Here is chapter 14 of A Beautiful Thing! I am hoping that Wednesday will be the weekly release day for new chapters. I would like to maintain at least 1 chapter a week going forward. As always the continued support for this story of mine and the wonderful growth of the Cyberpunk 2077 fanfic community is awesome to see. Until next week, stay safe chooms!
END AUTHORS NOTE
ARIZONA, WESTFIELD, EARLY MORNING
V heavied for air as she stepped back from the heavy bag that hung from the rafters of the garage. Sweat rolled down her skin, her muscles ached and her hands throbbed from the many blows she had landed on the heavy bag. Despite the aches and pain from her morning workout she smiled as she sat down on the metal chair near the bag. She caught her breath as she waited for the timer to chime telling her it was time for another few minutes of exertion.
The timer chimed and she hopped to her feet dropping low into a stance. She visualized Razor in her mind, the final fight she had taken on in Night City. The hulking professional boxer appeared before her as she slipped an imagined blow. Her fists thundered on the center of the bag, a rhythmic "pop-pop" as she weaved around. V knew her strengths, she was strong for a woman who never used steroids or implants to boost her muscle mass. She would never, the side effects made her sick to consider.
She ducked a heavy haymaker from her envisioned opponent before she pistoned a series of blows that rattled the chain suspending the bag. She could never rival the strength of someone like Razor, chrome, steroids and the massive frame of a heavy weight man gave him the edge in strength. V aimed a series of blows for the weak points of the mental image, her edge was speed and accuracy. The machine gun cracks of her fist hammering where a kidney would be echoed in the garage.
She slipped a punch aiming a precise strike at the tricep following into the armpit, the hard leather of the bag cracked like a whip as she wore on her mock opponent's arm. Vik's advice when she had first started out in the underground boxing scene of NC guided her strikes. You won't out muscle your opponents, you win with technique and strategy she smiled as she saw Razor swing a back fist leaving his weakened mid section open for a counter.
Fists hammered the insertion points of Razor's abdominal muscles before smashing a heavy uppercut center of his gut. He fell on the ground gasping in pain before her again as the timer chimed out. She smiled as the memory of that moment replayed, his cocky attitude gone. Vik's cheer of joy, coach Fred's look of astonishment and Judy's face glowing with pride as V held her fists above her head in rapturous victory. V took deep breaths as she heard someone knock on the garage wall. She turned to see Jason standing there, his shirt drenched and the trembling in his legs told her he had just been running.
"Hey" V smiled between breaths "Water?"
"Please" Jason gasped as he took a bottle that V held out to him and drank greedily.
"Good run?" V asked as she continued to catch her breath half sitting, half flopping down into her chair. Jason nodded as he gulped more water before setting the empty bottle aside.
"Saw the match where you beat Razor" Jason said chuckling "Vik was watching it when I woke up in his clinic"
"Asking him where we had run off to?" V asked as she ran a towel over her face clearing the sweat from her eyes.
"No, he as patching me up" Jason sighed "You worked over Razor real good in that fight"
"I think I only won because he had to swap some abdominal muscles a week before" V gulped as she managed to get her breathing back in to normal pace "gave me a weak point to aim for"
"I think you still would have won" Jason pointed at the bag "you move better than him, aim your punches smarter" he chuckled "woman always excel at technique, most guys just force things since we have more strength, usually"
"Razor learned real quick wild haymakers were not going to work" V chuckled at the memory of the boxer's face when a sloppy punch earned him a fist to the face faster than he could blink "did you box in Militech?"
"No, nothing we learned was for sport" Jason groaned as he sat down on the garage floor "had to end fights quick, focused more on grappling, chokes and breaks"
"Makes sense" V said sipping at her own water "why not give you guys mantis blades? They end fights pretty quick"
"They stand out, sometimes we had to blend into a populace. Hard to do when you are chipped with high grade chrome" he gestured to her own blades that were housed in her forearms "Araska mk4's, worth more than a years work in some parts of the world"
"They were not cheap" V agreed with a smile "saved my hide a lot. Think you could teach me some Militech ninja stuff?"
"If you want" Jason chuckled with a shrug "we can spar some to, be more interesting than a bag" he stood up with a groan "just go easy on me"
"I make no promises" V grinned as Jason took another bottle of water and headed towards the back corner of town where his shack was. V smiled as she sat up, hearing the sounds of footsteps overhead. Water ran through the pipes and V got a sly grin as she slunk her way back into the house and upstairs.
