Cyberpunk: Fatherhood

by RobinRounds

Car wrecked. Mom in the hospital. Bills are due. Desperation setting in. Our only chance is a number in mom's old holo records. It's listed as "Vinny - Emergencies Only!" I mean, fuck it, he can't make it worse for us. Right?

36. Chapter 36 - Crazy Chicks

Over the last few months of living in his own apartment, David felt he was doing a decent job keeping up with maintenance of the place. It helped that he also had Lucy to give him a hand here and there. Something which made the fact they were running a bit low on groceries a minor annoyance.

"Add cat food to the list." He heard Lucy call as he checked their toiletries.

"What? Already?" He called back, making a note that he needed more shampoo. "Thought we had enough to last a few weeks?" A mew came from somewhere near his feet as he stepped out of the bathroom. David looked down and noticed the furless furball looking up at him. They might have only had the cat for a little over a week, but he already seemed to have 'filled out' a little. "You unrepentant fat fuck."

"David, don't curse at the cat." Lucy frowned, making her way over to them. "And besides, he can't help it. Street cats don't know when their next meal will be so they take advantage of food when they can." She crouched down and started petting Nibbles. "He just hasn't learned that he'll always have food here and doesn't need to worry."

"Sure he's not just a glutton?" He asked as Nibbles wiggled away from Lucy's hands and walked over to his food bowl to lick up a couple crumbs.

"Okay, maybe we switch him to a low-fat cat food?" Lucy smiled as she stood up, following him over to his shoes. "Anyhow, I might not be here when you get back." Her smile faded slightly, "I got another doctor's appointment in a couple hours."

"That's fine, I can manage the groceries on my own." David slipped on his shoes, before giving her a kiss. "Just send a message if you think of anything else you might want."

"Will do." Lucy gave a nod, and David hopped the elevator down to the lobby. He had just stepped out of the elevator when he saw a familiar face entering the building. "Oh, hey Dorio."

There was something amusing about the way the woman jumped, nearly dropping the small paper bag she was carrying.

"Huh!? Oh, David!" Dorio recovered a little, adjusting her jacket. "How you feelin' kid?"

"Well as I can be." He gave her a lopsided smile. Never mind that he had drained what remained of the alcohol the woman had given him last night. And a good percentage of his and Lucy's stock. Or that he had woken up in the shower of all places. "You?"

"Same." She nodded, "heading out somewhere?"

"Grocery run." David gestured towards the door. "I'd stay and chat but..."

"No worries." The blond waved him away, "I know Lucy told me she's running on a bit of a timer too."

"Yeah, I'm hoping I make it back before she leaves but." He shrugged, and Dorio nodded in understanding.

"Then don't let me keep you." She gave a nod and moved towards the elevator as he stepped out the door. Hopping into his car, David took the drive over to the Bulwark market in Wellsprings. Sure there were a few mini-marts and shops closer than he could have gone to, but the Bulwark had one of the few shops that sold some quality food. Luck was on David's side and the place wasn't too crowded and he was able to get everything and a few extras that weren't on the list.

Once he returned to the apartment, David regretted some of his extra purchases as he now had to carry them in. That didn't stop him from managing to set a new personal best as he carried in all twelve bags in one go. He was so proud of himself as he stepped out of the elevator that he failed to notice Lucy was standing right in front of him and he jumped.

"Careful puppy." She cautioned, picking up the bag of chips that had fallen out of one of the bags and putting it back in. "I'd stay and help you with this but my appointment's in thirty."

"That's fine, I can manage." He did his best to shift the bags out of the way so that he could give Lucy a kiss goodbye and wish her well as she hopped the elevator and went off to her appointment. "Just don't be mad if I hide the mallow cookies."

He laughed at the memory of Lucy having eaten nearly the entire package herself before he had gotten any as he started sorting the groceries. Of course, Nibbles had to come over and "help" him by rolling and chewing on the various bags.

"Why did we even bother buying you toys?" He asked, now seeing the cat pawing and tackling one of the empty bags. Not that it mattered, the only bag left was the one containing the items for the bathroom. His shampoo, toothpaste, and some 'feminine hygiene products' that David was quick to throw in the small drawer under the sink.

Task completed, he was about to throw the bag away when he noticed something in the bathroom's trash. It was a white plastic stick, a little longer than his finger with a small window displaying two vertical lines – one darker than the other.

It took a good thirty seconds for his brain to realize that he was staring at a pregnancy test.

A positive pregnancy test.

"Oh God, oh God. Oh fuck." It took needing to breathe before David was able to say anything beside an expletive. He reached into the can, avoiding the test in favor of grabbing the small box he could see in the can. "Maybe I'm just reading it wrong? Or maybe this one's expired?"

He turned the box over in his hands, checking the box instructions. The instruction sheet inside the box. The manufacturing date was just a month ago, and the test didn't expire for another two years. His eyes drifted back to the test and those two vertical lines within the window.

"Shit. Why didn't she tell me? Is this why she's going to see the doctor again?" The test seemed to be staring at him, and he quickly threw the box away and buried them both under the other bag. Shaking his head, he stepped out of the bathroom and stumbled over to the couch. All at once, the various jokes and comments made by the crew came rushing to him. Oh they were going to have a field day with this when they found out.

Because he knew it wasn't a matter of if, only when they would find out he was going to be a father.

Yeah, he might have been a gonk XBD addict for some of his life, but he was still a Mexican Catholic – and the thought of asking Lucy to get an abortion felt abhorrent to him.

Then again, it was Lucy's body – and even if he didn't like it, he would let her make the final call and support her.

He pushed that thought away, focusing instead on how this would affect his and Lucy's careers.

God, did becoming a parent really change your mindset that much? And that fast?

Would Lucy still be able to do netrunning while pregnant? Or go on gigs?

And when the baby was born...Would they have to take turns going on gigs so one of them could stay home with the kid? Or would one of them have to become a stay-at-home parent? Could he ask his mom-

Oh God, how was he going to tell his mom? How would she take the news of being a grandmother?

Worse. How was he going to tell V?

That one sent a shiver down his spine, and David could feel himself starting to sweat.

"Okay David, stay calm. Think about this." He took a few calming breaths, trying to rationalize his thoughts. "Maybe get an outsider's opinion? Yeah...like some fatherly advice." He cringed, did he just make a dad joke? "Shit. Can't call V, the man will zero me in a heartbeat and there's no way I'll be able to convince him its a hypothetical. Can't call Jackie as while he might have some advice, he'd probably tell V and then its both mine and his asses in slings. Maine?" The man had had some good advice in the past, and David knew the man had a soft spot for him. "Yeah, I'll call Maine."

He selected Maine's number in his holo and prayed that the man would have some answers.

~{+}~{| |}~{=}~

With no pressing gigs and several questions answered, Maine was trying to adhere to the constant suggestion from the medics he knew to relax in his free time. He felt he was doing a decent job, and was currently on the couch, engaging in some 'sleeping meditation' (the way one of the other guys in his tai chi class described taking a nap).

That meditation was interrupted by an incoming holo call.

[Calling: David]

"Oh what now?" He grumbled, recalling the results of the last few calls he had taken. Sitting up slightly on the couch, he picked up the call.

["What do you want kid?"]

["Lucy's pregnant."]

Whatever relaxation Maine might have been feeling jumped out the window and into oncoming traffic without looking. He was thankful he wasn't eating or drinking anything, as he felt certain it would now be splattered all over the carpet. And thank whatever God might have watched over him that everything but his mind was in good shape. Otherwise Maine felt certain his heart would have stopped at the surprise he felt.

["That's...uh, that's really...uh, erm...Boy."] He grunted, unable to think of anything beyond how fucked the kids might be.

["Maine?"]

["Details."] Maine croaked out. "Treat it like a gig, maybe we can figure something out."

["So I was putting away some groceries and doing a little cleaning in the bathroom and when I went to throw the trash away I found a pregnancy test in the trash. I didn't think much of it but then I noticed it was positive and now Lucy's gone to see a doctor. And I mean it makes sense because she's been sick recently but-"]

["David, breathe!"] Maine would have been impressed that he got all that out in one go if he wasn't resisting the urge to beat David's ass. He'd never admit it to anyone (except Dorio) but somewhere down the line Lucy stopped being just 'another runner' in his eyes. Maine didn't have siblings, but he could admit Lucy had become something like a niece to him.

And now her life, and David's life, were borderline FUBAR'd.

Who went wrong and where? Hadn't he warned David to always keep a condom with him? Actually, didn't he tell both of them that same advice? Hadn't Lucy asked Dorio for advice on lady birth control? Didn't they both warn them to be careful?

["Sorry, but...I just don't know what to do."] He could hear the distress in David's voice as the kid started rambling how he couldn't call V, Jackie, or really anybody else. About how Lucy hadn't been feeling a hundred percent the last week or so. About how he had no idea how any of this would affect his and Lucy's lives.

["David."] Maine used his name, hoping to break him out of the panic rambling. It worked. ["I don't blame you for not wanting to call V or anyone else. But I'm not sure what advice I can really give."] He could feel David's concern over the connection. ["You said Lucy's gone to see a doctor today?"]

["Y-yeah?"]

["Before you do anything rash, wait for her to get back. I'm no doctor, but symptom-wise, what you described could be anything caused by something else."] He grunted at the memory of dealing with dysentery after drinking from an unfiltered tap.

["But I found the test..."]

["And while reliable, there is a possibility of error."] Maine didn't know how truly accurate the tests were, but if it would reassure the kid? And maybe himself? ["For all you know, it could be a false positive because the test is faulty or something."]

["Right."] He could hear some relief come into David's voice.

["Exactly. So wait for her to get back and tell you the results herself. No use working yourself into a panic over what may turn out to be nothing more than a parasite."] Okay, maybe that wasn't the best choice of words to describe a potential pregnancy but...

["I know, but I'd just like to have a plan and be prepared. You know, just in case."] There was a small amount of determination in David's voice, but he could still hear the nervousness. And Maine was kind of proud that David seemed willing to take responsibility for this. ["I mean, I've potentially brought a life into this world. Oh god, I've added another bastard onto the Martinez family tree. Or is the Linder tree? Kushinada? Fuck, which name do we even give the kid?"]

["David, what family name you give the kid is the least of your worries."] Maine rolled his eyes, maybe he gave the kid too much credit too soon.

["I know."] He felt David deflate. ["It's just..."]

["I get it."] He really didn't, but damn it, the kid came to him for help and he was going to try and give it. ["For something like this to happen so soon after you learn more of your family's history? Makes sense that you'd think about it."]

["Yeah. Just can't help but feel I'm continuing some odd cycle."]

Maine blinked, the kid wasn't wrong, but he wasn't right either. The realization gave him an idea that was more joke than serious but he figured he'd voice it anyways.

["Look, if one of your biggest hang-ups on this whole thing is guilt at bringing another bastard into this world – why not go out and buy a ring?"] He kept his tone light and grinned, hoping that David could feel it even if he couldn't see it. ["Oh sure, you'd still have to hit the courthouse to really make it official. But at least you dodge the guilt and the kid avoids the shame of being born out of wedlock."]

["You think Lucy would go for that?"] Maine could hear the tone shift in David's voice. ["Wait, isn't it customary to ask her father for her hand first?"]

