I do not own Aliens.

My son just watched the start of A3 and is mad as hell. That's my boy. ;)

The Survivors of LV-426

Dwayne and Ellen

He doesn't love her.

He doesn't even really know her.

He knows about her.

He knows she's physically attractive, very physically attractive.

And that that's the least interesting thing about her.

He also knows she's intelligent and capable.

A woman who's sure of herself and her experiences.

Meets things head on, will stand up and look anyone, anything, straight in the eye.

And make herself heard.

She's got sheer guts and a good brain to go with it.

He knows she won't take shit from anyone.

And he knows . . .

You lookin' to roll with this, pendejo?"

"Nope. Wouldn't dream of it, Vazquez."

. . . those are really attractive qualities . . .

"Good. 'Cause you couldn't handle this, baby. You'd be walkin' funny for a fuckin' month."

. . . in any woman.

He also knows . . .

"So, what happened?"

. . . he missed some stuff at the end.

"I asked but they said it's classified."

Ripley smiles.

"Oh, uh, I used a loader to throw the Queen out of the airlock."

And he feels the pull of the bandage tape as his eyebrows raise in something not quite disbelief.

Because he's never once shown disbelief in her before.

"I can drive that loader. I have a Class 2 rating."

I don't know, she says she can, she can. Sure.

And he sure as hell, after everything, . . .

"Where you want it?"

Ho-ly shit.

That's the goddamn sexiest thing I ever saw.

"Bay 12, please."

She is good.

. . . isn't gonna start now.

But he will . . .

"Oh, . . ."

. . . find the energy for a quietly smartass comment.

". . . that's it, huh?"

If he can.

And she laughs, quiet and low, the way she did when he told her they weren't engaged or anything.

And then . . .

"Well, no, not exactly."

. . . he listens . . .

Holy shit.

. . . to the rest of her story.

It's not all shits and giggles, as Hudson would have said.

There's more to the story.

And it's bad.

"They deactivated Bishop. Just threw him out like a piece of garbage."

She's been taken back to her room.

Newt has.

Ripley didn't want her to go.

But the nurse insisted on having her rest.

And it does make it easier to have this conversation.

"Yeah, I know. They told me when I asked about him."

And she feels her rage shift again, bubble up from wherever she managed to contain it.

"It's not right. They just- they can't-"

But they can. And they do.

People in charge.

While other people, not in charge, are sleeping.

Or surviving.

Or trusting.

"I know. It wasn't right, Ripley. He deserved better."

Hicks' hand, the one that Newt held before, reaches out to hers now.

It feels warm or maybe hers are just cold.

"Yes. He did."

They sit there a while.

Until Hicks . . .

"So, it took you a couple of days. To come visit."

. . . tries to change the subject.

Ellen Ripley takes a deep breath in.

Lets it out.

And . . .

"I kept getting angry, yelling at them, trying to fight them. They kept sedating me to calm me down."

. . . fills him in.

She sees anger flash in his good eye, that one not covered with a bandage.

Before he covers it up with a quiet snark.

"Yeah. That would be the only way."

And they exchange wan smiles.

"What about you?"

She gestures her chin.

"Truthfully."

He exhales an 'ahhh' of a breath, avoids her eyes momentarily.

Then confesses his own truth.

"Beat to shit. But better. No infection. Probably be pretty scarred up when it's all said and done. Never was much of a looker anyway."

Ellen Ripley finds the last sentence so utterly erroneous she has to chuckle.

"Yeah. Sure."

The corner of his mouth turns up.

"What?"

She shakes her head.

"Nothing. You rest. I'll come see you later."

And then . . .

"Okay."

. . . she lets go of his hand.

"Okay."

And . . .

"Don't be gone long. Ellen."

. . . goes.

"I won't. Dwayne."

There's an altered scene of Ripley about to go rescue Newt and telling Hicks not to let the ship take off and calling him 'Hicks'.

And he says, "Dwayne, it's Dwayne." And she kind of gazes at him for a second and then says "Ellen". He replies, "Don't be gone long. Ellen."

So there's that.

Thanks to RedHood001 for reviewing this previous chapter! I haven't gotten over it either, ugh!