Ryder

Ryder bit her lip gently as she re-read the email from Reyes. I can't stop thinking about you. She smiled before closing the message. He couldn't stop thinking about her. Reyes was thinking about her. Ryder couldn't help but feel hopeful knowing that he was feeling the same was she was. She hadn't stopped thinking about him over the last two weeks since she'd been on Kadara. Upon returning to the Tempest, Liam had filled her in on the mistake he'd made. He'd given sensitive information to an Angaran, who was then taken captive by pirates. Liam was lucky that Ryder liked him, because he fucked up big time with that mission and they nearly died.

Ryder felt someone walk up behind her in the cargo bay.

"You're reading that message again, aren't you?" Liam asked, a hint of jealously in his voice.

"Why, Liam?" Ryder turned and stared at the soldier, curious to see if he had something new to say. He'd already made her well aware that he didn't approve of Reyes when she had returned from her sleepover.

"Ryder, you know he is bad news. He's a smuggler. A criminal. You're better than that... you deserve better than that." Liam looked away and began to tinker with a random piece of equipment.

"What, like you?" Ryder asked bluntly. There had been a few weeks there where it felt like something was going to happen between them. They had slept together that one time, but Ryder just didn't feel the emotional attachment with Liam that she felt with Reyes.

Liam shot a glare at Ryder. "Anyone would be better than him." Ryder shook her head and heard Liam sigh. "Look, Ryder. What we are doing is so important and we can't afford for you to get hurt, emotionally or physically. Look, just... be careful." Ryder looked over to Liam and could see that he meant what he said. He was right. The fate of everyone in the initiative rested on her shoulders, her team's shoulders. If something happened to her, things would go downhill fast, especially with Scott still in a coma.

"Liam, I appreciate your concern. This thing with Reyes won't affect what we need to accomplish. I promise," Ryder spoke, using Reyes favorite phrase. She smiled inwardly at herself once she realized what shed done. Liam just nodded before walking off towards his room, letting the door shut behind him. Ryder looked around the cargo bay and caught Vetra's motherly stare.

"He's right, you know," she informed in her two-toned voice. "We can't have anything comprise your state of mind."

"A girl has needs," Ryder joked.

"From what I remember hearing, sounded like Liam was fully capable of caring for those needs," Vetra teased and Ryder blushed, her jaw gaping open.

"Vetra!" Ryder admonished and Vetra responded with a reverberating laugh. "You're such a bitch," Ryder replied with a smile before walking off towards her cabin.

Reyes

Ryder had died. Reyes had contacts who were still at the Nexus and he'd heard the story. Ryder had taken the fight to the Archon's ship and she was clinically dead for nearly 30 seconds. He had no idea that AI of hers could kill her. The knowledge that she could have been lost made him nauseous. Over the past month, he and Ryder had been messaging each other a couple times a week, mainly when Ryder was between missions. This mission she had glossed over and failed to mention her temporary death.

The door to Reyes' room in Tartarus opened and one of his agents entered, letting the door close behind him before speaking.

"It's done," he stated, waiting for the Charlatan to answer him.

"Good," Reyes replied, scrubbing his hand over his jaw. "Set up the meeting," he instructed and the agent nodded before leaving. Reyes took a deep breath and let it out as he thought about his next move.

The next day, Reyes waited in the dark of the cave, the meeting time with Sloane quickly approaching. Suddenly, Reyes heard footsteps, lots of them. He glanced around the rock hiding his position in the dark and nearly chickened out of this whole event. Ryder was with Sloane, and she'd brought her squadmates, the Angaran and the former cop. I'll never get a chance like this again to settle this. Reyes took a deep breath and spoke.

"You look like you're waiting for someone." He stepped out of the shadows and into the light. His eyes immediately met Ryder's and he saw her stiffen with surprise. Clearly Sloane had brought Ryder for protection.

"Reyes?" she asked in surprise.

"I'm here for the Charlatan, not some third rate smuggler," Sloane dismissed him, a behavior of hers that had helped him immensely in the past.