Judy had music playing loudly from a small radio on the counter that masked V's entry. The red head smiled as she tossed her soaked gym clothes off and slid into the shower. Judy was standing under the water as V tickled her sides making Judy freeze.
"Good morning" V hummed as she hugged Judy from behind. The techie relaxed as she realized it was V and let herself melt into the hug. The soft scents of the soap they used wafted in the heat and the calming easy music bounced around the bathroom.
"Gonk" Judy teased playfully splashing water into V's face before she turned around. V chuckled as Judy's lips pressed to her own. The warm water rolled over them as Judy forced V against the shower wall. V moaned as Judy took the lead, the rare comfort of feeling safety calmed the worries at the back of her mind. V whimpered as Judy broke the kiss with soft pop as she pulled V under the water.
"Beat the bags ass?" Judy asked softly as she started rubbing soap over V's shoulders and back eliciting a sigh from her lover. Judy ran her hands over V's skin, the softness broken by her lovers scars as her fingers brushed them. Judy frowned when she found a fresh one along V's shoulder blade. Judy pressed her lips to the healing wound making V giggle at the touch. The gesture was simple but the unspoken comforts of it hung in the air with the steam from the shower.
"Yeah it was good" V hummed as she felt Judy's hands glide over her butt and down her legs "feels good to work…" V's breath caught as she felt Judy's hand slide up the inside of her leg. The soft intimate touch made V's knees shake as Judy kissed her neck pulling them under the water.
V moaned as Judy's free hand cupped V's chest and the tempo between her legs increased. Warm water rolled over them as a fog settled in V's head, the touch of her lover and the endorphins from exercise mixing in a potent elixir. Judy gently kissed the back of V's neck. The feeling of her lover trembling in her arms made her grin, the soft moans and gasps a chorus.
Everyone knew V as the strong, indomitable edgerunner that could stand before the world as an unwavering mountain. Judy was one of the rare few who had seen the other side of V, the lonely nomad who desperately wanted to feel she belonged again. Judy pressed herself closer to V, holding her tight.
"Fuck" V groaned as Judy pinned her up against the wall. Judy's playful smirk became a soft look as she leaned in. V's lips parted as Judy drove her finger's deeper, V's growing moan was stifled as Judy's lips sealed on hers. V's hands scraped on shower wall for anything to hold onto as burning built between her legs. The fog became cloudier as Judy deepened the kiss to keep V's elation from waking the camp. V's mind was blank as the building heat pushed over the edge and she buried her hands in Judy's hair hoping the kiss would stifle her groaning cry of ecstasy. Judy managed to keep V standing as she shook and trembled, every muscle tense. When V slumped Judy broke the kiss with a grin.
"That's for spooking me," Judy whispered in V's ear, making the other woman chuckle between heaving breaths.
ARIZONA, WESTFIELD, NOON
Jason prodded the food that sat on his plate. It reminded him of the meals served at Militech bases, cheap, mass produced and bland. He sighed as he picked up the fork and started digging into the kibble. Whoever had prepared the meal for the clan had spiced it up with some seasoning and a sauce that gave it a bit of heat. Despite being the most simple of foodstuffs that one could get it tasted better than most kibble concoctions he had been subjected to.
There was a clattering as another plate was set unceremoniously onto the steel table. Jason looked up as Panam sat down across from him, two beers in hand. She sat one down for herself and pushed the other over to Jason.
"A bit early for a drink?" Jason asked as he popped the cap off the offered beer.
"It's five o'clock somewhere," Panam grinned as she popped the cap from her own beer and held it up for a toast. Jason smiled briefly as he clinked his own beer to hers and they took a drink. The beer was cold helping mask the low quality taste of the cheap, skunked booze.
"So what were we toasting to?" Jason inquired as he took another bite of his meal.
"You saving my sorry ass" Panam chuckled as she dug into her meal with a grin "Jake really knows how to turn kibble into something enjoyable"
The food was good Jason thought as he took another sip from his beer, the cold drink cooling of the tingling heat of the spicy meal. He took a few more bits trying to figure out what to say to keep the conversation going. Panam however was evidently a direct and blunt woman, traits he appreciated.
