"You don't have to be an inmate to want to hurt people," Ford tells her. "Personally, I'm convinced that the only difference between inmates and wardens is that inmates are dead. Being a warden doesn't make you a good person, it just means you're willing to stay here and do the job. There's nobody here who couldn't change for the better, whether their lives are riding on it or not."

He takes a deep breath.

"I'd rather treat this like a partnership. I'll let you into any warden-only areas you want to see, and if we make port, I'll walk you off the ship. If you die, I'll bring you back. And, if you need anything -- even if it's just someone to talk to -- then I'll do my best to help.

"It isn't easy, being on the Barge. Protecting people you care about is nearly impossible, and all the most painful and embarrassing parts of your past get broadcast to the whole ship every few floods. The best advice I can give you is to stay alert, stay armed, and stay honest. Trying to keep any interesting secrets -- especially romantic ones -- will only end in everyone finding out anyway, usually at the most dramatic possible moment. It's...unpleasant."

That's why, when he and Bill were together, they just sort of didn't hide it. They went to a wedding in coordinated outfits and enough people figured it out that it couldn't be revealed in any kind of shocking way.

"But at least you don't have to go it alone."

He extends a hand. Partners?