Siren Song

by MizuToriFFN

Three years after her deadly dance with Dogtown and the NUSA, someone V never thought she would see again comes back and begins to ask questions. Questions that V thought, and hoped, she would never have to answer. Unexpectedly, that said someone has some things to reveal herself. Do they speak the truth? Is this the beautiful calls of a songbird? Or is it the song of a siren?

A/N: I had to, I couldn't help it.

When writing this, I was envisioning my V. But, you can imagine your V...if your V was female.

But, if you want to know, my V had pale skin, shoulder-length black hair (Option 12: Messy Medium), the golden cheekbone cyberware, green eyes, and plenty of cheek markings across the center of her face.

Also, sorry if you didn't make an invincible nightmare of a netrunner like I did, but that's what I wrote her as here.

This was a lot of fun. I loved Phantom Liberty, and I loved Songbird. While the Reed ending is more fitting, the Killing Moon felt slightly better to me. Or, at least how I was role-playing V.

Anyway, back to working on AIV 43. Summer Camp time.

_CP:77_

[Three Years After the Events of CP:77]

"Well done as always, V. Payment should be on its way."

"Already see it. Thanks, Rogue," V grunted as she cracked her neck, exiting the elevator to her floor. Thankfully she had moved out of the megatower and found a better place. She was still in Watson, she had to keep an eye on Misty and Vik afterall. But, it was nice to finally have multiple rooms rather than one room, zero kitchen, and beads being the only thing between her and the bathroom.

"I can hear your exhaustion from here. Not that I blame you. Maelstrom could annoy you to death, much less shoot you."

"Tell me about it," V yawned as she reached her door, reaching up to type in her passcode. "But, it's better th-..."

"Hm? V?"

"I gotta go, Rogue. Call you tomorrow."

"V, wha-?"

V hung up before Rogue could start asking questions, her eyes glowing blue as she scanned the keypad next to her door. Someone had hacked it, which she didn't think was possible. At least, not possible without her knowing about it.

She had the best ICE you could get, along with a few of her own modifications added on to it. She was also supposed to get alerted if anyone entered without her biometric signature.

Who the hell was good enough to get through that?

She was in Netwatch's good graces, it couldn't be them. Which, in turn, also meant anyone from the Voodoo Boys was out, since they were…ya know, dead.

…NUSA? Last she heard, Myers was out of office, but surely she still had to be on a list somewhere.

No, couldn't be. They weren't that sloppy. Well, not sloppy enough to leave behind traces of broken code. Whoever was there wanted V to know they were inside.

Well, too bad for them. After everything she had done, why did people even bother anymore? They knew who she was, right?

V opened her door, Johnny's Malorian already in hand. The front foyer seemed untouched. She walked through into the main room, once again finding everything untouched. Balcony windows unbroken, couch pillows still on the couch, her TV was still there, her laptop was on the coffee table where she had left it.

Her wall of Samurai memorabilia remained unscathed, and her armory door was still locked shut. Looking to her left, through the glass walls that separated the main room and the kitchen, everything still looked normal.

So, not a robbery. An assassination then.

She was way too tired for this shit.

"If you know who I am, then you know there's only one way this ends. I really don't wanna clean up a bunch of blood, so I'll give you one chance."

"Trust me, I have no intentions of fighting you." V's pistol shot up in the direction of the hallway on the other end of the main room as footsteps approached. From the shadows of the unlit hallway, someone who she never expected to see again emerged, Nibbles sleeping in her arms. "I'm well aware of what would happen if I tried."

V lowered her pistol, her eyes going wide as she locked eyes with her intruder, "...So Mi?"

"...Hey, V."

V looked her up and down, and she looked the same, but just a tad bit little closer to her Relic projection. She was still chromed out, no doubt about that. But, a decent portion of it looked removed, or at least as far as V could tell from what was visible. The fact that the processor on the back of her head was gone, and that she was fully covered up was a good , no more red eyes either.

Beautiful. The true definition of beautiful.

She wore a denim jacket, but not like the one from her Relic projection, and a netrunner's jumpsuit under black jeans and converse.

Had to be dressing up like that on purpose, right?

"You look…different. Good, I mean. Very good."

So Mi smiled a little, understanding what V meant. "Cynosure worked, but they had to take out a good chunk of my chrome to fully get the Blackwall out. 'Just to be safe' the doctors said. Got some replacement body parts instead, and I don't regret it. Besides, all that chrome made me pretty recognizable, so it was probably smarter to change it. I feel more like me again. All thanks to you. How've you been?"

Nibbles awoke with a sneeze, grumbling at the commotion. So Mi giggled, set her down and watched her saunter over to her cat condo in the corner to continue her catnap.

"I thought all the cats left Night City. Where'd you find her?"

"..."

So Mi fidgeted with her hands as V continued to stare in silence, apparently ignoring her question. She took a few steps forward, "V, I-"

V raised her gun again, halting So Mi in her tracks, "What did you send me from the Moon?"

"Wh-?"

"As far as I know, you're just an agent wearing a Behavioral Imprint Faceplate. Tell me or I blow your head off."

So Mi put her hands down and spoke with full confidence, "A metal pin from Tycho, lunar dust, and a Quantum Tuner. It was delivered to our spot in Dogtown. The balcony tha-"

"Reminded you of Brooklyn," V finished for her, slowly lowering her pistol. "...What are you doing here?"

So Mi sighed, "Not the welcome I wanted, but the one I deserve."

"So Mi…"

"I…I heard you were alive, and I…"

"You were surprised? Yeah, me too."

"No, I…I told you that you would find a way, that you were much stronger than me."

V scoffed, "That doesn't mean jack shit. You were surprised."

"No, V, I-...A little, I suppose. I spent all these years blocking out any info from Night City. I didn't want to know. I wanted to just believe you made it. Like Schordinger's Cat, I guess. But, I finally pulled the trigger, and when I found you I…I was relieved. I was so, so happy. And, I…I wanted to see you."

V was feeling a fuck ton of conflicting emotions at that moment, which unfortunately resulted in her mind just opting for the easy route of irritation. "Who said I wanted to see you?"

"Again, deserved. But…" So Mi nodded, her eyes shifting to the side as she bit her cheek, "That's actually a part of why I'm here. How you're reacting to seeing me again is appropriate, but it doesn't really make sense. Part of why I came here was because I was wondering why I'm even here at all."

"Makes two of us."

"I meant here. Alive." So Mi gazed at V curiously as she formed her question, "...Why'd you save me, V?"

V froze, never expecting to have this conversation again. Having a conversation with Johnny about her feelings was already torture, and she wasn't sure which one of them suffered through it the most. But, Song was the last person she wanted to have it with.

"Biting a gift horse in the mouth, aren't ya?"

"Guess I am, but I can't help it. I never stopped thinking about it. All you did, despite what I had done, I-...I heard that you…I know you liked Reed, an-"

"Don't," V raised her gun up again, just for a moment, a piercing glare in her eyes. She lowered her pistol with a sigh, "Just don't. He wasn't going to let us go. He wanted to help you, but he was too loyal. Myers would've taken you, and…He's one of those kills that'll haunt me 'till death catches me again, but I did what I had to."

"That's just it," Song shook her head, sitting on the back of the couch, "You didn't have to. I betrayed you from the very beginning. I was helpless in your arms, you could've had the cure, but…you saved me. Every day since then, I never stopped wondering why. Just why?

There was no avoiding this, was there? So Mi wasn't going to leave without an answer, so she could at least tell her most of the truth. Telling the full truth would end in disaster.

"I-I…I just…I couldn't…" V clenched her fists, staring absentmindedly at the window. "The thought of you going back to Myers made me sick."

"...That's it? No, V, I don't believe that. You should despise me. I gave you hope to live, led you on, made you risk your life for me, made you an enemy of the God-damn President of the United States, all to sweep the rug out from under you at the very end. You should have been more than happy to turn me in, cut a deal with Reed."

"And yet here you stand. Can't you just be happy that I didn't, and leave it at that?"

"Not really, no," So Mi half-heartedly chuckled, quickly wiping the smile off her face when V remained stoic. "This is exactly what I'm talking about, V. You act like you hate me, but you saved me."

V sighed, contemplating on if she should just kick her out. But, she couldn't. She didn't have it in her, which V knew was probably a bad sign. But, if it would end this, maybe she would tell just a little bit more of the truth.

"You were right. I understood you…I understood you too well. Not just as someone fighting to survive, but as someone who devoted her life to something, all for it to be what gave me a death sentence. I was fighting to be a legend, and at the time, it's what killed me before anyone even knew my name, then proceeded to bring me back and slowly kill me again. But, it was more than that, I…Heh, I…I guess Reed and I had something else in common. Too loyal to people who did nothing but fuck us over."

"V…?"

"I was surrounded by people only out for themselves. Myers only cared about her image, fuck the NUSA, I don't care what she says. Reed cared about you, he really did, but…He wanted to save you for himself. He couldn't fail you again, but he couldn't fail his country either. If you lived, that's all that mattered. Caged or not. Then you, I-...You built me up and cut me down, put me right back at square one like nothing ever even fucking happened. You took advantage of me, someone so desperate and…a-and…and so fucking scared that I wouldn't wake up the next time I slept. Scared that my corpse would be an old rockerboy's puppet, and I'd never even be a blip on life's radar. I killed how many agents for you? I killed Reed for you. I can't step foot outside of NC without being scared of some agent popping one right to the back of my skull, for you. How many people did I kill trying to find another cure after you left me to die? All…for you."

