Heyy guys, I'm BACK. This chapter is a bit longer than the rest. I indulged myself seeing as I haven't been able to do much creative writing during term.

Anyway, enjoy and please let me know what you think :)

*Warning this story has adapted to the events of tftbl, and so following chapters won't be 100% consistent with the previous ones (also, spoilers, obviously).

Diving

The first time Janey goes diving, Athena gets a concussion.

The water is warm and thick around Janey's calves, and it swirls slowly as she kicks her legs back and forth. She watches her toes through the steam coming off the surface and smiles at how weird they look magnified and slightly pruned. But she can't bring herself to lift 'em out and dry off for a while. 'Cause the temperature in this exact pool of natural spring is perf for her scars; warm enough to sooth the puckered skin up her left side, rather than cause her pain.

Which is a relief because her scars seem to be in a constant state of irritation these days thanks to Pandora's ruddy weather.

And sand.

Damn she hates the sand.

But that statement wavers in her mind as she eases herself off the edge and into the water, glancing briefly at the sky when a cloud passes over the open roofed cave. Soft, muddy silt caresses her heels and the balls of her feet when she comes to rest in the shallow end of the pool. She sits back against a rocky outcrop, board shorts keeping her skin from harm, and finds herself neck deep, gaze directed toward the other end of the pool. It's a good three metres to the bottom over that way.

When Athena had first bought her here, blindfolded and unamused by a pun about 'springing a surprise' on her, the gladiator had swum down and bought up a handful of black, silty sand to prove to her that it wasn't a bottomless pit. Athena's evidence had been complete with a triumphant grin and a fan of blue hair plastered to the side of her face.

And that was how Janey began the process of learning how to swim, probs being the most reluctant student in the history of ever, while also having the most impatient teacher in the history of ever.

But somehow they'd managed it over the last month. Athena had chosen a good spot, with water drawn deep enough from the ground to actually be clear and, well, survivable, and hidden in a place of 'strategic advantage' where trip wires could be laid out to warn them if anyone was coming. That last point was more for Athena's peace of mind than hers. Janey didn't reckon anyone else knew about this place, otherwise, knowing Pandora, there'd probs be a big advertising sign out front with a fiver entrance fee.

SPLASH!

Janey looks to her left at the noise and sees Athena pop up in the plunge pool, arms crossed and teeth set in a kinda maniacal grin; clearly enjoyin' the challenge of seeing how long she can last this time in the freezing water. Janey doubts she'll ever understand the pleasure Athena gets out of swapping between the hot pool and cold pool and back again. Not when the massive warm pool is perfect right in the middle. Real perfect…

Janey sighs as she tips her head back against the edge and closes her eyes, giving up on Athena's kinda masochistic tendencies – nah wait, that isn't the right word. Janey scrunches her nose. Athena gets pleasure from pushing herself harder and farther, till she's running on the edge; Janey's seen it, more than she'd like, but she doesn't know if there's a term for it. Adrenaline junkie seems too tame for what Athena does– did.

A knot twists in her chest at the difficulty she has convincing herself that it's really past tense. Knowing Athena's leaving in a few weeks on a long delivery job for some company, 'Fiasha', that she's never heard of before, only makes it harder to–

"HAH!" Athena's voice forcibly interrupts her thoughts. "Four minutes down for the count!"

"Good stuff, hun," Janey calls back quietly, not trusting her voice not to break. Athena obviously doesn't hear her. Janey turns to watch her get out of the plunge pool and walk back over to the hot one, tank top and underwear plastered tightly to her skin. Janey admires the defined muscles of her back and shoulders for a moment before–

SPLASH!

Janey turns back round and reckons it'd be good switch her mind onto something lighter. Namely the nice memories she has of feeling Athena's slick skin against hers and those strong arms supporting her, directing her, as she learnt how to swim. Admittedly those same things hindered her in other areas – concentration for bloody one. Honestly though, she still doesn't understand why she needed to learn. She's a mechanic from the damn moon, not some adventurer planning to wade through every toxic pool from here to the Frozen Wastes.

