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[marineris]

"This is Bobbie Draper. I'll get back to you."

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[marineris]

[Bobbie's been camped out in the med bay since she found out Alex climbed into one of the pods for some god forsaken reason, but eventually she has to eat. She isn't gone long--just enough time to grab some food and come back, but when she does, Alex is there, out of the pod and awake. She's so shocked she nearly drops the plate she's holding.]

Alex? What--

[She cuts herself off when she sees the scar on his arm. It looks recent. Bobbie dumps the plate on a nearby chair and crosses the last of the space between them, reaching for his arm automatically.]

What the hell happened?

[donkeyballs]

Hey, hey, hey - Careful, Gunny, you're gonna pull your stitches right out. [ He chided, reaching out at the same time. He blinked at the question, but then remembered that he hadn't actually showed her the wound before. So that made sense. ]

Oh - right. Got it in the slow zone when the Roci got stopped dead in the water. Shoulda mentioned it, but we were a bit busy. You alright? The med bay here might have an easier time of patchin' up that wound of yours--

[marineris]

[Bobbie stares at him for a second like he's totally lost his mind, unable to answer. It's basically word salad to her.]

...What are you talking about? What stitches?

[donkeyballs]

[ He gives her a look that's one part confused, one part trying to assess if she's messing with him. ]

The gun shot. You know? On the Behemoth?

You alright? [ He settled on worried and concerned. ]

[marineris]

[Bobbie finds herself at a loss for words again.]

Alex.

[She says his name carefully, as though weighing what she's going to say next.]

I have no idea what you're talking about. You just... climbed into one of those pods and didn't come out for two days.

[donkeyballs]

[ He looked at her like she was nuts, for a second, but then he turned his head back toward the pods. ]

... Right. I sorta remember that, but-- [ His frown deepened. ] Hell, that was over half year ago, and- wait, why didn't I remember this place--

[marineris]

Half a year ago?

[It comes out a little too loud and entirely incredulous.]

How is that possible? That pod probably... made you hallucinate or something. Are you feeling okay?

[donkeyballs]

[ He frowned, his brows knitting as he closed his eyes and tried to get his head back in order. But it was really hard to get his memories to line up properly. It was like things were overlapping.

With his eyes still closed, he rubbed his temple and mumbled: ]

Right. You and I hadn't even met, the last time I was here. Which means we hadn't been to Io, and the Ring hadn't been made yet, let alone gettin' them all open--

[ He opened his eyes and looked at her. ]

... And you don't remember it, do you. Somehow I skipped ahead.

[marineris]

[God, he's starting to freak her out. She shakes her head, studying him, and when she notices the little scars on his cheek, she brushes her fingertips against them without thinking. It's only once she's done it that she realizes she's trying to make sure they're real.]

What do you mean, you skipped ahead?

[donkeyballs]

[ The touch seems to bring him back to the present, and suddenly he remembers something very important.

He wasn't sure how he'd forgotten it, in the first place. How had he gone through six months and not remembered Reverie Terminal at all? How had he not remembered Bobbie at all?

But he was putting it together now. ]

I mean I remember, now. Which - alright, it's pretty weird being able to remember meetin' you twice, and I'd like to say for the record that I did my damn best to be hospitible, when you showed up on the Roci, so I don't think us not gettin' on at first can really be my fault. [ But a smile was spreading, over his lips. ]

Damn. Damn, but it's good to see you. Uh- here, I mean. We were just together a few hours ago but that's - Man, my head hurts, I feel like I've gone as nuts as Holden sounded--

[marineris]

[Well, that throws her "hallucination" theory out the window. She never said anything about how hospitable he was or wasn't. But what does that leave? He teleported back home and somehow experienced six months in two days?]

You remember me being onboard the Roci?

[donkeyballs]

The first and the second time, yeah. [ He should feel weirder about it, probably, but strangely he was feeling... relieved. Maybe it was because he was remembering just what kind of relationship he'd left, here. ]

You were damn pissed with Amos about the Martian flag, an' I think you probably would have tried takin' the whole ship yourself, if Naomi hadn't locked the whole system out but us. But I remember a hell of a lot more than that, Bobbie.