"So you get to talk with Judy yet?" Panam asked shoveling more food away. Jason paused, he had not had much of a chance yet. He glanced at the table where Judy and V sat with some of the other Aldecaldos. The group were talking and laughing as one of the Aldecaldos regaled them with a story Jason was not able to hear clearly.
"Not yet" Jason mumbled "V said give her some time, some space"
"V would know" Panam smiled as she took a long swig from her beer "heavy bomb to drop though, long lost brother"
"It was a heavy one to learn I had a sister" Jason sighed as he munched more of the kibble "I wanted to leave Militech behind when they told me but that was not going to happen until my contract was complete"
"Fucking corps, never getting this clan in bed with them" Panam scowled "we almost did back in NC, guarding Biotechinica farms"
"That is hard to imagine" Jason laughed softly "you do not strike me as the standing around, do nothing type"
"Whatever gave you that idea?" Panam asked with a grin and a glint in her eye. Jason thought back to their fight out of the Bakker camp. She had jumped into the fray, the bruises inflicted by the hostile nomads had only made her mad. How she had been able to give Sarah directions to the cave in the middle of a sandstorm all while keeping the netrunner calm and focused despite Jason's post-juice fits in the back seat of the truck.
"You take things head on, jumping into the fray. This clan listens to you, you are a natural leader, the kind I would follow" Jason complimented with a smile. He was being genuine in his praise, she had an air of strength and leadership about her that he admired. Panam blinked before digging into her food, a faint blush on her cheeks from the praise.
"You are a free man now" Panam said as she grabbed her beer "and you found us, so what's next after we get through this cocked up mess?"
"I don't know" Jason answered with a nonchalant shrug "never gave much thought to what came after I found Judy. Once this situation has blown over, who knows where we will be. Only thing I do know is the only family I have left is in danger, I'll fight like hell to keep them safe"
Panam sipped her beer studying Jason. His words struck a chord with her, the importance of what little family he did have in V and Judy shown through in what he said. Despite not knowing if either wanted anything from him he was willing to do what family should do for one another. He was not some corpo war machine but a man. A veteran who was trying to pick up the million pieces his life had shattered into when he left Militech behind and find something worth living for.
"You could always ride with us" Panam suggested slowly "we have vets among us, like Mitch and Carol"
"A little early to be inviting me into the family isn't it?" Jason chuckled as he sat down his now empty beer.
"You could have a place here in time, we need good people" Panam replied sincerely.
"You think I am good people?" Jason scoffed as he raised an eyebrow "I figured I would be corpo scum. Kick me out when you heard I was with Militech considering you did steal one of their tanks"
"Its on an extended low rate lease" Panam jested as she set her own empty beer down "You pulled my ass out of the fire, saved Sarah when you did not have to and left behind the only life you ever knew to find a sister who may not have wanted anything to do with you, just to make sure she was okay" Panam softly touched his arm with a smile "Bit rough around the edges and still got the smell of a corpo about you but yeah, you are good in my book"
Jason's spine tingled at the touch and looked at the nomad queen. Her soft brown eyes captivated his own for a brief moment as he looked up with a glance from where her hand rested on his forearm.
"Another beer?" Panam asked, clearing her throat as she stood up her hands on her hip and a small smile on her face.
"You got anything else?" Jason inquired glancing at the trailer that served as kitchen and bar for the clan.
"The usual stuff, got a specific posion?" she asked, gesturing at the bar with her thumb "whiskey, vodka?"
"Malibu sunset actually" Jason said confidently making Panam give him a quizzical look "rum, pineapple and sweet grenadine"
"A fruity drink?" Panam giggled "that's your drink?"
"I like what I like" Jason smiled back "something sweet but with a good punch"
"We haven't had pineapple in years so you can settle for a beer" Panam laughed as she hopped up to the bar to get the drinks. Jason caught himself admiring her for a moment as she leaned on the bar, he hoped she hadn't noticed as he glanced away. She came back with the beers and popped the caps off both before passing him his.
"Craziest thing you ever did, go" Panam prompted as she clinked her glass on his bottle.
"You mean besides rushing into a nomad camp to rescue a complete stranger?" Jason smiled "I would say jumping from an AV at 100,000 feet"
"You can not leave me hanging with just that, what gonk reason was behind that?!" Panam grinned wanting to know more. Jason smiled as he started telling the story of jumping into Nicaragua from near low orbit.
