It was a long, stressful journey to get to this point. Many sacrifices were made, many bullets were fired. But now, they could all sit down together and celebrate their well-earned victory.

It was a warm evening with Elpis shining bright in the sky. The stars looking down on them, the happiness and laughter being spread around freely. Pandora finally gave Fiona and Sasha a family, and they weren't afraid to say it. Their joy could not get better at this point, accept for one person who was missing. The one man that helped Fiona through her shattered life, the one man that gives her joy and makes her laugh. The man she couldn't help but love dearly.

Rhys.

Everyone was sitting at the camp-fire, laughing and cheering. Sasha was passing around the food while Athena brought a crate full of alcohol. Someone was definitely going to get drunk tonight, and Fiona was wondering who. Athena? Possibly not. Janey? Maybe. Vaughn? Most likely.

The camp-fire was reflecting a cozy heat that made Fiona shudder. The crackles making her feel relaxed and distant from the real world. She was imagining of a nice, clean planet that her and Sasha could move to. A dream planet was hard to get to because of the violent galaxy that she was held hostage in. but maybe, that isn't impossible any more, maybe they can truly leave Pandora.

But then the guilt reached her. She didn't want to think of the people she was leaving behind, the people she was no longer going to see. Vaughn, Athena, Janey, Gortys, Loader bot, all of them, meant so much to her. But they weren't the reason she wanted to stay oh god no! She wanted to stay because of him. She wanted to stay with him and keep him in a tight embrace for the rest of their lives. She was going to leave him by himself and watch him decay in his office as he loses his mind. The thought felt worse than a blow to the stomach, much worse.

She sat in front of the fire with her legs crossed and her hands in her lap. Everyone else went to sit inside the caravan and play a game of Loan Shark. She was the only person still remaining outside, silent as a grave as she twiddled her thumbs in nervousness. What made it worse was that she promised her sister that they would leave together, and that was what destroyed her.

She looked up at the stars. The mystical beams of light that hit the planet's atmosphere took most of the guilt away. She sighed, a shaky breath released from her mouth. Her mind was puzzling, full of multiple emotions, guilt, anger, worry, sadness, fear and loss. She felt so lonely, even when she had her closest friends around her. Without Rhys, everything was lonely.

She scooped a pile of sand into her palm and a tear drop fell onto it. Her cheeks boiling up and her body feeling weak. She didn't have the strength to get up, nor look around. She heard a pair of distant footsteps moving towards her, the sound of sand being kicked as they paced themselves closer. She didn't want to talk or even look at them, which was a huge mistake.

They crouched down next to her and she could feel the warmth of their body radiating off of them. She heard the sound of squeaky boots as they bent down beside her. She didn't need to look up to know that they were frowning at her. She focused her eyes on the sand, waiting for them to start talking.

It took a few moments for them to finally speak, which was a huge relief. "Fiona? Are you okay?" A male voice was heard, their voice filled with concern and worry. They placed their hand on her shoulder and it made her shiver from the coolness of it. It didn't feel like flesh, it was a cybernetic hand. She almost immediately looked up and jerked a smile.

"Rhys?" She whispered, earning a warm smile in response. He sat down next to her and crossed his legs, not even considering looking away from her. When he looked into her eyes, he saw a bright future for him and her. Maybe not being together but living the best lives possible. It was something he could never ignore.

It was weird with him next to her. She hasn't seen him in so long, he felt like a stranger. But his soft, caring eyes and his smooth and gentle lips always reminded her of his true identity. Every time she thought of him, every time he was not around made her question where she would be without him. Presumably a con artist, or worse. She hoped he thought about the same question too.

They sat together for a few moments, a comfortable silence filling the warm and precious air as they looked into each other's eyes. They couldn't imagine a better sight. And they weren't wrong.

Rhys noticed her smile slowly shifting into a sorrowful frown, her eyes producing tears, threatening to spill at any moment. It made him frown also, observing her hands as they shuffled nervously, her fingers picking roughly at her polished nails.

