[ video ]

[hostage]

[The video's shaky when Jesse starts transmitting. He's at the baseball diamond and it's the middle of winter and he's shivering, dressed for a New Mexico summer in a hoodie that's barely thicker than the t-shirt he's wearing underneath it.]

I'm here.

[He's saying that to the NV, but his attention is away from the camera, directed to the road.]

Where's a goddamn taxi...

[He stops walking for a second and raises the NV so he can talk to it properly.]

I'm here. I'm okay. How long's it been? What year is it?

Comments

[manicpixiedreamgirl]

Oh my god.

[Cue Alice dropping her NV and freaking out.]

Jesse, are you okay?

[hostage]

[Allow him to quickly reassure:]

Yeah! Yeah, I'm fine! Nothing happened, I just - I got sent home, I guess.

[manicpixiedreamgirl]

Oh thank god.

[She sags in relief, releasing a breath she didn't know she was holding. Still getting used to that part of being human.]

When I heard you were gone I couldn't...I'm just glad you're home.

[hostage]

God, I'm sorry. I wish I could've... I would've at least said goodbye. I didn't wanna go.

[manicpixiedreamgirl]

No, don't apologize, you've got no reason to.

[She pauses, chewing on her bottom lip. There's been something on his mind, since he disappeared, and the problem about being human is now those kinds of things have the lovely side effect of keeping her up at night.]

Speaking of apologies, I think....I owe you one.

[hostage]

What? Why?

[manicpixiedreamgirl]

I almost ate you.

[hostage]

[That gets a strange little laugh out of him.]

[manicpixiedreamgirl]

What's so funny about that?

[She's still sick to her stomach about it, don't make fun.]

[hostage]

It's okay. Don't worry about it.