[ He paused, wetting his lips, and then, a little too casually: ]

Like finally reachin' out to Talissa, for one. And gettin' the divorce docs, a few months later.

[marineris]

[It's a lot to absorb all at once—relief that he remembers her and he's okay and confusion at everything else. She has a million questions about what the hell happened, but then he drops that bomb, and... well.]

Oh.

[She hesitates, then swallows.]

How do you feel about that?

[donkeyballs]

Pretty damn relieved, to be honest.

[ He couldn't help it, a soft, almost hopeful smile spreading up his lips. She'd told him once already that being relieved didn't make him an asshole. And that was when he wouldn't have ever thought she'd have any feelings for him at all.

He did feel a little bad, though, with how confused she looked. He'd probably feel more confused than he did already, when he finally managed to get his memories into some linear order, but for the moment that all felt weirdly separate from him.

He'd catch up.

He stepped a little closer, reaching out to brush a little of her hair back out of her face. ]

Makes things a little simpler.

[marineris]

[Bobbie doesn't have the benefit of remembering that conversation, but she still doesn't think he's an asshole for being relieved. She wonders if she is, though.

Her heart flutters a little when he brushes her hair back, and she relaxes, letting out a breath as she leans into his touch.]

Means you get to keep flying, yeah?

[donkeyballs]

Yeah. [ He almost says: 'Means we get to keep flying', but something stops him. Instead, he just lets his knuckles graze a little against her cheek.

He wants to kiss her. He does. And he doesn't think she'd stop him, either.

But she also just said that he might be hallucinating, so--

He pauses. ]

Wait- can we go back a bit? Did you say it's only been two days?

[marineris]

Yeah.

[Bobbie reaches up to trace the little scars on his cheek again. It doesn't make sense that they would be there if it was just a hallucination, but then, the alternative doesn't make much sense, either.]

Amos went missing around the same time you did.

[donkeyballs]

Yeah, he was just here. Neither of us could remember how we got here from the Roci, but--

[ Despite the touch, his smile faded a little. ]

If we here, how'd we get back there? Did I just - catch up my memories, or somethin?

[marineris]

I don't know. If you were just remembering everything, why didn't you have these scars before?

[donkeyballs]

[ He glanced down at his arm, twisting it around to look at the wound. ]

... Yeah. I don't know. And if it's just a matter of catchin' up - you'd have your bullet wound. [ He glanced down at her torso, the smile having disappeared. He also remembered then to pull his jumpsuit back on properly. Woops. ]

I don't get it, Gunny, but I swear it feels like I just - took a half year break to go home, and somehow managed to forget everything that happened here.

[marineris]

[Bobbie isn't exactly proud of the fact that her eyes skim over his chest as he starts to pull his jumpsuit back on, but it's instinct to check him out. Hopefully it was a little subtle.]

Do you feel okay? Do you remember getting into the pod?

[donkeyballs]

My arm feels sore, but that's about it.

[ His frown deepened, however. ]

Yeah. I remember gettin' in the pod. I just don't remember why. It was like I just - had to do it. Didn't even think about it.

[ There's a pause, and then: ]

I'm sorry if I worried you, Gunny.

[marineris]

You scared the shit out of me.

[It comes out soft and honest, and then she closes the last of the distance between them to hug him tightly. She's allowing herself a few seconds to just appreciate the fact that he's okay. He has more than enough time to catch her up.]

[donkeyballs]

[ For some reason, he wasn't expecting it - so for the first couple of seconds he stands awkwardly, trying to think of what to do with his hands. But then his brain caught up with him, and he carefully wrapped his arms around her, hugging her warmly and tightly in return. ]

Wouldn't have even thought that possible.

[marineris]

[That surprises a laugh out of her, and she shakes her head against his shoulder.]

Maybe you're the exception.