Here is chapter 11 of A Beautiful Thing. I will be starting up classes again next week so my time will become compressed again. I am going to do my utmost to stick to at least one chapter a week. I thank you all for the continued support and wish you all the best!
END AUTHORS NOTE
ARIZONA, HIGHWAY NEAR THE RUINED TOWN OF WESTFIELD, AFTERNOON
The Biotechnica convoy was running fast along the cracked and bumpy pavement of the under maintained highway. V was smiling behind the visor of her helmet as her bike left the desert sand as she and the other two members of her group broke the ridge's crest. The convoy's security responded instantly as drones sprung from the 4 escort SUV's.
"You are trespassing into Biotechnica operational space! Turn back or be fired upon" the drones speakers blared. V laughed as she cranked the throttle on the bike zipping underneath one of the drones. Alarm tones leapt to life as the convoy now registering an attack gunned their engines pushing the large trucks as hard as they could go.
"Look how they flee!" Hwangbo laughed as he opened the throttle on his bike zipping next to V "time to see the cheetah run!"
"No one has ever called you that!" V roared in good humor as the two down shifted their bikes and accelerated along the convoy. The drones weapons began to open fire only for the Aldecado main vehicles that were now sweeping in to start knocking them from the air. V's heart thundered in her chest as she approached her target, the lead right SUV.
The convoy was racing, dust swirling out behind them. The roars of engines in heated competition blocked out nearly all noise. The pungent odor of burning fuel and heated rubber rushed through V's helmet vents. She took a big whiff, savoring the aroma as her nomad blood raged in her veins for more.
She got alongside the vehicle that was her responsibility. It tried swerving into her. She laughed as she dodged the feeble attempt. She pulled out the EMP charge and slammed it on to the front quarter panel of the truck. The passenger side window rolled down and a biotechnica trooper shoved a sub-machine gun out. V swerved and braked hard as the road was torn up by the burst of gunfire. She swayed the bike behind the SUV protecting her from onslaught before gunning her bike along the driverside.
She grinned as she got next to the driver who glared at her. He mouthed curses and insults to which V responded by holding up the detonator. The driver's eyes widened and he waved at her frantically to not do it. She flipped him the bird before banking away as the EMP burst shut down all power in the engine. The SUV skidded as the driver attempted to maintain control only for it to slam into a ruined street sign on the side of the road.
V looked around as the other elements of the raid moved in. Panam's truck growled its way next to the tanker. She could see the network van taking its protected spot behind the chief's truck with another 2 vehicles between it and the target.
"Lioness!" Hwangbo called over the comms "My EMP won't go!"
V snapped her head over and saw Hwangbo frantically trying a detonator. The Biotechnica SUV was thundering along, the roof hatch opened as the Biotechnica guard popped out with a grenade launcher aimed at Panam's truck.
"PAN! BRAKE!" V shouted over comms as she gunned her ride. Panam braked and the 40mm grenade soared just past the front of her treasured thornton. A geyser of sand and rock erupted behind them as the explosive detonated harmlessly off the side of the road.
The guard started to take a new aim at a new target, one of the nomad vehicles alongside. The passenger of the nomad car was firing wildly trying to hit the guard. A bike engine roared as the guard looked down to see a blur with a fire red streak hanging off the side of it impact his SUV.
The SUV flipped and rolled end over end. Its passenger side tires obliterated from a thermal blade. Debris erupted as the vehicles smashed and rolled down the highway before ending in a burning wreck.
"So much for minimal killing!" Panam growled over the comms.
"Gonk tried to kill you!" V shouted as she grimaced looking to her left arm. Panam just honked back as now the last of the security detail had been dispatched.
V banked to her spot on the far side of the convoy, her task done she now needed to keep watch out for dangers. She glanced at her left arm that limply rested on the bike's tank. The thermal mantis blade had survived her bike powered strike along the SUV's tires. Her shoulder however throbbed and she could feel a deep pain in her elbow.
"You are toughest bitch in all NUSA!" Hwangbo laughed as he rolled alongside V "The Lioness!"
V gave a half hearted chuckle that became a groan as pain flooded her left arm. Yep, that's broken somewhere V hissed mentally looking back up from her injured limb as she heard the crashing of a bike and the boom of a heavy gun fire.
Judy sat in the van watching the network and the BD scrolls that were being received. A muffled explosion tore her away from the screens as she saw Panam brake hard.
"Fuck Panam, learn to drive!" Carol shouted as she dodged the van from slamming into Panam. Judy let out a breath she had been holding as she looked out the front of the van. Her heart was thudding and her hands shook from the adrenaline rush. Judy noted how calm Carol seemed behind the wheel with gun fire barking and drones falling from the sky like steel rain.
"Do your job sister" Dakota coached Judy. She nodded as she turned back to the monitors. The tight beam signal from their van was in range of the truck. Judy gave Dakota a thumbs up as she rested back in her chair.
"Deep breaths kid!" Carol shouted back "helps with the shaking!"
Judy did as she was advised and took a few deep breaths that seemed to steady her hands. She got to work. The tight beam signal locked on and Dakota shut her eyes as she ran into the truck's network. Judy glanced at the monitor for the area network and saw some drones coming in for a strafing run. She keyed up a few deamons and targeted the drones. The shutdown quick hacks made the craft spiral into the dirt as useless hunks of metal. Judy let a whoop of excitement as she punched the ceiling.
"Atta girl!" Carol praised as she swerved around a rusted wreck.
"Anna, doors unlocked go now!" Dakota commanded. Judy looked out the windshield again as Anna jumped onto the side of the tanker's cab from the back of Panam's truck. She flung the door open holding onto the safety handles a passenger would use to climb in. Frank jumped over and pulled the passenger out. The biotechnica employee bounced and ragdolled down the highway.
The two nomads quickly made their way into the tanker. With a second body ejected the tanker now belonged to them. Panam cheered over the comms as the other Aldecados joined in. Judy even cheered for their victory as she looked back to the monitors. She checked the BD receiver and saw that Hwangbo's feed had cut off suddenly. Weird did his transmitter die? Judy wondered to herself as the third bike group's scrolls cut.
"PANAM!" V roared over the comms as her bike came screaming across the front of the convoy "BAKKERS! IT'S AN AMBUSH!"
Judy's heart dropped and she looked to Dakota who's eyes grew wide as she looked out the passenger door window.
"Carol!" she shouted before the world erupted.
Judy's world was suddenly inverted as the van left ground. Judy's stomach flipped and she lost all sense of direction but she held onto the straps of her chair's harness for dear life. A thunderous slam deafened her as the van hit pavement again. The back door flew off and she could see the spinning horizon of the desert. A second massive impact sent her reeling as she felt the straps of her harness bit into her shoulders and thighs. Something wet and stinking of iron splattered across her face. The taste of it in her mouth informed her it was blood.
The van skidded to a halt on its passenger side with an ear splitting screech. Judy gasped for air as she held her head. Blood stained her hand as she pulled it away. She patted herself and did not feel any cuts before she looked over to the front of the van. Dust obscured her vision for a moment before she let out an ear splitting scream.
What remained of Dakota was strapped in her chair. The woman's internal organs feel about the chair like red, wet noodles. Judy screamed her hand frantically working the harness free. Dakota's blood that had drenched her made it hard but eventually she got free.
The wind was knocked out of her as she fell to the ground. The stench of death mixed with the burning rubber and CHOO2 making Judy sway as she crawled out the back of the van and hurled.
All around her Aldecado vehicles and others in bright red were racing as gun fire blazed. Some had stopped as the firefight raged. Judy could not hear anything over the comms. She stood looking around as hell swirled around her. Desert sand and dust filled the air in a cyclone of violence. Screeching metal, tires and roaring engines. Thunderous booms of gunfire and the screams of the dying mixed into a chorus fit for the devil himself.
Judy was tackled as a burst of gunfire ravaged the ground she had just been standing on. She gasped as she was flung against the remains of the van. She looked to her savior. Carol was shouting at her but she couldn't quite make out the words as her hearing focused.
