"So what now, soldiers?" asked Tom, trying to bring the situation to more regular grounds.

"Dunno, dude," said Liam. "Deb said something about reservations for dinner, but it's almost eight already".

"Here we have dinner about nine," said Claudia.

"What?" cried Walt. "I'm fucking starving!"

Jim and Sean looked around and spotted Deborah with Ron and Tim, talking to some locals. Jim took a hand to his lips.

"I'll get her," said Sean, before Jim whistled at her and Deborah punched his lights out.

"How are you for an allnighter, woman?" Jim asked Silvia.

"Like a scout, always ready," she replied. "What's the plan?"

"Dunno, but guess it's dinner, some drinks and some dancing. You up?" Jim heard Claudia's muffled giggle and turned to her, raising his eyebrows. "You don't think your friend's old bones can take it?"

"Don't you know her? She's gonna be the last one standing, as usual," Claudia replied.

"Really? We'll see about that."

Sean was already back, nodding to the door. "Ron's getting the cars," he said. "Deb and the others are coming as soon as they're done here."

Deborah and Tim watched them walk out on the local producers and celebs that had come to greet them, and didn't waste their breath on a sigh. That was what working for the Robinsons was in the end: a never-ending master on contingency plans.

While they waited for the elevators, the others couldn't help looking over their shoulders when they heard Silvia snort about something Jim was saying with a little smile. Jo swallowed a giggle, because a snort wasn't exactly the sound women usually let out when Jim whispered in their ears like that, meeting their eyes with that smile, specially designed to make them feel a sudden urge to get rid of their clothes.

Jim chuckled, amused. Silvia shook her head, still huffing, and shrugged his arm away from her neck.

"Off," she said, pointing a warning finger at his nose.

There it was, the white whale wreaking havoc as usual, playing his silly games just to see how many chills he could trigger down her spine in a minute. Like he needed to make sure he still had her under his thumb. Like she'd ever been anywhere else.

But their eyes met and they ended up giggling and punching each other's arms.

"Like fucking brats," grunted Sean, trying to ignore the way Jo's fingers twisted his. "Ouch!"

Silvia overheard him and could only agree. Yeah, they were behaving like brats, and it was just perfect, because those silly little moments allowed her to calm down and find her cool back. Something she would need a great deal of to make it through the night without embarrassing herself beyond repair.

And at the same time, it was perfect because it was them, there, together again. That was enough to feel laughter tinkling up her throat all the time.

Jim took her hand to get in the elevator with Jo, Sean and Claudia. And Tom, who sneaked in right before the doors closed. She huffed.

"Need help to walk this early?" she asked, trying to make him let go of her hand.

"Making sure you ain't fleeing the moment I look away," Jim replied, amused by her tough attitude in front of the others. He noticed the way she looked at his neck and frowned, touching it. "What?"

Silvia turned to Claudia. "Do you have one of those wet tissues for makeup?"

"Sure," said Claudia, opening her bag to grab one. "Here."

"Thanks." Silvia looked up at Jim again and made him turn his face the other way. "Jeez, Jay, you're a mess," she grumbled, rubbing his skin with the tissue. "That girl left her lipstick all over."

Jim saw the others look away and let out yet another chuckle. He would've said something like, "Your lipstick would look better on me." But after the last few minutes, he could tell her answer would be writing something on his face with it.

It was fine. That was her. She always needed a while to come around.

At the lobby, Jim signaled for Walt to lead the way to the cars waiting for them, keeping Sean, Jo and Tom with him.

"Okay, this is the plan," he said. "Tom, I know that look, so the friend's yours. Jo, you keep my brother in check. Bro, I want you to pretend you fucking love her. Got it?"

He didn't wait for their answer and hurried to catch up with Silvia, who was getting on one of the cars with Liam. Jim hopped in while Walt and Tom took another car with Claudia, leaving the third car to Sean and Jo.

As soon as the doors were locked and the lights went off, Silvia refused to fight her impulse of taking Jim's hand. He looked into her dark blue eyes for a long moment.

Even though she knew she didn't have to dress up for the occasion, she looked way better than he'd expected. She'd lost about ten pounds, and he liked that dark red on her hair to frame her face, with only a touch of makeup. He was pretty sure she'd picked that pink top to tease him, but the low collar was inviting enough to overlook those hideous flowers. Her worn jeans matched his, and the boots gave her a nice gait.

She held his eyes in silence, still trying to take fully in it was his hand in hers, and how happy he looked about seeing her again. He took her hand to his lips and kissed the back of her fingers. His voice was a whisper, only for her to hear.

"It's so fucking great having you here."

She nodded, mirroring his smile, oblivious to Liam on the front seat. "Yeah. And it's funny, 'cause all of this... Like it's got nothing to do with—"

"I know, right? This is something else."

"Yes, it's different."

Still staring at each other, their eyes sparkled in their matching feelings. Because North Dakota was some fifteen thousand miles and fifteen months away. They weren't the same people they were back then, and some of those changes were the product of each other's influence in their lives. And that was the real reason why they were meeting again.

Jim turned to look ahead, keeping her hand in his, a mild smile still pursing his lips while her thumb stroked his skin oh so gently.

She looked ahead too. All of a sudden, she felt perfectly contented. She didn't care where they were going, or what would happen next. It was a night to live to its fullest. And with Jim there, it would surely be a night to remember too.