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#RedrockAgency – March 1, 2017
It's starting to get late by the time Jason returns to the base, and activity has mostly died down, but some people still linger in the public areas of the base. Vasquez has withdrawn to her and Jason's quarters, and she's currently sitting in the couch, looking through a page on her laptop, brought from her office. The TV is on in the background, currently showing an investigate program about Commander Shepard's apparent return
from the dead and repeated appearances on the Citadel. Beside the laptop is an empty styrofoam container, as well as a second, unopened one.
Jason steps through the front door of the agency with a deep sigh. Not exactly the way he had hoped the night would go. Feeling a whole lot more weight on his shoulders than he did when he left a few hours ago, he casts a glance towards the bloodstain across his jacket sleeve and gives a shake of his head. "Where's Linda, Fergus?" he asks with a glance towards the desk.
Fergus bows his head lightly from behind the desk. "She has withdrawn to your quarters for the night, milord."
Jason nods to himself as he sets off down the corridor. "Thanks." he says half-heartedly. He continues right past his office, forgetting all about the Phalanx holstered beneath his bloodied jacket, and continues upstairs. He passes a glance towards the rec room door as he nears it. Not wanting to get the attention of anyone else until he handles things with Vasquez, he walks softly to avoid any unwanted attention and continues
straight to the living quarters. With a tap of the interface, the door slides open and he steps inside. "Hey..." he offers as he spots Vasquez, the emotional exhaustion obvious in his tone. "You-..." he begins when his gaze moves to the empty container and he furrows his brow, "....ate without me? I see how it is."
Vasquez is quite clearly distracted by whatever she's reading on her laptop when Jason enters, not looking away from the screen right away as she responds. "Don't take so long next time... I was done waiting when it took two hours for the food to show up, and you weren't even with it. I think you'll-" She looks over at him as she finishes with the paragraph she was reading, and her gaze immediately snaps to the blood on
his jacket. "...the hell? Jason? Are you alright?" she asks, a worried frown immediately manifesting.
Jason looks confused for a moment as she switches gears before realizing what caught her eye. He raises his arm and rotates his forearm a bit, looking it over himself. "Oh, this? Yeah. Not mine." he sighs. "It's been a fucked up night. Reeeeal fucked up. Should've stuck with the cold day-old pizza and called it a win." He takes his jacket off and hangs it near the door. His holstered weapon is jostled as he removes his jacket,
bringing it back to the front of his mind, causing a lapse in his explanation. "Ah, shit. Forgot to-..." he trails off, simply giving a frustrated shake of his head instead of finishing his sentence. He quickly removes the holstered weapon and crosses the room to set it where it ends each night: In the nightstand on his side of the bed. He sets his holster atop it, making a mental note to return it to his office the
Vasquez ' frown deepens as she turns to look over the back of the couch, following Jason with her gaze as he moves across the room. "Okay...? Wh-.. that's blood. Did you get in a fight? What happened?!"
Jason turns to face the couch once he's done at the nightstand. He reaches up, rubbing at the back of his neck for a moment. "Not exactly...........?" he offers in the best non-answer he can muster. It quickly becomes apparent to him that he has far more explaining to do than he would like to. "There was some slaver down at the Respite. Ten had a history with him..." he trails off, giving a shake of his head as he realizes now
probably isn't the time to get into details. Not with what the topic that needs breaching after. "To make a long story short: we decided to politely ask him-..." he looks to Vasquez, repeating himself for emphasis, "...Politely." Yep. That oughta convince her that he was on good behavior. She can't possibly blame him for this one. "...what in the hell he was doing in Freedom Falls. You know. Politely. And everything was
going pretty politely. I was being polite. Nathan was being polite. The shitbag was being polite. It was a really polite ordeal, really. You would've been proud at how polite we all were." He glances down briefly and clears his throat, "....So then some guy- totally unpolite, by the way- decided to show up and-... umm... Shoot him in the face. Sooo yeah. Not my blood. Spent over an hour answering questions with the
Vasquez lets out an exasperated groan, running a hand through her hair (which is let down for the night). She looks off to the wall for a moment before looking back at him. She doesn't bother questioning anything preceding the most notable part of the events described. "Shit... who was the other guy? Did he give you two any trouble?" she asks, one arm on the back of the couch as she looks at him.
