contains: fem reader, reader has a husband (barely described), angst, fluff, Johnny and V bickering as usual, reader has hair (no specific length, texture, or color, just described as having grey streaks), reader has lines from aging! Lemme know if I missed anything!!!
pairing: Post-Engram!Johnny x 2077 Daughter!Reader, Male V x Johnnyâs Daughter!Reader
an: holy shiz balls I donât even know what to say⌠Iâve been through so many versions of this so Iâve finally just settled on this. Ik itâs probably complete đŠ but omg I was driving myself crazy because I couldnât figure out how I wanted it to be, plus Iâve had extremely bad writer's block this last month! so if you see any mistakes, no you dont. đľâđŤ anyway, I hope you like this @hi3431! And I am so sorry for how long this has taken me! Iâm surprised the few of you are still invested in dad!johnny because of how long it always takes me to write, but thank you all so much for doing so anyway! đ¤đđ
"I am lookin' at the damn map, Johnny!"
"Yeah, the wrong fuckin' way! You've got it all outta whack, fuckin' turned! Straighten it out, 'n' you'll see!"
They've been driving in circles in the same area for literal hours. They arrived in Fresno County early this morning, traveling through the hills and asking around in small towns. If she were going to come out this far, she definitely wouldn't be residing in a big town.
"OhâŚ" V blankly stares at the map on his dashboard after doing exactly what Johnny said.
"Well, my brain's fuckin' fried more than it already is, okay? This fuckin' heat... and these fuckin' circles!"
"Well, now we won't be goin' in circles. Now let's get back on the road. Gotta get some kind of intel by evening at least."
"Okay, okay. Just no more orderin' me around an' shit. Can't process anything."
The road out of Night City ended miles ago.
What replaced it wasnât much betterâa thin strip of cracked asphalt winding through dry hills and scattered trees.
Circles. Upon circles. Upon circles. Since early this morning.
Itâs now four oâclock in the afternoon.
They've been through Firebaugh, Mendota, San Joaquin, and Kerman so far, all with no luck.
"Let's try Helm and Five Points," Johnny suggests, boots kicked up on the dash, aviators hanging low. "They're further out.âÂ
Once they arrive in Helm, V parks on Main Street as he did in all the other towns they've been through. He steps out in casual clothes, kicks, and Johnny's aviators.Â
He tries the food market first, shows the old, slow lady who ran it the picture of you he was able to klep early in his research. "You seen this lady around?"
The old lady leans forward, squints, gives up, and reaches for her glasses to try again. "Hm... maybe been through here a couple times, I believe."Â
She looks again, even closer this time. "Yeah, she's been through here before. Not a local, though."
V's face lights up. "So she has been through here."
"Yeah. She missing or something?"
"Something like that... yeah."
"Hm, well, hope you find 'er, young man."
"Thank you, maâam. Have a good day."
With that, he walks back out to his V-Tech, hops in, and freaks out. "We're gettin' close, Johnny! I feel it!" V can't deny how invested he is now.
"Yeah, yeah. 'Cause of you."
They move onto Five Points and park on Main Street. He hits the food market and shows the younger employee the photo.
"Yeah, been through here a lot of times. Actually came through the day before yesterday. Real nice lady. Talks to me every time. Says I'd look good doing something I love."
That makes Johnny materialize and lean against the nearest shelf, eyes glued to the floor.
"So do you think she'll be through here soon? Can I catch her?"
"You trying to hurt her?"
"No," V huffs out a laugh as he shakes his head. "No, jus' lookin' for her. She's an... old friend of mine."
"Okay." The young boy keeps his eye on V for a few seconds, assessing him, before slowly nodding.
"Do you know where I can find her? You know where she lives?"
"How do I know you're not tryin' to hurt 'er?"
"Look," V looks down at the boy's name tag. "Jackson. She's an old friend. Someone important to me. Jus' tryin' to find 'er... talk to 'er.
Let's just say... I have something she'd probably want back."
The boy assesses V one more time. The boy had clearly grown a bond with you. "Alright, alright, I believe ya. She..." he scratches the side of his head and shrugs. "Talks like she has a homestead. Loves 'er chickens. That typa lady. Comes through for feed and stuff. That's all I know, man. Ain't been to her place personally."
"Alright, yeah. Okay, I can work with that. Thanks, Jackson." V places your photo back into his pocket.
V practically jogs back outside to his V-Tech and slides in. "Alright, Johnny. We're right on her. Gotta be outside town." He pulls into the road, ready to hit the outskirts.