Her frustrations after all this time were pouring out, and she couldn't close up the hatch. Well, this was what So Mi wanted. How could she expect anything else?

"I was scared too!" So Mi argued back. "I did everything that I did, because I was so fucking terrified. It's like you just said. You killed, did so much, just for surviv-"

"I know," V raised her hand up, stopping So Mi. "...I know. That's exactly what I meant when I said I understood you too well. That feeling, to look death in the eyes, but he won't take you. Just keeps starin'. Memories fading, merging with Johnny's, fighting off the urge to smoke. I'd never smoked a cig my whole fucking life, and yet it was all I could think about some days. I know death, but losing who you are? .I'd take a quick bullet to the head over that impending doom shit anyday. It's all you think about, twenty-four seven. I knew that's how you were feelin', what you were experiencing, and I…All I wanted was to do what I felt was right. I wanted you out of there, whether I lived or not. If I was fucked anyway, then…I wanted to save you, I…"

"But, V, you wouldn't have been fucked if you had turned me-...We're going in circles. I just don't-…Sympathy or not, you chose my life over your own, over others'. Betrayal, especially one as big as this one, isn't something you just forgive like it's nothing."

"Who ever said I forgave you?"

"I'm alive, V. That's proof enough. When I told you about the Neural Matrix, I told you out of regret. I hated what I had done to you, to all of those people. When I passed out, I thought that was it. I either expected a bullet to the brain, or to wake up to Myer's cold fucking eyes, lobotomized on a netrunner chair. Imagine my surprise when I wake up to see stars, the Earth behind me. What did I do to deserve that? Why me? After everything, why do you care so much about me?"

"...You should go."

"I-? What?" So Mi sputtered out, stunned by the abrupt suggestion.

V shook her head, gesturing towards the door, "You're right, we're going in circles. You're not gonna get it, so you should just leave. I don't even know why you care so much. What's done is done."

"I'm not getting it, because you're still hiding something."

"Sound fucking familiar?" V hit back, seeing So Mi cringe under the scrutiny. She was right, and So Mi knew it .

"Yes. Yes, it does, and I believe every word you've said. Really, I do. But, V, I-...I-I just don't get it."

V's hands clawed as she grit her teeth. She pivoted, fully getting into So Mi's face.

"What?! Is it so hard to believe I can put someone else before me? Is it so hard to believe a fucking killer like me can fucking care?! Oh, but how could you? You, a killer, just like me, didn't give two shits about anyone, but yourself. Well I did! And guess where it got me? Same position you were in: A weapon! Myer's weapon! Your weapon! Not so different, you and her, huh? Take someone in, lie to 'em, use 'em, all for yourself. You're the biggest fucking hypocrite I've ever seen! All this bitching about betrayal, someone you can trust? I'll give you this. You at least gave me the courtesy of leaving me to die, rather than whatever the hell Myer's would've done to you."

So Mi stepped back, her diaphragm clenching as V followed her movements until she was pressed against the balcony windows. "V-"

"You came here to apologize? For an explanation? I'll do you one better. Here's my apology. I'm so sorry for caring about you too much. I didn't realize I'd put you in such a fucking crisis! I'm so sorry that I didn't have the balls to tell you to go fuck yourself, and leave your dyin' ass on the monorail! I'm so sorry that I wanted to save you! I'm so sorry that I just wanted you to be free; be happy! I'm so sorry that I cared so much about you, that I chose your life over mine! I'm so sorry for being such a damn gonk, that I thought you could possibly care about me that same way I care about you!" V slumped back, catching herself in a stumble as her rage was spent out. She sighed, moving over to sit on the couch armrest to attempt to calm down. "...You get the answer you were looking' for?"

The apartment was dead quiet. It was even silent outside. Apparently even Night City knew when to shut up. V watched So Mi continue to press herself against the window, analyzing V in deep thought. V opted to turn her gaze towards Nibbles, who seemingly found their argument incredibly captivating, watching with perked ears and wide eyes.

"Care."

V turned back to So Mi as she spoke up, a brow raised, "What? Did I break you?"

"Care," So Mi continued, slowly stepping towards V. "Present Tense. The same way you care about me?"

V groaned, "So Mi…"

"...You use the word 'care' in a far stronger way than most."

"So Mi, stop."

"You give up your life for mine. You kill for me. You risk everything…just so I could be happy?" So Mi carefully sat down next to V on the armrest, realization on her face. "It became more than just survival for you, didn't it? Before the Space Center, before the meeting with Hanson…What exactly do you feel for me, V?"

"...What's it matter?" V shrugged, continuing to stare down at the floor.

So Mi rested her hand down on V's knee, "Everything."

V's gaze slowly met So Mi's, with the former agent seeing that she was lacking any real energy to continue any sort of charade.

"I was a fucking idiot, falling for some woman I didn't even know I could trust. Hell, as far as I knew, you could have been half-Blackwall AI back then. Johnny certainly chewed me out enough for it, but I didn't listen. Maybe I was getting too hopeful, thinking we could make it out, both of us cured. Maybe my emotions were so fucking crazy, thinking that I actually had a shot at living, or…I don't know. I know we didn't know each other long, but everything that happened, those nights we talked I…It just happened." Once again, silence took over the apartment. Something that was beginning to seriously annoy V to no end. "You gonna fucking say something, or are you done torturing me?"

"I just…I can't believe it. All this time…"

"Yeah, well, believe it. You got your answer, great fucking job. Please, just go." V tried to stand up, but So Mi quickly grasped her hand, sitting her back down next to her.

"Wait, hold on. You're not gonna let me fully process this and tell you what I think?"

"What exactly would I want to know about your thoughts on this event that I'm still hoping is a vivid nightmare?"

"That I cared about you too. Still do."

V shook her head, a dry chuckle escaping her lips, "Not like I do."

"How would you know?"

"You left me to die. That's proof enough," V mirrored So Mi's previous words. "I've heard your sweet-talking before, So Mi. You fed me bullshit that I wanted to hear before, and you'll do it again."

So Mi cringed, but took the shot in stride. "It's complicated, V. Everything was. Even with my lie in place, when I brought you to that balcony, I was being completely honest. I felt a connection to you. But, it wasn't until I watched you come in as Aurore, and we were extracting the Neural Matrix that I-"

"Just stop," V scoffed, getting up from the couch, her hand leaving So Mi's. "You do realize that I don't believe a fucking word coming out of your mouth, right?"

"And you have every right to, bu-"

"But fucking nothing. I don't believe you. If you did actually care about me, you didn't even have to tell me that you did. All you had to do, was have the balls to say I was fucked."

"I was afraid you would leave me," So Mi was now off the couch with V.

Ding-Ding-Ding. Round Two.

"Oh, Little Miss Hypocrite rears her ugly head again. Leave you like you did to me? Real great look for you, Song. I wouldn't have left you."

"I didn't know that! As far as I knew you were in it for your survival…Wow, that still sounds really bad, but if I had known you had feelings for me, I would hav-"

"You'd have done what?" V scoffed, her scowl deepening. "Given me the cure? Nah, don't think so."

"I-...I would have! I-...I think. Or, I would have found a way. I don't know, I-..."

V peered at So Mi, continuing to grow both more frustrated and confused, "What would it have changed? How would knowing how I felt change anything? If anything, it would have just made things so much worse. It makes things worse now. You probably would have just used it against me."

"What?! No! I'd nev-...I'd…Not that. Never that. It would have made my lie all the more painful to you…and to me."

"Oh this 'and to me' bullshit. Dunno if you haven't figured it out, but I still don't believe you had feelings for me. At. All."

"Fuck the past then. What would I have to gain by lying to you now?"

"The hell if I know, but all I know is I did trust you. I thought we were putting our lives in each others' hands, but all I did was carry you to the finish line with a knife in my back. Face the facts, So Mi." Even with being practically the same height, So Mi felt like V was towering over her as she jabbed her finger into her chest, "You made your choice. Your life, for mine. End of fucking story."

"I-I didn't choose my life over yours, I thought tha-" So Mi quickly shut up with the look V gave her after that. It was a little easy to forget that she was arguing with one of the most dangerous people on the planet. Talking her way through this was like defusing a nuke.

At this point, V was practically waterboarding her with the same shit, continuously throwing the past back into her face without breaks. The worst part was So Mi had literally zero defense against it. She just had to take it. Despite what her past self had used to try and justify her decisions, everything V spoke was true.

Fuck, she really was just like Myers. Give an offer they can't refuse, make countless promises, use them for your own gain. At least in this case she didn't blackmail V, but was it much better? Promising life?

And, just like Reed, she cared. But, also just like Reed, her deep-rooted desires defeated her own self-morals. Complete the mission, no matter the cost. Except, Reed's loyalty was to his country, and her's was to herself.

…The Two-Faced Snake.

"I know, V. I know what I did to you, but if I can just expla-"

"Ha! No, you don't. You got no fucking clue what you did to me."

"I wante-...to…Wh-...What's that supposed to mean?"

V gave another dry chuckle, turning to look back out the window. Just another topic she didn't want to bring up again. "Nothin'."

"V-"

"Leave it alone. Forget I said anything, and just fuck off."

"What. Did. You. Mean?"

