"Just checking!" he protested, still grinning for too widely. "I mean I don't know I could have gone mad or something? I could just be sitting here talking to myself, you have to check these things out." He hugged her back back tightly, still feeling the need to make sure she was real, because really in this place he wouldn't have been all surprised if she just disappeared. As he hugged her he suddenly realised just how much he'd missed her. He'd been so busy trying to sort things out here, trying to get used to the fact there were a significant number of people here that were fictional where they were from. It wasn't that he hadn't thought about her the whole time, because he had it was just now she was here the sudden rush of relief was a little much. When he pulled back he was horribly aware his grin was a little more forced and that his eyes felt a little damp. Well so much for him not making an idiot of himself within the few few minutes of seeing her again.
"Well yeah it's my natural sense of self-preservation isn't it?" he replied, hoping if he just ignored his sudden emotions then so would she. "And so are you! And here, I mentioned that bit before didn't I? You mentioned Rex, where is the little guy?" he asked looking around a little.