Anna closed her eyes, shutting another empty cupboard and tried to ignore the growl of her stomach. Her vision hazed and she stumbled into the counter, catching herself with shaking fingers on the edge. She coughed to clear her throat, trying to gather her wits, and proceeded back to the room where Green held her hostage.

His body still hung, the scent wafting toward her as Anna covered her mouth to grab the hose. With a straining crank she opened the pipe and stuck her face in the spray. It was not even a moment later that she dropped it, gagging and retching the fetid water from her mouth, and turned off the hose.

Stumbling out of the room, Anna tottered to the stairs. With a tight grip on the handrails of the stairs Anna pulled herself to the surface again. A slight haze reminded her of the field that kept the oxygen around the base and the vacuum of space at bay.

For a moment Anna wished it would fail so instead of succumbing to starvation she could lose her breath and never regain it. Her hands slipped and she fell forward onto her knees. Reaching out her hand toward the unfamiliar stars she wished John was there to hold it one last time before she abandoned all hope.

Something touched her fingers and Anna blinked to focus her eyes. Warmth enveloped her hand, pulling her gingerly over the threshold of the doorway, and wrapping her in strong arms. Her head turned toward the familiar bulk and she relaxed against it.

Sizes and shapes fluctuated before her eyes, pulling a ship in and out of definition. The hands rested her on a seat and Anna flinched at a prick to her skin. A moment later her body jolted and her eyes clew open. Anna gasped, trying to fill her lungs with air, as hands rested on her shoulders to hold her to the chair.

"Anna! Anna it's alright. It's me."

She blinked, seeking clarity of vision, and recognized John. Her hands went to his cheeks, caressing as much as she was able with trembling fingers and a shuddering body. "John? Is that you?"

"It's me Anna." He leaned his forehead against hers, holding the back of her neck as his thumb scraped over her cheekbone. "I found you."

"How'd you find me?" Anna scrunched her fingers in the fabric of his sleeves, trying to reassure herself of his solidity. "How'd you know where to find me?"

"I found you because I lace your potassium pills with a tracker so I'll know where to find you." John kissed her cheek, "I feared this might happen and I took precautions."

"The potassium of a lady." Anna whispered.

"What?"

"The potassium of a lady helped you find me." Anna kissed him, her own lips weak on his. "Because I'm a lady to you."

"Yes, yes you are." John kissed her again, adjusting something in her arm. "Give this a moment to work and the nutrients in your body will replenish you."

Anna touched the tips of her fingers to his lips, tracing so lightly over his face. "I'm so glad you found me."

"I'll always find you."

Anna rested back in the chair, closing her eyes a moment before trying to speak past a thickening in her throat. She wheezed and John put something to her lips. "Slow sips, Anna. Your system's not used it and I don't want you getting sick."

She sucked carefully, relief washing down her throat until she could speak. "How'd you know where to look?"

"Between the information I released from Arsenic's diaries and what I discovered on my tour with the Brothers Krypton I figured the government would've lured me to them if they grabbed you." John buckled Anna into her seat. "Since they didn't I assumed it was the RA. A few contacts there confirmed that Green was out on a mission and hadn't reported in."

"He grabbed me, outside the Rock."

"And Jack?"

"Mary took him while I planned to host a meeting for the families joining your subversion in the Yorkshire Run." Anna adjusted in the seat, strength finally returning to her limbs. "I wanted him safe."

"So do I." John took her hands, "I came as fast as I could. Once I got word you were missing I rushed to find you."

"I'm not saying you didn't." Anna kissed his hands, rubbing over them with her own. "I'm just amazed you did. With the galaxy between us, you found me."

"I knew they kept places like this." John hung his head, "Torture asteroids they 'liberated' from the government when they fought them back but they just use them for themselves."

"Did Arsenic's information tell you that?"

John nodded, "It's done so much more than that Anna. Between my publishing of his information and my work with the Brothers, both the government and the RA are scrambling against destabilization."

"They've lost popular support?"

"They've lost all support." John pulled the needle from her arm, covering the area with a bandage before offering her another drink. "The Crawleys and the Brothers Krypton are united and gathering support for an emergency election to toss the old government out. Once they do they can send the RA scurrying to their holes then pick them off one by one."

"And you?"

John kissed her, "Once we blow this bloody rock to hell I'll be as officially finished with the Rebel Alliance as one can be without giving in a formal notice."

"Then let's be rid of them."

He paused, "What happened to Green?"

"What?"

"I was expecting to storm the castle, make a grand show of a duel with him, and then rescue you from the tower before we rode away on my noble steed."

Anna laughed, "You've read too many books to Jack."

"Anna," John brushed some of her bedraggled hair from her face, "What happened?"