V scowled at her, frustrated by her stubbornness. Well, she couldn't deny she would probably do the same thing if one of her friends said cryptic shit like that. It wasn't the end of the world, this topic, but it just wasn't something she was too open about, besides with Misty and Vik. But, if it would help end this shit, then…

"So Mi, I almost didn't go through with the attack on Arasaka. After NCX, I was just…done. I killed Reed, you left, Alex despised me, and I was put all the way back at fucking square one. All the shit I had gone through, both before and after I met you, just to get back to there. I was…broken. Pretty much every other option I had was suicide, or I didn't believe in it. Someone, somehow, was out to screw me over. I just knew it. After you, I didn't think I could trust anyone. I didn't know what to do anymore. My best shot at living, and my stupid fucking emotions made me fire it away to the God-damn moon. Days passed, and I didn't pursue my other leads, I didn't do gigs, I didn't even see my friends. Eventually I went to the roof of Misty's shop and…and put a gun to my head."

So Mi stood in stunned silence, almost worried she was having a heart attack with how hard it was clenching in her chest. "V-...I…I-..."

"I thought I could at least go out on my own terms, my own way, not involved in everyone else's shit. No one else would die because of me. No more being used. I could at least say that I tried. I really did. The only thing that stopped me was thinking that if I was gonna die, I could at least give Johnny one last shot. At that point, he was the only person I could rely on not bullshitting me. Well, the only one that could actually help me in any way. If I made it to Mikoshi, and it worked, it would be perfect. If I didn't, well…what would be the difference? If I made it to Mikoshi, and my neural pathways were too far gone to be saved, then…Fuck it. I was done anyway."

"Your attack on Arasaka was-"

"A suicide run, yeah. Had no clue if I'd make it, and at that point I wasn't sure if I cared. But, guess I underestimated myself," V chuckled, but there was no amusement in it. "I know you're not really to blame for all that, but you can see why it's a little hard to trust you after everything. So, So Mi…how I feel for you makes what I'm about to say so much harder. But, I-…I need you to get the fuck outta my sight."

V seethed her command through grit teeth, tears threatening to spill over. So Mi had to leave. V wasn't sure what she would do to her if she stayed. It wasn't that she believed she would hurt So Mi. Rather, V didn't think…

No. She knew that if So Mi stayed any longer, she'd start falling all over again, and she had already only been halfway off the ground. She wouldn't be able to control herself, and she'd get stuck in the exact same story again. She couldn't trust So Mi anymore, but her distrust would be overridden just like before.

"Go, please. I'm sorry this didn't end how you'd hoped."

So Mi stood paralyzed, practically being able to feel the knife that she had stabbed V in the back with sheath itself into her heart again and again. This was bad. Very, very bad. This was so much worse than she had ever expected it to be. She didn't betray V…

She tore her apart.

She had fucked with V's head and pulled the plug on her heart. V said it all of that really wasn't her fault, surely there were factors leading up to becoming suicidal that were not due to her influence. But, it sure fucking felt like it was her fault.

She was what caused V to question her trust in her friends.

She made her shed blood, even when it belonged to someone she considered a friend.

She unknowingly broke her heart.

She took her best chance for survival to the Moon.

…She took her hope away.

It didn't matter that V didn't blame her. It didn't stop So Mi from feeling like she put the gun to V's head herself. She had shot someone she called friend before, being Reed. The same person she had asked not to become her enemy. Yet, she became the enemy, at least in her eyes.

But, never again. She couldn't become V's enemy. She refused. Besides, V was practically the only person in the world she had left. So Mi had to make things right, no matter what.

So Mi didn't leave. Instead, she did the exact opposite. She slowly began to step closer to V, her voice shaky. "V, I…Saying I'm sorry feels so worthless. If I had known what my actions would have caused, I would have stopped. We'd find another way, but…That doesn't mean anything now. What's done is done. Almost all of the damage I've caused is irreparable, but you're still here. I can take the pieces of this, you and me, make something better than before. Let me prove it to you. Whatever I have to do, I-"

"Go, So Mi."

"Please, just let me tell you-"

"Get. Out."

"I'm. Not. Moving."

V's Malorian was out in the blink of an eye, zeroed in directly between So Mi's eyes, "Get out!"

"...No," So Mi shook her head, looking V directly in the eyes, ignoring the gun trained on her. V marched forward, but So Mi didn't give any ground.

"So Mi, leave," V pressed the barrel of her Malorian right under So Mi's chin, fighting her tears with everything she had. "Please…"

"I can't," So Mi shook her head, not even fazed by the gun threatening to Jackson Pollock her brains on the ceiling. "You didn't leave me after everything I did. I don't deserve your forgiveness and I certainly don't got a right to expect anything less than a bullet in my brain right now. But, I've hurt everyone else in my life. I'm not gonna leave you like this, I just can't do it. I refuse to hurt you again. Besides, you kill me, I guess my debts are sorta of repaid, right? I stole your second chance at life, so you take mine? God knows I deserve it. I don't even deserve to be standing here right now."

"Stop it! What, and have killed Reed for nothing? That's not how it works. I don't want to kill you! I…" V's head drooped, her gun falling back to her side. "...I can't."

V haphazardly tossed her gun onto the couch, walking around and dropping down onto the cushions, resting her head on her hand as she leaned against the armrest. So Mi slowly sat down next to her, very carefully resting one hand on her back. Thankfully, V didn't flinch or shove her away. It was now or never.

This was her shot.

"...The moment I heard the words, 'I'm with you, So Mi', I realized just what was in front of me. Someone, finally, after all this time that I could rely on. Even if you were also fighting for your own survival, you were fighting for mine. You knew the NUSA could cure you too, but you chose me."

"All I'm hearing is, 'I found someone I could use'."

"No, that's what I thought when I first recruited you."

"Oh, that's so much better," V bit back sarcastically.

"But," So Mi cut in again. "You made me feel like I mattered, more than just another tool. I finally felt like someone cared about me again, someone who even when I was losing myself, made me feel like me. When you found me in the back of that van, all I saw was concern in your eyes. It wasn't concern that your ticket to survival was dying, but concern for me. Scanning my system, doing everything you could, comforting me. You kept me in control, kept me being me. I felt so good, but…so guilty. But, I was too scared to stop, too scared to tell you the truth. Because, yeah, I was a coward. I was a hypocrite. I was the same two-faced snake I thought everybody else was. I have no excuses, no super spy silver-tongued workaround to make any of what I did sound good. All I did was fuck up from the second I struck a deal with Hanson. Hell, I started fucking up all the way back in Brooklyn. I'm not trying to explain myself anymore, I'm just stating the facts of what I did, and what I became. When you had a 'Relic Attack' when pulling me up to the roof, I wanted to vomit. It's like I tried to purposely forget that you were dying, to try and save myself from the guilt. Then, watching you take down all those government trained agents at the railway all by yourself, if I can be perfectly honest with you…kind of a turn on."

V scoffed, but So Mi could see her lips quirk up. Perfect, at least something to lighten things up.

"You were even willing to access the Blackwall with me, knowing the risks. When you were comforting me on the train, I…I knew just how badly I fucked up. I was about to do it again; hurt someone I cared about. Hurt the person that cared about me, and had done more for me, than anybody. You were the last person that deserved it. I had to tell you the truth, and…take whatever consequences you dealt me. So, when by some miracle I found myself on the Moon and not with Myers, I knew that if I ever had the opportunity to make things right, I had to try. You gave me my second chance at life, V. I can't fuck it up, not again. And, I know to make things completely right is impossible. I've done too much. The pain I've caused you, I…I'll have to live with that forever. But, I'm going to do everything I can to get as close to doing right by you as possible…If you'll let me, of course."

"..." So Mi waited for V to say anything, but she remained silent. She couldn't tell if it was V contemplating on kicking her out (or shooting her), or if it was a green light to go ahead. So Mi decided to hope for the latter.

"...I wanted to start by doing what I should have done from the beginning, and be completely honest with you. I don't expect you to believe it, but I have. Every word I just said was the truth. And, now, I want to do what I wish I had done the second we escaped the stadium." So Mi very gently reached up, waiting for V to move away or grab her by the wrist, but she allowed her to touch her cheek. So Mi turned V's gaze to her's. "...Can I kiss you, V?"

V didn't answer her, but continued to meet her gaze with one of uncertainty. So Mi couldn't blame her, especially after being verbally beat down by her just minutes ago. In V's eyes, she couldn't be trusted, and rightfully so. But, all she needed was a chance.

One. Single. Chance.

So Mi leaned in, keeping her speed slow, giving V every opportunity to stop her. But, V continued to stare, in a look of either fear or anticipation. Probably both.

So Mi delicately brushed her lips against V's, but the merc lightly pushed her away, shaking her head, "I don't want you doing this out of pity, or doing it for forgiveness or something. I…S'Gotta be real."

"I'm not…" So Mi carefully reached out to caress V's cheek, waiting for her to reciprocate the touch. "Even if you never trust me again after this moment, just please believe that I'm not doing this out of pity. I'm not doing this as thanks for saving my life. I'm not doing this as a means of asking for forgiveness. I'm doing this because of what I feel for you; the only person that I've connected to in so long. The only person that made me feel like I wasn't alone, that I wasn't just a tool, a weapon…I'm doing this because I want to, V. I'm doing this because I want you."

V sat in silence, analyzing every word So Mi had said. It felt like a damn eternity, sitting there in dead silence, waiting and hoping for V to say something, do something, anything. It wasn't that So Mi was surprised, she didn't deserve this. She was lucky that V didn't shoot her the second she walked into the apartment. Actually, she was lucky that V didn't turn her over and she wasn't in some underground, off-the-grid facility where Myers kept her between the living and the Blackwall.