But Athena had weirdly insisted, so she gave in. She likes to try and ease Athena's anxiety over their 'safety and survival situation' whenever she can. Not that there really is one.

Janey twirls her fingers in the water. Maybe it's one of Athena's speaking-through-actions things. Even if it is, Janey's got no clue what she's tryna say. Sometimes it feels like they speak totally different languages…

Her bangs begin to stick to her cheeks as steam and condensation tug them down. She reaches up and adjusts her headband to keep them away and is about to lean back again when–

SPLASH!

Waves wash up against her neck in response to Athena's sudden presence in the deeper end of the pool. Janey laughs despite herself when Athena's head pops up, cheeks full. The former assassin sprays a stream of water in her direction.

It falls hopelessly short.

"Bit premature there, 'Thena." Janey smiles as Athena swims towards her. "You sure you don't needa see someone about controllin' that?"

Athena pauses, before grinning. "Hah. That a challenge, Springs?"

Aw no, Janey knows that look.

Athena dives beneath the water.

Janey looses sight of her against the dark sand.

Aw no, no, no.

She edges back, hands trying to find the edge of the pool.

A hand slips around her ankle.

"No, no!" Janey practically yells in her haste to try and leave the pool. It's a useless effort against that grip. "Athena! No!"

She's about to kick when she realises she's not actually being pulled under. What…? The hand moves up her calf. Fingers begin to dance lightly over her scars and– OH.

"No, no, Athenah-haha!" She can't stop her laughter as Athena tickles up her body. "'Thena! No! Stopah-haha-I cahhan't–"

She throws out her hands against Athena's shoulders when Athena breaks the surface and concentrates on her stomach. Dexterous fingers seem to be everywhere at once, and one hand unfairly focuses along the sensitive skin of her side.

If she has any breath left, it's quickly stolen by the look Athena gives her before she's suddenly lifted up and out of the pool.

Her back hits the dusty ground and Athena's weight settles on her hips. Janey wriggles but finds her forearms pinned above her head.

"'Thena," she grumbles and looks around for something to use to her advantage as sand sticks itself all over her skin. She sees her towel and kinda wishes she'd landed on that. But when she looks back up at Athena with a pout, all complaints die in her mouth.

'Cause Athena's tank top has ridden up on an angle, and the abs running down her stomach are showing all hard and defined and heaving and wet and…

Shit. Will she ever get used to that?

The view disappears as Athena leans forward, and Janey's breath catches at the feeling of strong hips shifting over her.

Blue eyes appear before hers, half-lidded and looking down at her. Athena's lips are slightly tilted in a smile, and Janey leans up almost unconsciously. She can feel Athena's breath warm and inviting on her skin as she closes her eyes. Lips brush against hers, once, twice, and – bloody hell she can't lean up any further to capture them. She's about to complain about this, but then teeth pull at her bottom lip and a moan curls up her throat instead.

"I think this is pretty controlled," Athena murmurs, and Janey can feel it so close but so far. "Don't you?"

Then the warm breath disappears and Athena shifts back. Janey opens her eyes. She can feel the heat rise up her neck as Athena stares down at her, arms crossed smugly. Arms crossed…

She smirks and, with her newly freed arms, she quickly pushes herself up till Athena is sitting in her lap.

Janey watches Athena's grin disappear real quick when she runs a hand over her tanned abs – shit they feel good – up and around her back, and draws the two of them closer together. She savours Athena's intake of breath, and she makes a point to slowly splay her fingers over her spine as she leans down.

"I reckon," she whispers, looking into Athena's eyes and watching a blush spread over her cheeks. Bloody adorable. "That was more like teasing, my dear lady."