"Take this!" Carol barked, shoving a DC-5 assault rifle into Judy's chest. Judy's eyes widened as she looked to Carol. The veteran was a mess, blood leaked from a gash in her side and she was clearly bruised. Judy gulped as she looked around getting her bearings.
Judy screamed again as she saw the other half of Dakota plastered across the roof of the van. Dead eyes looked at her hanging from the shattered remains of her skull. Carol smacked Judy across the face so hard it stung and made her gasp.
"Get it together!" Carol shouted as she popped out from the cover provided by the van and let fly a burst from her own rifle.
"Da..Dakota…" Judy stumbled over words as she gasped for breath.
"Is fucking dead! Now start shooting!" Carol commanded. Judy gulped as she took the DC-5 into her hands. She took a deep breath before following Carol's lead. She couldn't tell the Bakkers from the Aldecado's easily and settled on shooting anyone that was not behind or around an Aldecado set of wheels.
The stench of battle was unbelievable, blood, burning meat and rubber, acrid cordite from countless firearms going off. The sights were even worse, bodies strewn on the sand and broken pavement. Pieces missing or organs oozing from rends in the human form. Judy blocked it out as she focused on one thing, survival.
Her weapon ran dry as she ducked down behind the van and grabbed a fresh magazine from Carol. She saw a figure charging at them with a shotgun. She scrambled to get the fresh magazine in as the Bakker bore down on them raising the weapon. An engine roared and screamed as a massive object slammed into the man. A motorcycle obliterated him sending him spinning away a ragdoll of shattered bones.
V landed just behind Judy and Carol, she was in bad shape. Her left arm hung limp, numerous cuts and bruises covered her fair skin. She crawled on her belly behind the van pulling herself up next to Judy.
"You are alive!" Judy happily cried as she saw V.
"Going to take more than that!" V shouted, grabbing Carol by the belt with her good hand "Carol, pop my shoulder in!"
The veteran nodded and pushed Judy roughly aside. Carol pointed up and Judy understood. She peaked over the cover and started laying fire into the nearest Bakker vehicle. Carol grabbed V's dislocated arm as V bit down on an empty DC-5 magazine.
"1...2" Three never came from Carol as a wet pop and hissing growls of pain reverberated from V. Carol pulled Judy down as she took over suppressing the enemy. V let the magazine fall from her mouth before looking at Judy.
"I got to find Panam!" V informed her over the rage of war. Judy gulped before grabbing V by the collar and giving her a hard kiss.
"Don't you fucking die Valarie!" Judy commanded. V nodded before her mantis blades popped out and she took off leaving arc's of sand behind her as sprinted off into the carnage. Judy wished V had not left but she was right, they needed to find Panam. The sudden booming of missiles and a heavy gun's pounding drumbeat made Carol cheer. The basilisk had arrived. Judy gritted her teeth and picked up the rifle as she added her fire to the orchestra.
V sprinted out from behind the van heading for the first truck she saw. As luck would have it, it was Panam's. The door was wide open without Panam inside. V saw a Bakker on the other side of the truck. She leapt over the hood burying the mantis blades in the nomads back and tore him open as she continued seeing the enemy clan fleeing back to their vehicles as Mitch arrived. V could see that one of them had Panam over their shoulders. V willed her legs to go faster.
Some of the Bakkers spotted her and opened fire forcing her to dive to the side behind a burning husk of what remained of a car. It was impossible to tell who it belonged to, Bakker or Aldacado. Gunfire pinged off the metal wreck. V waited until she heard the sounds of magazines being ejected. She tore out of the cover, her implants kicked in pushing her beyond her limits. She roared as she willed her flesh to obey her. Muscles strained, tendons begged for relief and her heart thundered.
The gap was closed as she came into the group like a blender. Limbs and gore sprayed out from the lioness as she charged through them. Their fresh corpses weren't even on the ground as she leapt onto the back of the fleeing Bakker thornton. She scrambled over the bed, her mantis blades holding her to the speeding vehicle. She reached the top of the cab and yanked the top escape hatch open. Micheal was inside with Panam beside him.
