Another Life (Oc x reader)

Chapter 62 - Not William

(S2:E5)
Ethan walks into the soma chamber Zayn is checking on Javier.

"How's he doing?"

"Well, let's see. He's internal temperature's negative 80 Celsius, his blood's been replaced with a cryoprotectant, and I have no idea if he'll ever wake up again. That's how Javier is doing."

The soma tube slides back into the wall. Zayn sighs.

"I'm sorry."

"We're gonna get back to that planet and Bernie is going to be fine. Okay?" Ethan reassures him.

"What am I gonna do if-"

"You'll get through it." He squeezes his shoulder and leave the chamber.

...

While the team set up camp, Bernie tries reaching out to the Salvare, but gets no response. Jason and Paula try coming up with a name for the planet, but Bernie is against the idea because he doesn't want to be on the planet. They find copper.

Paula takes a test on Jason in order to tell him that he's pathogen-free. She tries to do the same for Bernie, but he doesn't want to comply since it's been three days. Jason convinces him that it's gonna be okay and Paula calls him a natural talent with colonizing. Unbeknownst to any of them, they're being watched.

...

Ethan is on the observation deck with you and Dillon. He keeps glancing at you. When you reach up to touch the bruise on your head you hiss slightly and Ethan goes to you.

He reaches for your hand to remove it from your bruise and you jump by the sudden touch, startled.

"Sorry. Just.." He carefully takes your hand away from your bruise.

Then he reaches up again to move your hair and check on the bruise. It wasn't unusual for the two of you to make physical contact and to check on each other like this.

He's relieved you don't just move away from him, which you have been doing lately. Reaching up to push his luck, he brushes his hand past your hair to caress your neck and head, using the hand position to tilt your head for him to see the bruise better.

In the closeness and certain feelings bubbling inside you, like it always does with him, you're reminded that you heard him when it sounded like he was hooking up with someone. It makes you uncomfortable and you step away from him. Clearing your throat, you look at your screens again. He frowns sadly and let his hand down.

"Look, I'm sorry I didn't listen to you." He apologises.

You sigh, not knowing what to say, you were still upset about it, but don't want to make it worse by talking about it further.

"It's fine. Just forget it." You brush it off and turn back to your work.

He looks at the side of your face for a moment. "Yn, I feel like there's something we need to-"

"Warning. Proximity alert." Salvare warns, alarms blaring loudly.

"We've got company."

"Achaian company?" You ask Dillon.

"It's.." He checks, then sighs. "It's just a comet."

"Stand down." Ethan tells the Salvare, sighing annoyed at the unnecessary adrenaline rush the warning gave.

...

"I have some good news." Dillon tells Ethan.

"Please." Ethan nods for him to tell.

"The AI is ready to be reinitialised."

"No sign of Gabriel?"

"No. Wiped completely clean. Deleted." Dillion tells him. "Do you wanna do the honours?"

Ethan push the button to initialise the AI. William appears.

"William." You smile at seeing him again.

He greets you with a smile. "Miss Yln." He then looks at Ethan and nod politely. "Commander Stone."

Your smile fades. Ethan frowns sympathetically at you. You have both just lost a good friend.

"He's not exactly William." Dillon tells you. "He's the same interface with all the original algorithms, but.."

"But none of his experiences." Ethan finishes for him.

You frown. "So, he's basically a clone?"

William smiles playfully. "I prefer factory reset."

"Don't do that." Ethan stops him. "Don't tease. You're not William."

"Uh, I'm sorry, I could change my name if you prefer. My form, even."

"No, I don't prefer. Just.." Ethan pinches the bridge of his nose. "Can you fix the FTL, so we can rescue the people we stranded on that planet?"

"I'll need to reintegrate myself into the Salvare and run tests and diagnostics."

"Do it. Fast as you can." Ethan tells him.

It gets silent when William disappears.

"Iara and me.. we're gonna-"

"I." Ethan corrects Dillon. You roll your eyes at Ethan's unnecessary comment and turn back to your work.

"What?"

"It's 'Iara and I'. Never mind." He says and turn to him.

"We're trying to get the comms systems working again too. So.."

"Great. Thank you."

"Okay." He awkwardly walks out.

Ethan takes a deep breath, then glance at you.

"Have you eaten?" You ask still looking at your screen. "Do you need me to get you something to eat, Commander?"

He just stares at you. "Will you eat with me?"

"I have already had lunch. But I'll go get something in the kitchen for you." You move to go but he shakes his head.

He sighs. "It's fine, I'm not hung-"

"You need to eat something."

"Yeah, and I will, but you don't have to get it for me."

"It's my job to make your job slash life easier, remember? You have work to do here, and Richard will come by soon and take over. So I'll prepare something for you in the meantime." You say and start to head out but Ethan stops you.

"Yn, can we-"

"I could honestly use a break, Ethan." You sigh. "Please let me do something else. My eyes are tired of the screens."

"Oh, uh, yeah, sure, of course."

He watches you walk out. Yes, it is your job to basically do all kinds of small tasks for him so he can do an even better job with the more important tasks he has. Your job is also to help keep him healthy especially on times like this when he has a tendency to forget eating. However, you never act like this is a job to you, at least haven't in a long time. In fact you love doing it.

Erik always joke that you're what men would call housewife material. It's true, and you didn't mind it one bit. And after working and becoming a part of Ethan's life, you loved it. After you started working for him, you soon became comfortable with each other and, well, it was a reason they called you his work wife and not his PA.

Ethan remembers back to three years ago, and how he originally didn't want to get a personal assistant.

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