She smiles that last part and takes Athena's cheek in her free hand, lifting her jaw up so their lips can finally meet. The kiss is only light at first, brushes of wet skin with mingling breaths as heavy as the doubt between them. But when they connect fully – determined and breathtaking – Janey has to swallow the ache in her throat to concentrate on the lips under hers, and the gasp she just felt against her mouth.

Because Athena's lips are full and smooth and warm against her and Janey is surprised when they part so quickly, gently, to let her in. But she doesn't question it. She just moves her hand behind Athena's head and takes all she can get, tilting them forward till Athena's arms circle around her. And she feels Athena kiss her back so soft and committed and open that she can't help but dig her fingers into tanned, wet skin, so real and firm under hers and–

The knot in her chest suddenly bursts.

And she chokes a sob into Athena's mouth.

Because this is when she feels it.

This is when she knows Athena loves her.

When the tie between them is so obvious, in the journey of Athena's lips and the heavy excitement of her breath, in the openness of her shoulders and the inviting spread of her arms, in the display of her bare chest and the offering of her vulnerable neck; laying it all before her, not holding anything back.

It's a performance of 'I love you, I trust you'.

And Janey wishes Athena could say it out loud, just once to make it real. But it's taken two years to get to this point and shit knows how long it'll take for Athena to get to words. And it's not fair and she's scared and what if it's a fluke and shit, shit…

"Hon?"

Janey feels Athena's voice against her neck and realises she's been pulled into a hug. Despite everything, this action alone gives her hope – it's so far from the uncertain response Athena would've had to her emotions when they first started fucking, dating, all that time ago; beginning their desperate attempts to try and live in parallel.

She tightens her arms around Athena's back and she can sense that Athena's compulsive uncertainty has grown since then into something more like confused acceptance – she knows Athena still doesn't understand her feelings, can't reciprocate them to the same degree. But at least she never shies away from them now, never says 'no', and Janey tries to convince herself that's enough.

"Sorry, darl," she mumbles into Athena's hair. "Just…gonna miss ya."

She blows out a breath and lets herself feel the quick tense in the thighs around her, and she wonders what it means.

"…I'll miss you too, Janey." Athena's voice is quiet and Janey focuses on how the tone of it changes when saying 'Janey' rather than 'Springs'. It's lighter, more fragile; something dear.

"To the moon and back?"

Athena laughs, deep and shoulder shrugging and Janey feels it everywhere. An' she remembers the night some months ago when they'd both had a few too many shots of Flamin' Rakk at the Purple Skag, and Athena had reckoned it was real important to declare several times that, 'Fuck, I'd follow you to the moon and back, Springs. Hah, bring it!'.

It wasn't till they'd gotten home that Athena remembered neither of them could go back to Elpis anyway.

Janey is pulled out of the memory as Athena draws back from the embrace. Her choppy blue hair has dried a bit and it frames the outline of her face. Janey watches her smile a little crookedly, eyebrows drawing up and together. "Yes, Springs, to the moon and back."

With that, Athena stands and offers her a hand. Janey takes it and tries to shake her thoughts while she shakes the sand from her arms and legs. When she's done wiping herself as best she can, she notices Athena is standing with her hands on her hips, looking up at the ledge sticking out above the warm pool. Athena grins at her.

"You're ready for your final lesson."

"That so?" Janey raises an eyebrow. "Kinda thought I'd graduated."

"Not quite."

Athena takes her hand, laces their fingers, and Janey finds herself led up one side of the cave till they're standing on the ledge overlooking the pool.

"Diving! Final lesson," Athena announces.

Janey rubs the back of her neck.

"Diving as in…like junk diving?" Janey's been junk diving all throughout her life, looking for salvage and other bits, but she doesn't really get how that'd work in water.

Athena seems to realise this after a second. "Oh, uh, sorry. No, diving in this situation is entering a body of water, potentially from height, in a safe and efficient way."

