[Her stomach starts to twist with fear at his words. Could he really just change like that? Could his brain flip a switch, and suddenly her Stef would be gone? She wants to believe that this is some fairy tale, and they can fight it just by standing here and believing that it won't work that way. But she knows that's not true. She knows now that horrible things happen, and they ruin your life and take the people you love, and there's nothing you can do to stop it.

For a horrible moment, she tries to imagine her life without this amazing, brilliant boy in front of her, and all she can think is that she wouldn't be able to do it. He's just told her that she's not alone, and she knows there are others who would be here for her - Allen, and Max, and Hiro, and even Crowley and Clay. But Stef... If he lost everything he was and disappeared into some stranger who drinks bourbon and snaps necks...

Alex squeezes his hand and leans back in towards him, seeking out his eyes in the darkness.]

I won't let you forget. I'll remind you every single day if I have to, but I'm not going to let you lose yourself, okay? Even if I have to go full-on Notebook about it. I do have faith in you, and that's saying a hell of a whole lot, because I'm not an optimist. But you're the most important person to me in this goddamn fleet, and I'm not going to sit on my ass and watch anything bad happen to you.

[Her hand trembles around his, and her voice is raw from the day's exhaustion, but her gaze is absolutely strong with all the conviction she has. She could almost laugh right now, at how ridiculously strong these feelings are. Everything is awful and there's a hole in her chest and she sometimes wants to kill herself and the most important person in the world to her might change before her eyes and he's grieving over it but it's okay. It's okay, because there's one thing she's completely certain about.]

... I love you, Stef.