[ he watches her for a moment, quiet, considering. it's a strange thing -- he's trying to be conscious of the fact that, for all the familiarity between them, he doesn't really know her. not like her brother did, not like her friends on the rig. she's changed a lot in the time she's been there. she doesn't know him either, really. he's basically a different person from who she remembers back in the project. he doesn't want to be too presumptuous, to pretend he knows her better than he does. he doesn't want to tell her anything like yes, you are there, because how could he really know?

but there is a familiarity, a connection, they aren't complete strangers. and there is enough there that talking like this feels -- different, but not terrible. he's not forcing himself through it. ]

Takes time. [ is all he offers, still staring up at the darkening sky overhead. ] And you know what?

[ a pause. and he turns just enough to look at her. ]

I don't know if I'm there, either. Sometimes just feels like all I did was get -- better and better at playing pretend. You know?

[ he is a stunningly good liar and actor, whether or not south has had the pleasure of seeing it. it turns out that when he had that much truth shoved into his mind but had to act completely ignorant of it, those skills come about by necessity. sometimes he thinks he's lying to himself, too. another beat, and he looks back at the sky. ]

But wherever I am now, it's -- different. It's better.

[ and that has to be enough. ]