The nomad queen was bound and gagged. Her body battered and beaten with a taser dart stuck in her shoulder. Micheal pulled a pistol and leveled it at V's head. Panam's muffled yell made him glance as she threw her body into him. The thornton swerved and V felt herself go weightless as she left the top of the car. A bullet whizzed by her head taking a chunk of her ear off for her trouble.
She hit the ground with a rolling thud. The soft sand cushioned her fall. She tucked her head in protecting it with her hands. She gasped and grunted as she rolled before coming to a stop. She got to her feet slowly as she watched Micheal and the few remaining Bakker cars speed off into the desert with her best friend as a hostage.
"God damn it!" V roared as she fell to her knees and screamed her fury punching the ground.
ALDECADO'S CAMP, RUINED TOWN OF WESTFIELD, NEAR PALO ARIZONA, LATE AFTERNOON
V sat next to Judy in the back of a truck bed as what remained of the raid limped its way into the Aldecado town. Judy rested her head on V's right shoulder, her left arm in a sling hung limp. Her numerous cuts were crusted over with sand and scabs. Fresh bruises blossomed on her side, legs and arms from her rolling fall off Micheal's thorton. Judy was in somewhat better shape, minor cuts and some heavy bruises around her thighs and on her shoulders from the harness. Both of them were staring at nothing, exhausted from the battle and Panam's capture.
V gave Judy's hand a squeeze and pulled her in closer letting the feeling over her lovers weight on her own comfort her. Judy took a deep breath before giving V a small kiss on the cheek. V gave a quick smile as she looked at the town that had become their temporary settlement. The Thornton stopped and the passengers clambered out. Most of them were injured in some way and needed help. Judy climbed out first and held out a hand to help V. She managed with the aid but still stumbled a bit as Judy caught her.
No one spoke as they made their way to the center of town. Mitch was already there in a shouting match with Carol. V did not pay attention to the words as she looked to Panam's truck that someone had driven back. Her shoulders slumped as the weight of failure threatened to collapse her. Judy propped her up and V took a breath as she stood up to her full height.
"We will get her back" Judy comforted V with a small smile. V sighed before rubbing some blood and dirt from Judy's face with her sleeve. She gave the clean spot a soft kiss before hugging Judy to her with her one arm.
"You are alive" V smiled as a few tears fell onto Judy's head. Judy sniffled as she held V tight not wanting to let go. They stayed there for a few seconds before heading to the center of town where the yelling was becoming more intense. V and Judy joined the circle that was watching as Mitch and Carol were arguing.
"How did they know?!" Mitch roared "Network security is your job!"
"We did everything right!" Carol screamed back, getting in Mitch's face "Do not put this on me!"
"It was no one's fault!" Mitch shouted pushing her away "we both know how these things go sometimes"
"This isn't the war Mitch!" Carol barked, pinching her nose.
"Isn't it?!" Mitch retorted as he gestured around "we were just in gunfight in case you forgot"
"You motherfuck…" Carol went to speak but V cut her off.
"Enough!" she shouted stepping into the circle "we can not be fighting like this right now"
"No you, you do not get to speak" Carol growled wagging a finger at V "you have no right"
"V has every right to" Mitch countered glaring at Carol.
"No!" Carol roared making everyone flinch "She has been poison to use ever since she came with Panam! Saul, Bobby and Teddy are dead because we tangled with Arasaka, for her! Scorpion is dead because of her!" Carol stabbed a finger at V "Every dead Aldecado since Night City is on her hands!"
"Carol!" Judy shouted hurt as her friend tore apart her lover "You agreed to help her!"
"Judy is right" Mitch said nodding to her "We helped V because she helped us"
"We never should have" Carol hissed as she got into V's face. V just stared back unable to counter anything Carol raged at her.
"All my dead friends are in your hands and one day, you will be the death of her too" Carol growled pointing to Judy.
"I think you should leave and cool off Carol" V said, saddened by the wounds that Carol had just cut deep into her.
"No, I am right and angry because today you failed" Carol aquised "you let them get away with Panam, you did not warn us in time and now more Aldecado's are dead because of you"
"Carol, you are being a gonk!" Judy protested as her temper flared "quite being a fucking pendeja!"
Carol rounded on Judy and got into her face. Judy stood her ground against the larger woman as she invaded her space.
