She looked out in the vast desert of the wasteland. The place that had become her home, and it had taken a lot of work to make it that way. She lifted her face to the breeze and felt her guardians try to comfort her. She smiled. They had saved the planet. They had found not only Filgaia memories but . . . his as well. At the last thought she turned to look at her friends, they meant more to her then her family. They were the reward the planet had given her. A precious gift to be cherished, and she did.
There was Clive with his cool intellect and steady aim.
Then there was Gallows with his childish antics and brotherly attachment to her.
Then there was him. Him who she had promised to make new memories with, him who had shown he was more adult then Clive sometimes, and at others more childish and stubborn the Gallows, him who had taught her what love really was.
Jet.
Just thinking about him made her happy, but, she had something to do. Something that the boys couldn't help her with, and never could. She had to go and face her past. She had to find her father. Jet would probably kill him before she found out anything. She with a heavy heart she took one last look at their faces, engraving them into her memory. She placed the note down by the fire and placed a rock on top of it. Without a sound she vanished into the night.
Next morning!
Jet woke with the feeling that something was missing. He slowly opened his eyes and took a look around. He knew what it was the second his eyes opened. SHE was gone. In her place was a note.
"Hey." At his voice the other two started to move. "HEY!" he yelled not something he did often and it got them up right away, with guns drawn.
"What the hell was that for? I don't see anything to worry about." Gallows said turned to look at the punk.
"Then I suggest you take another look." Clive said quietly.
"What the hell does that . . . " he stopped looked. Rubbed his eyes and looked again. " Where's Ginny?"
"I believe that was what Jet was trying to point out to us."
He was looking around the area she should have been. She was learning fast. He couldn't tell exactly where she had gone just the direction that her tracks had started going.
"Her horse is still here. Maybe she went to take care of personally stuff . . . ya' know girl things."
"She would have done that where we couldn't see her. What is left of her tracks point out into an open area of desert." Something crinkled beneath his foot. A piece of paper. He slowly bent down to pick it up. He nearly laughed at the thought of her pulling of his trick. This was what he'd been going to do, near the start of their journey so long ago.
"Look what she left us." Without reading it he handed it to Clive. He was sure he knew what was in it, some sort of apology. He turned his back on the other as he felt something he'd never felt before an anger, a rage, overwhelmed with sadness. Betrayal? Yes. That sounded right. She had made a promise and now she wasn't going to keep it. It seemed wrong somehow. Beneath her.
"Jet?" Clive said quietly. "There a note here just for you. She wrote one for each of us."
He reached behind him and grabbed the note out of Clive's hand. He almost ripped it up, but, remembering that he had almost done the same thing, opened it and read it.
Dear Jet.
If you have not torn this up then I would like you to keep it for the next time we run into each other. This is my apology, and before you scoff, it is very sincerely meant. I want to say that I'm not breaking my promise to you. I will help you make memories of your own, but I'm just asking you to wait. I have to find my father again. There is still one more thing I need to ask him. If I took you guys, I was afraid that you would shoot him for the horrible things that he's done to you. I think that you have every right to want to but, if you did I wouldn't get the answer that I very much need. So I'm asking you to wait five years and then meet me at Baskars Colony. I ask a lot I know but I want to be able to tell you something them that I can't say now. Please believe that I never meant to hurt you. You of all people I would never want to give a bad memory, but please trust that I must. If you guys decide to go your own ways will you make sure that Clive gets back to his family? Gallows will probably go with him. It's just I trust you to make sure they get there safe, so please? I ask so much from you and have offered nothing in return. So in five years if you all show up at the colony I will pay you 500 gella, for their safe return.
I hope that you can find it in you heart to forgive me.
Virginia Maxwell
He looked at the letter in disbelief. He looked at Clive with a grim look.
"She's hired me to see you guys to your house."
"Ah! So she assuming that we won't stay together if she's not here."
It was Gallows laughter that shocked him.
"Oh that little girl has another thing coming. I am so going to find her. And when I do, she's going to wish this was all a bad dream."
"I believe that to be a sound idea. Are you coming to Jet?"
He closed his eyes. There behind his eye lids was a smile that seemed to rival the sun. it would probably always be right there. Did he want to go after a girl that had ditched them? Left them without a thought.