For what seemed like an hourâreally fifteen minutesâbecause of Johnny's strange, dead silence and tense posture in the passenger seat, barely answering, they arrived at a little place.
The fencing half replaced, half untouched and old, rickety. The simple family home recently painted, the door yet to be. Chickens squawking and chasing each other, goats bellowing, two of them head-butting.
"Think this is it, Johnny?"
"I don't know..." Johnny solemnly mutters, head down as he slightly lifts his shoulders and drops them.
"NothinââŚ" he looks out of the passenger window at the house, as if he actually was. "Jus' wishin' it was me. Findin' her... seein' her. I don't know, maybe feelin' her."
"Man, it is you. You're just... in my head. We did this together an' we're doin' it together."
"Hey⌠'member what I said? Body's all yours when the time comes. âSides, still got our âseudosâs. Maybe you and her could get together sometime if everything goes good. Hm?"
That makes Johnny look back down to his lap with a small grin before looking over at V. "Thanks, kid. Maybe you're right. Guess we'd better go see if it's her, huh?"
"There's the determined asshole I know. Yeah... les'go."
V steps out, pauses as he rounds the front of the car to gather his bearings, and straightens his clothes. He adjusts his white short-sleeve button-up, smooths his jeans, and runs a hand through his hair before removing Johnnyâs aviators and tucking them in his pocket. He finally exhales and steps forward, wearing the same outfit Johnny had teased him about earlier, asking if he was going on a date with his daughter.
Once he steps foot on the stone walkway, chickens surround him, not harmful, but playful, running circles around him as he walks, which makes him genuinely laugh. "What're you doin' ya little meat birds?"
Just as heâs about to step onto the porch stairs, a big, dopey dog rounds the corner of the house, barking loudly and deep, almost grizzly in sound.
"Whoa... hey there, buddy." V raises his hands in surrender. "I'm cool. I'm very much... cool."
Johnny materializes on the porch steps, "No way, V. Told 'er I wanted to get one of those one day. English mastiff. A girl."
The dog stops and intently stares into V's eyes, unmoving as it continues to bark.
V's foot was just about to land on the next step before the door locks were opened and the door swung open. "Sable, down! Now!"
"Jesus.." Johnny mutters, dropping his head into his palms, before his image cuts and disappears. "Same damn name. Yeah, this is her."
V finally looks up to the door, and sure enough, there you stand, very close to the picture he's used to get this far.
Days spent buried in records upon records and databases, cradling glasses of whiskey, combing old forums, speaking with an ex-die-hard fan of Johnnyâs, cracking open childcare facility reports on your âdisorderly behaviorâ, facility transfer records, and they're finally seeing you in the light of day.Â
Johnny's image cuts to the porch railing, leaning against it with an evident pout across his lips as he takes you in.
Grey hair threaded through the same shade he remembers, lines earned, not erased, or artificially altered by a Ripperdoc. Youâre authentic, you, and most certainly real in this moment. Not a fragment of his once-consciousness, not a flickering light or sense that heâs fought with for the last fifty years, but in the flesh.Â
"I'm sorry, ma'am. Didn't mean to cause all of this."
Your attention was elsewhere, on Sable, who still wouldn't let up.Â
"It's fine, honey." You walk across the porch floorboards, clapping your hands. "Sable, inside! Now!"
Sable's head droops, ultimately stopping her relentless barking, but still intently looking into V's eyes, feeling him.Â
You look down at the timid young man. "Come on up. She'll follow once she sees I trust you... if I can."
"Course... yeah." V moves up and slightly behind you to the side, lowering his hands and crouching.
"C'mon, pretty girl," you softly command this time. She obeys, trotting her way up and entering through the open door, retreating to her usual spot on one of the couches.Â
V lets out a breath of ease and stands. "Beautiful dog, ma'am."
That makes you chuckle a little, noticing how the boy was acting like he wasn't about to shit his pants a second ago. "Sorry about that. She's real protective of me. She's a good girl, though."
"So what'd you need? People don't usually come out here without a reason. And they usually come with the same one.â
"Name's Vincent,â he holds his hand out, and you accept the greeting. âBut you can call me V.â
"That's nice, V,â you cross your arms. âBut it doesn't answer my question."
"Well.." V bites back a grin and rubs the back of his clammy neck. "You want honesty? I just don't wanna sound like a creep."
