Epilogue II
It was a thrill to be on the Highwind again without having to worry about discovery by Shinra soldiers. Ever cautious, Tifa insisted they sweep the ship to make sure none had stowed aboard from Junon, but once she was satisfied, they rejoined Shera on the bridge.
Barret, Marlene, and Elmyra already stood at the railing at the far side, which overhung the enormous bubble of a window surrounding the bridge. Jessie hadn't chanced entering when Rufus had been here, and she joined them for a moment. Standing there, you could almost forget there even was a ship. Grassy plains lay directly below them, the walled town of Kalm ahead with its crowd of blue roof tiles.
Shera introduced them all to the rest of the crew, and Tifa confirmed their destination. The Highwind gained altitude and turned westward.
Marlene exclaimed excitedly over the view, and Jessie glanced at Barret, watching the softness of his expression as he listened to his daughter. Those two had scarcely spent more than a few minutes apart since they'd been reunited; Jessie wouldn't be getting him alone for a while.
She wondered if she should try to talk to Tifa about it, at least. It felt weird keeping this to herself, but in the few days since Midgar, she'd realized it wasn't some casual crush she could gab about without doing any harm. Barret was such a private person, and then how would Marlene feel about someone dating her father?
Oh, but she wanted to. She felt pretty stupid for not seeing it sooner, but Biggs had insisted on one hard-and-fast rule in her love life: you don't date the boss. So when Barret had hired them, she'd put it completely out of mind; sure, he was good-looking, but he was off-limits.
Not anymore.
"So Shera," she said, tearing her attention away before anyone could realize she was staring at Barret instead of the view, "any chance I could get a tour of this thing?"
"A tour?" Shera repeated, blinking.
"Yeah. I know we've already been all over the ship, but I'd love to know what all these controls are for, get a real look at the engine room--you know, see how it all works."
"Oh! Are you an engineer?"
Jessie scratched her head. "Not exactly. I've just got a thing for technology."
"She's being modest," Wedge put in. "She's got a real head for computers and stuff. She can hack into anything."
"Oh, stop."
Shera adjusted her glasses, smiling uncertainly. "Well, I... don't think you need to hack into the Highwind's systems. I'd be happy to show you the ship."
"Thanks. Promise I won't break anything."
If Jessie was modest, then she didn't know what word to use for Shera; the woman was sharp, but even the mildest compliment seemed to throw her for a loop. She knew the ship inside out, from its controls to its construction, and her explanations weren't hard for a layperson to understand.
"All right," said Jessie as Shera finished her initial overview of the engine room, "I have to ask: did you build this ship?"
"Um... Not in the way you're implying. I was only one of many mechanics involved, and I didn't do any of the design work."
"I bet you could now. You really know your stuff, and it seems like you've moved up in the world."
"Does it?"
"You're in charge of this ship, aren't you?"
Shera blinked, as though it had never occurred to her, even after arranging a mutiny. "Oh, no," she said. "We've worked together long enough, we're more of a team. I'm no leader."
"Yeah, I didn't think I'd be any good at it either, and then I realized I was just sort of doing it while Tifa and the others were out of commission."
Shera hesitated. "It's not just that," she admitted. "There's only one person I can imagine as the captain of this ship."
"Who's that?" Jessie asked, hoping it wasn't too sensitive a topic.
"Cid Highwind," Shera answered. "But, he's still back in Rocket Town. I couldn't convince him to come with us before, but maybe now that he wouldn't be taking orders from Rufus..."
"He's not a fan of Shinra either, huh?"
"Well... He was supposed to be the first man in space, you know, but then Shinra cancelled the program. I know it's my fault, too, but he's never really forgiven anyone for it."
"How is it your fault?" Jessie wondered skeptically.
Shera dropped her gaze. "He had to stop the launch, to save my life. If it weren't for me, it would have been successful."
"Sounds more like Shinra cutting corners on safety," said Jessie. "You know they pull that kind of stuff all the time."
"...I suppose," said Shera, sounding unconvinced. Jessie let it drop--for now.
"Anyway, I'm sure Tifa wouldn't mind stopping there next time it's on our way. The more the merrier, right?"
Shera smiled wryly. "I'm not so sure about that, but... it would be nice to see him."