No, he thought as he looked down at his paper. She had been giving it thought. He could see the splotches on his letter where her tears had fallen and she had tired to cover it up.
"Yea. Sound like a plan to me."
Two years later.
"Really?" It was the first promising lead they'd had in awhile, Jet thought. Too bad it came from her."
"Yes she was in the ruins just north of here. I saw her on her way out. I was surprised to see her without all of you, and looking so beat up too."
"Thanks Maya. If you see her again make note, I'll pay you for each time I can prove she was there. 1000 gella if I can find proof."
"Just note it? You don't want me to catch her?"
"No. We want to do that ourselves."
"Then you should know she's getting good at this drifter thing. She dyed her hair black. That's why it was too late for me to catch up with her."
"Thank you for the tip."
Later at the Inn.
"I got a lead on our mission today." Jet said at dinner.
"Really? Some ones seen Ginny?" Gallows asked looking quite happy at the prospect.
"That is good news. Would you like to fill us in on the details?"
So he did. Told them even who he got it from and what she had done to her hair.
"Well, leave it to Maya to be her downfall." Gallows said with a laugh.
"Don't get cocky. We haven't found her yet. And we will have to look carefully at everyone we pass now." Jet warned.
"Very true. If she getting so good at disguises that Maya wasn't sure it was her, then we shall have to look more carefully."
"But I don't get why she went back to the lab? We have already been through there. She didn't find a clue to her father then, why would she think she would find one now?"
"I don't think she went there looking for clues about her father. I think she went there look for her father." Clive said. Then he turned to Jet. "I'm sure that you have no good memories of the place and if you want to wait here, I'm sure my wife will be glad for the help. We'll bring back anything we find."
"No. I signed on to find her, and I always do my job. If I have to go back there, that's just too bad for me."
Two days later.
"I can't believe we found nothing. Not one foot print to prove she was there. Damn you Ginny!" Gallows yelled.
"Maya could have been wrong." Clive offered.
Gallows turned to argue when the waitress came up to them.
"Excuse me? Is your name Jet Enduro?"
"It is."
"Then I have a letter for you."
"From whom?"
"I'm sorry sir I don't know. It was left here by a young lady early yesterday."
"Thank you. " Jet said and gave her 20 gella.
He open the letter and familiar writing stared back up at him.
Dear Jet.
I hear that the team has stayed together, and for that I'm grateful. But you must stop looking for me. Please, just stop. You won't find any trace of me no matter how hard you all look. So, please just wait until the date that I set. I don't want you all to get in to trouble because of me. I am going to keep going to worse and worse places, and I don't want any of you to get hurt because of me. So, please, Please just stop. . Will you do that for me?
Virginia Maxwell
Whole lines were blurred out with tears. He couldn't read what had been writing there. Gaps tat just didn't make sense.
"Here."
He handed the letter over to Clive. Who in turn handed it to Gallows.
"Well, now what shall we do? Do we follow this path anyway, or go with what she wants and give up?"
"Hell no. we're going! You read this. She's going to worse places! What if she gets hurt and can't get out? We have to keep going for her sake!"
"Well theres one vote. Jet?"
He closed his eyes. He was sure now that it was Virginia that Maya had seen.
And looking so beat up.
Those words kept coming back to haunt him ever since she had said them. She was already hurt and pressing on anyway.
"All in." He said. The picture of her bleeding still fresh in his mind.
"Well then lets get going. She can't be too far ahead of us. Lets head for the train station. We can ask if anyone there has seen her."
3 years later
The boys had arrived at the colony a week earlier. Just in case she had decided to beat them there. It had been a fairly dull week for them but enjoyable too, helping out around the village. Watch Gallows get it for his grandmother. Fun. Clive had been asking for permission to move his family down to the colony and had been give the go-ahead, from Gallows Grandmother and his wife. His daughter was so happy about the move because there were more children there then in her town.
Jet had spent the day doing the morning chores so he'd get out of doing the afternoon chores. He found that he liked this kind of life too. It was as exciting as being a drifter was, but it was more rewarding. The stuff that you did you could see, and it was enjoyed by others too. He'd also found that he liked having a place to rest his wings. Not forever but a nice thing to do, once in awhile. He finally understood the joy Clive got out of coming home to his family. He could always leave again, his wife never tried to cage him, but she was always waiting for him with a smile when he came back.