"You stupid cunt, V will be the death of you" Carol began only to be thrown off her feet and slamed into the ground. V stood over her one mantis blade out and her face a twisted snarl of rage.
"V…" Mitch ventured cautiously as he stepped into her view. Carol glared up at V as the mercenary stood over her. The circle of nomads held their breath, a few of them looked around to others to see what they would do. Judy stared wide-eyed, her heart stopped for a moment as she saw V ready to kill Carol.
"You can insult me all you like" V hissed her voice thick with venom "but not her"
Carol gulped as she stared up at V and looked around at the other nomads. V stepped back as the mantis blade shut and she held the hand out to Carol.
"We supposed to be friends now?" Carol growled looking at the offered hand as something repugnant. V sighed as Carol stood up on her own boring into V with her glare.
"Let's all calm down" Mitch encouraged "we have a problem that needs fixin"
"Fine" Carol clipped looking at Mitch. The tension in the camp ebbed as Carol stepped away from V and the mercenary returned to Judy's side. Mitch sighed as he pushed a hand through his balding hair.
"We got hit hard today" Mitch began with a gulp "We got the tanker and thank god only suffered a few deaths. It could have been much worse but we are Aldecado's, we don't break. The Bakkers learned that today" a few of the nomads nodded in agreement. Mitch just took a deep breath as he continued.
"They hurt us hard, took Panam but we know she is alive still. She is too valuable for them to kill" Mitch looked around at them all "we are battered and bruised. So are they. We turned their ambush into a thrashing and now the fuckers have decided it's time for war" He paused as the nomads shifted on their feet "Right now, we need to bury our dead and tend to our wounds. Come tomorrow though, we show these son's of bitchs why you do not fuck with the Aldecados!"
The assembled nomads cheered their approval. V nodded to Mitch as she felt Judy nervously squeeze her arm. Carol did not say anything but simply walked from the circle as the nomads started on tending to what needed done.
"Let's get cleaned up" V sighed, taking Judy's hand with her right.
"Yeah, that sounds nova right now" Judy mumbled as she followed V to their house.
Mitch smiled as the nomad's dispersed to the various tasks that needed done. Those that had stayed in camp took over repairing and maintenance of the vehicles while others tended to the seriously wounded. Carol walked over next to him, her arms crossed.
"Strong words Mitch" Carol grumbled as she watched V and Judy walk away "but you know I am right"
"No, you are angry and not thinking clearly" Mitch pointed out shaking his head "V is a part of this family now. You don't have to like her but she is"
"I would not be so sure about that Mitch. Other's want her gone as well" Carol objected as she motioned to a few other nomads that were watching them "She is only here because of Panam"
"Careful with your next words" Mitch growled "You are talking like Panam is gone"
"She very well could be and then what Mitch? You take over?" Carol shook her head gesturing around "How many do you think will take your side on V?"
"We are not having this conversation, Carol" Mitch ended firmly "When Panam gets back we will have a clan meeting but until then do what you are told, corporal" Mitch jabbed a finger in her chest.
"Playing that card, sargent?" Carol chuckled shaking her head "fine, we get Panam back but I am holding you to that meeting"
ARIZONA, REDTRAILS, EVENING
The setting sun cast long shadows over the desert. The town of Redtrails remained mostly empty except for a few vehicles gathered around the central factory building. A few guards were patrolling outside but other than that the town was silent and still.
Jason shifted to get more comfortable as he lay prone between some rocks watching the town through the zoom functions of his helmets display. The hide was flawless, shadowed perfectly to obscure his position and the crevice breaking up his silhouette. He panned around the town searching for any out laying patrols or posts.
"You know, I expected more excitement than this" Sarah groused over their comms "we have been watching them for what feels like hours"
"Operations are 90% boredom" Jason sighed zooming in on one of the cars "reddish dirt on the tires, they have been south recently"
"You a dirt whisperer?" Sarah chuckled as Jason saw the drones icon float over the main building in his heads up display.
