A few days had passed since David had been dragged to a family dinner, one that Lucy was surprised ended without blood being shed from either side. Of course, that hadn't made the message she had received from V right as David walked in the door any easier to read.

["David considered whoring himself to Arasaka – grill him for the detes."]

"What does he mean by that?" She had wondered, before turning her attention to David to see if he would disclose the details himself. The weary expression on his face had faded when he saw her, and after giving her a hug had joined her in relaxing on the couch. Lucy had listened patiently as he told her about meeting his family. And told her what he thought about them.

"My grandmother seems like a nice lady, if not a little stiff. She does interior design and offered to help us redecorate the apartment if we want, free of charge. And my aunt – still jarring to know she's younger than me...I don't know how to feel about her. I mean, she seems like a typical Corpo teen but I can't help but feel there's more to her than that."

"What about The Bastard?"

David had sighed at that, and told her that at first he seemed like a kind older gentleman. But that he had gotten a glimpse of the man V had warned them all about near the end of dinner with his offer to him and his mom.

Lucy supposed she should be thankful that David valued honesty in their relationship and disclosed it to her...And admitted he considered taking it.

That turned her emotions up to eleven, and she read him the riot act.

"Seriously?" She scowled, trying to understand why he would have done something like that.

"Look, I'll admit I might have screwed up, but what was I supposed to do? Mom was having a freak out, V was bound by his 'filial son' act. And I've been told for a good month now to not piss the guy off!"

"That I can understand, but even joking about taking an offer like that?" Her opinion of Gloria stayed the same, but her opinion of V grew just a little more when David told her of the dressing down they gave him.

"Look, at face value its a good offer." David started, making her scoff. "But again, I was trying not to piss the guy off. What's-it-called... Playin' 'Devil's Advocate'."

"I understand, but instead of pissing off one guy you've pissed off your family...And me."

"Lucy, I-"

"Shut up." She told him, not fully trusting her voice. "I...I need time to think about this."

She had gotten up from the couch and made her way up the stairs to their bedroom. A moment later and she heard him coming up behind her, something that annoyed her. Grabbing his pillow, she tossed it at him as he reached the top of the stairs. "No, you're sleeping on the couch tonight."

About an hour later, she could hear David snoring away while she herself had been unable to sleep. Lucy supposed that he was worn out from the day's events, and her giving him an earful so soon after probably didn't help either. But his ability to sleep when she couldn't was just a minor annoyance in the rolling cauldron of anger she felt.

It seemed to her that when the offer was made that David had reverted to being the gonk he was when they first met. Someone just looking for an easy way out regardless of the consequences.

Guaranteed safety and protection, shelter, and want for nothing in exchange for joining a family by marriage and having a child with them.

Honestly, Lucy could admit to herself that, under different circumstances, she might have been tempted to take an offer like that.

But that was assuming she was still on the run from Arasaka. That she was still living on the streets with no one to rely on except herself and her skills.

Not recently engaged to one of the nicest guys she had ever met in her life! And living in an apartment that was more luxurious than anything she could have ever hoped to have.

Lucy had eventually fallen into a restless sleep, and only woke up the next day when Nibbles let her know loudly that it was past feeding time. Grumbling, she got out of bed and threw on her bathrobe before heading downstairs. She expected to see David still sleeping, but instead found the couch empty and a note saying he had gone out for a run.

"Least one of us has energy." She thought, going through the motions of making herself some coffee and toast. Lucy was just about done with breakfast when she got a message from David.

["Going to meet up with some of the crew to talk about the dinner. We're meeting at Tom's Diner in Little China if you want to join."]

She left the message on read and turned on 'Do Not Disturb' mode before going to take a long, hot shower. Lucy felt she more than earned it after dealing with David's worries the day before...And the bomb that was The Bastard's offer.

"Any child would just be another tool for him...For Arasaka." She thought, recalling her own time in Arasaka's hands. Suddenly, she wasn't sure if she hated Arasaka as a whole or The Bastard more. Actually, was there much difference between the two? With that thought, her shower no longer seemed relaxing, and Lucy found herself shutting off the water and stepping out. Drying herself, she threw her bathrobe back on and stepped out into the main room.

Finding that David was still missing, she double checked Nibbles' food and water bowl before going back upstairs to crawl back into bed. Lucy had just closed her eyes, intending to take a nap when she felt the bed move. She half expected to see David, but instead it was the cat deciding to make himself comfortable beside her. Much as she felt in a funk, the sight of the furless furball making muffins with the sheets made her smile. Reaching out a hand, she gently stroked his back as he finally settled down.

"Least I don't have to worry about you being a gonk...Unless you get into the trash again." Lucy hummed as Nibbles started to purr un-apologetically for his prior antics. "Actually, go ahead. David can clean it up this time."

The words were spoken through a yawn, and calmed by the cat's presence, Lucy fell asleep.

She had no idea how long she slept, but when she woke the lighting in the apartment told her that it was close to dinner time. Turning off DND mode, she noticed she had a few missed messages. While there were a few messages from the crew (mainly Kiwi, Becca, and Maine wanting to make sure she was okay) – the majority were from David. His text were much the same as the rest of the crews, expressing concern for her lack of response. Lucy felt a bit of relief when she found one from him saying he was coming home...and then a response that he saw she was sleeping. And that he was going back out so as to not risk disturbing her.

There was also one asking what she wanted from their favorite Chinese place...before he replied saying he was just going to get her and his favorites and that he'd be back home soon.

"That explains the smell." She rubbed her nose, the scent of food wafting up from below a siren call that pulled her from the bed and down the stairs. Her eyes scanned the room, finding David fixing himself a plate of food from the various containers on the counter.

"Hey Lucy, didn't want to disturb your sleep but I bought dinner." He gestured to the counter with the plate. "Chinese. Got krab rangoon, teriyaki, chick'n fingers, and syn-pork spare rib. Oh, and some fried rice so help yourself."

Still feeling annoyed at him, her only reply was a grunt as she watched him take his finished plate over to the couch. Only once he was seated did she grab a plate and fix her own dinner.

"Anything you want me to put on the tube or-" Lucy heard the question die on David's lips as she proceeded back up the stairs. The pastel-haired girl still wanted as much space as possible between her and him.

"Bed's a comfier seat anyhow." She thought as she set her plate on the night stand. David didn't like her eating in bed, but the gonk wasn't about to be sleeping beside her again anytime soon. Lucy took in the state of the bed sheets and sighed. "Plus, if I spill anything it'll just be the motivation I need to finally get around to changing and washing the sheets."

