Silence ate away at the air as they passed over the bridge into Watson. Cera rolled down her window, spitting out a wad of blood that coagulated in her throat. Rain in Night City was her favorite. Lights blurred together and reminded her of a watercolor painting that someone left out in the rain. Color mixing together, distorting the original image as they blended into something new. "She took a liking to you." She spoke up, breaking the tension in the car.

Jackie smirked, shaking his head. He looked over at V who was casually smoking his cigarette. "The devotion I showed grabbed her by the gut." his voice was still animated, which broke V out of his silence.

"See, you can be nice." A devilish smirk and a wink took Jackie by surprise.

"When am I not nice?" He questioned his accuser. In his mind, Jackie was one of the kindest people you'd be lucky to meet. Though behind those gentle green eyes, was a damn good man you just don't cross. Cera had seen the mean side of Jackie before, she doubted by V's comment that he had ever seen Jackie that way. She certainly wasn't keen for seeing it again.

"Like, always." V joked, looking back to see Cera shake her head with a smile.

"I'm always never not nice!" Jackie shook his head. Pelotas on this fucker! To say he wasn't ever nice! He glared at V who only returned the look.

"Speaking of devotion, does Misty know?"

Swallowing hard, Jackie nodded. "Yeah." And that was all that was said. The rest of the car ride to V's apartment was in complete silence. The building was larger than Cera expected as they pulled into the parking garage. V got out and waved goodbye to Jackie, giving Cera a salute before he entered the elevator to his apartment. Jackie looked back at her, "Are you alright?"

Cera smiled through the increasing pain. Now it felt like her cyberware was going to melt into her flesh. Her throat was scorching to the touch, but the last thing she wanted for Jackie was to fawn over her. As she thought before, she wasn't surprised that Jackie was seeing someone. That didn't mean it didn't hurt any less. But there was some solace in knowing it was Misty. The Heywood girl was always out there, but she was kind. They grew up together. She was glad it was someone she knew. "Misty Olszewski. Good choice." She was genuinely happy for Jackie and did not expect the glare he gave her as they turned the corner.

Abruptly, Jackie slammed the car into park and turned fully around so he and Cera were face to face, "Tu sabes mejor. If you had stayed, it wouldn't have happened."

Cera sneered at the comment. She lifted her right hand from the cyberware on her throat and showed it to Jackie. It was sticky bright crimson and brown with fresh and old blood, "No hay necesidad de ser tan desagradable conmigo. If I live through this, you can bitch about it later." Jackie glanced down at the blood on her hand only to see it running down the sides of her cyberware once more.

"¡Mierda!" he swore to himself, moving quickly from the drivers seat to yanking the back door open. Reaching in, he pulled Cera out only to have her slump to the ground. "Not like this," he whispered. Sure, he was angry with her. He wanted answers. Answers as to why she left ten years ago. But he didn't want to lose her! He sure as fuck didn't want her dying in his arms on tonight of all nights. Jackie lifted her into his arms; cradling most of her weight on his right forearm while he applied pressure to her throat with his left hand.

The Esoterica had been closed for hours and he knew that Misty was back home in Heywood waiting for him. He would have to call her later with why he didn't show up for their date. A date with Misty seemed a fleeting dream at this point as Jackie kicked in the side gate that led down into Vik's clinic. "Vik!" he shouted, yanking the metal chain doors open. Vik was standing in the far left corner of his clinic practicing with the punching back when he turned to the sound of Jackie's shout. "Por favor, ayúdame. Vik, she's bleeding all over the place. Soy un hombre tan tonto. " The last part was no more than a whisper to her as Vik round the corner. Jackie laid her down on the ripper chair, stepping around the back so when Cera looked up his face was upside down. His hand was still applying pressure gently to her throat.

Cera coughed up another wad of blood that pooled around the corners of her mouth. Adrenaline spiked in her system, she was drowning in it now. Reaching up, she touched the side of Jackie's cheek. Her thumb brushing back and forth over his cyberware. "No digas eso de ti. Estás lejos de ser tonta, mi amor". she whispered. Her throat was on fire, her cyberware overheating.

Vik rushed to her side, "Let me take a look." Looking down, Vik could see cut marks along the sides of her throat rounding to the back of her neck.

"I found her hiding behind a wall in the scav den." Jackie explained. He took a deep breath in an attempt to keep his composure. He had sworn himself and his ever lasting devotion to this woman. He wasn't going to let anything happen to her.

"Looks like they tried to remove her cyberware and nicked her jugular." The old ripperdoc grunted. Grabbing the anesthetic, he smiled at the girl. "Lights out sweetheart. No worries you're in good hands." Vik spoke to her. She nodded and dropped her hand from Jackie's face. The injection was quick, she slowly closed her eyes and Vik looked at Jackie. "Jackie, I need you to let go so I can work on her." But the words seemed to evade him. He looked as if he were miles away. "Jack," Vik continued, reaching out and laying a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I got her. She'll be okay."

Only then did Jackie release his hand from her throat. He silently nodded and stepped away from the chair. But he didn't leave the room. Jackie sat on Vik's couch in the adjacent room. His mind raced, holding up the gold cross that hung around his neck in both of his hands. Silently he said a prayer. Cera did something for him that no other woman could ever do, no other woman could ever replicate. She calmed his storm all while alighting his soul. Hours passed and his stomach growled with hunger. Jackie's left leg shook with anticipation. He needed to know that she was okay. Even if she walked away tomorrow, even if she got up and left Night City this very second, he needed to know she was going to be okay. The crinkling sound of a chip bag caught his attention. He looked up and saw Vik handing him the bag. Jackie nodded and took the bag. He was ravished.

"So who's the girl?' Vik asked. He had every right to ask. After Vik saw the way Cera touched his face, it was more than evident that they were close.

"Remember when I told you a few years back that I was married once?" Jackie asked Viktor who took a seat beside him. Stretching his legs out, Vik continued to wipe the excess blood off his hands with a rag.

"Said you thought she was dead." Vik commented, running a hand over his black hair.

Jackie let out a half sigh, half heartbroken chuckle, "That still didn't stop me from reaching out to her cousin every year for the past ten years. See if he heard anything." Crumpling the chip bag between his large hands, Jackie stood, tossing it in the trash can. "And tonight of all nights. After all these years, I find her hiding in a scav hole."

Vik rolled his neck side to side, cracking it before he stood. "You saved her life, Jack. Any moment longer and she would be dead."

Spanish to English Translations:

Pelotas - The balls

Tu sabes mejor - You know better

No hay neceside de ser tan desagradable comigo - No need to be so nasty to me

Mierda - Shit

Por favor, ayudame - Please, help me

Soy un hombre tan tonto - I'm such a foolish man

No digas eso deti. Estas lejos de ser tonta, mi amor -Don't say that about yourself. You're far from foolish, my love.