V pushed her plate away as Anna told Judy the tale of how Anna and V had met in a motel room. V was supposed to make Anna drop her investigation or take her out, instead she had convinced her to leave NC and join the nomads.
V knew the tale so she looked around the camp as Judy listened to the former detective. She smiled when she saw Jason and Panam talking and laughing as they swapped stories. She grinned as she saw Panam push her hair back, a smile on her face and beaming more than she had in awhile.
ARIZONA, WESTFIELD, MID AFTERNOON
Judy scowled as she poured over the data streaming into her BD editing setup from Sarah's implant. The netrunner sprawled out on the couch with the port cable from the setup snaking over into the port behind her ear. The ever present beaten and worn headphones were clamped over her ears. The muffled music of Kerry Eurodynes latest album could be heard as Sarah tapped, waved and danced in small movements on the couch to the blaring noise.
Judy put her chin in her hand as she watched the data pour in to the editing software. It was a nightmare, hundreds of short choppy, scrolls with the main emotive feed being capped out towards fear and terror. A pop up from the editor informed her that the upload was complete and it would begin rendering the scrolls down into editable files. Judy groaned as she looked at the estimated time of two hours and twelve minutes. Whatever Alt had cramped in Sarah's implant it was clear that the netrunner turned AI had never done BD work. Judy sighed as she stood up and walked over to Sarah who was bobbing along to whatever track was blaring in her ears. Judy waved a hand over her face getting her attention. Sarah pulled the headphones off down around her neck, the song now plain to hear was Kerry Eurodynes latest hit, 'Loops'.
"You get it all?" Sarah asked as she sat up the curtain of curls bouncing around her face.
"You're going to go deaf you keep that up" Judy motioned to the blaring headphones prompting Sarah to pause the song. She shrugged looking up at Judy waiting for an answer to her question.
"Yeah, I managed to pull the scrolls but the soft has to render it into raw BD format before I can begin editing" Judy gestured to the setup "fucking preem mess to sort out to, something like two hundred scrolls"
"Fuck, must have nearly capped out the storage" Sarah tapped her head indicating her BD scroller implant. Judy grabbed her rolling chair and sat back down as she glanced at the rendering timer, the time made her frown.
"Alt clearly never did BD work, this data is a fucking mess" She grumbled looking back to Sarah.
"Sorry, wasn't keen on telling cyber-cthulhu what to do," Sarah shivered at the memory. Judy raised an eyebrow at the comment remembering that the primary emotive feed had been fear.
"What had you so scared? The emotive track is all reading like a preem horror BD or some really fucked XBD" Judy's tone was cautious but curious about Sarah's brush with an AI from beyond the blackwall. Sarah took a deep breath as she shut her eyes to collect her thoughts before speaking.
"It was fucking terryfying thats why" Sarah huffed as she rested her elbows on her knees "it's hard to explain"
"Try, remember I have to dive into these" Judy prodded as she took out her pack of cigarettes and held them out to Sarah who shook her head.
"You're going to get lung cancer, you keep that up," Sarah teased with a sly grin. Judy raised an eyebrow before giving Sarah the middle finger making them both chuckle easing the fright the conversation had roused in Sarah's memory.
"Like I said, it's hard to explain," Sarah said, taking a breath and steadying herself as she dragged up the memories from the back of her mind.
"I felt small, tiny, insignificant before the thing" Sarah shivered "It was surreal, that thing could have melted my brian out my ears with a passing thought" she gulped "I saw it scythe its way through Arasaka's dwellers, tear open their networks with ease, like a fucking god of cyberspace"
"V said it turned all Arasaka's automated defenses on the staff" Judy said quietly as she understood why fear had filled the emotive track. Sarah nodded slowly, her leg bouncing nervously.
"Yeah, saw it on camera feeds. Combat bots and turrets tore them apart, it was a bloodbath" Sarah shook her head "I hate Arasaka as much as the next gonk but what happened in that tower, what that thing did…" Judy let Sarah trail off as she collected herself before continuing "made me actually appreciate the Net-pigs, keep those fucking horrors behind the blackwall until we can find away to zero AI's"
"Nova, going to be diving into literal nightmares" Judy grumbled looking at the setup "Just hope we can get the detes we need from it"
"Me too, something that will really hurt Arasaka" Sarah grinned wickedly. Sarah's smile slowly faded as she rubbed her right shoulder where her cybernetic arm melded into her flesh. The area where metal met skin was still pink and scarred from the recent surgery. Sarah grimaced as she rolled the joint working the stiffness from the healing process away.