Perhaps, her luck truly bottomed out.

That's what she thought, until V turned into her hand and kissed the inside of her wrist. So Mi glanced down as she felt V's hand intertwine with the one resting on her lap.

"I'm begging you, So Mi," V looked at her pleadingly. This was the first time she had ever seen V vulnerable enough to beg for something. She didn't even think V knew how. "...Don't make me regret this. Everything you've said…Prove it."

So Mi caressed V's cheek with her thumb as she never faltered her gaze, nodding with determination, "I promise."

"We'll see…"

So Mi closed the distance once more, very softly pressing her lips against V's. Kissing…Now that was a feeling she hadn't experienced in years. She could still feel V was tentative about it, chaste kisses only. She could work with that, despite her desire to go further.

A few kisses later, and So Mi nuzzled into V's cheek, "You smell like lavender and gunpowder."

"Incense from Misty's, and you already know about the gunpowder. S'that bad?"

"Mm-mm," So Mi kissed her cheek, moving back to smile at her, "Oddly sexy, honestly."

"Hmhm…Oh, fucking Christ, what am I doing? I told myself I wouldn't revert. Not five minutes ago I had a gun to your head."

"We can stop if you wan-"

"Fuck that," V cut So Mi off, reuniting their lips and pressing their bodies together. So Mi moved her arms back as V slowly moved her jacket off of her shoulders, her fingers tracing the lines of her jumpsuit as they went down. V groaned as she gazed at So Mi's body, "Just had to wear a netrunner suit…"

"Oh, don't worry. I have a strong feeling you're determined enough to get it off."

"Let's see." V hooked her arms under So Mi's thighs, lifting her up and carrying her to the bedroom, leaving a very confused Nibbles to watch them leave the room. Once inside and her legs were against the mattress, she lightly tossed So Mi onto the bed, causing her to laugh as she bounced.

"So delicate…"

"You know me, So Mi." V crawled onto the bed and over her, hovering over her face, "Delicate isn't exactly my forte."

So Mi smirked, dragging a finger from V's lips down to the collar of her tank top, "Who said I was looking for delicate?"

"...Fuck me," V sighed.

"That's the idea," So Mi smiled, tossing her jacket aside. "Help me with my suit?"

V nodded, pulling So Mi's pants off and throwing them on the floor. She brought So Mi into her hold, kissing her as she unzipped her netrunner suit. Once the zipper reached its end, V ran her hands down So Mi's back, her jaw dropping at what she felt. She rested her chin on So Mi's shoulder, finding that her back was covered in synthetic skin. No more exposed cybernetics or running wires.

"Holy shit, you weren't kidding."

"Told you. A lot of it's still in there, but I don't have to walk around looking like a Terminator anymore."

"Hey, I liked it."

"Did you now?" So Mi smiled, peeling her arms out of the jumpsuit, holding it against her chest. "You wanna show me what else you liked about me?"

…This was a terrible idea. Such a God-damn terrible idea. V did a complete one-eighty like it was nothing, all because her old feelings for So Mi were never actually old. They took her instincts and obvious reasons to distrust So Mi and threw them in the garbage.

Which was probably why she really didn't care, and pounced So Mi anyway.

Clothes were thrown aside, hands roamed, eager to explore the body they had been waiting to feel for years. V decided that at this point, none of it mattered. She would just live in this moment.

She was happy. So Mi seemed happy. This was what she wanted from the beginning.

She would give in to her feelings. She'd deal with the aftermath, no matter the outcome.

Not like she had much choice now.

_CP:77_

[Some Time Later]

"You what?"

V chuckled, stroking So Mi's hair as she rested on her chest, "I think dialing into the Relic had some side effects, because I think I saw some of your memories when I went to sleep. Same thing happened with Johnny. Consuming whoever comes in contact with it is kind of just what it did."

"What did you see?"

"Mostly random stuff," V shrugged, gazing down at So Mi's half-covered bare body bathed in the moonlight peeking through her blinds. "Some stuff from Brooklyn, meetings with Hanson, Myers being a bitch. I did see your recruitment, and all that. Sorry if that's a breach of your privacy, but I didn't exactly have a choice in the matter."

"No, no, it's okay." So Mi leaned up, softly kissing her. "If there's anybody I would want to see that stuff, it's you."

"'Preciate it. Really."

"Cou-...Could you tell me about it? Brooklyn, I mean?"

"Shit. Blackwall take those memories from you too?"

"Not everything, but you help. I know how this sounds, but I wasn't kidding when I said you were what kept me being me. You helped me remember, reawaken memories I thought the Blackwall took away."

"Hm, oh yeah. I remember after our first talk on the balcony in Dogtown. You texted me and said I brought back a memory."

So Mi furrowed her brow, thinking back to that time, "Yeah. Shit, yeah, you're right. You see what I mean, V?"

"Nah, you're shittin' me, right? You're just playing that up."

So Mi put her hand on V's chest, steeling her gaze, "No, not this. So much was taken from me, and I want it all back. I can't explain it either, but you put me back together, V. Intentionally or not, you do. It's part of what made me realize how special you are. When I'm with you, it's like the floodgates open. And, yes, that was an unintentional double entendre."

"Hey, I wasn't gonna say anything."

"You were thinking it."

"Can't confirm, nor deny."

So Mi smiled, rolling her eyes before giving V a pleading look, "Please, V?"

"I-...Yeah, yeah, okay."

So Mi smiled, giving her a long, soft kiss before settling back down onto V's chest. "Thank you."

"'Kay, uh, a small, humble lookin' place. Clearly you lived and breathed the Net, I don't even remember seeing a bed. Just your runner chair. Posters on the walls, even in the kitchen. I remember you cooking in there, playing tunes on your record player."

"Record player…Yeah, it was a gift? Maybe…"

"Speaking of which, saw your friends surprise you for your birthday. Called you a Capricorn."

"D-...Diane? No, Daphne. Daphne…"

"Uh, lemme think. Um…Cherry blossoms outside the window, old-fashioned brick buildings. I couldn't smell anything, but I won't lie, your apartment probably smelled like weed and cold pizza."

"Hahaha!" So Mi laughed out, turning her head into V's body, "Yeah, it did. I used to sit on the windowsill, to listen to the outside world. Life going by, but…it may or may not have also been to air out the place."

"Hmhm, 'course." V yawned, trying to think more on it. "There was your boyfriend. Or, ex-boyfriend, I guess."

"Boyfriend? Fuck, I…I don't remember having a boyfriend."

"Please don't tell me the Blackwall made you forget you're not into chicks."

"Hehehe. No, don't worry, you're safe. I don't think the Blackwall cares about your sexual orientation. But, do you remember his name?"

"Lucas, I think."

Lucas…" So Mi sat in silence, trying to pull deep from her well of memories, whatever was left of it. She sighed against V's skin, shaking her head, "Nothing."

"White guy? Slicked back, brown hair? Uh…I'm sorry, I can't remember eye color. I remember you telling him about your first paid netrunning gig."

So Mi shrugged, a tinge of disappointment in her voice, "I'm not getting anything. Maybe the faintest familiarity with the name, but otherwise? Zilch."

"Damn. I'm sorry, I wish I could do more."

"Are you kidding me?" So Mi rose up to look V in the eyes, taking her hand. "I couldn't ask for more. Even if these were the last memories that ever came back to me, they're worth more than almost anything. Thank you, V."

V happily accepted the kiss So Mi gave her after that. She smiled in return, rubbing her hands along So Mi's back.

"That wasn't everything, but we can try again later. Although, there is one thing." V kissed her pulse point, trailing a few more across her neck, "In some of the dreams I saw, and correct me if I'm wrong, but was that a blonde butch cut?"

"Oh my God." So Mi cringed with a laugh, "Don't you dare."

"Hey, I thought you rocked it. But, I get it. Tastes change."

"Sounds like you want me to get it back?"

"Mm-mm," V raised back up, kissing her lips. "Just an observation. Fortunately for you, my tastes haven't changed since the last time I saw you. I like this Song."

"Mhm, I'm not dignifying that pun," So Mi deadpanned at her. "And how'd you feel when you saw all my chrome for the first time?"

"Honestly? Maybe I'm a cyberpsycho, but I thought it was real sexy."

So Mi scoffed in amazement, settling back into the crook of V's arm, "I'm not even going to begin to analyze your sexual preferences."

"Hey, I've been around suped-up cyberware my entire life, don't blame me. Besides, you should just focus on the fact that it means I found you beautiful both in and outside the Relic."

"There is that. Although, I'm happy to have real fingers again. Or, well, not real, but you get what I mean," So Mi laughed.

"What about me? I know you said you started to mostly realize it in the stadium, but was there a point where the seed was planted?"

So Mi hummed in thought, idly playing with V's hand, "I guess when you first fought the Barghest when trying to find Myers. You took out fifty guys in under a minute without getting touched. I think skill is sexy as hell."

"Just skill?"

"Hey, you got some great tits, too."

V chuckled, rolling her eyes, "I'll take it. Feelings mutual, by the way."

"Seriously, though." So Mi ran a hand through V's hair, her gaze traveling over her face. "...You're stunning, V."

V sighed, leaning into her hand, "You gonna be this affectionate all the time, or are you still trying to kiss my ass."

"I haven't been kissing your ass," So Mi frowned. "I'm dead serious. You wanted me to prove it, and I believe actions speak louder than words. I'll guarantee you this. I'll do a lot better than a Moon pin and a Quantum Tuner. Actually, do you still…"

V reached down to the floor, picking up her jacket and opening it up, allowing So Mi to see the Tycho pin stuck into the inside breast of the garment. "Tuner is still in my head. Despite my feelings, you can't waste good tech."