For some reason, he thought back to the first time he met Dorio's parents. He could still feel the judgment in her mom's gaze, and could admit that he was genuinely intimidated by her father. Never mind that Maine was at least three heads taller than the man – that was his little girl he was trying to romance.

God, if he ever grew the balls to ask Dorio to marry him...

["You've watched way too many romance movies with her."] He laughed, trying to make himself feel better even as he suspected David's face had turned red. ["Look, that may have been true once upon a time. But this is the twenty-seventies, and we're in Night City."]

["I know, but Lucy's a bit of a romantic."] There was a long pause on David's end. ["Know you're not her father, but can I at least have your blessing?"]

["Kid."] David lost his name rights again as Maine started laughing. ["You know I'm only kidding about buying a ring?"]

["I know, but...Look, it would make me feel better if we decide later down the line. That I at least made the effort."]

The old soldier couldn't decide if David's sentiment was heartwarming, cringe-inducing, smart or stupid. Still, he could sense that the kid was feeling a bit better about the situation and against his better judgment.

["If it'll make you feel better? Sure."]

["Nova. Thanks Maine."] He could feel David's relief, and felt a small level of relief himself.

["You're welcome. But in all seriousness, I want to remind you not to do anything too crazy until you know for sure, alright?"]

["Right."] He could almost see the kid nodding. ["Thanks Maine, 'preciate the advice."]

["No problem."] He replied, although he wasn't sure how helpful he had actually been. Oh sure, telling the kid to wait was probably good advice, but the rest?

["Alright, well I'm gonna let you go."] Maine gave an unseen nod at David's reply. ["Got a few things to finish up around the house before Lucy gets back."]

["Do what you need to do kid. Just keep me posted, alright?"]

["Will do."] The moment the call disconnected, Maine let out a huge sigh and pushed himself off the couch and over to the fridge. Muscle memory took over as he opened the fridge and removed a six-pack. Cracking one open, he took a drink before returning to the couch with the other five.

Forget 'sleeping meditation', Maine needed some 'hydration therapy' if he was going to deal with anymore surprises today.

~{+}~{| |}~{=}~

Pilar was in a good mood. He had received a decent pay day after selling off some software code he had made, and decided it was time to treat himself to some new clothes. Mainly, some new pants.

He loved his new dick, he really did. But damn if that piece of chrome hadn't been doing a number of his wardrobe. Oh sure, he figured out how to 'shrink' it so that it fit comfortably within the confines of his pants. But the moment he got even the slightest bit hard?

The experts were right; skinny jeans are not conducive to boners.

Oh sure, he could have just bought some regular jeans, but damn it. He liked wearing form-fitting clothes (and damn if Nadia didn't show her appreciation of the affect they had on his massive cock).

As such, he had decided to pay a visit to some of the finer clothing establishments. And as a result, he was now walking out of Jinguji with two pairs of pants the sales rep guaranteed would stand up against his chrome. Sure it cost him a good two-thirds of his last paycheck, but goddamn, he deserved something nice for once.

"Still got a little left over. Maybe buy a present for Nadia?" His eyes drifted to some of the other stores, mind trying to recall some of the items Nadia had mentioned wanting. He had narrowed his choices down to a new coffee maker (practical if not a bit impersonal) or maybe a new watch (her current one had a scratched face, and the band looked one good tug away from breaking). "Maybe see if one's on sale? There is that retro department-style store that has both that..."

The Techie's thoughts trailed off as he noticed a preem set of wheels parked outside the store in question. A Caliburn that was currently sporting a mostly white paint job with black and purple accents – The 'Lucy', as they all called it behind David's back.

"Hel~lo, excuse me a moment." He grinned and carefully weaved around several others as he crossed the street and peered into the window. The slight tint to them doing little to mute the dayglow yellow of a familiar EMT jacket he could see handing over some eddies in exchange for what looked like a ring box. "No freakin' way..."

Pilar rubbed his hands together, a grin on his face that was growing larger by the second as the jacket moved from the counter and towards the door. The moment the jacket was out the door and Pilar got a positive ID; one arm went around David's shoulder while the other went out and in front to signal him to stop.

"Hey David, what brings you to this part of town?" Carefully, he maneuvered David off to the side and out of the way of any passing pedestrians. His eyes drifted to the small black bag in the kid's hands. "Oh! For me? Aww, you shouldn't have!" Pilar reached out to grab the bag, but David pulled it away and tried to shove him away. "Relax choom, I'm just kidding."

"Sorry, just...it's been a long morning." David sighed, leaning against the building.

"You and Lucy get into a fight?" He looked back at the bag. "That why you're buying her a peace offering?"

"Nope." The kid turned his head to the side. "Well, not yet at least."

"Ah, preemptive strike." Pilar nodded, one hand stroking his beard in mock thought. "Wait, what did you do?"

"...Got her pregnant." David looked down. "She hasn't told me officially, but I found the test."

While he remained still on the outside, Pilar felt his heart and other organs drop to his feet or jump into his throat. He kept his hand on his beard as he nodded, slowly tilting his head a little as he looked around.

"Pilar?"

"Do you hear that?" The corners of his lips quirked up as David's eyes narrowed and he looked around, confused. "It sounds like...You know, it sounds like an old telephone ringing." His smile grew as David looked more confused than ever. "Either way, I hope someone picks it up because I. Fucking. Called it!"

Pilar clapped his hands and cackled with delight even as David grumbled and proceeded to kick him in the shin.

"It's not funny."

"Ow, I know." He wheezed, grimacing from the pain as David tried to walk away. Once more, Pilar was quick to drop an arm around David's shoulder and keep him nearby. "Hey, hey look man. I'm sorry, I don't mean to laugh but-"

"I know." David sighed, "I just feel like a total gonk. I mean, I know she can be considered just as guilty as me. But I can't help but feel its mostly my fault and that I've messed up both our lives." Pilar kept all snarky, sassy, and other comments to himself and let David continue. "That's why I'm trying to do right by her and...bought this."

David opened the bag and took out the small box within. Shifting so that only the two of them could see, David opened the box to reveal the ring. Two narrow strands of gold threaded together to form the band, twisting towards an amethyst set where the two strands met. What might have been two tiny diamonds were also set into the twist.

Pilar might not know much about jewelry, but he could tell the ring was thin enough to not distract, but would still stand up if things got rough.

"Damn, know who I'm callin' if I need help buying something for Nadia. She's going to love it. You goin' all old fashioned...Are you going to ask, don't know where her father is...Maybe ask Maine for his blessing?"

"Ha...already did." David ducked into his jacket, storing the ring away as he did. "He's the one who gave me the idea."

God, this development was a gift that kept on giving and Pilar once again clapped his hands in delight.

"Good man." The techie gave him a pat on the back, before turning serious. "Amusing as all this is kid, I'm glad to see you willing to take responsibility. It's not easy, taking care of a kid when you're so young yourself." He had been in David's shoes, once. Never mind that it was his sister, and that she could partially care for herself with his help. And at least in this case, David also had Lucy to help him. "But I think you can handle it."

"Really?" He nodded, "thanks Pilar. Think I needed to hear that."

"No problem kid." He started leading David towards his car. "Now, if I was you? I'd get out of here with that. This may be one of the nicer sections of Night City, but I wouldn't risk it with that preem piece."

"Right." The two stopped at David's Caliburn. "Thanks again Pilar."

"No problem choom." He gave David a thumbs up as the kid climbed into his car. "Just keep me updated, alright?"

"Will do. Catch you later." David returned the gesture, before shutting the door to his car and driving off. No sooner had the car rounded a turn and disappeared out of his line of sight did the full reality of the situation sink in.

David was going to be a father.

Lucy was going to be a mother.

Wait, was she even planning on keeping it?

No, this was Lucy. Pilar knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she'd keep it.

Gah! He wanted more details but suspected David told him everything he knew. And he couldn't exactly call Lucy, and Maine would be just as fruitless.

"Who else might know something?" Pilar ran down his list of holo contacts, stopping at one in particular. "Eh, what do I got to lose?"

The smile on his face grew impossibly bigger as he selected the name.

[Calling: Kiwi]

~{+}~{| |}~{=}~

Even with all the excitement over the last few days, Kiwi couldn't help but feel slightly bored. That's why when a call came in from a certain BD editor looking for a runner for a minor job, she had jumped at the opportunity. With Falco's help, she had taken the short trip to the coordinates Judy had sent her and proceeded to get in and steal some data. Falco meanwhile took to 'recovering' the hardware, and between the two of them they had the job done in a matter of hours.

Judy was pleased with their work, and in addition to monetary compensation, had comped them some drinks as well. Currently, the two were seated at the bar in Lizzie's relaxing, enjoying a small celebration for a gig well done. Somehow, the subject had shifted from gigs and small talk to her love life.

"Just sayin', I think the little lady has a thing for you."

"Oh please, it's just professional courtesy." Kiwi sighed, "not to mention, the age gap between us?"

"How old are ya again?" There was a challenging smirk on Falco's face.

"How old are you?" She sassed back, the two of them laughing at one of their oldest inside jokes. "But seriously, she's a child compared to me."

"At least she's legal." The driver took a drink of his beer, and Kiwi couldn't help but roll her eyes, knowing what he was referencing.

"Even still-" Her words faded as she noticed a call coming in over her holo.

"Kiwi?"

"Pilar's calling..." She saw the driver shrug, before he motioned for her to pick up the call. ["Hello?"]

["Heyyaa~ biitttch~."]

["What is it string bean?"] She sighed, rolling her eyes and reaching for her drink.

["Oh come on, is that any way to greet one of your oldest chooms?"]

["You only use the sassy gay tone when you've got news. So spill it."]

["Oh fine. Ruin my fun."] Kiwi could just imagine Pilar mock-pouting as he continued. ["Anyhow, I ran into a certain speedy solo while shopping in Downtown."]

["Good for you?"] Much as she wanted to hang up on the techie, the blond had a feeling he was leading up to something and let him continue.

["Oh yeah. I had just finished up my shopping at Jinguji – they're having a sale on pantsuits by the way."] She chuckled internally, recalling a time when she had dragged Pilar shopping with her for the item in question. ["But anyways, I took a look inside that retro department store nearby and saw David doing some shopping. In particular, he was looking at the jewelry counter."]

["Oh?"] The netrunner reached for her drink, idly running a finger around the rim as she lifted it to take a sip. ["And pray tell, what did our little rookie buy?"]

["A ring."]

It was only the fact that her cybernetics didn't allow it that Kiwi wasn't choking on her drink.

["Detes. Now."]

["It's a beautiful gold piece with little diamonds and an amethyst at the center an-"]

["No you gonk! I mean, why is David buying jewelry? Better yet, why is he buying a ring of all things?"] Lucy's birthday was still a good month away. And while she didn't know Gloria's, a ring just didn't seem like something you buy your mom as a gift.

Kiwi would swear she could feel Pilar vibrating with delight over the connection as he gave her the answer.

["Because you're going to be an aunt?"]

It was only a direct EMP pulse that would have rivaled the effect that Pilar's words had on her. She felt her servos lock up, and her systems kick into overdrive. On the one hand, she was a little upset that Lucy wasn't more careful. And that David was such a horny gonk. She'd probably mess with his cyberware in retribution, but nothing major (leave that for V and Gloria).