Athena brings them to the edge and lifts her arms to form a kind of long triangle, palm over hand at the end. Janey reluctantly mimics the stance after Athena gestures to her.

"'Thena, I don't really–"

"Now, the most important thing when diving headfirst is knowing your water depth. If you don't know that, always jump feet first. Better to break your legs than your neck. We'll be fine here though."

This does nothing to reassure Janey.

"So…I defs have to go underwater then?" If she's honest, it's more the head-being-underwater thing that freaks her out rather than the breaking-bones thing. She managed to put up with the frightening sensation of having the world dulled around her for the few lessons she had to, but she really thought they were done with that.

"Its just water, Springs," Athena states in her rough, rational, teaching voice; as if it's the easiest thing. "Hon, you've been living on this planet for over a year now, you can't tell me the unexpected doesn't happen here. Because it does. A lot. And if you can see the situation before you get there, and if you know what to do, then you'll survive. You can do this."

"Um…" Janey glances over the edge and sees the black-bottomed pool of steaming water. The afternoon sun reflects off the surface and bores sharply into her eyes. She steps back. Athena sighs.

"Look, hon. I'll go first okay? Watch." Athena curls her toes over the edge, puts arms out in front, and Janey watches her intake of breath just before she bends her knees and jumps–

TINK TINK TINK

The trip wire.

Athena slips.

TINK TINK TINK TINK

Janey reaches out on instinct, but it's not fast enough and she snatches the empty air where Athena's arm was. It's almost slow motion, as she watches Athena fall feet first, not far enough from the edge, head cracking against a rock on the way down, falling into the water like a ragdoll. Sinking.

TINK TINK TINK TINK TINK

Janey only glances up long enough to see a skag pup wander into the cave, trip wire and cans tangled around its legs, before she dives off after Athena.

She hits the water unclean and painful.

And sound becomes dull and echoey. And water shoves itself up her nose. And she realises she forgot to take a proper breath.

But she clamps her jaw shut and forces her eyes open.

Nothing. The ruddy black sand acts like a camouflage, disguising anything from view. Janey turns herself in a sluggish circle, desperate, eyes straining.

She sees a flash of blue in the fragmented sunlight.

She swims after it. Her lungs are on fire. And shit she wants to cry out at the pressure change in her damaged ear. But she keeps going.

Down, down. Her hands meet smooth flesh, an arm, a waist. Janey quickly wraps herself around Athena and pushes up from the bottom.

And thank shit water makes you lighter 'cause Janey struggles as it is to lift Athena up above the surface.

Suddenly sound returns and she gasps in a lungful of air. There isn't an answering one from Athena. She makes it to the edge. Manages to haul herself and Athena up. Notices the blood on her palm when she rolls Athena onto her side, sees the trail of it up Athena's neck, where it vanishes into slick wet hair.

"Athena? 'Thena, honey. Please…"

Athena doesn't move, isn't breathing. Seconds are like hours. Janey's body feels like it's caving in on itself.

Do something, dipshit!

Janey lurches into action. She rolls Athena onto her back to start compressions, but then she feels it – the ribs under hands giving a mighty heave. She quickly pushes Athena back onto her side, and watches her cough up water and vomit and it's not too much and Janey hopes that's a good thing; her vision's kinda blurring, she guesses that's tears. Athena's still not breathing proper.

"'Thena?" She grips Athena's shoulder, spreads a hand over her hip.

Athena gasps.

And she's finally breathing.

And it's the most beautiful sound Janey's ever heard.

Athena coughs up a bit more water before her eyes open fully. She groans and tries to move. Janey stops her gently.

"Hold up, hun." She wipes some of the hair from Athena's face. "You hit ya head on the way down."

"Janey?"

"Yeah, I'm here– no stay still, darl. Let your enhancers work for a sec."

"Hnnugh, why am I wet?" Athena squints up at her, blue eyes cloudy.