Jason gives a shrug of his shoulders as he rounds the couch and begins to sit down... right onto the empty styrofoam container. With a frustrated grunt, he lifts his ass up and sweeps the container out from under himself before plopping back down. "I have no idea who he was. But he seemed to know me and Ten. Called us by name. Took a datapad off the guy then POOF. Disappeared like an unclaimed fart. An unclaimed fart with a
tactical cloak device." He leans back against the couch and glances over at his food, but thinks better than to just begin eating. It'll have to wait. He might need both hands free to block any incoming right hooks when the 'family talk' begins. "He didn't seem to have any problem with us, though."
Vasquez doesn't seem particularly reassured by this, letting out a sigh as she adjusts her sitting position when Jason joins her in the couch. On the laptop screen it can be seen that she was reading through an extranet site for pregnancy information. "He knew who you were? Jason... that's not good. This could be trouble. Wouldn't be the first time..."
Jason gives a small, somewhat distant nod. "I know, Linda. I know..." he sighs, "But he had the drop on us. Gun in hand. Armored head to toe. If he wanted us dead, that would've been the time to make a move. We got ahold of the slaver's omni-tool so I'm gonna see what Renala can get off of it and I'll do a little asking around. See what I can dig up. But we've got enough shit to worry about right now without adding something else
onto that list. For now? He didn't open fire on us, so as far as I'm concerned he's my new best friend." He gives a brief, lopsided smirk and winks at Vasquez.
Vasquez ' expression softens a bit as her mind shifts gears from the prospect of this being a harbinger of future trouble, to the fact that Jason was just in a rather dangerous situation, without his gear. She moves her hand towards his arm, changing her mind as her gaze falls on the synthetic surface, and placing it on his leg instead, and giving it a squeeze. "I-... yeah. I'm just glad you're safe. You shouldn't be
getting into situations like that without your armor..." she says, her softer tone turning to admonishing halfway through.
Jason gives another nod. He doesn't bother pointing out that he can't exactly suit up for war everytime he goes out to pick up dinner. The knot that's starting to form in his stomach as they close this conversation and veer ever closer to the beginning of the next, horribly uncomfortable conversation is advising him to build up some 'agreeable points'. "...Yeah. I'll be careful, Linda." he says, placing his synthetic hand over
hers. It's quite obvious that all of the enthusiasm has just been drained from him. His gaze travels from her hand on his leg to her face and he just falls silent. Completely silent.
Vasquez ' frown returns as she studies him. When he goes quiet tilts her head a little. "Jason...? There's... something you're not telling me. What happened? Are you sure you're alright?"
Jason gives another rather distant nod and his gaze returns to her hand. "Yeah... I'm fine." And, for a moment, he almost seems content to just leave it at that. The subject is sure to poke at some fresh wounds and that list of 'shit to worry about'? It is getting mighty long. Why add on to it for her? For a few, brief moments, his mind conjures up every excuse it can to not continue the discussion. Finally, he looks back to her
face. "Uhhh... But that's not all..." he says, and visibly winces, well aware that he just opened a floodgate that he's unable to close. "Viper showed up." As he realizes Vasquez hasn't actually met Viper, he gives a glance her way. "You know. The chick I told you about that worked for the information broker I contacted? Helped us hit Cerberus when you were-..." he trails off, breaking eye contact for a moment. Yep. Start
up one uncomfortable discussion about a painful topic by referencing another painful topic. Great job. Remind her she blew off your arms next. Keep the combo going. "...Her employer needed to speak with me. So I dropped Ten off back here and went to see what it was all about."
Vasquez stares at him as he trails off, immediately tensing up as Jason mentions Viper, and Cerberus, but she does her best to hold it back. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. "What did they want?" she says, as calmly as she can muster, but any illusion of a calm state of mind is broken when her eyes open, the rapid whirlwind of thoughts already flying through her mind obvious in her gaze.