"I think I know the feeling," said Jessie, recognizing something in her voice, even if she wasn't sure Shera knew it herself. She wondered if Tifa or Aeris would have seen it, from the way Jessie had worried about Barret in the days after the battle at the crater. It seemed more and more obvious to her in retrospect, a growing certainty that she really needed to talk to him about. Later. There'd be time later.
After their initial detour to recover the Black Materia, the Highwind didn't reach Cosmo Canyon until well after the sun had set. Still, Bugenhagen and some of the other villagers were there to greet them at the gate.
Among them was a middle-aged man with a cane who Jessie had trouble placing until Tifa exclaimed, "Mr. Hirsch!"
They embraced, and Cloud offered him a more cautious handshake, and Tifa asked him eagerly how the others were doing. As an answer, he motioned for the two of them to follow. Zack tagged along as they headed off for a reunion with the other Nibelheim survivors and the few strangers who'd been caught up in Hojo's experiment.
It was too late for a real look at the canyon in all its glory, but Nanaki offered to take Wedge, Elmyra, and Shera up to the observatory for a look at the stars. Jessie was sorely tempted to join them, but it would make for too many people. Instead she went along with the others to the inn, where Bugenhagen had promised they could stay free of charge. Marlene had since fallen asleep, and Jessie thought maybe...
Lucrecia was exhausted, too, and Jessie helped Vincent to get her settled. She caught Barret alone in the hallway after, just stepping out of his room.
"Hey," she said quickly. "Can we talk for a minute?"
"Sure," he said, closing the door softly behind him. "What's up?"
Jessie faltered. "About that kiss..."
"That somethin' we gotta talk about? 'cause we don't gotta make a big deal out of it. It was a crazy night."
"Yeah," Jessie agreed, trying to read his expression. If anything, he seemed wary. Worried about what she might say? Did he not want the complication of anything besides friendship? She ran a hand through her hair. She could handle it if he turned her down, but she couldn't handle keeping it pent up. That wasn't her.
"The thing is," she went on, "I haven't really been able to get it out of my head. I don't think it was just a crazy night. Not for me. So I've gotta ask: how do you feel about it? Honestly."
Barret opened his mouth and then closed it again with a slow breath, like he was trying hard to control his response. "Hell, Jess... It's been on my mind a bit longer 'n yours, I think. Me an' you... Figured it was just a thought. I ain't exactly your type."
Jessie couldn't stop her face from splitting into a grin. He was worried about unrequited feelings? Had he tried to brush off the kiss because he didn't think it could mean to her what it meant to him? He really did play some things close to the chest.
"I don't know if you've noticed," she said, "but usually my 'type' either doesn't last, or... isn't into me. So what do I know about it? Maybe you're exactly my type."
"It wouldn't be like your usual relationships, Jess," Barret insisted. "I got Marlene, an'... I ain't done this in years."
"If you're saying you need to take things slow, I can do slow," Jessie said, though judging by his expression, her eagerness wasn't exactly backing that up. "I mean, I bet I could figure it out," she amended.
"Yeah, I... guess that's how it is," he said. "Gonna be some things we gotta navigate, if you're really up for it."
"Quit trying to scare me off," said Jessie. "You're a really good guy. I've got no doubt it's worth trying. And- And it's not a rebound thing, if that's what you're worried about."
"Nah," Barret said easily, his expression at last relaxing into a smile. "I know you better 'n that."
"So," Jessie said. "...you wanna go out sometime?"
Barret gave a soft chuckle. "Sure. Whatever the fuck that means. I don't gotta dress up or nothin,' do I? 'cause that might be tricky, right now."
Jessie grinned. "I'll cut you some slack on account of we just saved the world and all, but I'd appreciate the effort in the future. I'm sure Aeris'd love to help you out with it."
Barret glanced towards the pub, where they'd last left Aeris and Yuffie. "How many of 'em already know?"
"Not a one," Jessie answered, a little proud of herself. "I figured you'd want to keep it quiet for a while."
"Yeah. I guess Tifa oughtta know, but... I don't want Marlene learnin' about it 'til we're sure it's somethin' worth tellin' her about. Gonna be hard, though."
"Yeah, I know you don't like keeping things from her."
"Ain't just that," he said. "She's a smart kid. Might start noticin' my mood improvin' when you're around."
"If just being around me's enough, then I guess this might be a little dangerous." Jessie stepped closer and leaned up on her toes, but damn, he was a giant of a man. "Bend down so I can kiss you."
Barret smirked, arching an eyebrow. "This is takin' it slow?"