"Sure,â you lean against the porch railing. âI guess.âÂ
"Ah," you immediately push yourself off the railing and head for the door. "You're one of those. Doesnât surprise me.âÂ
âJesus Christ, V! Don't let âer get away!â Johnny scolds him in the back of his head.Â
"Wait!" V's hand shoots out to grab at the fabric of your shirt before he can think, immediately regretting it and retracting his hand.Â
Your face twists in confusion and annoyance at such audacity. âExcuse you?âÂ
"Shit, I'm sorry, ma'am. I jusââthere's jus' things I need to figure out. I'm anâŚâ V quickly racks through his brain to conjure an excuse. âIndependent journalist, I'm not signed to anyone. Swear."
"Mhm, that's what they all say. Or said... until I started takin' care of them."
That makes V's throat bob, his mouth suddenly dry. "It's nothin' like that. I swear, ma'am."
"Okay, then what's it like? 'Cause you sure don't look like one to me. They usually try harder... more creepy."
V's mouth opens, closes, then opens again to try. "Okay, I'm not lyin' about tracking you down or figurin' things out. Look, I'm not... like the others," he huffs out a humorless laugh. âQuite the opposite, actually."
"There's nothin' to say about my daddy anymore," you shrug and make your way back inside, pausing and turning around to him. "What you're tryin' to figure out, you can look at the ScreamSheets, kid."
"Just!âJust hear me out! Please!"
You stop, push the door slightly open again, considering the boy once more. He looked like a good boy, definitely not a journalist or coming all the way out here just to âtalkâ, but he was genuine. Nervous with clammy hands that he wrung too many times.
There was⌠something else about him. He smelled of smoke, a bitter liquid, and something warm. And his features? His mouth was set in a specific way you haven't seen for fifty years, and there was a stern crease between his eyebrows, and it looked as if his body was constantly fighting a cocky posture. All in only a way a certain rockerboyâs would be.
No⌠it was just the mention of your dad messing with your head. The memories that always surface with the sound of his name.Â
"Ma'am,â The boy softly calls out for your attention, making you shake your head out of your trance. âI've gotâI've got something you might wanna know."
"Okay⌠yeah. I'm sorry. Fine, but no funny business,â you open the door wider, allowing him into your home. "Too hot to stay out here anyway. Let's get you something to drink, yeah?"
"Yeah, of course. Thank you, ma'am."
V steps past you and into the threshold. Heâs immediately hit with a homey, inviting atmosphere. Summer citrus wrapped in warmth, real leather furniture that was mended and not replaced, worn with age, with little scratch marks from tiny claws adorning them.Â
A couple of shotguns and a rifle lean against the wall next to the door for easy access. Just in case.Â
âHoney, a visitor!â You shout up the staircase before making your way into the kitchen.Â
Family pictures line the walls, some professionally taken, most blurry as if little hands took them on the sly. V takes them in. For himself, yeah, since he didn't know much about having a family, but mostly for Johnny, who hadnât said a word or appeared since V walked in.Â
One showed you as youthful, alongside a tall, handsome man a bit older than you, and two teens, all working on the homestead, captured in a low-angle, blurry image taken by unsteady, tiny hands.
Another showed a much younger you and the same man sitting in a car, a selfie taken with your own hands. You look happyâtruly happy and in loveâbut thereâs something else beneath the surface, as if youâre healing.
A moment later, V heard the soft scuff of footsteps and the thud of boots coming down the stairs, followed by a warm voice. âEverything alright, hon? Heard Sable yappinâ her head off.â A tall, broad-shouldered man came down from the last step, a damp towel around his neck, trailing over his bare, solid abdomen. It was the same man from the picture, only broader now, his hair gone gray with time. Body firmly built from years of labor.Â
 He pauses once he sees V. âWho's this young man?âÂ
V slightly ducks his head at the manâs rather warm, fatherly tone, but meets his hand. âVincent, sir, but you can call me V.âÂ
âNice to meet you,â your husband says, introducing himself.Â
V nods once with a polite smile as their hands detach.
