[ she sees something in him breaking the same way she's felt things break in him, and the guilt twists inside. She doesn't want to be the one to make him feel this way; she hates it more than anything. They'd spent months together on Hathaway's ship. There had been ample time to talk about this. She never had - and this is exactly the reason why. Everything she'd done had been under the assumption she'd never see him again. Under normal circumstances, she never would have.

She's grateful she was wrong. This second chance, this breath of freedom - it's precious, she knows that. But she hates that it means she has to make him suffer this way. 2B's hands clench at her sides for a moment. What can she say that will heal him? She doesn't know if there are any words that could help. ]

... I knew I wouldn't make it. But at the very least, I wanted you to be okay. [ in her final moments, that was all she could think about - hoping, praying, pleading for 9S to be safe, to find peace. There's more to tell him; she's the one who gave A2 the sword, and Pod, and she gave A2 her memories and last wishes, too. But she's afraid of giving him the details when he's already straining under the weight of the plain truth. ] When I saw you alive with Hathaway... I was glad.

[ she'd felt the need to apologize back then, too, for dying and leaving him; the suffering had been plain on his face, but both of them had chosen to ignore it. 2B hadn't thought she had any business apologizing for her death when her very existence had meant nothing but pain to him. Now she knows that he sees things differently. He forgave her for everything. Somehow. Somehow, he'd rather have her alive, even knowing how many times she'd put him to death. And knowing that, and seeing him like this, she can't bear not to apologize. She lifts a hand; softly, uncertainly, she touches it to his cheek, her fingertips brushing his blindfold. ]

I'm sorry.

[ for leaving him, and making him feel the pain that she'd felt so many times. ]