She chuckled at her own stupid justification as she started browsing one of the tech forums on her agent as she ate. Lucy wasn't sure how much time had passed between when she first got her food to David coming up the stairs to grab a pair of sweatpants, saying he was going to go to sleep early.

"I can take your plate back down with me, if you're done?" David asked, and Lucy gave a nod, holding the empty plate out to him. She heard the faint sight to come from him, and saw something akin to depression move across his face. Still, he nodded as he took her plate and vanished back downstairs. Holding her breath a little, Lucy listened as she heard him rinsing the plates before putting them in the dishwasher. Heard him take the remaining Chinese food and throw it in the fridge. Heard the faint groan of the couch as he settled down on it for the night.

Annoyed as she was at him, Lucy didn't want to disturb him so she set the volume to low and put on one of the movies she had on her agent as something to watch until she herself fell back asleep.

Lucy was awakened the next day by Nibbles once again showing off a talent as a living alarm clock. The cat was gently pawing at her back, and she couldn't help but laugh.

"Can't David feed you?" She asked, voice a little louder than normal.

No response.

"Is he still sleeping?" Lucy asked her cat, rolling over to pet the animal. "Is that why you came to get me?" She tossed the covers aside and got out of bed. Making her way downstairs, she was surprised to once again find the couch empty. Unlike last time however, she didn't see a note saying where David had gone.

"David?" She called, noticing the door the bathroom was closed. Moving over to it, she knocked. "David? Are you in there?"

While she had planned on giving him the silent treatment, she was willing to discard the idea (if only for a little while) in favor of finding him. When she didn't get a response after a moment, she decided to just open the door.

The room was empty.

"Where is he?" She wondered, moving to feed Nibbles who was pawing at his empty dish. The answer to her question came in the form of a note shard tucked beside the plastic tote they've been keeping the dry cat food in.

'Went to get pastries, back soon. David'

'P.S. I filled Nibbles' dry, but did not give him his wet.'

Lucy sighed, but felt a small sense of gratitude as she didn't feel like anything they had on hand for breakfast. Instead, she busied herself with preparing Nibbles' breakfast. The cat wasting no time in digging into his food as she set it down.

"You like it better when I feed you, don't you?" She cooed, hearing the ding of the elevator as David returned. He was holding a box of unidentified baked goods, a paper bag, and a small drink carrier with two lidded cups.

"What was that?" David asked, moving into the kitchen with the food.

"I was talking to the cat." Feeling a little better today, Lucy decided she'd give him a partial silent treatment. Answer questions, but otherwise ignore him.

"Ah, anyhow...I brought breakfast if you're hungry." He opened up the box. "Six danishes; two cheeze, two strawberry, and two apple." Reaching into the bag, David took out two foil wrapped packages. "And if you don't want sweet, I got two sausage, synth-egg, and cheese product muffins." Finally, his hand went to the drinks. "And since I didn't know if you felt like tea or coffee. This one is that green tea you like, and the other is coffee with four sugar, no cream."

"Damn, he's really trying to make it up to me." Lucy kept the thought to herself, moving instead to grab a plate from their cabinet. Giving him a nod, she decided to take the tea, before taking one of the apple danishes and a sandwich. Taking a seat at the table, she took a sip of her tea, trying to decide what to eat first.

"Do you mind if I have the coffee?" She heard David grab his own plate. "And the other sandwich?"

"Go ahead." Lucy took a bite of her sandwich and let out an appreciative hum as David took a seat beside her.

"Is it good?" She nodded. "Good. I'm glad. They had just made a new batch of sandwiches so I was hoping it would be." David took a bite of his own sandwich, before taking a long sip of coffee and grimacing. "Ugh, how do you drink this without cream?"

"I like the slight bitterness that remains in the coffee." Lucy turned, following him as he went to the fridge and dumped a generous amount of creamer into the cup. A single light giggle escaped her as David took another sip and remarked that it was much better now.

"What? I like my coffee like I like my women." He gave her a playfully seductive look. "Light and sweet, with just a faint hint of bitter."

He really was making it hard for her to stay angry at him.

"Oh my God...This is the man I'm going to marry." Lucy heard her inner monologue remark. Outwardly however, she giggled again and gave another nod.

"Look Luce, I know you're mad at me for the other day." He started. "Thinking about it, I can admit that I screwed up. V, and mom weren't too happy with me saying what I did."

"You said they gave you an earful?"

She had debated asking V or Gloria about it, but had decided against it.

"And then some." David groaned. "Do you know how embarrassing it is to hear your mother tell you that if you want to have sex with someone besides your significant other to hire a prostitute?"

He shuddered, and Lucy laughed at his discomfort.

"Yeah, go ahead and laugh." He took another bite of his sandwich. "I kind of deserve it. Saying I was considering it, even as a joke. Wasn't very funny or the best move on my part." He turned to face her, one hand reaching out tentatively to cover hers. Rather than throwing it off, she decided to let it stay. "I don't ever want to do something that would sacrifice your happiness."

"David..." Lucy didn't know how to feel about that. No one had ever put her first...

"It's true." She felt him gently squeeze her hand. "It really wouldn't be worth it in the end."

"Probably not." The netrunner gently shook her hand, the wordless request for him to let go. Once he did, she picked up her sandwich and took a bite. "Doesn't mean I forgive you yet."

"Figured." She heard him sigh, and saw him return to eating his own sandwich. The rest of breakfast passed by in silence – save David having to tell Nibbles to get off the box of danishes. After cleaning up, David had packed up a bag with his work out stuff and said he was going for a run, then to meet up with Jackie to lift some weights along with other training.

"Normally, I'd meet up with Maine for that but..." He shrugged, and Lucy nodded her understanding. "Oh, anything you want for lunch or dinner? I was probably going to grab something with Jackie afterwards but don't mind bringing something home."

"I've got nothing in mind." She replied, not really sure what she felt like. "Might just have some leftover Chinese food."

"Alright, well if you think of something." David let out a grunt as he slipped on his shoes and grabbed his jacket. "Let me know. I need to make up for my being a gonk these last few days."

"I will, and yeah you do." He hit her with a sheepish smile at the reply, before stepping out. She wasn't certain if David was truly going out to train, but she was thankful that he seemed to understand she still wanted some space.

"Now, what do I want to do today?"

She had enjoyed just laying around the house yesterday, but Lucy could admit she was starting to feel a little restless. She wasn't sure if she wanted to go out anywhere, but she took the time to actually dress and fix her hair as a just in case. Maybe catch up on the chores? There was only three dishes in the sink, and the trash was only about a third of the way full – not enough to justify doing either one. The laundry needed the most love, but Lucy hated folding clothes...

