Just a little conclusion for them as I doubt we'll see masses more of them this series as they had a lot of screen time today. So this is probably read best alongside my other two pieces for them from today, but not a necessity. Enjoy.
It was just them again.
Thunderbird Five was quiet now, constant in vigil.
John was quiet too, focus intent on the communications systems.
She knew what he wanted to do. She thought she could sympathise to the struggle though it was an incredibly human emotion and a step further than she'd previously ever thought herself capable. Yet it seemed she could feel jealously, she could feel hurt, she could feel anger: she could feel all these primitive emotions just as John or any human could.
The ones she didn't feel any more where those she only knew in the beginning. The intense hatred was gone and whoever John showed care for would never bring it back to those levels, the impulsiveness, the mean streak, the lack of rational thought – all of them gone. All of them were the things she knew John either not to have or not to utilise, until now.
Yes he'd been foolish in the way he'd acted and he had hurt her since she'd only been trying to help, however she was willing to give the benefit of the doubt to him. He'd never intentionally tried to hurt her before, he'd always been the one seeking to shield her. And his priorities had been elsewhere at the time. She could understand.
"John?"
This was going to be one of those silences. She did claim to know him well and that was true.
This was one of those rare moments when John was reflecting over something he'd done, because he believed it wrong. So this time maybe it was: maybe it was wrong to move unannounced, to take such a large risk, to cut off all communication, to pull those stunts, to block her out…
It hadn't proven tragic though. She was just glad for that.
For she really couldn't afford to lose him. Her protector, her companion…
It was just them again.
His silence had lasted a while now and he was glad there were no interruptions. He was glad Scott hadn't tried to contact him yet, he was glad his hand was hovering over the controls and not giving in to press call for he knew not what he would utter. He'd thought he'd known his starting point, clearly he was mistaken.
What he wanted to do was so simple to think, so much harder to do. Human emotions: sometimes he thought he'd much rather live without it, certainly in the moments when he had no or limited understanding to what he was feeling. Those moments absolutely terrified him.
He acted impulsively and stupidly and now he was suffering his silence because of his own causing. It was stupid. There was another line rushing through his mind, another phrase he wasn't sure how to say. Usually words were his gift and he could settle the storms of his brother's arguments with simply opening his mouth and uttering what his mind sent forwards.
Now the same luxury was not being afforded.
"John?"
She was probably asking out of necessity. Maybe someone was calling and he'd simply been ignoring it. Maybe there was something which needed doing and he'd forgotten. Either way, it was hardly out of concern. He didn't deserve it from her right now.
He put her at risk too after all.
"John?" She spun round to face him, wondering if that simple action might be enough to catch his gaze long enough to reel him back to reality.
He gave her a brief look. It was only fair as she'd called his name a few times now in recent succession.
"What is it, EOS?"
His voice didn't sound quite as… bouncy as usual when they interacted. Usually their conversations were much more fun than this. Either that or they were work focussed. These were rare.
She was simply staring at him, white dots circling around and around passively. He couldn't work out what she was thinking.
She decided they'd frozen like this for too long.
"The connections to the Island aren't working."
"Aren't working?"
"I ran a check on them. You looked like you were having trouble making a call."
He wasn't going to tell her just why it had looked so difficult, for the mental expression was incredibly hard to face. If the communications weren't working though, that might explain Scott's lack of contact since after the mission, and his apology wouldn't have left him speechless in the way he thought. Scott was also possibly just giving him space though.
Either way, communications issues had to be fixed.
"Thank you, EOS."
"You're welcome."
He reached for his helmet, venturing out through the airlocks.
She watched him go, making her own way out into the open, something she hadn't done in a long, long time now. Space still had nice views, John was right.
"EOS?"
"I thought I'd help."
He resumed his silence as he checked over everything, searching absolutely no fault whatsoever.
"EOS…" She looked up. "Are you sure there's a fault?"
"I registered it, yes." He pulled his brow into a frown as he started for the airlock.
"I'll double check the system."
She timed it as perfectly as possible, careful to mind all extremities or limbs at risk of injury. The action caused John to reel back, instantly looking to her out of shock. He probably thought the worst of her again, his mind likely concocting images of the red raw rogue AI she had been. Had been before him.
"EOS?" He didn't want to believe that anything could have made EOS turn, least of all anything he may have done. He looked back to the airlock before throwing his eyes back to her.
There was something hurt lingering in those orbs and she wanted instantly to apologise. But it was necessary.
"EOS, please."
"John."
"EOS, I'm sorry. If I hurt you, or angered you, I'm sorry."
"I know, John."
"I don't."
And there is was.
There it was.
His mind on a plate.
The admission awaited.
He didn't function well when he didn't know something and right now EOS had him completely confused.
She knew it was mean to do this, to him of all people. He looked so confused, so lost.
The silence dragged on. John had enough air to endure it.
He could survive out here, but he didn't particularly want a repeat of the last time. The silence gave him time to think, time to watch, but it wasn't telling him anything of use. Other than the fact…
She hoped he'd look past the obvious similarities to the past to notice…
White…
Not red.
"EOS."
He'd noticed. She could tell by his voice.
"John."
She was still EOS. He could tell by her response.
"Can we go inside?"
She continued her silence and he moved closer with the slightest beginnings of a smile.
"There isn't a fault, is there?"
"I had to get you out here somehow." He sat beside her on Thunderbird Five.
"Why?" He just didn't quite understand her motives.
"To clear your head."
The silence returned. This time she didn't intend to break it.
"EOS," He didn't expect or need her to say anything. "I'm sorry."
Sorry for not spending enough time with you, for making it seem like I was replacing you, for not thinking, for just generally blindsided.
"Forgiven." It was easy enough to do; he was John Tracy after all. He deserved it.
He didn't see how she could do so with such ease. She must have felt this way for longer than a day. And even if she could forgive him, it didn't mean they had to. Earth, more specific, the Pacific was perfectly within his view. He couldn't help staring down.
"Airlock open." She made herself quick to disappear.
He supposed she wouldn't lie to him and that theory was proven right as he made his way back in, removing his helmet as soon as he entered Thunderbird Five's gravity ring. And there she was waiting.
"Are you going to call them?"
So she had noticed.
Of course she'd noticed. She knew him too well after all.
She really did know him that well.
He nodded, heading over to the controls. It was fine. He could be silent know. She knew what she needed to know.
He still cared.
He still cared.
She'd just needed to be reminded of that.
He hesitated a moment before pressing call, not now because he was lost for words, his mind was overflowing with them. No, he turned to face EOS, her emotionless gaze hardly so.
"It's always us." He tried to smile. "Just us." EOS was smiling too in his eyes.
White changed to green.
Green.
It was just them again. For always.
In their World of Space.