["Kid couldn't keep it in his pants, huh?"] She responded with more calm than she actually felt. Annoyed as she was at the kids, Kiwi was also excited by the thought. Her unofficial sister was going to have a baby. She was going to be an aunt. ["So what, does he think making an honest woman of her will help the situation?"]

["I guess?"] Kiwi could just see Pilar shrugging. ["Either that or he thinks it will lessen the impending ass whooping he's gonna get from V and the rest."] The techie went silent a moment. ["Wait, you didn't know?"]

["No? This is the first I've heard of it."] Was this why Lucy had been going to the doctor's recently? ["I mean, I knew she hadn't been feeling well but..."] It was then Kiwi realized something. ["Wait, why am I hearing this from you?"]

Logically, David would have been the first person Lucy would tell. But why did Pilar know and she didn't?

["Because like I said, I ran into the kid and he let it slip that he found a test in the bathroom."] Pilar answered. ["I called you wondering if Lucy might have contacted you."]

["Not yet."] Maybe Lucy was waiting until she could talk with David about it? Or confirmed it by other means?

["Darn, guess we're both just going to have to wait for more information."] Pilar sounded genuinely disappointed. ["Anyhow, I'm gonna let you go. Got to swing by Becca's place to drop something off."]

["Alright. Let me know if you hear anything else."]

["You do the same. Lataah~ biitttch~."] He brought back the sassy tone as their call ended, making her sigh. Her eyes drifted to her drink, and she took a drink even as she felt Falco's eyes on her.

"What happened now? Becca do something stupid?"

"Not Becca." She reached into a pocket and took out a cigarette.

"Pilar?"

"Nope, not him either." She lit her cigarette and took a long pull. Much as Falco acted uninterested at times, Kiwi knew she wouldn't get any peace until the guy got a coherent answer. "David. And Lucy."

"Oh boy." He signaled for another beer. "What did they do now?"

"...I'm going to be an aunt." The woman looked at Falco, whose face seemed to be in its usual neutral expression. To those who knew him however? "Look, far as I can tell. Lucy hasn't officially told David yet-"

"Let me guess, kid found a test?"

She nodded, not for the first time wondering how the hell Falco could figure out shit like that from minimal data.

"Yeah, and apparently he also bought a ring." Her eyes narrowed as she studied her current drinking partner. "I know that look. What are you thinking?"

"Think we should throw the kids an engagement party?" He gave a nod as his drink was delivered. "Or maybe a baby shower?"

Falco might have been an enigma to most of the crew. But Kiwi knew that, for some reason, the man had a fondness for parties.

"Falco." She shook her head, pointing her cigarette at him. "Can you at least wait until we hear more from David or Lucy before you go looking for an excuse to hold a party?"

"I suppose." He picked up the new bottle and took a drink. "Don't want to buy 'em a bunch of baby clothes only to find out they're giving the kid up. Or buying decorations only to learn she said no."

"Doubt it." Kiwi took a drag off her cigarette, not really sure which statement she meant that to. Oh sure, in the beginning she told Lucy to keep David close for protection. And in the beginning it might have just been her playing (and taking advantage of teenage hormones). But somewhere down the line, Kiwi could tell the relationship grew and evolved into something more genuine.

Not to mention, Kiwi knew Lucy didn't mind children. Whether or not she wanted some of her own was unknown but-

"Say, do you think Lucy will name you Godmother."

"Ugh." Kiwi hid behind her drink. "Do people even still do that shit?"

"Don't know." He shrugged, raising his drink in a small toast that Kiwi returned. A silent agreement between the two to drop the current subject in favor of discussing something else.

~{+}~{| |}~{=}~

After Kiwi told him the news, Falco had spent another hour just talking with her while digesting the information. He wasn't surprised by the news, only that it hadn't happened sooner. Either way, the gears had started turning in his head the moment Kiwi said she was going to be an aunt. That momentum had increased once she also mentioned that David had bought a ring.

By the time the two of them had gone their separate ways, Falco had a whole lot of ideas on how to help David out on multiple fronts.

First and foremost?

Help the kid with his impending proposal.

He smiled. He could agree with Kiwi shooting down his idea for a baby shower (for now). And while she shot down his idea to throw the pair an engagement party...She didn't say shit about him helping David throw an 'engagement' party.

"You're arguing semantics!" The combined memory of over a dozen voices saying the same thing didn't stop him from agreeing...And promptly ignoring them in favor of calling David.

["Falco?"] There was a small note of confusion in David's voice.

["Mornin' David."] He kept his tone light. ["How ya feelin' after last night?"]

["Oh, uh...Fine? I mean, woke up in the shower but, yeah."] The thought made him snort. Kid really was a lightweight, wasn't he? ["Did, did you need something?"]

["Yeah. Some information."] He gave an unseen nod. ["What's all this I hear about you buyin' a ring?"]

["Huh? How do you know about that!?"] God, he wished he could see David right now.

["A little bird told me."] He smirked, wondering if David would catch on.

["Kiwi is such a gossiping bitch."] The smirk turned into a proper smile.

["Yeah, you've become a part of the crew."] Falco could feel the response on David's lips. ["Look, ever since Kiwi joined, the surest sign you've integrated yerself with us is if you realize that."]

["I'm honored...Wait, how did she know?"]

["Pilar."]

["Gossiping asshole."] Falco couldn't help but chuckle as David cussed out both Pilar and Kiwi. ["Too bad Pilar's dating Nadia, otherwise I'd say those two would make a great couple."]

["They got along better as friends."] David might have been being sarcastic but Falco couldn't help it.

["Wait, what?"]

["Never mind kid."] He made a note to save that story for another day when he needed information from David. ["Anyhow, reason I called was to see if you had any idea on how you were going to propose to Lucy."]

["Didn't realize you were such a romantic."] The driver could feel the smirk on David's face. ["And uh, not really? Wait, why? Do you know something about how she'd want to be proposed to?"]

Rest of the crew was right, David really hadn't been corrupted on certain aspects of life yet.

["Can't say she has, but if I had to guess?"] He paused, even though he already had it all planned out. ["Lucy's not one for big things. She'd probably want something small and private, maybe a few close friends around as opposed to one of those grand spectacle proposals."]

["Right. Maybe take her out to dinner somewhere? Like the Cojo?"]

["Nah, still too public."] He hummed, trying to bait the kid. ["Last thing you want is to pop the question and the moments ruined as some drunk gangoon blows chunks behind you as he can't hold his liquor."]

["Right. But I can't take her to one of the really fancy places like Pepper and Spice. Nor would any of the clubs be good."] Falco could just see David's foot taping as the guy tried to think. ["There's got to be something I could do..."]

"Time to throw the kid a bone." The driver smiled. ["Say, what do you think of the idea of holdin' a little get together in the Badlands? Sort of a throw back to when we all first met and played around in the desert."]

["That...could work. Got a place in mind?"]

["Matter of fact, I do."] He sent David a set of coordinates. ["What you got there is the coordinates of an erg...A dune field. It's decently sheltered from the winds, and offers a mostly unobstructed view of the desert. S'also not to far away from the Sunset Motel if sumthin' does go wrong."] Falco did his best to not laugh at David's hiss at hearing the motel's name again. ["Way I see it? We round up the crew and head out. Build a fire pit, bring some drinks and food and have a little get together. Once everyone's relaxed, you can segue into poppin' the question."]

["Got to admit, that has merit and sounds more romantic than any of my ideas. But why don't we just set up at the motel instead?"]

["Motel would be impersonal ~ save maybe fer rentin' a room if ya'll don't think ya can keep yer hands to yerselves until ya get home."] Falco made no attempt to hide his accent, hoping the dulcet tone might sway David's opinion. ["There's also less chance 'a interruptions. Worse we'd get is some gonks from the motel sees the smoke from our fire and wanders over t'check it out. Biggest problem would be Raffin trash crashing the party...But I could probably rope in a few of my Nomad pals to drive around and patrol to keep 'em at bay."]

["Nah. Rather try to get the quiet of the desert."] There was a pause on David's end. ["Plus, I think everyone would have enough misplaced aggression to drive them away or wipe them out if they fucked this up."]

["True."] Memories of the crew beating up a few strays from the Animals for 'crashing' the surprise party Maine threw for Dorio's thirty-fifth birthday made him smile. ["Anyhow, final call's yours David. I don't mind either way."]

["Let's do it."] He grinned, feeling David's excitement. ["You want me to message the others?"]

["Nah, I can take care of the messages and some of the prep."] David didn't need to know that he already had the message prepared. ["You just let me know sooner rather than later when you want this little party to go down."]

["Can we do it tonight? Rather ask her sooner rather than later..."]

["Of course."] Falco added the time to the message. ["Alright, now if there's nothin' else you need, I'd like to get a jump on this."]

["Sure, thanks Falco. Really appreciate you helping with this."]

["No problem at all."] He'd tip his hat to the kid if he was wearing one. The two of them spent another minute or two talking, before David ended the call to start thinking of what he was going to say to Lucy. Shaking his head at David's answer, Falco just smiled and sent off a message to the crew (minus David and Lucy) as he decided to head for the Badlands.

~{+}~{| |}~{=}~

When Becca had arrived at the Cojo for V's meeting, there were plenty of things she was expecting. And she got most of them; Arguments and doubts raised by the crew at V. Revelations about his behavior. Sass and snide comments served alongside free food and drinks. But there were also a few things she didn't expect; meeting their newest crew member (and his brother, she hoped the kid was feeling better). Getting assigned a whole new gig (against V's father of all people).

Oh, and V reconciling with Gloria.

It wasn't that she didn't want them to get back together. Actually, she had probably been the one rooting for it the most.

Too bad she didn't realize just how much it would sting to see the two of them back together.

"I made my bed, and wanted to get fucked in it. And now they're fucking in it." She took a drink, hand blindly reaching into whatever bag of snacks was closest. Her eyes drifted to the TV, the only company she'd had since leaving the Cojo the night before. In a way, Becca supposed she should be thankful they had made up. It meant there was still a chance that she could have both of them.

"Fat chance." That little voice of doubt inside her head told her. "Only way we'd have gotten either one would have been to let the relationship rot."

"Shaddup." The green-haired girl cursed herself aloud. Maybe it was a byproduct of the alcohol still coursing through her veins, but Becca could admit she had entertained the thought. Just as quickly however, she had discarded it as it made her sick. "M'not gonna be one of those skanks who breaks up friends because she wants one of them for herself."

"Yeah, we're too good for that." Her inner monolog answered, surprisingly sans sarcasm, "we help our chooms, not hurt them."

"Even if it hurts us..." She sighed, finishing off the bottle in her hands and trading it out for another one. She wasn't sure how much time had passed between bottles, choosing to disassociate from the reality around her. "Think anyone even cares?"

"Becca?" She got her response through the door, accompanied by knocking. Groaning at the intrusion, she tried to get up and answer the door, but a rush of dizziness had her stumbling back to the couch.

"Hang on..." The green-haired girl slurred, and while her voice sounded unusually loud to herself, she didn't know if the person beyond the door had heard.

"That's it." The voice replied. "I respected your privacy by knocking, but am asserting my authority as your big brother by coming in anyways."

"Why did we give him a key?"