So, there he sat. thinking about life when a shadow appeared on the horizon. A small speck a first but taking on a human shape the closer it got. He watched unbelieving till he could make out her face.
"Virginia!" he yelled. She slowly raised her head to look at him. She smiled and then collapsed. "Shit." He swore as he rushed out.
In the village.
"Shane!"
Gallows jerked at the sound of his brother voice being called. Jet never sounded that panicked unless... unless something had happened to Ginny! He ran to the door of the house and yelled in.
"Shane! Get the bed ready I think you have a patient!"
As he was turning around Jet was almost to the door. Gallows looked down at the scrape of girl Jet held in his arms. He almost didn't know who he was looking at, at first. Then his brain finally made him see the damage that she had done to herself.
She had scars on arms and legs that had been flawless before. Her dress was rags and a bandage could be seen wrapped around her stomach through one of the holes. Her face was untouched but her hair was dyed a grey colour. Her hand looked like rocks had fallen on them, and there was almost no skin on her palms.
"Aww shit! Ginny?"
Nothing no answer. He tired to go forward with the silver haired drifter but a hand held him back. He turned and drew his gun at the same time, and found himself staring at his grandmother.
"There is nothing you can do now. Let Shane and I do our job. I promise we will do everything in our power to save her. More then one life depends on her."
Gallows nodded not trusting his voice.
"Wait out here though in case we need to add your healing powers to ours."
"Sure. I can do that."
He watched as the door closed. He turned to look at all the people who had come to see what was going on.
"Don't ỳall have something you can be doing?" He yelled at then.
"Do you mind if I stay?"
Gallows turned to that normally calm voice. He could see the tears just held in check.
"Nah. You got a right to be here. Stay."
Just then the tent flapped opened and Jet strode out the door.
"You did good. I wouldn't have thought to watch for her."
"How did she look?"
Both Jet and Gallows just stared at him.
"That bad?"
"I almost didn't know it was her. She didn't even look like much of anything to me but meat." Gallows said slowly.
"Your Gran says that it's a bullet wound under her bandage."
"Well hell."
"But does she look like she'll make it?"
"She's the leader! Of course she will!" Gallows said.
"Jet?"
"If she doesn't I'll be the next when going out to find her old man."
With that they settled down to wait.
Much later
Dawn was coming up over the horizon when the door finally opened. Shane stepped out.
Three faces turned to look at him.
Gallows was worried right away. Shane looked like a corpse. His skin was pale, and he had used up lots of his weight with the healing.
Clive looked very hopeful. If they couldn't have saved her they would have been out long before now.
Jet looked angry. He really wished that he could have shot something. Anything.
"Well?" Gallows finally asked.
"She'll live. Barely. She so wanted to die it was more then healing her body, it was also healing her spirit. Holding it to her body."
"She what? That doesn't sound like our Ginny."
"Do you know why she wanted to . . . die?" Clive finally asked.
"She wouldn't say. She hasn't said much. She did ask if you were all here. When I told her yes, she mumbled something about money. But that was it. Gran says you guys have to wait till both she and you get some sleep before you see her. She will be okay though. Some scaring. But that's all."
"Okay. Thank you Shane. It looks like you should get some sleep also." Clive said leading Gallows and Jet to the house they were staying, the one that Clive's family was going to be moving into."
The boy went right up to bed without saying a word to each other. After all their searching she was finally back, but not the same as she had been.
Jet lay in his bed for a long time watching the sun rise before he realized that he wasn't going to be able to sleep till he saw her, so figuring that most people wouldn't know how long an android needed to sleep anyway, he went out to see her, quietly so as not to wake the others.
Clive woke up to the sound of someone creping past his door. Well, it seemed that he was right about that after all. Gallows was going to owe him some money when he woke up.
Jet walked right up to the door before a voice stopped him.
"I thought I said you could go in after you had gotten some sleep. I can see plainly that you haven't so why, are you here, young man?"
Jet turned slowly to see Gallows's Gran before him.
"I'm not a human ma'am. I don't need much sleep."
"Is that so, or is it that you can't sleep? Try not to lie your guardian's laugh at you when you try."