"Guess I'm not the only one you hung on to. You still have the Relic in your head, even though I'm not reading any power signature coming from it."

"Oh, yeah," V reached behind her ear, pulling the Relic out and setting it on her bedside table. "It's useless, but Johnny somehow annoyed his way into making me actually miss him. I slot it in sometimes, almost like I was wearing a bracelet or something like that. Just another accessory from things that tried to kill me."

"You have more than one?"

"Best friend Misty made a charm out of the bullet that killed me. And, I got the Tycho pin from you, so…"

"Ouch."

"Sorry. Uncalled for."

"Don't apologize. Not like you're wrong."

V shook her head, slumping back into the pillows, "I'm supposed to be trying to enjoy this and not thinking about that stuff."

"We can't ignore it forever. It's why I came here in the first place. But, if you wanna keep ignoring it, I think sleep is a great distraction. Tycho ran their clocks on a different time zone than NC, so I've got some major jet lag right now."

V's expression was unreadable as she gazed up at the ceiling, but she eventually nodded, bringing the covers up above them. "How was the Moon? What's it really like up there?"

So Mi rested into the crook of V's neck, hugging her close, "No matter how long you're up there, you never get tired of the view of Earth. It makes you truly realize how small you are, kind of makes your brain hurt. It's crazy."

V nodded, looking over to her window, seeing the Moon through her blinds, "I'd love to see that."

"I'll fly you up there someday."

"You're going back?"

"I…" So Mi furrowed her brow, humming in thought. "I didn't really think about it."

"...You're not gonna be here when I wake up, are you?"

"..." So Mi didn't know what to say. She really didn't have an answer to that. What would she do when the sun rose? She never actually planned that far.

Apparently, V took silence as a proper answer as she turned over and decided to try and sleep.

So Mi knew she wasn't going to get much sleep. She'd be up all night, weighing her options, thinking over every next step that she could take. But, if she was going to be there a while, she might as well get comfortable. She wrapped her arms around V, hugging her tightly to her chest. She nuzzled into V's hair, her thoughts running wild.

V's steadily beating heart kept her grounded through the night, until her mind gave out, and she succumbed to slumber.

_CP:77_

[Three Years Ago: Night City International and Translunar Spaceport]

"Don't come any closer, V!"

V gripped So Mi a little tighter, standing firm, "Reed, she's fading! Just let me put her on the ship's life support, then we can talk!"

"We have Medical Evac here, V. Hand her over, and she'll be fine!"

V's heart was pounding in her ears as So Mi groaned quietly in her arms. "I…I can't!"

Reed sneered at her, keeping his sights aimed directly between her eyes, "I just don't understand why you're doing this. We could have healed you both, V."

V scoffed, looking down at the overflowing rain at her feet, "No…No, you couldn't have."

Reed peered at her, "What are you talking about?"

"After all this, So Mi decided to tell me on the train ride here that the Neural Matrix only works on one person."

Reed squinted at her, the realization hitting him like a truck. He slightly lowered his gun, pinching the bridge of his nose, "She played us all from the very beginning. You most of all. No matter what route you chose…"

"I was fucked, yeah."

"All this, for nothing."

V looked down at So Mi in her arms, her eyes tracing along her features, "...More or less."

"It doesn't have to be. We can cure her without the Neural Matrix. I can cut a deal, explain the situation. Myers still owes me, owes us. We can get you that cure."

"Heh, don't think that she believes she owes me after this."

"Not if you still hand over Songbird. This can work. We got a deal?"

…Fuck.

'Take it. Take the deal, V. She fucked you over from the very beginning. Days of fighting, killing, hoping…Take. The fucking. Deal."

"You know," V's eyes shifted to the side, seeing Johnny leaning against the railing. "I'm almost thinkin' that you're trying to imagine what I would say here, with thoughts like that."

'Yeah, well, you got any sort of advice?'

Johnny shook his head, taking off his sunglasses, "Don't matter what I say, V. Another little quirk of being in your head is knowing exactly how you're feeling, what you're thinking. Or, at least I get an inkling. So, I already know that your mind was made up five minutes ago, and it didn't change at any point during this damn conversation."

'But am I making the wrong choice?'

"The fuck if I know, V. But…" Johnny sighed, losing the usual attitude in his voice. "I shot up Arasaka Tower just to get Alt back. All I'll say is there's at least a semblance of something admirable in all this, at least from my fucked perspective. I know going against the government would be my expected answer, but unbiased? If you really care about this chick that much then…Whatever you think you gotta do, do it."

He disappeared, leaving V to deal with Reed again. Johnny was right, her mind was made up.

Oh, this was such a dumb fucking idea.

"...I can-"

"Mmgn…" So Mi groaned in her arms, her heartbeat slowing.

"Shit," V carefully lowered So Mi's legs down, just so she could grab her gun and toss it over to Reed, "No iron! I'm serious, Reed! She needs Life Support now!"

Reed eyed her carefully, his gaze going back and forth between So Mi's unmoving form and V's pleading eyes. He eventually nodded over to the boarding shuttle, keeping his pistol trained on V.

"Thank yo-"

"Don't thank me. Just hook her up."

"Right," V carried So Mi into the boarding shuttle, setting her down into the chair and letting the systems do their thing. The emergency Life Support systems kicked in, and V bypassed the authorization to get proper readings. "Okay. Okay, she's stabilizing."

"She use the Blackwall again?"

"Yeah, but I was her proxy, so hopefully it didn't hit her as har-"

So Mi suddenly groaned, mumbling in her sleep, "Mmm…V…"

"You're gonna be alright, Song." V jacked in, reading her diagnostics and breathing a sigh of relief as So Mi was in a stable enough position for travel. She reached up, holding So Mi's head to keep her from slumping over. "I gotcha. Don't worry, I gotcha…"

Reed watched as V caressed So Mi's cheek, peering at her curiously as she gently looked over So Mi with the utmost care. This was certainly new. V had been in contact with So Mi more than anybody. Who knows how often they had talked in private, spent free time together? Or, however their connection worked.

If V had been betrayed by Songbird, but she had still been going through with taking her to the ship, and was so concerned…

Reed couldn't exactly call himself an expert in this particular field, but the looks V was giving So Mi…

"V? Tell me you didn't…"

V froze on the spot, not looking towards Reed. The storm outside raged on, acting in the place of the deafening silence that would have been there.

"...I did. Trust me, I really wish I hadn't."

"Fucking hell, V."

"Reed, whatever you gotta say to me, I've already said it to myself. I didn't exactly plan on fallin' for her!" V scowled, kneeling in front of So Mi and trying to rub the headache away. "I didn't want to betray you and Alex. I really, really didn't, but…"

Reed raised his hand up, stopping her from continuing. "All this, everything, was for her? And, even in the end…"

"She doesn't know."

"And you still wanted to take her to the Moon?"

V scoffed, just as much in disbelief as Reed was, "Yeah…Yeah, I do."

Reed sighed, lowering his gun and looking at V in what she could only assume was pity. "Well…As stupid as it is, I guess I at least understand why you did what you did a little more. She played us all, but you the worst, and she didn't even know the half of it. I can…Fucking hell. I'll talk to Myers, get you that cure. I'm…I'm sorry, V. I really am."

…Why did he have to say that?

"Yeah…" V sighed shakily, her hand slowly wrapping around the gun still on So Mi's waist, just out of Reed's sight. "...Me too."

_CP:77_

[The Next Morning]

V's eyes shot open, happy she left the dream. She wasn't surprised to find arms no longer hugging her, and a lack of weight behind her. She didn't bother turning over to check, just to be sure.

She wasn't surprised, but that didn't mean she wasn't disappointed.

It was probably for the best. Could she ever trust So Mi? What if Myers suddenly decided that she was worth killing again? They couldn't find So Mi again, that would end horribly.

V sighed as she decided to throw any form of coping out of her mind, burying her face into her pillow and trying to go back to sleep. She decided it was better if she just forgot any of this ever happened.

She had some closure, and…that was enough.

…Until she heard her toilet flush.

V peeked an eye open as she heard the sink running, and quickly shut it again as the water was turned off. The bathroom door opened, with So Mi walking back into the bedroom. She climbed back into bed, wrapping her arms around V and nuzzling into her hair.

"...I know you're awake, V. Can feel your heart beating faster."

"...You're still here," V responded, dropping the act.

"Mm," So Mi hummed noncommittally, kissing her shoulder, "I am."

"So…What's that mean?"

"Dunno," So Mi shrugged, gently running her hands up and down V's side, "But, I think it means I don't want to leave."

"Wanting something and doing something are very different things."

"I know, I-...You're right. You okay? I'm sorry, but I sort of expected you to be a lot happier that I was still here."

"I am, it's just…" V sighed, sitting up the lean back against the wall. So Mi followed her, deciding not to lean in too close. Sounded like Round Three was about to start. "Had a nightmare last night, or really just a bad memory. It was when I killed Reed."

So Mi breathed in deep, hugging the blankets to her chest, listening intently, "I see."

