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“Hey Boss, you got a minute?”
“I always got a minute for you, Johnny. What’s up?” The leader of the Saints put down her pool cue and flopped down onto the couch.
“Well, nothing really, I just wanted to, uh…talk.” Gat sat down next to the Boss, elbows resting on his knees. “Somethin’ wrong?” Gat scratched the back of his neck nervously. “Nah, nothing’s wrong, I just, uh… Well, I was talkin’ to Pierce about what it was like, you know, when I was gone.”
“I thought I already caught you up on that,” the Boss said, puzzled. “Yeah, yeah, you did, I was just asking about…other stuff.” The Boss gave Gat a quizzical look. “Yeah? Like what?” Gat leaned into the couch, draping his arm along the back. “Like about how you were doin’.”
The Boss tensed up a bit, and she knew Gat could tell. “Well, what’s there to tell?” the Boss shrugged, staring at her feet, “I got the bastards that took you away from me. Or at least, I thought they took you away from me.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know that, and I know you had to be strong for the crew. But from what Pierce was tellin’ me, you were pretty hung up on me. Statues, memorials, biographies, a body pillow…though, heh, I’m pretty sure that last one was a joke. Ya see, my point is, it sounds like you never stopped mourning…”
Even through the sunglasses, Gat could see his best friend’s pink cheeks and sheepish expression. Truthfully, the Boss had hoped her Gat hang-up hadn’t been so glaringly obvious, but whoomp! There it was.
“Well, I, uh…I guess I never really did. Shaundi’d get pissed at me sometimes for not being upset enough at your death, but honestly I was a wreck. But somebody had to keep a cool head or the Saints might never have gotten back on their feet. But shit, Johnny…I missed you so damn much.”
Gat treasured these moments when the Boss was so completely honest with him. He knew they shared a special bond, but this was something else. In his virtual prison, not being able to save Aisha was torment enough, but the Boss not being there by his side? The pain doubled. And seeing how much pain the Boss was in while he was gone made him realize how much they needed each other.
“Well,” he leaned in closer, “I’m not goin’ anywhere anymore.” He flashed the Boss a genuine smile.
“Promise?”
“Promise.” Gat’s smile was returned heartily.
They were silent for a while after that. They just sat there, staring at each other with a look that simply said “I’m glad you’re here.” It was just them, no ship, no Zin, no simulation, just Gat and the Boss. The moment felt like eternity as their faces slowly drew closer…
“Hey Boss, I need you on the bridge!” Kinzie’s voice blared over the ship’s comm.
The Boss bolted to her feet and Gat’s face crashed into her stomach. He quickly drew back from her and cleared his throat. “Well uh…I should go see to that!” “Yeah, yeah, better hurry…”
The Boss began to leave the room but stopped at the doorway. “Hey, Johnny?”
“Yeah?”
“There’s something I should probably tell you…”
“What?” Gat asked, a little too quickly.
“Pierce wasn’t joking about the body pillow.” And with that, the Boss smiled and left. Gat sat there, shaking his head and chuckling.
“God help me, I love her.”