"Brought you flowers," Wade said, dropping them on her desk and expecting adoration for his demonstration of what a good boyfriend he is. "Hey, Pep, you been crying? Didn't you know the aliens didn't stand a chance against my sharp wit and pointy swords? I was going to bring one of them home for you as a pet. His name was Ppwwcct. Real upstanding guy. You woulda liked him. It. Sparky. Whatever."