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[finewithhalf]

If you're looking for me, I'm out. Drop me a message, and I'll get back to you when I feel like it.

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[catchacold]

I don't know about that. Actually, most our lives the world has done whatever it can for us not to be together.

[He frowns for a moment, leaning against the wall.]

We wanna be together. We've been wanting to be together since we met. You can bet that we didn't have parental approval.

[finewithhalf]

[She presses her lips together, and rocks on the balls of her feet innocently.]

I don't know about you, but I don't see any parents around here.

[catchacold]

You're right about that.

[And is he ever thankful for that, being turned back into a child for events is bad enough without his father actually being there.]

We didn't let it stop us then either.

[finewithhalf]

So it worked out anyway. Because the universe is a lot bigger than the world. So... Even if the world kicked you out, the universe is taking care of it.

[catchacold]

I prefer to think of it as us taking care of our own fate, but I get what you mean.

[He looks at her, just the hint of a smile.]

Your own actions matter most of all. You do what you want, Maya.

[finewithhalf]

I always do, Lenny.

[She hops onto the edge of the bed she shares with Riley, swinging her legs over the side.]

So you're back together. What do you wanna do next?

[catchacold]

[She's sweet and things seem simpler through her eyes, so he just shrugs.]

We gotta deal. He still has a bad time ahead of him. Other than that, I don't know.

[Looking down, he presses his lips together for a moment, hand closing around his upper arm.]

This is what we've left. Better than nothing.

[finewithhalf]

So we don't go home. And then he doesn't have to do all that stuff.

[and this might be the first time she's expressed that out loud. Her eyes slide away from him, in case he finds the idea repellent. ]

[catchacold]

Yeah, princess. But it ain't looking like we really got a choice in what this place does, does it?

[Leonard sighs and shakes his head.]

If I could, I'd change time for him.

[finewithhalf]

Why can't you? Isn't that the point of all that superhero stuff you get involved with? Make your nerd work on it.

[catchacold]

Cause I died blowing up the people who tried to control time the way they wanted it to go.

I don't like being controlled.

[finewithhalf]

I meant the staying here part. Make him work on that.

So that way nobody has to go back.

[catchacold]

Don't think he has the key to that.

[But that's not really what's important. Leonard pushes away from the wall and walks closer to her, just a few steps.]

Why don't you want to go home, Maya?

[finewithhalf]

[She shrugs, and reaches up to tuck her hair behind an ear.]

We're not talking about me right now, Lenny. And -- your friend's smart. Like taking-over-the-world smart. He can figure it out if you tell him to.

[catchacold]

I'm talking about you, princess.

[And he's not just going to let that one go.]

Lotta smart people there, ain't nobody figured this place out yet. But your life back home ain't that bad, is it?

[finewithhalf]

[More shrugging, though now she's pulling her knees up and curling against them.]

What, I'm not allowed to like it better here?

[catchacold]

Sure you are. You're also allowed to tell me to fuck off.

[Language. Eh, whatever.]

But I'm still allowed to be curious. Why?

[finewithhalf]

I just do. It's not a big deal.

[Except it could potentially become a big deal.]

But you can't tell Riley.

[catchacold]

You're lucky that works better than me telling you what not to tell Mick.

[But he's not actually upset about that, so he says it more as an aside than anything before focusing on the main issue.]

I don't think there's any way to guarantee staying here. Sorry, princess. But I know a lot of geniuses are trying to figure things out, so who knows.

[finewithhalf]

I don't want you to be dead, Lenny.

[Because that part should be the most important part.]

[catchacold]

Hey.

[He kneels down, more level with her, after a moment's hesitation reaching out to put a hand on her shoulder.]

I ain't wild about it either. But I knew what I was doing. I made the choice. That's not so bad, as death goes.

[finewithhalf]

Did it hurt?

[catchacold]

[He hesitates to answer, not to shield her but as he tries to figure out how to respond.

Finally he shakes his head.]

We were at the Vanishing Point. It's a place a bit like here, outside the time stream. Looked like something out of Star Wars. There was this thing called the Oculus. The Time Masters used it to predict events and manipulate them so that the timeline would turn out the way they wanted it.

Sounds very out there, I know. [What can he do? Such has his life turned into.] We needed to destroy it, but to do that someone had to stop the fail-safe. Mick wanted to do it, but I wasn't gonna leave him to it, so I took his place. And then [He holds out one fist and slowly uncurls his fingers.] it all blew up. Me at the centre. I don't think I had time to feel anything. Last I remember was the light of the explosion, then I woke up here.

[finewithhalf]

So wait... [This is hard, and requires paying more attention than she normally likes to pay.]

If you died in a place like here. Then don't you get to do it again? People come back, right?

[catchacold]

Nah. It ain't like that, sorry.

[There are some questions he has regarding his death, but none of them really consider that he might come back somehow. He doesn't buy it. No need to give her any hope.]

I'm not coming back.