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After surviving the events at Sevastopol, Samuels and Ripley returned to Earth in hopes of refuge from the cold vacuum of space, and of diabolic company orders. Amanda found a job as a mechanic at an aging car garage, while Samuels spent most of his time reading old novels (humans really had such a fascinating way with words), brushing up on his studies, and minding the small house the two of them had scrounged up just enough cash for. All in all, it was a unique, but comfortable situation for the both of them. In all honesty, it was more than what the two companions had expected when choosing to depart for Earth.
This week, Samuels had been reading a rather captivating novel called “Fahrenheit 451”. It was absolutely riveting how people can come up with such unique and dreadful ideas. Settling down into his chair, Samuels allowed himself to get lost in the book. Hours must have passed, as it was dark outside when the sound of the front door slamming jolted him from his reading-induced haze. “Amanda?” he called, growing concerned when there was no immediate response. Placing his latest book down on the end table, he got up and made haste to the bathroom, where it seemed Amanda had holed herself up.
“Amanda?” Samuels tried again. Upon receiving no answer, he jiggled the door handle, only to find that it was locked. “Amanda, please, may I come in?” Samuels softly plead, hoping to coax her out. Samuels held his breathe, waiting, for a few tense seconds, until there was a soft shuffling sound and the click of the lock.
Immediately, Samuels opened the door to the site of Amanda Ripley curled into a ball, head tucked between her legs. Samuels took a few tentative steps towards the distraught woman and crouched down silently next to her, brushing a few locks of hair behind her ear. For a few moments, all that could be heard was Amanda’s muffled sniffling until she slowly lifted her head and turned towards Samuels. Her eyes were puffy and red, and her cheeks were flushed from crying. Without a word, Samuels opened his arms to the distressed mechanic. Neither one of them dared to speak, Amanda leaning her head shoulder, her arms wrapped tightly around his waist, as they sat on the bathroom floor. Samuels rhythmically rubbed his hand up and down her back in an effort to calm her down.
After a few minutes, the brunette lifted her head and pulled back just enough so that she was facing Samuels, taking a minute to stare into his eyes. His always reassuring expression never failed to ground her, bringing her back down into the comfort of his presence. “Oh Amanda…” Samuels began, trailing off as he gazed into her face. He could see it in her eyes, the fear, the despair, the panic. Gently, he wiped her tears away with his thumb, his fingers caressing her face as he did so. Wordlessly, she leaned into his touch, letting out a shaky breath. Samuels expression softened as he sat there, silently observing as the tension in her face melted away. Slowly, her warm and watery green eyes opened again, and a small smile tugged at her lips.
“Hey, Chris.”
“Hey, Amanda.”
The two companions sat and smiled at each other for a minute, both understood the feelings of desperation and panic that permeated their past. While Amanda seemed to have these attacks more often, Samuels experienced the fear in his own way as well, as much as his programming allowed for it. Neither of them were strangers to the paranoia, the dread, and the hollowness that came along with surviving Sevastopol. The creature haunted their thoughts and plagued their dreams. It was no rarity for Samuels to roll over in their shared bed and see Amanda shaking and covered in sweat. Even though he himself doesn’t require sleep, they both seek comfort in each other, so he prefers to lay awake with her while she dreams.
Amanda cleared her throat, startling Samuels from his thoughts. “Thanks for being here, Chris. God knows I couldn’t do this shit without you.” She laughed wetly, wiping her face. She shifted so her back was to Samuels’ chest, grabbing his arms and placing them around her waist as they sat. Leaning back into his shoulder, she marveled in how soft his skin felt, and allowed herself to relish in the safety, comfort, and warmth they provided each other.
“No need for thanks, Amanda. I hate to see you like this, I’m only sorry I can’t be of more assistance.” Samuels murmured softly into her ear, his tone sorrowful. Amanda moved to get up, and offered her synthetic partner a hand. Samuels accepted it graciously and allowed her to pull him up. Smiling softly once more, he gazed down at the brunette who he’d gone through so much with. If he was being honest with himself, he didn’t think he ever would have been able to feel such warmth and happiness in the presence of another person. No matter where they landed, they were home to each other.
Leaning up, Amanda pressed a feathery light kiss on his cheek, while her hand slid down his arm. The fiery spark in her eye was back, and her face held a playful grin. Samuels felt relief wash through him, knowing she would be okay. No matter what happened, Amanda Ripley was strong; a survivor in every definition of the word. Carefully, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed a lingering kiss on her forehead. Softly, she let out a little snort. “You’re such a sap, Chris. Who knew you had such a gift for romance, huh?” Not giving him time to respond, the resilient brunette wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a long, sensual kiss. Reluctantly, she leaned back once more, smugly proud of the red flush that blanketed Samuel’s cheeks.
“I’m not the only one with a flair for romance then, it seems.” Samuels slowly caressed her sides before removing his hands and turning to the sink to grab a wet cloth. Turning back to the captivating brunette, he gently wiped her face with the wash rag, cleansing her freckled skin of the tear tracks and slight shadows of mascara that had washed off earlier. Placing one last kiss on her forehead, Samuels set the rag in the sink and guided his partner out of the bathroom and into the hallway. The usually fierce engineer was drained, he could tell from the way her shoulders sagged as she walked into the bedroom. Days like this, although not uncommon, always took a toll on her.
Amanda stripped down to her underwear as she climbed into bed, pulling her hair free from its ponytail, completely exhausted. Samuels quickly changed into sleeping clothes and laid down next to her, turning to face her on his side. Amanda’s eyes began to droop as she settled into the covers.
“Thanks for being here Chris, I don’t know what I’d do if you didn’t make it out of that shit hole with me.”
“I’ll always be here, Amanda. I couldn’t do this without you either.” Amanda wrapped herself around his torso, squeezing tight, before relaxing. Samuels waited until her breathing evened out, and watched as she slept, her face relaxed and carefree.
“Sleep well, Amanda. I’ll be here when you wake up.”