Children of Caliburn

As soon as the Captain dismissed the staff, the boardroom exploded with activity.  Everyone wanted to get started, and no one wanted to be the last department down on the planet.  Joanna wanted to talk to Matt, to congratulate him on the award.  She didn’t get a chance though, as soon as she got up, she was swept out of the boardroom by the excited flow of people.  Joanna looked around for Gabbie, but she had disappeared as well.  

Everyone was babbling to each other animatedly; she could barely hear herself think.  She was pulled into a crowded elevator, and the confined space only made the chattering worse.  She was starting to get a headache.  

I haven’t even had breakfast yet.  

They reached the main deck and as soon as the doors opened Joanna was free.  The mob began to split off towards their respective departments, and Joanna would soon be able to walk back back to Linguistics in peace.  

Well, almost.  

“Hey, Jo!” a voice shouted from behind her.  She turned to see Blake Foster extricate himself from behind a pair of physicists and walk towards her.  

“Oh, Blake!  It’s been a while!”

Oh God oh God oh God.  

“I haven’t seen you in years!” He had that same carefree smile she’d seen him wear in the conference room.  They started walking down the hall together.  “How’ve you been?”  

“Oh, just fine.  You?”  

It was bizarre speaking to him like this.  Everything about him felt so incredible familiar, yet at the same time it was like speaking to a complete stranger.  

“Just fine as well,” he chuckled.  “You’ve done quite well for yourself, getting assigned on the Legacy.  Back in reserve, all we get to do is follow-up analysis.  But you guys get to see the data as it comes it!  I would have killed to get aboard.”  

“Well, you’re here now,” Joanna pointed out.  

“Good point,” he considered.  “Maybe I did kill someone to get here.  I think I would have remembered it though.”  

Jokes?  Blake never told jokes!

She could feel her heart beating faster.  

Who the hell is this person?  What is going on?  He looks like Blake, but his personality is much more outgoing than Blake ever felt comfortable being.  And that beard too-- well, the beard doesn’t look half-bad, actually.  

“Are you excited?” Blake broke in to her thoughts.  

“What!?” Joanna started.  Could he tell I was thinking about him?  She felt her face grow hot.  

“About the mission!” Blake retracted, surprised.  “What did you think I was talking about?”  

“Oh,” Joanna peeped.  Oh God how embarrassing.  

Blake gave another chuckle, “I’m sorry, I know things have been a bit crazy around here.”  

She looked at him.  

“I heard about what happened yesterday, Jo.  I’m glad you’re okay.”  

“Oh, yeah.  I am too.”  

They walked in silence for a few seconds, before Joanna could work up the courage to speak.  

“You’ve changed a lot, Blake.”  

“Yeah,” he said, looking forwards.  “I grew up a bit, I guess.”  

He looked at her.  

“I think you’ve changed a bit too.”  

He stopped walking, and she stopped too, confused.  

“This is your room,” he declared, smiling.  

“Oh, right.”  She had almost walked straight past it.  

Wait…

“How did you know where my room was?” she asked, perplexed.  “You haven’t even been here a full day!”  

Instead of answering he leaned in and gave her a peck on the cheek.  He then jumped away, grinning, as if he expected her to slap him, and began to jog down the hall.  

“I’ll see you on the surface, Jo!  Don’t be late!”  

He was gone before Joanna could even thought to get angry at him.  

Dammit, of all the cocky…

Well, he was gone now.  

Sighing, she opened her door and crumpled onto her bed.  After a night of half-sleep in a hospital bed, it was the best thing she had ever felt.  

So soft…it still smells like Matt…