"Before I shot him, he figured out that I had a thing for you. Actually felt fucking sorry for me, pitied me for being the gonk who went head over heels for the woman who was already playing me like a damn marionette. I convinced him to let me put you on the shuttle's life support, despite having NUSA Med Team just a call away. Offered me a way to cut a deal. He was gonna use his big favor Myer's promised to pay him back with on me. Neural Matrix goes to me, NUSA uses alternative methods to cure you. Told me he was sorry that things turned out the way they did." V looked over to So Mi, sorrow in her eyes. "Reed might've been…complicated, but he cared. He really did, even if you don't believe it. Was just stuck, is all. He wasn't the only one either, but one of us had to give out, and he lost. I took your gun, and…I got a lot of death on my hands, So Mi. I can't say I regret how things turned out, but…"

"I know," So Mi nodded, giving in and closing the distance again. She pressed into V's side, holding her hand. "I know it's rich coming from me, but I get it. I'm happy that we're here, but I'm not proud of everything I did either."

"Yeah…" V sighed as she interlaced her fingers with So Mi's. "It's gonna be a while before I fully forgive you, I think. I want to forgive you, fully trust you, and I will. Or, I hope I will. But, that's exactly what I mean. I don't want to be afraid that you'll do something again and leave me worse than before. If you want to leave, just tell me. I had last night, and I believe it was all real. That'll be enough, and I'll be able to move on completely someday. But, I can't have you stay, keep this going, and then leave. You'll never hear me say this to anybody, ever again, but I'm quite literally at your mercy. If you play me again, I got nothing to stop you. I'm in too deep to reject you now. You said you wanted to be completely honest with me, so be honest with me now so I know where we go from here."

"...Okay then. I spent a lot of the night thinking. I don't know if Myers ever actually gave up looking for me, so I'm probably dangerous to live around. Can't go back to my old pad in Brooklyn, and even if I could, they'd keep eyes on it. So, I think it would be best if I got in contact with some of my connections on Tycho."

V did her best to not show any emotion, nodding as she turned to stare vacantly at the door. "You need a ride to the terminal?"

"No need. Just give me your mailing details, I can get my stuff delivered here. I don't have to sign the lease or anything, right? If you want, I've got a few fake aliases to-"

"Wait, hold on. What?"

So Mi smiled at her, "Sorry if it's too forward. Just started whatever we have last night and I start trying to force my way into your home. But, even with Myers out of office, I can't be too sure I'm safe anywhere. Where else is safer than the city NUSA can't operate in without sparking another cause for war? And, just to put icing on the cake, being with the woman who killed Adam Smasher is damn near immunity from…well, literally everybody. After pulling that off, I wouldn't be surprised if they wanted to recruit you again."

"...So, I'm your shield."

So Mi's eyes went wide as she shot up to her knees, "Shit, no! I didn't mean it like that! Sorry. I didn't mean for it to sound like I'm using you. Well, using you in a negative way. I meant it more like a perk, trying to find more reasons to stay. I want to stay to be with you. It just so happens that being with you has its benefits. I mean, I praised the view from the Moon, but the view from where I'm sitting right now? Nothing like it."

Despite her best efforts, V couldn't stop a smirk from slowly forming on her face, "Nice save."

"Thank you. I didn't even have to mention the view from between your le-"

"I get it," V quickly cut her off, ignoring the warmth in her cheeks. "You're being dead serious?"

"You wanted me to prove it, so I'm going to. As long as it takes, and then some."

V gazed at So Mi, not sure what to do. When she said she would deal with whatever outcome she was dealt, this wasn't what she was expecting. It was too good to be true. Way, way too good to be true. What was she supposed to say now?

"I-...I'm not sure."

So Mi's smile drooped just a little, but she took it in stride. "I understand. It was a big jump anyway. That being said, do you want me to go? I can find a hotel, or-"

"No," V quickly cut her off. "Please, stay. We should talk about it now, or at least let me think about it for just a little bit. We can talk this through. I'll get us breakfast, if you'd like? Best breakfast burritos down the street. Real imported ingredients, which is rare in NC. I can be back in at max fifteen minutes. Uh…you do still have a stomach, right? You can eat?"

So Mi smiled and rolled her eyes, happy that V was at least considering her idea. "Yes, V, I have a stomach. One that's starving. Which, I mean, we did work up quite the appetite last night."

"Hmhmhm. Yeah, guess we did."

She leaned over and kissed V, and was only a little downtrodden by the kiss being far more tentative on V's end than last night. She was growing cautious again. So Mi really didn't want their great progress to reverse, but there wasn't much choice in the matter.

She was the cause of V's paranoia in the first place, so she'd take it on the cheek.

V got out of bed, throwing on her clothes, "I'll be back."

So Mi's eyes roamed over V as she watched her get dressed, "Don't take too long…"

V turned around with a raised brow at the tone of her voice, watching So Mi's eyes.

"Oh my God." V turned away to hide her blush, throwing on her shirt as she walked out the door, listening to So Mi's laugh get quieter as she got farther away. V grabbed her pistol off the couch, looking over to see Nibbles in the kitchen, eating out of her autofeeder. Their eyes met, with V motioning towards the hallway. "Keep an eye on her."

Nibbles mewed in response as V walked out the door, selecting Misty's contact on the holo.

"Misty, I got an emergency."

"Life or death?"

"Romantic Paranoia."

"...So, life or death. Got it. What am I working with here, V?"

_CP:77_

[Fifteen Minutes Later]

"It sounds like you forgave her a long time ago, V. At least, in some sense. But, you're afraid. I can't exactly blame you either. Trust is a two-way street, and she's already failed to walk down it multiple times. But, telling you the truth, right before she was going to get on that rocket, is almost undeniable proof that she cared about you."

"Or felt guilty," V grumbled, exiting the elevator once reaching her floor.

"You're doing your favorite hobby of twisting things around in a negative manner, V. If she didn't care, she wouldn't have felt guilty. She knew that she was at your mercy, and still told you the truth. That part of her story feels real to me. The rest is entirely up to you to decide. But, if she's proven that she does care about you, and if you feel you can't trust yourself to make the right decision, then maybe it's just not the right time. Bare yourself to her. It's not on you after that, V. Whatever happens will show you just what she's after."

"I did bare myself to her. Told her everything, even..even about the night on your rooftop. I still don't know if I can make the right choice. Moving in? It's all happening way too fast."

"Then tell her that."

"But, the problem is I want her to move in."

"Then tell her that."

"Wh-? Misty!"

"I'm serious, V. You're talking to me when the person you should be talking to is back at your apartment. From what I can pick up, she doesn't seem to have any real reason to be lying to you. You said yourself that the desire to survive can make you do crazy things. She's not fighting for that anymore, and neither are you. If she's all in, you need to address what's holding you back. If she's what's holding you back, then you have to either find a way to fix it, or let her go. I'll always help you, V, but this is something you gotta fully solve yourself. Especially when you know her far better than me."

V sighed, opening the door to her apartment, paper bag in hand. "I guess I don't have much choice. You're the best, Misty. You know that?"

"You say it too much for me to forget."

"Good. I'd be failing if I didn't," V walked through her apartment, reaching the hallway. "Alright, I'll call you back and tell you ho-...You gotta be fucking kidding me."

"What's wrong?"

V walked into the bedroom, her heart dropping to find both it and her bathroom completely empty, and So Mi's clothes gone.

…She was gone.

"Grrraagh! Fuck!" The hell did she come here for then? Did she steal something? V looked in her guest room to find nothing. She had passed her living room and kitchen, still nothing. She stomped back into her bedroom, looking for anything that could have been taken. "I can't be trusted around her, Misty. Literally every single drop of my instincts go out the fucking window. She played me to the most extreme degree, and I just fell for it. Again. What is wrong with me?! I-..."

V stopped in her tracks, her eyes moving towards her walk-in closet that acted as a connecting hall to her armory. Light was shining underneath the black door.

"V? V, what happened?"

"I'm about to see. I'll call you back." V ended the call, pulling her pistol from her belt. What exactly did So Mi want from her armory? Fuck, her PC was in there. But, did she have any information that was actually useful for anything?

V walked through her closet, hiding her pistol behind her back as she opened the door.

…On the other side was So Mi, music playing quietly from the computer as Nibbles napped in her lap.

So Mi turned her head, smiling when she saw V, "You're back. Where's the food?"

"I-...Uh, in the kitchen," V had an inner sigh, not sure if it was out of relief. She placed her pistol on one of her closet shelves, moving into the armory. She saw So Mi's personal jack in her computer as she walked over and leaned on the desk. "What, uh…What are you doing?"

"Fixing your security that I broke, and adding a few little tricks of my own. I doubt we'd have to worry about it, but now NUSA, or any government really, can't trace any sigs to and from this apartment."

"Huh. Preem…"

So Mi looked back up from the computer, a brow raised, "You okay? You seem kind of out of it. I'm not installing freaky shit to control your system or anything like that. You can jack in and se-"

"No, no, it's not that. I-...When I walked in, I couldn't find you for a sec, and I guess I thought…"

So Mi's smile fell a little as she put Nibbles on the ground. She stood up, carefully stepping towards V and putting her hands on her waist, "I get it. Just another reason for me to keep proving what I said before true."

V sighed, biting the inside of her cheek, "I'm sorry, but everything you say feels like you're fucking with my head."

