Chapter Text
Shit. Shit shit shit. This was bad. This was very, very bad and Rocky was beyond worried, staring at the small splintered pane of Grace's dome.
This shouldn't be happening. This dome was made to be sturdy, to be impossible to break, out of concern for Grace's safety, but yet it was cracking. This was dangerous. This needed to be fixed, to be solved, immediately.
But first came the pretenses, not making Grace worry or become suspicious that he was in danger. Rocky didn't want him to worry.
"Hey Rock," Grace greeted, giving Rocky a wave, unaware of the danger to his own life currently. "You're late today. Is everything okay?"
"Yes, yes," Rocky lied. "Everything's fine. Just got up a little late."
He didn't want Grace to worry right now. Nothing Grace did would be able to fix the crack on the outside layer, it made no sense to worry him, to make him fearful for his life if he could do nothing it fix it.
Rocky would fix this, he always would keep Grace safe. He had promised him that and he intended to keep that promise.
"You feeling okay?"
"Yes, why?" Rocky asked.
"You're tapping your claws like crazy and that's a nervous tic of yours," Grace pointed out, kneeling down to face Rocky head on. Rocky hadn't even realized he'd been doing it. "You know you can always talk to me. What's going on?"
Rocky sat silent for a moment, debating whether or not he should tell Grace the truth - let his friend attempt to help, all while being aware and slightly fearful, or let him stay ignorant, continuing to live life as normal while Rocky worried alone.
"There's a crack in your dome," Rocky finally responded.
Grace was a fully grown adult by Earthen standards. He could make his own decisions, be aware of a possible danger to his life. Rocky wouldn't keep him in the dark, no matter how much he wanted to.
Grace hadn't done that to him on their trip here. He'd told Rocky about what would happen to him while he starved, while he slowly faded away in an attempt to make it to Erid. The least Rocky could do was to give him the same respect.
"Oh," Grace breathed out. "How bad is it?"
"It's not good," Rocky admitted. "It's only on the first layer, but it appears to be a structural issue from the dome - I'm not sure what, but I'd guess size or something similar. Your dome is the largest xenonite structure we've ever built, we tested the plans, but this wasn't foreseen. We can patch it, but it wouldn't fix the underlying issue."
"So, it's my dome itself that's cracking the xenonite?" Grace clarified, running a hand through his hair, anxiety raising as Rocky debated if he'd made the right decision.
"Yes," Rocky nodded. "Short term isn't an issue, but this is a structural issue that we can't fix due to the size of the dome - it'll keep cracking."
"Okay," Grace accepted, taking a deep breath. "What can we do?"
"Well, we can patch it, but it won't fix the issue," Rocky began rambling, wandering inside of Grace's house, pushing past his friend as he spoke quickly, all ideas coming to mind coming out immediately. "We could try and build a smaller dome, but there's no guarantee that it wouldn't crack as well after a bit of time. We could try and make your house something separate, as well as a couple other smaller domes, but that opens up the possibility of one of those failing from a larger sample size and taking all of the others down with it-"
"So basically, we don't have an idea yet?"
"Yet," Rocky repeated, turning to face Grace. "We will find a solution."
We already have one, Rocky thought to himself. But I don't know if you'll want it, if you'd accept it. If it's even completely safe for you.
"I know you will," Grace said, patting Rocky's carapace gently. "I know you will."
~~~
"Damn it!" Rocky swore, punching a leg into his table and denting it. "Fuck!"
"Rocky? What's wrong?"
"Adrian. I'm sorry," he apologized, letting himself fall to the ground in defeat. "I didn't mean to interrupt you."
"Be quiet and just tell me what's pissing you off," they demanded.
"My plans to fix Grace's dome aren't working," he admitted sadly, trilling in anguish. "Nothing works without putting him in more danger than he's already in. I don't have an answer."
"What about-" Adrian began, but Rocky cut them off.
"No. It's too dangerous and I'm not even sure if Grace would agree to it."
"It's safer than what he's dealing with right now. We know that this works, that it shouldn't harm him."
"Shouldn't is very different than won't."
"Grace should be aware of this as a possibility," Adrian defended. "He can make his own decisions."
"Yes, but they're not always good ones. I love Grace, but his human brain is very stupid at times."
"I'm not saying to make this the absolute we go with, but at least let him know it's an option," Adrian pressed. "If there is no other option, give him this at the very least."
Rocky sat with the thought for a moment, weighing it in his mind.
Adrian was right, as they always were. If no other option was available, and there were no other options available, Grace should at least be aware of this and make the choice himself.
Rocky didn't like it, but there was no other options and having Grace be a little different was better than not having him at all.