"He took me from the Rock and brought me here."

"Did he chain you?" John's fingers trailed over Anna's wrists, touching the marks there as she nodded. "Did he do anything else?"

"Pummeled me with water for information but I had nothing to give him." Anna shrugged, "In the end I think he just waited for you to come so he could kill you himself and win his masters' approval."

"He always was so achingly sycophantic." John gently placed his hands on either side of her face, "I'm just so happy I found you."

"I was nearly dead."

"Nearly dead is not all dead. I can work with nearly dead."

Anna frowned, "What would you have done if I were all dead?"

John shrugged up a shoulder while tilting his head to the side with a smirk, "Rifled through your pockets for loose change?"

"You're terrible."

"I am." John gave her a quick kiss before his face sobered, "In reality I would've found every one of their hideouts and burned them all until they killed me or everyone who bore the insignia, name, or even the hint of a thought about the Rebel Alliance was dead."

"My great defender."

"My great love." John kissed both her hands, "Now, let's blow this place and go home."

"I can't suggest something I'd rather do." Anna stopped, John pausing when he caught sight of her. "Or, maybe I san."

"Now?" John grinned, "I don't think there's a way you're ready for that."

"Mr. Bates!" Anna beamed at him, "As much as I desire what you're intimating, that kind of talk is beneath you."

"I stand corrected." John leaned over his pilot's chair. "What did you have in mind since you obviously can't be thinking about sex."

"You said this asteroid is a seized torture location."

"Yes."

"Are there others?"

John narrowed his eyes, thinking a moment. "Yes. I couldn't say I know where any of them are."

"Is there a way to link our computer to Green's ship?" Anna waved a hand, "I don't know where the ship is but he couldn't have transported us here by teleportation."

"I can link the computers but there's no guarantee that he'll have the other locations in his computer."

"Doesn't hurt to check."

"No it doesn't." John took the needle and replaced it in her arm. "Then while I'm checking the computer I want you drinking while your body gets the strength it needs."

Anna waited, sucking at the bottle occasionally while John tapped a few keys. They waited, silence resting easily in their seats, until the computer dinged. John leaned forward, tapping something and then smiled.

"I knew you were smarter than I am."

"I've never said that."

"You never had to." John unhooked Anna's lead and stored the materials away before taking his pilot's chair back and strapping in. "I know it and I love the reminders of it."

"Then you found something didn't you?"

"I found all of them." John adjusted his chair, "Are you ready to burn the RA to the ground?"

"More than." Anna adjusted her seat closer to him, "Let's tell them exactly where you stand in terms of your relationship."

John brought the ship off the ground, steering to a safe distance before directing the cockpit back toward the asteroid. "Would you do the honor my dear?"

"I assume I just have to press this?" Anna put her finger over a button and John nodded. "Then 'fire at will'?"

"Fire at will."

Anna pressed the button, holding it as the ship shook slightly at the ejection of the cannons. Inside the ship the echo of the emptying cannons firing a volley filled their ears. Out in space there was nothing but the glow of orange as the oxygen in contained on the asteroid caught. The rocked fragmented, the metal melting and warping before spitting out into space.

"That's beautiful." Anna sighed at the sight of it. "I don't think there's a more beautiful sight in space."

"I heartily disagree." John set the coordinates. "But this is just the first of many. We shouldn't waste time."

"Are they watching this section of space?"

"No place is as abandoned as we think." John tapped the screen before steering away from the floating wreckage. "Green's ship had the locations of the RA's secret strongholds and this kind of place wouldn't be on their radars without some kind of defenses in place."

"Then they know we're coming?"

"Unless they're stupid and incompetent." John chuckled, "The first can be excused by the second can never be remedied."

"I guess we'll test their incompetence then."

They flew off, chugging along the course set by the computer. Anna fell asleep in the seat, allowing her body to recovering from her incarceration, and leaving her awake when they reached their next destination. She took a deep breath and pushed herself upright in the seat.

"No ships or alarm bells yet."

"Not all of them are patrolled." John waved his hand toward the window before them. "As you will, dearest."

They made it to all but the last two of the locations before the RA mounted a response. Only with John's swift maneuvering did they evade the attack of the ships and Anna still managed to lay waste to the station. They pulled clear of the debris, escaping the ship following them, and made for the last location.

"They'll be ready for us."

"Doesn't matter." Anna kept herself tight in the chair. "We're going to leave them burning."

Just as John predicted, the last location was riddled with ships and defenses. He wove between them, ordering Anna to fire at will, and swung around to attack the asteroid. As they closed in on it something rocked their ship.

"John?"

