Vegas Blues: Hit the Road and Go2
John remembered.
Images, words jumbling into coherency at long last. The crime scene in the desert. The emaciated corpse. Bodies being dumped in the desert with the life sucked out of them. A serial killer. Radiation poisoning leading to the Lucky Rollers motel. A poker game. The alien at the table. A chase. Jumping from the rooftop and walking away from the fall. The body in the motel room. A canvas bag full of cash. Untraceable bills. Black vans. Woolsey. McKay. Interrogation. Darts. Ancient Control Chair. Other galaxies, other realities. A rift in the space-time continuum. The Wraith in the holding cell. Todd. Bad poetry. Communication device. To contact the other Wraith and lead them to Earth. Radiation. ZPM as a power source. The ATA gene.
The silver trailer. The remote power lines into the city. The Wraith needed the power to boost its communication device. An invasion of Earth. Being shot. The explosion. Dying. Being brought back to life in that cell. Todd. McKay watching. Recuperating in a hospital in Reno. Coming back to Vegas at last to resume his life, his job, his vices.
"John? John, are you all right? John!"
Her voice called to him from a distance. Her hand was on his chest. Her thigh pressing his hip. She was leaning over him, her long hair tickling his face as he blinked. Focused on her worried expression, brown eyes full of concern, curiosity. Rosy lips not far from his mouth. Breasts not far either. He reached up, fingers brushing against one. She didn't seem to mind, didn't seem to notice as she was focused on his face, his reactions. He was on the floor, the glass table shoved to one side. The roses spilling across it. Red petals smashed amid a flood of water that was dripping, dripping onto the beige carpet.
"Yeah. It's mine." He moved his hand from her breast to see the silver chain wrapped around his fingers. The little cross glinting at him. He swallowed. "Ow." He touched the back of his head. Felt a bump, recalled hitting the edge of the couch, then the floor as he fell.
Moira moved off him, back onto the couch as he sat awkwardly. Rubbing the back of his head. Clambered onto the couch beside her as he stuffed the necklace into his pocket. "You fell off the couch," she explained as he licked his lips. Appearing slightly disorientated. "When you took the necklace from me. You scared the hell out of me!"
"Sorry," he mumbled. He reached for the Coke but it had spilled as well. Leaving a brown pool on the table. "Sorry." He licked his lips again, desperately needing a drink. A stronger drink. Instead he met her gaze. "Moira, I remember." He caught her hands in his, pulling her close. His gaze boring into hers to steady him. "I remember!"
"You remember owning the necklace?" she asked carefully, not certain if he was all right. There was a wild look in his green, green eyes. His hands tightening on hers.
"Yes. No. I remember everything. Everything!" He freed her hands. Ran a hand through his messy hair, distracted. Dismayed. Vindicated. "Moira," he said, as if her name would steady him. "It's all true. The aliens are called Wraith and are from another galaxy, another reality. There's a rift in time and space and that's how they were able to get here in their spaceships. There are other realities, other versions of us out there too."
"I doubt there is another version of me," she commented, not knowing whether to believe him or not. The tale he was spinning was fantastical, impossible.
"And I did die. I was brought back to life by that thing, that Wraith. Todd." He touched his chest, fingered the scabs. "I was running. I had a bag of cash with me and I was leaving Vegas. I quit my job. But something stopped me. I realized where that Wraith was, the one that was killing people. Draining them dry of all fluids. I went back to end it. To stop it from communicating with its kind, to stop an invasion, of sorts. And I was given a second chance." He fell silent, brooding. Remembering every little detail now.
Moira was silent. Watching him. He was absolutely sincere in his convictions, in his memory. And try as she might she couldn't deny what she had seen so far. Unexplained viruses and species. Men working for a mysterious government agency. The cover-up of evidence. "Wraith," she muttered, testing the word. She stood. Moved to the kitchen and began to wipe up the mess with a few towels. Moving onto her knees to wipe the carpet, the table. She righted the vase, restored the roses. Cleaning as she tried to process it all.
John watched her. Her long hair sliding down across her breasts. The sway of her hips, then her rear as she leaned on all fours to soak up the stains from the carpet. The towels absorbing the mess. She wiped the table, cleaning the water and the Coke. "I've been offered a job." She looked at him, moving back onto her haunches. Wet towel in her hand. "Two, in fact. Two ways to go. Or neither."
"Your second chance?" she asked. He nodded. "And what will you do?"
He shrugged. "Not sure yet. I think it depends on you."
She moved to her feet, startled. "Me? How could it possibly depend upon me?" His gaze was intent, smouldering. The green of his eyes alluring, intoxicating. He stood, stepped to her. She dropped the towel as he closed the distance between them. Pulled her into a lengthy, sloppy kiss. Moira fought. Pushed. Melted into it as emotions took over, as reason fled. As the softness, the fullness of his lips seduced her. As his hands slid around her body, pulling her to him.
"Moira," he breathed hotly into her ear. Voice low, gruff. His hands slid down to grasp her rear, to gently squeeze as she squirmed. Inadvertently grinding her crotch into his.
"John?" she squeaked, flustered.
He smiled. Freed her. Licked his lips as if to savor the taste of her. "You." He headed for the door. Almost sauntering, although he dearly wanted her. Knew she wanted him. But the time wasn't right. Not yet. Not quite yet.
Moira watched him, astonished. "John? What the hell was that? You, you, you–"
"I'll get back to you, baby, don't you worry. I just remembered. McKay must still have that bag of money and I want it back."
"Hang on! What the fuck was that, John? You can't just walk out like nothing happened! You can't just stroll in and out of my life whenever it suits you! You can't–"
He turned to face her. Smiled at her anger. "Just did, didn't I?"
"You arrogant son of a–"
He rushed to her. Yanked her into his arms and kissed her. Hard. Tongue all but devouring her, drowning her as he eased her mouth open. Thrusting his body along hers. "When I come back here we are going to have some serious, serious sex." Before she could reply he was gone. Closing the door after him and sauntering down the walk to his car.
Moira blinked. "John? John!" She left the house, slamming the door after her. Locking it. She rushed after him. "Damn it, John, wait!" He snorted, ignoring her as he got into his car. About to pull away when she flung the door open. Slid onto the passenger seat. "John!" She hit his arm. Hit it again.
"Moira, you want it now?" he inquired mildly.
"Damn it, John! What are you–" She grabbed the handle, shutting the door as he took off. The car zoomed down the street, wheels screeching in protest. "Where the hell are we going?"
"I hope you remembered to lock your door, Moira," he chastised.
"Where are we–"
"Buckle up, baby."
"Stop calling me that!" She secured the seatbelt, fuming.
"I told you. Need to see McKay to get my money."
"And then what?"
He met her gaze. Smiled, his intentions all too obvious as his gaze roved her body again.
She sighed, pissed. Glared at him and looked out the window. "What are you going to do? I mean about all of this? Remembering everything."
"Nothing."
"Nothing? What about the two job offers?"
"Don't know yet. Like I said, it all depends on you."
"On me? How? If we have sex or not?"
He laughed. "No. We're going to have sex, don't you worry, baby. No, I meant if you will agree."
"Agree? To what? Sex?"
He laughed again. "No. Of course you'll agree to that. I meant if you'll agree to one of those job offers. I need you to bring them all together. If I decide to do it that way."
Moira shook her head, looked at him. He was staring ahead, driving. Smile on his handsome face. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"You will."