Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
MAL SIPPED HER coffee and nibbled on her chocolate chip muffin happily, both things courtesy of Sam. Mal insisted that he didn't need to, but he slipped the cashier the money when Mal turned to grab some napkins. Now the pair sat in a cozy café, at a booth by one of the windows. The café was pretty small, but it was busy, with most people taking their coffee to go. Mal opted to get a hers in a mug, the Jones' Café logo printed on the side. Sam had his coffee in a to-go cup, and had a croissant instead of a muffin.
"So, would it be too much to ask for some free advice?" Mal asked, leaning forward to rest her elbows on the table.
"I usually charge a fee for good advice, but I can give you some bad advice for free?" Sam joked with a smile and Mal grinned before sighing.
"Two years ago I went through this, uh, thing," Mal began, trying to find the right words. She couldn't exactly say that she dove through a wormhole after fighting aliens. "And that kind of, well, it triggered some bad memories to come rising back to the surface. And, that has resulted in some pretty horrific nightmares." Mal tried to be as vague as possible, and Sam, bless his heart, listened intently to her, face serious, not once wavering or showing any sign that he wasn't taking her seriously. "I've talked to Steve and Nat and they try to help, but they never really go away." Sam nodded slowly, placing his coffee down on the table.
"We leave parts of us behind in those situations, and some parts of that come back with us. Sometimes it gets easier, sometimes it doesn't." Sam said, studying Mal's face. For the first time, he didn't see the usually smiling, bright girl. He saw a young girl who had seen too much. She had dark rings forming under her eyes, showing that she hadn't been sleeping much, if at all. Sam saw a young girl who was scared and tired and had probably experienced things he couldn't even dream of. "If you don't mind me asking, what happened?" Mal inhaled sharply, her hands tightening around her mug.
"Something happened to me. Something bad." Was all she said, and Sam got the hint that she wasn't ready to spill her guts to a near-stranger.
"Look, Mal, you need to let yourself heal. Your body, your heart, all of that is easy to heal and let the wounds close. But your mind can't shake those things. You'll be carrying those memories around for a long time, probably forever. The key is accepting the fact that these wounds won't go away just by you trying to ignore them." Sam said softly but firmly, and Mal nodded slowly. The words struck a cord with her – she couldn't keep ignoring the nightmares and hope that they go away.
"Thanks, Sam." Mal said honestly, and that usual smile returned to her face. Sam smiled back instantly, before looking at his watch.
"Well, lets get you home, kid."
–•–•–
Mal entered the familiar lab, her ID badge hitting lightly against her thigh from where it was clipped onto the bottom on the jacket. Placing her bag down underneath her work station, Mal shrugged off her leather jacket, hanging it up on the last open hook on the coat rack. Suddenly, someone threw their arms around Mal's neck, hugging her from behind.