"Southern desert's sand have a higher iron content" Jason replied as he looked over the guards "Bakkers for sure, something seems off though"
"Yeah, hoping through their cams I see they definitely should have more people here" Sarah puzzled the signal had some static in it from their distance as well as strain on the net "more bunks than people that would fill that number of vehicles"
"They are rallying here, maybe these guys are the team to prep their new home?" Jason offered looking at the guards closer "Nowaki rifles, Arasaka gear…"
"All brand new to by the looks of it" Sarah added as she zoomed the drones feed onto the guards.
"Idiots" Jason chuckled as he looked at a plum of dust heading towards town. A quick scan told him 4 vehicles were headed for Redtrails.
"Militech bias?" Sarah laughed in Jason's ear.
"A little, Arasaka's weapons have always been bargain bin" Jason bantered as he watched the incoming vehicles "No, those weapons likely have RFID chips in them hooked up to thimble of plastic explosive"
"Okay, why though?" Sarah mused "I see those vehicles to, judging on the size of their parking area they should have had more coming back. Must have got in a scrap with something real mean"
"Maybe, as for why" Jason said sliding down behind the rocks as a rooftop sniper glanced his way "Arasaka gives them the weapons under the table. Bakkers and Caldo's fight makes each other softer targets. Araska pops the Bakkers weapons and then sweeps in to reclaim stolen property"
"I thought they couldn't operate down here?" Sarah's confused voice came over the comm.
"They can't operate meaning corporate action but a policing action to reclaim stolen property is permitted, just has to be approved by the state of Arizona in this case, who won't tell them no" Jason peaked back over the rocks.
"Political malfeasance?"
"Nope, Arasaka supplies the Hoover Dams water filters and turbines" Jason chuckled "Desert state, grab the water and power is yours"
"So they false flag the Bakkers, wipe them and the Aldecado's and get V in the process?" Sarah sighed "how do you know that works?"
"Militech did something similar in Paris" Jason replied as he watched the vehicles pull in front of the factory.
"So do you speak french?" Sarah chuckled as she banked the drone away from the ground as more people got out of the new vehicles.
"Je parle très bien le français" Jason replied as he zoomed in on the lead vehicle. A large burly man got out looking pissed. Another man came up to him only for the gorilla to punch him.
"Can you get audio?" Jason asked Sarah. His eyes watched their lips but at this distance it would be near impossible to read them. Static crackled before the directional microphone on the drone picked up the conversation.
"You stupid bitch!" the large man shouted as he dragged the other man to his feet. A fist cracked the other's jaw making his head rattle around like a bobble head "They still had that god damn tank!"
"Micheal, let him go. Intel was bad, it happens" another man pleaded. Micheal dropped the sniveling Bakker and ran a hand over his head.
"No more fuck ups or Saka will pull the deal" Micheal said as he looked at the assembled Bakkers "you cock anything like that up again I'll fucking kill you myself"
"Quite the leadership style" Sarah joked over the comms as Micheal went over to the passenger side of his car and dragged a woman out. Jason zoomed in getting a better look as Micheal shoved her into two other Bakkers.
"Take this trash to the basement, I will talk with her in the morning" Micheal sighed as he sat on the hood of his car "how many did we lose?"
"About 10 guys and 3 sets of wheels, that Basilisk popped them like Nicola cans" the man who had pleaded for mercy for his friend cautiously informed his boss.
"Damn it, are more of the family on their way?" Micheal asked as he took out a cigarette and started smoking.
"Yeah, a few days out but some storms have slowed them down" the other man said as their topic changed to something that did not call for Jason's immediate attention. Jason shifted his attention to the woman the two thugs had between them dragging her towards the factory. He could not help the small smile that formed on his face.
"I am going in when the sun is down" Jason said as he slid back down behind his cover and checked his weapons.
"You a knight in shining armor now?" Sarah poked over the comms "save every damsel in distress" her tone mocking him.
"No, that woman is Panam Palmer" Jason replied checking the Ajax rifle had a round in the chamber "find where they are holding her and be ready to give me cover"
"This the other 10%?" Sarah excitedly asked her voice abuzz in Jason's ear. Jason did not reply as he stalked away from the rocks and made his way towards an infiltration point he had marked earlier.