~~~
"Shoot shoot shoot," Grace muttered, pacing around his house, tapping his fingers and biting his lip till it bled.
This wasn't good. He'd tried to play it cool for Rocky, knowing that he would be worried already, but he couldn't keep up this act anymore once he'd left.
A crack in his dome. The one thing that separated him from burning to death in Erid's atmosphere.
Grace was worried. Just when he'd finally thought he was safe, was able to live in peace, of course something would have to happen that put him in danger again. He was getting real sick of this song and dance playing on repeat every few years.
He could die any moment now. That crack could shatter and he'd no longer be alive, no longer be able to teach his classes. No longer be by Rocky's side.
That one terrified him the most - Rocky was everything to him and the feeling was mutual. He'd blame himself for Grace's death. Grace knew that. Rocky would blame himself for not figuring this out, for not saving-
"Grace?" Adrian called from his door, snapping him out of his spiral. "Can we come in?"
"Uh, yeah! One sec," Grace called back, wiping his lip with the back of his hand and opened the door, greeted by both Adrian and Rocky. "Hey."
"Hi," Rocky muttered, letting himself into the house, stepping past Grace without another word.
"Um… Come on in," Grace gestured for Adrian to enter.
Whatever brought them here - likely the crack - made Rocky pissy and upset, shutting down. Grace didn't think he was going to like what they had to say.
Oh god, Grace thought to himself. Are they going to send me back to Earth? Are they finally forcing me back on the Mary?
It wasn't an option Grace wanted - going back to Earth. It wasn't his home anymore, it never was. Rocky and Adrian and Erid were his home and he never wanted to leave.
But, if that's what they wanted, he would oblige. He was already taking up space on Erid, requiring around the clock care and monitoring for his safety. it would be easier for him to leave, even if it hurt him. He would hurt for his family if that's what they wanted.
"Grace?" Adrian said gently, placing their claw into his hand. "Deep breath. It's okay," they comforted, noting the spike in his heart rate and how he was biting his lips. They knew when their family was anxious and would do their best to help. "We just want to talk to you about your dome. We think we may have a solution."
Grace said nothing, but nodded, following Adrian to sit on his couch across from Rocky, who had planted himself on the floor, pouting like a child.
"We've been looking at an option for you to live safer," Adrian began. "Our scientists have been working very hard on it over the past few years and we think it's finally ready for you."
"You're sending me back to Earth, aren't you?" Grace interrupted, tears beginning to fall from his eyes at the idea. "The Mary's ready and you're sending me back, right?"
"No," Rocky breathed out. "No no no," he rambled, getting up and slowly making his way over to Grace, tears lining his friend's face. "We'd never do that to you unless you want to go back. Do you?"
"God no," Grace gasped. "No. My home is here, I never want to leave you both," he admitted, letting Rocky climb up onto the couch and pull him into a tight hug.
"Then you don't have to leave," Rocky affirmed. "We don't want you to leave either."
"Good," Grace nodded, wiping the tears from his eyes. "So, what's the plan then?"
~~~
"Wait wait wait," Grace rambled, running a hand through his hair, mind racing with what Adrian had offered. "Explain it again, please."
"We're currently calling it Project Saving Grace," Adrian began, walking Grace back through it again. "It's a program we've designed to move consciousness from one body to another - particularly human and Eridian. The plan is to swap a person's mind into a body that better habitats the environment they will be in. For instance, Eridians going to visit Earth or, in this case, letting a human live on Erid as an Eridian."
"So, I'd be an Eridian? Like you guys?"
"Yes," Adrian confirmed, nodding their carapace while Rocky huffed in frustration. "We'd give you an Eridian body and the dome would no longer be an issue."
"Why didn't we do this earlier?" Grace asked.
"Lots of risks," Rocky cut in, his notes monotone and pissed off, displeased with this whole conversation. "It's never been tested on Eridians, much less humans-"
"It has been tested," Adrian corrected.
"Only on Eridian to Eridian," Rocky snapped. "We don't know its safe."
"But," Grace spoke up softly, garnering both of their attentions. "It's safer than waiting for the dome to break open or any of the other options we have?"
"Yes," Adrian hummed in response. "It's the best plan we have right now. The choice is yours, Grace. We can wait for you to make a decision or we can forgo this entirely and try something else. We support you whatever you decide."
Rocky huffed at that final sentence. he would respect Grace's choices, even his stupid ones, but he'd make is disdain well known to his friend. This was a stupid plan.
"I… I'm willing to try it," Grace agreed. "If you say it's safe, then I trust you, Adrian. I'll do an Avatar, I guess," he chuckled lightly. "Let's turn me into an Eridian."