Long Time No See

Ch 1 : Jade

disclaimer: I don't own borderlands. I own my OC, Jade.


Jade's red hair cascaded down her body in big soft curls, hitting at her waist. A sigh escaped her lips as she held her beer in front of her after taking a sip. Her face cringed at the taste, it wasn't exactly the best tasting beer but it wasn't the worst.

Things had become bleaker and bleaker since Handsome Jack had set up Hyperion outposts in The Highlands. Her green eyes fell on the wooden table in front of her. Jagged holes had been cut out of the table next to large knife marks.

The whole reason Jade had left Sanctuary, other then Mordecai, was to get away from Hyperion. To move to a small town where she wouldn't be bothered by Handsome Jack any longer. Sure it wasn't the big city of Sanctuary or Opportunity that she was used to but... it was much better then what those places had become.

Jade's green eyes fixed on two guys that were starting to get rowdy at the bar. Another sigh escaped her lips. Idiots... drinking till the point where they have lost control... how pitiful. She stood up from the bar and tossed some money onto the wooden table that creaked as she stood.

There was no point in staying if there was just going to be fighting going on. Putting her weight on the door she stepped out of The Holy Spirits bar as a breeze of warm hit her. Her red hair blew from behind her as she walked down the wooden planks that were passing for stairs.

Reaching down, she grabbed both of her pistols, one on either side of her hips, out of her gun holster. Her guns had become like her babies. On her right, a MALIWAN Fire charged pistol. On her left, a MALIWAN Slag charged pistol.

They were her trusty partners that could get her out of a bind. The Slag MALIWAN had been a gift from Mordecai and she refused to give it up. It was one of the gifts that she treasured as it was one of the few nice things he had purchased for her during their marriage.


Steam billowed out of the large pot as Jade lifted up the lid. She stirred the soup with a large spoon to check to see if it was done. It was a special day, her three year wedding anniversary and Mordecai would be home soon. She had cooked him a special dinner, his favorite, tortilla soup.

Her body had become frail from the years of being addicted to drugs. She must have lost at least twenty pounds since she had been addicted. The clothes that once fit her looked two sizes too big. She heard footsteps outside the front door of their small house.

A smile came to her face as she realized her husband was home. She covered the pot with the respective lid and turned the burner down to a low simmer. Making her way to the front door, she quickly unlocked it so Mordecai didn't have to find his keys. Their marriage had been a struggle in the last five months and she was trying anything to make it work.

"Welcome home.", she said, smiling up at him as she held the door open for him. "Good to be home.", he said, reaching behind him to lay his sniper rifle against the wall. "How was Roland...? Was he upset I didn't attend?", Jade asked, closing the front door. "At first... ya... but I just told him you were not feeling well.", Mordecai answered as he looked around toward the kitchen.

"Something smells good~", he said, heading straight for the room. "You didn't have to work so hard you know.", he stated as he looked into the pot, looking at all the vast ingredients in the soup. She must have taken a long time to prepare and make the soup. "No but I wanted to. I know we haven't had the greatest time but I just wanted to show you I care.", Jade answered smiling up at him.

Mordecai stood back up, straight and tall. A smile spread across his lips. "Well let me give you something to show you I care.", he said. Jade looked up at him quizzically. "Close your eyes.", Mordecai ordered and Jade quickly did as she was told.

She felt Mordecai's lips press against hers which instantly made her feel less tense. She didn't realize she had become as still as a statue practically from how nervous she was for this night to go right. He slowly pulled away and took a hold of her hand. "Keep your eyes closed.", he said. Jade nodded her head slowly as she felt him place a cold metal object in her hand.

"Open.", he ordered again. Jade opened her big green eyes and looked down at her hand to see a gun in it. "Mordecai... you didn't have to get me anything.", she whispered holding the gun up close to her hands, inspecting the design of it. She could see the purple veins of slag running through the guns barrel. "This is amazing.", she whispered, hugging the gun to her. "I'll never forget this Mordecai.


Jade smiled at the memory as she looked out her window. Unfortunately, The Highlands had threshers and stalkers running rabid through the plains. Her eyes looked around at the little house. Their windows and doors boarded up letting no sunlight come into the houses. It was like everyone was dead inside yet they weren't. Overlook had been taken over by Hyperion as well.

She had come to love this little town, it had been her home for awhile now. Her little house was near the top of the mountain overlooking the canyon. The house was small and the wood was rotting but still... it was home. It was away from the Crimson Raiders. It was not that she wanted to avoid them completely but... she didn't want to be near them exactly either.

Lilith and Roland had been very good friends to her. Brick was just... himself but she knew that if ever she was in trouble she could count on any of them to come and bail her out. In her heart she knew they were all just a phone call away.

Mordecai... he had been much more then a best friend. She hated to admit it but she did miss him. It wasn't enough to make her go back but from time to time her thoughts wandered to her ex-husband. It was lonely living by herself to say the least and she missed the intimacy of marriage.

If only they had been able to make it through the bumps of life... but his drinking and her medication abuse were just two things that did not mix. The day they decided to divorce had been the hardest day of Jade's life.

She loved Mordecai very much and was very sad that they hadn't been able to keep their relationship together. Jade was brought out of her thoughts by her phone ringing. "It's probably Roland...", she said with a sigh as she picked up the phone to look at the Caller ID.

Her eyebrow raised as she saw her ex-husbands name written in blue text across her phone. "What on earth...?", she asked herself silently. She quickly flipped open the phone and put it up to her ear. "Hello?", she answered, not half believing that it was really Mordecai calling.

"Jade. Normally I wouldn't ask you to do this..but I need your help...". His voice sounded so dejected.. so completely full of pain. Jade frowned. This wasn't like Mordecai at all.. for him to sound so upset, it was something very serious.

"What is it?", Jade asked, scared to hear what he would say next. "Jack took Bloodwing.". The words were like knives digging into her heart. She couldn't imagine how Mordecai was feeling. Bloodwing was his best friend. His companion. His partner. That bird was Mordecai's first love.

"What...?", she whispered back into the phone not really expecting an answer from him. "Jade please. I wouldn't even ask you but I need someone to help me know and you being in Overlook is the closest to me. "Where are you?", she asked, standing up to grab her guns and holster them in the tan leather. "Wildlife Exploitation Preserve.", he answered.

Jade's frown deepened. The Wildlife Exploitation Preserve was where Hyperion tested Eridium on various creatures. The facility was heavily patrolled by Hyperion. It wouldn't be easy getting in to save Bloodwing but she couldn't come out and say that to Mordecai. She had to approach this situation carefully.

"Again,... I normally wouldn't bother you but you're the closet one to the Preserve since you're home is in Overlook. Jade stayed silent waiting to see what else he had to say. "I will owe you more then ever if you do this for me... Jade please. Bloodwing is everything to me.", he pleaded.

She hated to hear his voice so full of sadness. "What's the plan?", she asked, agreeing to help her ex-husband get back his little pet. "Meet me in the Preserve. I'm sniping from up on a mountain at the moment, you'll hear the bullets. Come up to me and we'll make our plans from there.", he answered, his voice a little brighter.

"Alright. I'll be there soon.", she stated and hung up the phone. She stood and holstered her two guns that had been resting on the table. So much for relaxing. Her eyes fell on the setting sun that was making the sky look pink and on fire.

Her eyes fell to her feet as she walked toward the catch-a-ride to grab a car. She stepped in front of the little podium as Scooter's voice talked to her but she didn't listen. Placing her hand into the little slot so it could read her ID.

Suddenly the screen flashed red and Scooter's voice boomed through the monitor speakers. "Identification not matched! Unauthorized user! Who the hell is trying to use this without my permission?!", his voice boomed.

Jade frowned and hit the mini control tower with a swift kick. "Scooter, you revoked my permissions?!", she retorted, staring at the blank red monitor. "Holy smokes! Jade that you?!", he yelled. "The one and only.", she said back, a slight smile on her face. Even though Scooter was a complete idiot she still missed that annoying voice of his.

"Well shoot!... I'll go head and overwrite this here thing and get you a car!", he yelled. Jade smiled and watched as a car slowly appeared. She could tell it was a fast one by how the body was stream-lined. It had seats for two, a bigger smile crossed her lips as the car paint was pink. She turned her head to the monitor.

"Thanks Scooter!" "No problem Jade! Hey Jade? … When you gonna come back to Sanctuary?". Jade turned her head and stared at the monitor but didn't say anything and turned back to the car. She didn't want to answer that question because the answer was no. An answer that she was sure Scooter wouldn't like.

She didn't want to discuss it. There was nothing to discuss. "Jade?". Scooters voice continued to come out of the speaker. She shook her head and turned the key to start the engine of the car. Placing her guns in the little nook next to her, she placed her right foot hard onto the pedal and sped off to the Wildlife Exploitation Preserve.


End of Ch. 1

Hope you like! Till next time!

~xamandaluvsyax