"Don't see too many runners with full limb chrome" Judy said as she rolled over to her set up and checked how the rendering was progressing.
"Not my choice, I got caught up with some Wraiths when I tried to delta from NC" Sarah sighed as she lay back on the couch.
"Sorry, I didn't know" Judy faltered as she looked back over to Sarah "we don't need to talk about it"
"Thanks, I'm trying to forget it" Sarah sighed as she shut her eyes "it's hard though, what they did to me always floats to the top"
"That 's why you blare music, drown'em out?" Judy asked, sympathizing with Sarah. She had blasted music while cleaning out Evelyn's blood from her tub to make it more bearable, part of her had wanted to just ask V to do it. They were barely acquantences at the time and somehow Judy felt she should do it, that it was her responsibility.
"Yeah" Sarah sighed as she looked over to Judy "Your bro was the one who saved me from the shivs"
"He did?" Judy asked, taken aback as she pushed herself away from the desk looking over to Sarah.
"Yep" Sarah nodded with a small smile "he seems to have a habit of rescuing damsels in distress" she pretended to faint on the couch with a snicker "He wasn't even there to rescue me, need information from the packs leader. I was hanging on a meat hook, delirious and barely conscious" she took a deep breath "came to fully thinking the bastards were finally going to end it but instead I was in Viks clinic, patched up and with this" she held up her mechanical arm "You know what he said when I asked why he saved me?" Judy shook her head "told me I was in trouble and he had the ability to get me out and just like that, I'm here now"
"Glad he did, no one deserves that" Judy shivered as she thought about the things she had seen in the scav den V and Judy had dove into to find Evelyn.
"Me to" Sarah smiled as she rested back on the couch "glad he needed that Arasaka shard decrypted, came to me"
"Is that where he got the detes on the bounty and stuff?" Judy asked which was confirmed by Sarah with a nod.
"Yeah, we set out that same night to find you lot" Sarah chuckled as she sat up on the couch "It was strange, I was living like a cornered animal in my digs but when I saw a chance to make it out of NC I took it. Bonus it was to find you, best BD artist in NC. Only reason I was able to is Jason makes me feel safe with him around"
"You saying you're into him?" Judy asked with a chuckle "a bit cliche"
"I'm not into anyone, kinda lost my sex drive after…." She shook her head "besides he is much older than me" Sarah thought for a moment "He's a good friend, one I can trust. Those are rare, plus I would rather be on this side than any side he's looking to take down"
"From what Panam said, he's a preem solo" Judy agreed as her thoughts went to Jason.
"Naw, he would run circles around most Solo's in NC" Sarah chuckled "I won't lie, your bro is fucking dangerous, down right terrfying but he's a good person, I think"
"Not a dirty corpo?" Judy asked, raising an eyebrow.
"A little, but he gives a fuck about people" Sarah smiled as she pulled her headphones back on and the blaring music resumed ending the conversation in a howling lyric from 'Chippin' in'.
Judy went back to the screen watching the rendering timer tick down as her mind went to her brother. He had shown up out of nowhere in her life, it had made her angry. She grumbled as she recognized the anger wasn't directed at him but the world in general. Her life being turned upside down, again, was becoming too routine. How was she supposed to process the fact she had a long lost sibling, and he was a former corporate attack dog on top of it all?
Sarah's words floated in her head, that Jason actually cared about people. She could feel a headache coming on as the stress of dealing with all the recent events made its weight known. She glanced over at Sarah, the netrunner back to her small bobbing and dancing while she lay on the couch. Sarah would be dead if Jason had not been looking for Judy, Panam would still be a Bakker captive and Judy sighed as she realized V was right. Judy had a chance to get something back from the mess of a world they lived in. She huffed at the idea of telling V she was right, the gonk would certainly not let her forget it. Judy decided that she would talk to him, at least figure out why he had come looking for her. She owed him that much at least for rescuing Panam and warning them of the storm that was sweeping around them.
