Wasn't planning on writing anything from Wash's perspective, but he got into my head. My thanks go to my awesome people on the Rooster Teeth Forum for giving this a looksy. Thanks to my own Church for the title, and for the amazing RvB art work he does on DA.

Based this on a remark Tex made in Out of Mind ("You shouldn't even be here") and that before Reconstruction, Wash and Church had never met, even though Church had, at very least, heard of the Freelancer. Started thinking about why that was and now here it is for your reading pleasure!


She had her battle rifle disassembled for cleaning in a quiet alcove of the primary training compound. There probably wouldn't be a safer time to approach the deadly woman.

"Hey Tex."

"Hey Wash." She didn't look up from her work. Some would consider her rude, but he knew she did it because he didn't register as a threat to her.

"Where's your blue shadow?"

That made her look up. "Excuse me?"

"The annoying walking target who keeps following you around. Where is he?" Washington had grown curious about the seemingly random soldier who managed to always be around Tex, even in special clearance areas.

The black armoured Freelancer stood up excruciatingly slowly and came up to Wash until they were standing almost visor-to-visor. The next thing he knew, he was flat on his ass and seeing stars.

"Talk about him like that again and you'll regret the day you were born." Tex sneered. "No one, and I mean NO ONE talks about him like that but me."

"I'll keep that in mind." He managed to sound collected even though the room still seemed to be spinning. She had one hell of a right hook.

"Get out," she snarled. "And stay the fuck away from him, Wash, or I'll gut you before you can scream. You get me?"

"Yeah, I get you, but I have to wonder: what is it about him that's so worth protecting?" He got to his feet and glanced back, only to receive the cold emotionless stare of her visor. After a long moment, he decided he'd pushed his luck far enough for one day and left. As he walked away, still fighting the spinning sensation, he pondered his own question. What was so special about that one soldier? Some how, he would find out.