âWhat brings you out here?âÂ
âWell, I'd like to talk with your wife, hopefully.â V looks back at you in the kitchen. âGot something she might want to know about⌠her dad.â
âWell, before ya do, you got anything on you?âÂ
âGuns⌠knives,â James began. âSorry, itâs just how this household works. Had too many run-ins. And we don't just let anyone in here. I guess to my wifeâs better judgment, we did today.âÂ
âOh⌠âcourse, I understand. Anâ no, I donât.â V lifts his shirt just above his belt and does a quick spin to prove himself.Â
âAlright, I trust you,â James playfully lands the back of his hand against Vâs shoulder as he walks away, still watchful and guarding, but hiding it well. He nods for V to follow, âCome sit. You look like a decent boy.âÂ
ââCourse, oh and uh⌠good luck talkinâ to âer. Sheâhow do I put itâshe donât really like hearinâ about âim anymore. Heard the same stuff over anâ over, I donât blame her, really.âÂ
âWhat would you like, V?â You call out from the kitchen, looking in the fridge. âWe have water, lemonade I made fresh today, and soda.âÂ
âDon't pass up her lemonade, kid. Sânova.âÂ
V grins and replies from the couch, âLemonade, please, ma'am.âÂ
âSo, you like a journalist or somethinâ?âÂ
âWas,â he pauses for a beat, cringing at himself. âUntil like three minutes ago. Blew it.âÂ
That makes James genuinely laugh. âYeah, you tried to fool the wrong one, kid. Sheâs good at that. Letâs just say,â he lowers his voice. âSheâs got me more times than I can count. Canât get nothinâ past âer.âÂ
âI can hear you, yâknow,â You smirk and look into the living room at your husband as you pour the lemonade. âThatâs exactly why I always catch you. You canât ever keep it down.âÂ
âShitâŚâ your husband mutters and waves you off. âYeah, yeah, whatever, Darlinâ.âÂ
âJust sayinâ.â You giggle and shrug, gathering the three cups in your hands before heading back to the living room to join them.Â
âHere you go.â You hand V his cup, and he takes it with a thank-you. Then you give your husband his, sit in your chair across from him, and settle in. âAlright, V. Whatâs so special that I need to know? People come out here every few years, digginâ up my fatherâs ghost. Nothinâ new that I probably donât know.â
At that, Johnny materializes on the far side, as if taking in the sight of a family. One he couldnât be a part of.Â
V sets his cup down on the low table and rubs the back of his neck with a quiet exhale. Suddenly, Sable hops off the other couch and prances over to him with a soft cry, climbing onto the couch heâs sitting on and resting her head in his lap.
You and your husband exchange a raised eyebrow, and the shift stuns V even more, given the stark contrast with her earlier demeanor. âWhoa, girl,â he murmurs, timidly reaching up to stroke her head. âWhatâs the matter?â
âOkay, what's goinâ on here, V?â You place your cup alongside his and cross your legs.
He huffs, âWell, I'm afraid you won't take me seriously.âÂ
âWell, there's not much left in the world that I don't believe.âÂ
âOkay⌠okay. Jusâ don't freak out.âÂ
ââKay, I won't freak out,â you put your hands up in mock surrender.
âYou guys know about the Relic, right?â He looks between the two of you.Â
âYeah, it's that uh⌠Arasaka shitâain't it? Those personality chips?â your husband leans forward.Â
âExactly⌠well, long story short, me anâ a choom of mine kinda⌠sorta⌠klepped one at Konpeki Plazaââ
âWait, that was you?â you chuckled, your husband joining you.Â
âYou guys heard about it?âÂ
âYeah, we um⌠kinda laughed.â You and your husband looked at each other, definitely trying not to lose it. âWe thought about how only gonks would do something like that.âÂ
âYeah⌠Well, that was meâa gonk. Anyway, job went to shit as you saw. Had to stick the biochip in my head. Got shot in the head. Biochip brought me back. Now an asshole is overwriting me.âÂ
You blink at him, trying to comprehend everything he just said. âAnd weâre⌠supposed to do what?âÂ
âNothing,â V pauses and looks down at Sable as he rubs her forehead. Sable looks up at him, whining once more. He looks back up at both of you and humorlessly huffs out a laugh. âIt just so happens to be your⌠dad overwritinâ me. Got âim in my head.âÂ
The room went dead silent. Too silent to the point you could only hear the hum of the fridge and the goats bellowing outside.Â
After a moment of blankly staring at the kid, you snort as an unamused laugh erupts from your throat, and your husband joins in.Â
âAlright, kid,â your husband says, standing. âPack it up.âÂ
âSee? Knew you guys wouldn't take me seriously.âÂ
Sableâs head shoots up from Vâs lap, and she looks at her papa, whining.Â
âThe kidâs a liar, Sable.âÂ
âLook,â V pointedly says, his tone a bit harsh before quickly correcting it. He then gently pushes Sable off his lap and leans forward, looking at you both. âI know how it sounds, trust me, I do. I had a hard time believingâsorryâbut the asshole was in my brain when I woke up. I know how it all soundsâI sound crazy, but I swear to both of you Iâm not. I wish I could prove it right here and now, but I canât.âÂ
That same silence returns, and your husband steps back to his chair, more thoughtful now as he sits there, looking at you through your eyelashes to make sure youâre okay. Your laughter had already died down long ago, and you were now staring at V in thought, maybe in a bit of anger.