"They're one in the same," Ryder said, coming to the realization herself. Reyes felt a pang of guilt for the fact that Ryder walked into this blindsided.

"Surprise," he said, attempting to mask the guilt he felt.

"This whole time," Ryder said, her anger coloring her tone. "You've been lying to me."

"Not about everything. You know who I really am," Reyes explained, trying to lessen the anger he could tell was beginning to fester in Ryder's chest. Sloane's voice interrupted their conversation.

"You said you wanted to "settle things". How?" Sloane glared at him. Reyes jumped down from the rocks and turned his eyes towards Sloane, forcing himself to put the spat with Ryder temporarily on the back-burner.

"A duel. You and me. Right now. Winner takes Kadara Port." He saw Ryder move forward out of the corner of his eye.

"You want to avoid war by shooting each other?" Reyes felt a pull in his gut, hopeful that Ryder's concerned tone was related to his safety, that she cared.

Reyes turned to Ryder. "Two people shooting each other is better than a lot of people shooting each other," he responded, then turned his attention back to Sloane, waiting for a response.

"I'll take those terms," she answered, her confidence evident in her tone. Within seconds, they began to walk in a slow circle, their hands poised over the butt of their pistols. Reyes moved his body in front of Ryder's, blocking the snipers view of her to ensure her safety as the shot rang out, hitting Sloane in the chest. Sloane dropped onto her knees, groaning in pain. Ryder made her way to Reyes' side.

"Bang" he said while pretending to shoot her with his fingers. Sloane slumped to the ground, her eyes closing as she expired. "Get her out of here. Prepare the crew. Kadara Port is ours tonight," Reyes ordered his men in the shadows as he walked towards the cave's entrance, Ryder following close behind. He knew she would want some answers.

"Guess you got everything you wanted," she spit out, clearly disgusted with him. Reyes winced from the acid in her tone before responding.

"What I want is peace. Sloane would've brought war to Heleus. We don't have the population to survive that," he answered, avoiding looking at Ryder.

"Why didn't you trust me?" Ryder demanded, the hurt on full display in her tone. Reyes stopped in his tracks and turned to face Ryder. She was hurt and he could see it. There was no use in lying, he needed to tell her the truth.

"I... liked the way you looked at me. I was afraid that would change," he said softly, afraid to move or even blink. With every passing second, Reyes could heart his heart beating. He knew he was in love with Ryder and if she rejected him, he knew he would crumble. Ryder tore her eyes from his, sighing heavily and looking to the ground. Reyes began to feel nauseous, the sting of rejection beginning.

"It has changed," she whispered softly, not meeting his eyes. "I feel like I don't know you."

"But you do," Reyes stated adamantly, stepping closer to Ryder, his hands resting gently on the side of her arms. Slowly, she looked up into his golden eyes. "Everything that happened between us, that was me. What happened in there," he nodded towards the cave, "that was the only thing I kept from you. Look, you were barely willing to work with me knowing I was a smuggler, and when I began to fall for you, I feared you wouldn't want anything to do with me if I had told you the truth." He tried to reason.

"If I hadn't come with Sloane today, would you have ever told me?" Ryder deserved an honest answer. Reyes knew it. He thought about her question for a moment before answering truthfully.

"I don't know. I wanted to tell you. This secret is what I was referring to when I said I needed to take care of something before we slept together." Reyes waited for Ryder's response for what seemed like hours.

"I need time to think," she said softly, averting her gaze from his. Time. It's not a no, but definitely not a yes. Reyes nodded.

"I'll give you whatever you want," he offered with complete sincerity. Whatever it took to make her his, he was willing to do. After a moment, Ryder pulled herself from Reyes' grasp and headed back into the cave where her squadmates were. As he headed back in, the former cop put his arm around Ryder's shoulders and glared at him, clearly attempting to assert dominance over Reyes. In response, Reyes just looked away and walked towards one of his agents to continue with the clean-up process.