Bloodymary fic idea
AU where the whole bit about the taoameba leaking out of the xenonite never happened, and they said goodbye to Rocky and were able to go back to Earth with (relatively) no issue (I say relatively bc I Don't Know how they would have solved the whole "running out of food" situation- but for all intents and purposes, this is irrelevant to the fic). And at some point, they're able to reconnect with messaging systems on earth and let everyone know Grace is alive and with a Super Cool, Definitely Not Viscously Traumatized Friend. And it's within a few days of being able to receive messaging, that the pair wake up to see a small blue marble, hanging in the void. It's still a ways off, of course, but it's close enough to see.
And it's home.
And it's a moment of absolute, unadulterated wonder. Simon, of course, has never seen anything like it. Never thought he would either, and it's striking to him how full of life it is, even from this distance. And Grace? He's technically been in space for almost 2 full decades at this point, has seen countless suns and planets, etc, from space. Most notably, Adrian. But seeing his home? After so long of either being sure he'd never see it again, or too nervous to hope for it? It's the most incredible thing he's ever seen. The petrova line was beautiful too, but nothing quite beats the sheer joy of seeing your home at a perspective like this, after so long of knowing you'd die far from it.
And they share this moment together. And it's kind of sort of a first. Because Simon has obviously had many of these wonderfilled moments. And Grace has truly enjoyed watching and taking part in those moments. But to truly experience a moment like that with Simon? It's probably the single happiest moment of his life.
