The ship docked just as it had done thousands of times before, in the same spot on the dock, after the same routine cruise around the same harbor. But in Rose's mind it was the end of a voyage that had been left unfinished for centuries. A homecoming for a brave young sailor whose sense of duty had led him beyond life and death to places no one had ever dreamed of. In her mind, she was the girl he'd imagined coming home to. She might not have freckles or a bonnet or a damn frilly umbrella, but she did have knee-high boots and rocked a black leather jacket in a way that said she knew what it was like to be an outsider, someone who didn't belong and more importantly didn't give a heck about much. She was who he needed in this new century, this new life he'd been gifted.

A hundred tourists disembarked, but her eyes scanned and only saw one. And he only saw her. Gone was the faintly bemused expression he'd had that day at her mom's when they'd first met. He rocked a little on the gangway as it moved, had to hold on tight to the rope. He was no longer a force of nature with omnipotent powers. Surely, over the past few weeks he'd had to engage with the world all over again, with its consequences, its nitty-gritty, like one of those Greek gods in her mom's stories who'd perhaps looked down on mortal affairs until he'd had to assume human form and seen firsthand that life wasn't some sweeping grandiose design; it was all about the little things, the mistakes, the course-corrections, the messy human connections, the snatched joys and fleeting glimpses of dreams-come-true, the regrets and the wisdom that came from managing those regrets.

Like her mom had been Rose's anchor, Rose would have to be Bellamy's, at least for a while. She smiled at the thought. She'd never been anyone's anchor before, and it made her feel older, but not old. She had a responsibility now, unlike anyone else's in the world. How much did he remember about his supernatural adventures? What could he tell her about the Great Beyond? But more than that, what could she do to make him happy?

They'd only been on one official date and already he was the least boring boyfriend she'd ever had. Rose was glad he'd kept the long hair and the boyish biker look. But that natty turtleneck sweater would have to go. Then she glanced down at her black tank top with the Punisher logo on the front. It was showing a fair bit of cleavage. She suddenly felt self-conscious, picturing the conservative fashions of his time. Rose then pulled the halves of her jacket together for the sake of modesty, then thought about it and rolled her eyes.