"We didn't, V did..." She replied, glaring at the door as her brother entered. "Oh, hey Pilar."

"Hey Becca." While his eyes were long hidden thanks to his monovision visor, Becca knew he was currently appraising her. From any angle, she knew it didn't look good – a collection of empty (and some still unopened) bottles surrounded her. A couple empty bags of chips and other snacks, along with some used tissues that didn't quite reach the barrel added to the clutter around her. "Just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"You could have just called." She grumbled, picking up a bag of chips and shoving a handful into her mouth.

"I tried, but you turned your comms off." Pilar took a seat beside her, grabbing one of the few unopened bottles as he did. "And you only do that when you're wanting some 'private time' or being mopey. And given how you looked leaving the Cojo last night? I guessed the latter." He opened his drink and took a sip. "And it seems I was right, so spill it."

"Well, I succeeded in my goal of getting V and Gloria back together it seems..." Okay, she hadn't seen anything concrete, but there was enough evidence that she could put two and two together. "And I mean, I'm happy about that but at the same time, I'm not?" She groaned, taking a drink. "Ugh, I don't know how to describe it."

She looked to her brother, hoping he could offer her some insight into the matter. Judging by the way he was stroking his beard, he had something in mind.

The wicked grin growing on his face did not help the growing sense of apprehension.

"What's that old saying?" His hand stopped moving. "One man's hell is another man's fetish?"

"What? I'm too buzzed for bullshit word-play bro."

"Isn't cuckholding a thing?" The techie shrugged.

"Pilar Ian Rosen...You better not be calling me a-." Okay, maybe she wouldn't mind watching the two of them. But to claim she's been cucked by them?

"I would never." His eyebrows wiggled as he clasped his hands before him. "I'm just saying I didn't know you were into NTR..."

"I'm going to kill you." There was no hesitance in her voice as she glared at him.

"Better women than you have tried." He replied, flipping her off in reply. "Hmm...that gives me an idea for a song."

"Pilar..." She reached into her jacket, feeling for her piece.

"In doujinshi, where porn is king~. Where suits meet girls, here's what they say~." Pilar started humming. "When you dwell on the past~ while V pounds her tight ass~ netorare!"

The words were sung like some hundred year old Italian melody, and it was like every sylable of the tune was tacatically crafted to piss her off.

"Shut up bro..." Her hand closed around her favorite pistol's grip even as Pilar continued with his impromptu song.

"When you're watching the clock while she takes V's fat cock~ netorare~" He paused, muttering several lyrics before grunting. "Gah, I'll figure out the chorus later... When he makes your girl drool, like a cum dumpster fool, netorare~"

She pulled the pistol from her jacket. "I'm warning you..."

"When you sleep 'cause of stress while she gets mating pressed, you're a cuc-" Her hand moved so that Little Brother's barrel was hovering over his monovisor, instantly halting his singing. "Okay, not in the mood for a sing along. Got it."

Becca didn't lower her gun, just stared down her brother.

She was almost certain she finally found something she hated being called more than a lolita.

"Put the gun away sis." He raised his hands slowly in defense. "Look, I'm sorry for what I said. But, you're not exactly mad or upset at V and Gloria now, are you?"

"The only reason I'm not kicking you in the dick is because I know I'll break my foot."

"You didn't answer my question."

"Did he use our own trick against us?" Becca's inner monolog asked, and she couldn't help but frown. Her upset at her own actions had lessened, and with a final sigh, she set Little Brother aside.

"No, you're right." She picked up her drink and took a swallow. "Can't really be cucked if I was never with either of them to begin with, right?"

"Right!" He grinned, before turning serious again. "In all honesty, I can kind of understand what you're experiencing. Reminds me of when I saw one of my ex's who I still had feelings for find someone else and move on. You're happy for them, but you wish that was you, right?"

"But I wasn't actually with either of them." She shrugged, that was probably the best way to put it. "I guess? I don't know."

"I don't know either to be honest." Pilar hummed, "you know relationships aren't my strong point."

"I know." Becca nodded, seeing Pilar reach for her bag of chips. She handed it over, deciding to sass her brother as she did. "Nadia's the current record holder, right?"

"Seven months and counting." He raised his bottle in a toast, and while it might have amused her on a different day. It just kind of soured her slightly improved mood.

"Good for you." She might have deadpanned her reply, but she really was happy that Pilar had found someone. "So what? You gonna put a ring on her if you make it to a year?"

"Maybe." The techie hummed, "might be nice to take second place in the engagement race."

"The what?" Becca's eyes went wide.

"Oh shit...Wasn't supposed to say anything." There was no remorse on his face. "Keep this on the down low, but our little rookie bought a ring."

"What? Why'd he do that?" Damn, maybe she shouldn't have turned her comms off. She turned them back on and took a drink as Pilar answered her question.

"Because Lucy might be preggers."

Becca choked on her drink, both shocked yet unsurprised at the idea. She felt Pilar's hand on her back, gently patting it as she coughed. Managing to recover, she was about to ask for more information when she noticed a message had come through from Falco. It was an invite to a party out in the Badlands for something David was planning, which Becca now guessed to be his proposal to Lucy. While Falco said he'd take care of set up, he was asking the crew to bring along various food and drinks to share.

She looked to Pilar, seeing him smile and figured he got the same message. Something that was confirmed as she looked to the list of names in the message. Two of the names on the list cheered her more than news of the party itself, and Becca made a note to check what she had on hand that she could bring along.

"Well ain't that a kick in the teeth." She felt her brother's gaze upon her. "If you're not up to going because of this I can-" he began to offer.

"Oh no. I am not missing this." Becca powered through the wave of dizziness to wash over her as she got up from the couch. "Just, might need a few hours to sober up..."

"That's the spirit!" Pilar cheered, snapping his fingers. "You gonna be fine on your own? I want to get something special for the party tonight."

"Yeah, I'll be fine..." She looked around her apartment, noticing that most of her alcohol and snacks were open or empty. And there wasn't much in her fridge that she could bring in good conscience. "Actually, if I give you the eddies, you mind picking me up a couple things for my contribution?"

"Sure. Just send me your list and the money and I'll get it for you." He finished off his drink and stood, and Becca sent him her list and the cash. "Tell ya what, once I get the stuff, I'll come back and we can ride out together, alright?"

Becca nodded her thanks, giving her brother a thumbs up as he took his leave. Call it schadenfreude but the thought of seeing V and Gloria suffer as their son beats them to the punch on marriage was a great motivator as she stumbled into her bathroom.

~{+}~{| |}~{=}~

When Nadia had joined Trauma Team, she had done so with the intention of being able to help others. Unfortunately, she quickly learned that the majority of people she'd end up helping were those with the means to help themselves. While working for them, she made it a personal goal to get the resources and experience she'd need to set up a clinic of her own to help those less privileged.

She never thought she'd gain success in that area after leaving Trauma and becoming something of a concierge medic for an Arasaka suit. V had hired her on to help care for him after his beat-down, and later assigned to be Gloria's personal nurse. The man paid her just as well as Trauma for half the work load...Giving her more than enough time and money to work on her goal.

So far, she had gotten her hands on an old shipping van that she converted into a mobile medical clinic. Sure, it wasn't as elegant as one of the Paramedic van models (which she could have bought instead but decided against due to all of them having various tags and markers that were a bitch to remove). But it served its purpose, and allowed her to operate under the radar of Trauma Team, R.E.O Meatwagon, or any of the other mobile medical services.

Plus, she could park it somewhere and provide much needed medical assistance to those in need without too many questions.

Something that came in handy when she got a message from Lucy asking if she could meet to talk about the results of her latest trip to one of the med centers.

"Hey Lucy." She greeted the young woman with a smile, gesturing for her to step into her 'clinic' "You said you wanted to talk to me about your results?"

"Yeah. You mind taking a look at them to confirm a few things?" Lucy handed over a data shard that Nadia plugged into her datapad. "Not that I don't trust them, but they've already screwed up once and...Yeah."

"Believe me, I get it. There's a lot of unlicensed clinics that'll do stuff like that on purpose." She started taking out some of her equipment. "You mind if I take your vitals? Just want a baseline to compare some things to."

Lucy nodded, and Nadia started her examination – comparing results and asking questions as she went along. Her vitals were good, and most of the results Nadia got matched that from the clinic.

"Well, with the exception of your blood pressure – which is a little high but I'm chalking that up to nerves as its still within acceptable levels. Your vitals match up to what they recorded with only minor differences."

"Least they got that right." Her pastel-haired patient muttered. "What about the other stuff?"

"Let me see..." The brunette replied, reading the results from other tests they had run. Far as she could tell without running some of the tests on her own, there was nothing wrong with any of Lucy's numbers. "In all honesty, I'm not seeing anything off. I would need to run a couple of these tests myself to confirm, but everything is normal and matches up to my own observations." Nadia saw Lucy relax at that. "If you don't mind my asking, what do you think they screwed up exactly?"

"I don't think, I know. The doctor admitted the problem once he saw the results." The girl sighed, "Someone messed up my meds. Like I don't know if it was a clerical error on the nurse's part, the pharmacy, but-"

"Wrong dosage?" Nadia knew there was more than a few problems that could arise from improper dosages, but Lucy shook her head.

"No, dosage was right. Problem was that they switched one of my my immunosuppressant's, and its been negatively interacting with some of the other meds I've been taking."

"Really?" Nadia looked over the list of medications, nodding as she reviewed them. "An anxiolytic, paroxetine, ethinylestradiol and norethindrone..."

"Yeah, someone fucked up somewhere." The nurse admitted, not bothering to excuse her fellow medic's mistake. She showed Lucy the tablet, tapping at one of the meds in particular. "This one here, Cyclosporine, which is the immunosuppresant you're currently being given – tends to interact negatively with hormone medications. My guess is whomever changed your meds forgot to look at what else you take when they prescribed it."

"Shit. Any chance you can write me a prescription for the right stuff? Or something that won't interact as badly?"

"Didn't they give you a new one?" Nadia was already looking at replacements. "Or put in an order to go back to your old suppressant?"

"Nope. They told me to finish out my current medicine, then they would get me on a new one." Lucy sighed and Nadia cursed. "Which I suspect is their way of saying 'we want some time to look into who screwed up so we can cover our asses'. That's another reason why I wanted a second opinion."

"Lucy, going forward...Please come see me or go directly to the Night City Medical Center if you need something." The brunette shook her head, keeping opinions of other medical services to herself. "But back to the subject of your medications. I'm going to switch you back to a Corticosteroid for your immunosuppressant. Which pharmacy do you currently use?"

"The place on Benko street in Wellsprings."

"Alright, he's decently reliable." Nadia muttered, typing up a prescription that she sent off to the place in question. "Alright, he's got the order but no guarantee how long it will take to be filled." The datapad was set aside in favor of searching one of the small cabinets she had fastened to the side of the van. "You use the type-p auto-injector style, right? Here."

Nadia handed over a small latch case. "Prescription calls for one a day. And while I don't think its going to take him that long, there's three doses in there just in case." She saw Lucy open up the case, revealing the three vials of light amber liquid within. "I assume you already took your dose today?" The netrunner nodded. "Good, don't take anything else today. And forget what that other clinic said, stop using the current one, and start on that one tomorrow at your usual time."

"Great." Lucy nodded, but there was a small frown on her face. "So what should I do with the other stuff then? I've still got like two weeks worth of cartridges left."

"Well, if you don't mind an unbalanced trade...I'll gladly take them off your hands in exchange for today's check up and that emergency prescription." Oh sure, Nadia had her various contacts for securing medical supplies. And Pilar's salvaging efforts on gigs helped her save a few eddies on some fronts. But prescription medications were one of the harder (and more expensive) things for her to get ahold of. "Some doses of cyclosporine would be a blessing for me for all sorts of reasons."

"Isn't it dangerous to use other people's medications?"

"It can be, but that's why there's repository programs for re-distribution to increase medication access for underserved populations." She explained how various parts of Night City didn't have full access to dedicated pharmacies for people to get prescriptions. How most of them had to rely on over-the-counter and knock-offs picked up from a convenience store for even some of the simplest medications. "Even if its only a few days worth, something like that could make a huge difference in someone's life."

Memories of past Trauma missions flooded her mind. A husband pleading with her to give him a stim to help his wife, one of the other victims in a car accident she responded to. Of a mother begging for medicine to help her sick child. Of a young man crying while asking her for something, anything, to help the pain his improperly installed implants were causing him.

"Take it then." Lucy's voice pulled her out of her memories, the girl's soft smile reassuring her that there was still a little good left in the world.

"Thank you Lucy, really appreciate it." She was about to say more, but noticed there was a message from Falco. "Hang on, I got a message from Falco." Before she could check it, she noticed a call from Pilar coming in. "And now Pilar's calling me..."

["Hey baby, did I get you at a bad time?"]

["No, just finishing up."] She smiled, Pilar was always considerate when he called her during work. ["What's up?"]

["Did you get Falco's message?"]

["I did, but haven't had a chance to read it."] She started tidying up and securing her equipment. ["Everything okay?"]

["Yeah, its just detes about a party David's holding in the Badlands."] She brought up the message, seeing that the driver had sent it on David's behalf. It was a set of coordinates, and a request for the crew to bring food and drinks.

["Huh, Lucy didn't tell me anything about a party."] Her eyes drifted to the girl, noticing the confused and slightly concerned expression on the younger woman's face.

["Wait, Lucy?"] There was an air of surprise in Pilar's voice.

["Yeah, I'm currently with her."]

["Shit. You haven't been talking aloud, have you?"]

["Nope, but I might need to say something to her. She's looking a little worried since I mentioned your name and Falco's."]

["Make up whatever lie you want, but don't tell her about the party. David wants it to be a surprise."]

["What's the guy up to now?"] She asked Pilar, before looking to Lucy. "Don't worry, everyone's fine. It's just Pilar and Falco talking with me about a gig they've got."

Nadia saw Lucy relax and give a nod. It was the perfect explanation as to why the two only contacted her.

["Don't know."] Nadia could tell it was part-lie, part-truth. ["But anyways, reason I called was to ask if you'd be fine coming out on your own. Becca's been feeling a little down so I was going to hang with her and the two of us go out together."]

["Sure."] She smiled, ["and this way, we'll have medical supplies on hand for when someone inevitably does something stupid."]

["We're not that bad...Oh, gotta go. Shop I'm at is calling my number. Anyhow, don't tell Lucy and I'll see you tonight, 'kay? Love ya baby."]

["I won't, love ya too."] Nadia laughed, shaking her head at her boyfriend's antics as she wondered what he was up to. "I love the guy, I really do...But man is he a dunce at times."

"I know the feeling." Lucy agreed, both girls sharing a laugh. "Anyhow, if there's nothing else to go over, I'd like to head back to my apartment and get something to eat." She scratched her stomach, and only then did Nadia notice that it was close to lunch time.

"You mind if I tag along? Figure we can stop somewhere and grab a bite to eat – your choice, my treat as further compensation. And then I can get the meds from your apartment. Save a couple trips."

"Works for me." Lucy nodded, sliding open the door to the van and hopping out to head to her own truck. Returning the nod, Nadia moved to the driver's seat of her van and took to following Lucy back to The Glen. Her mind trying to think just what David and the others were up to.

~{+}~{| |}~{=}~

Following the events of the last couple days, V found himself feeling better than he had in a long time. He had broken free of the Bastard's control. Came clean to everyone about his past. Had slightly improved his relationship with the crew- The fact that they were going to help him fuck with The Bastard was just a bonus. Oh, and reconciled with Gloria (albeit at the cost of owing David one hell of an apology).

Of course, while he might have slipped the leash, the thrice-fucked thing was still metaphorically attached to him and there was nothing preventing The Bastard from grabbing it again.

As a result, he knew he had to play nice, no matter what. Currently, that meant sitting with The Bastard's in the man's home office. The two of them discussing one of the older man's token projects; a construction and renovation project of one of the buildings in Dogtown. Over coffee, V listened attentively as the man described his plans, and talked of the supply shipments that would be coming in to help. Asking questions or making suggestions here and there to seem like he was interested. All the while making notes on how the crew could mess with him.

"Trucks got to pass through Pacifica. Dorio might be able to help set up a 'detour'..." He thought as The Bastard pointed at something on the blueprint they were looking at. He was about to ask a question about security surrounding one of the shipments, but an alert from the parental software he still had running in David's spine stopped him.

["Purchase over §2,000: Amethyst ring from Grace Brother's department store §2,350."]

The notification made him blink. What the hell was David buying jewelry for? Bigger question, why a ring?

"Vincent? Are you alright?" The Bastard's voice broke through the sudden stupor he found himself in. Clearly he hadn't maintained as calm an expression he thought.

"Yeah, just an alert from one of my accounts." V raised his own coffee to his lips, using it to frame his next sentence. "Seems David went ahead and made a substantial purchase recently."

"And what did my grandson decide to buy?" The question was polite, the tone curious but courteous. A demand unsaid.

"Jewelry." V knew he couldn't outright lie, but he could skirt the truth.

"Sounds like the boy's trying to woo his little lady." The older man chuckled. "Or maybe they got into a fight and he's trying to buy her back."

"Definitely not that last one." V thought, recalling how the two of them acted during the meeting. And how Lucy had been quick to help him out of the apartment after he caught him and Gloria...yeah. "Did he buy her that as an apology for the last few days?"

"Not a fight." Somehow, his child seemed to be doing better at having a relationship than him. "My guess is a gift, she has been helping him out a lot the last couple days with a few things."

"Good man." The Bastard gave a nod, something V knew meant he approved. "Excuse me, just felt the coffee kick in."

V gave a nod, watching as the man exited the room to head to the bathroom. Knowing he was under surveillance, V busied himself looking over some of the documents while his mind tried to puzzle over David's actions.

"It could be a gift, but that seems more like something I'd do for Gloria." He told himself, still trying to fathom why David bought a ring of all things. "Wait, is he doing this as revenge for walking in on us? Making a show of dominance by buying a ring to indicate his relationship stat-"

The puppet-playing suit's thoughts were interrupted as another message came over his holo. This one from Falco of all people:

["Hey, David's throwing a party in the Badlands tonight...And I've been roped in to sending out the invites. Nothing fancy, just a little get together for the crew. Bring some snacks and drinks, I'll take care of the set-up."] There was also a set of coordinates, showing where the party would be.

"Is it Lucy's birthday? No, that's next month if the record's correct. Maybe a thank you party?" V stared at the message, hoping another would come through with more information.

Nothing.

"I should probably call David, see if he'll..." The sound of the door opening made V twitch just slightly, and he heard a small laugh from behind.

"Is my work really that interesting?"

"Kind of. Just a little confused by this element here." He pointed to something on the blueprint closest to him. His limited understanding of architecture allowed him to realize that he was looking at a bathroom floor plan for a barracks, but not much else about it. "Is this supposed to be a floor drain? Because it looks like its raised up instead of being sunk into the floor?"

"Let me see?" The man looked to where he was pointing. "You're right, it is supposed to be in the floor but I can see how someone could misinterpret the drawing." He took a stylus out of his pocket and made a note off to the side. "Good catch. Now what do you think about the layout as a whole?"

"It's nice, could use another sink as you've got four stalls but only three sinks..." V closed his eyes, making a show of thinking as he sent off a reply to Falco's message.

["Not sure I'll be able to make it, I'm stuck with The Bastard. I'll keep you posted."] He opened his eyes, switching fully back to puppet-mode as he gestured for the stylus. "Maybe arrange them more like this, two on one side, two on the other? Put something else in between like lockers?"

"That is something to consider, at least – adding another sink. Now, what about..." The Bastard continued, and it took all of V's will to shift his attention off of David's latest escapade and to more mundane matters.

"Patience V, just a little longer." He told himself as yet another blueprint was shoved his way.

~{+}~{| |}~{=}~

While the rest of the crew had the luxury of being able to leave the night prior, Jackie had to stay behind at the Cojo to help Mama and Pepe with cleaning up. Despite the additional guests and the amount of food and drinks they had, clean up was surprising easy (it helped that Mama gave everyone a to-go box and told them to pack up what they wanted). It was around midnight when Mama declared everything to be 'good enough' and dismissed them.

Knowing he had the day off, he had decided to crash in his garage with the intent of having a nice relaxing day. So far, he had been doing just that and was currently playing a friendly three-on-three game of basketball against some of his old gang buddies.

"¡Buen tiro!" He cheered as one of his teammates pulled off a hook shot, putting them up three to two. "¡Aquí!¡Aquí!"

"¡Entrante!" The other man yelled, sending the ball his way. Before he could get it however, it was intercepted by one of his rivals. "¡Perra!"

Jackie flanked the man as he made for the hoop, keeping pace with him as he tried to stop him. Right as he jumped to try and block, he noticed a message had come through from Falco. Looking to the sidelines, he pointed to one of the others.

"Marco, tome mi lugar." Jackie gestured to his head even as the other man ran onto the court. "Necesito responder esto."

"Sí. Sí." The two made a near seamless transition as Jackie moved to the sidelines and checked the message. He thought it might have been something serious, and was relieved when he noticed it was just the driver passing along an invitation on David's behalf.

"Wonder what brought this on?" He knew his nephew was happy that his parents were reconciling, he doubted the party was to celebrate that. "Kid might do something like this for his mom...But not for V."

The curiosity was enough for him to decide to change his plans for the evening - meeting with Vik and a few members of the man's old boxing club to watch the fights. He had sent off a message to the ripper, explaining that something had come up and he'd have to cancel. He also excused himself from the game, and started walking back towards his garage.

As he walked, Jackie pondered over what he could bring to the party. Based on the replies coming in, it seemed to be an informal meet-up in the Badlands. Maine was bringing the portable grill he had (better than roasting hawt dogs over the bonfire Falco was going to build), and Dorio said she'd bring along water and soda. Kiwi was bringing in some alcohol, while Becca was providing snacks. Pilar said he had a surprise for everyone, while Nadia made a joke about bringing an ambulance.

"Could bring along some sythn-pork, chicken or beef. Make kabobs." Those were always good roasted over an open flame. "Just need to get some veggies an-"

His holo started ringing as he was making a list, and he smiled at the name that popped up.

["Hola sobrino, ¿qué pasa?"] Jackie smiled, pleased that the kid had called him first.

["Hola tío."] He never got tired of hearing David address him as such. ["I'm sure you've gotten Falco's message by now?"]

["Yeah, was just trying to figure out what to bring tonight."] He let a little sass into his voice. ["What's this little get together for anyhow? Might help me decide if I know a little more."]

["It's for Lucy, and you'll find out like everyone else when you get there."] His nephew matched his sass. ["But that's why I called. Would you mind getting some appetizers from the Cojo?"]

["Didn't you get enough of Mama's cooking last night?"] Jackie chuckled, not really caring either way.

["Yeah, but I figure whatever's leftover we can take home for later."]

["Alright, what do you want?"]

["All of Lucy's favorites: the queso dip, the syn-chicken taquitos, and a bunch of those mini-churros."] David hummed. ["Maybe two orders of the churros."]

["Yeah, two would be better."] The man smiled, recalling that those were the only thing there was no leftovers on. ["Anything else you want me to bring? Maybe a jug of Mama's mango tea?"]

["That would be nova!"] He could just hear David's smile. ["Just tell me how much it is and I wire you the eddies."]

["Don't worry about it. Consider this my contribution to the party."]

["Preem. Thanks Jackie, really appreciate it."]

["No trouble sobrino."] Jackie gave him an unseen salute. ["Anyhow, I'm gonna let you go so I can hit the Cojo and put in your order. I'll see you tonight, alright?"]

["Sure, thanks again tío. Hasta luego."]

["Vía con dios."] He replied, ending the call. "Oh this is going to be good if he's roping in the whole crew. What time is it? Gonna take a couple hours for Mama to put everything together...Best go home and freshen up."

Smiling, Jackie picked up the speed just slightly as he set his mind to the task at hand.

~{+}~{| |}~{=}~

Following her appointment, and her meeting with Nadia, Lucy was feeling better about her medical situation. She could admit she was worried about what might have been causing it. Finding out it was just a simple screw up with her medications was a huge relief, and she was thankful for Nadia's quick resolution to her problem. Over lunch from her favorite Chinese place, conversations had switched to more light-hearted matters, including her acquisition of a cat.

Of course, Nadia just had to meet the little guy when the two returned to her apartment. She expected David to greet her but instead it was Nibbles at the door. Seeing the cat, Nadia knelt down and Lucy warned her that he might not like her (she hadn't forgotten how the cat hiss and hid from Takami) but that didn't seem to phase the nurse. Nor did Nibbles seem bothered by the newcomer, as after a moment of sniffing and gently brushing against her. The cat flopped on his side to beg for belly rubs and pets.

"Guess he likes you." She shrugged, moving into the bathroom to grab her now defunct prescription.

"Guess so." The nurse replied, scratching the cat just under his chin before standing back up and taking the medicine. "Thanks again Lucy, really appreciate this."

"I should be thanking you." The netrunner smiled as Nibbles kept brushing against their legs.

"Guess we're even." Nadia smiled, "now if there's nothing else you need. I got a couple things I need to take care of."

"Nope, I'm good." She gave a thumbs up as Nadia nodded and took her leave. Looking down, she noticed Nibbles was still milling about her feet and she laughed a little as she picked up the cat. "And what have you and David been up to while I've been gone? Actually, where is David?"

She set down the cat and looked around, not seeing any signs of her input. She moved upstairs, wondering if he was taking a nap on the bed. Instead of finding her missing man, she came across a data shard resting on her nightstand in front of a small vase of flowers. Scanning the shard revealed a message from David instructing her to meet him in the Badlands as he had a big surprise for her. There was also a note telling her to 'wear something cute' that made her laugh.

"Puppy, what are you up to?" She smiled, taking a moment to smell one of the flowers before moving to inspect her wardrobe. In her opinion, she didn't have a lot of clothes that classified as cute, but eventually decided she would trade out her usual netrunner suit for a deep purple short-sleeve babydoll shirt and a pair of black slacks. The dark colors matched perfectly with her usual jacket, and her preferred pair of sneakers.

Setting her outfit aside (and out of Nibbles' reach, lest the cat make a bed of it) Lucy returned to the bathroom in favor of freshening up a little. Stepping into the shower, a content sigh escaped her as the hot water ran over her skin. She felt like she could truly relaxed for the first time in weeks since her problems started.

"Still can't believe it was a fuck-up with my meds that caused everything." She mused, staring at her cybernetic limb as she grabbed the small limb cleaning kit Falco had given her. The miniature bottle brush was perfect for getting in-between the joints, and the steel-wool like loofa ensured that any surface dirt would be scrubbed away.

"Least that's one mystery solved..." Lucy told herself as she continued to wash and freshen up, thoughts now turning to the message David had sent her. What could have possibly happened that he felt the need to surprise her with something? Was he doing it as a way to cheer her up if she had gotten bad news from the doctor? Or to celebrate good news? How would he even know?

She stepped out of the shower, toweling her body and hair as she made her way back upstairs to grab her outfit. Her shower had taken longer than she expected, leaving her with just under two hours to finish getting ready and drive out to the Badlands. Not that it took her long to finish drying off and to fix her hair before she got dressed.

"Well Nibbles, what do you think?" She asked the cat, who had been watching her from the bed since she had started getting dressed. The cat's reply was a slight tilt of his head, before he flopped onto his side. "I'll take that as meaning my looks have floored you."

She gently scratched at the cat's chin, checking the time again. By her own estimates, it was going to take around half an hour to get to the coordinates David had given her.

"I should probably get going." Lucy held Nibbles' head in her hands, making eye contact with him. "You be good while I'm gone and keep an eye on the place, alright?"

An airy meow was the cat's reply as he shook his head out of her grasp and curled into a ball to sleep.

"Adorably useless skinball..." She shook her head as she exited the apartment and made her way downstairs, and out to her truck. As she programmed the navigation system and started to drive, she was struck with another mystery: What was even out there that David felt the need to keep it a secret. Looking at the map, the closest landmark to her destination was the Sunset Motel...But the actual area was about a third of a mile off the interstate in the scrubland itself. If his intention had been to console her or celebrate, why not stay within the city limits? There were plenty of clubs, restaurants and other places he could have chosen...So why did he pick a spot just outside the middle of nowhere?

Lucy got her answer as she arrived at her destination, finding the various cars of the crew parked near a small collection of dunes. She recognized Pilar and Dorio's trucks, Nadia and V's vans, Jackie and Kiwi's ARCHs, Maine's Quadra, and David's Caliburn. Parking her own car beside his, she hopped out and made her way into the small clearing the dunes created.

"What the..." She couldn't stop the smile that moved onto her face as she looked at the scene before her.

A bonfire had been constructed in the center, some old chairs and what looked like a couple logs surrounding it. Off to the side a table had been set up, and on it was an assortment of food and snacks. Various bags of chips sat beside some of her favorite appetizers from the Cojo, along with fruit, pasta, and potato salad side options. She could see a few serving platters holding some burgers and hawt dogs, complete with all the fixings off to the side. There was also what appeared to be a couple buckets of fried chicken. Sitting off to the side of the table were a couple coolers holding an assortment of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.

Her eyes drifted away from the table's contents, now focusing on where the crew was. She found Falco tending the fire, talking with V and Gloria who were sitting on a nearby rock. Pilar and Jackie were walking over to the food table, carrying disposable plates, cups, and utensils. The two were laughing at some joke Becca made as she brought up the rear with a box of trash bags. She found Kiwi and Nadia talking with Maine, who was cooking up more burgers and dawgs on his portable grill. Upwind from the grill, Lucy found Dorio sitting in a chair, the slight frown on her face a sharp contrast to the smiles on everyone else as she observed the scene before her.

The only person she couldn't find was the one she wanted to see the most. Stepping carefully along the sand, Lucy made her way over to the gathering, calling a greeting as she did.

"Hey guys." She waved, with several of them greeting her in turn.

"Ha! Pay up choom!" Pilar cheered, holding his hand palm up and pointing to it.

"You got lucky." Jackie flipped him off, but handed over a small handful of paper eddies. The Latino man must have noticed her confused expression as he smiled sheepishly. "Sorry chica, but we had a bet going."

"On what?"

"On if you would get here before David was done taking a leak." Pilar answered, waving his newly won cash around. "I said you would, Jackie-bro said you wouldn't."

"Alright then..." She looked around the area, idly wondering just where David might have gone. Her answer came in the form of hearing someone running from near the cars and she turned to see a yellow blur dashing towards the group. Judging by his path, he had opted to run all the way to the motel...and back.

"Okay, I'm back is Lucy here ye-" He stopped, noticing her. "Oh, she is. Uh, h-hey Lucy...When did you get here?"

"Smooth boy, real smooth." Falco drawled, making everyone laugh as Lucy gave him a little kiss and told him she only arrived a few minutes ago.

"Well, now that you're here...What do you all say we get this party started?" While a cheer went up from the crew, Lucy could tell that they only agreed to spare David further embarrassment. "Come on, let's get something to eat. I bet you're hungry, huh?"

"I could eat." She followed David over to the table and accepted the plate he handed her. "Hey Maine? How cooked are these burgers?"

"Those ones got a hint of pink in the center, these are more well done." The man replied, coming over with another tray of burgers. "Help yourselves guys."

"Thank you." Lucy gave a nod, proceeding to join the others in putting together their plates and taking seats around the fire. She had just sat down in one of the chairs when she realized she forgot to pick up a drink. Seeing that David hadn't sat down yet. "David, any chance you could bring me back a drink?"

"Sure." He set his plate down on the chair next to her. "What would you like?"

"Bring me back a Broseph, would you?" It was her usual alcohol of choice for a party, but she noticed an odd hesitance move across David's face and swore she heard Pilar make some comment or another. "What's that face for?"

"Uhm, should you be drinking with your, uh, condition?" He asked, and she could feel his eyes moving over her.

"It's fine." She gave him a reassuring smile, thankful that he was looking out for her. "Doctor said it won't affect anything."

"Oh, that's good." David nodded, moving over to the cooler to grab her a drink. While conversations flowed smoothly between everyone, including V, Lucy couldn't help but notice several members of the crew...Okay, mostly Pilar, Kiwi, Falco, Maine, and V, giving the two of them odd looks.

"Alright David, what's going on?" She raised an eyebrow, realizing that almost all action from the group stilled at her question. "What's all this for?"

"It's uh, a party...For you." David stammered, looking anywhere but at her. Her eyebrow climbed a bit higher as he tried and failed to form any sort of coherent sentence to further explain himself.

"Take a deep breath kid, you got this." Kiwi of all people encouraged him.

"Yeah, this is what you've been practicing for!" Pilar added.

"Practicing?" She muttered, eyebrow now somewhere in her hair.

"I didn't help ya'll set this up fer nutin'." Falco drawled, tipping an imaginary hat.

"David, what are they talking about?" Lucy frowned slightly, "did something happen?"

"Well yes, but actually no?" He replied, favoring her with a soft smile. "Ugh, Lucy...When we first met, I was a gonk on the fast track to a life in the streets. Not as an Edgerunner, but as a XBD junkie chasing his next high. But you saw me, and yeah, you lead me into a trap..." A small amount of laughter came from the crew that was quickly shushed by a growl from Gloria. "But it was thanks to that that I was able to get my life on track. That I was able to start making something of myself, and feeling proud and enjoying it." David looked over at his mom. "No offense mom, but life at the Academy just wasn't for me."

"I know." There was an odd melancholic tone to Gloria's voice. "But I'm just glad you were able to grow up well and get your education...Even if you did 'cheat' in the end." Gloria smiled at him, before glaring at V who was pointedly looking away from her.

"But you Lucy, you saw something else in me. You took me in and added me to your family." He gestured to the crew. "Took me under your wing and helped me in more ways than I thought possible." David's hand reached out to hold hers. "And while I know my family's a bit dysfunctional, and that I don't have the best real world skills...I can only hope I've been able to return the favor." She nodded, and David took a step back, still holding her hands. "And that's why I want to make sure that I'll always be there for you as you have been for me."

"David?" The netrunner's head tilted slightly, "what are you saying?"

"What I'm saying is..." David released her hands one hand going into his jacket as he knelt down. From one of the interior pockets, he pulled out a small ring box and opened it, making her gasp. "Lucy, would you marry me?"

In all her time with the crew, Lucy had never seen them so still or heard them be so quiet as they were in that moment. Her heart hammered in her chest, a sharp contrast to how full it felt. She had never felt so shy before a group in her life, yet at the same time so exposed. Everything around her seemed to blur, but David was still clearly in focus. Tears pooled in the corner of her eyes as she looked down at David and met his. Those soft brown orbs shining with determination, love, and fear at what her answer might be.

Not that he had anything to worry about as she took a deep breath and gave a single nod.

"Yes." That one word seemed to be the signal that snapped everything back to life. Her tears started to flow as David grinned and slipped the ring onto her finger. It was a couple sizes too big, but damn if it wasn't a wonderful piece of jewerly. His arms wrapped around her as he rose back up, and she returned the embrace.

"Now kiss!" Gloria called, the smile on her face at seeing her boy (and daughter-in-law) rivaling the one she was currently sporting. More cheers came from around the camp as the pair complied with the request. Separating after a few moments, the two faced the onslaught of the crew coming over to shake David's hand (or hug him in Jackie and Pilar's case) or hug her. "So glad to have you as part of the familia mija."

"Gracias." Lucy smiled as Gloria released her, a laugh coming from her as she pulled David into a bone-crushing hug. Her eyes fell upon V, who was hanging on the outskirts, watching the scene through narrowed eyes. His brow was furrowed, twitching slightly each time someone congratulated David. Once or twice, she saw the corners of his mouth flinch as he struggled between maintaining a neutral expression or frowning in...disapproval? No, that wasn't disapproval. Annoyance maybe? Yeah, probably annoyance if the way Gloria was poking and tugging on him in joy meant anything.

"Come on girl, let's see that ring!" Becca's cry, accompanied by her tugging on her arm pulled Lucy's attention back to the girls surrounding her. Giving a nod, she held up her hand and showed off the piece. "Damn, that's preem. Even got it in you guy's colors."

"What can I say? My man has good tastes." She smiled, admiring the ring herself.

"So, I did good?" David asked, sounding a little unsure.

"You did great, except its the wrong size." Carefully, Lucy tilted her hand up and down, showing David how the ring slid freely over the mechanical digit.

"Yeah, sorry. Thought it had to be a little bigger because..." It was David's turn to look shy. "I thought it wouldn't fit over your fingers because, cybernetics?"

"Oh my God." Lucy loved this man so much. "David, its the same size as my other hand." She held them both up and wiggled her fingers, amused as he shrugged off the laughter. "Don't worry, I can just get it resized later on."

"Just don't go getting' it welded on." Falco advised, looking at his own cyberarm with a wistful smile.

"I didn't plan on it." She replied, folding her ring finger over to ensure the ring didn't slide off. "Although while I'm happy that you asked. And did all...this." Lucy gestured to the party with her other hand. "I can't help but wonder what brought this on?"

An excited gasp came from Pilar, Becca and Kiwi, while Falco let out a knowing hum. Maine tried to hide a chuckle in a cough, while Dorio seemed to have gone slightly pale. Everyone else looked curious, while V was scrutinizing David like he was under a microscope.

"Because Lucy, I...I uh, found. I found the, test...in our trash."

~{+}~{| |}~{=}~

Dorio thought she knew panic.

In all her years, there had only been one or two other moments in her life that made her blood run as cold as it was now. All of the thoughts she kept pushing back all day came flooding forth with a vengeance. It made her feel sick. Made her feel scared. Feel...small.

"Oh God..." She wrapped her arms around herself, a fist covering her mouth. Her body shivering despite the warmth of the fire. If she was lucky, Maine and everyone else would just pass it off as it being her overcome with emotion. She was the Team Mom damn it! She had every right to be overjoyed that her charges were getting married.

"On false pretenses." The little voice inside her head reminded her.

That she caused.

She didn't listen to what Lucy was saying, nor did she hear any of the various whispers going through the crew. Instead, she was hung up on her own moment of incompetence. She should have taken just a few extra seconds to hide it in the trash. Better yet, she should have taken it with her and threw it out somewhere between Heywood and Pacifica.

David's next question brought Dorio back to the current situation.

"So you're not pregnant?"

"No." Lucy shook her head. "Again, the doctors confirmed that everything I was experiencing was the result of my immunosuppressant interacting badly with everything else I was taking."

"But the test..."

"David, that wasn't mine... It was- I mean, I'm on birth control!" Briefly, she caught Lucy's eye and Dorio knew she had no choice but to come clean.

"It was mine!" She blurted out, hands moving to cover her face in shame and embarrassment. There was a collective 'woosh' as everyone turned to look at her. Maine in particular seemed to have gone into a shell-shocked state and shut down.

"This is not how I wanted him to find out."

It had been her hope that she could treat Maine to dinner at Turbo's in the coming days. Get a few beers and a good meal in him before breaking the news to soften the blow.

Not have to out her secret in front of everyone at an engagement party that she inadvertently caused.

"Wait, is that why..." David blinked, and Dorio knew the kid was remembering their earlier encounter.

"Yeah..." Slowly, Dorio lowered her hands hoping her explanation might break Maine out of his stupor...And salve her own conscience. "I had been having a few medical issues myself; foods I always liked were making me sick, I'd been feeling fatigued. Having headaches. When Lucy mentioned having similar symptoms, we got to talking, trying to see if we might have a common denominator on what could have caused it."

She ignored, the snort to come from Pilar as the techie's mind no doubt fell into the gutter and continued.

"Anyhow, I hadn't planned on taking one of those over-the-counter tests. And apologies for the overshare boys, but after being over a week late, decided it was worth a shot." Dorio rubbed the back of her neck.

"Okay, but why take the test at my house?" David asked, looking a little annoyed.

"Because I wasn't...ready to tell Maine." She looked to the man in question. He was staring out into the distance with a piece of chicken halfway to his mouth and no intention to move. "By taking it outside of Pacifica and Japantown, I hoped it would reduce the chance of him finding it...Giving me time to confirm and, tell him under different circumstances."

Dorio moved to Maine's side, and gently stroked the side of his face. No matter when or how, she knew this would have an impact on so many things in their life. Their careers, her health (this was her first kid, and a 'mature pregnancy' at that)...His health. Maine always did kind of laugh off the thought of the two of them retiring and settling down somewhere. And while she often laughed at it herself, it still stung a little.

"I uh. I'm eating my chicken..." For the briefest moment, Dorio thought he was calling her a chicken he had spoken so softly. But once she saw his hovering arm finally move to his mouth realized the words she had missed. The sight of him taking bite of the drumstick he was holding was both reliving, but oddly infuriating.

"I swear I was going to tell you." She wrapped her arms around his still mostly catatonic form. Normally, she could feel a protective strength and warmth coming from him. But now? "I just, needed time to think?"

"It's good chicken..." He tried again, body moving on autopilot as he took yet another bite.

"Come on Maine." Dorio gently nudged him, moving now to look him in the eyes. "Say something...Anything."

"Just let me finish my chicken..." The reply made Dorio groan, and she couldn't help the few tears that escaped. God, did the news break him that badly?

"Guys?" She turned to look at the crew, begging for something, anything that might help. "Any idea how to break him out of this?"

Dorio didn't care if Maine dumped her ass right then and there once he snapped out of it. She just didn't want to see the man she loved in such a state.

"Come on Maine, lose that thousand-yard stare and look at me." Dorio shifted so that her head was aligned with his, hands once again holding his face.

Nothing.

"That ain't gonna work." Falco moved over to the two of them, gesturing for Dorio to take a step back. "Those ain't yards he's looking at, but miles."

"Great. I broke him..." She shook her head, "Nadia? Gloria? You got anything we can give him?"

"Drugs ain't gonna work either." The driver replied, "but I've used this trick in the past. Pilar?"

"On it!" The techie replied, crawling over to Maine. Dorio moved to intercept him, but Falco was a lot stronger than he looked and effortlessly pulled her away and held her back.

"What are you going to do?" Nadia asked, eyeing him carefully. "If he's shell-shocked..."

"He's not, not really." The older gentleman replied. "He's more scrambled by the news than anything. And the best way to break 'em out? Surprise 'em with something else. Pilar, if you would?"

"PENIS!" The Cyclops bellowed right besides Maine's ear, taking full advantage of his long legs to spring away as Maine jumped and took a swing at him.

"The fuck was that?" Maine grunted, frantically rubbing a finger in his ear. "Can a man not take a gawdamned moment to think when he's presented with some life-changing news!"

"Oh good, now that you're back with us..." Falco gently nudged her back over to Maine. "Comfort your woman."

That was all she needed to hear and was away from Falco in an instant to wrap her arms around him.

"Dorio?" Maine sounded hesitant, almost pitifully weak, looking down at her but not moving. "So, uh, I-uh. This all means you're-"

"I'm pregnant." It was the first time she had admitted it aloud, those two words seeming so heavy. She felt Maine tense against her, and she looked up at him. His face was expressionless, but she could tell he hadn't blanked out this time.

"Look, I'm sorry Maine." Dorio couldn't bring herself to hold his gaze. "I know this is the last thing we need. What with your health, our careers..." She didn't know where she wanted to take the conversation, figuring she'd ramble until he cut in. "I, I know you're probably upset and while I was going to tell you. This isn't how I saw it going..."

He still didn't move, but she knew she had to continue.

"Look, I'll understand if you want nothing more to do with me...With us." Dorio released him, placing her hands on her stomach. She had already decided on keeping it, and while being a single mother might be tough-

"You mean..." She felt Maine's hands ghost along her arms, felt his eyes move down her body to where her hands rested. "I'm gonna be a daddy?"

It was such a silly question, and hearing Maine refer to himself was so ridiculous that Dorio felt a surge of hope and relief course through her. A feeling that only grew as Maine grinned and pulled her into a gentle yet bone-crushing hug. She let her tears flow freely, laughing through her sobs as she heard the crew once again cheering and offering congratulations.

"Finally, we can call you 'Momma Dorio' and you can't do shit about it!" Becca grinned, giving both her and Maine a hug.

"Should have known it was you who was pregnant. What with the 'ganic burgers and all." Pilar held one up, taking a bite as he gloated.

"Yeah, yeah. You called it." Maine laughed as the techie pulled the two solos into a hug. He was the only one truly capable of holding both of them at once.

"Seriously though, I'm happy for you two. A little baby Dorio...or Maine. Dane? Mario? What would you even call that?"

"A child." Nadia answered, moving up to the pair as Pilar stepped aside to eat his burger. "Anyhow, know you have your primary and visit Vik for your cybernetics."

"And LaFleur." She smiled at Nadia's expression. "What? I may not run with the VDB but they still let me use their services."

"Right, but I just want you to know that if you need anything or have any questions. You can call me at anytime, alright?"

"Same goes for me." Gloria looked ready to burst from delight. "Actually, I think I still have some of David's old baby clothes and shards about pregnancy you can have."

"Thank you Nadia. Gloria." Maine answered, giving the ex-Trauma nurse a nod and letting Gloria hug him. "Really appreciate it."

"Same." She rubbed at her stomach. "Any chance of either of you giving me a check-up sometime this week? Just to confirm a few things?"

"Tomorrow." Nadia answered. "You, me, and Gloria. Three of us will meet you wherever you're most comfortable."

"Thank you." Dorio smiled as the two nurses took their leave, watching Maine follow the two in favor of going to talk with Jackie and an relieved yet annoyed looking V. Dorio couldn't help but smile as she observed her friends, everyone seemed to be in a good mood. Everyone except David, who she noticed looked a little down.

Was he upset that he wasn't going to be a dad? Never mind that he was still a kid himself! Or was he upset that there was no need for him to have propose to Lucy? Other than he might have wanted to.

Either way, Dorio felt she owed the kid an apology.

"David?" She called, moving over to where he was talking with Lucy.

"Yeah Dorio?"

"I just wanted to apologize for making you worry." The blond indicated the party around them. "For making you feel you needed to do all this."

"Apology accepted." David's quick answer surprised her, attention shifting from her to Lucy. "This might all be unnecessary now, but Lucy...I want you to know my proposal is still valid."

"I already said yes you gonk." Lucy kissed him, making everyone laugh. "Besides, now we have two things to celebrate."

"Indeed." Becca grinned. "You two getting hitched, and you two becoming parents."

At the mention of the word 'Parents', Dorio felt a shiver go down her spine. She hoped no one noticed, but ever attentive to her mood, Maine was at her side in an instant.

"Dorio? You good?" He asked, pulling her into a one-armed hug.

"I just realized I need to tell my parents."

"Your dad's gonna kill me..." It was Maine's turn to shudder, and she half expected him to shut down again.

"Think he'll do that before or after he tells me he's disappointed in me?" In reality, Dorio had a strong relationship with her dad, but the man told her once that he'd be disappointed in her if she had a kid out of wedlock. But Maine didn't need to know that.

"Yeah, and then he'll hug you and tell you he loves you and can't wait to meet his grandchild." He kissed the top of her head, making her hum in agreement.

"What about your mother?" Jackie asked, sharing a similarly relieved look to David (probably because he wouldn't have to deal with explaining that Mama Welles was going to be a great-grandma).

"She'll just be happy to finally have a grandchild." Dorio replied, "even if it is with this guy."

Jackie nodded, and she could tell by his expression that he knew all too well what she was feeling. Hell, the guy might even be in the same boat as her in that regard.

"Well, I'm glad to hear it. Congratulations again you two." He smiled and gave the two of them a thumbs up, before moving away to go harass his nephew instead. The pair called their thanks, and Dorio couldn't help but laugh as Maine pulled her into a proper embrace now that they had a moment alone.

"Do you feel better now?" He asked, giving her a kiss as she nodded. "Good. Because I don't ever want to hear you doubting how much I love and care about you ever again, alright?"

"Alright." Dorio blushed, embarrassed at herself for even entertaining the thought that Maine wouldn't still want her.

"Good. Now, given how sickly sweet everything's been the last few minutes..." His attention shifted away from her and to the food table. "You might not want any, but it looks like Jackie just brought out the mini-churros and I'd like to get a couple for myself before you and the little one eat them all again."

There was so much warmth and love in Maine's expression as he said that. And while Dorio was thankful he was already thinking of both her and their unborn child...She was still annoyed at him for the remark and handled it in her usual way.

She punched him.

Hard.

He coughed, looking at her with a mock pout before she gently caressed his face and gave him a kiss, signaling that all was forgiven. Returning the kiss, he took her hand and the two moved to join the rest of the crew in celebration.

~{+}~{| |}~{=}~

Gloria was absolutely in orbit right now. She had reconciled with V. Got to hang out and party with all her friends. Got to see her son get engaged to one of the nicest (and quietest) girls she had ever known...Even if it was in part due to a misunderstanding.

She was heavily relieved, and (slightly) disappointed that she wasn't going to be a grandmother (yet). But that disappointment had been replaced with delight at finding out one of her oldest chooms was expecting his first child.

Was it too much to hope they named her Godmother?

She laughed to herself, not quite sure where she wanted to look around the clearing.

Her eyes drifted to the bonfire, seeing the majority of the crew gathered around it. Cups and bottles were raised in various toasts, and jokes and stories exchanged over plates of snacks. She may have originally just been a supplier to them, somewhere down the line they became better acquainted. And now knew they considered her part of the crew.

And while she'd never admit it, and never wanted this kind of life for David. She could admit she was thankful he had fallen in with them as well.

Speaking of her son, he was currently preoccupied talking with Maine near the food table. While her enhanced audio implants let her hear some of their conversation, she didn't quite have the full context. At least, not until she heard David laugh while telling Maine to 'take his own advice'. Which was quickly followed by the man asking David the follow up question on where he had gotten the ring. Gloria couldn't help but let out her own laugh as Dorio and Lucy slid up the pair, asking what they were talking about.

"Uh, chicken?" Maine answered, grabbing the nearby bucket and holding out to the girls, making them both laugh.

"Don't you dare drop that bucket Maine. That's 'ganic!" Pilar called, shaking his fist.

More laughs came from all around, and she even heard V let out a snort. Her eyes found her input off to the side, taking with Jackie and Falco. The red-head had been concerned by how annoyed V seemed at David proposing to Lucy (and ready to kill both of them when David admitted he thought Lucy was pregnant). At the same time, she could also tell that V was, maybe proud was too strong a word, but pleased? Pleased that David was trying to right and prevent what she knew V considered his biggest wrong?

The thought that her son wanted to make an honest woman out of Lucy amused her. But at the same time, she felt something she couldn't quite explain. She knew it wasn't jealousy or envy. Discontentment maybe? Or some form of sadness that her little boy was growing up?

She didn't know, but what she did know was that she needed a drink. She couldn't 'get drunk' per say, but damn it. This was a party. It was supposed to be a happy occasion. She could at least pretend. Giving a nod as she passed by her son and future daughter-in-law (which she could officially say now) Gloria reached into the cooler and pulled out a beer. Popping the top off, she took a sip and moved to stand by the fire.

"Hey Gloria." The red-head turned, noticing Kiwi had joined her. "Just want to let you know I'm going to castrate your boy if he breaks Lucy's heart in any way."

Gloria knew Kiwi well enough to know that was her way of saying congratulations.

"You might have to take a number." She replied, taking a drink.

"Although I can't help but wonder." The blonde's head tilted slightly as she gestured towards David and Lucy. "Does this mean your son's gonna get hitched before you do?"

"Kiwi!" Trust the gossip to be the one to ask the question Gloria had been wondering herself.

"What?" Kiwi took a sip of her own beer. "It's a valid question."

"I uh, erm..." Gloria stammered, unsure of how to respond to that. "M-maybe?"

"Fair enough." The older netrunner gave a nod, excusing herself as Falco called her over to help him with something. She took a long drink, considering Kiwi's question.

Would David get married before she did? Wait, was that why V was annoyed? Because David beat him to the punch on that front?

Oh God, did that mean V would want to elope? Was...Was he even ready for that?

Was she even ready for that?

"Gloria?" V's breath was suddenly on her neck, and she felt his arms wrap around her. "Falco's gonna be setting off the fireworks in a minute, and I found a preem viewing spot on one of the dunes. Join me?"

She turned to face him, noticing that he no longer looked at annoyed as he originally did. Matter of fact, he looked incredibly relaxed. The smile on his face and the light from the fire making him seem not much older than David. Reassured by his smile, she nodded.

"Lead the way." Gloria smiled, laughing as V took her hand and lead her around and up one of the dunes to where he had set down an old tarp. V laughed along with her as he sat down and pulled her into his lap, wrapping his arms around her to combat some of the evening chill that rolled in now that they were away from the fire's warmth.

A wave of nostalgia washed over her as she snuggled into V's chest. Memories of meeting a suit turned poser-boy at a party similar to this. Of sitting with him on an old tarp while watching a nomad's firework show out in the desert. Nights like that were among some of her favorite memories of her youth, and she was thrilled that she got to experience them again.

Feeling younger than she had in years, she pressed a light kiss against V's chin and felt him smile. The look in his eyes as he shifted to look into hers told her he felt it too. He returned the kiss, pulling her closer as the first firework exploded in the sky. Like that first firework, Gloria knew that kiss would be the first of many that night.

Thoughts of the future. Of a ring of her own could wait – for now, she was content to live in the moment.

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Author's Note:

I really don't like having to add these here on ffnet, but I felt this is kinda required:

...

So, I've been asked a few times about my opinion on the upcoming "Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Mission Kit".

I fucking hate it. Everything I've heard, read, found, been told about it. All of it reeks of corporate greed and cash grab tie ins to the point it would be less of an obvious turd if it had been metaphorically shat upon my pillow.

Lucy got given a rich girl backstory undermining her being a child soldier on the altar of Arasaka's progress. Now she's supposed to be a corpo kid trade in? Fuck no.

Maine got a fanservice tie in with Reed, NUSA spec ops, and FIA? How the fuck did he become such a washout slumming it in NC rather than the waiting game? Fuck this.

Kiwi's own backstory is just Lucy's original corp-slave given a side of sex slavery to add to the edgelording. Fucking stupid.

Dorio's parents are professional international athletes that throws that away because her dad decides to go gang/pit fighter? In what fucking world does that make sense? (The last name sucks too.)

I can let Falco's racing bit slide. However, having known farm life, where the fuck did the writers get the idea tractors go fast enough to inspire a need for speed? What the fuck?

Did David's birth need to be some badass showing? Fuck no. Nothing was added, why even include him? Fan tie ins. Need to show off the popular face for more money. Get fucked.

The ONE fucking character that could be justifiably added to was Sasha as she was a blank slate with nothing but a music video to give her a story. What do they do with her? Fuck all.

The whole fucking thing reeks of corpo-greed, money by the numbers product production, and a shit covered dickslap to the face of the fans. They could have made edgerunners into a module and I'd love it. Even add alternate endings where you could try and have a happy end. It'd be fan service to hell and back, but at least it would respect established characters more than this.

I loathe the fact that I have to consider this cash grab cannon, however it will have zero impact on this fic or the sequel. I started planning this fic before Phantom Liberty was released, and since this one is 2/3rds done, I ain't touching the side project they made only because the TV show tie off they argued with managed to become gold.

A lot of people have a Tolken-esque saying: "Evil doesn't know how to make, only copy or corrupt", well here's my addendum: Corpo-brains only know how to milk something that made them a profit they don't bother making new or taking risks.