ARIZONA, WESTFIELD, NIGHT TIME
Judy yawned as she walked out of the net building, a long day of working away on the BD's stored in Sarah's implant had left her mentally exhausted. A cursory glance at the moon high in the sky and the few people around the town left the camp with an air of a restful dream. The customary fire in the middle of the camp had grown faint, embers now with only the night watch to watch over the fire. She could hear the sounds of the desert on the outside of the makeshift walls the Aldedcaldo's had set up. The cold desert night winds chilled her skin as she stepped into the street. She drew her jacket up over her shoulders as she walked.
Her and V's house wasn't far from the net building, the area fortified by the Aldecaldo's was small. The entire town was more than what the clan needed, plus it was only temporary before they carried on to another pasture. The few sentries were up on top of some of the buildings, some of them gave her waves as she walked by. Her eyes were drawn to the gate, instead of one of the Aldecaldo's taking vigil, Jason was sitting on top. She frowned, stopping just outside her temporary home. V was waiting for her, fitfully dozing without Judy there to hold on to. V would understand Judy knew as she made up her mind, drawing the coat tighter she made her way to the gate and climbed up on top of the trailer.
"This seat taken?" she asked, gesturing to the space beside Jason.
Jason shook his head no, taking a drag on the cigarette that was loosely held in his lips. Judy sat down next to him and pulled out one of her own, Jason already had a light for her. The warm smoke filled her lungs driving out the cold desert night air as she looked out in the distance. The rolling rocky hills were washed in shadow and pale light from the moon. She heard the howling of coyotes in the distance, the empty, airy scent of the badlands filled her nose as she took a deep breath.
"Views like this, never really could find them in NC" Judy tried cautiously trying to spark a conversation.
"No, don't suppose you can" Came Jason's melancholic reply "I always preferred being away from cities, the quiet and clear horizon" He sloshed the water bottle in his hand before taking a drink.
"Makes you forget, worlds a fuckin mess" Judy sighed as she took another drag. It was silent for a few moments before Judy spoke up again "you been to many places like this?"
"Barren deserts?" Jason inquired with a short laugh "plenty, mostly south of here"
"Travelled a lot?" Judy pressed getting more comfortable on the metal roof they were sitting on. Jason took a tentative drag from his cigarette as he looked out to the desert, eyes never stopped searching for danger.
"Soldiers and nomads, one thing we have in common is the road is home" Jason sighed "been all over the world, above it twice, what's the phrase 'been there, got the t-shirt'?"
"You've been to space?" Judy grinned now very curious "that had to be preem as hell"
"First trip was rather boring actually, we had to get from Chicago to Sydney as fast as possible" Jason replied as he grabbed a bottle of water from the crate next to him "windows are a weakness on a spacecraft, so that trip was spent in a steel tomb" He looked up towards the moon, a pensive expression as he searched for something overhead "Second trip I got to see Earth from orbit, a brief stay on Militech's pacific station" he shifted in his seat "made me appreciate how small I was"
"Seeing the whole planet" Judy mused nodding "Can see how that would change one's view"
"That was back in 71, made my mind up then" He tossed the butt of his cigarette away "I was done, wanted out" He frowned as he briefly remembered by gone days "I needed to leave that life, see if there was anything out there for me" He gestured to Judy with a faint smile "Decided to find you then"
"Why though? We never knew each other, hell I am already in my mid-twenties and you're what?" Judy ran a hand through her hair hoping her question would not shut down their first real conversation. She was tense as she waited for the answer.
"Thirty five" Jason shrugged "at least for what Militech was able to piece together when they took me in" he took a long drink of water before continuing "as for why, like I said, you are my only blood relative left alive"
"Wait, if we have the same father then that means…" Judy glanced at Jason who nodded confirming that the man was dead. She sighed not sure if in relief or disappointment her father was gone. She never knew the man but some part of her had hoped to meet him, ask why he had abandoned her before she even came into the world.
"Yep, got in debt with a shark. He had the scavs collect in implants" Jason told her without much of a thought "he wasn't the best of men, don't lose sleep over it"
"Pretty gonk reason though to go looking for me" Judy chuckled as she tapped some ash from her cigarette "just because we share genes"
"It is" Jason admitted with a shrug "but I had to know"
"Know what?" Judy asked curiously as she looked at her brother. He looked at the desert sands as he thought of a good response before looking to Judy.
