Rift

Chapter 23: Directed

"I've missed you too, boy! It's okay! I'm here now!" Colin gives Thor a kiss on his nose and the dog energetically licks his face, getting confused by the wires but not having the brainpower in this moment to care to question it.

Edith scrambles to stand up with a huff. "Are you kidding me?!"

Thor rolls out of Colin's arms and rushes over to her, sitting at her feet and happily panting. "I missed you too, Master Edith! You—" he pauses to sniff her stomach and he tilts his head quizzically. "You also smell different! Did you eat a tiny person?"

Edith sighs and kneels down to rapidly ruffle the fur around the dog's neck and he licks her face gleefully.

"Were you able to find help in Mortal?" Regan asks Latanya, sheepishly petting Thor's back as he's unsure of what to say or do amidst that whole... that.

Latanya looks to him next and she bites her lip as she nods. "You could say that. Mayor Wright was more than willing to lend some of her men towards the cause, but they will be arriving separately in the next few days. Traveling in groups with such heavy watch from Corbin would have been unwise, so we went ahead since you needed the help," she explains.

"We?" Colin questions and the woman nods.

"Yes. Mayor Wright was willing to lend her men under the condition that she—"

"Where the fuck is she?!"

Edith has no time to process what's going on as she suddenly finds herself suffocating in someone's arms. She merely gasps in response and feels her EPC beating frantically in her chest as the sensation registers in her soul as familiar.

Her hands are shaking and she's almost delirious to what's happening as her mind tries registering the voice that shouted her name. A voice she hasn't heard in so long that it takes her far longer than she would like to admit to realize who it belongs to.

Then her mind catches up. She sees the glittery black body-suit that shows too much skin for her inner mom to approve of. The vibrant purple hair that's gotten a bit longer since the last time she saw this woman.

Data-motherfucking-Li.

"I was so worried! I'm so happy you're okay!" Data cries out before leaning back to look at Edith's face.

The SRL just manages to smile before she gets slapped.

"What the fuck were you thinking, vanishing off the ass end of the planet?!" Data snaps.

Edith winces and goes to hold her face, still too shaken up to form any kind of response. She just manages to open her mouth when Data pulls her back into her arms. "What happened to you?! Are you okay?!" and she lets her go again, giving Edith a possible chance to speak.

"I—"

"Fuck you!" Data slaps her again, then immediately wraps her back in her arms. "I love you, you dumb motherfucking bitchass little shit-cock cunt!"

Before Data can lean back to slap her again, Edith quickly wraps her arms tightly around her back and buries her face in her shoulder, feeling as her tears begin escaping her eyes. "I missed you too, Data," she says softly, not that her voice would allow anything stronger with the lump in her throat.

Data just holds her as she cries her own tears of joy. Or anger? It's honestly hard to tell with her, but that doesn't matter. All that matters is that she's here.

Just as her body begins to relax, Edith feels Colin tap her shoulder. Shakily lifting her head and opening her eyes, she sees through blurred vision that Peace is walking towards them down the ramp.