The place was busy, loud, and so dark that it was hard to see the faces of anyone in there.
The only significant source of light came from a towering display behind the bar, a labyrinth of liquor bottles uplit in neon lighting, its shelves automated to shift if someone ordered something out of reach.
Mostly, the display remained still, the bar's clientele happy to stick to the same available comforts: a sure-bet Highland whisky, a searing Alpha Centauri saké, or more often, a pint of Wey-Yu, brewed right there on Gateway, always on tap.
As Hudson walked through the bar, he was reminded of the place he met Louise, his late fiancé, more than five years back. That same smell of stale beer and sticky tabletops, musty and sweet.
Carmen sat at the bar, neon blue light reflected against her face as Hudson moved in next to her and leaned into the counter. "I guess absence really does make the heart grow fonder." He batted his eyelashes at her.
"What do you want?" Carmen groaned, sipping her drink, ice clinking in the glass.
"What d'you think? I came looking for you when you never showed."
"She tell you to come find me?"
"No, she doesn't know I'm here." When Carmen stayed silent, he continued. "She waited for you all day, you know."
"So now you want me talkin' to her? Make up your freakin' mind, man." Carmen shook her glass in the direction of the bartender. "Yeah, can I get another?"
"You said you'd come by today."
"Well, I didn't exactly receive a warm and fuzzy welcome from you guys yesterday."
"I'm sorry, alright?" Hudson was sincere, and when she didn't respond, he put his hand on her shoulder. "Hey," he said, and she reluctantly looked at his face, those same dark eyes as Vasquez. "I'm sorry, Carmen. Your sister means a lot to me. I knew seeing you would be hard for her."
Carmen shrugged out from under Hudson's hand. She quietly thanked the bartender for replacing her glass with one that held a double shot of amber liquid on the rocks.
"For yourself?" the bartender asked Hudson, and he considered the offer only briefly before holding up a hand and shaking his head.
"I wanted to see her today," said Carmen softly. "I almost made it to your room. Twice. But then I came here instead." She gave a small laugh, but the smile faded quickly from her face and there was only pain present. She took a delicate sip of her drink and Hudson watched her, surprised at the understanding he felt. He, too, knew the fear of Vasquez's rejection.
Hudson spoke gently. "If you went to see her today, she wouldn't have pushed you away. I know Vaz can be a bit brash at times, but it's just because she's protecting herself. She wanted to see you today. She misses you."
Carmen's eyes looked sad and she went quiet. It was only then that Hudson noted a vulnerability in her expression that he hadn't yet seen. It was the first time it really felt like he was talking to Vasquez's little sister, the young girl subjected to the horrors of gang-related violence at too young an age, forced to flee and live an illegal life of refuge before the Corps reluctantly took her in.
"When was the last time you ate?" he asked.
Carmen looked puzzled. "Um. I had a Bloody Mary with some olives in it."
Hudson laughed. "Okay, when was the last time you ate something not soaked in alcohol? Come on, man, I'm taking you home for dinner."
"I don't think I…"
But Hudson had already flagged down the bartender and asked him to close out Carmen's tab and she gave a reluctant sigh and threw back the rest of her drink.
She looked over him with a critical eye. "So, are you her boyfriend, or what?"
"Yeah, something like that," he answered.
She cocked her head. "Hmm."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"What?'
"That noise you made. Hmmm. What was that about?"
"Nothing. You're just… not really who I'd have pictured as my sister's type."
"What the hell—"
But before Hudson could get too annoyed, Carmen interjected, "I mean, I guess I don't know her all that well, so…"
The expression she wore seemed almost apologetic, traces of insecurity visible on her youthful face. He decided to give her a pass.
"You know, you and Vaz are way more similar than you think," he told her.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. You both really know how to give me shit."
.
As they approached the room, Carmen looked pale. "Ah man, I shouldn't be here right now," she lamented. "I drank too much."
"You're fine. Don't stress." Hudson gave her a pat on the back for encouragement and she stumbled forward a bit. He opened the door.