"Come on, we've already crossed this bridge!"
"Heh. Guess so." He glanced down the hall again to make sure no one was coming, but still hesitated. "I, uh... might be a little outta practice."
"Oh, who cares? Just get down here."
Maybe he was overcautious. It wasn't a passionate kiss, but soft; no one who didn't know him would have guessed he could be so gentle. Her hand on his chest, she felt his heartbeat quicken.
She couldn't believe she'd almost missed this. He'd been there the whole time.
"Slow enough?" Jessie asked him softly as they pulled apart.
"Think so," he managed.
Jessie let her hand drop into his for a moment, and then let it go. "We should probably get back to Aeris and Yuffie. Grab something to eat."
Barret scratched his head. "I was just gonna bring somethin' back here," he said. "Don't wanna leave Marlene alone that long."
Of course. He was a father first, after all. "In that case, why don't you stay put?" Jessie suggested. "I'll bring you something."
"...all right. Thanks, Jess."
Jessie smiled at him, and walked backwards the first few steps down the hall until he'd disappeared inside the room. She turned around and skipped down the steps to the pub, where she placed an order at the counter and then plopped down at the table with Aeris and Yuffie to wait.
"What's with you?" Yuffie asked, quirking an eyebrow.
"Oh, it's just nice being back here," Jessie said.
Bless Yuffie for being bad at picking up on these things; she rolled her eyes, but she actually seemed to buy it.
"I'm glad," said Aeris, whose arched eyebrows said she absolutely didn't buy it. Would it be all right to tell Aeris, too? Kind of unfair to ask Tifa to keep a secret from her, right?
"So Barret's not coming?" Yuffie wondered. "I kinda thought we'd, y'know, have more of a group together. But everybody's all split up."
Jessie smiled, realizing she must actually have been looking forward to coming, this time. "It's a little late for celebrating," she said. "I'm sure we'll all get together tomorrow."
"Will you actually join in on the dancing this time?" Aeris asked, chin in hand.
"No way," Yuffie maintained. "It's way more fun watching you guys tripping over your own feet."
"Hey, maybe we'll get it figured out this time," Jessie protested.
"I doubt it."
Well, that was all right, Jessie thought. Even tripping over her own feet, she'd had a lot of fun. And this time, there wouldn't be so much looming over them. It'd be a real celebration. The one Barret had always promised.
Jessie didn't get a chance to talk to Tifa the next morning. She went off early with Bugenhagen and Nanaki to see to a temporary resting place for the Black Materia, and afterwards she was determined to help with the party preparations, as though she needed to make up for not being able to last time. And Aeris, somewhat suspiciously, proposed to Marlene that they take her papa to update his wardrobe. Jessie didn't want to give herself away by joining that endeavor.
Instead she spent the better part of the morning chatting with Shera. It took a little coaxing to find out, but she was as enamored with the telescope as Jessie had been. Plus she'd actually been with the space program, and knew things even Bugenhagen hadn't. Jessie had already decided, the two of them were going to be fast friends.
But eventually one of the villagers tracked them down at the observatory and interrupted. Jessie recognized her as one of the doctors who'd been treating the 'clones.' Lucrecia had asked to see her, she explained, and though the doctor assured her it wasn't urgent, she wouldn't say that nothing was wrong either.
Jessie's heart sank. Shera urged her to go on; they could always pick up their conversation later.
She found Lucrecia at the clinic, Vincent at her side as always.
"You wanted to see me?" Jessie asked.
"Jessie, yes," she said, nodding her over. "You can go on now, Vincent."
Vincent was reluctant in his every movement, as he kissed her softly on the forehead and rose to his feet. He brushed past Jessie on his way out the door, and she watched him go in confusion.
"Thank you for coming," said Lucrecia, drawing her gaze. "I've been trying to persuade him to take a little time for himself, get cleaned up at least, but he refused to leave me on my own."
Jessie nodded in understanding and approached to take Vincent's seat. "I'm not surprised," she said. "But I'm happy to be his stand-in for a little bit."
"Thank you."
"So... how are you feeling?" Jessie ventured, bracing herself for bad news.
"...as well as I'm going to, I expect," said Lucrecia, her expression falling into a sad smile.
"There's nothing they can do?"
Lucrecia's arm moved to rest across her stomach. "It's as I suspected. Some parts of me... belonged entirely to the Jenova. Holy couldn't change that. I'll start to feel the effects soon, and then, I have maybe a week, at best."