"I'm sorry for cominâ out here like this, I am. But I ainât lyinâ, sure damn wish I was. He wanted me to find you, and I wanted you to know. There, thatâs all,â he throws his hands out as he stands. âIf you want me to go, I will.âÂ
âShit, V. Whatâre ya doinâ?â Johnny materializes in front of him, raising his hands in question before cutting over to the couch next to Sable.Â
V stands there with his hands on his hips, waiting for an answer or some kind of notion you wanted him to leave. You sit there with your elbow propped on the armrest as your eyes are glued to the floor.Â
He was just about to give up and walk away when you suddenly rose from your seat and walked over to the picture window with your hands on your hips.Â
Your husband whistles to cut him off and grab his attention, doing a cutthroat gesture to stop him. Your husband knew all too well about your behavior and when to butt in. Now was not it.Â
After about a moment of silence, the only sound of the grandfather clock cutting in between the fourâfiveâof you, you speak low without turning around, tears slipping from your eyes and cascading down your face.Â
âYou come to my house⌠dig up the past like the rest of âem⌠and whatâexpect me to believe you have my dead father in your head?â You scoff and shake your head, wiping the tears with the back of your hands as you turn around, âHeâs dead. Dead. This some kind of sick joke?âÂ
âNo,â V stresses with his hands. âItâs not. I wish it was, maâam. I really do. If only I wasnât such a dumbass, Iâd take it all back; I never woulda done that job. Never woulda got your damn dickhead father in my head. Now... I will leaveââÂ
âOh, you will leave,â you begin, voice dark and hurt as you come forward. âGet out of my house!âÂ
âHeyâHey!â Your husband stands, coming between you and V, gently holding you back, placing his hands on your shoulders to ground you. âNow⌠this ainât gonna happen. Calm down, baby.âÂ
âDonât tell me to calm down! Tell him to get the hell out!â
âShâŚshâŚâ he brings you into his arms and leads you to the kitchen, as you burst into tears, wetting his chest. He turns back to nod at V, motioning toward the front door. âBe out there in a minute, V.âÂ
âYes, sir.â V obeys and heads outside, sits on the porch steps, and drops his head in his hands in utter scandal.Â
âGuess that went well, huh?â Johnny materializes next to him, mirroring his slumped shoulders.Â
âAll thanks to you,â V says aloud. âHope this is the last of your little âremember meâ adventures, âcause you ainât gettinâ anymore with me.âÂ
âYou agreed to do it, kid.âÂ
âYeah, âcause you always fuckinâ--I donât knowâmanipulate me. You always know how to get me.âÂ
âChrist, V. Have a little heart.âÂ
Before he can finish, the front door opens and closes. Your husbandâs heeled boots clack against the floorboards as he moves to sit next to V with a tired groan. Johnny materializes far out, leaning against a boulder and watching the horizon with the light of the setting sun.Â
âSorry about that, kid. She still gets shaken up with that stuff.âÂ
âNo, I'm sorry, sir. She's right, I shouldnât have come out here. I guess I just⌠wanted to help the demon up here.â He taps the side of his head, earning a chuckle from your husband.Â
âYeah, you definitely got to her. Shoulda went a tad bit lighter. But⌠itâs all true?âÂ
âChrist⌠sadly, yeah.âÂ
âWell, donât laugh, because itâs why I didnât tell you guys in there. Then she woulda really freaked out on me.âÂ
ââMouthâs sealed..âÂ
âI can⌠talk to him, see him, see his memories. Except all of it isnât actually him, itâs just⌠a copy of his personality, his own depictions of his corrupted memories. He isnât conscious, basically. Just a construct of what they could copy onto the chip. I guess I don't⌠actually have him up in here, but it's still⌠yâknow, him. One thing that ain't corrupted is her. Saw memories of him with her, damn near almost killed me out one night in a dreamâa nightmare. I don't know, sir. It's all justâone big mess.âÂ
Your husband stares off into the distance with furrowed eyebrows. âI guess it ainât too hard to believe. Nothinâs surprising anymore, amirite?âÂ
âYeah.â V huffs out a chuckle.Â
âBut thatâs⌠interesting. Think I heard talk of it in the office back in the day. Though it's a real shitty thing to do⌠kleppinâ the richâs personalities, makinâ copies of them.âÂ
âTell me about it. Never thought Iâd be this close to corp tech.âÂ
âYeah, know how you feel. Letâs just say⌠worked for the corps back in the day. Glad I got out of it.âÂ
âEx-corpo,â your husband corrects him. âWorked for Zetatech.âÂ
âOh⌠wow. Yeah, can see why you fled. Helped out a choom from Zetatech, told me what they do to ones that flee the nest.âÂ
Your head lies in your arms on the table as tears flow freely. You don't know if you're crying from the mere fact that the boy had your father in his head, or the anger you felt for hearing those words. Why would it affect you this hard if it weren't true? Is it because you felt the weight and sincerity of his words when you didn't want to? Or is it because no matter what you do or where you go, you truly will never escape your father?Â
