For the love of a daughter
Bullets whizzed past bodies on both sides of New Eden Square. Dozens of men in black uniforms carrying Billy clubs and pistols faced off against rag tag citizens in various clothing and carrying various weapons.
William McNamara, who was among the rag tag citizens, held his left hand out as one of the police officers attempted to shoot him. The bullets remained in the air, mere inches from his hand.
"This is insane," William shouted to the dark haired woman next to him. He then spread his fingers out from his balled fist and the bullets landed inside the man who had been shooting him. "How the hell did we end up here, Selina?"
The woman addressed as Selina reloaded her pistols and aimed them at the nearest officer. Pulling the trigger, the bullets flew through the air and landed in his forehead. He fell to the ground face first and Selina fired at the next officer.
She shrugged, "I don't know. Maybe because Columbia was built by a religious bigot?" she shouted as two more officers fell.
William snorted as he took aim at another officer. Pulling out his hand cannon, he pulled the trigger. The officer fell on top of his comrades.
"I'm pretty sure that's not the only reason," He shouted in reply. He then turned to a black woman with a red bandana around her neck, "Fitzroy how long until that tear is open?"
Daisy Fitzroy, leader of the Vox Populi, opened her mouth to speak. However, before she could get a sound out a loud thump could be heard behind the Vox Populi. William half turned to see heavily armored machines with metal wiring on their arms and legs. Next to the armored machines were more mechanized foes, except these had heads sticking out of the top portion of the armor.
William swore under his breath, "Firemen and Handymen, just great. How much longer, Fitzroy?"
Daisy grit her teeth as several Vox Populi twisted behind them and turned the handle on their Crank Guns. The bullets sped through the air and toward their intended targets.
"Just a few more minutes. They should be popping up all over the city," Daisy grunted as she pulled the trigger on another police officer.
At that moment, a masculine voice could be heard throughout New Eden Square over the public address system. William recognized it as another member of the Vox Populi.
"Members of the Vox Populi, tears will be opening in all districts of Columbia. For those of us looking to escape do so quickly. You'll only have about 20 minutes before they collapse."
At that point, a police officer aimed his pistol at the speaker and fired. The speaker sizzled and promptly exploded.
"We should leave sooner than later, Selene," William shouted as he held out his left hand again. Bullets raced toward him but stopped just short of his hand. He slowly backed away from the fight with Selina by his side.
"Cover us?" Selina said as she aimed her pistols at the heart of a Handyman. She pulled the trigger and Daisy Fitzroy nodded.
"Always. Get your daughter the hell out of here," Daisy shouted and the pair ran from the fight, firing at Mosquitoes all the while.
Selina and William raced through the city dodging Mosquitoes, a small machine gun attached to three balloons, as they went. The day was turning into night as the sun dipped below the horizon. Thick, black smoke filled the air as they raced through the dirty, cobblestone streets.
"I told you, you should never have joined with the Vox," William said as they ran. "And look what happened."
"You think this is my fault?" Selina asked raising her voice. He could see her peering at his face as she tried to read his expression.
"Look it doesn't matter now," William said shaking his head. "But it certainly wouldn't have been my first choice. What The Founders did was wrong, but that doesn't justify what the Vox Populi are doing either. And anyway, we're almost home."
It took some time, but eventually Selina and William reached their little shack in Shantytown. They stopped in front of it to catch their breath before the next bout.
"You get Carmen, I'll find the tear," William said as they rushed past the numerous identical shacks and huts. Their feet pounded the litter filled cobblestone streets. They had managed to lose the last Mosquito near the edge of Finkton.
"I'm not leaving you," Selina said breathlessly as soon as they reached their front lawn.
Similar to the others in Shantytown, it was small, meager, and made of wood. Despite its poor frame, the couple had shared many sweet memories in those four walls.
William turned to face her, his steel blue eyes sincere yet gentle. Selina looked up at him, her beautiful face smudged in dirt. Her clothes splashed with blood and grime.
"I never said you had to. But if it comes down to saving you and Carmen from the forces of Columbia I would sacrifice myself in a heartbeat," He said and a smile tugged at Selina's mouth.
She chuckled as they both walked toward their lean-to. She rose up on her tip toes, leaning close to him, and brought her lips to his. The kiss was gentle and William wrapped an arm around her waist. William was the first to pull away and he reloaded his hand cannon.
"Go, I won't be far behind you," William said and ran to find the tear.
Fortunately, Selina and William had gotten William's parents to watch over Carmen during all the fighting. As soon as Selina entered, she informed them of the news about the tears and pushed past them when they rushed out. Selina then raced toward the small, hickory crib and picked up the dark haired girl.
The baby was sleeping and for that, Selina was grateful. She placed the baby in a sturdy wicker basket and wrapped her tightly. Her eyes went to the nightstand next to their bed, noticing the photo of William and herself with Carmen shortly after she was born. She grabbed it, stuffed it into the basket, and quickly ran back out.
She reloaded her Broadsiders and kept her eyes peeled for more Mosquitoes. Meanwhile, Carmen lay bundled in the basket still asleep. She smiled down at her daughter and kissed the top of her head gently.
"Don't worry Carmen, mommy's here. Mommy won't let anything happen to you," Selina said, searching for her husband's boot prints among the numerous others. As soon as she'd found them, she followed them.
William had fought off five Mosquitoes just finding the tear near Fink's factory. It wasn't as obvious as he would have thought at first. However, when a bright light appeared between two buildings he knew that had to be what he was searching for. He desperately wanted to run back to Selina, but knew he had to stay here and fight off any possible agents of Comstock so they could both make it through.
His thoughts were interrupted by several men in tan uniforms. It seemed Columbia's military had finally joined the fray. William knew he shouldn't be surprised. They would've joined sooner or later.
"Stop by the order of Comstock," One of them said as they all pulled out their pistols.
"Surrender McNamara, this will only end one way," Another man said.
"Think of your family," At this point, William had his hand cannon cocked and ready. He pulled back the hammer and directed it at one of the men.
"Yeah, I don't think so," William said and pulled the trigger. He immediately held up his left hand as bullets flew his direction. The bullets stopped as soon as they reached the imaginary force field.
William dodged the other bullets as much as he could. Unfortunately, one of them still managed to hit him in his right shoulder.
William grunted in pain and aimed his hand cannon at the uniformed man. He then pulled the trigger, hitting the man square in the forehead with his bullet.
"Hurry Selene," He muttered to himself as he spread his fingers and all of the bullets he'd collected were thrown back at that soldier.
Meanwhile, Selina was fighting her own battle. Two Columbian soldiers blocked her way to a tear near the center of Shantytown. She rose her Broadsiders in the air and aimed at one of the soldier's heads. She pulled the trigger and the soldier fell to the ground. And just as she aimed her barrel at the other one, she felt a bullet embed itself into her left shoulder.
Selina grit her teeth as she felt the place where she'd been shot throb. She aimed her Broadsider at the man's chest as Carmen remained asleep on the ground next to her, ignorant of the events that unfolded around her. Selina pulled the trigger and watched the man fall to the ground.
Her gaze went the rest of the town as she inched closer to the tear. She didn't have much time left. Five minutes at the most.
"I'm sorry my love," Selina whispered, picking the basket up, and raced through the tear.
Where the hell is she? William thought to himself as he killed two more Columbian soldiers. He didn't know if this was the only tear in Finkton and it wasn't like he could call the other Vox Populi to double check.
His eyes scanned the horizon for the millionth time. Still no sign of Selina or Carmen. And the amount of Columbia soldiers didn't seem to be decreasing either. He held out his left hand as more soldiers fired at him.
William's right shoulder throbbed with the pain from the bullet. He aimed his hand cannon at two more soldiers. Eventually, William knew he couldn't wait any longer. His thoughts went to Selina and Carmen.
I'm sorry my love, He thought as he ran through the tear.
Selina could feel her left shoulder, and head, throb painfully as she passed through the tear and entered a large city. From what tidbits she could pick up, she'd arrived in New York City in 1893. Tall buildings pierced the sky as carriages rode through the narrow, crowded streets. Reds, oranges, and golds decorated the falling leaves. The wind felt brisk against Selina's blood stained shirt and trousers.
She placed a hand on her nose and noted the blood. Despite the pounding of the bullet, she needed to get Carmen somewhere safe. And there was only one person she trusted with her daughter. He might not remember her, or even know her, but she would be damned if she didn't at least try.
Selina knew she would never find her husband on her own. She decided to ask for directions.
"Excuse me sir, but do you know where William McNamara lives?" Selina asked feeling blood soak through her shirt.
"Lives in a large mansion just up the way," A dark haired man replied as he pointed straight ahead. "Can't miss it."
Selina nodded, "Thank you." And with that, she headed to William's mansion. She had to get to William. If she could get to William, perhaps he could aid her.
Selina trudged through the narrows streets, determined to deliver her baby to safety. Carmen was awake now, curiously looking up at her mother. Selina smiled down at her daughter and kissed her on the forehead.
"We're almost there, darling. We're almost there," Selina whispered trying to put on a brave face for her daughter.
"Will that be all?" William McNamara asked as he turned to his "business partners." He wore a crimson silk robe with matching slippers. They were one of the only decent pairs of clothing he still owned.
Granted, former lawyers couldn't be too particular when they needed a less than legitimate way to earn back their fortunate. The gangster, Alceo Nastasi, nodded. Alceo was a tall and slim man, but not nearly as tall as William.