She had just started loading the washer when she saw a call coming through on her holo.

[Incoming Call: Becca]

["Hey Becca."]

["Hey Lucy. Just wanted to make sure you're doing okay. David told us you weren't feeling well."]

["In what context?"] She replied, idly wondering what David might have told them. ["Because physically, I'm fine but...What exactly did he tell you guys?"]

Lucy figured she should know what the crew knows of David's considered infidelity before deciding if she'd talk it out with Becca.

["Well, let's see..."] The netrunner listened as her green-haired friend relayed to her David's conversation. She listened as Becca told her how David explained about his family, what he noticed, and what he told them to watch out for.

Oh, and how The Bastard wanted Gloria to give him another grandchild. And for David to give him some great-grandchildren.

From an Arasaka heiress.

["Yeah. That about sums it up."] She huffed, shaking out a pair of David's pants (he had a bad habit of forgetting to remove things from his pockets) before throwing them into the washer. ["And yeah, I was angry at him...But its kind of dissolved into more of an annoyance now that I've had time to digest it?"]

["I can imagine."] Becca hummed. ["You must really love the gonk, huh? I mean, I know Gloria and V aren't too happy with him right now an-"]

["Wait, were Gloria and V at the meet up?"]

["No. It was only myself, Pilar, Jackie, Kiwi, Falco, and Maine."] She replied. ["Nadia was on a call, and according to Maine, Dorio was juggling dealing with nausea while making sure her apartment is perfect before her parents come to visit in the next few days. She wanted to break the news to them in person, and since they were planning on coming to visit anyhow..."]

Despite her situation, that made Lucy chuckle.

["Should I say goodbye to Maine now, or wait until the funeral?"] She really didn't know much about Dorio's family, but knew Maine seemed oddly concerned to meet with them.

["Your choice, but this isn't about him. It's about you and David."] Becca let out a light chuckle. ["And while I know you said you're feeling fine...I hope it will make you feel better to know that he got quite the dressing down both in English and Spanish from Maine and Jackie respectively. Oh, and you might want to scan him to make sure Kiwi and or Pilar didn't mess with his soft."]

["I feel oddly loved..."] A feeling Lucy wasn't sure she'd ever get used to, but enjoyed quite a lot. ["But I know you said this is supposed to be about David and me...But I want to know how you know how V and Gloria feel?"]

They were going to be her in-laws. And while she knew Gloria was on her side, V was still a wild card.

["I went to meet with them after the meeting with David."] There was a smile in her voice. ["We wanted to see what they had to say about it, and figured I'd have the best luck getting an answer."]

["More like you wanted an excuse to visit your hopefully future squeezes."] A strangled cry came over the holo, making Lucy smile. ["But continue."]

["Anyways, they told me much the same as David did...And that they think their son is a gonk for even considering the offer at all. And while they didn't say it directly, I think both of them are hoping you might be able to make some sense of David's line of thought."]

"I probably should ask him some questions of my own rather than just answering his." Lucy thought, nodding to herself. She had a feeling there was more to David's earlier confession about not wanting to sacrifice her happiness. It was just a question of what that was, and how best to go about finding it out.

["Luce, you still there?"]

["Sorry, was just thinking."] She hummed. ["You're right, and they're right. I do need to actually talk with him about this. I just don't know when or how."]

["You'll figure something out. You're smart."] Becca praised. ["Now, the serious stuff aside – I've got another question."]

"Oh boy..." Lucy wondered which way this conversation was going to go. ["Go ahead."]

["How long does it take for a man to notice you've stolen his clothes?"]

["What?"] That was not the question Lucy expected.

["Okay, so I stole one of V's Arasaka jackets."] She could just see Becca looking sheepish. ["That's what girls do when they like someone, right? Steal their clothes?"]

["I guess?"] Okay, so she may have 'borrowed' one of David's old sweatshirt a few times. She had borrowed his EMT jacket once in the early days, but quickly returned it after figuring out it used to be Gloria's. ["How often did he wear it?"]

["I don't know? I mean, it was kind of shoved in the corner of the closet."] Lucy started laughing. ["What? What's so funny?"]

["If V is anything like David, the far corner of the closet is reserved for clothes that either no longer fit, or are rarely worn."] She laughed harder as Becca let out a cry. ["You might just have to wear it the next time you see him and see if he comments on it."]

["I know."] Becca sighed. ["But look, I wanted to take something that I didn't think he'd miss if something happened to it. I mean, I could have taken one of his 'rocker' jackets, but I think Gloria would notice if those went missing."]

["So what? You've got a thing for 'suit V' instead of 'rocker V'?"]

["What? No! I just...It's not super branded. Hang on..."] Becca's side of the call went quiet, and Lucy received a message a moment later with a file attached. Opening it revealed Becca in a basic black jacket with red trim. The Arasaka logo embroidered on the left breast. ["See? If you ignore the logo it just looks like any other jacket."]

["Honestly, it looks good on you."] Lucy's tone was sincere. ["However, like I said you'll just have to wait until V sees you in it."]

["Yeah, yeah."] She could hear the playful annoyance in Becca's voice. ["Anyhow, you doin' anything today?"]

["Just laundry."] Lucy looked at the pile of clothes she had yet to load. She was really hoping Becca would give her an out. ["Why?"]

["Well, I may have found a small gig that needs someone with better netrunning skills than my brother and we were hoping you'd be willing to help us out."]

["Why not ask Kiwi then?"] She already knew the answer as she pushed the basket aside. David could handle the laundry...He'd need to wash his work out stuff anyways.

["You know why."] The two girls shared a laugh. ["Anyhow, I'll send you the detes. Meet me at the Cherry Blossom Market in an hour."]

["Sure, thanks Becca."]

["No problem."] Becca ended the call, and Lucy took a moment to look over the detes she had been sent. Nodding, she closed the washer and got to her feet, sending off a message to David:

["Gone to help Becca with a gig, not sure when I'll be back. I was going to do the laundry, but figured you'd want to wash your work out stuff. Do the laundry (including folding it) and I'll be happy with you."]

Okay, maybe having the laundry done wasn't equal to considered infidelity but...

["Nova, just be safe out there!"]

["And don't worry, I'll take care of the laundry! ('-'* ゞ" ]

She chuckled, was that supposed to be a salute? He really was a gonk at times, but damn if she didn't love him. Lucy was about to send him her thanks, but another message came through.

["Oh, and keep tomorrow free! I've got something planned that will hopefully make up for my being a gonk!"]

She sent back a simple 'okay' as she slipped her shoes on. Pushing aside thoughts on just what David had planned to 'make it up to her', Lucy set her mind on work and stepped out of their apartment.

Lucy had returned home from helping Becca later than she intended as the siblings insisted on taking her out to celebrate a job well done. Not that she had put up much of a fight; she was up eight-hundred eddies and all she had to do was extract some data from already poorly protected computers. Oh, and keep security offline as Pilar installed some hardware to further mess with the systems.

David had contacted her while she was out celebrating, reminding her to keep her day free tomorrow. The reminder had made her smile, which of course peaked Becca's curiosity. She told them what David had said, and asked if they knew anything – but both siblings denied any knowledge.

Resigning herself to having to be surprised, she had returned home to find David already asleep on the couch. He was naked, save for his boxers, and Lucy could see some new bruises on his body where the blanket had fallen away. No doubt Jackie had gone just a little harder on the boy than he normally would have.

Lucy wasn't sure if she should be mad at Jackie or not as she gently fixed the blanket so it fully covered David.

Heading upstairs, she smiled as she noticed the now empty laundry basket near the foot of their bed.

"Good job puppy." She thought as she stripped down to just her panties and tossed her clothes in the basket. Climbing into bed, her joy grew as she noticed David had also changed the sheets on the bed. Snuggling into the covers, Lucy fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

"Lucy?" David's voice broke through the cloud of sleep Lucy had been floating on. "Lucy? Wake up, kitten."

"Kitten?" She mumbled, one hand coming up to rub the sleep from her eyes.

"Well, you call me 'puppy'..." Even through her half-closed eyes, she could see the red on David's cheeks. "I just thought, I could, call you kitten?"

"Only in private." She raised herself to a sitting position, the last haze of sleep slowly leaving her. As she opened her eyes fully, she noticed the tray that David was poorly hiding behind his back. "What's that?"

"Part one of my massive apology to you." He brought the tray around carefully, showing her. "Breakfast in bed."

Lucy felt her heart melt a little as she looked at the tray to find a familiar display: Three butter-soaked waffles with a dusting of cinnamon sugar rested on a plate. A small cup of maple syrup sat in the center of the plate, while sliced strawberries filled in the other gaps between the waffles. On a smaller plate, she noticed he had microwaved some sausage patties. The final item on the tray was her favorite coffee mug; and judging by the dark color of the liquid within, David had made it just the way she liked.

"Waffles, strawberries, sausage, and coffee." He smiled, "three and a half spoonfuls of sweetener, no creamer."

Lucy hummed as she picked up the cup and took a sip.

It was perfect.

She smiled, appreciating his attempt at recreating one of the first times he had made her breakfast. Only difference this time being him replacing the orange juice with coffee, having the syrup on the side. Oh, and the tray actually making it to her in bed.

Lucy looked at David, who somehow looked both relieved, but also oddly tense.

"O-okay." He rubbed the back of his neck. "If everything's good, I'll uh, leave you to eat in peace an-"

"David, you can join me if you want." Lucy offered, deciding to extend the olive branch. If he really was trying to make it up to her... "I wouldn't mind the company."

"Really?" The hopeful note in his voice warmed her. "Be right back."

With the speed that David moved from her side and down from their bedroom, she couldn't help but be impressed that he hadn't fallen down the stairs.

Or had fallen up them as he returned with his own tray of food. Patting the spot beside her, Lucy hid a smile by taking a bite of her waffle as David sat down.

"Is it good?" David sounded

"Very." Lucy assured him, taking another bite. "Although I can't help but feel you used a different blend of cinnamon sugar this time? Seems a little...spicier? Does that make sense? Is that the right word?"

"Oh, I uh, got some of Abuela's churro blend." He replied, taking a bite of his own meal. "Figured you'd appreciate it more than the usual one."

"I do." The netrunner giggled, a thought coming to mind. "Thought she usually didn't give out her recipes. Wait, is that why you have a few new bruises?"

"Oh, you noticed..." She nodded. "No, she gave it to me willingly. Jackie, gave me those."

"Training accident?" David nodded, and proceeded to tell her about training with Jackie, even acting out a few of the parts of their sparring.

"So how did the gig with Becca go?"

"It went well." It was Lucy's turn to detail her outing with the siblings, albeit with less action that David's. As normal as the situation seemed, Lucy couldn't help but feel a slight air of tension surrounding David. He seemed a little jumpier than normal, but Lucy chalked it up to him being nervous that his surprises for her wouldn't hit. He said he was doing this as an apology to her. To make it up to her. Maybe she should tell him she accepts to help ease some of his tension?

"David?" She started, finishing the last of her coffee. "You know I'm not mad at you anymore, right?"

"You're not?" He blinked, looking surprised as she nodded. "Either way, I- I still want to do something nice for you." David finished off his own cup of coffee. "Speaking of, if you're done with your plate. I'll take care of the dishes if you want to get dressed. It's supposed to be hot later on, and I'd rather not risk heat stroke for part two of my surprise."

"So, shorts?" Lucy smirked, knowing David had a fondness for seeing her in a pair of booty shorts.

"Luce, much as I love seeing your ass in shorts...I'd wear something with a little more cover." He took her empty plate from her. "We'll be heading out into the Badlands, and you know how irritating the sand can be at times."

"Alright." A gentle smile took over her face as David made his way back down the stairs. A trip out to the Badlands had been low on Lucy's list of things to expect, but she wasn't going to complain. Instead, she hopped out of bed and took a moment to stretch before looking for appropriate clothes.

She had chosen one of her tighter pairs of jeans, denim jacket and a light purple tank top. Lucy had just finished getting dressed when David came back up the stairs to pick his own outfit. Judging by the hum to come from him, he approved of her choices even as he looked for his own. The pastel-haired girl couldn't help but laugh as he proceeded to choose a pair of his loose fitting jeans, one of his many black t-shirts, and of course his signature yellow jacket.

"Think I should wear my hair up or down?" She asked, picking up the brush she kept at her bedside.

"Down, but then again I didn't think it was possible to put a, what did you call your haircut? A split bob?" Lucy nodded. "Didn't think you could put it up."

"Not in the traditional sense, but I can clip back the longer section." Her hand fell on the hair clip that Takami had given her and she demonstrated by pinning back the strands in question.

"Maybe bring along one, just in case?" His eyes fell on the meager collection of hair accessories she had. "But personally I would go with that purple clip. Matches your outfit better than the orange."

"This one?" Lucy picked up the clip in question; a simple pastel purple barrette. Holding it, she moved downstairs and into the bathroom, comparing the two. "You're right. The purple does go better."

"Told you." He replied, meeting her eyes in the mirror. "Anyhow, I'm going to get the Caliburn loaded up an-"

"David? If we're heading out to the badlands...Wouldn't it make more sense to take the Colby?" She smiled and David ducked his head slightly. "Much as you love your car, I don't think you want to risk it out there."

"Yeah, you're probably right. Still don't think I got all the sand out from last time." He had muttered the last part as he walked away, but Lucy heard him. The reminder of their last time in the desert made her smile as she finished fixing her hair.

Stepping out, she was greeted with the sight of David topping off Nibbles' food bowl and making sure his water was full. Seeing her, he extended an arm asking if she was ready to go. Nodding, Lucy let him take her arm and allowed herself to be escorted to her truck. David opened the door to the passenger's side and let her in before going around to the driver's seat.

"Don't worry, I didn't adjust your mirrors or anything." He joked as he started the truck. Lucy just sighed and turned on the radio. The two of them jamming to the music as David drove them out of the city and towards the Badlands.

"So where exactly are we going?" She asked, noticing they were heading south towards Jackson Plains instead of east towards Rocky Ridge like she expected.

"You'll see." David replied as they passed out of Santo. David quit the road shortly after they passed the old solar farm, taking them over the sands until they came to a clearing not to far from the arrays. Judging by the presence of tire tracks, and the signs of what had been a large firepit – it was obviously a gathering spot for Nomads. Off to one side, she could see various old cars, wooden targets and other things set up in a sort of shooting gallery. All around, there was a beautiful, unobstructed view of the surrounding desert.

"David? What is this?"

"Old Nomad contest spot." He answered, gesturing to the range. "Seems some of the more peaceful clans would come here to have a little fun." David gestured for her to get out, moving around the back of the truck as he did. "Now, I really wanted to take you back to Rocky Ridge, but Falco warned me that the Wraiths have been pretty active in that region recently, so he advised coming here."

"Good idea." Lucy nodded, not fancying the idea of dealing with any of the more unscrupulous Nomads on what was supposed to be a date with her input. "But what are we going to do out here?"

"I'm glad you asked." Her man grinned, reaching into the back of the Colby to remove a weapons case. He waved her over and motioned for her to open the case. It was her M-76 Omaha, but right away she could see there had been some slight modifications done to it. Gone was the odd teal blue neon paint job, replaced with a more modest silver. And in addition to new paint, it seemed David also had the thing professionally cleaned, oiled, and even had a few parts traded out.

"While not exactly the same, I figured we could recreate the first time we really had some fun together with a little target practice." David replied, taking out his own piece as well as several boxes of ammo. "Without the crew commenting on us."

That made her laugh, memories of Becca and the others teasing them for what had been a refresher course for her, and an introduction to firearms for David.

"Very much so." She replied, taking one of the boxes and proceeding to load her piece. The two spent a good hour just shooting at various targets. Congratulating each other when they made good shots, and laughing when they missed the mark. Only when they were down to one box of bullets each did they agree to take a break.

"Don't suppose you brought something to drink?" She asked, one hand scratching at her throat as they packed up the weapons.

"And eat." He grinned, moving back to the Colby to pull what appeared to be one of their older blankets from the back. She watched as David unfolded it on the ground, making sure it was as much in the shade the vehicle created as possible. "Take a seat, and I'll get everything set up."

Lucy chuckled, but decided to play along. Taking a seat, she leaned back against the truck and watched as David pulled out a cooler which he set down on the blanket. A moment later and he was offering her a bottle of water. Thanking him, she took a drink, watching now as he removed a small, portable grill and some small packs of Biotechnica's recycled charcoal to go with it.

"So, I was told that since everything is already cooked... I-mean-uh... The food is okay to eat cold, but I was told that it would probably taste better warm." He offered, noticing her eyeing the grill. "So, I was advised to reheat it but its up to you."

"David." Lucy laughed, "I don't even know what we're eating."

A reddish tint took over David's cheeks, and he ducked his head into the collar of his jacket.

"Well, I guess this just adds to the surprise." He replied, removing several disposable aluminum trays and foil-wrapped packages from the cooler. "And warm it is then."

David's declaration was punctured by him pouring some of the charcoal into the grill and lighting it. Lucy tried not to laugh as she watched David do his best to arrange the various items on the grill's surface with a pair of tongs.

"Gawd'fukkin'damnit, how did Maine and Falco make this look so easy?" He grumbled, carefully moving the items around (hopefully) so that none of them would burn.

"Because the two of them have been grilling for longer than you've been alive?" Lucy offered, nose twitching as she caught the scent of grilled meat. "Smells good though."

"Hopefully it tastes just as good." David mumbled, and she watched him move several of the packages off the grill and onto a ceramic serving platter she hadn't noticed. Intrigued, she tried to watch as he opened up the packages, but he kept moving to block her view. "No. Oh, there's two things left in the cooler aside from the waters, can you grab them for me?"

"Fine." The girl rolled her eyes, but moved to the cooler where she found. "Chips and salsa?"

"And fajitas for two." He grinned, showing off the spread he had laid out on the platter. Slices of syn-chicken, syn-beef, and grilled mixed vegetables rested beside a foil package of warm flour tortillas. Off to the side was another container of rice, and another with refried beans.

Once again, David had surprised her with a recreation of the meal of (arguably) their first real date.

"Abuela extends her apologies that she was out of pork when she prepared this for us, but-"

"It's okay." Lucy had set down the chips and salsa and returned to where she had been sitting. "The pork was okay, but I liked the beef and chicken better."

The sigh of relief David let out was almost comical, and she gestured for him to sit next to her as she started to assemble a fajita. He did, looking almost as flustered as he had the first time they shared this meal.

"Don't look so embarrassed puppy." Lucy gave him a light peck on the cheek. "Cute as it is, you've seen me have multiple screaming orgasms without batting an eye."

The surprised cry to come from David's lips made her laugh, and Lucy couldn't help but pull him close and give him another kiss.

"So, does this mean you forgive me?" He asked as they broke apart, his eyes holding a mixture of hope and concern.

"I do." She gently stroked his face with her 'ganic hand. "But I still want to know why."

"Later." He took her hand in his own and kissed it, and Lucy could feel David's unspoken but determined promise. "Rather not risk indigestion over this."

"David." She gently poked him in the chest, accepting his logic as he started making another fajita for himself.

Foolish as he had been in the day's prior, she really did love this man.

Following their picnic, the pair had packed everything up and had decided to take a drive around the Badlands. The two didn't have any special destination in mind, they just wanted to have some fun. The pair took turns driving around the Plains; taking the Colby up and over dunes, speeding along highway 101, just kicking up dirt for fun. Basically doing everything that would have gotten them called a nuisance had the area not been so deserted.

As the sun started to set, the pair had agreed to tone it down and just take a scenic ride around the desert. Lucy was currently at the wheel, while David was in the passenger's side, one hand idly drumming on the door.

"You feeling okay, David?" She asked, noticing his leg had started twitching as well. "Need me to pull over?"

"No, it's just..." He sighed, seeming nervous. "Yeah, actually do you mind?"

The Netrunner pulled her car to the side of the abandoned blacktop, nothing around but the neglected remains of a landing strip for a long closed airport.

"What? Need to take a leak?" Lucy joked, knowing that laughing often helped David relax. Instead, he shook his head and reached a hand over to rest on her leg.

"No, but. I don't know where to start, Lucy...You know I did all this today as an apology, right?"

"I know, and like I said, I accept." She met his eyes and smiled at his expression. " Oh don't look so surprised. Was I angry at you at first? Yeah, I was. But after I thought about it...I realized that while you may have said some scopbrained things, you haven't actually done anything. Maybe, minuscule chance here, could even understand why you'd consider taking it. Not agree with, just understand."

"Do you?" David asked, his expression clouded. "Because I'm not sure you do."

That stalled the reply on her lips. Originally, she was going to tell him it was because, if you knew nothing of The Bastard, of Arasaka dealings, that it really was an appealing offer. That under different circumstances that anyone could have been tempted by the offer like that.

"Actually, now I'm not sure." She placed her hand over his and gave a gentle squeeze. "Tell me?"

"I suppose I do owe you an explanation." David let out a sigh, taking a moment to collect his thoughts. "In the days leading up to that Goddamn dinner, I was told time and again to not piss the guy off. Similar to V, I knew I had no choice but to pay lip service to him while at the restaurant."

She hummed, encouraging him to continue.

"He greeted me with a warm professionalism, extended a hand to me. I didn't want to shake The Bastard's hand, but I did. I put those damn etiquette lessons from the Academy shards to work in remaining pleasant as I greeted him. Agreed with his assessment that there were things he could teach me. Laughed with him at an unfunny joke."

He took a breath, as if to relax himself. "I let my grandmother, a total stranger, hug me. I ain't fond of strangers touching me. Even having Abuela place a hand on my shoulder when I met her unsettled me a little."

"That was probably more because V and Jackie were watching you, but I get it." Lucy had a similar experience when she first met the crew. And she was thankful that Dorio was so forgiving of her for frying her gorilla arms when the older woman had tried to touch her. "Although that makes me wonder. Why didn't you seem to have any problem when I grabbed you on the train back when we first met?"

"I had a hot ass woman who I could tell had advanced cyberware pinning me against a wall. One who later had a monowire against my neck." He smirked. "My best chance for getting out of that situation was to hear you out and wait for a chance to delta and hope I could get far enough away before you could hit me with a hack or something."

That made her laugh, and suddenly it made a bit more sense why he had continued to follow her instead of insisting on going back to his place all those months ago.

"Yeah, but I've digressed. Like I said, I had no choice but to bite my tongue. To just sit there and answer any questions that came my way. Most of them the generic ones about school, hobbies – the usual questions grandparents ask. Although my aunt, which, side note: its still awkward to know she's younger than me, kept asking me about V."

David rolled his eyes at some memory of that night.

"Normal as conversations seemed, I knew I still had to be on guard. I didn't even mention we were engaged, just that I was in a relationship when my grandmother had asked if I had 'someone special' in my life." The tiniest of smiles came to his face, and he adjusted his hand so that it was holding hers. "And I was right because not too long after a conversation about that, Mom had a bit of a freak out."

"I do remember you saying that." She thought back to their original conversation. "Do you know why?"

"Not sure, maybe because she got tired of playing nice? Or her emotions got the better of her. I'm not really sure because that was mostly between her and The Bastard." He groaned, wiggling his hand free to hide his face. "It hurt Luce. To see her look so...so distressed?. I-I mean, I've seen her upset – I saw it the day I fried the servers at the Academy. But this? This was different. And as much as I wanted to do something, say something to comfort her...I couldn't. The only time I spoke during that ordeal in the restaurant was when The Bastard asked about my implants. I just had to sit there and watch. Sit there and listen as he dropped the offer I told you about."

Once again, she nodded as he retold her of the offer. She knew he was rambling, but if it would help him get his thoughts out?

"The sheer relief I felt when The Bastard dismissed us was almost orgasmic, but still I knew I had to behave." A pained laugh left him. "Rather than thanking The Bastard, or comforting my mom...I asked for a to-go box when we were trying to delta for Christ sake!"

Serious as the situation was, Lucy had to laugh at the idea.

"Yeah, full gonk brain moment on my part that V chastised me for once we were outside." David groaned. "And then I further went stupid when in response to my mom saying he was going to use us as breeding stock...I said it didn't sound like a bad idea."

"If you knew it was stupid, then why did you say it?" That was the answer she wanted more than anything else.

"Again, I was trying to play nice." He smiled, but Lucy could tell it was forced. "Way I saw it, acting like I was interested was a decent way to keep him off our ass for a little bit longer."

It might have been a statement, but Lucy heard the end pull up in question. Now having heard the situation again. The same argument but with new information, it made sense.

With just one tiny little issue.

"David, that excuse doesn't work." His expression turned to one of confusion. "You said it after you left the building."

"He...Might have had watchers on us?" David started, seeming unsure. "I mean, you know The Bastard deliberately chose a public place. Somewhere he hoped meant we couldn't cause a scene – but mom's never really been one to stand on ceremony." Lucy nodded, "But at the same time? Whose to say that the waiters weren't on his payroll? That the gangoons that were hanging out near the parking lot weren't spies for him?"

Okay, that was something Lucy couldn't really argue with. But at the same time, it seemed more an after thought. A logical but cheap way to explain why he would even entertain such an asinine idea.

"Alright, I can understand that." How many times had she been scared a suit standing nearby was someone sent from Arasaka to retrieve her? "But if that was your concern...Why did you let V and Gloria pick apart the offer and your reasoning like that?

She saw David shrink at that, and knew she had him.

"Don't you think if that really was a problem that V and Gloria would have been more cautious. That they would have waited until you were in the car or something?"

"Think I don't know that?" He sighed, seeming to realize how flat his answer had fallen. "Look, I'm not stupid." David lifted his head just slightly. "We're going to off the guy – you know it, I know it. Everyone knows it. So why would I actually be interested in an offer that has no benefits once he's out of the picture?"

Lucy blinked, she had forgotten that in her anger at the thought of someone else getting their hands on David. But with that piece of information in her mind...

"Then why?" Lucy reached out a hand and placed it on his face, stroking his cheek with her thumb as he once again looked away. "David, I'm not mad at you anymore. But please, tell me. Tell me why you would even think of considering an offer like that?"

He looked up at that, and Lucy felt her heart break a little at the sight. David's eyes were slightly glassy, and Lucy could see the emotions swirling behind them. What got her the most was that the usual light in his eyes was missing.

It reminded her of how he looked all those months ago when he had taken up pit fighting.

And how she got him out of it.

"Talk to me David."

"Fuck, I can't believe I'm saying this." He sighed, heavily leaning into her touch. "The truth is Lucy...I-I...I don't want to die."

That was not the answer she expected. Then again, she didn't know what to expect for an answer so she stayed quiet.

"I forget it if it was V or Jackie who told me this: 'Everyone has a price.' Not just talking eddies. I mean that everyone has something that they'd give anything for. And that's something I've been thinking about a lot in the last few weeks."

David took a deep breath and gestured to the two of them. "This, what we have now. My family, and you and me? The crew? I don't want to lose this. The idea scares me...Fucking terrifies me. And I know the thought of it pisses you off, but if The Bastard's deal is legit, then I want to take it as long as you all stay safe and cared for."

"David..." She whispered, once again caressing his face. Lucy couldn't believe that was was willing to sacrifice so much for them.

"It's true. I even told my parents that taking it would mean I wouldn't have to risk my life being an Edgerunner." He frowned a little, suddenly seeming unsure. "Oh sure, Corpo life wouldn't have suited me either but..."

"It might have been safer?"

"But then we probably would have never met." She kept that thought to herself.

"Maybe, but who knows?" A wistful smile worked its way onto his face. "It probably wouldn't be as exciting. Or entertaining." He laughed a little and took her her hands in his own. "And it also would have been a lot lonelier."

Lucy followed his eyes in looking down at her engagement ring which glinted in the last rays of the evening sun.

"You think so?"

"I know so." David let go of her hand and gently booped her nose. "I mean, look at V. Guy was single for seventeen years."

"Oh my god." Lucy started to laugh, and David joined her. "Can't believe I'm saying this on something related to V but ouch."

"Well, it's true." David sounded so serious. "I mean, the guy says he dated a woman or two before mom came back into his life but who knows if he's telling the truth or not."

Lucy nodded, trying not to make some comment about how (to the best of her knowledge) David had only ever been with her.

"Well, I can't speak for everyone else, but I'm glad you went the route you did." She leaned in and gave him a kiss. "Even if you are still a gonk sometimes when it comes to business deals."

"Okay, maybe I should have paid a little more attention in Economics." He joked, making her giggle as he pulled her in for a hug. The pair spent a moment cuddling, enjoying the closeness of the other before David's stomach saw fit to point out the time. "We should probably get moving again."

"Probably." She tried not to laugh as David scratched at his stomach. "Got anything you feel like eating?"

"We're near Pacifica, right?" Lucy nodded. "What's that type of food that the Haitians make? Creole? Could go for some of that."

"After we just had Mama Welles' fajitas for lunch?" She playfully frowned at him. "You trying to stink me out of the bedroom?"

"Oh, so I can sleep in bed with you tonight?" He teased, "thought I was still relegated to sleeping on the couch."

"You might be." Lucy held her nose a moment in jest, the two dissolving into laughter as Lucy started driving them towards Pacifica.

The drive back to civilization was spent mostly in silence, both parties needing a little time to think about what they had learned and revealed to one another. Now with a cooler head, Lucy couldn't help but be impressed and proud of David for having thought of something like that.

"A short term set back for a long term gain." Was probably the best way to think about David's 'desire' to take The Bastard's offer. Follow V's example and play nice when dealing with the guy, but always be going against him in the background.

The young couple had just entered Pacifica's West End from a shortcut in the Biotechnica Flats when their night went to shit.

"Okay, just got off the holo with Dorio. She's sent me directions to a place that'll serve reputable food to outsiders." David forwarded the directions to Lucy over the holo. "It's where she got that soup we both really liked."

"That soup was preem an-Huh?" Lucy blinked, noticing that several street lights ahead of them had sparked and gone out. She ran a quick scan of the area, not finding anything as David started looking around. Another light went out, only this time Lucy thought she heard the sound of gunfire. "You hear that?"

"Gunfire. Small arms." David answered as another light went out. "Think it's another street fight?"

"Don't know. Don't care." She replied, starting to look for an alternate route. "Rain check on that Creole?"

David nodded, and Lucy saw him shift to pull their guns out from beside his feet. Thankful now that he had decided to put them in the cab instead of the back like he had done originally. From the corner of her eye, she watched him load both their pieces even as she continued to drive. Ahead of them, a few more lights went out, and Lucy hit the gas.

Only for the car to start slowing down.

"Lucy! Hit the gas, not the breaks!"

"I am!" She nodded to her feet, showing David that she was indeed stepping on the correct pedal even as the car continued to slow. "Shit. Someone's hacked the breaks! It's NCPD's Emergency stop soft- What the fuck?!" She once again scanned the area, now noticing multiple systems around were going haywire.

Lights in buildings all around the street were turning off, cars all along the street stopping dead in their tracks, and every local network spamming a biblical shitflood of DDOS-esque pings to any device that so much as glanced at them.

"Over there!" Lucy followed David's finger, seeing what appeared to be several homeless-looking characters about. Their clothes were patched and ragged, and she could tell they were caked with mud and dirt. And even in the half-light, she could see the dirt caked against their dark skin and coating their dreadlocks. "VDB? They doing this?"

"Looking like that? Doubtful." She replied, trying to override the quickhack messing with their car. "Jesus, why the fuck are they making a blackout?! Fucking EMP would be easier!"

David opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off by the sound of additional gunfire coming from the roof tops.

"Fuck, think they got the area covered." He cursed, even as a lingering light was shot out.

The only light around them was the flaring of firearms spitting lead. The car was dead in the water, and the pair were stuck in the middle of a thickening firefight.

"Someone doesn't want to be detected..." She muttered as another staccato of traded gunshots rang out, the car still not cooperating with her inputs. Lucy looked up, seeing movement out of the corner of her eye.

Before she knew what was happening, The Colby lurched to life and its tires screamed as it launched forward. Lucy's counter-hacking went from fighting a Max-Tac brake pull to flailing against a high powered 'Take Control' quickhack's hijacking.

Something moved out from between the buildings about a hundred feet in front of them. Instinctively, Lucy pointlessly pushed against the break pedal as her optics registered the figure of a man in black tactical gear now stumbling towards them with a noticeable limp in his left leg.

The stranger said nothing to them, hopping into the bed of their colby and bellowing into the dark, "What?! Where's Alex! I'm not leaving without her!"

"Lucy? Who the fuck is this guy? Scans got anything on him?"

"Negative." She grunted, having just tried to scan him instead of the blackout area. "Everything's scrambled. Just reads classified."

David cursed, and Lucy shared his frustrations. Did they risk their own safety to deal with this guy? Or try to delta and save their collective skins?

"Oi! Runner-boy! Runner-girl!" The attention grabbing greeting came from somewhere nearby, and both Lucy and David turned to see one of the homeless VDB look alikes emerge from his hiding spot in the dark and run to them. While the man held a rifle in his hands, it was pointed at the roof tops with no chance of even a bullet casing hitting them. His head turned towards them, one hand cupping his mouth to amplify and direct his words.

"You must save this Poisonous Reed!" The madman started, cyber-eyes glowing violet and voice heavily accented like all the other residents of Pacifica. "He is needed by our queen! He must not be taken by The Mad Bitch! Go! Go now! Take the Reed and go far away!"

They barely noticed their unexpected passenger yelling something, too busy trying to figure out just what in the several massive piles of messy fuck they found themselves trapped in. Lucy almost lurched as the car's software was released and her cyberdeck was trying to rip apart a presence that was gone.

"The queen?" David questioned, looking just as poleaxed as Lucy felt, looking first to her then back to the mad Jamaican who had retreated back into hiding.

"Rogue, maybe?" She replied as the stranger in the back started swearing and shooting at something they couldn't see. Was this man possibly someone Rogue had hired on for a gig? "What do you think?"

"That is a possibility." He hummed. "If he is working for Rogue, it would probably boost our rep to help him."

"Right, but whose to say this isn't a trap set by one of the gangs?" If David was going to play nice, Lucy knew she'd have to be the one to go over the negatives.

"If Rogue sent him?" He started, frowning as more gunshots rang out from all sides. "How about this; We pull him into the car and take the guy with us, you provide some cover fire. If we make it to Rogue, we'll get answers. We don't then we cash in whatever bounty is on his ass."

It was cold, but a logical course of action given that it was the life of a stranger versus their own lives.

"Agreed." She replied, accepting her piece from David as he opened his door to use as a cover.

"Come on! We'll cover you! Get in the car! In the back!" Her input let off a series of shots at one of the roof tops, showing his intentions. Lucy copied David's actions, occasionally trying to scan the area to get an idea of where their assailants might have been hiding. Something was moving in the gloom, but was a bitch and a half to see without the network's aid to ping and highlight them.

Despite the situation, an expression of gratitude appeared on the man's face as he flipped out the back and land on his uninjured leg. He was about two-thirds of the way to David when Lucy saw the man stumble as a shot clipped something out of her line of sight.

"Sonovabitch!" They heard the man practically hiss and growl as he lurched forward and tried to pull himself back to his feet. Lucy spammed blind fire with her dwindling ammo as their stranger pulled himself to David, opting to drag himself forward with his arms when he couldn't rise. "Damnit Kid! Quit shooting at ghosts and help me in!"

"David!" She looked to her partner who nodded.

"On it." He put away his piece grabbed their soon to be passenger. As David loaded their cargo, Lucy now noticed that several genuine members of the VooDoo Boys had come out to the party. They added their own shots to hers, the posers, and whomever the fuck was still shooting at them.

She flinched a little as she heard several shots ricochet off the truck. A tiny shriek escaping her as one shattered the glass of the driver's side door. Whoever was raining lead on high was getting better with their aim.

Lucy couldn't help the sigh of relief that escaped her as David got back into his seat. She heard their living cargo grunt out a thanks as David was leaning out the window and covering her return to her seat. She saw David give a thumbs up, and Lucy understood the request. She was just about to climb back into the driver's seat when she heard it.

The sound of a fully charged shot being discharged from a tech rifle.

She didn't feel the pain at first. It was more like a great big push hit her in the lower back. She felt several somethings pop inside her. Then came the sting. Like a ripper-doc's needle on steroids, injecting something into her back beside her spine.

Lucy's mind went fuzzy, her vision was blurry. Like she'd been crying. Everything felt like a mix of perfectly fine and indescribably wrong all at once. She couldn't breath, but the thought didn't really bother her. She knew that she was in danger, but it just didn't seem important at the moment.

Everything was moving so slow, and she felt her body fall backward to meet the asphalt. All the while observing it like the weirdest braindance.

She could see her David. Her sweet lovable puppy. Her everything.

He looked so upset, and she wanted nothing more to hug him and make him feel better. She couldn't bring herself to get up, the effort made her head spin and that wrong feeling was definitely getting worse. She could lean up, just a little, and could swear she wasn't wearing anything red when they left for their date.

The dizziness was getting worse, and the ground was cold.

Lucy tried to call for David. He'd pick her up and make her feel warm like always.

She heard the sound of David's outraged fury, that rapid tapping that he made when he was running anywhere.

Then she was back in the car. She wasn't in her seat. She was in the back seats with David.

"Lucy, stay with me please." David sounded both close and far away at the same time. "Keep your eyes open, please. Stay with me."

She blinked a few times, trying to bring her eyes in focus as she watched him use his arm to pull her close. "Wait, where is his other arm?" she asked herself. She opened her mouth to try and speak, but no sound came out.

David's right arm was mangled. A mess. Something horrible had been done to it, and the arm was barely attached. It made her want to cry.

Her head rolled as the car moved. She could see their passenger serve as their driver.

"Vik's clinic. Little China!" David was yelling, cutting off whatever the stranger had started to say. "If she dies, I'll fucking kill you too! Just get us there!"

Lucy felt her eyes getting heavy. God, why was it so hard to keep them open? She felt what might have been David's lips on her forehead, but there was no warmth in the gesture.

He looked so scared.

"Hang on Lucy." He begged her, "Just hang on. Please."