"Buck, I owe you an apology," Wilma said.
He looked over at her briefly, puzzled, before returning his attention forward. He was flying his starfighter, heading back out to catch up with the Searcher, and she sat next to him. Off their left wing, Hawk was flying her ship. "Apology? For what?"
She tried to frame into words the thoughts that had come home to her over the last two days in New Chicago. Sitting there silently, watching Buck go through several sessions of recording, she had been stunned by old Earth. She had suggested this just to help Buck get over his post-trial shock and depression, and it definitely had had that effect. He still looked a bit worn from the last week, but he seemed fully like himself again. But she'd never expected the impact that his memories would have on her.
He glanced at her again. "Going to keep me waiting another 500 years?" he teased.
She smiled, relieved that he was able to play with her again, but when she spoke, her words were serious. "I'd never realized - I mean, I know that you come from another time. But whenever I thought about that and the differences, it's been more an oddity than anything else, something to laugh at briefly and then turn away. That world was never real to me. And now that I've seen just a little bit of it, I realize that I haven't been fair to you. Even now, I'm sure I don't know what the 20th century was like, but any time you want to talk, I'd be interested in hearing about it. Not to make fun of it this time or think how strange it was, but to appreciate it. I never gave you that. I didn't really let you keep it alive, even part of it. And I'm sorry."
He gave her the compliment of a totally sincere reply, not ducking emotion as he often did. "Wilma, you have been what's kept me sane after landing in this century. And Dr. Huer and Hawk and Twiki and others, of course. But you more than any of them. You've been there for me so many times. You have nothing to apologize for. And that night after the charges were made, I was that close to totally giving up. The shock of everything. I just couldn't handle it."
She nodded. She had known from the time she entered his cabin that he was as low as she had ever seen him that night, all of his spirit gone. "Being hit with that accusation from your friend would have sent anybody reeling, Buck. I'm glad I was there to help you. You've been there for us plenty of times. That's what friends do for each other."
"Yes." The stargate loomed up ahead, and he punched in the coordinates on the control panel. Wilma put the conversation on pause while he steered the ship into the twirling diamond of lights. His hands were steady, but she saw the rest of him flinch as they popped through the space warp. Many times, she had teased him about his reaction to the portals, but somehow, fresh off the last few days, it wasn't as much of a joke today as it had been before. He was from a different time. Of course, some things in their world would upset his equilibrium, probably more things than he ever admitted. She simply sat quietly, not saying anything, giving him a chance to recover.
He looked back across at her once the immediate strain had left him. "You know, you and Hawk risked everything trying to help me when we escaped for Mount Rushmore. Your career. Hawk's still on probation. You could have been throwing your own lives away."
"You're worth it," she said firmly. "And Buck, neither one of us ever doubted you were innocent. We knew there had to be an explanation somewhere. In fact, I think now that I should have put it together before. You are so good at undercover work, playing a part. You've done that for Dr. Huer lots of times."
"Always liked role playing, even as a kid," he agreed. "With this trial, though, I never suspected that. Not until I saw it on the OEI there at the end. I was thinking I really was guilty."
She shook her head. "Not possible. And you know, Buck, I'm sure that Jim had some doubts, too. He was injured and in shock himself when he made that recording. His world was falling apart around him. But still, I think he wasn't 100% sure. He couldn't have been. Not if he knew you."
His eyes retreated into the past briefly, then returned. "I hope so. Still wish I could talk to him again and tell him."
"I'm sure you do." She reached over to touch his arm. "I meant it, Buck. If you ever want to talk about things back then - or about anything else, for that matter - I'm here. And I'll try to listen better than I have in the past."
He looked down at her hand on his arm. "I always believed back then that Jim was the best friend I ever had. But you and Hawk are pretty good friends, too. You're right up there with him."
She tightened her fingers. "I haven't had nearly the number of friends in life you've had, but there's no question from my standpoint. You're definitely the best friend I've ever had."
He smiled, then reached out to the communications panel. The Searcher was just coming into sight up ahead. "Searcher, this is Rogers. We're starting our approach."
Admiral Asimov's face lit up the small screen. "Welcome home, Buck. We'll see you after you land."
"It's good to be home," Buck replied. He switched off the com link, then turned the starfighter, lining up with the hanger bay. Wilma let out a deep sigh. This last week was finally over.
Buck heard the thought. He looked over at her and grinned. "Just think, what does next week have in store for us?"
She half cringed but still had to laugh. "Whatever it is, we're in it together."
"Absolutely," he agreed as he soared through the wide door, bringing them in for a perfect landing.