Jason looks from eye to eye, running through his head how to breach the subject, but all roads lead to a very uncomfortable conclusion. "Linda, you have to believe me when I say I had no idea what all of this was about when I went with her..." he says, worried she may think he went behind her back knowingly. "And... And that's why I wanted to talk to you about this right away. We're about to get married and I don't want any of
this to be built on-... on lies." he stammers, "On keeping shit from one another. Viper only told me that her employer needed to speak with me. Knowing the sort of person she is and the circles she runs in, I just didn't want to make any waves, okay...?" He swallows hard as he holds her gaze.
Vasquez ' frown deepens as he rambles on. She continues to stare at him, but gives a few small nods. "I understand, Jason... I know you would've told me right away if you thought it was safe to." she says, doing her best to maintain an appearance of calm. "But... what did they want?"
Jason winces again. "Linda... It was your mother. She-... She wanted to meet with me...." he says. Just putting it right out there. The details can wait, the important thing is to hammer on to the point. His expression softens, but the guilty look on his face remains. Sure, he had no control over the situation, but somehow it still just feels wrong.
Jason's eyes clench shut, and when he opens them again, he gives a shake of his head. "Look, Linda... I had no fucking idea what was going on until I was literally in the room with her. I wasn't any happier about it than you are, okay? Hell, I was ready to blast her in the head!" He furrows his brow as it sets in just how fucked up that statement is. "...And I'm realizing just how insane our lives are that saying I was prepared
to kill your mother seemed like a good idea." he sighs. He shifts in place beside her on the couch so he can better face her. He runs a hand through his hand and reaches out with his other one, setting it on her leg this time. "It's fine. I'm fine... She only wanted to talk..."
Vasquez stares at him as he elaborates, barely believing what she's hearing. She shakes her head, glancing off to the TV before looking back at him. "Fuck-... I-... she was here? Shit, we need to-..." She stands up, taking a few steps across the room before turning around, a hand moving to the side of her head. "I-... we have-... what the fuck is she-..." She blinks, gaze snapping back to Jason and taking a step back.
She drops into an almost combatative stance as she pulls out her omni-tool from her pocket, eyes darting between its display and Jason as she types away.
Jason watches her as she leaves the couch, though his expression turns to confusion at her sudden change in demeanor. "What are you-..." he begins before it sinks in and he jumps to his feet, shaking his head wildly as he brings his hands up, palms out towards her. "We just talked, Linda!" he insists. "She kept her distance. We spoke. I left. End of story, okay? She didn't-... she didn't do anything to me. I mean-..." he
sighs, not exactly pleased with the way this is starting up, "...Linda. Come on. If she had stuck one of those-.. those-..." he gestures to his head, pointing a finger at his temple and swirling it around, "Doodads in my head hoping to be all sneaky, do you think I would've run home and said 'Hey, met your mom!'?" He tilts his head to the side, adding in a mumble: "...That sounds about as useful as a chocolate teapot."
Vasquez ignores Jason as she types until her omni-tool's holographics re-align, and she steps closer to him. "Shut up! Keep your hands down and stand still. Halisi taught me how to scan for those things..." she says as she presses her right palm against his chest while lifting her left hand to his face and a web of orange light shoots out. She stares intensly at him as a projected line sweeps slowly across his head,
Jason continues to stand in confusion as orange lights probe and prod at him. But he complies with the instructions and lowers his hands. "Linda this is-..." he starts and stops, "I'm not-... Fine. Shutting up. Just... get this over with." he sighs, staring her in the face. Yep. Pretty much the reaction he expected.
Vasquez looks at the readout the moment the scan finishes, and her hands drop to her sides with a relieved sigh. She closes her eyes for a moment and nods slightly, looking over to the window when they open. "My... mother. You met her. In person." she repeats, the relief having taken a little bit of the edge off of the shock, but her tone is strained.