ALDECADO'S CAMP, RUINED TOWN OF WESTFIELD, NEAR PALO ARIZONA, EVENING
Judy stood under the water of the shower as it rained down on her. The water washed off the blood, sweat and red mud that had formed on her skin. The rusty water that drained away stank of the battle and Judy had to take a deep breath as she let it wash away.
Her body felt heavy as the adrenaline had fully vacated her system. Her muscles were tired and sore. The cuts along her flesh from the car crash stung as water cleaned them out. Neck muscles were tight and tense from whiplash. Her legs trembled and she flopped to the shower floor with a sob. She pulled her legs into her chest as the water soaked her hair and the last of the rusty water washed away.
V poked her head in and seeing Judy on the shower floor made her eyes water. V slowly entered the bathroom shutting the door before pulling her own ruined clothes off. Judy did not say anything as V sat down in the water next to her. Judy grabbed onto her and V pulled her in close.
Both of their tears mixed with the shower water that washed the grim of battle away. They sat there silently. Words would not do anything in that moment. They simply held each other under the rain. It was not long before the tears stopped, both of them spent. The water had turned lukewarm, prompting them to move.
The shower was shut off without a word. Judy handed V a towel and helped her dry off so she would not use her recently dislocated arm. The silence remained between them until they reached their room.
V got to work bandaging the cuts on Judy's arms and legs. She had a few large ones but nothing that needed stitches thankfully. Judy was quiet as V patched her, only moving herself so V could work. It did not take that long and V turned her attention to patching herself up.
Judy took the bandages from her. Their eyes meet for a second and V could see the pain behind the beautiful brown eyes of her lover. Judy gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before starting to wrap the various wounds that covered V's body.
"We are going to have a few scars" V ventured when Judy finished.
"Grandma told me from every wound there is a scar" Judy smiled softly as she brushed the scar on V's head "and every scar tells a story. A story that says I survived"
"We have survived a lot Judy" V whispered as she took the first aid kit and sat it on the nearby dresser "We have a lot of scars but we are still here"
"V" Judy whispered as she sat on the edge of their bed. Judy looked at her with pleading sad eyes. No tears fell as Judy was spent. V gave her a small smile as she sat down next to her and took her hand.
"Yes, mi amor?" V softly asked, giving Judy's hand a squeeze.
"We will get her back right?" Judy mumbled softly looking to V.
"We will" V replied softly with a nod "I promise"
"Those gonk words" Judy sighed as she leaned onto V's shoulder "I think if you promised the impossible, it could become possible"
"I'm just too stubborn to give up" V jested quietly to try and ease the mood. Judy laughed for a second at the joke as she rubbed her hand over the large bruise on V's thigh.
"Your famous thick skull" Judy sighed as she traced the purple stain on V's leg "Were you serious, that night in the motel?"
"About us leaving the Aldecado's at some point?" V pressed as she pulled Judy back onto their bed.
"Yeah" Judy affirmed as she snuggled under the blankets. V hissed softly as she bumped her bad shoulder sliding into the bed beside Judy.
"I was" V mumbled, pulling Judy to her and kissing the back of her neck. Judy smiled as V rested an arm over her. The embrace made her feel safe and she relaxed into the warmth.
"When will we go?" Judy asked softly stroking V's arm gently with her fingers.
"I don't know Jude" V murmured "We have to save Panam first, get somewhere safe before we set off on our own"
"Okay" Judy quietly agreed "and a boat?"
"I promised didn't I?" V whispered in Judy's ear "A nice big one, our home on the water"
Judy hummed her pleasure at the idea. They lay there holding each other as the silent night settled over the Aldecado camp. The sounds of the battle still echoed inside both of their heads. Judy shook in V's arms despite the warmth between them. V only pulled her tighter making sure that Judy knew she was safe there. The shaking stopped and V could hear Judy's breathing even out as the need for rest became more powerful than recent memory.
"Will I have nightmares?" Judy asked quietly.
"Yes" V replied with a heavy heart giving Judy a squeeze "but I am right here"
"Then I'll be safe" Judy mumbled "I love you Valarie"
"I love you to Judy" V whispered as she felt Judy start to drift off to sleep "forever and always"