always need at least one Jack and one Hunter to attend these things. Oscar had pulled him aside earlier, and asked if he was available, probably just trying to get out of it himself. Colin had a lot to do today. Cody's hammer needed to be calibrated, and that was a tricky job that he would have to split with an Engineer. He'd also promised Lena to meet up for target practice, and agreed to help unload the delivery truck. At the end of it all, there was an overnight watch shift waiting for him. Despite that, he'd nodded when Oscar asked him. Colin liked Matchings. They let him remember.

The first time he meets Cody, he knows she's special. He's tossing weapons into the air that Cody is supposed to catch in mid-jump. It's a routine she'll go through with a bunch of boys from the Mob, and one that he'll try with other young Hunters. When Cody handles a piece of gear, it hums. Colin's never seen that before, and when he asks later, neither has anyone else. He thinks of it as singing.

The girl's name is Denah. She's set to be promoted to L Hall, where all of the Probationary Hunters start. For that, she's going to need a Jack. There are four boys from the Mob here, selected by the Priory based on input from Denah, and their own observations. Denah looks confused when they hand her the Round, a ridged disc that resembles an oversized coin. She turns it over and over in her hand. Colin looks up and catches Maxine's eye. They share a smile. Apparently, the C Hall striker thinks this is just as cute as he does.

Most of the potential Jacks get matched eventually, but not all of them. It's natural for the boys to talk about what they might do if they aren't selected. If you're lucky, you might find a spot in the motor pool, or even stay on as an apprentice Trainer. Others leave. Whenever someone asks Colin what he would do, he tells them he's going to be Cody's Jack. When they ask how he can be so sure, he says that he just is.

Colin knows the secret. He doubts that anyone knows that he knows. The girl has a Round. Each boy has one too. They hint, but never quite say, that her Round will only match up with one of the others, making the match something of a mystical convergence. That's not true, though. It will match with any of the others, just not right away. You have to twist and turn in several directions before all of the ridges will line up. So it's the one where the girl tries the hardest, where's she patient and doesn't give up, that's the one that fits.

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Cody looks disappointed when the Rounds don't snap together. Colin knows that she wants him to be her Jack, even expects it. She's told him as much. He can feel her shift her feet and start to pull back, and for a moment it's like his whole life is tumbling away from him. He puts his finger on her chin, and looks into her eyes. He's not supposed to talk, so instead he concentrates as hard as he can on a simple idea "Keep trying. It will work." He know it's crazy, but he's always suspected that Cody can read his thoughts. She looks back at him and nods. She keeps turning the coin. It clicks into place and so does the rest of Colin's life.

Denah is standing front of a boy, and Colin is pretty sure that this is her boy. Colin's worked with him a bit. His name is Derek, and he seems like a solid kid. Colin thinks it would be a good match. The Rounds click, and the pair is all smiles. Colin applauds like he is supposed to. While an excited Denah talks to Maxine, Colin approaches Derek.

"I don't really know what I'm doing," Derek confesses.

"You look after her. Don't ever let anyone convince you it's any more complicated than that," Colin says.

"I'm pretty sure she can look after herself," Derek says, and there's admiration in his voice.

"No. She has to look out for her hall mates, and regular folks, and the whole, wide world. You look after her. Always. Then she can be who she's supposed to be. Do you understand?" Colin asks.

"I think so," Derek says.

Colin nods reassuringly, and pats Derek on the back, because that how these things end.

He helps Cody move her things into her new room. She's happy because she doesn't have to share anymore, and her being happy makes him happy. He's about to leave when she says one last thing.

"I'm glad it was you."

It's almost shy, like she's worried he might have wished for someone else. He's struck by her kindness, as he often is. It's honest, and simple, and never forced. She's fourteen years old, and could crush half the Hunters here like a bug without a second thought, though he doubts anyone else realizes that, least of all Cody. All that power coursing through her little body, and still he's never heard her utter an unkind word to anyone. Not once.

"Me too," he says, though what he really means to say is that he loves her.

They tell you on the first day not to fall in love, like it's a choice. He knows she doesn't love him back, at least not in the same way. He's all right with that. It's probably the only way he can still do his job.

Nothing will ever happen to her while he's alive. He loves her now, and he will love her always.

Colin walks up to her room to retrieve the hammer. He knocks first, even though she's told him he doesn't need to. She is sitting cross legged on the bed, and she smiles when she sees him, like she always does. She asks about the Matching, and whether he thinks they'll make a good team. He tells her that he thinks they will. This seems to please her.

"I'm still glad it was you," she says as he is about to leave.

"Me too," he says.

But that isn't what he means.