"… I was the bastard child nobody wanted," Ripley summed what she felt like telling Peter as he sat quietly across from her, as she told him why she looked at him funny for mentioning something that happened with him and his daughter.
Seeing Peter so happy and not with any contempt for his daughter, it looked so off for Ripley, she couldn't quite understand it and she's supposed to have dealt with those issues a long time ago from spending many times with counselors.
Still foreign to her, seeing it in person, how a parent actually liked their child.
Ripley saw the anger building behind Peter's eyes as he heard Ripley's story.
"And where are they?" Peter calmly asked her.
In his voice, hidden away in the Glaswegian accent, the anger as it seeped out.
Ripley truthfully told him, "Dead as far as I know."
There's no chance they're taken into the four armies, they're nothing anyone wanted, and even the armies have standards about their recruits.
Peter tapped his finger on the table as he processed what Ripley told him and shook his head. The fatherly side of him came out and comforted Ripley, but she told him that she already got the help she needed.
"What's done is done. They're dead and I'm not," Ripley sighed heavily.
There's no road worth retreading. The deed's done and Ripley made it out with her life, that's as much as a silver lining she could've wanted, even if she wanted something else.
Suppose she wasn't meant to have parents, loving ones at that, and that's just how life is. Take the good with the bad, even if the good's not enough to deal with the bad.
"They didn't deserve you, anyway," Peter swatted the air.
Ripley couldn't disagree there.
Shaking her head, Ripley mustered there's more pressing matters at hand and talking about old war wounds wasn't getting them anywhere.
Peter yanked another cover of the computer off and peered inside, he said that he can rewire the trap, but he needed something sharp.
"Got you covered," Ripley handed him the multipurpose knife she kept on her person.
She would've used it with the situation with the door, but the blade's shorter than she liked, and she wasn't supposed to even have it.
Tram policy made it clear that there's no weapons or anything of the sort allowed and even with the CSS, it would've caused them to take her knife away.
Matt's Sonic Screwdriver seemed harmless to the scanners and they let him keep it.
Ripley hid it in a double padded sheath and stuck it deep in her sock. The scanners didn't pick it up since the blade's too short to cross the scanner.
"Alright, mind you help with the light?" Peter asked for help and Ripley sat next to him, helping with the light she pulled out of an emergency hutch above the seats.
As she held the light, Peter took the opportunity to pry into Ripley's life.
It showed he paid attentive attention to his own daughter to notice other cues that Ripley didn't even know broadcasted off her person.
"So, what's his name?" Peter asked her.
Ripley looked at him funny and he looked towards her with a look that masked behind the sunglasses. She could tell what look it is, because Mercy would use it when Jamie hid something from her and she wanted to know it.
"Uh, it's… well…" Ripley struggled to name Matt.
It's not someone she expected to say to someone she barely knew, but here she was, and she hated herself for it!
"Is it… perhaps… Matt?" Peter cheekily looked at her.
It caused Ripley to recoil with amazement that Peter knew Matt's name and she barely got any words out as she asked, "How'd you know?"
Peter cheekily said, "You told me!"
He laughed and Ripley looked annoyed and embarrassed as Peter told her that he simply guessed and gauged Ripley's response.
"You're forgetting something, luv, I'm a father, I know things," Peter wagged her knife at her before returning to the work at hand.
As he rewired the cables, Peter pried details about Matt and with his fatherly ways, got Ripley to tell him, in her own way.
"Dresses like a dork, acts like a dork, but he's my dork," Ripley summed.
Ripley never meant it as an insult.
She found that trait something that makes Matt all the more endearing for her.
"Keep him close," Peter looked at her briefly before he went back to tying up the last of the wiring before the screen changed to have a different text scrawl on it.
He showed Ripley that they're able to leave the fake world to return to their own and all he had to do was hit a button near the screen.
They'll return to where they were before the trap caught them and all is well, no one's the wiser, and yada yada.