Jason nods silently, looking her over. He reaches out and takes her hand as he steps in closer and brings it to his face to press a kiss against her fingers. "I did. And she didn't stick anything in my head. No threats. Nobody else was there. Just me, her... a whole lot of regret." he sighs. He focuses on her hand, looking down at it to avoid looking her in the face as he speaks. "Seemed pretty clear she's not too proud of what
Vasquez yanks her hand away as she turns to face him, her frown returned. "I told her to stay the fuck away!" she snarls, gesturing as she walks off across the room. "Shouldn't have believed her. Hasn't she done enough to us?!" She shakes her head, turning back to Jason. "What the hell did she want?!"
Jason lets out a deep breath as her hand is tugged away. Not a surprising reaction, but still not what he was hoping for. His gaze remains low. "She said she just wanted the chance to apologize. Like I said, it seemed like she's living with a whole lot of regret." Finally he regains eye contact as he gives a small shrug of his shoulders. "Linda... She knew things about you. About Niacal, like she's been keeping up with you..."
He gestures towards the TV, "...Hell, she all but confirmed the rumors we've been hearing about Shepard working with Cerberus. Said Cerberus are the only ones doing anything about the missing colonies..." He gives a dismissive shake of his head, "The point I'm trying to make is-.. is-..." he pauses as he tries to figure out his point, "...Fuck the excuses, right? Fuck the justifications. Fuck all of it. We saw what
Cerberus does. Good intentions or not? We saw." he continues, using two fingers, he gestures back and forth between himself and Vasquez. "...But we're not just talking about Cerberus here, Linda. We're talking about your mother."
Vasquez seems briefly caught off-guard by Jason's revelations, staggering slightly as she processes what he's saying, but by the end her reaction is obvious: "I. Don't. Care." she says through gritted teeth. "Who the fuck cares if she's sorry?! You know what she's done. She's not my mother. She hasn't been my mother for years. I didn't even know she was alive!" She shakes her head again, and turns away, walking off
Jason gains a frustrated look on his face as Vasquez turns her back to him and stands by the window. He opens his mouth to speak, but simply falls silent. "Oh fuuuuuck that." he finally says, the delicate nature of the conversation pretty much tossed out the window along with Vasquez' attention. "That's bullshit and you know it. You know how I know that's bullshit? Because my old man was a fucking prick. A piece of fucking
shit. I can count the good memories I have of him on one hand and have fingers left over. He spent every second he wasn't working drunk off his ass and died a bitter, angry man who let all of his responsibilities fall to everyone else. I hated him." It's not really like him to speak so candidly about his father. He's made it clear in the past that things weren't all puppies and kittens before them, but not quite so
colorfully. He takes a few steps closer to Vasquez as he continues, "And then he died. And you know what? I gave everything I had to the Alliance. Just for a chance to feel thaaaaat much closer to him." He lifts his hand, making a small measurement between his index finger and thumb despite Vasquez facing away from him. "So go ahead. Be mad. Be downright pissed at her. You have every right. But don't bullshit me. Don't
Vasquez turns back around with a scowl. "I'm not you, Jason. The woman I knew was a lie. My mother is a monster, not some drunk asshole. Don't pretend you know how I feel. She was dead. For years. And how does she come back? She-... she took my mind-... I-..." She grabs one of Jason's cybernetic arms, shaking it rather aggressively. "She made me do this. How the hell are you defending her?!" She's furious at
Jason jerks his arm back once she finishes with it, quite clearly not happy with being a prop to prove her point. "I'm not defending her!" he nearly shouts, "This isn't about her! I couldn't give two shits about her! This is about-..." he stops abruptly and his eyes slide shut. He sucks in a deep breath and remains silent for a few charged seconds before his eyes peel open. He bites down hard, attempting to regain his
composure lest this turn into a shouting match. "This is about you, Linda. Just you." he explains, his volume much lower though there's still an obvious bit of irritation in his tone. "What she did is unforgivable." he states very deliberately, keeping his emotions in check as best as he can. "And you're right. You're not me... And-... fuck I can't imagine what you're going through right now. But don't for one second
think I'm not on your side here. I'm just-... You have an opportunity that I would kill for. Okay? An opportunity to have your mother in your life again." He steps closer, never breaking eye contact. "And whatever you choose? I'm behind you one-hundred percent. Always. I just want you to make your decision, whatever the fuck it is, for the right reasons. Because time is going to pass and the anger is going to fade.