She hadn't seen him in so long that she didn't know what to say, or what to do. She looked back down at her hands, refusing to meet his gaze any longer. She had questions but wasn't sure if she should ask. Their time was valuable, even if they fought a lot. There conversations were important, even when they insulted each other. They would act different around each other, which was possibly the reason for their feelings looking so obvious.

"Rhys." Fiona started, still looking at her fingernails. He looked back up from the sand to glance at her. "Do you... really care about me?" She sobbed quietly, not caring about her composure. She had to tell him how she felt. And godamn was it strong.

He peeked at the sand for a moment, tilting his head slightly before looking back at her. She finally looked at him, her tears running down her cheeks and her eyes bloodshot red. "Of course, I do. Don't even think that I don't care about you." He responded, sounding slightly angry at the thought of him not caring. Which means he meant it, every word.

"I just..." She paused for a moment, looking back down at the sand. "it's just the looks you always made at Sasha, they are very swoony and caring."

"Of course, I care about Sasha, but if you're thinking that I love her then I don't. She's a beautiful woman and she deserves the world, but I wouldn't want to be the lucky man to be with her." He said. She looked back up at him, speechless for a moment.

"Don't you remember me telling you that I was interested in someone else?" He asked. She observed his face, noting that he was smiling at her. But she tried not to assume things so quickly. She nodded and wiped away the tears under her eyes using her sleeve.

"Then you would know that I'm not interested in Sasha." He finished, looking away to stare up at the stars. His smile was still spread across his face and she couldn't help but smile with him. She always found his grins contagious, but she always tried to resist, not this time.

They both looked up at the small yet bright lights that scattered the night sky, wondering how life could create something so beautiful that caught their attention. "So," she started, clearing her throat to release the words that could possibly make things very awkward. "Who is it then?"

He turned back to meet her gaze, his smile fading a little. He looked at the floor and thought for a moment, thinking on his next words. He had to say something that wouldn't ruin their friendship and make things very awkward. His cheeks were turning pink, making it obvious to Fiona that he was struggling to get his words out.

"I-um...uh-I-I mean-uh" he stuttered, making Fiona cock an eyebrow at him. He was screwing it up, this will no doubt ruin him, ruin them both. However, she waited patiently, not saying a word.

"Okay. I-um I guess if we are talking about this then um, I should really say it shouldn't I?" He laughed nervously, tugging at his collar in anxiety. She tilted her head slightly, trying to see if his features could speak for itself. Apparently not.

She was now becoming impatient, but she refused to say anything. She understood that feelings could be complicated, so she let him take all the time he needed. Eventually, he sighed deeply, knowing there was nothing he could do but say the truth. Feelings were always complicated for him, he wasn't very good with ladies. He had girlfriends before, but this girl made his heart thump more than it should. He glanced at her, seeing her eyes were fully focused on him. He tried to smile, but she knew it was fake.

"I know this will make things very awkward between us, but there's nothing much I can do now." He relaxed his muscles, trying not to stumble on his words. "This one person I fell for has always been able to cheer me up. Like any girl, they tease me, insult me... keep me safe." He stared down at the sand, scooping it into his hands and letting it fall back onto the ground. "We had an amazing journey together, she made me feel young again. Her smiles, god her smiles brightened up my day. She made me feel safe and secure, like a baby in an embrace of a loving mother. She makes me laugh, makes me feel badass, makes me feel loved. Even if she doesn't love me back." His last words made him frown, almost like he was about to cry.

She looked at his hands that were placed in his lap. He was fidgeting nervously, which made her feel sorry for him. "I'm sure she loves you back Rhys, you just don't know it." She said softly, desperately trying to hide the jealousy that was forming in the pit of her stomach.

He looked back at her, and his smile shined once again. "That 'someone else' Fiona," he took his hand in hers and tightened his grip, not enough to hurt her but enough to make his point. "Is yo-"

He was cut off by the feeling of soft and warm lips that covered his words. The feeling of hot breath made him feel an instant warmth that made him shiver lightly. It took him a moment to notice that the woman in front of him, was kissing him. He closed his eyes and returned the kiss, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her closer. She moaned into his mouth, pressing her lips harder into his. She placed her hands onto his lapels and pushed him back, onto the sand. She climbed on top of him and straddled him, making a point that she loved him more. She leaned down and captured his lips once again, groaning into his mouth as he tugged on her bottom lip.

