Chapter Text
Meg sat patiently on the chair, enjoying the feeling of Lindsay playing with her hair and sculpting it into some glamorous style worthy of a film star on the red carpet. Lindsay laughed at something Meg said and almost lost the strand of hair she was holding. Their laughter was almost dorky and Gavin just smiled and nudged Michael’s arm with his elbow.
“They get on pretty well, don’t they?” Gavin said, the beer in his hand half-empty and cool against his warm hand. Michael had his arm around Gavin’s shoulders and they were sat close together on the sofa. Their legs were pressed together and it was so easy and casual that it felt natural.
Michael nodded as he saw Lindsay hug Meg backwards, leaning on her so much that Meg let out a half-shriek-half-laugh and had to brace herself on the table to stop them both falling forwards. Lindsay laughed, loud and slightly drunk against Meg’s shoulder as she wrapped her arms around the other girl.
“Gav, do you really think we can make this work? With all of us?” Michael asked, frowning at the Brit. His eyes held a bit of fear and Gavin’s expression softened.
“Of course I do. Look at us, we’re perfect.” Gavin promised, leaning forwards and pressing a small kiss to Michael’s cheek.
“Hey, we get kisses too!” Meg declared, still giggling as she caught the two men in the act. Lindsay pulled away and practically tackled Michael in a hug against the sofa cushions. Not to be outdone, Meg joined in, throwing herself over the other three and landed in Gavin’s lap.
Maybe it was the alcohol in their system, or it was the easy laughter and the late nights, but they stayed like that for a while; bodies tangled together, sharing laughs and body heat. It was casual and easy and nice to spend hours on the sofa curled up and just being together.
And hey, maybe Gavin had a point...
“You’re not sticking around?”
Ryan was stood in Ashley’s doorway, watching her pack up her things. He suddenly knew how they felt when he left them all that time ago. (Regret was an awful thing sometimes.)
“Mica offered me a job in another state.” Ashley said, lying on the floor to grab the things that had rolled under the bed. “And I think it’s time I try and make it on my own, you know.”
“With Mica?” Ryan repeated. He didn’t want to admit how saddened he felt watching Ashley prepare to leave. Then again, that was very hypocritical of him. (At least when he left, he spared them the painful goodbye’s).
“You know what I mean.” Ashley said, standing up and looking at him a little imploringly. “I’ve been with The Patch for as long as I can remember. I’ve never struck out on my own, or with new people. I’ve always had you or Meg or even Gus looking after me, and I think now I’m a hundred, I should try leaving the nest.” The small joke actually made Ryan laugh, but he still pulled her into a crushing hug.
“My little Ashley’s all grown up.” He cooed. Ashley laughed and pushed away from him, returning to packing up her things. “At least let me treat you to one last night in Los Santos. Meg too. We’ll go somewhere fancy.”
“As long as you’re paying.” Ashley said, folding up a T-shirt. “Hey, Rye,” She stopped and looked at him properly.
“Yeah?”
“You’ve found some good people here.” Ashley said. “I know we didn’t want you to leave The Patch, but in a way, I’m kinda glad you did. Now you’ve got the Fakes watching out for you and they really care about you.” She smiled at him warmly and Ryan suddenly didn’t want her to leave.
“Hey, if it means anything, I’m glad you had Grif and Meg watching out for you when I was gone.” Ryan said, meaning every single word.
“Well, she couldn’t cook enchiladas as well as you, but she was good company.” Ashley said. Ryan groaned. As it turned out, a couple decades wasn’t enough time for someone to forget the time he set a kitchen on fire trying to make a dish for the first time.
Ashley laughed at him and Ryan was comforted by the fact that he could always ‘stop by’ and check on Ashley. Not that he would need to, but it was nice to know he still could. Maybe he could call Mica and surprise Ashley sometime; stop by their city and help them cause a little chaos, if they let him. Put the fear of the Vagabond into their enemies. (God, he sounded like her older brother).
It might do him good to get out more.
Jack walked up to the bar slowly, weaving amongst the people as effortlessly as if she weren’t there.
Her target was a man sat at the bar alone, a single beer in hand. No one had looked at him or acknowledged him since he arrived and sat down. Jack simply sat down on the stool next to him, adjusting the dress she wore effortlessly. She rested her purse on the bar and neither of them said a word for a good few minutes.
“I didn’t think you’d still be in town by now.” Jack said quietly, finally breaking the silence. She didn’t look at him, but he knew who she was talking to.
“Well, Burnie’s busy following the red herring your Crew gave us.” The man said, not looking at Jack. “Pretty smart thing, actually. It has to be Gavin’s work.”
“Probably was.” Jack agreed, a small smile on her face. “Though I’m guessing Ryan might have helped a little.”
“I know you’re not here to talk about this.” The man said, still not looking at Jack. “So why are you really here, Jack.”
“I couldn’t let it end like that.” Jack admitted after a long moment of silence. “I couldn’t let the last time I saw you be when you were pointing a gun at me.”
“I’m sorry you got mixed up in all of this.” The other man said. “It had nothing to do you with, but Burnie thought we had to go to their last contact-”
“Which was Geoff.” Jack finished his sentence. She didn’t sound angry or sad, just resigned. “I understand. We would have probably done the same thing.”
“Would you?”
“I don’t know.”
They were silent for a long time this time. Still, no one paid them any attention. They might as well have been ghosts in that bar.
“We’ve known each other too long.” The man said eventually, pushing his beer away from him. Jack picked it up and took a swig.
“We have. Since the first time I died.” Jack agreed, her voice sombre. “I’m just sorry this is the last time we’ll have a drink together.”
“Forever’s a long time, Jack.” The man said, but he didn’t sound like he really believed himself. “Maybe some day we’ll see each other again.”
“Maybe.” Jack didn’t seem to believe herself either. “But not in this city.”
“I know.”
They were quiet again. Some of the patrons at the bar began to leave, but still they stayed. Just like always.
“Was this my warning?” The man asks suddenly. “To stay away from here?”
“Kind of. It was mostly a goodbye.” Jack said, her voice suspiciously bland.
“I don’t which is worse.” Jack laughed a little at that and so did the man. She stood up and so did the man. They didn’t say anything as they reached for the other, embracing wordlessly.
“Goodbye, Joel. Maybe in the next life.” Jack whispered.
“I’ll see you then, Jack.” The man said as a promise that neither of them knew if they could keep. “Now go make me proud and rule this city.”
Jack pulled away but she was smiling as she did so. It was a watery smile, but a smile nonetheless. Joel kept his hands on Jack’s shoulders and very gently pressed a kiss to her temple. It was bittersweet and they both pretended that their eyes were dry and there was no pain in their chests.
She left the bar, almost crashing into someone as she went. Joel watched her leave. He knew by now that ‘goodbye’ was always more of a suggestion than a promise when it came to immortals.