When he entered, Vasquez was in the kitchen looking flustered.
"Aw babe, look at you cookin' up a storm!" Hudson grinned, enjoying how cute and frazzled she looked when she was out of her comfort zone, her eyes wide and face flushed from the heat of something cooking over the stove.
"Can't cook my way out of a paper bag! It's a fucking disast—" Vasquez looked up and saw Carmen there, standing sheepishly behind Hudson. She fell silent.
"Oh yeah, and look who I found!" Hudson moved into the kitchen behind Vasquez and turned down the heat on the stove so Vasquez could shift her attention away from the pot of swollen, overcooked pasta and the skillet of blackened garlic. "Perfect timing, huh? To try some of your… uh… cooking."
"Hey sis," Carmen greeted her in a small voice. She shifted her weight nervously. "Sorry for being a no-show today. Guess I kinda chickened out… Thought if I showed up, you'd just tell me to fuck off."
Vasquez had already begun moving towards her sister on her crutch. "You little pup." She swiftly pulled her younger sister into a hug. "I thought you left."
Hudson looked down at the stove, feeling emotion prickle in his sinuses.
"I'm sorry, nena." Vasquez's voice was muffled by Carmen's shoulder. "Let's start over. Let's make things right."
.
Carmen stayed for several hours. As Hudson made dinner for the three of them, taking over Vasquez's attempt at pasta, the two sisters sat on the bed and talked through their troubles, filling in the missing pieces of their past.
"For so many years, I thought you were dead," Carmen shared. "I heard the two gunshots as I ran. I looked back, and you had fallen to the ground. I thought for sure you were gone. It wasn't until three or four years later, when I thought they had given up lookin' for me, that I finally called home. And when no one answered, I got in touch with Aunt Camilla. She told me that mom died… and that you were alive and had joined the Corps."
"I'm sorry you had to find out about our mother like that," Vasquez said sadly. "I'm sorry you had to lose her that way." Her voice was thick, filled with regret.
"We both did." Carmen placed a comforting hand on her sister's arm. "It was her choice, Jen. It wasn't your fault."
It was almost midnight when the sisters hugged and agreed to meet again the next day, Carmen looking tired but content as she once again departed the small apartment.
In Carmen's absence, Vasquez exhaled a lungful of air and Hudson pulled her into his arms. Although he could almost feel the emotion of the moment seeping through her and into their embrace, Vasquez remained silent.
"What are you thinkin' about?" he asked.
The events of the night felt like the culminating moment of many points of hurt, a pivotal step in the healing of an open wound, not just for Vasquez, but for their relationship as well. More than ever, he wanted her to say what was on her mind. Still, he held his breath.
"Just that you always do that," Vasquez uttered.
"Do what?" he asked.
"Every time I accept that my life is just going to be shit, you find a way to come in and make it right." Vasquez sighed again; a slow release of tension, her voice soft. "You brought her back to me."
.
In the busy waiting room of the Biomechanics ward, Hudson sat in an uncomfortable chair across from Vasquez and Carmen.
Vasquez's doctor must have taken note of her progress after all because early that morning, she received a notification of an appointment with the synthetic enhancement specialist. The consultation would be the first step in getting her permanent prosthetic limb.
She wore a hint of a smile now as they waited for her name to be called, her face slightly flushed as she chatted with Carmen, hands anxiously fiddling with the zipper of her hooded sweatshirt.
It occurred to Hudson that where he had once found Vasquez so difficult to read, now things felt different. It was as if he was becoming fluent in a foreign language, suddenly able to decode the smallest movements of her body, the subtleties in her expressions.
Her eyes seemed to shine, and Hudson could sense her nervous excitement. He knew she was pleased to begin the process of getting her prosthetic, happy to have Carmen once again in her life. In her expression he could see her relief. He felt it too. After everything they had gone through, things were starting to look up.
"Well, I feel like a third wheel," Carmen said loudly, watching him. "The way this guy looks at you, Jen! Seriously!"
Hudson gave an embarrassed laugh. "Come on."
"He, like, gazes at you, Chica." Carmen continued, nudging her sister teasingly and Vasquez just stared back at Hudson in amusement.
"Whatever! Screw you!" Hudson kicked at Carmen's feet across from him and she smiled deviously as she kicked back, evidently pleased to have evoked such a reaction from him.
"Jenette Vasquez!" called an automated voice and Vasquez nearly jumped, her face set, quickly gathering her crutch and standing.
"Good luck in there!" sang Carmen. "I'd stay and wait for you, but I have a call with my lieutenant in twenty. They're gonna decide what to do with me."
"They're gonna kick your ass outta the corps," goaded Hudson.
"You wish," shot back Carmen. "Sarge thinks it'll be a slap on the wrist, and they'll count it as personal leave."
"Hope so," replied Vasquez. "It's my fault you're even here."
Carmen shook her head in disapproval, "Hey, remember what we talked about last night? You need to stop feeling guilt for all these things you've had no control over! Now. Get in there and go get yourself the best damn leg the Company will shell out for!"
A smirk came to Vasquez's lips, and she smacked her sister's hand appreciatively. "Hell yeah."
She turned to Hudson, and he leaned in to give her a peck on the cheek. "I'll be right here waiting for you," he said.
Carmen held her hand to her heart in an animated fashion. "Awww!"
.
He had been in the waiting room for nearly an hour, on the verge of dozing off when a voice startled him.
"Can I assist you with something, sir?"
Hudson looked up, disbelieving as he saw the familiar face of someone he did not expect to see.
In front of him stood the lean, dark-haired artificial person who had been a part of the Sulaco crew for as long as he had, the face Hudson knew well, wide eyes looking down inquisitively.
"Oh, Bishop!" Hudson exclaimed, getting to his feet, grinning widely at the sight of his former teammate in one piece, repaired after his disastrous alien encounter in the hangar of the Sulaco just weeks earlier.
He stopped himself before giving the android a hug, his grin fading as recognition failed to cross Bishop's pale face. Disappointment set in as he remembered that Bishop was one of the Hyperdyne System models, and there were many others that shared his likeness.
"Wait, are you, like, Bishop Bishop? I mean, are you the Bishop from the Sulaco?"
"I am. I served as Executive Officer aboard the Sulaco from 2174 to present year," replied Bishop, but his eyes still lacked any trace of recognition.
"Aw man." Hudson's heart sank. "You don't remember me, do you? It's me, Hudson, man!"
"I am pleased to meet you, Hudson Man," said Bishop stiffly and he reached out his hand as a greeting.
Hudson accepted the android's hand sadly. Until that point, he hadn't considered Bishop to be a casualty of the crew. While he knew his friend would need drastic repairs, he hadn't expected his memory to be wiped and personality altered as a result.
But as Hudson shook the robotic hand, he felt the grip on his hand tighten and the android pulled Hudson closer.
"Gotcha," said Bishop quietly and a smile appeared on his face, his features coming to life and Hudson realized with relief that he had been fooled.
"Are you serious, man?!" He stood in shock.
"I really got you good, Hudson," Bishop said, seeming a bit out of place in his delivery of the words.
Hudson gave a hoot of laughter and triumphantly slapped a hand on the android's back. "Hah ha! Holy shit! Bishop!"
Bishop looked happy, although his eyes shifted around the room to take in a few people who were staring. "Gee, I've only just been rebooted, let's hope they don't dial down my personality circuitry for causing mischief."
"If they do, I'll have something to say about it! It's so good to see ya, man!"
"It's good to see you, Hudson," replied Bishop. "I heard you were here on Gateway, working as a security officer. I would have tracked you down, but unfortunately, I haven't yet been cleared to leave the Biomechanics ward. How are you?"
"Good! I'm good, man. How are you? Last I saw you, could barely make heads or tails of ya!"
