Corbie had known that something had happened to Jackson, but he'd been particularly taciturn about it and she hadn't pushed. Not at the time. So that was enough to get her out of her own spiral of alarm and confusion. She turned her attention to Jackson and touched his cheek, the unvoiced question in her eyes.

The woman regarded the two of them in silence for a long moment, reading everything about what was in front of her. Fuck if it wasn't just like looking in a mirror, if this hadn't been her and Kisuke once. Too old, unkempt, alcoholic, and yet for all his faults, that was deep and genuine affection. Oh yeah, she could see a time in her life where she would have fucked this man, and she knew exactly why, too.

The girl would grow out of this in time. She knew that. This wasn't about scolding her out of stopping whatever this relationship was before she was ready. But she was so young. So confused. And so lacking any real belief in herself.

"I'm sorry for that," she said. Though the gentleness was more to win over the girl. Him she wanted to tell that he gave himself that hangover. "But I promise you, I'm here to help. And you both know what a shit liar I am."

This was true, and it got the younger Corbie's attention. She turned her gaze back to meet that of her other self. The woman further offered, "I believe we could take him, too, if it would make you feel better."