The first man you truly loved. The first man you trusted. The only man who taught you how to decipher reality from the falsity of the world, to fight for what is right, and live true to yourself.Â
Except he was the man who easily hurt you as he was lost in his ego, then apologized in his own terrible way, and made it up to you in his own Johnny-way.
Your tumultuous past, filled with nasty words in your ears about your father, as they touched you with sick intentions, disgusting roleplays they made you endure. You learned to live with it at the time, for the sake of making eddies. For years, since you fled the treacherous child care system, thatâs all you knew. Sick hands, substances to drown the revolting sensations, whispered prayers to your dead father for guidance. Though you never felt him, never felt his spirit. Is this when heâs finally answered your need for clarity, for that same warmth only he could obtain?Â
Your breath comes and goes sharply, piercing your lungs and your heart, making you rub and grab at the skin above it. Just as you rise to grab a tissue, you hear the faint creak of the front door, and the dull, familiar thud of your husbandâs boots follows.
âGo away,â you mutter in a small, broken voice as you dab at your tears while standing at the kitchen counter with your back turned to him. He comes up behind you and rests his hand on your back, slowly rubbing up and down.
âDarlinâ... I just think you need to talk to the kid. I did, and what he's sayinâ sounds⌠true. I donât think the boyâs lying.âÂ
âYou don't get to tell me what to do,â you bitterly bite, turning around to him and meeting his eyes with sharp ones. âI want him out.âÂ
âIâI get it,â he starts, voice warm and soft. A tone you've grown to adore, through the many times heâs used it with your kids, and even you, through your difficult times. âI do. But I do get to help you. I just think you need to hear âim out. I know itâs hard for you every time someone comes out here digginâ your dad up, hell, even the mention of him gets to ya. But just give âim a chance, hm? Maybe itâll give you some type of clarity. You never know. You felt you could let him into our home. That says somethinâ, don't it?âÂ
You continue to glare up at him with red, puffy eyes through your eyelashes as your arms are crossed defiantly over your chest.Â
You let out a sharp exhale through your nose and pin your eyes on something elseâas long as it wasn't himâbefore you meet his once more. âFine.âÂ
Your husband lets out a breath of relief and wraps his arms around you, cradling your head against his bare chest. âThank you. He said he just wanted to tell you how it worked, and you could ask anything from there. He won't be pushinâ anything on you.âÂ
âOkay,â you mutter into his chest. âIâm doing it for you.âÂ
He didnât say anything else, just gently pulled away from you with a soft, knowing smile, hoping you would get some sense of clarity.Â
With a hand resting on your lower back, you both walk out to the porch, and Sable follows behind, settling on the floorboards with a contented sigh. You sit beside V on the steps with a stubborn tick in your jaw, and your husband settles into one of the rocking chairs behind you.Â
âSo⌠guess Iâll take it a bit easier than earlier,â V starts, then repeats his explanation he told James, in simpler, easygoing terms for you, and you listened as you stared off into the darkening land, feeling that same strange warmth from him once more.Â
He told you about the occurrent, unyielding, inevitable overwrite of his neural pathways that would eventually get the better of him and erase his identity to replace it with your fatherâs, unless he could get help. He also made sure to mention the Omega Blockers Viktor provided, and the Pseudoendotrizines that Misty gave to him that night in his apartment. He talked about his and your fatherâs growing relationship and the need to not take the Omega Blockers as much anymore, which earned a genuine laugh from you. You were especially intrigued when he had told you that the Pseudoendotrizines can basically let Johnny have full control over his body.Â
He let you ask your ever-flowing questions, your valid curiosity getting the better of you.Â
âSo, does he ever⌠think about me?â you ask as you look over at him, voice much calmer now.Â
âItâs kinda complicated. You see, heâs not like⌠alive-alive, heâs still⌠gone. But I have his memories and kind of that train of thought and personality, so yeah, it hits me sometimes.âÂ
You slowly nod, soaking in everything he's told you for the last twenty minutes, feeling otherworldly but content at once.Â
âItâs crazy,â you begin, a soft smile coming to your lips as you mindlessly look down at your fingers youâre twiddling. âI used to pray toâto whateverâs out there, used to pray to him, to feel him. Maybe just a flicker of a feeling, yâknow. He wasnât the best father, no, but heââ You get cut off from your own tagged breath, tears threatening to fill your eyes once more. âI know he loved me.âÂ
At that, Johnny materializes from his seemingly stuck position on the rock, over to the bottom of the steps, looking directly at you with sad eyes.