"I don't think he'll believe me," Ripley mused that Matt's not going to believe her story about her trapped in a fake world.
Peter chuckled and said that Ripley won't have to tell him anything, she won't remember this at all.
"What do you mean?" Ripley asked him, confused.
Peter told her this trap saved their memories before it snapped, meaning that once the trap powered off, they'll forget about everything that happened here.
It's something that's supposed to help keep game from getting used to the traps if they're the unintended targets and removed.
"So, once I hit this wee button, we won't remember each other," Peter summed.
Ripley frowned and asked if there's a chance they could, but he shook his head. Even he could rewire the trap, there's nothing much he can do, there's a lot of the schematics locked behind things he couldn't get to or know about.
"I guess this is goodbye, then," Ripley sighed.
Peter smiled as he told her it's not the end of the world. Just another beginning. They'll have opportunities to meet again.
"I suppose when you put it like that," Ripley nodded.
Peter smiled and his tone of voice slowly changed.
"Thanks for keeping me up to date, luv," his sunglasses reflected Ripley.
Slowly he pulled them down and winked at her.
Ripley couldn't react fast enough before he flipped the switch, sending them back.
Ripley opened her eyes and dazedly looked around, she's in the tram cabin with Matt. He'd fallen asleep, his head resting on top of hers, nestling her close. On the Telly, there's a show playing with the audio turned down, probably because Matt didn't ant the audio accidentally waking Ripley up. Yawning, Ripley held her mouth before lowering her hand and rested her head against Matt's chest, faintly she heard his heartbeat.
Softly, Matt snored as held Ripley and the remote close.
Ripley had to grab the remote from him before it fell off and decided to look through the shows on right now, going through them as she faced the screen with her head turned.
Flipping through the channels, Ripley stopped when she recognized a program from long ago, somehow present here and now. A program that once captivated audience for years on end, even going far as influencing the media culture to an extent, and the images crisper than they were back when the show aired.
It baffled Ripley how the Telly got episodes of a show that came from her universe, but there's a disclaimer pop up that warned that some shows won't come in clear on the account they're from space.
Short, it meant that even though her universe's gone, the shows that used to air still linger in the confines of space, somehow getting into other universes and therein.
After the disclaimer went away, Ripley watched as the show started and as the episode continued, a skit started.
Ripley remembered this skit, oh, it put a smile on her face.
It's an oldie but a good and seeing it again just brought joy to Ripley, having not seen It for so long.
Regretfully, Ripley never liked spam.
Jamie did, but he's a glut and if Mercy wasn't around cooking, he'd eat cans of the stuff just to sustain himself.
Mercy never touched the stuff and Ripley didn't blame her the slightest. Just too salty for their taste.
However, in comedic form, Ripley had to remind herself that Matt's sleeping and she didn't want to accidentally wake him up with her laughter. It'd be rude if she did.
Silently as she could, Ripley watched the skit, bringing back old memories of her watching this show with Jodie one evening when there wasn't anything in particular on.
Ripley had a hoot watching the show and it became one of her fondest memories.
She even went far as to buy the complete series and rewatched it multiple times and it always brought back the nostalgia.
When one of the tropes started shouting, it nearly made Ripley giggle, but she stifled it in time as she watched the skit continue. She couldn't help but have a smile on her face, watching the show again really brought back memories.
At the conclusion of the skit, Ripley felt movement above her head and saw Matt's eyes blinking as he yawned, covering his mouth.
As he lowered his hand, he looked down to Ripley, and smiled.
"Something about tram rides, seems to put me to sleep," he mused about them falling asleep to the lull of the tram moving.
Ripley moved away from him and stretched his back and arms, yawning once again.
"Hm, what were you watching, anyway?" Matt inquired about the show Ripley watched just before he roused from his sleep. Briefly, he saw glimpses of the show when he stirred from Ripley stifling her laughter.
Lounging on the opposite side, Ripley told him about the show, and how she came to watch it in her universe. When she finished, Matt laughed when he heard the part where she imitated some of the characters from the skits to Jodie's annoyance.
"I was five!" Ripley tried to defend herself.
It was… interesting time.
"She totally regretted letting you watch the show, didn't she?" Matt asked as he folded a leg over the other, resting his hands on his knees as he smiled.
Ripley frowned as she admitted, "Yeah, she had to temper my viewings and get me watching something else so I'd stop singing the one song every time she makes spam fries."
While that little nougat of information could've lingered in her cranium for the remainder of her days, Ripley didn't want to lie to Matt, and he's been with her long enough to know when she lies.
Matt eased her embarrassment by describing something similar that happened to him when he was younger.
A show that used to air every Saturday, live action, supposed to teach kids morality and the sort, and featured a superhero who taught the life lessons. Captain Amaz-O. He wore the standard attire superheroes did and for a brief spell, Matt loved the show and wanted to dress up as him. Well, putting it mildly. Matt had to Frankenstein his own costume, using his mother's sweater that didn't fit and bunched up so it'd look like muscles, beach shorts, and his father's white briefs on top of the shorts, trying to replicate the look of Captain Amaz-O's outfit. Matt even far as getting his father's utility belt and wearing it on top of everything else.
… it didn't work out as intended as his parents found out and… his mother had the idea of taking a picture of him wearing the "costume" and his father laughing his arse off while poor Matt looked like a deer caught in headlights.
"Oomph, luckily the guys in my show dressed up as women most of the time, so I was good," Ripley nudged him with her foot.
Ripley wouldn't go far as wearing a piny though.
"I haven't found that picture, but when I do, I'm taking a lighter to it," Matt vowed to destroy the humiliating picture of him wearing that getup.
Chuckling, Ripley pushed herself up and moved closer to him, draping her arm around his shoulder, and said sweetly, "Ah, don't worry Matt, in a hundred years, who's gonna care?"
Considering they time travel quite extensively, Matt's not gonna have to worry about that picture lingering around. Unless his mother discovers digitizing photos, by then, Matt's lost that battle.
"Still wish I could find it," Matt sighed.
Ripley nuzzled him as she comforted him.
Their conversation's interrupted by the reminder blaring over the speakers that it's dinner time and for patrons to ready for the robot waiters coming around with menus.
Sitting across from each other as Matt turned off the Telly and pulled out the table again, the door opened and the robot waiter gave them their silverware and plates. It gave them their menus and they ordered their drinks, before leaving their cabin, allowing them to look through the menu in peace.
"Hm, what do I want?" Matt looked through the menu as he tried to think of what he wanted.
He wanted many things, but his stomach's not big like the TARDIS.
"Well, I'm probably gonna get the porterhouse steak and a stuffed baked potato," Ripley gave Matt insight on what she's ordering.
Ripley's hungry, so probably the medium-large size and one big stuffed baked potato, filled with cheese, meat, red sauce, and chives.
"You sure you're gonna eat all that?" Matt asked her inquisitively.
Ripley smiled as she told him, "I'm a growing girl, after all."
Ordering their dinner, the pair sent off their menus with the robot waiter and waited.
As they did, they talked about the resort more, and it seemed it had everything the pair needed to relax after consecutively saving words thirty times in a row.
By Matt's estimate, by the time they leave, they'd only been a day away from the shop, more than enough to swing back around and act like no one's the wiser.
"Well, probably get a massage while you're at it," Ripley pointed out as she settled in her seat.
Since there's a spa, Matt could've gone and gotten a massage, pop the little hard places in his back, be like a new man.
Matt gave a slight smirk as he responded, "If I'm not too forward, I prefer a more personal touch."
He tells Ripley that while he's sure that the spa masseuses were experts in their field, he didn't feel comfortable having them touching his back. Rather, he preferred someone he trusted.
Ripley brought up that she's no expert at it and that she'd accidentally hurt Matt by pushing something down that shouldn't and overexerting her hands on his sensitive spots.
