“Are you sayin’ alcohol’s always the answer for feelin’ better?” he grinned. “’Cause I don’t think that’s a good copin’ mechanism.” 

“Didn’t think you were an old-fashioned romantic,” Roy said as he arrived at their spot. 

“Didn’t think you were an old-fashioned romantic,” Roy said as he arrived at their spot. 

And knowing Buck would be with him comforted him as well. Roy didn’t have a good relationship with his father, but the old man taught him one thing: to never give up. So if he made it this far from the base and had Buck with him, things wouldn’t be so bad. “Let’s get some rest.” 

“Well, I don’t know if she’d like this job,” Em said casually. “It’s really not for everyone. But I guess I understand wanting to help out.” She sipped her beer, swishing the liquid in her mouth absentmindedly. Would she have have wanted to help her brother’s kids? His wife? Probably, she thought. She would’ve done anything for him. “I don’t think I could do the whole… quiet life thing. Settling down in a suburb somewhere with a white picket fence and 2.5 kids. I’d be bored out of my skull,” she added with a grin.

Roy took a swig of his beer. “But when I’m done this job, I’m gonna move my family outta the city and get us a farm. Get some chickens, goats, a few horses, maybe even a cow.” He stared into the sunset, imagining his perfect life. As far as he was concerned, he blew this not-date with Em. She wouldn’t be interested in him knowing he was married. So, he might as well just enjoy his beer, the company, and the sunset. 

“ …And yet I’m wearing Kevlar, in 90 plus degree weather, just for ‘shits-and-giggles’ apparently– since such accidents are ‘neeeeeever’ going to happen.”

It would be a shame if she was involved in an accident. A replacement cook would be hired, but he was starting to like her. “Now, uh...” he leaned in closer towards her, “I’m not sayin’ I got the authority to give someone a chip but...well let’s just say I know where they’re stored and how to activate ‘em.” 

Engineer: No.

“… I’ll bet you could screw a bunch of little hooks into the walls, lace it up, and just roll back one side, when you’re done using it.”

Roy glanced at his left wrist. “But that thing hurt so much it might kill ‘em!” he let out a small laugh. “Did yours scar over? ‘Cause mine never really healed,” he added in, assuming the cook was also a recipient of the respawn chip. 

“Didn’t think you were an old-fashioned romantic,” Roy said as he arrived at their spot. 

Roy sat on the edge of a bed. It was soft enough and he decided it would be good enough to sleep on. “Bedbugs’ll be the least of our problems,” Roy muttered, kicking his shoes off. 

“–You could hide a whole CAR in the fields, in the middle of the year.”

Roy popped a grape into his mouth. “I don’t even like ‘em leavin’ the workshop. This little one escaped on me.” 

*whisper*sh~wake up~ time work~