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"Sam, babe!" Pete called to her.
Sam suppressed the little jump at sound of his voice. Pete was the last person she wanted to see. She left the key in her door and turned to greet him. "Hey Pete." She said, trying to pull a smile on her face.
"Finally, you're home!" He exclaimed gathering her in his arms.
"It's not been that long." She admitted quietly, pulling out of his embrace as quickly as she could.
"I haven't seen you in six weeks and four weeks ago, you call me to say you'll be gone for a while." He said as she opened her door, then as they stepped in the door he said with a lower voice. "I don't know why, or where in the galaxy you are!" He told her. "I was so worried."
"I'm fine." She said by way of excuse and expectation.
"So?" He asked her as they entered her kitchen.
"So?" She reflected back.
"Where have you been?" He asked her.
Sam sighed again; her head dropped. "Pete, I told you it's classified." She said heavily, but the weight in her voice wasn't noticed as he slammed his hand on the counter.
Sam jumped back surprised her eyes wide, because even she had seen and been through, the next words out of his mouth were far scarier than even Fifth.
"How patient do you expect me to be?" He demanded, anger evident in his voice.
She suddenly felt light-headed and dizzy, as though his very presence was suffocating her. She struggled to breathe as a heavy weight pressed on her.
"Sam?" She heard his voice, full of concern but she couldn't respond, only one thought was on her mind.
She told herself that Fifth wasn't Pete, but here it was! How could Fifth understand Pete with such clarity?
"Please don't." Sam said, shaking her head at the outreached hand, as she tried not to recoil from Pete’s attempt of comfort.
"Sam, what have they done to you?" He asked her.
"Nothing!" Sam shook her head in denial. This was something Pete could never understand.
"You're shaking." He observed. "Sam, let me take care of you, call in with medical leave--"
"No!" She exclaimed.
"Why not?" Pete asked her.
"Because I'm fine!" She exclaimed. "Stop mothering me!"
"I thought after two months you'd want to spend time with me!" Trying a different tack, Pete lowered his voice as he tried to coax Sam into accepting his aid. He desperately wanted to convince her that she needed him.
"I don't need you to smother me." She said. "Why are you doing this?"
" Because I love you !" He exclaimed.
Sam felt her heart almost stop in horror. "Go." She whispered, sharply.
"What?" Pete snapped.
"Please just go!" She exclaimed, her voice rising in anger.
"Fine!" He said, picking up his jacket "You know, Sam, this is never going to work out if you don't give me something, anything to work with. You're so closed off, it's like you don't want to be loved." He said before he turned walking down the hallway of her house and slammed the door behind him.
Sam sighed heavily looking at her bedroom clock again. The red digits seemed to be going ridiculously slow.
02:39.
Her anxiety levels had been high since her encounter with Pete. She couldn't think or feel as though this was the real world and, if anything, the clock going slower was just another indication that nothing seemed real.
She looked again at the clock; it still hadn't moved.
She had never seen that side of Pete before, yet Fifth had replicated it perfectly. She lay in bed, sleep a distant memory, wondering how Fifth could have known Pete so well. Her memories clearly indicated signs of this behaviour, but she couldn't remember it.
02:39
Why could she not remember this clearly negative trait?
02:39
It eerily reminded her of her previous relationship and that was terrifying. Even years after the fact, she still had no ability to really stand up to Jonas. He had that much control over her. And now, it happened again. Had she really entered into another equally as controlling relationship?
Still the clock read the same, so she pushed herself up and without turning on her light, she reached for her cell phone. She stared at it as it rested in the palm of her hand, at the number that was lit up, biting her bottom lip. She shook her head putting it down, then deciding that was the wrong thing to do, she picked it up again and dialled his number.
"Hey, um, I-I know… I know I have no right or anything, so, um, don't feel like you have to, but… um," she felt the tears pricking at her eyes while she tried to control her emotions "I'm having a hard time processing some stuff and I just -- need company, something -- someone--" she stuttered, her incoherent words escaping from her in a rush. " I need you ." She squeaked, "Can you come over?"
She sighed in relief at the sight of him at her door with a six pack and a pizza in hand. She smiled as he wordlessly entered and went to the kitchen placing the pizza down and the cans beside it. Neither of them noticed the dark sedan that pulled away from the curb.
Her approach was known and heard and still, to her wonder, his arms encircled around her as she felt enveloped and safe. Her arms wrapped around his back. She felt two small kisses in her hair and as she pulled back from the hug, the familiar, solid, warm brown eyes were understanding.
Wordlessly, she opened the refrigerator and put the six pack in then pulled out two cold ones. He picked up the pizza box and carried it to the coffee table. He placed down the box, opened it then accepted the can from his companion. She switched the television on and, after he took a slice, she followed suit.
She studied him for a moment and realised Fifth hadn't used something she had really wanted, just something she wanted to want, because if he had chosen what she truly wanted, she would have chosen him .
But, of course, Fifth knew his audience, Fifth could replicate Pete, but hated him so much, he couldn't replicate Sam's memories of him, because it was so conflicted with how Fifth felt about him .
She saw his arm come around her, like it often did when he was soothing her on team nights. She sighed and let her head drop to his shoulder, feeling for the first time in a long time, at peace.
He was sturdy and constant, and a little unpredictable. But she felt at peace and, despite the war they were fighting, that all was right with the world. She supposed no one could replicate that.
No one could replicate this.
Not even her. That was the problem.