Disclaimer: Ishinomori's, not mine
Notes: Takes place post-series, spoilers apply
--
There were times that she wished she could hate him.
He had left them-- left her. In the end there was nothing she could do. She couldn't save him, she couldn't help Jet in his ill-fated rescue attempt, she couldn't even stop crying.
Albert had done his best to comfort her, even though they all knew he was in just as much pain... but over Biina or Jet, no one knew. Both, most likely. She wished she could say that she realized this and tried to ease his grief in return... but the shock, the sorrow, the anger was all that she knew in that moment.
And that was why even after Ivan saved them both, even after all his wounds had healed, even after they were together and she was finally able to enjoy something approaching real peace for the first time since she was human, Francoise still couldn't find it in herself to forgive him.
But, she reminded herself as she pushed the messy brown bangs from his face, he did it for all of us. It didn't make her feel better, but it was why she could never truly hate him for what he had done.
"Francoise?" Joe's voice was thick with sleep. "What're you still doing awake?"
She felt herself smile. "Oh, just thinking about how much I love you-- even if I want to throttle you sometimes."
"Oh, okay." He smiled back and closed his eyes.
... And then they flew open again. "Wait, what?"