David sighed, tapping his foot impatiently.
When Jackie told him they would be working with a nomad, he expected a little more shooting, wild races across desolate deserts.
He hadn't been expecting so much... waiting...

"When's this guy meant to show up, anyway?" David groaned, leaning back in the plastic lawn chair Jackie had set up.

"Chill, chico." Jackie grinned, "the Badlands are a wild place, not surprised he's runnin' a little late."

David sighed again. He shifted slightly in the chair, making sure his prized jacket was still folded neatly on his lap. This sweltering heat definitely was not jacket weather.
With nothing else to do, David decided to message his favorite person.

D.M: Hey, you free?

L.K: for you? always ;)

D.M: Great, because I'm boooored.

L.K: thought u were on that job with jackie?

D.M: Dude we're meeting is running late

D.M: Honestly, think he's a no show.

L.K: :(

D.M: BTW, what was up with you yesterday? Didn't figure you'd want to go poking around the head of another 'Saka member so soon.

L.K: ah

L.K: kinda hoped u forgot

D.M: I didn't

L.K: ...

D.M: Hey, talk to me. Please? Don't shut me out.

L.K: ok

L.K: i was keeping an eye on her vitals

L.K: but also tried to see if i could poke around 'Saka files b4 the system kicked me out

L.K: i want to know if they had any backups on u

D.M: Oh

L.K: or if they were trying to recover the data i shredded.

D.M: Did you find anything?

L.K: no

L.K: system locked out valeries deets b4 i had a chance to do any digging

D.M: Damn, Arasaka really is thorough huh...

L.K: sorry... :(

D.M: Don't be :)

D.M: We'll figure it out. Does Kiwi know?

L.K: yep yep

L.K: told her day after we met vik.

L.K: said she would keep an eye out

L.K: but no promises

L.K: and for me to stay on my toes

L.K: cant trust anyone in blah blah blah...

David chuckled, his cagey netrunner dropped her cold, stoic demeanor only through text.
Well... and when we're alone. He thought with a smile cheeks heating up slightly.

"Hey, think that's our guy." Jackie tapped David on the shoulder.
A beat up car was pulling up to their little rest stop, inside was a man who looked like he split the difference in age between David and Jackie.

David stood, typing finishing up his conversation with Lucy.
"Take it you two are my NC contacts?" the new man said, slamming the door on his beat up Galena.

"That's us." Jackie nodded, "Name's Jackie."

"David."

"A pleasure." the man said, running a hand through his short cropped black hair. "Name's V. This shitbucket used to be the Rattler, now it's just junk."

"Alright V, " Jackie stretched his arms, standing from his chair. "You got the package?"

"It's in the trunk, gimme two and I'll move it to your car."

"All right!" David hopped in place expectantly. "Finally, some action!"

David sighed, sprawled out in the back seat of the car provided by their Fixer contact.
More waiting.
They inched forward, the car at the very front of the line was let through the border.
"So, V." Jackie said, "Got biz in NC?"

"What's it to ya?" V asked.

"Figured it must be pretty important for you to take a smaller cut than us."

"Yeah well... Needed a fresh start, I guess" V sighed, "My clan, we... we disbanded. Figured I'd try and reconnect with my sister. Haven't spoken in... well... a really long time..."

"So it's family, then." David said, if he had to be bored, he may as well participate in conversation.

"Makes sense." Jackie said, "I'd probably do the same for my 'ma."

"Yeah, for Lucy I'd... I'd do a whole lot." David said, grinning stupidly to himself.

"Mm." V hummed, "Family is important, 'specially for us Nomads. Can't really bring myself to follow what's left of my clan to Snake Nation though... so I guess blood family's as good as any."

"What's her name?" Jackie asked.

"Valerie." V stated, David sat upright, looking at Jackie, the older man did the same through the rear view mirror.

"You're shittin' me." David burst out, Jackie roared with laughter.

"What?" V asked, startled, "What's so funny?"

"Holmes, your sis and I are old drinking buddies." Jackie said, stifling his laughter best he could.

"Really?!" V asked, eyes wide, "How is she?"

"Doin' okay, I think." Jackie drummed his fingers against the steering wheel. "She got cut off from her corpo job."

"More like the corp screwed her over one last time." David scoffed.

"She'll be happy to see you, 'least I think." Jackie said, "My 'ma's offered her a place to stay for now, dunno if we have room for you to bunk with us though."

David tapped his chin.
"Could crash at my place, at least for a little while."

"Shit, gonna be crowded with your output around, no?" Jackie chuckled.

"Nah, we have separate apartments." David said, "Got enough room for one more."

"Appreciate it." V said, nodding curtly.

"Back up." Jackie looked at David again, "You're not livin' with Lucy?"

"No" David said, feeling oddly scrutinized. "Why? that's not a weird thing."

"Por los clavos de Cristo" Jackie chuckled, "You're one blind kid, you know that?"

"I don't want to impose on her." David murmured, feeling a little put out. "Don't want to ask too much. That's all."

"Chico." Jackie said, face serious. "Ask her, I bet you a hundred eddies she really wants to."

They continued inching forward in silence. David had a lot on his mind.
Eventually they reached the front of the line. A border patrol guard, maybe in his 40s, approached the window.
"What, we ain't doin' this in an office?" Jackie asked.

"Not at the moment." the man droned, "Mind if we open up the boot?"

David saw V tense up, Jackie stammered, trying to find an explanation, something that would throw them off the contraband they were carrying.
Calm. David took a deep breath, feeling almost like the world was slowing around him. Think...

"Ah. Come on, officer. I dunno if that's necessary" Jackie said with a nervous chuckle.

"You can," David interrupted, "Dunno if you'd want to though."

"What do you mean by that?" the guard narrowed his eyes at David.

"Me and my uncle were pickin' up my big bro here," David said, patting V on the shoulder. "He works for Biotechnica, waste disposal."
V and Jackie shared a look, immediately jumping to corroborate David's story.

"I swear, if that smell doesn't come out of my car-" Jackie growled.

"Yeah I really don't think it will." V sighed, "We had to move our facilities because of it, that stuff sticks around for weeks."

The guard shared a look with his fellows. All coming to a shared agreement.
"That's enough, move along." he said, waving them through.

"Much obliged, officer." Jackie grinned.

"Quick thinking, kid." V said with a smile.

"Yeah, well..." David breathed out, relieved. "Fast is kind of my thing."

A/N:
So, little backstory. This is an ongoing work I've been writing for a little while over on AO3, figured I'd cross post over here as well for the hell of it. I will say I do feel like the older chapters (Ie, these) are significantly lower in quality than my later stuff (not to say that my current shit is any better e_e) but I hope people don't find them... too awful.