25 Unicorn Street, Monday Morning

[on_her_korhal]

She was looking a little lost in the middle of the empty hallway, the place she'd emptied some fifteen billion years ago. Kerrigan would've wrapped her arms around herself, but with the current state of--

She just didn't feel like it. She took a sharp breath, shot a look at the kitchen. Would her biology still allow for the usual? Or...

She stared warily at the edges of a wing. Crap. Crap.

[ open for one, plz ]

Comments

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

Roy swallowed as he watched her and it was hard to keep his own confusion at everything buried.

"Kerrigan," he said quietly. "Sit down. I'll see if there's coffee."

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Confusion. She could buy that right now.

It was a hell of a lot better to focus on than the rage. She shut her eyes tight to drive it away again. No point. No point.

"Right," Kerrigan replied, "Coffee will be good..."

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

He reached out to brush his fingers lightly down her arm as he passed her to the kitchen.

"Let's hope you didn't clean out everything," he said, trying to sound normal, trying not to broadcast the worry that was so present in his mind.

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

"You might want to watch that," she managed, after a moment. "Don't get fingers caught on any pointy bits."

There. Jokes. Enough to snap her out of her torpor and send her stalking into the living room, at least.

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

"I'm good with pointy bits," he replied, frowning a little. "That wasn't supposed to sound dirty." Maybe he was tired too, sleep hadn't been a luxury this week.

He rummaged through the cupboards until he found a small package of coffee. He for a moment considered if maybe Kerrigan would be better off trying to sleep, but then he doubted she was feeling up to it and he moved to the coffee maker instead.

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

Now, Kerrigan snorted. It came out strange, like the weird echoing quality that had seeped into her voice. "With you, one way or another, everything's dirty," she shot back, uncurling the fingers of one hand.

Sitting down on the couch proved to require some severe coordination.

She just wanted to curl up in the corner.

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

"Don't insult your sheriff when he just dragged your ass across dimensions," he called back, trying to keep the light air between them for now. He took his time setting the coffee machine, giving her a moment to herself.

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

He got no real response; she couldn't think of a good one, and all the ones she got sounded strange even to her ears.

She just sat there, wings curling forwards so she could at least pretend like she was sitting, and wondered just how sturdily they rebuilt her that she wasn't even trembling right now.

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

He returned a bit later with two cups and held out one to her. She seemed to take up most of the couch and he swallowed, an apology moving to the front of his mind that he hadn't come for her sooner.

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

"It's not like you knew," she said; she didn't look at him as she took the cup, careful not to break it, and her tone held more bitter venom than she'd expected it to.

Huh.

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

"No," he agreed, letting the anger pass him by as he sat down on the couch, careful for her wings. "I got the letter the day after you left," he said softly, cupping the mug in his hands.

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

"Arcturus sent me in pretty fast," she provided, then carefully guided the cup to her lips.

It tasted different, but not unpleasant. Okay.

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

"I heard the tapes," he glanced at her, but her expression was harder to read now.

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

Another snort. "Liberty doesn't let the sun set," Kerrigan said, lowering the cup again. "Apparently he's all over the wireless back home."

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

Roy smirked and finally took a sip. "Good. I hope he nails that bastard."

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

"You and me both."

And there was the venom again.

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

Roy couldn't blame her for it, neither would he blame her if she decided to join Liberty and Raynor eventually. "Tell me what happened?" he asked quietly.

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

"I was sent out to wipe out the Protoss before they burned down Tarsonis," she said, and managed it only with the clipped tones of briefing. "Arcturus didn't want us touching the Zerg hive on the platform, because it would have granted the Confederates an opening to escape. They appeared benign, so we ran with it."

With another sip of her coffee, and her spine ramrod straight, she continued, "As soon as we cleared out the Protoss, the Zerg overran us."

She didn't remember much else, except.

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

Roy frowned and he couldn't help but asking, "do you think he knew?"

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

"He didn't want the Confederates to escape." Cool, businesslike, the works.

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

The rest were details, he hated leaders like Mengsk, his grip around the mug tightened.

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

"You know," she said, staring at the cup after a third, acclimated sip, "It doesn't even scald."

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

He blinked and glanced at her, his brain only slowly processing what she was trying to say. "What do you think they were doing?"

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

She'd seen hybrids before. But they were always mindless masses of tentacles, suicidal cannon fodder with no will of their own--

"I don't want to know," she said, hoarsely, after a moment's silence.

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

He gave her that and let the question die away. His fingers were warm from holding the cup as he rubbed at his eyes.

"Just so we're clear?" he said, talking louder now to distract her. "Those are some damn stubborn students you have."

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

"Yeah." She tried a half-hearted smile at the cup. "Should've brained Adama for pulling that stunt."

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

"He stowed away," Roy grumbled. "It seemed stupid to turn back and waste more time."

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

"He would do that."

She was aware of the heat of the cup her hand was curled around, but it was-- like echoes. Involuntarily, almost, she pulled her feet a little closer.

Still couldn't shiver, but recoil, recoil she was good at.

"Think I should get a coat?" she tried to joke.

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

He smiled wryly, wishing there was something he could do. He remembered how he'd looked at himself after losing his eye, knew it didn't come close to what she was going through.

"We'll figure it out," he said softly. "Are you cold? I can get a blanket." The thought did cross his mind that maybe she should sleep.

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

Concern. Fun. "Nah," she said, and turned her head, trying for a reassuring smile. "Go home, Roy. Get some grub. I'll catch a nap."

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

Roy frowned. "I don't have to."

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

Kerrigan just shot him a Look.

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

Roy snorted and it was strangely reassuring that he recognised that. "Fine. You'll let me know if you need anything? I can send Ralph out to do some grocery shopping if you'd like."

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

"I'll be--"

She halted.

"...Can you ask Ralph to get me some dinner? Maybe some noodles, or something?"

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

He nodded and got to his feet. "Sure thing," he said softly. "Anything else?"

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

She managed a smirk. "And a coat," she added, "Liberty always kept telling me that everything was fine as long as he had his coat."

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

"I'll see what I can do," he glanced at her a moment longer and despite that she looked different now, he smiled just a little. "It's good having you back, Sarah."

He was already turning, not really expecting any sort of agreement from her.

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

Agreement he wasn't going to get, either. "Bye, Roy," she managed. "I'll catch you later."

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

"You will," he assured her. He wasn't entirely convinced about leaving her alone, but he did understand the need for space and he'd drop by the station first before trying to do that sleep thing.

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

As soon as he'd left, she pulled up from her increasingly uncomfortable perch on the couch, found a corner of the room, and curled up in it.

She didn't sleep.