First Floor Garage, Monday Evening

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

Sam was on the floor of the garage next to her swoop bike, surrounded by parts--half clean, half filthy--a rag, and assorted tools. She was currently busy filing down a part she'd designed and cast for the propulsion system, trying to smooth all the rough edges before she replaced it.

So far, it was a little better than it had been, but the process was slow-going because she had to keep stopping to pull the metal filings out of her fingertips. At least it was mind-numbing enough work that she could let her mind drift, and not think of anything; particularly not seventeen-year-old girls leading armies into battle, because that should never have happened.


[ooc: Open to all.]

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[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

Luke poked his head into the garage and smiled. "Hi, Sam."

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

Sam wiped her hands off on her pants and smiled at him. "Hi, Luke. Welcome back."

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

"It's good to be back," he said, then looked at the pile of parts around her. "Mechanical therapy?" he asked.

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

"I haven't found much else that works, other than combat," Sam admitted with a shrug.

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

Luke made a face. "I've had my fill of that for a while," he admitted, crouching down. "Anything I can help with?"

Mechanically or otherwise.

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

"I'm just doing basic tuning and maintenance, if you want to help out," she offered, automatically trusting him to know what he was doing around his own technology. "And yeah, I guess you have seen a lot recently. How are you doing? Having your father around has got to be quite a change."

Sam Carter? Deflecting her own feelings by talking about someone else's? Naah.

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

Luke picked up a hydrospanner and began tweaking. "I'm giving him some time to adjust," he said finally.

About a lot of things, but Luke wasn't going to say that, either.

"I take it you've seen him, then?"

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

"Probably best, and yeah, I ran into him in the coffee shop. And then almost caused a paradox that could have torn apart the fabric of space and time," Sam's lips quirked up in a smile, "but as you can see, that didn't happen."

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

Luke smiled back. "I hate when that happens," he said. "It's weird enough having a father who looks like my older brother. Popping out of existence entirely would stink."

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

"This is what I'm saying," Sam laughed, running her finger over the part again. Smoother, and oh, look, another sliver. She sighed and reached for the tweezers. "And yes, it is odd that he still looks so young. How'd he take the news that he died young and never got to meet you?"

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

"Surprisingly well," Luke said, blushing inexplicably.

He was a terrible liar.

"Jedi being not supposed to have children and all," he finished a bit lamely.

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

Sam looked at him a little suspiciously. "Right. But you seem to have turned out more than okay."

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

"I'm pretty resilient," Luke said, poking a bit too intently at the piece of metal he was holding.

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

Jack had skipped class. He just couldn't face it.

This was the first time he'd come out of his room all day, and when he saw Sam, he almost turned around and left. He almost bolted across the room and wrapped his arms around her.

In the end he didn't do either, just walked over to sit on the ground next to her. "Hey, Sam."

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

Sam blinked. Jack looked like he'd been hung out to dry and then told his best friend died. "My god, what happened?"

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

He looked at her hopelessly. "I broke me and Cedric."

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

She wiped her hands off and hugged him. "Tell me."

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

Jack wrapped his arms tight around her and buried his face in her shoulder. "I asked him what I asked you, about sharing, and I broke us. He made me leave."

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

Oh, Jack. And god, poor Cedric. "I'm sorry," she murmured, holding him tightly. "So sorry, Jack."

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

"I was drunk. I didn't think, I just...I hurt him, Sam. I didn't mean to." The breath he dragged in was shaky. "And now he's all alone, and Isabel's gone and I don't know how to fix it."

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

"I'll talk to him," Sam promised, "and let him know he's not alone." That was the easy part. "And no, you didn't mean to hurt him, and I'm sure he'll realize that, eventually. It may just take a little time."

Which they didn't have, although even Sam wouldn't say that out loud.

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

"Thank you," he breathed, clinging to her. "He can't be alone. He hates it." Jack rubbed his cheek against her shoulder. "I don't know if he will. Or if it will matter. He promised, but-- " Memory replayed the moment, Cedric's face, letting him leave, and he closed his eyes. "I don't know."

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

Her heart ached for both of them. "He won't be alone, I promise. I wish I could do more for you."

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

"All I want is for him to be okay." All he wanted was to go back in time and not screw everything up, but he couldn't. "That's all I want."

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

"He will be," Sam said, rubbing little circles into his back. Maybe a little older, a little wiser, not quite as trusting, but okay. "Maybe he just needs time to think and process."