Title/theme: WORRY
Genre: general
Approx time line: during GS
Summary: Every time he went out, she'd chant to herself that he would be all right, that he would return to her.

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She didn't know when it happened. She didn't know when she started to worry about him, to feel so scared that this battle would be his last, and she didn't even know why she cared so much.

All she knew that every time he launched, a part of her subconscious would be praying that he would come back, telling herself that he would be fine. Her hands would instinctively fly to where the coffin-shaped locket was hidden beneath her uniform, feeling her heart pounding.

She told herself that he was more than capable of taking care of himself, even so, her heart and mind wouldn't stop worrying.

She was afraid, afraid because he was a soldier like him. As she learned first hand, life was cheap on the battlefield, lost in a blink of an eye.

She was afraid because he didn't come back.

"No, you can't go!"

He had looked at her then, surprised by the fact that she came personally. "But I have to go searching for them!" he explained, his face distraught.

"I can't let you go alone!" her voice quivered a bit, "What would the ship do if you couldn't return!" What would I do if you didn't come back…

Despite her efforts to hide them, tears still welled up in her eyes. She had looked down, trying to hide the pain in her eyes.

"Okay," he had answered softly, his fingers gently brushing her tears away.

So she told herself over and over that his fate was different from his, calming herself with her own lies. Every time he went out, she'd chant to herself that he would be all right, that he would return to her.

And every time he landed safely, she would let out her breath she didn't know she was holding.

AN: not quite angst, but still a bit sad. In case you haven't figured out, the "him" in italics is referring to her past lover.

the scene in italics is from Phase 31, which I kinda modified. I love that scene. maybe he wasn't surprised that she came personally, but I was (I didn't think she'd go, I mean, she doesn't leave the bridge too often...). and I think it's so sweet that there were tears in her eyes as she begged him to stay.