You wipe at your eyes and shift in your spot. Your husband stands and kneels behind you to comfort you with his warm touch.Â
You smile at the boy through tears before gathering yourself once more.âShit, Iâm sorry. I just⌠anytime someoneâs come here with the same story, digginâ him up again and again, sometimes belittling him in a way they think I won't notice, I always think of the times he tried.âÂ
You let out a small giggle before continuing, âLike you said earlier, he was very much an asshole, but he tried as a father. Sometimes he'd come home smellinâ like booze and pure rage overall from the studio or from his little skirmishes or whatever, but heâd always make sure I ate and did my schoolwork⌠stuff like that, even if he was shit at doing it.â
You pause for a moment, recollecting, before continuing with a soft chuckle. âDaddy couldnât cook for the life of him. So nine times out of ten, we were eatinâ take-out.âÂ
Johnnyâs mouth twitches in the faintest grin before his image flickers onto the steps, sitting in front of you and V.Â
âSometimes heâd put take-out in a pan of whatever, totally thinking heâd trick me into thinkinâ it was his cooking. I always knew, but never said anything.âÂ
âShit,â Johnny turns, sitting sideways on the step and looking up at you. âYou knew about that? Damn it, thought I had you.â
âSometimes heâd bum traditional recipes off of Uncle Kerry and try to recreate them. Letâs just say, they were⌠something alright.âÂ
âHey,â Johnny smirks. âYou were the one that begged and whined for it when you couldn't get his cookinâ. So I tried, âkay?â
âHe tried, though, and I still ate it.â Another small moment of silence washes over the summer evening, and only the sounds of the homestead animals and Sableâs soft sighs could be heard until you hum under your breath. âThere were bad moments too, when whatever went on his head got the best of him.âÂ
Johnnyâs image cuts to your husband's truck, leaning against it on his shoulder with his back turned to you all.Â
âSometimes he'd yell at me if I wasnât listening to one of his delusional rants, then he'd lecture me. But I donât pin him with those moments. Daddy was⌠sick. I knew about his past. The war and⌠what happened. Heard talk about why he was the way he was. The good times are the ones I hold dear,â your lips droop into a small frown as you look up at the boy. âIâm sorry, I'm just rambling at this point.âÂ
âNo, no. Keep goinâ. Itâs nice hearinâ about it all. I donât know all the bits of Silverhand. âSides, your dadâs listeninâ to ya.â
âHe is?â You grin, letting out a breathy, delighted giggle.