"I. . . can't sleep. I won't be able to do anything till . . . she tells me if all of this was worth it. If all the pain she's gone through all the worry Clive and Gallows went through, was worth her answer."
"Funny thing is, she won't sleep either. She keeps trying to leave. Won't say why she has to go though. Why don't you go and ask her for me?"
Jet nodded his thanks to the old woman before him before going through the door.
Gallows looked at his smiling Gran.
"You know I just lost money on this."
"You should. They were made for each other."
"Literally?" Clive asked.
"What a strange question, but the answer is yes. Someone made it so that they'd be perfect for each other, their bodies anyway. Hearts are something no one can play with."
Gallows looked between Clive angry face back to his grandmother while a horrible idea came to his head.
"You don't think . . . "
"That he made them both in to an experiment? Yes I think that he did." He watched as Clive reached back and punched the wall. "Damn him. How could a father do that?"
Gallows just looked to the door. "If he so much as touched he wrongly . . . "
His Gran hit him with her cane.
"Silly boys of course he will. As far as I understand he was made that way."
Jet looked around the small hut that belonged to Gallows family. Virginia was bent over her pack trying to get her things in it.
"Where do you think your going?" she jumped up, turning to look at him guns drawn.
"Jet?" she looked as if she didn't believe he was there.
"You asked me here kid. Whom did you think would be here?"
"I'm not sure." She voice was distant, hollow. "But I hear I owe you some money." She reached into her bag and pulled out two things. One was a money pouch. The other was a torn yellow hat.
"I brought this back to you so you would know that the jobs done. He's dead. And the money of course is your reward."
He just looked down at the things in her hands. In two long strides he had crossed the room to her. He reached out like he was going to slap her. She didn't even bother blocking she just seemed to brace herself for the impact. He whacked the stuff out of her hands.
"What the fuck is wrong with you? Do you think I give a damn about getting your money! I just want one thing from you little girl!"
Tears were falling down her face. He could see them in the fire light.
"Damn him!" Gallows said. "He made her cry. I'm so going to rip him a new one." Two sets of hands stopped him.
"Be quiet boys. She needs a good talking to."
"We are trying to hear Gallows. Could you keep your voice down?"
"What? What can you possibly want from a deserter like me?"
"Is that the excuse your going to use to get rid of us this time? I got news for you little girl, you didn't do such a good job of getting rid of us last time. We followed you anyway. So get used to us being here it going to be where we are for a long time!"
"I never tired to get rid of you!"
"No? Well I got another news flash for you, that's what it felt like from here. Do you have any idea how much those two idiots have been worried about you? No, I don't think you do, and right now I don't think you care either. So let me get my reward off you."
"What is it that you want?" She asked that voice hollow once more.
"Two things. Two answers. And I want the whole truth!"
"You've earned it."
"You're damn right I have, and I have the letter to prove it!" He drew both of the letters she'd written out of his pocket.
"You didn't burn it?" something of Virginia was coming back to her voice. Even just a ghost of it.
"No, I didn't. I needed it to get my pay. Now I'm going to collect. First thing. Was it worth it? Whatever you asked that man was it worth all the pain you suffered? All the pain and worry you caused us?"
"He included himself in the worrying. Things are looking up!" Gallows said
"Shush." Two voices said.
"Was it worth it? Yes. It was. I got my answers and you got your revenge. Just because I didn't like the answer doesn't mean it wasn't worth it. It was. It broke my heart and my wings but . . . " she stopped and looked up at him. ". . . it was worth it."
"Fine. The second thing I want to know is what was it that you couldn't tell me. Why did you need to find him before you could tell me anything?"
"I. . . I wanted to tell you that . . . that I love you. That you're the only one for me."
"So why didn't you just tell me? Why did you have to talk to him first?"
"I had to ask him two things."
"What?"
"I wanted to ask him if my mother and I meant anything to him."
"And what was his answer?"
"No, we were just his cover, and the finishing touches to his experiment."
"To me? How can you and your mother be the finishing touches to me?"
"He made it so I would love you . . . want you. He made us compatible. He wanted a second generation of you. So none of the things I feel for you are real. They never were and never will be! It's all just part of his experiment!"
"Will you please stop calling me that! And so what? Did the feeling make you happy before he told you that?"
"What difference does that make?"
"Did it!"
"Yes. I was happy being in love with you before I left."
"Then why should it make you sad now? Have you been lying to me the whole time you've known me?"
"No! I would never lie to you guys! You are all my very precious treasure."
"Then why does it bother you that you're an experiment? You've been telling me for so long that, that doesn't matter to you. Why should it matter now? Now when it's so important for it not to?"
"Of course it matters now! I don't want to be another check mark on his clip board. I wanted him to love me because I was his daughter. He didn't give a damn about us. He taught me to shoot so that I'd be a drifter and hopefully I'd meet you!" she stopped to catch her breath. "Beside why would it be important now? Why do you care if I love you or not? Why do you care if it makes me happy or not? You don't care about anything remember. Nothing should be so important that it can't be left behind at a moment notice. That is how you think remember?"
"Yea. Yea your right. It's not important because I'm not crazy about you. And I haven't spent the last 5 years in hell worried about you cause Maya, told us she saw you and you looked like shit. So it is not important that I love you back at all! Because as you keep reminding me, I'm just an experiment! I don't have any real feelings!"
With that he collapsed. His legs wouldn't hold him any more and he fell back onto the bed.
"Jet? Are you all right?"
"No. Not right now. Maybe someday, but not right now."
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean you when I said experiment. I know that it is you, but that not who I think of when I say it. I think of the person you were when we first met you. Cold and uncaring. I really didn't mean to hurt you like this Jet . . . Jet?"
"Yea?"
"Are you feeling okay?"
"Nah I feel kinda drained. Like my body is shutting off."
"Do you really love me?"
"I just said so didn't I? I refuse to say it again. I haven't gotten that soft!"
"It doesn't bother you that it's not real?"
"Oh, it's real little girl. If you had spent the past five years being me, you'd know it's real. I don't believe that he has any power over hearts Virginia. Bodies maybe. I might buy that he could make me want you, but so what? He fucked with the rest of my life, why should it bother me that he thought he should play with this part too? Besides, he made a good choice. I wouldn't rather have anyone else. Will you come and sit over here where I can see you?"
She sat down on the bed next to him. Slowly so as not to jostle him.
"I'm so sorry. I promised to give you good memories and instead gave you a whole slew of bad ones. I'm such a horrible person."
"No, you're not. You're just a person. And that's not a bad thing. People make mistakes. That's how the planet got to be like this. Living is trail and error. So keep your promise now." He said pushing himself up on his elbows so her was near her face.
"Huh?"
He smiled and leaned in and kissed her. Sealing her mouth with his. A jolt went though him. And he slowly slid hi hand up her side to she just how much bigger she had gotten while she'd been gone.
"Jet . . . " his name escaped her mouth as a moan.
"Marry me?" he said as he pinched her nipple.
"Ahh, god that feels good."
"So will you?"
"I'll give you my answer later. When you make this warm feeling go away."
He smiled and got down to a job he'd been looking forward to for five years.
Awhile later, outside in the middle of the village, her scream of yes could be heard echoing through, the town. Three pairs of lips smiled at each other.
Jet looked down at the girl starting to drift off in his arms. He pushed her hair out of her face and just looked at her.
"You so very beautiful Virginia." He said.
"And you are very good at that." She said with a blush.
"I want you to remember that when Gallows tried to kill me later."
"I won't let him. You're mine now."
"That's right you said yes."
"So I did. Oh well too late to back out now." She watched and he actually smiled.
"Is it? Oh well. Then can I interest you in a repeat performance?"
"Anytime."
"I will have to tell you I was thinking of setting up shop here. A place to rest our wings. Like Clive has."
"Now I know I must be dreaming."
"Why?"
"Because Jet Enduro would never have thought anything like that!"
"Jet Enduro the experiment isn't. Jet Enduro soon to be married man and drifter is saying it."
"Then will you let him now I think it's a wonderful idea?"
"Are you sure you don't mind?"
"So long as I can be with you."
"Always."
ENDendENDendENDendENDendENDendENDendENDendENDendENDendENDendENDend
k, sorry this is the first time I have ever writing a fic for a game but it was just stuck in my head. And I am a firm believer in people can change if they want to. So yes I think if Jet loved her he would be more open with her.
I hope you like it. Thank you for reading. Please R&R
Ja ne
Kat