Bishop laughed. "They had their work cut out for them, stitching me back together. Alas, here I am! I'm under observation here as they fine-tune my systems. And I'm sure I've just provided them with plenty to report." They laughed. "But I hardly expected to see you here."
"I'm waiting for Vasquez. She's getting fitted for a prosthetic."
"Oh." Bishop looked regretful. "I'm sorry to hear that. I was hoping that her burns wouldn't require any serious interventions."
"Yeah." Hudson sank back down into the waiting room chair and Bishop politely followed suit, sitting upright in the seat beside him. "But she's been doing better lately. She's so strong. You know."
Bishop nodded. "Well, I'm sure she will do well with a prosthesis. The synthetic advancements of today are really quite something—if I may say so." A glint came to the android's eye. "It's exceptionally good to see that you both came together in the end."
Hudson laughed. "What makes you think we're together?"
Bishop wasn't easy to deceive. "The way you mentioned her just now… your expression. It seems to me that something has changed."
"Yeah, well, you're right. We kinda got together when we got here. I mean, at first, maybe it was because we both survived, but now…" He shook his head and gave a laugh. "Just hope she doesn't lose interest in me."
Bishop gave a reassuring smile. "I highly doubt that would be the case. Considering how long she's had feelings for you, it seems unlikely she would just stop…" Bishop trailed off as he looked back at Hudson, clearly reading his surprise. "Were you not aware of that?"
Hudson stared at Bishop. "Hell no! How long?"
"Of course, I could be wrong."
"Bishop!"
"Two or more years, I'd say."
"What made you think that? How could you tell?"
"I'm sure Vasquez wouldn't appreciate me saying these things."
"Come on, man, just between us!"
Bishop swayed his head, emulating a human gesture of indecision, although Hudson was certain whatever he was about to say had already been decided upon. "I suppose I noticed during the reconnaissance mission, Gliese 667Cc. When she visited you in the medical bay. It wasn't too different from what I saw in your expression just now—something had changed."
"Really? Huh." Hudson considered the information. He remembered a couple years back when Vasquez came to see him as he was recovering after being gunned down during a special ops mission.
Bishop laughed. "But listen to me talking like this! I've said too much. It seems my lack of interactions lately has given me a penchant for gossip! The important thing is that you're both happy… Or at least, moving forward after everything that's happened."
"Yeah," agreed Hudson. "It's been hard, but I think we've been helping each other."
"I'm glad. You both have been through a lot. I'm sure Vasquez is thankful to have you here while she recovers." Bishop's attention focused on something behind Hudson. "Speaking of which..."
Hudson turned and saw Vasquez, looking calculated as she carefully made her way through the doorway into the waiting room. She moved with the aid of one of her crutches, but more slowly than usual, as if concentrating on each step. It was only when Hudson stood up that he noticed what was different: a metal, mechanised prosthetic was extending her right leg. He smiled in her direction, moving swiftly to greet her.
"Wow, Vasquez! Look who's got a shiny new robot leg!" Hudson went to put an arm around her for support, but Vasquez held up a hand so he would wait. Pausing in place, he watched as Vasquez took her weight off of the crutch and made one slight forward movement, bending her knee and lifting the new limb, placing it sturdily in front of her in one small, unassisted step.
"No way!" He could barely contain his excitement, ginning widely as Vasquez looked up at him with pride. "And here they were sayin' it was going to take a month to get to this point!"
Vasquez was smiling back at him. "I know. They were just going to do an assessment today, but they thought I was already in good enough shape to try—I mean, this one is just temporary until I get the permanent one—and I'll need to start physio right away—but I'm pretty damn happy with this thing for the time being." She gave the new leg a little shake as she looked it over, seeming pleased at the sight of it. "It's not too bad, is it?"