Jessie swallowed her questions. Vincent would have already pressed the doctors for treatment options; her prying into the details now wouldn't help anything. "I'm sorry," she said instead.
"Don't be," said Lucrecia. "I don't mind going; I should have died a long time ago. My only worry is leaving Vincent behind... I've been telling myself... it was all right to love him again if it made him happy. But I wonder if it was a mistake?"
"It wasn't," Jessie said with certainty, remembering his words to her on the snowfields. "I know... Vincent treasures every second with you."
Lucrecia met her gaze and nodded slowly. "Thank you," she said. "You've been such a good friend to him. You'll make sure he's all right, after I'm gone, won't you? I know it will hurt him... but I hope he'll be able to move on, in time. That's what he was trying to do when you first came to see me, wasn't it?"
"Maybe." Jessie never had been able to ask him. "But I know he's glad he found you there instead. And, I am, too. People deserve the chance to make up for their mistakes, right?"
"...do you think I have?"
"Well, I don't know. But it seems like the Planet wanted to give you a little more time, so, everything you did to help us must count for something."
"I hope so," said Lucrecia. "I suppose I'll try not to think too hard on my regrets, these last few days. It's over and behind us, as much as it ever can be."
Once Vincent returned, Jessie talked it over with the two of them, and it didn't take long to arrange with Shera. If there was nothing the doctors could do for her, then there was no reason for Lucrecia to spend the last of her days in a clinic. The crater lake wasn't far at all by airship.
Everyone gathered to send them off. It was the last time any of them would see Lucrecia, and no one could be sure when they might see Vincent again. Most of the team opted for handshakes, but Jessie couldn't hold back a laugh at the look on his face at the hug from Aeris, and the heavy clap Zack gave him on the back that nearly toppled him.
Jessie accompanied him his final trip onto the airship, to help him carry provisions aboard. She set them down inside and turned to him.
"You take as long as you need to," she said, "but we'd better see you again."
"It may be some time," he said.
"I know."
Vincent shook his head. "Not only that. I... think I may take your suggestion. To see the world for myself, before I decide my place in it."
"Oh." How long ago had she said that to him? It was touching, that he'd given her words so much consideration. "Well, send me some postcards, would you? So I don't have to worry." When he raised an eyebrow, she amended, "I guess you can send them to Wedge's brother, until I've got an address again."
"...all right."
Jessie extended a hand. "It's been a pleasure working with you. Glad I managed to get that door open."
"So am I," Vincent said, his expression softening into the closest thing she'd ever seen to a smile. He accepted her hand with a firm shake. "Good luck. Perhaps, by the time we meet again, AVALANCHE won't need my help anymore."
"Come on. There's always something, right?"
He shrugged, and released her hand.
"Good luck to you, too," Jessie added more softly.
"Thank you."
From the ground, they watched the Highwind disappear over the canyon walls to the north. The ship would return again before too long, but Vincent wouldn't.
Barret put a hand on her shoulder. "He'll be all right," he said, and Jessie had to marvel at how well he'd concealed any jealousy he might have felt, this whole time.
"The rest of us've got a party to get to," Zack added. "I don't think even Vincent'd want us to miss it."
It was a lot like before, the music and dancing, food and drink, but no one worried about what was coming tomorrow. Zack and Cloud didn't have quite enough energy to take charge of the dancing the way they had last time, but Tifa and Aeris were constantly on their feet, and Jessie found Wedge made a pretty good partner. Barret managed to make it through one song, unable to refuse Marlene, but afterwards he retreated to sit with Elmyra, clapping the rhythm against his knee.
They never could convince Yuffie to get involved, but Nanaki spent much of the afternoon playing tag with Marlene and the children of the canyon, and eventually she joined in. Their shrieks of laughter sounded even out of sight.
It was a celebration that Jessie never could have imagined, back when Barret had first promised it to them. AVALANCHE had been so much smaller then, just the five of them, and their goals had felt more than a little out of reach. Saving the Planet? It sounded nice, and Jessie had been happy to contribute, but some part of her had never expected it to get that far.
She wished Biggs could have been here to see it with her. How far they'd really come. Even though she knew he'd be teasing her about already being head-over-heels for a new guy, and a few drinks would have had him bragging about his role in saving the Planet. Tears pricked at her eyes.
"I miss him, too," said Tifa, and Jessie gave a start, not having noticed her approach.