"We're at the springs." Janey reminds her. "You were diving and hit your head."

"Hah, 'Springs'." Athena makes a weird attempt at quote marks using all her fingers.

Janey can't help but laugh.

"Yeah, top stuff." She wipes her eyes with the back of her hand. "Lets settle down on the puns for a while, ay? Don't want you hurtin' yourself further."

And so Janey dries them both off, being careful to help Athena into a sitting position. They didn't bring any rejuvenators, not that they can afford them, but they only have to wait fifteen minutes before the cut on Athena's head seals itself, presumably to keep fixin' up the stuff underneath. Janey helps her up and gets her haphazardly dressed. Athena's balance slowly improves as they walk back through the cave. The skag pup is nowhere to be seen. Lucky for it. Janey still wants to strangle the thing.

Outside it's getting dark, and the nightly wind is already picking up. It bites at Janey's skin with its sandy teeth. They make their way to the older-style Runner she found and brought back from the dead earlier in the year.

She helps Athena into the passenger seat and is just doing the seatbelt up when a hand circles around her wrist.

"Janey?"

"Yeah?" Janey pauses. "You right, hun? D'you need to–"

"We should skinny-dip next time."

Janey snorts.

"Aw hell, 'Thena, why don't you say these things when ya not concussed?" She grins, but sees Athena is clearly still waitin' for an answer. Wow, she really is out of it… Janey quickly checks her pupils; dilated, but the same size. Phew. "Soz. But yeah sure, why not ay?"

"You swear?"

"Yes, I swear." Janey plays along as she finishes with the seatbelt.

Athena narrows her eyes, serious. "To the spoon and back?"

"Yeah, hun, to the moon and back."

Athena smiles contently, like this just fixed all the problems on Pandora, and Janey kisses her lightly on the forehead before getting in round the other side of the Runner. The drive home is quiet through the windswept commons, save for the hum of the engine and the sound of feasting skags in the distance. Athena only asks twice who Janey is, and how someone so cute is really her girlfriend.

Deals

The first time Athena punches a hole in the wall, Janey comes up with a compromise.

"I just don't get why you lied, Athena. Do– did you even say you loved me to Fiona?"

"…No."

"Shit." Janey runs a hand through her bangs, wipes it down her face. "Well…do you love me?"

"I…yes, Janey." Athena feels like the hallway is closing in around her; feels like the dirt and blood covering her skin is sinking through her flesh to wrap around her heart. She can't breathe. Just finish the sentence. "Of course."

"Then– Then why'd you do it?"

"I didn't have a choice." Athena's voice is forceful as she tries to build a mental wall, prop herself up. But she's tired, so tired after the long journey home from Sanctuary. And she can feel it; the storm of anger and confusion and conflict. It's rising from her stomach, scoring up her throat–

"Bullshit, Athena. You always have a choice."

– and she's too exhausted to stop it.

"Argh!" Rage takes her and she lashes out. She strikes the wall by Janey's neck. The flimsy metal moulds around her fist, splinters, and swallows her hand till she hits the concrete behind it.

Athena's shoulders heave. She can feel the blood weeping from the torn skin of her knuckles. It doesn't hurt. She glances over to see Janey's eyes are shut, body stiff. She breathes out and in the silence she watches Janey look up slowly, eyes big and brown; a rabbit before a skag.

"No. I don't." Athena drops the words callously, straight into Janey's face. "Do you know what it's fucking like, Springs, to have a constant thirst for adrenalin and blood running through your veins, telling you to kill, kill, kill, till nothing's left? Huh? Can you imagine what it's like trying to turn that off? Give it up, cold-turkey? To just deny everything that you are?"

Athena withdraws her fist; it's starting to throb. She steps back and spreads her arms. "Hell, I can't even remember a time when I could look at a person without envisioning how I'd do it; how I'd take their life and god how satisfying it would feel when I did."