"You were alive, you were okay" He sighed leaning back on his hands "that at least one of us had a good life"
"Hard to tell if my life has been good" Judy mumbled pulling her knees closer to her chest "I lost my hometown, friends, lovers…" she trailed off glancing down at the house where V was waiting for her "almost lost V"
"Almost" Jason agreed as he looked over to her "but you found a beautiful thing here, you and V" he tentatively put a hand on her shoulder. Judy flinched at first but didn't recoil as she looked back to him. She could see the sincerity in his eyes, past the war torn depths. She smiled accepting the comforting gesture. Jason gave her shoulder a soft squeeze as he smiled back, a real one that reached his eyes driving back the coldness of his usual gaze.
"It's not always preem sailing" Judy grumbled "constantly butting heads among the clan, this thing with the Bakkers, Saka…" she sighed "learning that family life can be complicated when it's more than just you and two grandparents, fucking exhuasting"
"I wouldn't know" Jason shrugged "never had anything like a family other than the people I served with"
"So you got some chooms left" Judy smiled as she nudged him happily. Jason slowly shook his head taking a drink as he looked back to the desert. Judy's smile slowly dropped as she watched the faint glow that was on Jason's face die like the embers of the fire.
She silently watched him. Shoulders dropped with weariness, not from a lack of sleep. The same distant demeanor that Mitch or V even would fall into when things were quiet wrapped her brother in its coils. She was noticing those same cold arms grab onto her at times, moments where the world passed by and she would be somewhere else. Thoughts of everything and nothing clashing like titans to take center stage in her mind. Phantom feelings of betrayal and desperation dancing at the edge of her emotions. The smell of iron and slick feeling of blood on her hands as she scrubbed the bathtub back in her old apartment. She and V had each other to lean on where as Jason had no one but himself now. Like a BD tickling her synapses she could feel the echoing loneliness that radiated from the man.
"You found me," Judy said softly, giving him a nudge "so not everyone is gone" Jason was still for a moment before a small smile formed on his face "I got something like a family here, a bit rough around the edges but I have good chooms, some of the best in my life..." she laughed softly "An amazing output" she looked over to him "I think I can find a place for a brother"
"Mama Welles warned me V might be my sister in law before long" Jason chuckled with a smile. Judy laughed as she thought of Mama Welles, the old woman was sharp as a mantis blade. Judy sat for a moment enjoying the warmth that had built between her and Jason.
"What about you?" Judy asked curiously "any one special?"
"No" Jason shook his head "wasn't exactly a priority"
"Seriously, nobody?" Judy pressed in disbelief "no corpo bimbo waiting back in NC?"
"No one special" Jason grumbled as he took out another smoke "just someone for the illusion"
"Nothing genuine there?" Judy asked quietly knowing the type of relationship as her thoughts drifted to Maiko. Jason lit the cigarette letting the smoke swirl in his lungs. The acrid vapors drifted into the night as he let out a long breath.
"We both liked to trick ourselves there was, pretend that we were..."
"Normal?"
"Healthy" Jason answered as he took a long drag on the cigarette "We just used each other, moments where we could enjoy the illusion of another life. Something besides…"
"I get it," Judy nodded, shivering at the memories of the relationship with Maiko. Arguments, desperate sex, attempts to have a normal relationship that only resulted in more pain. She forced the memories back down.
"You should get some sleep" Jason smiled flicking the finished cigarette away "we can talk more later"
"What about you?" Judy asked standing up "going to stay up all night?"
"Got till midnight for this shift, might get a few winks after that" Jason shrugged as he grabbed the water bottle next to him. Judy looked back to the house she and V shared. V who should have been asleep was waiting on the porch for her. Judy could tell from here that V was tired but wore a smile.
"Goodnight, hermano" Judy said, climbing down the ladder and heading towards her lover with a yawn. The long day was setting its heavy hands on her shoulders and she could feel her eyelids sliding closed as she walked towards the comfort of home.
Jason stiffened at being called brother by her but felt a warm sensation in his chest that was alien to him. He let it build, the glow pushing back some of the dark. He set the water bottle down as he looked back to the desert, eyes once again searching. His hand checked the rifle at his side and he took a deep breath steadying himself and clearing his mind to focus on standing guard over his sister's family through the dark night.