And no matter what fucked up shit she's done, I don't want forty year old Linda to recall all the good times and wonder if that woman from her childhood was still somewhere in there, regretting she never took the chance to find out."
Vasquez ' hands clench into fists, glaring at Jason even after he stops shouting, but her tense stance slowly, slowly softens, and the final sentence causes her to unball her fists. Her gaze starts wandering across his face as her expression starts to change, and as the room goes silent her shoulders drop with a heavy sigh, her gaze falling. She glances back up, looking like she's going to say something, but then shakes
Jason's frustration visibly drains from him as Vasquez seems to calm down. It's undoubtedly a complex situation for her, and he certainly can't blame her for being so emotional over it all. Hell, this is the woman who took his arm they're talking about. There's no shortage of ill will built up there on his end, either. After a moment he joins her near the window, remaining a step behind her. "She's leaving Aite in a couple of
days, Linda..." he says, "...Just... think about it. Okay? Figure out what you want. Push aside the kneejerk reactions. Push aside the emotions. Just... figure it out." He reaches out, wrapping an arm around her waist and pressing a kiss to the back of her head. "I'm not saying you-... you know... go meet with her in some shady basement clinic to chit chat and just hope she doesn't jam a gizmo in your head." he says, a
tired, weak smirk crossing his lips as he (poorly) attempts to inject a little humor into the tense discussion, "But if you decide you want to do this? I dunno, maybe a crowded place... You. Me. Her. Meet over a cup of coffee. I could have Tess with the rifle right across the street. Nathan around the corner with the grenade launcher. I mean she's no spry chicken. Pretty sure I could take her. But we would do it on your
Vasquez folds her arms across her chest as she continues to stare out the window. She flinches slightly when Jason wraps an arm around her waist, but then leans back just a little against him. When he finishes she shakes her head faintly. "Jason... I'm not meeting with her. There's no way. No way we can trust her. We can't risk it. And... nobody can know about this."
Jason peers out the window over her shoulder. "Crowded place." he repeats. "We don't have to trust her. And, hell, nobody else needs to know why they're waiting for an order to open fire on some old chick." He gives a quick snicker. The truth is, he's avoiding presenting the obvious. She's already proven she can get past their security measures anyway. Plenty of risk without even leaving the house. But the last thing Vasquez
needs at this point is more worries. He tightens his hold around her waist, giving her a slight squeeze. "Whatever you decide. There's no risk involved in answering a phone call..." he offers, leaning forward slightly over her left shoulder to get a look at the side of her face.
Vasquez glances Jason's way when he leans forward, before her gaze falls and she leans her head lightly against his cheek. For all her shouting and harsh looks, she can't be mad at him for this. Not really. "I-..." she sighs. "You've never talked about your father like that before." she says quietly, watching the still pavement outside.
Jason shrugs his shoulders. "Your mother has never come back from the dead before..." he says flatly, "Special occasions and shit, right?" With a sigh he presses his cheek against her head and rotates slightly at the waist. "It doesn't matter. I just-... I know no matter what happens, those feelings don't just go away. You know? You might want them to. But you can't just stop caring because you will it away. That's all I was
trying to say, Linda. I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to compare my-..." he trails off, giving a shake of his head before simply repeating, "...I'm sorry."
Vasquez shakes her head slightly in return. "No." she says. "I'msorry. I... know you're trying to help. And... I understand why you feel the way you do. But..." She lifts her head and turns around to meet his gaze, remaining close. "I'm not talking to her. It's not happening. I don't trust her in the slightest, and even if I did, I wouldn't want her in my life. Got it?" Her tone is firm, but there's no trace of animosity
Jason falls silent as he studies her face when she turns around, just looking for a reason to doubt her. A reason to attribute her coldness to an irrational emotional reactions. A sadness creeps into his own expression as well when he's unable to find the excuse he's looking for to further push the issue. He nods his head as he readjusts his arm around her waist. "Got it." he says softly, his gaze moving from one eye to the other.