Janey's eyes flash and Athena realises she's smiling. She lets it die. "And to be asked to choose between that and the only person I've ever loved since my little sister di–died–" She chokes on the word because 'murdered' burns itself on her tongue instead and–

There's an intake of breath from Janey.

Athena falters. She realises it's the first time she's actually said the word 'love' to her. Fuck. She begins to throw barriers up in earnest, because shit that's too real for her to deal with when she's feeling like this. One problem at a time, soldier.

She swallows, tries to ignore the way Janey has glued herself to the wall, and unconsciously tugs at the chain around her neck. The action has already become a reflex in the two days she's been wearing it. She grips the silver engagement ring strung between her clavicles, and forces her voice in to something cold and sharp as steel. "So no, Janey, I don't have a choice. Not when I know I'll never be able to live without either of those things."

Her grip tightens on the ring. She still isn't certain how they went from staggering toward the bedroom, with Janey in her arms, whispering the name 'Mrs Athena Springs' low and husky in her ear while running her hands down to grip her ass, to this confrontation in the hall. And that confusion only makes her more agitated, because clearly she– they aren't ready for this, and somehow that makes her chest tighten.

She doesn't realise how hard she's pulling on the chain till the clasp at the back snaps. Thick, warm metal slinks itself down her neck to hang from her fist.

Janey glances to the chain, then back up at her, lips tight.

And Athena doesn't know what to do in the following pause where Janey's breathing feels like sandpaper against her skin. So she stuffs the ring and chain into the pocket of her undone pants and hikes them up to leave. The urge to run and strike and immerse herself in battle is pounding through her body, and she needs to get out of here.

She manages to take a few controlled steps before Janey unfreezes. Long fingers wrap around Athena's arm but flinch away when she turns.

There are tears in Janey's eyes. Athena doesn't know what emotion pushes them down Janey's cheeks. Fear? Probably. The word 'monster' flashes in her head.

"Hun– 'Thena." Janey visibly calms herself; straightens her spine, wipes her cheeks, puts on a fake smile of…reassurance? Maybe. "Don't go. You're never not welcome in your own home– our home. It's alright, just…go take ya shower. I'll sort dinner out."

Janey edges past her and Athena can see that she's shaking.

Splat.

Athena looks down to see a drop of blood on the worn floorboards. She refocuses and notices the trail of red running down her fingers from her knuckles. With every throb, a fresh swell of blood drains down, seeking the easiest path toward the ground–

Splat. Splat. Splat.

Athena breathes out and physically feels the fight leaving her with each drop. Exhaustion rolls over her in its place. She brings her fist to her chest, lets the blood change direction down her arm, and somehow turns her feet to walk down the hall.

The bathroom door swings away easily under her hand. The light is too bright in her eyes. She turns it off and gets undressed. Any concern about how sharp her ribs feel is distant and nonessential; she's had worse. The throb in her fist is lessening. Her enhancers are already taking over, directing her skin to self-suture back together. The crawling itch of it used to unsettle her. Now it's just a message; her body informing her brain that it's doing its job.

She works her hands over her belt and her combat pants hit the floor with an abnormal 'chink'. Dully, Athena bends down and fishes through the pocket. Her fingers wrap around the chain. She pulls it out and manages to stop the ring before it glides off.

In the shaft of light spilling through the doorway, she can see the clasp is broken. Regret digs behind her eyes at the sight, and so she drops the chain back atop her pile of clothes. She pulls her sports bra over her head, remembers to remove her underwear, and closes the bathroom door with indifference.

It's a long shower in the dark. She washes and washes the dirt from her body till the hot water cuts out. After that she stands with the showerhead directed away, too tired to think to turn it off. At some point she hears the door open, watches distorted light spill over her ankles briefly before it shuts again. She turns the shower off.

Wet and dripping, she steps out and flicks the light on to find a towel that isn't too damp. A fresh one sits on the sink, next to a set of clean pyjamas. Athena doesn't remember seeing them when she entered. How long ago was that?