"It's amazing. You're amazing." He beamed down at her, his hands on her strong shoulders, the skin beneath her sweatshirt warm from the effort it had taken to accomplish the few limited motions. Though modest in distance, those movements were anything but minor; they represented huge strides forward in her recovery. To be standing in front of him now, on two feet after such a short recovery time, he knew, was almost unprecedented for the average patient.
But Vasquez was not average. And she was anything but patient.
Her face glowed, rosy with a look of exhilaration that he remembered from better days; the look she would get after kicking his ass in shooting practice or one-upping one of their squad in chin-ups. It warmed his heart to see her experiencing a moment of joy. A small win after so many losses.
The trauma of the past weeks was all but erased from her face. A renewed energy radiated through her, vibrant in her eyes, affirmed by her smile. And although he knew her joy was genuine, the smile faltered slightly, as if wary of leaving it on her face for too long, self-conscious of her happiness, unaware of her own quiet elegance.
In that moment, Hudson knew definitively that he loved her.
The thought hit him like the crack of a whip and, inexplicably, he trusted it to be true: that he, William Hudson, was in love with Jenette Vasquez and, fuck yeah, he felt good about it.
"Vaz, I, uh," he began, but he knew he couldn't tell her. He shrugged, "I'm just so proud of you."
The smile reappeared on her face but changed again as she glanced past his shoulder and caught sight of their revived teammate.
"Whoa! Bishop, qué tal, my man!?"
Bishop approached, happily extending a hand so Vasquez could slap it enthusiastically.
"It's good to see you, Vasquez," he replied naturally.
"Great to see you in one piece!"
"Well, I should say the same to you. I understand you've faced some difficulties since I last saw you, but by the looks of it, you seem to be overcoming them well," said Bishop.
"Thanks, man." She suddenly looked a bit regretful. "Hope you'll forgive my last words to you on the dropship. Not sure if you remember, but you were right."
"I'm glad that I was," Bishop replied with his usual tranquility. "And of course, Vasquez, there is nothing to forgive."
"Uh yeah, I owe you one too, man." Hudson chimed in. He wasn't sure of the exchange Vasquez had shared with Bishop, but he also carried guilt for the last things he had said to the android in the Operations building of Hadley's Hope. "Sorry for freaking out and kinda throwing your ass under the bus with the whole remote pilot thing… You really saved our butts out there."
Bishop smiled good-humoredly. "I appreciate that. And you're right, I believe I did." He held up a tenuous fist and Hudson bumped it with glee.
"Look at us, all reunited and pieced back together again! Group hug, guys!" Hudson extended his arms, ushering the others closer.
"Not happening, pendejo."
"I second Vasquez… respectfully."
.
The corridor was busy midday, but he walked briskly with two coffees, one balanced atop the other, feeling optimistic enough to risk calamity as he made his way to the medical wing.
Just two weeks earlier, he and Vasquez had walked that same hallway, silent as they both mentally prepared for her surgery. With Hicks, Ripley and Newt gone, and the death of his teammates so fresh in his mind, Hudson remembered sitting alone in the waiting room, and then by Vasquez's bedside, sick with worry.
But in the weeks that had followed that, Gateway Station had ceased to be the cold and lonely place it had once been for him. He and Vasquez made it through another difficult hurdle and had grown closer as a result. He found meaningful work in a position where he was warmly accepted by Ray and the small team of security officers that he now considered friends. Bishop had been revived and they made a pact to visit frequently before the android was reassigned. He even felt as though Carmen had a place in his new social circle as a kind of pseudo-family member.
And Trudy, the caring nurse that appeared like an angel, had been the first to venture into his solitary world, providing a motherly kindness at a time when he had never felt more alone.
He met her outside of the entrance to the hospital, and they casually chatted, sipping the coffee that had survived transport, and he was happy that they had finally been able to coordinate a visit.
"Thanks for visiting this old gal at work!" Trudy's face exuded its usual warmth but was not without a hint of tiredness.
"Glad I could catch you today!" said Hudson. "Came by a couple days ago and they said you were off."
