Thanks.

Sorry.

He can see the Silmarils while he's in town. They're exceptionally pretty. There are four and they are the closest to cosmic power people who did not randomly eclipse can get and Fëanáre is only a little sour about this.

Maitimë tells the families of the dead kids that the Elves will pay for resurrection once it becomes possible. Maitimë crafts a satisfactory convalescence. Maitimë prepares an apology. 

Isabella brings her dinner every day and sits with her and makes a dogged effort to hold a conversation until Alex decides she's done. And she works on unconsciousness as fast as she can without going into dizzy levels of acceleration.

"You know you did everything right, right?"

"No I didn't. You could argue it doesn't make sense to say I should've been looking - don't bother, Alex has been over it nine times now - but I also didn't start working on Liz soon enough and even once we were suspicious Melkor was up to something I didn't make it clear enough to the Valar that they needed to tell me if anything happened -"

"I should have thought of that. 

I just don't want you to think that I could get better if you were just perfect enough because it's not - it's never been -"

"I can obliterate Ainur and read the future and count the spots on a caterpillar I caught when I was five and speak to people in another dimension but you, you're impossible, is that it."

"I looked up how much it'd cost. Earth psions weren't advertising but they were willing to give me a bid. I haven't - I'm not - I owe you better than that, but I really desperately wish I didn't -"

"I won't stop you. It's your life. Should I not even finish the sleep thing -?"

"No - no, that's - that's not it at all - I am staying at least as long as it takes you to believe that you're wonderful and perfect and going to do a good job of everything and that you did right by me, at every step, you were smarter and faster and more resourceful than anyone could have hoped for it and it just kind of turns out that evil gods suck -"

"That last part I will not disagree with you about."

"I wouldn't lie to you. About any of it."

"Sure. You can still be mistaken."

"Yeah, but - I don't think you failed me, I want you to know that whatever you think the objective truth of the matter is -"

"Okay."

"I love you."

She hesitates for a second and then leans over and puts her head in Isabella's lap.

- Isabella's hand twitches and then she holds still.

That'll make two of them, then.

Well this is better than the last time there was a declaration of love, probably. If she's, like, clear to touch you without anything melting horribly, you could let her know.

"You can do whatever you want," she says to Isabella.

That is not exactly what I meant.

- Isabella picks up her hand and rests it on Maitimë's cheek.