"Yes I think we're finished here," The blonde man turned toward his thugs, "Let's get moving boys." And with that, Alceo and his men left the house. William allowed himself a small sigh of relief as he sat down in his red leather armchair.
William McNamara had been born and raised into the affluent McNamara family. Sabina and Connor McNamara had wanted the best for their only son. And as such, William had grown up with the expectation that he would do something great with his life.
And despite having grown up as a scrawny child, William had done quite well for himself. He'd had a thriving law firm and was even engaged. That was, until two years ago. One of the former defendants of a particularly nasty case of murder had decided he would take out his frustration and anger on William's parents and fiancée. He could still see Laura's face the day he'd been brought to the morgue.
William had thought he couldn't sink any lower after that. He'd dug into his work, taking on more cases than he could possibly know what to do with. Unfortunately, the murderer was also a thief and had somehow managed to kick him out of his own law firm. Shortly after that, William had discovered a mysterious bullet wound on his right shoulder.
William pulled down the sleeve of his robe enough to look at the wound. He couldn't look too closely at it, or even touch it. If he did, he would experience a pounding in his head akin to a migraine and his nose would expel the hints of a nosebleed. He then pulled the sleeve back up.
William reached for the glass of bourbon on the mahogany coffee table beside his chair. He sat in front of the fireplace and enjoyed the warmth it provided. Truth to be told, William couldn't remember the last time he had been sober since his parent's death.
While he read the morning newspaper, William drank. One of the most interesting articles of today's paper was about the floating city Columbia. He decided he would do more research on that later.
Just as he had brought the glass to his lips, William heard a knock on his door. He put the glass and newspaper down and shambled through the living room to answer it.
Selina could feel her bullet wound throb as she marched onward. She shivered as a light autumn breeze rustled through her blood stained clothing. As she trudged, she smiled down at Carmen.
She could see a large, tan mansion not far off. Selina gripped the basket tighter as she passed through the front gate.
"Almost there darling," Selina whispered as Carmen kicked in the basket. She smiled down at her daughter and placed the basket on the porch, "Mommy will be back in a few minutes, I promise."
Selina leaned down and kissed Carmen on the forehead. She knocked on the door and hurriedly walked toward the city. She needed to take care of her bullet wound first before she explained everything to William.
William put down his drink and shuffled to the front door. He opened it slowly and shivered slightly at the mid October wind. He looked around and his eyes stopped as soon as he heard the cooing.
On his doorstep was a baby girl, no more than two months old. Her dark locks had just begun to appear on her head. She was wrapped tightly in a pink blanket and her iris pupils looked up into his.
William hesitated for a moment, his eyes searching his front yard for a clue as to who may have dropped this bundle in his lap. After a few minutes, he resorted to shouting.
"Hey does this kid belong to anyone?" He said and of course, no one answered. He looked down at the baby again, who was kicking and cooing by this point. A smile lit up the girl's face and William picked up the basket, "Alright kiddo, for better or worse you're coming with me."
William didn't have much experience with children. Laura had always talked about having them, but that had seemed so far off. He had always thought he would have more time. Up until she was killed…but he couldn't think about that now.
Instead he called to one of his servants, Owen, and sat down again in front of the fire. His bourbon all but forgotten, he picked the girl up out of the basket. He kept the blanket wrapped around her as he held her in his arms.
"You rang, sir?" Owen said as he entered the room. His suit was, as usual, immaculate.
The baby cooed in William's arms, "Yes I need to send a telegraph to Evangeline Prescott. Tell her it's urgent." He said giving one of his fingers to the baby to hold.
Owen simply nodded and bowed, "Of course sir." And with that, he left the room.
"What's your name baby?" William asked as the baby wrapped her tiny fingers around his large fore finger. She smiled up at him which caused William to smile down at her. His gaze went to the wicker basket and he noticed a folded up picture inside.
William brought the baby to his chest as he leaned down to grab the picture. He unfolded it with one hand and looked at the couple with the bundle. For some reason, his head pounded simply by looking at it. He put his hand to his nose and immediately noticed the blood. To William, this seemed familiar. As if he should remember it. But he couldn't. With a pained sigh, William put the picture down, and pushed himself up out of his chair.
"And Owen, send a telegram to the tailor as well," William called as he looked down at his smiling new daughter, "Well baby since you don't have a name I guess I'll have to give you one."
The baby cooed which made William smile all the more. And if this little baby could see the joy in life, then so could he. He said the first name that came to mind.
"How about Carmen? Do you like that name?" He said as the baby reached for his hand. William chuckled as he brought his fore finger down for her again, "Don't worry kiddo, I'm going to take you somewhere where the both of us can have a better life. How does that sound?"
The baby cooed again and put William's finger into her mouth. He chuckled and kissed Carmen gently on the forehead. He held little Carmen as he walked, heading up the stairs.