They pulled away shortly after, breathless. As they were catching their breath, she chuckled through her panting. "Wow, that was something wasn't it?" he smiled in response. "I hope you were talking about me, otherwise I swear to god I will kiss you till you do love me." She teased, leaning back in to press her lips against his neck.

That made him chuckle, an honest to god, heartwarming chuckle. He looked into her eyes and he felt like crying. She was so beautiful that he couldn't tell her just how important she is. His smile was soft and genuine, not a cocky smirk or ugly grin. It was full of warmth and care, a promise.

"You think I would let you kiss me if it wasn't you?" he joked, pecking his lips against hers. She hummed in response and sat up, feeling a loss of warmth that almost made him feel saddened.

"Well then lover boy, feeling like going inside now? I'm sure everyone would love to see you." She said in a soothing and flirtatious tone. She offered him her hand and squeezed it tight. "But not as much as I love you." She kissed him one last time before standing up, still holding his hand.

Rhys stood up soon after, sighing as he used his arms to elevate himself. "That made no sen-"

"Rhys?!" a female voice was heard. They turned towards the caravan to see Sasha with her eyes widened with shock. Before Rhys could say anything, she ran towards him and pulled him into a tight embrace. She squeezed him hard as he struggled to breath. He gasped for air, it didn't work.

"O-okay, your squishing my insides." He croaked, making Sasha giggle. She loosened her grip a little but refused to let go. He looked at Fiona and she smiled warmly before wrapping her arms around his waist and hugging him as well. The three of them didn't say a word, just letting the warm, loving emotion sink in.

The sisters released their grip on Rhys a few moments later. He breathed in deep and audibly, making the two chuckle. As he was retrieving his breath, he noticed Fiona's eyes were glistening. Her eyes were watering, and he could see his reflection. Was she crying?

"Fiona, are you…. okay?" he whispered softly, moving closer to her. She quickly nodded and smiled at him.

"Yeah, yeah I'm just really happy to see you again after so long." She responded, wiping away the tears on her cheek.

"How long was I gone for?" he said, looking at Sasha.

She shrugged, "about three months, we tried to contact you but you weren't responding. I just thought you were busy, but Fiona here thought you did it on purpose." She jerked a thumb at Fiona, her eyes looking slightly angry.

He looked at her, feeling horrible. The thought of not seeing a friend for months after you tried contacting them, made him want to curl up and cry. He didn't smile, he didn't feel relieved, he just felt guilty and selfish. And the worst part? He knew she wanted to see him.

He didn't say anything, just moved a few inches closer, wrapped his arms around her waist and placed his forehead on hers. He sighed deeply and kissed her softly. He felt the cool, wet tears shift onto his cheek, and the salty taste of them made him feel worse. She sobbed with no tears and just accepted the kisses as they came, feeling safe and guarded.

She loved him so much it was bizarre. She doesn't regret meeting him and she sure as hell doesn't regret showing him her love. Not one bit, not even close.

"I love you Rhys." She whispered in between kisses. He comforted her by holding her close and rubbing her back with his flesh hand. He felt his shirt becoming wet and damp, but he didn't care. As long as he could keep her safe and show her his love.

"I love you too." He murmured. He felt his throat becoming awfully tight, the words becoming agonizing. His jaw felt hitched and his mouth felt like it was stuffed with cotton. They stood there for another few moments as they ignored the real world, feeling sheltered by each other's passion and love. They didn't even realize that Sasha was still there, until she broke the moment.

"Well then, you two can catch up while I finish off my game of cards with the group. C'mon let's get you inside." She said, patting Rhys on the back. They loosened their grip on each other and smiled lovingly. He raised his eyebrows a shook his head, baffled at the angel in front of him.

They walked together into the caravan with hand in hand, refusing to look away from one another's eyes. It was like heaven, accept better….