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For the past day or two, ever since he stopped by the Cooper farm and got his car fixed up, Neil has been driving aimlessly around Kansas and the surrounding area.

He's usually happy to stop for a chat. There really isn't that much to do around here except talk to strangers.

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"Thanks," she says, smiling briefly. "He's all I have for family."

"...Yeah," he says softly, in the tone that means I know what that's like.

ENOUGH EMO.

"So have you met anyone interesting in this world yet?"

"One or two. A girl who can float on air, a guy who fixed up my car so it'll run on fuel I can actually find. This world seems to attract people with weird talents."

"I don't have weird talents," she says quickly. "I'm weird talent free. I can't even drive a car."

"Oh? You might want to learn sometime. The damn things keep dropping out of thin air, and they're pretty useful."

She laughs.

"I wouldn't even know where to start..."

Although it'd be awesome if she could drive when she found Miki. She could totally be the better one.

Now, she looks thoughtful.

"Find someone to teach you," he suggests.

"Easier said than done."

But now she smirks. She can dop anything, it's true.

"I'll do it, though."

Dry: "Good luck."

Ai-Ling lifts her head up, pushing her ponytail behind her shoulder.

"Why don't you sound optimistic about it?"

"Oh, no. It was more of a comment on how this world seems to dump everything you could possibly want in your lap, except your friends."

Right.

Ai-Ling nods. "It might take time, but I'll find him. I didn't move halfway across the world to marry him just so I could lose him like this."

"Halfway across the world? That's a long way to go for a husband."

Neil smiles.

"The way you talk about him, it sounds like he was worth it."

Ooops, caught.

She shrugs, smirking, "Well, he couldn't get anyone in his tribe to marry him, so I had to."

Yes, he was worth it, but Ai-Ling happens to like insulting him.

Soft laugh. "Of course."

It'd be appropriate now to ask about his spouse, but she decides it not worth it unless he volunteers the information.

"His parents fought with my gurardians during the war. He came to stay and study a few years ago, and we got used to having each other around."

He smiles distantly.

"I guess that's what love is, in a way. The people you're used to."

"Maybe," she agrees. "It's certainly what family is, if that's the same thing."

"In that case, I'm a lucky man. I've had two families."

Wry grin.

"Neither of them's here, of course, but maybe that's just a matter of time."

"I bet it is," Ai-Ling says. "Who were your second family?"

Assuming the first is the obvious one.

"The people I work with. Worked with, I guess, before I came here."

"More than worked with, I bet," she says. "Were you a soldier?"

"Yeah."

She glances up, and studies him for a few long seconds. Then accepts it with a nod.

"Or something more complicated, I guess."