"Owen is the carriage ready?" William asked as his gaze went to baby Carmen. As usual, she was quiet and stared up at him.
It had been several months since he'd adopted Carmen. Snow covered the ground and the wind bit at his exposed skin. William was bundled up tightly, his daughter even more so. He held the wicker basket she had been delivered in one hand while the other gripped a suitcase.
William had spent many sleepless nights with Carmen. Even with the assistance of Evangeline, Laura's sister, there were times he'd even considered sending her to the nearest orphanage. However, he didn't feel as if he could easily give up on her. She had been dropped on his doorstep, and he would be the one to raise her.
William smiled down at his daughter as Carmen smiled up at him. It seemed ever since she had landed in his lap, William had found a reason to go on. A reason to start a new life. A better life in Columbia.
"Yes sir, James is pulling it around now," Owen said as his breath joined the frigid mid-January air. "Have a safe trip sir."
William nodded at Owen as his valet opened the carriage door. William set Carmen's basket in first before sliding in himself.
"Thank you, Owen. And take care of yourself," William nodded and Owen closed the door.
William watched as the carriage rode away from his parent's home and out of sight. He had grown up in that house. And, perhaps at one time, he had hoped to raise his own children in that home and their children after that. His gaze went to Carmen again as her eyes closed.
William brushed his thumb gently across Carmen's forehead. She stirred slightly, but otherwise made no noise.
"It's time to start over you and me," William murmured as the carriage began to wobble when it reached the cobblestoned streets. "Well, more me than you."
William grabbed the side of the wicker basket and began to rock the basket. Usually, he would do this to make Carmen fall asleep. The nanny he had hired, Sonya, had insisted she be the one to take care of the child when she awoke in the middle of the night. But William had told her he didn't mind. He never did when it came to Carmen.
William continued rocking the basket gently as the carriage continued through the snow filled streets of New York City and toward their ultimate destination. Columbia.
The line for Columbia was a long one. William couldn't think of another time when he'd had to wait for something for so long. Despite his grumbling, Carmen remained asleep. He thought she would at least stir on the ride up, but she didn't.
As soon as his feet hit the pavement, William took in the sight of Columbia. The air was crisp and clear, the ground covered with a light snow. William glanced at Carmen as he walked. Her eyes were open wide, as if she was exploring somewhere new.
William nodded politely to others as he made his way to somewhere called Emporia. He had corresponded with someone from Columbia about his occupation and new home but he still needed to use the signs around town to find his way. He hadn't had much trouble in being accepted, as even Father Comstock (at least that's what the leader called himself) knew about the prominent McNamara family.
Once William had gotten the key to his new house, he headed straight there. As he walked, he switched the hand carrying Carmen's basket and his suitcase for the third time. He put both down to open the door. However, just as he'd stuck his key into the lock, he saw an adolescent boy race toward him.
"Telegram for Mr. McNamara?" The boy said and William turned to the boy.
"From whom?" He asked. He winced inwardly when Carmen began to cry. William picked up the basket immediately and attempted to quiet her.
"From Corbyn, Chambers, and Wheelwright," The boy said, handing William the half sheet of paper before walking away.
William held the paper as he turned to unlock the door again. All the while, he attempted to quiet his crying daughter. Once he had the door open, he brought his suitcase and Carmen inside before closing it. His eyes took in the home and he felt grateful it was fully furnished.
William went to the brown leather couch and sat down. He placed his suitcase upstairs and the basket on the couch next to him. He pulled Carmen from the basket and began to rock her. Almost as soon as William began to rock her, she stopped crying. William chuckled to himself and shook his head.
"Was that all you wanted?" He asked placing her back in the basket. She looked up at him with wide eyes and smiled.
William then looked at the telegraph. Apparently, the members of Corbyn, Chambers, and Wheelwright were interested in hiring another lawyer and wanted to know if Mr. McNamara would be interested. He decided he would respond to them later. After he had had a chance to settle in. He made a mental note to search for another nanny.
William stood up, picking up the basket, and observed the home. While it wasn't what he had grown up with, he would make do for Carmen. Because in Columbia, he was determined to give his daughter a better life. And he would do whatever it took to ensure that she did.
Author's Note: So this is a story at least two months in the making. It's a series based off of the events in my Bioshock Infinite roleplay on my forum, Bioshock: Collection of Memories.
These first eight one-shots are all going to be about building character relationships. Five will be about Carmen and William's relationship while three will be about Selina and William's relationship. After that, the story of the McNamaras will lead up to and intertwine with the events of Bioshock: Infinite.
I would also like to thank J3FAwesome for allowing me to borrow their OC, William McNamara, for these stories. It's been a treat to not only write this character, but also to explore the relationships in the stories as well as the roleplay.
Disclaimer: I own nothing, except Carmen and Selina McNamara.
And lastly, Happy Holidays!