"We're hit." John pressed a few buttons, "But they missed the cannons. Fire the last of our reserves on my mark."

Anna let her fingers barely brush over the button under her touch. Their ship bucked and wheezed, throwing her about in her seat. She gritted her teeth, waiting for John's word, and tightened the grip of her other fingers on the arm of her chair.

"John?"

"Now!"

Anna slammed her hand onto the button, emptying the cannons into the last asteroid. The resulting explosion caught a few of the closer ships in the burn, sending them careening into others to crush and bend them in the blazing aftermath. Even their ship rocked from the resulting explosion.

She dug her fingers into the arms of the seat, the whip of the ship rocking her against the straps. They dodged an assault from another ship, watching the remaining ones scatter. Their own ship limped to the edge of the detritus, listing starboard, and spluttered into the blackness.

After a few moments the ship settled, the lights blinking as John tried to redirect controls from his screen. Anna turned to him, putting a hand on his only to have the tremor in his arm echoed in hers. He covered her hands with his other one, nodding at her before turning back to the screen, and pressed a final button.

He pushed back from the console and sighed. "I've done all I can but that's it."

"What have you done?"

"Redirected power to emergency systems, sent out a beacon, and put all our auxiliary power to keeping our oxygen flowing until we're rescued."

Anna closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, "What are the odds that someone, other than the RA, will be close enough to help us before we run out of air?"

"They're not good Anna." John faced her, "I'm sorry but the truth is I might've rescued you just to kill us here."

"I'm the one who said we should destroy their locations." Anna hit the buckle on her seat, easing out of the chair to come to John's side. "If it's anyone's fault it's mine."

"Anna-" John tried to speak but she stopped him with a kiss.

"The proposal you had earlier," Anna straddled his lap. "I want to fulfill that now, if that's alright with you."

"Our oxygen levels-"

"I've heard it can heighten sensation." Anna stroked the backs of her fingers over his cheeks. "And if we're going to die anyway I'd rather go out like this."

John unbuckled himself from his seat, taking Anna's face in his hands, and surged up to kiss her. Her hands wrapped around him, keeping him close to her as she thrust her tongue through his lips. Twisting over him, Anna slanted her mouth to take more from him as he took more in return.

His hands slipped down and Anna gave herself over to his touch, arching into it. She moaned when he slipped a hand under her skirt, pushing up the fabric there, and used his other hand to pull her corset loose. Anna tugged at his shirt, yanking it over his head, and turning her lips to his neck.

He leaned the seat back, dragging Anna's lips down his chest while her hips ground down on him. John slipped the corset loose, dropping it over the side of the chair, and lifting her enough to run his hands up her sides before taking care at her breasts. Anna bent herself backward, keening in response to the dual attentions of his hands and lips at her breasts.

Her lungs tightened and Anna tugged the back of his head closer to her. John's hands returned to her skirt, tearing it from her, and lifting his hips as she yanked his trousers free. Anna bent over him, bringing his lips to hers again while his fingers gripped her hips.

"Anna?"

"Keep going." Anna urged, gasping out when John's fingers traced over her folds. "Please keep going John."

John sunk his fingers into her, sucking her tongue deep enough into his mouth to bring her almost close enough to swallow her whole. Anna gyrated into his touch, groaning with her fingers raking through his hair, and rocking into him. He moved his thumb over her to send her voice higher and higher.

Before Anna broke she tore away from the kiss, taking his hand from her to plunge herself down on him. Anna grinned to herself when John's head went back to his seat. She lifted herself with a press of her knees on the seat to slip back down on him. Her fingers tightened on his shoulder while she brought his other hand up to her mouth.

Once John's eyes met hers, Anna sucked each of his fingers into her mouth. He drove his hips up, using his planted feet to control the piston of his hips. Anna guided their motions from above, relinquishing her grip on his hand to take his lips again, and moved for a finish.

A beeping tingled in Anna's ears but she ignored it. Instead she guided his fingers to where they joined, pressing to rub herself against him. John kept her going, determined flicks of his wrist sending sparks firing over Anna's nerves, and broke away from her to look in her eyes. Anna paused, holding his face in her hands.

"I'd rather die here, with you, than be anywhere else in the galaxy."

John held her close, "I love you, Anna."

"And I love you." Anna started again, driving them to finish as John cried out her name and then she his.

Their breathing synchronized with the beeping in the background and Anna rested her forehead on John's shoulder. His hand smoothed over her back, holding her close. She kissed his shoulder, trailing up to his jaw, and moved slowly over his lips.

"Until the end."

"Just us, here, together."

Anna sighed, blinking to try and clear her vision. "Just the two of us floating where we're free."

"Free." John nodded, closing his eyes and breathing softly, "Free."