"But, last nig-"

"I know what we did last night, and it was perfect. So perfect, but I-I…I wanted so badly to believe you, and I just gave in to my feelings. But, you've manipulated me before, and last night made me realize that for some reason, you're my Kryptonite. I latched on to every word the first time, and despite my resistance last night, I latched on to every single world again. At this point, it's not even about trusting you, it's like I don't trust myself. Not when it comes to you. Whether or not you're being honest with me doesn't matter if I can't tell. I lap it up like a fucking dog every damn time. Worst part is, I've got no clue why. You're not the first person to betray me, So Mi. When I had the Relic, it was almost like the universe was pissed that I survived, and continuously tried to kill me at every turn. I've been used time and time again, but yours hurt the most. Not accounting for my feelings, it still…" V scowled, her eyes clenched shut as she tried to sort through her thoughts and let them flow out naturally. Regina's advice to her. "...I can't do it again."

She could take a whole fucking lot. But, not this. Not again.

She wasn't one to bare her soul too often, but it was so tired of taking beatings.

"That's all I got," V shrugged in defeat. "I think you did care enough about me to tell the truth on the monorail. I'd also like to think that you care enough about me for last night to have been real. And, I do want you to stay with me. So, so fucking badly. But, if you've got any alternative intentions for being here, tell me. Please. This is the only time I won't get mad if you do. If there's something you need help with, I'll do it. Yes, after all this, I'm still so stupidly enamored with you that I'll help you."

"...V, the truth is," So Mi raised a hand up, caressing V's cheek. "I think you have a hard time accepting that good things can happen to you."

"I'm not joking, So Mi!"

"Neither am I," She scoffed, throwing her arms out in exasperation. "It's not like I can blame you. I did manipulate you, and I was trained by the biggest manipulators in the world. Frankly, I don't think anybody can ever fully trust me. I don't really have anything left to say to convince you. I've got no fancy words. I have nothing left to hide. I'm not in trouble, as far as I know. All I have left is my promise of action, which I fully intend to fulfill. Ask me to do literally anything to prove myself to you, I'll do it. But, V, before you were cured, when did anything legitimately good ever happen to you?"

"Don't try and turn this all on me!"

"I'm not trying to, I want you to believe me. Just answer my question, and it'll make sense."

"Wh-? I…I-I dunno. Meeting Jackie, I guess?"

"Your friend from Konpeki Plaza? He died. You've lived your entire life with an asterisk next to your name. I thought that last night was the start of rebuilding your trust in me and turning it into something even better than before. But, it's as if you think it's impossible. Not impossible for me to feel shame and regret, but impossible that I could feel shame and regret related to you. You don't believe I could legitimately want to be with you, because you want me to be with you. You don't think good things can come your way. Well, guess what? I want to be with you, V. Badly. The most I have in terms of ulterior motives is getting a free apartment and I've always wanted a cat. You're one of the only people in Night City where it's actually possible for you to have a happy ending."

"Well then why the fuck should we get a happy ending, Song? All we've done…"

"All I've done, V. Reed is on me. Every life lost in the stadium is on me. Every life lost at NCX, on me."

"To be fair, Myers handled that like shit. We didn't kill any bystanders. No one would've been hurt if sh-"

"Not the point, V. Are you trying to inflict consequences on yourself? You want someone who deserves consequences for her actions? You're looking at her, V. I've had consequence after consequence inflicted on me, all because I was stupid enough to agree to join the NUSA. I hate what they all did to me, but I knew deep down it was my choice that led me there. I was naive enough to think a government would legitimately care about me outside of being a useful asset. Dogtown was me lashing out, and others suffered for it. You and Reed, most of all. And, yet, I got away with it, because you took on my consequences for me. You always put this shit on you, when you don't deserve it. You deserve so much more, V. I know you don't see it, and stick with me here, but have you ever thought that you're a good person?"

V scoffed, "You're fucking kidding me, right?"

"Don't scoff. You think you're a bad person because you kill other murderers for money? V, you live in Night City. Mercs are listed as a legitimate profession in every official document. It's even accepted on Night City's adoption papers. You have a job filled with questionable morals, welcome to the club called Earth. I looked into you a long time ago. All you do is help people, even begrudgingly. You saved my life, after everything I had done. You deserve good things in life, V. So, listen to me very carefully…" So Mi grabbed V's face, making sure she was looking her dead in the eyes. "I. Want. To. Be. With. You. Will you have me?"

"I-I…" V stood shell shocked, not sure how she had been shut down so quickly. She had spent the past twelve hours tirading against So Mi, fighting for control of the situation. But, So Mi was apparently tired of playing Hot and Cold. This was what she got for playing with the woman who already knew how to play her like a violin. "I…Uh…Wow."

"If you want me to leave, I will. I'll stand down this time, I promise. If me being here hurts you, then I'll go. But, I'd love to stay."

V gazed at So Mi, not sure what to do. When she said she would deal with whatever outcome she was dealt, this wasn't what she was expecting. It was too good to be true. Her instincts were telling her to-...

Why was she bothering to think about this? It was just like Johnny had said.

She made up her mind, and nothing in this damn conversation was gonna change it.

"Gimme your hand," V requested, holding out her own to So Mi. Doing as she was told, So Mi placed her palm in V's, both of their eyes flashing blue. "Full access to the apartment. Not that you needed it, saying you broke in already. And, to be completely honest with ya, still think me being a good person is questionable at best, but…I guess I can try seeing things a little differently. As long as you're really gonna try with me."

So Mi grinned, hugging V. "Deal."

"...Once told me that you hate any wrinkles in plans. How many have you found in this one?"

So Mi chuckled, holding V a little tighter, "Starting from the moment I walked in here? A fuck ton. Starting from the moment I realized you had feelings for me? This was essentially a balled-up wet sheet left to dry at room temp."

"Snrk!" V couldn't help but laugh, closing her eyes as she nuzzled So Mi's shoulder, "Sorry."

"Hey, this plan was never not going to have wrinkles. Especially since the original outline was, 'Find V and pray that she doesn't want you dead'. So, I'd say it's going pretty good, all things considered."

"True. But, Reed once told me you were good at thinking ahead, but bad at quick judgment calls. What does all this classify as?"

"The best judgment call I've ever made."

"Good answer," V smiled, pulling back from the hug. "Y'said you finally pulled the trigger to see that I was alive. What made you make this call?"

"Met a woman on the Moon," So Mi sat down at the desk, resting back on her hands, "She reminded me of you a little bit."

"A sexy netrunner with the combat prowess to kill an army?"

"Uh...Kinda, actually."

"That was supposed to be a sarcastic rhetorical question."

"Maybe not that last part, but she was definitely an ex-runner. Sort of what drew us to each other at first, could just tell. She was from Night City too. I was drinking too much in a SolarScope Bar, sparked a convo, and…probably shared more than a Sober Songbird would have."

"For the love of God, So Mi, I swear if you're about to compare me to your last lay, I-"

"I didn't sleep with her!" So Mi laughed out, pinching V's leg. "Head out of the gutter. I told her in my half-drunken stupor that I betrayed someone I cared about, and that they were probably dead because they still decided to save me. Apparently, she related to that far more than I ever could have expected. She's the one who convinced me to finally find you, see if you made it. She told me that either way I wouldn't be able to live with myself. If I didn't check to see if you were alive, the questioning and guilt would eventually consume me. If I found out you were dead, then the guilt would consume me even faster. But, if I found you were alive, then I had a chance. I took that chance, and made more of it by coming here."

"Yeah, well, despite everything I've said, and I still mean it all, I-...I'm really happy you're here. But, I'm assuming you being here is a lot more complicated than just a moving truck and a housewarming party."

"You would assume right."

"Figures, with my new roommate being guilty of high treason and all."

So Mi sighed, nodding her head, "Even with Myers gone, I'm near the top of the shit list. Even when you have a plan in place to have her saved, a mock deal for the President's life is still a deal. Night City is a good hiding place, or even just a thick wall of bulletproof glass. Myers fucked over any of the NUSA's involvement here, even sleeper agents like Reed and Alex. Even with all that, it's best if I kept a low profile at all times."

"I'm sure you could handle it, but I've got plenty of friends that would be willing to help if we ever got into trouble. Besides, who ever said we have to stay in NC forever?"

"Let's keep things in house for now. We'll break that emergency glass if the time comes. I'll set up some more traps on the Net. If they start searching, we'll know way before they ever find us."

"Okay. Ah, fuck, we're really doing this?"

"I told you, I'll leave if you want me t-"

"Fuck that." V quickly brought their lips together, with So Mi throwing her arms around her neck. She was taking a leap of faith, V knew that. But, she also knew that if she didn't, she'd be wondering for her entire life.

She had made far dumber decisions before.

V pulled back, kissing behind So Mi's ear and whispering, "There is one more problem though."

"What's that?"

"Our burritos are probably cold by now."

_CP:77_

[Some Time Later]

"These are so fucking cool."

V swallowed another bit of her reheated burrito, looking down to see So Mi playing with the monowire on her wrist. They were back on the bed, meals mostly eaten as they had been discussing the ins and outs of So Mi fully moving from one celestial being to another.

"You have shape-shifting, but you don't got monowire in the NUS?"

"Oh, we have it. I asked for it once, but Myers said it was 'unnecessary,' and told me to focus on cyberware that would actually help with the Blackwall," So Mi replied in a mocking tone, trying to mimic Rosalind.

"Hmhm, well my ripper, Vik, still has some in storage. I could get you in there if you want."

"Mm, maybe," So Mi tossed the foil of her burrito into the trash can by the bedside table, resting into V's side. "I'm not too keen on going under the knife again, but I'll think about it. As long as you promise to teach me how to use them."

V put her arm around So Mi, "As long as you teach me your netrunning tricks."

"Deal, even though that's the most unfair trade I've ever seen."

