Strength flooded into her limbs and she bolted forward. Everyone looked toward her, drawing their guns as she rushed forward, but she ignored them all. She just ran, pumping the air with her arms, sobbing in front of everyone and not caring at all. Because he was there in front of her-- solid, real, HERE.

His face was shocked as she threw her arms around his waist, gripping him so tight that his shirt pulled tight in her hands. She bunched it in her fists. Her face hit his chest, causing him to stumble a few feet back, and she shook as she sobbed like a child into him. The feeling a heartbeat she hadn't felt in so long drummed against her cheek.

It took him a few seconds, but then she felt his arms lock around her, shaking as he lifted her into the air. His head dipped to bury into her hair, and she felt him judder with tears that matched her own. He stroked the back of her hair, still holding her with one arm. She pulled back, looking up at his face. He was older, obviously, with long hair and a skin tone that would have passed for human if the looker did not know what to look for. But even though his face was slightly different, and he now stood dressed in the clothes of rebels, she felt the overwhelming pull of home in his features.

He stared at her, and then turned to look over his shoulder. "I'll be back," he said, and Bo didn't even glance around her to see how his people took this. Instead, she focused only on Adam gripping her wrist and running with her for the tent entrance. He pushed through both flaps, and then they were in the pitch dark. And for one panicked moment she wondered if this was all a dream, and now that she had lost sight of him in the night if she had woken up on the airship in the lonely silence she was all-too-used to.

But then she felt his press her hand, and heard his breathing as he led her into the darkness. She didn't even care where he was taking her, but eventually she heard the swish of another tent entrance. A light bloomed to life, revealing a small supply tent around them. Adam stood in front of her, just lowering his hand from a lantern.

"You're real?" he asked, and at the sound of his voice, her knees finally gave out and she landed with a thump on the ground.

"I've looked for so long," she gasped out, her voice frantic even though she tried to still it. "I thought it would never happen."

Adam immediately dropped to his knees in front of her, pulling her to his chest and enveloping her. She disappeared into his embrace, surrounded by nothing but his arms, heart, breath. Everything about him was alive.

"I was tempted to think that you would never come looking for me," he whispered. The fine hairs on her temple stirred with his breath. "But I knew that you would never give up. I knew, when the time was right, we would meet again."

"How?" Bo asked, pulling back just a little in order to meet his eyes. "How could you have so much faith?"

He laughed. "Have you already forgotten all those times you almost killed yourself trying to escape my home?"

Bo grimaced.

"If you were so stupidly persistent in trying to get away from me, why wouldn't it work the other way around?" Adam said.

"I left as soon as my people could spare me," Bo said, sitting back on her haunches and gripping Adam's hand in hers. "We built the base into a town that can protect itself. Now that my people are safe and no longer frightened, they have opened their minds to so much more."

"I knew you'd succeed," Adam said. He stared at her, his black eyes reflecting the light of the lantern. Bo leaned in, dropping his hand in order to press hers against the sides of his face.

"Don't ever leave me again," she whispered.

"I plan on staying close forever," he replied, and closed the gap between them.

The kiss was so different from the desperate ones they'd shared all that time ago. This one was a hello, a promise, a slow and peaceful kiss that poured all the longing of their yearning hearts into each other. It was not a goodbye, or a hasty expression of love as they thought they were dying. Bo could take her time, run her hand along the back of his neck, through his hair. He could kiss her eyelids and grip her tight. This was their beginning.

It wasn't even a few seconds later when the sound of static filled the tent. Adam grimaced.

"What was that?" Bo asked.

"Nothing," Adam said, kissing her again.

The static burst again, and then a tinny voice followed.

"Not to interrupt anything, boss, but we just got communication from the spies on the perimeter." It was Khan's voice.

Adam sighed and sat back on his haunches. He pulled a radio off his belt and held it up to speak into it.

"They better have something seriously important to say," he barked.

"An airship was spotted landing in the Judge's compound, and the spies reported seeing Clayton and Aston getting out."

Adam was silent, his eyes meeting Bo's.

"Aston knows I'm here," she said. "He'll know that I'll seek you out."

"And Clayton knows that I'm going to attack the Judge soon," Adam added.

"Both our enemies in the same place."

"They know something is going to happen. They'll be making plans with the Judge."

Bo bit her lip and shook her head. "I suppose it was too much to hope for one hour to ourselves?" she asked, smiling through she felt like punching the radio into pieces.

"Such is the life of a leader," Adam said, grinning.

Bo rolled her eyes, but let Adam help her to her feet. He threw an arm around her shoulders, and then turned off the lantern before they left the tent.

As they walked back to the main tent, Bo knew she should be preparing for whatever strategies and military movings they would need to plan now that the militia were gathering at the Judge's compound. But it was so hard to pull her mind away from the warmth of Adam by her side, and the way his hand played with the ends of her hair.

"I love you, Adam," she whispered into the darkness.

"The stars couldn't even compare to my love," he answered back, kissing her temple. 

----

A/N: