Come Hell Or High Water (Day 5 Afternoon)

Vas opened the letter delivered to him.

It was pink.

It also reeked of perfume.

So really it was obvious who would send him something so ridiculous, the fancy looping letters on the front only confirmed who it was from.

So here he was in some stupid damp seaside cave. He was already regretting coming but a big part of him was looking for the closure he never got. Maybe he was getting soft. Maybe he was just a sucker. Either way if she didn’t show before high tide hit he was going to be pissed.

“I knew you’d come, Sugar Bear,” a sultry voice followed by an unmistakable silhouette darkened the mouth of the cave.

“Couldn’t you pick somewhere nicer instead of a dank cave or are you really set for the cloak dagger bullshit.” The punk groused, hands hammed in his pockets.

“You’re upset. I can’t say as I blame you, but I thought it would be nice to at least explain why I had to leave so suddenly. Did you get my letter? I gave it to the doctor for you,” the blonde explained, stepping further into the cave.

“You mean the bugs you planted, framed someone else for it and used me to point the finger, then when that didn’t work you bailed. If I missed something, please, let me know.” Vas said dryly. “Yea Doc delivered your letter.”

“Come, sit with me,” she offered, gingerly setting herself on one of the many stones. She specifically wore dark colored slacks tucked into high boots which might hide any dust from the cave. “Hear my side of things, if you please.”

Vas obliged, arms crossed he sat next to Jacy who was far less concerned with getting dirty. He looked at her waiting for some lame justification or a fictional tale with dragons and Reavers.

“There was a time,” she began, her words annunciated with a well-practiced demur tone, “when you and I were thick as thieves. Do you recall?”

“Yea … *was* … do *you* recall?” He bristled. “I recall that it didn’t matter to you given you left me and the crew high and dry after playing you spy games.”

“After I left to *protect* you and the crew. Surely you can understand that, Sugar Bear, not wanting anyone you love to be in harm's way?”

Vas snorted. “My ass. You got busted and bailed. What’s the Lieutenant’s new line again …. Right …. I was born at night, not last night? You planted bugs and framed an innocent crewmember that’s a shaky definition you have of ‘protect’.”

“I knew that the doctor and his cohort were up to something, and -- I wasn’t wrong. So yes,” she cooed. “I planted bugs. I made it look like the culprit was Major Chavez, because I didn’t count on you being so meticulous. Telling you would have meant exposing you to my secret. To their secrets, and it would have put you in jeopardy. It was part of my job, my responsibility to report back my findings,” she continued. “And when it became evident that it wouldn’t be possible, well, by then you are correct. My cover was busted and I had orders to bail.”

“Pretty excuses. Why am I here Jacy?” Vas huffed. “You wouldn’t have asked me here if you didn’t need something.” She was working pretty hard to pour honey down his ear that was for sure.

Jacy sighed, leaning back on the rock. “Because once upon a time, there was a boy who loved a girl and who understood what it meant to protect the ones he loved,” she explained. “And that girl he loved still is madly, hopelessly, passionately in love with him. I’ve done some things that were questionable, but surely they are not unforgivable, are they?”

“Still didn't answer my question.” Vas pointed out dryly with an arched eyebrow. He might have been softening some but Vas was clouded by doubt. She could say she loved him all the live long day … but that didn't mean anything given how quick she was willing to ditch him. Call it what you will, she had used him. Loved him or not she wasn’t sorry.

“Isn’t it obvious? I’ve come back for you, Sugar Bear, to be together with you, because as I’ve stated. I am still madly, hopelessly, passionately in love with you. I want our happily ever after, I want to picture two horses rump’s as they carry us off into the sunset. I want to be with you, Vas Jat, forever.”

“So what? You want back on the LV?” Vas asked, nose scrunched in confusion.

“No, no, I’m talking about a fresh start, just you and I - anywhere you want to go in the verse. Surely there must be some part of you that wants a forever home, isn’t there?”

“I have a forever home. On the Lunar Veil. That ship and it’s crew is a fresh start even if it was by chance.” He reminded her. Vas was happy on that ship and with its crew. no matter how problematic they could be.

“Do you?” She questioned. “Where you could be fired on a whim? Left on whatever remote planet or station happens to be next? We could start a family, Sugar Bear. Little boys with tiny mohawks running around. I love you, I’ve never stopped loving you. No one on that ship could ever know you, could ever love you like I love you.”

“Yes but they didn't. They were there for me back on the Georgia station, they didn’t have to but they were. And not not know me but you say the same? Do you know me?” Vas said teeth clenched old wounds and feelings being dredged up.

“Of course I know you,” Jacy all but purred. “Not just in the *biblical* sense. But I know your heart. I was there when your mother broke it. It was me you spent hours talking to, me who listened. I treasured our time together. Can you truly say you didn’t?”

“Of course I did.” Vas said almost reflexively. “But in spite of it all you're the one that sold me out to the Skyhook.” He said standing. “You ... “ He said balling his fists. “ … you didn’t come here out of love. You have an agenda. For once just be honest with me. What do you want from me.” Vas said reminding, himself that for all her pretty words she had been quick to cast him aside. In spite of his devotion she sold him off. In spite of how sweet her voice was to hear … she could tell a lie as easily as if it were the truth.

“They Skyhook was a dreadful mistake. We talked about that. If I’d know how truly horrible they were,” she sighed dramatically. “What do I want? Vas Jat, I’ve told you what I want. I want for you to be with me. Isn’t that enough?”

“And I told you. I am happy on the Veil, my home. If you really mean what you say then why isn’t the LV good enough to be a home for both of us?” He pointed out. “ You want to be with me? I want to be on that ship … why isn’t that enough?”

“Do you truly believe the lieutenant will let me step foot on that ship after everything? It’s a fresh start. There are hundreds of other ships. Other planets. You’re attached to that ship because it’s familiar to you. I can be happy with you anywhere in the verse. Think about it.” She moved closer to him. “Anywhere. The verse is ours, Sugar Bear.”

“I’m attached to the crew as much as that ship. If you can be happy anywhere you can be happy on the LV.” Vas said cooly. “If you’re worked up over the lieutenant I'm sure you are more than capable of smoothing things over with her. She’s reasonable after all.” Why did she want to split him from the ship so badly?! “The LV is my home, the Crew is my responsibility and they are my friends. I’m not ditching them.” He said stubbornly.

“To the crew?” Jacy scoffed. “The good doctor and his wife left. Gil, Haddie? They seem pretty happy with their new friends. The lieutenant who fired you for absolutely no reason? The girl that tortured you on the Skyhook? Please Sugar Bear. I need you far more than they ever could.”
“You don’t know what you're talking about. Doc and The Mechanic were liars and troublemakers. They played us all from the start. Sound familiar? Lieutenant apologized for her actions and that girl? She’s a survivor. We gave her an opportunity to be better and she seized it with both hands.” He shot back. “If you mean what you say Jacy. You'll come back to the Veil and we can work things out on the ship because right now I'm hearing a lot of what you need … and you seem to be ignoring what *I* need.”

“I mean what I say,” she promised, “but cards on the table. My being on that ship.. With the line of work I was in, doubling back is the best way to get killed. To get others killed. I wouldn’t be so selfish as to put them in jeopardy.”

“The hell are you talking about?” Vas said suspiciously.

“Didn’t you learn anything from your time on New Melborne? Your ship is under constant watch, and the lieutenant you love so dearly is under the Alliance’s thumb. I’ve been compromised, which means I’m no longer of use to the Alliance. It wouldn’t be prudent for me to return to that ship. See? Clean hands, I’ve washed them of both sides.”

Finally it seemed a little honesty was coming out of her. “Ah so … it is not wholly out of love you decided to try to convince me to run off into the sunset with you. You're a marked woman is what you're saying.” Vas said with crossed arms.

“The only thing I’m marked with,” Jacy countered, “Is a brand on my heart with your name on it. With you or without you I could ride into the sunset, but, as I do find myself suddenly retired, I would prefer to have company. Your company to be exact. We can be what we were always meant to be.”

“Jacy you hardly know me. Hell we hardly know each other.” Vas admitted. “If you did you would know I can’t abandon my crew. Or the ship.”

Jacy stiffened her spine, her voice losing some of the honey she was dripping. “Oh, I do know you Sugar Bear. And I know you could abandon your crew, and your ship, if it meant you would be protecting them.”

“Uh-huh … didn’t we just go through how much I don’t want to abandon them? How would that be protecting them? And protecting them from what? You?” Vas asked with an arched eyebrow.

“From people who would be very interested in knowing where you were,” the blonde said, sliding off the rock to stand. “No one just walks away,” She told him, wiping her hands together before brushing any dirt which might be sticking to her backside. “I’m not just talking about the alliance or the browncoats. You and I? We are in the same boat. Luckily that boat sails through the tunnel of love, which I think is a nice bonus, don’t you?”

“You have no idea what you're talking about.” Vas said in a hushed tone. “What do you even know what happened? What I ‘walked away from’?” He asked, wondering what she was implying, what exactly she thought she knew.

“We both know I do know what I’m talking about,” she said calmly. “And we both know I’m not one with a high tolerance for pain -- unless of course it’s on the list, silly. Protecting me would be protecting you and protecting your crew. Because even though I likely have no intentions to tell anyone about your time with the Jo Long Bong, I can’t promise that won’t happen. Survival, Sugar Bear. It’s my second favorite basal instinct.”

Vas gave Jacy a long hard look before walking over to one of the many tidal pools all but glaring at his reflection. “So that’s what it’s boiling down to. Go with you or you put my Crew in danger. You get someone to watch your back and love just happens to be a bonus in all this.” He stated watching the star fish and colorful sea anemones.

“It’s really win-win, when you think about it. I get my faithful, loving pitbull, and no one has to know where you are. Little Haddie gets to grow up and graduate to bigger and better crimes, young Gil - he’s really filling out, isn’t he? - He gets to be driven to an early grave, natural causes, worrying about Haddie of course. And the new little puppy that follows you everywhere with a school girl’s crush can seize whatever opportunity comes next, as you say. Win Win.”

Vas chuffed. “Not really giving me much of a choice are you?” He said looking down as if resigned.

“You have a choice, Vas,” She said sweetly. “You come, love me and protect me and we live happily ever after. Or, you come, protect me and I live happily ever after. Luckily, I’ll consent to your company in either case.”

Vas let the silence stretch before he spoke. “You ain’t giving me much choice in this and you know me … all about protecting my crew right?” He said glumly peering at the colors the inhabitants of the tidal pool flashed.

“I told you I knew you, Sugar Bear. Sure, you might be upset with me now, but I know in time you’ll forgive me. I have quite a few ideas on how to make it up to you,” she said, suggestively, sidling up to him. “Want me to tell you in graphic detail?”

“That’s the thing Jacy … you don’t know me.” He said, shaking his head. He reached out his hand brushing her cheek. “Not one bit.” He added grabbing a fistful of platinum hair jerking her forward over his foot trippingher. He followed through the whole way down, dunking her head under the water of the tidal pool and holding her under.

“There’s always choice, you just have to be willing to make those sacrifices.” Vas said with dispassion as the woman thrashed for her life. “It’s okay. It’ll be over soon. It’s for the best.” He assured her. He didn’t want her to suffer of course. He wasn’t a monster.

Even after she had stopped twitching he held her head under he was if anything thorough and come high tide she would look like any other drowning victim … if they ever found her.