Judy and Penny bonding moment!

Bonding Moment Ruined

A shower, some pain killers, and her cabin. Penny had never appreciated the privacy of her cabin more. It was tiny, sure, but there was no one staring at her. Or questioning her. Or poking at her neck with a q-tip.

Then there was a knock on her door. Penny groaned into her pillow. Through the metal barrier, Judy called out, "I come bearing food and absolutely no medical equipment."

Well, that was more like it.

"What kind of food?" Penny asked as she opened the door. Her nose in the air and her eyes narrowed. Judy held up a bowl of pasta ravioli, probably the favorite MRE of most colonists. Penny ushered her in, "I have no idea if this is an apology, but I definitely accept."

"Not an apology," Judy snorted, settling on the foot of Penny's bed. Penny plopped back into the mattress and propped her foot up.

Penny took the offered bowl. Judy had her own. They ate in silence for roughly... two seconds.

"I should probably thank you though," Judy cleared her throat, shifting awkwardly, "Your, uh... medical emergency distracted Victor from the fact that I've probably stranded us here."

Penny choked on the food in her mouth, "What?"

"I made a judgemental call," Judy said, breathing through her nose. A sure sign that she was doubting herself and attempting to hide it.

It took Penny three questions and five minutes to get the entire story about the fuel retrieval, the bonding, and then finally the actual incident. Judy was wiping at her face roughly as if hiding her tears would make them go away.

"You did what you thought was right, Jud," Penny reached to grab Judy's hand, ignored the little big if static shock that shot through her wrist, and squeezed, "If there was even a 1% chance he was going to live, you'd have done the same thing. Cause that's what you do. The right thing."

"I don't think Victor sees it as the 'right think,'" Judy huffed, eyes squeezing shut, "And if I stranded us here-"

Penny snorted, "I'm sure he's pissed, but like... caring isn't a character flaw. And we'll find a way off this rock eventually I'm sure."

Judy smiled as Penny waved away her concerns. Sitting back against the wall with her nearly empty bowl, Penny nudged her sister with her uninjured foot.

"So... tell me more about Don and Aiko. It's not every day you crack a smile."

That earned her an eyeroll and a soft shove. But Judy cracked. She always cracked.

"He puts on a tough act, but I think Don cares. Like a lot." Judy explained, "Haven't quite figured out why he tries to come of so..."

"Jaded? Unfeeling? Insensitive?" Penny suggested. Judy grinned, laughter bubbling up in her chest.

"I was going to go with selfish and self-serving."

Penny nodded, puckering her lips in thoughts, "Yeah. Those work too."

"He can be funny though. And sweet." Judy shrugged, biting on her bottom lip.

"So, you like him," Penny said plainly, startling her sister. Judy sat up ramrod straight and Penny cackled, "I meant as a person, Jud, but with that reaction..."

Judy shoved her again, "It's more like... I can't figure him out."

"Which you hate."

"And I think he needs some good friends."

Penny hummed, eating her last bite of ravioli, "Well, you could be his friend. And maybe Aiko. She's cool right?"

"Very cool," Judy smiled, eyes sparkling, "Her I am certain about."

"Yeah, I'm so shocked you and Aiko - another overachiever - are getting along even better than you did on earth." Penny drawled sarcastically.

"We barely knew each other on earth!" Judy rolled her eyes, reaching to take Penny's bowl.

"Well enough that you always checked her scores after your own~" Penny sang it, enjoying the way Judy's ears went red.

There was nothing as enjoyable as teasing her sister. Absolutely a favorite hobby, space or no space.

"I'm not the one with matching watermarks," Judy reminded her, grinning as Penny's mouth fell open.

It was less fun when Judy teased her.

Judy smirked, leaning closer to whisper, "And don't think I don't know leaving camp was entirely your idea." Penny snapped her mouth shut, lips pressed into a firm line. Judy raised an eyebrow and looked pointedly at Penny's ankle, "The rock didn't jump out at you now did it?"

Her face was burning and Penny was officially stuttering, "I... I, uh, might've been a, uhm, a tad distracted."

"Mhm," Judy shook her head and stood, "Just be careful Penny."

Ugh. Leave it to Judy to turn a bonding moment into a lecture.

"You barely know him."

Penny rolled her eyes, "So I'll get to know him. That's how it works, the whole relationship thing." Judy frowned at her. "What? I'm not going to like, throw myself at him or something." Judy raised a brow.

Wow. The lack of faith.

"Just be careful," Judy said it again, more forcefully.

Penny nodded, shot her a sarcastic thumbs up, "I'm going to sleep now."

Bonding moment, officially ruined.

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