"I took a quick trip back to Atlanta for a few days. To visit my boys!" She held up her work tablet and opened a cache of photos. She scrolled through them so he could see. A photo of two young boys, all smiles, behind a cake with five candles; a candid of a woman he presumed to be their mother, serving cake to already messy faces; two boys locked in a hug with their loving grandmother Trudy; and a posed frame that contained the three generations.
"Nice! Must have been good to see them. And William!" Hudson added, remembering her son who shared his name.
Immediately, a flicker of pain crossed the woman's face, and he knew he had made an error. It occurred to him that a father figure had not appeared in any of the photos.
It was then that he realized what it was about Trudy that reminded him so much of Valerie Carlisle, Louise's mother: A woman who had lost a child. Someone traveling through a world of darkness and still always putting others first.
"Aw, man… I'm sorry."
The nurse wore a sad smile that confirmed his assumption. "Yeah. Thank you. It never does get easier, losing your baby. Doesn't matter what age."
"How long has it been?'
"Four years this past Tuesday. Can you believe—a day before his youngest turned one! So, I usually go home around this time to be with the kids and their mom." She looked back at Hudson. "He just went down a rough path and… like so many others these days, it was an overdose that took him."
Hudson sighed. "Shit," he said. "You know, if you ever want to talk about it…"
"That's sweet, honey, but I don't want to burden you with my troubles.'
"Why?" replied Hudson, "I burdened you with all of mine! Remember what you told me about talking… and listening? Anyway, I'm here for both of those!" He looked at the floor. "Plus… I have some personal experience with, uh, losing someone that way, so."
The woman nodded slowly in appreciation. "Thank you, dear. Well, I just might take you up on that, then. Jenette wouldn't mind if you took these old bones out sometime?"
"I think she'd be happy to get rid of me for a while." A thought came to him. "That reminds me! There's actually one more thing that I could use your advice on."
A voice yelled Hudson's name, and he looked up to see Ray, walking staunchly over to them in his uniform, looking roguish and ready to instigate trouble, most likely out of boredom.
"Shouldn't you be on patrol somewhere, kid?"
"Stop bustin' my balls, Ray, it's my day off!"
"I wouldn't have given you the day off if I knew you'd just be chatting up the nurses." He tipped an imaginary hat to Trudy, and it became clear to Hudson that Ray had not come over to talk to him. "I don't believe we've had the honor of meeting," he said to Trudy, "I'm Ray, head of security in this wing. You must be new here."
"We've met," replied Trudy. "Several times. It's not a large enough station."
Ray continued, unabashed. "Have we? Maybe I could buy you a drink and you could refresh my memory."
Hudson shook his head, "Smooth, boss."
"Quiet, you." Ray inched closer to Trudy. "You know, I hold a master key to this station, can get you in any place you'd want to go!"
"Is he bothering you, Trudy? I could call security and have him removed… oh wait!"
Ray put up two fists and pretended to take a jab at Hudson.
"I've been living here for how long, and suddenly today everyone wants to take me out!" Trudy laughed. "You know, I might be free this weekend," she said to Ray and his thick gray eyebrows raised. It seemed he hadn't expected her to agree.
Hudson watched as the two interacted, Trudy with her warm smile and genteel, old country Georgia charm; and Ray, the ex-marine only ever fueled by two hour's rest, portly, weatherworn and a bit crass. It occurred to Hudson that despite first impressions, they weren't too dissimilar, both social butterflies in their own right, perpetually in service to others as they worked long hours aboard the station, expecting little in return.
Happily, he imagined a scenario in which he had helped play a role in bringing the two together—if it was a match meant to be. At that moment, he hoped it would be.
"I'm sorry honey, you were saying you needed help with something?" Trudy asked Hudson.
"Yeah," he replied. He was thinking of Vasquez, how lucky he was to have her in his life and the beginning of a plan was starting to form in his mind. "There's been something I've been meaning to do. I'd love to hear what you think..." He paused in consideration. "And Ray, there's something I could use your help with too."