"Hey, I already make the Net my bitch. I'm sure there's not that much you could teach me."

"You're damn good, V. But, there's a difference between being good and being able to recalibrate ICBM trajectories and crack government-level dataforts while making bulgogi and smoking a joint."

"...What in the actual fuck?"

"Hmhmhm, don't worry," So Mi kissed her cheek, which V barely registered as she was still in shock. "I'll get you there, I promise. I could probably get you to the point where you can complete all your gigs from home."

"Oh, now that's promising. Are we gonna do the cliche where every time I successfully breach a fortress I'm rewarded with romantic favors, with the harder the hack equaling the better the favor?"

"...That was far too specific to be a suggestion."

"It might've been a request."

"Well, request accepted, then." So Mi smiled at her, resting back against the wall as she turned to look out the window. As the mid-morning sun rose above Night City, So Mi had to admit it.

Night City was not somewhere she wanted to live. On her "List of Places I Want to Live" it just barely beat Washington DC and Hell itself as the worst options. It was disgusting, grimy, crime was basically it's number one import, export, and currency. It had shit people, gangs-galore, terrible food, the list went on and on.

…But, V was there.

So, it was worth it.

For now, at least. V said herself that Night City didn't have to be their place of permanent residency. It was a miracle V was still there to begin with. What more did NC have to offer her? She was the living legend she always wanted to be. Some had even taken to calling her "V : The Immortal" because she just could not die.

A Solo of her caliber had to make a mega-fuck ton of money, especially when she seemingly didn't spend much of it. She had a nice place, sure, but one of her notoriety would be expected to live in the swankiest pad NC had to offer. She was close friends and worked with both Kerry Eurodyne and US Cracks for crying out loud.

"V, I've gotta ask…Why do you still live here?"

V stopped her chewing to deadpan at her. She swallowed, clearly unamused with the question. "You go through all this, convince me to let you move in, and now you shit on my place?"

"Wh-? No, not the apartment. The location. Forgetting Night City in general for a second; why Watson?"

"I mean, it's home, and Misty and Vik are family. I'm staying close to 'em. Oh, right, just remembered you don't know 'em. But, I mean I actually did go look at some fancier apartments, even homes. Just didn't feel right. I'm not gonna lie to myself and act like just because I have money doesn't mean I'm not the same street kid I've always been. Some big empty house to live alone in is just pointless. Besides, using my money to support and improve the lives of Misty and Vik if they need it is much better use for it. Not to mention taking care of that brat over there," V pointed over to the windowsill where Nibbles rested, deadpanning at her owner as a reply. "And, now there's you, so I'd say I made the right call. Unless you have any ideas…"

"No, nothing like that. At least, not right now. Maybe someday we can get out of here, explore, make the most of our second chances. But, right now, here's good. Here with you? Perfect."

"Hey, even I'm not good enough to make Night City that tolerable, but…Thanks, So Mi. I know this, whatever we are, isn't gonna be the smoothest of sailing. Starting a relationship with a big argument about trust and betrayal, banging ten minutes later, and then agreeing to move in together the next morning are the reddest of flags there could possibly be. But…I weirdly think we can work."

"We will work. I'm done fighting for just myself. I'm fighting for you, too." So Mi threw her leg over V's lap, kissing her deeply. "...I promise."

_CP:77_

[Three Months Later]

V made it to her apartment door, taking a deep breath before reciting the same mantra she had been repeating since So Mi moved in.

"Please be inside. Please be inside. Please be inside. Please be inside," V opened her door, immediately being hit with a sweet scent that somehow also prickled her nostrils. She followed the aroma through her foyer, the sound of 'Chippin' In' was playing from the kitchen. V walked past the foggy glass walls, rounding the corner to see So Mi bouncing on her feet to the music as she chopped up vegetables in a purple crop-top and gray sweatpants. Her record player was plugged in on the counter, with Nibbles sitting next to it.

V had done a gig for the head manager of a shipping company, getting dirt on his soon-to-be divorced wife so that he could keep the kids. She substituted his eddies for a small shipment of every food-related cargo delivery for life. "The good Corpo shit" he had called it. Essentially the non-synthetic shit, which was all that V cared about.

So Mi had been more than ecstatic to hear that, cooking 90% of the meals they ate purely because she enjoyed it. Nibbles couldn't agree more. So Mi loved Nibbles, and couldn't resist feeding her snacks whenever she cooked. Most of their bonding time was spent in the kitchen together.

So Mi didn't leave the apartment much. Any time V was out, she was usually in the Net, helping her in some capacity. They would typically link their optic and audio systems so that So Mi could see and hear everything V did. It wasn't the same as the Relic communication, but it was good enough. She would hack anything V needed, teaching her some tricks along the way.

V had even bought a couple netrunner stations. After meeting Alt, she was absolutely done with ice baths. So Mi had taken her into the Net a few times already, showing V all the strings she never even knew you could pull. It was interesting, to say the least.

She didn't say it, but V also knew that So Mi was double and triple checking her cybersecurity constantly. Pure paranoia that somebody would be after them.

V couldn't blame her either, she didn't want to lose this. The past few months had been absolutely incredible.

So Mi looked up, smiling at her, "Hey, babe."

"Hey. Havin' fun?"

So Mi gave Nibbles a small slice of pear before dancing over to V, scratching the record on her way. She put her arms around V's neck with a sly grin, "A decent amount, but the beef still needs an hour to marinate. We could have some real fun while we wait."

"Dessert before dinner? You spoil me, So Mi."

"Well, nobody said we can't have dessert twice."

"Oh? A tempting offer," V kissed her, hands running down So Mi's back until directly under her backside, hoisting her up so she could wrap her legs around her back. "Before I accept this offer, I have to ask. You're listening to Samurai. What happened to 'Samurai was done after their first album'?"

So Mi furrowed her brow in confusion before her eyes lit up, "I did say that! Shit, V, you continue to be a miracle worker."

"I do my best, but you didn't answer my question."

"Hey, Samurai are literally the only records you own. Besides, you might be affecting me, but they're not that bad. Not my favorite, but it's decent."

"I can practically hear Johnny screaming right now, calling you nothing short of a tasteless bitch.

So Mi groaned, "I will never understand how you actually became friends with him."

"Maybe I'm just a positive influence."

"Well, that's a given," So Mi smiled. She watched V's eyes roam her face, gazing curiously back. "What?"

"Nothin', just…It's so good to see you acting this way. So alive. It's a lot like how you were in your memories."

There was a lot of stuff that still haunted So Mi. Some nights V would have to calm her down from nightmares. It was just something she'd probably have to live with for a long time, if not the rest of her life. It's not like V didn't have her own share of nightmares.

But, to think back on So Mi on the NCX monorail, or even the So Mi from Dogtown, she just felt so…herself.

"It's thanks to you, you know?" So Mi broke her out of her thoughts, playing with a strand of V's hair. "I don't think I'll ever be able to properly explain how you do it. Bringing back memories, reminding me of home, who I wa-...Who I am. You make me…well, me. Speaking of which, I have something for you. Another fragment of who I am I want you to have."

So Mi hopped down from V's grasp, taking her by the hand and leading her back to their bedroom. Once inside, V saw a rectangular package on their bed, raising a brow, "You ordered something? Did…Did you hack my bank account?"

So Mi chuckled, lightly flicking V's forehead, "I have money, you gonk. But, technically this was ordered by a 'Cassandra Leland' in Arkansas."

"Lemme guess, she doesn't exist?"

"You assume correctly. Now, open it."

V tore off the tape and flipped open the flaps. She took out the plastic package and ripped it open, pulling out a denim jacket. "Wait, is this…?

V turned it around, finding a skeletal pattern on the back. So Mi nodded, sitting down on the bed, "My old jacket was probably burned to ash by Myers in a rage, but this is a damn good replica. Try it on."

V smiled as she took off her synth-leather jacket and threw on So Mi's. She walked into the bathroom and looked into the mirror. She turned around, looking over her shoulder at the design. "Preem."

"Preem?" So Mi came up behind her, wrapping her arms around her waist and resting her chin on her shoulder. "That's a strange way of saying sexy."

"Hmhmhm. Thank you. For the jacket, and the compliment."

"Anytime," They sat together like that for a while, smiling at each other in the mirror.

Yes, V had to admit, despite all of this she still had many moments of her own paranoia. But, instead of the NUS, her's was about So Mi.

She would have these moments of doubt where she would wonder if So Mi was still waiting for something. She wondered if she had simply fallen right for So Mi's honeyed words all over again, and was being used. Was she really just a shield for the NUSA? Was she found on the Moon and needed somewhere to hide? Was So Mi just using her to get memories back?

It certainly didn't feel like bullshit, but V felt the same way back in Dogtown.

Of course, So Mi denied everything. She had been very open since moving in, and V appreciated that. It was obvious how much she liked living there, and V was in full agreement.

But, the more V grew to love So Mi's presence, the more she became afraid of it being pulled out from under her.

One day, she would give in. Maybe once a year of living together passes, V will merely embrace their new life together in full. No more doubts. But, for now, So Mi was proving herself. She made V's life better with each passing day.

Reed was probably right. Even the deepest of wounds heal over, and scars become only a mild itch.

Perhaps she was far too loyal of a soldier, because she knew that if the NUSA ever came knocking on their door, the FIA would truly learn what it meant to go to war. A war V wouldn't let them win, no matter the cost. She and So Mi were both on their second chances at life, and their second chance at a relationship. A real future.

They refused to let it go to waste.

_CP:77_