Things Past
"General Connor, you wanted to talk with me?" the young man standing in the door of Connor's office was average height with a lean build, dark hair and brown eyes. From a distance or the corner of an eye, Walker could easily be mistaken for his uncle. A bit taller, hair longer and his eyes were the wrong color. The most obvious difference from Marcus was that he was smiling. Walker had a cheerful, sunny smile that Connor imagined could brighten just about any situation the young man found himself in. Something about his eyes told Connor that Walker's smile and cheerful manner were lies, a shield to deflect away from whatever he really felt. Just like Marcus, though Connor thought the younger man's defense mechanism might win more friends then the angry, frightening one that Marcus used.
"Sit down, Walker. We have to discuss your posting here and your attitude toward one of my senior officers." Connor kept his voice steady and official. The bright, false smile on Walker's face faded and he nodded.
"This is about Wright, then."
"Major Wright and, yes, it is."
Walker slumped into the chair Connor indicated and scrubbed at his face with his hands. When he was done his face finally matched his eyes: empty and bleak. The artificial cheer was gone, showing the troubled man behind it. The resemblance to his uncle increased markedly.
"Lets get it over with then, sir."
****
Connor hadn't expected Marcus to be in his quarters when he knocked, but he stepped inside anyway.
"I thought you were helping convert the last Centaur we captured?"
Marcus scrubbed at his still-damp hair with the towel around his shoulders a few times while he peered up at Connor from the edge of the small bed he and Blair made do with. "I was. I decided to take an early break since we're ahead of schedule. If you thought I was there, how come you're here?"
The answer that Connor had ready got stuck in his mouth when he noticed the new tattoo on Marcus' left arm.
"An armadillo?" Connor couldn't see Marcus as having much in common with the burrowing little animals aside from both of them being heavily armored and not much appreciated.
The shorter man shrugged and twisted around to peer at the new tattoo himself. "She thought they were cute. She'd never let me get rid of the ones that lived in our yard." Marcus grunted to himself and pulled on a shirt, covering the tattoo. Connor thought the grunt might have been hiding something.
"Walker had something he gave me for you. I had a talk with him. I was going to leave it here for you, I didn't know if you'd want anyone around when you read it." As he spoke, Connor pulled the worn and much-folded letter out of his chest pocket and handed it over.
"Should I go?"
Marcus sat back on the bed slowly, looking at the letter in his hands. The word "Dumbass" was written on the front in a clear, precise hand. Slowly the dark-haired head shook a negative as slow-moving hands unfolded the letter.
Connor appropriated the chair from Marcus' work table, littered with bits of machinery and electronics, while the other man started to read the decades-old letter.
I wanted to come see you. I've tried three times, but it never worked out. I know the things they're saying about you aren't true. You never would have killed anyone without a reason. I know you didn't shoot first.
I want you to know that I'm doing well. I have a son now, he's going to be two years old soon. His name is Thomas. You'd like him, Marcus. They won't let me bring him to see you, I'm sorry. He reminds me of you sometimes, but he smiles more. He's always laughing. I wish you could meet him.
Please don't worry about me, Marcus. Don't listen to what they say about you either. We both know who you are. I got your letter telling me what happened, I think I understand. I know I never wrote back until now. I didn't know what to say; I'm sorry.
If I can't see you before this letter gets to you, just know that I'm thinking of you. You aren't alone, you big dumbass. I won't ever leave you alone.
Love,
Your Big Sister
Marcus folded the letter closed and held it gently in both hands. He snorted. "Ten minutes doesn't make you my big sister, Ally."
"Marcus?" Connor's green eyes were full of concern and he slowly reached out a hand to grasp the other man's arm.
"It's good to know she didn't give up on me. She was lying through her teeth. Never could lie worth a damn, even in a letter. She just didn't want me to worry about her. Me, worry about her." A bitter laugh escaped the cyborg.
"She was the only decent human being in my family, John. The only one of us that wasn't a certifiable menace to society. The only one with more then half a brain or a withered little black heart."
"Why did she write Dumbass on your letter?" It might not be the most sensitive thing to say, but Connor thought it might distract Marcus from his sadder thoughts. He also just really wanted to know.
"Same reason I have it tattooed on my butt, Connor." Marcus grinned, "I lost a bet."
Connor blinked and eyed Marcus suspiciously. "One hell of a bet."
"You don't believe me? You want to see it?"
"I believe you." Connor's hurried statement drew another grin and a chuckle from the smaller man who, despite his offer, had not stirred from his seat on the bed.
"Are you going to talk to Walker?"
Marcus nodded. "Yeah."
"Don't let him beat you with a wrench this time."
"I won't. He was just trying to deal with some things. Aside from the wrench, he took meeting me pretty well. He knew it wouldn't really hurt me, anyway."
"Obviously, you can tell by how I didn't have him thrown in a storage closet for a few days."
"Nice of you, cutting him slack that way."
"Consider it a personal favor. Which you also owe me for not taking revenge for my broken ribs."
Marcus's face was a mask of innocence which, like his nephew's smile, was a complete lie. "I didn't mean to hurt you and I promised to be more careful with you from now on. I just forgot how fragile you are."
Connor's black stare finally broke Marcus' straight face and set the smaller man laughing. "Alright, so I bruised a few ribs. You're fine, you had a nice couple of hours on Kate's blue happy pills. Don't see why you're making a big deal out of it."
Connor continued glowering at his supposed friend until Marcus just shook his head and shrugged.
"Don't you have a rebellion against the machines to oversee, John? Unless you're waiting to see that tattoo."
With a grumble of disgust, Connor got up and left Marcus alone with his thoughts. He was thinking that he'd have to find his nephew soon and have his own talk with Walker. His nephew had been putting in some serious effort at avoiding him since their first meeting, nearly eight months ago. He'd managed to make friends with Kyle and half the rest of the base, but completely avoid Marcus and Blair.
