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[coppelganger]

[ Sarah is sprawled out on the couch in her apartment, holding onto a beer, and the communicator seems to be set up on the coffee table. She takes a drink before she says anything, closing her eyes briefly, and then looks askance at the camera. ]

So has anyone else been having bloody weird dreams the past couple days?

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[coppelganger]

[ Sarah wraps her arms around him and pulls him down so he's lying next to her. It's a little cramped, and she's a little bit squished into the back cushions, but she doesn't mind. ]

I know this has been really hard for you. And I know I can't ever understand. But you're strong, and you've got people here who'll be there for you.

[puppydoctor]

[Something in his heart swells at her words, as if he had been waiting ages to hear this. Twisting around a bit, he reaches to pull her close.]

Thank you.

[coppelganger]

[ She smiles and tucks her head against his chest. It's been a shite week for both of them, but she's glad she can make things a little bit better for him. ]

Sure.

[puppydoctor]

[He skates his hand down her back, slow and soothing, and for a moment he thinks that they might just fall asleep here. But there's one more thing he wants to say.]

Happy birthday, by the way. I kind of missed it while we were busy being dramatic. Sorry.

[coppelganger]

[ Sarah laughs, surprised. ]

It's alright. After a certain age, women don't wanna acknowledge their birthdays.

[puppydoctor]

At least you aren't thirty, now. I only got one day for that to sink in before this whole mess.

[coppelganger]

We've gotta go out and celebrate now that we're us again.

[ Like the younger versions of them weren't really them, somehow. ]

[puppydoctor]

We can have a toast - to my divorce, and your being old enough to drink.

[He may be teasing her. He knows she wasn't really twenty-one.]

[coppelganger]

Ah, but the drinking age in Ontario is nineteen.

[ Which she wasn't yet, but shhh. ]

[puppydoctor]

Ontario. You're so foreign and exotic.

[He leans forward to kiss her head, laughing softly.]

[coppelganger]

I know. That's why you like me.

[puppydoctor]

See, I'm not just in it for your great butt.

[coppelganger]

Hey. [ She elbows him lightly. ] Careful. My sister's coming over soon. We can't get all hot and bothered.

[puppydoctor]

[He groans dramatically.] Which one?

[coppelganger]

Cosima. I tried to say no, but she's very determined.

[puppydoctor]

We haven't had sex in, like, two weeks. Surely she'd understand. [A moment's thought.] Unless she and that weird alien girlfriend of hers miraculously missed out on the fun.

[coppelganger]

Trust me, if she wants to talk about what I think she wants to talk about, I doubt she'll stick around long.

[puppydoctor]

[That gets him a little concerned.]

And what's that?

[coppelganger]

Nothing too serious. Just, y'know. The way I was as a teenager, the way I acted around her, that shite.

[puppydoctor]

You talk about it like you were the worst teenager in the history of the world.

[coppelganger]

Not the worst, but I was pretty awful.

[puppydoctor]

[Okay, he isn't even going to pretend to deny that.]

... Would you have actually slept with a guy my age?

[coppelganger]

[ She shifts away from him a little bit, uncomfortable with the question, but... she did send him that email, a while back, right? ]

Yeah, if I thought I could get something out of it. Money or drugs... anything.

[puppydoctor]

[He senses her discomfort, and mentally kicks himself. His intention was curiosity, not judgment, but it was still thoughtless. Shifting a bit, he rubs her back.]

I hope you don't have to again. Ever.

[In a perfect life, he would assure her of it. He would promise to look out for her, for as long as he could. But they're in purgatory, and Sarah is like lightning. She would never stay with him that long, even if this place wasn't going to tear them apart eventually. He doesn't get to keep her and protect her. That other life will take her back, the life that's put all that pain in her eyes, and she'll forget that this dumb, sappy doctor ever wanted to give her the entire world.]

It's only ever been your circumstances that were bad, Sarah. Not you.

[coppelganger]

My circumstances weren't that terrible, you know. My mum's a good person. We always had everything we needed. I was just...

[ She sighs. There aren't really the words to explain how she felt growing up—like she didn't belong anywhere, with anyone. How it made her want to abandon everybody before they left first, how she still feels like that at times. Finally she settles on, ] Angry.