She dries herself and grows fatigued from seeing so much clean skin. Clean skin means the mission is over, and her body can stop fighting so hard to keep her alert and awake. She wonders if Janey has concluded the same; after all, the mechanic always guides her to the shower first thing after a welcome-home kiss so perhaps–

The thought of kissing halts Athena's thoughts. This gives regret room to try and crawl back in. It doesn't succeed. She's too exhausted to feel even that. Her towel drops. She goes to pick up the nightshirt on the sink and sees her chain sitting on top of it, clasp fixed and engagement ring strung through.

She picks it up and reads the writing engraved inside the ring:

'My dear lady'

She pauses and tries to think about her next move, but is too tired. So she puts the chain back on and lets the ring settle against her sternum. She gets dressed.

Dinner is silent. But the food is good; best Athena's had since she was captured. Only she's had since she was captured, now that she tries to remember.

She eats two serves, starts on a third – Janey knows to cook enough for five by now, when they can afford it – and she spends most of that time focused on her plate, unable to look up at Janey sitting next to her.

She's just finishing off the last few mouthfuls when she feels a socked foot brush against hers. It's so brief that she can't tell if it was intentional or not, but it prompts her into action anyway. She glances over to Janey's plate, where Janey is still picking through her first serve, and decides things are safe enough to try…

She slowly reaches under the table for Janey's hand where it rests on the mechanic's thigh. There's no resistance when she tries to hold it, only the barest pause in the movement of Janey's fork. The calloused skin feels cold and limp against hers. Athena waits a few moments…

Nothing.

She's about to withdraw, but then Janey's hand finally closes round hers. Their fingers lace together.

Athena takes it as good sign.

For the next few days, Athena concentrates on regaining her strength. Janey doesn't bring up delivery jobs or even merc work during this time, in fact she doesn't talk much at all, just draws up blueprints when she's home from the garage. Athena isn't sure how to approach this behaviour, or whether she even should. However she's relieved of the concern when, just as she's getting restless, Janey gives her a job, saying she's keen to start up jewellery making again, like she was doing with kraggons back on Elpis.

So Athena spends the next week hunting all manner of creatures; skags, rakk, anything that moves really – and doesn't have the capability to fire back at her. Though if a vehicle full of bandits happens to drive past and fire upon her first…well.

She takes pleasure in this task on the whole. It keeps her bloodlust sated and gives her something to channel her energy into, but it leaves her mind somewhat bored. Scoping out and shooting up rakk nests isn't nearly as strategically challenging as clearing out bandit camps. But she appreciates it as much as she can.

At night, Janey leaves the bedroom door open, but Athena sleeps on the couch of her own volition. She doesn't want to wake Janey with her early departures and late arrivals, stinking of sweat and skag blood. And besides, the bedroom feels too…unsettling right now.

In the snatches she is at home, Athena knows Janey's working on something – she's aloof and reserved, and spends all her time in the workroom below the house. Which is odd, because Athena knows most of her projects reside in the main garage.

But she doesn't question it as she brings home her catches each day, skinning and disembowelling them, prepping the meat to be eaten, laying the bones out to be picked clean, fleshing and washing the hides to be sold or tanned. She enjoys the preparation process, and the precision and focus it requires, but misses the challenge of the hunt and the satisfaction of the kill. None of her tasks seem to fit quite right. She wishes she could stop comparing every experience to the thrill of combat, it's a useless exercise; nothing can match it.

But she concedes, at least, that this work is better than doing deliveries.

Late one night, she's is roused from sleep by a hand on her shoulder. She blinks her eyes open and is perfectly still for a moment as she assesses her surroundings. Worn cushions under her side: the couch; shadow on the ground: light coming from behind her; long fingers leaving her shirt: Janey's hand.

Athena relaxes, lets out a yawn and squints up at Janey where she stands behind the couch.