"He'd've loved this," said Jessie. "He was actually a pretty good dancer, but he'd've been hamming it up, making the biggest idiot of himself just so I wouldn't feel so clumsy."
"You know, I can't help thinking he and Zack might've been a pretty dangerous combination."
Jessie laughed. "Yeah, probably..."
Tifa looped an arm around her shoulders and gave her a quick hug. "Come on. I'll grab Wedge and then the four of us'll have a drink to him."
They all sat down with Barret, and they spent the next little while just telling stories about Biggs, making sure he was a part of this, bringing him alive with their memories. Jessie had only talked about him briefly with the others since Sector 7, and even though she couldn't fight back all her tears, it felt good. It wasn't just her; none of them would let him be forgotten.
The party wound down as evening fell. Barret put Marlene to bed, and left her in Elmyra's care while he joined the rest of them around the bonfire. Even with no crisis on the horizon, something had still been building all through the festivities.
It was Yuffie who finally voiced it. "So... What- what happens now?"
"That's a good question," said Barret. "We struck a pretty damn big blow against the Shinra, but they ain't gone."
"And Midgar's got a lot of changes to go through," added Tifa.
Barret caught her eye and nodded. "I feel ya. Part o' me wants to go back, too, but..."
"But what?" Jessie wondered.
"Marlene. Y'all saw how happy she was on that farm. How can I bring 'er back to Midgar after that? 'specially with it bein' so unstable."
"I'm sure my brother wouldn't mind," Wedge put in, "if she stayed a while longer."
Barret shook his head. "Don't wanna be apart from her any longer either. But I can't go live on a farm when we're finally makin' some big change happen. Hell, I don't know what to do."
"Maybe it doesn't have to be that complicated," Jessie suggested. "The way AVALANCHE is growing, maybe Midgar doesn't have to be our home base. At least, not for all of us."
Tifa nodded in agreement. "I've been thinking about it, too, and Kalm's only a few hours' drive away, Barret. It's not far from the farm either. Maybe... that could be home for a while."
"Kalm, huh..."
"We don't have to decide right this second," said Tifa. "But, it's something to consider."
Barret nodded. "Yeah. Might not be a bad compromise."
"Would we all live there?" Aeris wondered.
"You didn't want to go back to Midgar either, right?" said Tifa.
Aeris nodded. "And maybe Mom would come, too. What about you, Jessie? Wedge?"
"Uh. Maybe," Jessie said, throwing a glance at Barret. They'd lived together before, but the prospect felt a little different now. "I'll have to think about it."
Wedge scratched his head. "I kind of feel like someone should be in Midgar. We need to know what's going on there, if we're gonna help. And, I'm tired of sitting things out."
"You wanna be our eyes and ears?" Jessie asked.
"I think so."
"...kind of a big task on your own, no?" Zack said thoughtfully.
"You volunteering?" Tifa asked him.
Zack glanced at Cloud. "Well... not right away," he amended. "We've sorta been talking about it, and we could probably use some time to really process what missing the past five years really means. We're not the only ones going through it either. I don't know, maybe we can lend a hand around here, first."
"But that's just for now," Cloud added. "We're... part of AVALANCHE, too, right?"
Tifa smiled and nodded. "Right. We'll be glad to have your help, whenever you're ready. It's not like any of us is jumping right back into it anyway. It's... been an exhausting month or two."
"It doesn't hurt to have a plan, though, right?" said Yuffie.
"No," Tifa agreed. "Come to think of it, we could probably use someone in Junon, too, if that's where Rufus is regrouping..."
"I could totally handle that," Yuffie said. "I mean... After I go home for a while first."
"You should take as long as you need," Nanaki said softly. "I know it's been some time."
Aeris sat up. "Actually, what if we all went? Isn't this the time to make an ally out of Wutai?"
Tifa nodded slowly. "That's not a bad idea. Yuffie, I know you weren't optimistic about getting Lord Godo involved, but I feel like we'd better start there. Do you think you could get us a meeting with him?"
Yuffie fidgeted. "Um..."
"What is it?" Jessie asked her.
"Lord Godo...... is my dad."
"...your asshole dad?"
"Yeah. We're not exactly on speaking terms. I'm probably the absolute worst person to be your go-between."
Barret frowned. "You're really sayin' this guy ain't gonna speak to his own daughter after she's been gone for months?"
"Plus you went out and saved the world," Zack put in. "Where's the hero cred?"
