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[marineris]

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

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[marineris]

[It sounds like a mess, from the very little she's gathered.]

Yeah, I do. If you're up for it.

[donkeyballs]

[ He pulled back from the hug, though he left his hands on her shoulders, before he glanced back at the plate she'd abandoned. ]

... Please tell me that food can be involved, too? I'm hungry enough to eat a horse.

[marineris]

[Her lips quirk up a little.]

Take it. It's all yours.

[donkeyballs]

[ He offers her a grin, giving her shoulders a squeeze before moving to go grab the tray. ]

Alrigh' - so what's the last thing you remember, anyway?

[marineris]

We dealt with those ensigns trying to take over the ship, and then we were headed to Io. We hadn't gotten there yet.

[donkeyballs]

[ Oh right. The ones that beat the shit out of him. He made a bit of a face, but it was mild. ]

Christ, alright. There's a lot to go over. [ As he just - starts eating the food with his fingers right off the tray. He's hungry. ]

Maybe we should go somewhere a little more comfortable, 'cause this is gonna be a long story.

[marineris]

[Bobbie can't help but grin when he starts eating. Ridiculous.]

Alright. Do you want to finish cramming that food in your mouth first?

[donkeyballs]

I can eat on the way.

[ Which he proves, by shoving some of it in his mouth as he heads out into the hallway. ]

Well, first good news is that we found Mei. And stopped the war. And saved Mars from a hybrid launch.

And I wish I could say that was the most eventful part of this story.

[marineris]

Jesus.

[This is going to be a lot, she can already tell.]

What hybrid launch? How did that happen?

[donkeyballs]

From Io.

Turned out that one of the Earth Admirals got the launch codes for - hell, must've been nearly two dozen pods - and during a battle above Io, launched 'em all for Mars. I got a few with PDC rounds, but we ended up havin' to go to the Agatha King and get the launch codes. Naomi and me, I mean. We -

No, I'm tellin' this story all wrong, I'm gonna jump the hell around, like this. Okay.

We let the kids go back to the Martian Navy with a message from Chrisjen, then we headed for Io...

[ And he proceeded to tell the story of the first half of the third Season of the Expanse while they walked. ]

[marineris]

[Bobbie just listens, and when he finishes, she's quiet for a long moment, processing.]

...The MMC took me back?

[donkeyballs]

They'd've been idiots not to. [ He managed to finish the story just as they reached the sixth floor, and he frowned for a second as he tried to remember where he was supposed to be - and then headed for 6.25. ]

It was an illegal war, Gunny, and you and Chrisjen basically saved the whole damn system. She ended up UN Secretary General - the least they could do was let you be a Marine again.

Us - uh - we didn't get as warm a reception. Ended up gettin' sued by Mars over the ownership of the Roci.

[marineris]

[That's certainly mood whiplash. Bobbie lets out a breath. It makes sense, though—fair or not, she wouldn't have expected Mars to do anything else.]

What did you do?

[donkeyballs]

Stayed the hell away from Mars. Which suited us fine. Well - most of us. Obviously it meant I couldn't go home, but. [ He gave an awkward shrug as he hit the console pad for the room and the door slid open. ]

You did, though. It was really kind of you, actually. You checked in on 'em, for me. Told me Melas was a cute kid. [ He smiled, a little, before walking over to one of the matresses on theother side of the room and sliding down the wall with the nearly-empty food tray on his lap.]

Then you got shipped out to the Ring, right about the same time a journalist ended up chartering us to take her out there, too. Did a documentary on us and the Roci, and in return paid the legal fees for the fight with Mars.

[marineris]

Wait, I met your family?

[She can't imagine meeting Talissa as anything other than horrifically awkward.]

And what the hell is the Ring?

[donkeyballs]

[ Sorry Bobbie, he's getting ahead of himself again. ]

Yeah. You went on my behalf, since I couldn't. It meant a lot. Didn't change anythin' regarding divorce procedures, though, but I think Melas appreciated it.

[marineris]

[She sighs, scrubbing a hand over her face.]

I wish I remembered that.

[donkeyballs]

[ He offered her a sympathetic smile. ]

Hey, not remembering that's at least better than you not rememberin' me at all.

[marineris]

You remember me now, right? The rest doesn't matter.

[donkeyballs]

Yeah. [ The smile softened, as he set the tray aside and patted the mattress next to him. ]

I'd be hard pressed not to. Though I almost thought I lost you, twice, but- come on, lemme finish the rest of the story.

[marineris]

[Bobbie takes the invitation and sits down beside him, leaning her shoulder into his.]

Lost me how?

[donkeyballs]

I'll get there, but that's skippin' to the end a bit, and I gotta figure out how the hell to even tell the beginning.

[ He paused, leaning his head back against the wall with a hum. ]

So, we were headin' back to Ganymede, with you and Chrisjen and all the kids when it happened. The protoshit, on Venus, had been workin' away that whole damn time, and like a damn Krakken from the deeps, it rose outta the cloud bank like a giant ship.

Swore I nearly had a heart attack, when I saw the news feed.

[marineris]

A ship. It made a ship.

[donkeyballs]

Yeah. You remember the one it sort of exploded on Venus? Well, guess it was takin' notes, because it wanted to go to space itself.

Whole thing looked like some kinda messed up jellyfish, or a squid. Anyway, of course, everyone was damn near terrified, but the thing didn't head for Earth, or even Mars. Flew itself right out past the belt and out past Uranus.

And then it made itself into a giant Ring. And I'm talkin' giant.

[marineris]

What the fuck was it for? Did anyone figure that out?