"Heya." Janey's voice is tired and low, and it pours over Athena like honey. She hadn't realised how much she's missed it.

"Hi… Is something wrong?" Athena pushes herself up into sitting and tugs down her shirt. Her body feels sluggish. She's still not used to sleeping heavily.

"No, it's all good." Janey lifts her hand like she's about to run it through Athena's hair, but she hesitates and withdraws it. "Got somethin' to show ya, though."

Athena hears the small smile in her voice, and she wishes it were lighter so she could see it. But Janey walks away and so she gets up and follows her through to the hall and down the stairs, noticing the grease-stained mess of her coveralls – not pajamas – and the weight of her steps.

Janey stops at the workroom door and Athena is careful not to bump into her. Janey turns, and this time Athena can see the smile she gives. It's soft and nervous– no, remorseful? Either way, Athena wants to take her hand and build some sort of bridge between them. But Janey speaks before she can.

"Righty, here we go then." Janey opens the door.

And Athena is guided into a fully equipped gym; junker and salvage edition. Her eyes quickly flick around the room, assessing the new addition to their home. Carpet and mats on the floor, mirrors on one wall to make the room feel larger, bench, barbells, weight plates, cables, a rack in one corner, a repaired treadmill in another, chin up/dipping bars… There's even a punching bag decorated with a psycho's mask and the words 'meat bicycle!'

Athena gravitates toward the free weight stand on her left, where dumbbells are stacked in a vertical triangle. She spots one labeled '10kgs' in Janey's scratchy writing, and calculates the weight to around 22lbs Pandoran in her head. She hefts it, curls her arm up and enjoys the stretch of her muscles. She senses Janey come round beside her.

"We'll do it in stages, hun."

Athena notes the way Janey's voice hits the walls and falls flat; the room is soundproofed. She puts the dumbbell down and looks up as Janey continues.

"You were right." Janey folds her slender arms, then lets them drop. "Cold turkey wasn't fair an'…I'm sorry for makin' you feel torn up inside 'cause I couldn't see that."

There are tears in her eyes. Again. Athena steps forward and gently takes her hand. It seems to help, because she smiles. Maybe the tears are happy this time. God she hopes so.

She watches Janey's throat bob in a swallow as she collects herself.

"An' I– I know this is something you might neva be able to get rid of, an' it's something I have to accept that maybe I can't fix." Janey swipes a thumb over the top of Athena's hand, and Athena squeezes back in response. "But it's something we can tackle together. So how 'bout a compromise? Still no merc work, but we'll find something betta than deliveries. And when the 'feelings' get too strong, you can come down here and work 'em off for howeva long ya need. I won't disturb you. Y'know, except to make sure you don't pass out from dehydration or nothin'…"

Janey takes a shuddering breath. "Sound good?"

Athena takes a second to process everything Janey has just offered, and she decides it's not perfect but, "It's a start, Janey."

"Good." Janey visibly relaxes and tugs her back toward the door. "Now, lets get to bed. I'm bloody knackered."

Athena lets herself be led up the stairs and into their bedroom. She helps Janey out of her clothes, runs her hands over her pale skin, over the scars up her side, along her neck. She kisses her slow and heavy as they fall into bed, and tries to pour as much 'I love you' into the kiss as she can, till Janey's forehead head nudges into her neck in exhaustion. She feels Janey sigh into her skin, just above her ring.

Athena moves them around till Janey's back is against her chest, and she's curled around the mechanic's long body from behind. She tightens her arm over Janey's hip, fans a hand over the warm skin of her stomach and kisses her shoulder blade, open mouthed and a little sloppy.

"I love you, Janey." She murmurs into the fluffy hairs at the base of her neck.

But Janey is already asleep.

WHY DID TALES HAVE TO FUCK IT UP SO BAD AND LEAVE US WITH THIS MESS TO FIX?

GOD

okay, rant over