"Trust me, he's not gonna care," Yuffie maintained, and Jessie's heart twisted at her certainty. "But... you're right, you should talk to him first, so you don't get on anyone's bad side looking like you're trying to undermine his authority. Everybody still really respects him, somehow. Um, but I guess there's some people I can talk to, about you guys getting in to see him."
"...I am sorry, Yuffie," said Nanaki. "You deserve much more of a homecoming."
"No kiddin,'" said Barret.
"Well, then, we definitely have to go with," Jessie decided. "You should have some kind of family with you."
"Man, don't start getting sappy on me," said Yuffie.
"Too late," said Jessie, and she scooted closer to sling an arm around her and pull her close. "C'mere."
Yuffie protested--but not hard.
"I guess that's settled then," said Aeris, and she looked to Tifa with a smile. "You know, it might not be a bad start to a vacation either."
"Actually..." Tifa began, "I was hoping to stay put here for a little while. The Nibelheim survivors..."
"I get it," said Yuffie. "This's gotta be more like coming home for you than that messed up town."
"Yeah. But I don't want to hold you up. Just, maybe someone else could represent AVALANCHE this time?"
"I got it, Teef," said Barret. "Don't worry about it."
"You're coming?" Yuffie said in surprise. "What about Marlene?"
"Figure she'll come, too. Wutai ain't gonna be dangerous for her, is it?"
"...no. No, she'll be fine."
"Well, I'm looking forward to it, Yuffie," said Aeris. "I can't wait for you to show us around."
Yuffie nodded, and a cautious smile returned to her face. "Yeah. It might not be half bad."
It would be AVALANCHE's first diplomatic mission, Jessie thought. She wondered if there would be more of them in the future. Shinra had laid its claim on the whole world, and little by little, they'd have to wrench it free. Would there be more alliances, with other towns? There had to be places ready for it.
Jessie had never realized how aptly named they might be.
One by one, the others retired to the inn, and eventually Jessie, too, left the bonfire. She thought that Barret had gone on to bed already, but she found him standing outside the pub, his eyes on the stars above the canyon.
"You all right, Barret?"
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm good. I was just thinkin'... What we're doin' now really does feel like it's about buildin' a better world, more than it is about vengeance."
Jessie took up a spot beside him and followed his gaze skyward. "I've been feeling pretty optimistic about it, too."
"Don't know if I've felt this way since Corel," he said. "Used to think a lot about the future, back then."
The future he would have imagined with his wife, she thought. A quiet life, where Marlene wouldn't have been his daughter, but probably best friends with the child he and Myrna might have had. Where Dyne never lost himself, the two of them fast friends until they were old men. Was that what he'd pictured then?
"Well, what're you imagining now?" she wondered.
"...a world where Shinra's gettin' smaller an' smaller, an' we can put the fighting behind us. We could have a real good life in Kalm. Marlene could start school. Place runs on Mako now, but I bet they get plenty o' wind off those cliffs in the north."
"Hmm. I bet there could be some good work for a girl like me, setting up that kind of system."
Barret glanced at her. "You said you'd have to think about it. You got someplace else to be?"
Jessie shook her head. "No. I just... Would it be weird, living together when we've barely started dating?"
"Don't seem like it should be. We lived together before. Can't be any weirder than datin' on the road anyhow, an' that's worked out for Tifa."
"I guess you're right," she said. He said it like he'd thought about it already, too. "And I wouldn't wanna pull myself out of your daydreams."
Barret snorted, embarrassed. "I'm just thinkin,' not daydreamin.'"
"Uh-huh." Jessie turned to him, smirking. "And are you thinking about... Walking hand-in-hand through the streets of Kalm? Sneaking out to a movie? Oh, I bet there's some good make-out spots up on that wall."
"Sometimes you got a one-track mind, Jess," said Barret, scratching his head.
"You should be flattered, right?"
"Can't complain, right now," he admitted. "But we oughtta stop goofin' off an' get some sleep. Got an early day ahead of us."
"Okay, okay," Jessie relented. She didn't think anyone was in earshot of her teasing, but she probably needed to learn to be more careful. "Good night, Barret."
"G'night, Jess."
Her step was light back to the inn, and she thought his was a little easier, too. They parted ways with a glance in the hallway, and inside the room, Jessie quickly got the covers over her head so no one would see her dopey grin. There was plenty of future for her to dream about, too.