"We're glad you made it home in one piece." Marmee stroked Jo's short hair and then walked toward the exit. "I'll give you two a minute."

Beth was belted down, covered in pox, groaning, twitching, and tugging against her restraints.

"All right," Jo mustered as Marmee stepped out.

Jo had no desire to be alone with Beth. She knew what this time was for and why her mother was giving it to her. For no other reason would she leave Beth's side.

Was Jo glad to be home? Did she really make it there in "one piece?"

It was tough to make that call. The Tau-Cetians weren't as generous for her homecoming. Her research didn't meet their expectations and she had to walk back as a result. She was Warlord target practice multiple times, but, by some grace of God, she was only hit once—on the edge of her right hand. She didn't have the supplies to tend to the wound properly. Still, it was survivable once she crossed into Sector-1.

"I'm sorry, Beth..." Jo placed her bandaged hand on Beth's collarbone to calm her and keep her still, but it was little more than a symbolic gesture at this point. "That I couldn't do more for you. I should have stayed here. At least we could have spent your last few months together."

Jo sniffled and dried her face with her sleeve. "What am I saying? You would have wanted me to go. You would have insisted, actually—try something new and live your life, even if it's just as frustrating and heartbreaking as it is here. And it was just that. She was..."

Stunning, brilliant, successful. Both before and after Earth's takeover, Frieda led a meaningful, interesting life. Married—to a man—and divorced, lost her only child in the war. Although she took no particular interest in her attractive male colleagues, that didn't mean a damn thing.

"Mystifying," Jo concluded. "You'd be the least surprised to hear all this. I'm not Meg or Amy. I've never wanted what they want. I'm just not wired that way."

Beth thrashed and grunted. The monitors blipped like crazy for a second. It wasn't exactly an affirmation, but Jo tried to convince herself that it was.

"Maybe I'll go back. Someday..." Jo shrugged, watching the door. She had a feeling her time was almost up. "I don't know. What I want is probably unattainable. So..."

Her eyes darted back to Beth at the shearing sound. In one massive lurch, Beth tore through her restraints.

Jo knocked her own chair over as she tried to stand. Her reflexes were sluggish, but she managed to pull out her sabre. Jo wasn't prepared to hold it, though, not with her injured hand. And when Beth pounced on her, the blade went flying.

Jo was flat on her back, struggling to keep Beth at bay with all her strength.

Kicking, screaming, scratching, snapping, snarling. Beth's teeth tore into Jo's shoulder. Blood gushed into Beth's mouth and with just one taste, she went from deranged to completely unhinged.

The last thing Jo heard was a gunshot. And then her dark, miserable world faded to black.