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[It takes Kyna longer than she would have liked to learn plane shift, and longer still to master it to the point that no one (read: her brother) thinks she'll accident shift to some terrible hell dimension.

And she manages it, pretty perfectly, actually, although an exhausted girl with pointed ears just appearing in a military base with no warning doesn't get her the warmest welcome.]

Hey, chill, I'm just looking for Wash.

[God, all of them are in armor. It's kind of nuts.]

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[ It took about two months of recovery and physical therapy before Dr Grey gave Wash the all clear to leave medical facilities. Kyna was there every step of the way -- literally in some cases, Wash was down long enough that he had to rebuild his strength, but he's feeling more himself now.

Even if sometimes, he has these... lapses. He'll forget where he is, what's happened, and it's as distressing and disorienting for him as it is for the people around him. He always comes back to it, but it happens and they think that may just be how he is now. So he decides he's not fit for combat anymore... and where does that leave him?

"With me," Kyna says, taking his hand again, and she offers to bring him home. To her home. She's been gone for so long... and they know now that they can come back, they can visit, and so Wash agrees. There's nothing more they can do for him here, anyway. ]

So how does this work? Do I have to click my heels or anything?

[Kyna has both of his hands in hers, and she squeezes tight as she grins.]

Yep. Three times. And then you have to sing Bohemian Rhapsody backwards.

[To tell the truth, she's a little nervous. What if he hates it? What if he decides he doesn't want to stay with her after all?]

You ready?

Shit, I wouldn't even know it forwards.

[ Wash is terrified. He's covering with weak jokes, but also... he trusts her completely. And he's said his goodbyes already. Now it's just them, and the uncertainty of the trip, and how he's going to cope on her Earth.

If it's that bad, he tells himself, he can always go home. He just really wants it to work. He tilts his chin up. What do ODST say? Feet first into hell. This won't be as bad as all that, even if he remembers that one time she teleported him when he had the flu and he puked everywhere. He'll manage. ]

I'm ready.

[Okay. Okay, they can totally do this. Kyna stands up on her tiptoes to steal a kiss, keeping their hands securely linked.]

It'll be easy. Just a little whoosh in your stomach. It might be easier if you close your eyes.

[Kyna, for her part, certainly closes her eyes. She's set up two teleportation circles—one in her apartment back home, and one on base here. She's memorized the sigil sequences of both obsessively, and if all goes well, it'll be a foolproof way back and forth, no special objects or guesswork necessary. The spell is almost like teleport, just a bit more intense. To Kyna, the rush of magic is like the rush of adrenaline flying down the first drop of a roller coaster gives her, but she's used to it. She's not sure if it'll be more intense for Wash.

When she opens her eyes, they're back in her apartment, and she lets out a soft sigh of relief.]

Are you okay?

Okay...

[ Wash closes his eyes, squeezing her hands to hold on a little tighter, and then it does feel like the world drops out from under him with his his stomach whooshes. He understands now why he puked last time, already so sick, but now it's just a slightly overwhelming rush. Like being a hell jumper.

He doesn't open his eyes and fully regain his balance until Kyna speaks again, and then-- ]

We're here? [ He sounds utterly shocked, maybe a little frightened. ]

[Kyna grins at him, rocking back on her heels.]

We're here.

[Her apartment is small, and surprisingly clean—Harlan must have reorganized the whole thing while she was gone, as is his habit when he's stressed. Provolone is missing, but there's evidence that a cat lives here, with a little cat tree shoved into one corner and toys neatly piled in a basket on the floor. All of Kyna's throw blankets and pillows, usually strewn over her couch, are folded and draped over the back, and her books and DVDs are shelved, not haphazardly piled on the coffee table.]

Huh. Harlan must have cleaned.

[Honestly, this level of organization is setting Wash up for disappointment, living with her. She tugs her hands free and studies one of the shelves.]

Looks like he was in a good mood.

[ Wash is frozen there, looking around, stunned. He wants to rush to the window but feels a little like if he takes a step he'll also take a tumble, he's so disoriented. ]

Huh? How can you tell? He seems more like a stress cleaner to me.

[Oh, poor thing. Kyna rejoins him, wrapping her arms around him and settling her head against his chest.]

See how everything is organized by color? He does that when he's happy. If I can't figure out the system it means he's doing really badly.

[This is a Thing.]

Are you okay? Should we sit down?

[ Wash's arms come up around her instantly, grounding himself again. ]

Oh. I'll remember that.

[ He debates the questions, holds her a little tighter. ]

Overwhelmed. But I want to see the city.

Right away?

[She runs her hand up and down his back.]

Okay, let's go. What do you want to see?

No, just... out the window or from the roof or something for now. Where are we exactly?

We're in Brooklyn. I'm strategically located between a ramen place and an Indian restaurant.

[This is very important.]

You mean the curry that made me feel like I was dying? Oh god.

[ He's smiling again, though, and loosening his grip on her to go peek out the window. ]

Yep.

[She follows him over to the window, tugging up the blinds.]

It's not a super awesome view. I can get you onto the roof.

[ Yeah, he can't see much, but what he does is enough to stun him. The architecture, the cars, the earth-specific trees along their street. Wash stares for a moment, taking it in, then turns back to Kyna and nods. ]

Can we see Manhattan from up there?

[Kyna grins at his expression.]

A little bit. Hold on.

[She pulls away, then digs through a backpack lying abandoned in the corner, pulling out her lockpicking kit. Then she gestures for him to follow, heading out into the hallway and up into the stairwell. They're on the top floor, so it's just one flight of stairs and then a locked door, which she picks and swings open to reveal the rooftop.]

Tada.

I could've picked that you know.

[ But he doesn't mind that she did -- it's always weirdly attractive when she does things like that, troublemaking things. Even if all they're doing right now is enjoying a view.

It's a decent view. ]

Wow... I've seen pictures but... it's different. It's beautiful.

I know.

[She wanted to show off a little. Sue her.

Kyna, of course, is watching Wash, not the view, and she finds herself grinning all over again. She can't resist the urge to wrap her arms around him, settling close.]

Different how?

[ There's no way Kyna could take his weight but Wash does lean slightly, encouraging her to hold on tighter. ]

The buildings... the skyline's not exactly the same as what I remember but it might not have been the same time period.

Maybe you saw some crazy picture from the future or something.

[She tightens her grip, grinning up at him like a total dope.]

I can't believe you're actually here.

Neither can I. You did it.

[ And finally he looks away from the skyline back down at kyna, smiling softly. Right now all his worries about what he's going to do here, who he'll be, seem far away. ]

You're amazing, have I told you that lately?

[Kyna laughs a little, but she looks utterly pleased.]

Not as amazing as you are. I'm sorry I took so long.

Me? I didn't do anything but not die while I waited for you.

Yeah, but you still waited. And you're just like... the best person I know in general.

[Duh. She's certainly not biased.]

Does this mean you're officially retired?

[ Wash is grinning back at her right until that last question, when it fades a little. ]

I don't-- I guess so, from what I was doing before. But I don't know how to do anything else, either. You said I could work with you guys, wouldn't I still be fighting?

two months later;

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