"I don't wanna accidentally hurt you," Ripley summed.
Smiling, Matt reached over and touched her hand. He's confidant in her abilities and believed she wouldn't accidentally hurt him.
To sweeten the pot, Matt offered to repay the favour by massaging her back, since she didn't like other people touching her much.
Who else, but the Doctor, to unknot her back?
Thinking about the offer, Ripley mused that she wouldn't mind the knots in her back to go away and she didn't like the thought of other people touching her back.
Well, except for only one.
"You're on," Ripley smiled.
Within a few minutes, their dinner arrived and the pair ate their chosen entrees. To Matt's surprise, Ripley ate the entirety of her steak and the baked potato, not even leaving a single crumb behind.
Matt poked fun at this.
"Feels like I haven't ate anything in days," Ripley mused as she wiped her mouth with the napkin.
Felt like she didn't have any food in her belly and she ate lunch hours earlier, still she would've had some left. She drank numerous cups worth of her drink, like she hadn't drank anything.
Finishing the last of his meal, Matt settled back in his seat with hands on his stomach, content.
"Don't think I have it in me to think about dessert," he shook his head as he felt his stomach content with the food he'd filled it with since they boarded.
"We're not too far from the resort, don't wanna rush it," Ripley opted not to order any dessert.
They didn't want to get caught up in the process of getting off the tram trying to clean everything up and put the table up, besides there's always desserts at the resort.
The robot waiter came by and collected everything off the table, before disappearing out of the doorway.
Pushing the button, the table retracted and gave the pair more leg room.
"Can't wait to properly stretch out my legs," Matt mused as he looked down to his lanky legs.
The tram seats' comfortable, but Matt want to have his arms behind his head and that's not possible with them.
"Same," Ripley agreed.
Around 9 PM, the tram pulled up to the station and passengers left the tram.
The pair walked towards the waiting Jodie and Samuels, wearing a brown leather jacket over a red flannel shirt and brown trousers.
Waving excitedly, Jodie asked, "Have a good trip?"
Ripley dryly remarked she learned a lot about the sands and Jodie poked her. Matt stepped in and said they had a lovely trip across the desert.
"We were catching up," Jodie smiled as she pointed at Samuels who stood awkwardly. "Had to come up with something while you two were gone."
Matt inquired Samuels about his new job and he told Matt about it in an extensive matter. By the end of it, Matt only nodded, as he's unable to come up with words.
"Oh right, before I forget!" Jodie shoved the room keys into Matt's hands.
Matt looked at them quizzically as Jodie told him that everything's set up. All they needed to do was go to their room.
"Ah, wonderful, thanks!" Matt held up the keys before giving one to Ripley.
Jodie wrapped her exposed arm around Samuel's arm and lightly tugged on him.
"Well, we're gonna go dancing, stay out of trouble, you two!" Jodie smiled as she yanked the quizzical Samuels away, her heels clacking against the ground.
As the mantra went, there's a first for everything, a time machine wanting to dance with an android's one of them.
"Kinda wanna give those… what's it… jacuzzi… a whirl," Matt mused that he wanted to try it.
Jodie told him it'd be fun and it's like a personal pool with heated water and that sounded lovely.
Ripley asked about the back massage and Matt pondered a great deal before saying along the lines, "Why not both?"
Giggling, Ripley shook her head as she walked with Matt towards the exit. As she did, she felt a cold chill come over her, but she didn't know why. It's so strong, she stopped for one moment to glance behind, but there's no one there.
Ripley heard her name and snapped out of the daze, caught up with Matt, and disappeared into the crowd of people.
Behind a column, there's a man wearing a purple suit leaning against it, a smile on his face, and he chuckled. However, his chuckle brought no joy to any who'd hear it, fear instead. He said in a low voice, "No hard feelings, just business, luv."
As people passed by, he disappeared, like he was never there.
THE END