V warmly chuckles and nods, âYeah, just got done sayinâ a minute ago that he thought he had you with the take-out.âÂ
That earns another laugh from you, and a deep, gravelly one from your husband, who is still gently rubbing your shoulders.Â
You continue with the times of you and your dad, completely ignoring the life you lived after he passed. Or maybe your mind couldnât reach those parts, the treacherous, vile territory.Â
You told the boy that Johnny was definitely not father material, but he smartened up on some of the aspects of your upbringing. Yeah, of course, he still never let you touch a public school or a public doctorâs officeâcaught up in his own view of life for that. But he took care of you as far as you knew. That was his way of caring for you, protecting you in one of the few ways he only knew how: keeping you from corps and letting trusted people he hadnât burnt bridges with yet to replace them.Â
He tried his best to comfort you in his own Johnny-way, letting you tuck in next to him with his âganic hand splayed across your back for warmth instead of the cold metallic of the other. He hadnât known what the hell he was doing from the very first moment he laid eyes on you, but he sure as hell tried his best after the first two years of your life, settling into something as close to the role of a father as you could get, when it came to him.Â
V feels the weight of what Johnnyâs âthinkingâ in this moment as you speak about him. Itâs something close to gratitude, thankful for the parts of your early childhood you donât remember. V feels that, and the unbearable weight of the regret, the grief, and the love Johnny heldâand still fiercely holdsâfor you.Â
The weight is so much that V physically feels it in his chest. He clutches his shirt over his heart and doesnât interrupt you, though his solemn eyes involuntarily drift to the side of your face, but it isnât V in this moment. Itâs Johnny.Â
A fierce, paternal wave washes over Vâs entire body, making him grunt and almost double over. V had certainly never felt or had the love from a father, but if this is what it felt like, V would like to hold onto it forever. It was a mix of worry, devotion, sternness, love, and most of all love. All the things heâs never felt from someone who carries his own bloodânever had anyone with his blood, just the streets and his street family.Â
âV! I said, are you okay?â You place your hands on his shoulder in a panic as your husband holds the boy up on the other side, gently pulling him up from his slumped position. Sable was right behind the three of you, whining and wagging her tail in fret, digging her snout between yours and Vâs touching knees.Â
V groans loudly, a sound from the depths of his chest, as he rises, clutching his head with both hands and wincing. âHm?â
âMaybe we should call it a day, yeah?â you suggest as you and your husband follow suit, voice soft but edged with a trembling worry. Your thumb rubs unconsciously over the curve of his shoulder, as if soothing a child.
âYeah⌠yeah. I'm sorry, ma'am,â he begins, voice thin and breathless. He eases away from your and your husbandâs touch, moving down from the porch steps to the desert earth below. He bends over, bracing himself with both palms planted on his knees, shoulders rising and falling with each drag of air he pulls into his lungs. Sweat beads at his hairline, glinting in the last of the evening light. âItâs jusâ... Itâs the chip.â
Johnny cuts in front of V, crouching to meet his eyes, forearms propped on his knees. âPlease don't leave without askinâ her, V.âÂ
âWhat you said back in the car earlier. Yâknow, âbout gettinâ together or something. Maybe for lunch or whatever domestic people do.â Johnny tips his head toward you as he speaks, mouth quirking, but thereâs a seriousness in his gaze that doesnât quite match the snark.
That makes V break into a small, almost-proud grin despite the residual ache in his skull. He pushes himself upright fully, rolling his shoulders back as if trying to shake the episode off his body. He meets your eyes as your face is still set in confusion and worry. âWhat?â you ask, searching his expression for any sign he might be about to topple over again.
âNothing⌠heâs just wanting to know if youâd like to go out for lunch with him.âÂ
His words take you aback, and you feel your chest loosen, a breath leaving you that you didnât even realize youâd been holding tight under your ribs. Your mouth shifts into a grin as you place your hand flat against your chest. âHe said that?âÂ
âYeah, but he said whatever domestic people do.â V chuckles, the sound low and a little shy, the corners of his eyes crinkling with something softer than youâd seen in them all day,
âSo⌠like, you'd take the pill, and heâd just be⌠him?âÂ
âPretty much, yeah. I'd just be in his position basically.âÂ
You thoughtfully nod and look over at your husband with a happy glint in your eyes. He reels you into his side before you look back at V. âOkay, V. Yeah, Iâd like that.âÂ
You nod, sure more than ever.Â
âAlright,â he grabs his phone out of his pocket. âHow âbout I call you anâ let you know when I can. Iâm always just busy, yâknow.âÂ
After giving him your details and seeing him off with your husbandâSable too, wagging her tail happily and nudging his leg with her noseâhe goes back to his V-Tech parked along the side of the road beyond your fence.Â
âHey, V,â you call out, moving a step down the walkway.Â
âYeah?â He stops midway as he slides into the driverâs seat and looks up at you.
Johnny materializes against the passenger side door, âlookingâ at you once more with those solemn eyes of his, though a little softer than when they first saw you.Â
âTake care of yourself, okay?âÂ
V huffs through his nose with a soft smile. âWill do, ma'am.âÂ
As you watched him settle into the driverâs seat and start the engine, you were somewhere far out. Eyes on him, but your mind focused on one thing as unbearable excitement crept up: lunch with your father.Â
Literally me these last few months: