Chapter Text
The Aldecaldo camp carried a quiet kind of anticipation that day. They remained in the Badlands. A little over a year had passed which was considerably longer than they usually stayed in one place. Some might even whisper that the clan had grown “static” though no one said it out loud.
V stood alone in their tent, staring at himself in the mirror propped in the corner. He wore formal attire… well, as formal as it could get for a nomad. Black slacks paired with cowboy boots, a crisp white button-down, and his Aldecaldo bolero draped over his shoulders. His jacket hung open, revealing a simple black bolo tie wrapped around his neck.
He was a bunch of nerves, that much was obvious. His palms were sweaty, bile was sitting at the back of his throat, his heart hammered against his ear drums.
Suddenly, the tent flap was yanked back and V was slightly startled. He was greeted by a thick southern accent. “Just comin’ to check on yer. Some would say yer taking longer to get ready than the bride.”
Cassidy Righter.
V glanced over, but didn’t respond. He cracked a small smile. He began to tighten the bolo, then immediately loosened it like he couldn’t find a comfortable way to wear it. He felt out his comfort zone, especially wearing white in the desert.
Cassidy stepped closer into the tent, reaching over to help V properly adjust his bolo, recognising the young man was nothing but a bundle of nerves.
Cassidy took the opportunity to drop some southern wisdom in the guise of a pep talk.
“Truth be told,” he started, “I didn’t like you much when you first rolled in.”
Who could forget their drive through the Badlands, where V drove a rust bucket of a vehicle and Cassidy had his gun trained on him the entire time.
V huffed. “Yeah, I remember.”
“You had that look,” Cassidy went on. “Like a man who don’t belong nowhere. Runnin’ with Raffen.”
“Wasn’t my best chapter.” V admitted.
“But I’d seen plenty like you. Drifters. And I wondered..” a pause that felt deliberate for emphasis “I wondered how long it would take for you to pack your things up ‘n’ keep runnin’.” Cassidy said, his voice almost holding resolve mixed with something else.
Their eyes locked on to each other, and V felt small in the cowboys gaze.
“But you didn’t.” Cassidy said with conviction.
V didn’t look away.
“You stayed,” Cassidy said. “Yer fought for people that weren’t yers yet. Took hits yer didn’t have to take.” He paused again. “And somewhere along the way… yer made yerself one of us.”
That sat heavier than V expected.
Cassidy shifted, voice softening just a notch “And then there’s Panam.”
V’s expression changed - subtle, the corner of his mouth curling at the sound of her name.
“I’ve known that girl her whole life ,” Cassidy said. “She don’t give her trust easy. Don’t give her heart at all, most times.”
V let out a slow shaky breath. His hands lingered at the bolo, tightening it a fraction too much before letting it slip loose again.
Cassidy tilted his head, his hands now idly adjusting V’s collar of his button up. “But she gave it to you.”
A beat. The silence almost deafening.
“You love her?” Cassidy asked.
V didn’t hesitate. “With everything I have.”
Cassidy nodded, satisfied. “Well, alright then.” He clapped V on the shoulder. “Anybody who loves her right,” he said, his southern drawl deepening, “who treats her like she matters and don’t you forget, she does.. that’s someone I can stand beside.”
V realises in this moment, that he and Cassidy have come to a deep understanding of one another. “Thanks.” he said, not wanting to over saturate.
“Good.” Cassidy stepped back, adjusting his hat. “’Cause you ain’t some stray no more.”
He poked his index finger at V lightly on the chest. “Yer Aldecaldo now.”
V just nodded, letting that sink in. A pep talk he didn’t realise he needed, from the last person on earth he ever expected to give him one.
-*-
The circle was full. It was something out of a nomad fairytale.
Poles were hounded into the dirt, with fairy lights strung on them to illuminate a pathway to an arch that was hand built by Mitch. Somehow the nomad mechanic managed to scrap enough resources together. Pieces of metal and gear shaped together to make something beautiful.
Underneath, Saul was already waiting. As leader of the clan, he deemed this as part of performing his duties and giving his blessings.
V took his place beside him, trying to steady his breathing.
“You ready?” Saul asked.
V nodded once. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
Saul studied him, then gave a firm nod.
Jake began to strum his guitar. The crowd shifted at the sound, parting down the middle to create a run way.
V turned. His heart slamming so loud it drowned out everything else. Time slowed completely down until the world beyond that moment simply ceased to exist.
At the end of the runway, was Panam.
A veil covered her face, a strapless white dress clung to her form like it had been made with only her in mind, tracing every line of her before loosening at her hips and spilling to the ground. Her dreads were down, loosely brushing against her shoulders. The rings threaded through them caught the light with every step, small flashes of gold that drew eyes of those witnessing their holy matrimony.
She was perfect.
Behind her, Carol held the trailing fabric with careful hands, her usual hardness nowhere to be found. Her expression had softened into something deeply proud, her eyes shimmering with emotion she didn’t bother to hide. Like she was watching one of her own step into something sacred. In a way, she was. Everyone knew Carol stood as something like an aunt to Panam.
But V barely spared her more than a passing thought.
Because Panam… Panam looked at him.
Her gaze locked onto his and she smiled. Even through the veil, he saw it and it felt like it reached across the distance and settled somewhere deep inside him, warming him from the inside out.
By the time she reached him, the world had narrowed to nothing but the space between them.
His fingers gripped the edge of her veil with shaky effort, hesitating for the briefest second, as if he needed to brace himself like seeing her fully might undo him.
Then he lifted it. The fabric fell away. His throat went dry instantly. The air caught in his lungs.
She was beautiful.
No, more than that. That word felt too small, too simple for what stood in front of him.
She was… everything.
Those eyes… Those eyes he had looked into so many times before. Lost himself in. Bared himself to without hesitation. Brown, warm as honey and completely hers.
They looked at him like he was the only thing in the world that mattered.
“Hey,” she said quietly.
V swallowed, though it didn’t help much. His voice came out rough anyways. “Hey.”
Then she smiled at him again, it reached her eyes and V could have sworn he felt himself becoming undone.
Saul stepped forward, his presence grounding the moment and snapping V out of his daze.
“We stand here today as Aldecaldos,” he began, voice steady and carrying across the circle. “Not just as witnesses, but as a family.”
The murmurs settled. All attention turned to him.
“This clan is built on choice. On loyalty. On the understanding that out here… the world doesn’t give you anything unless you take it and even then, it tries to take it back.”
A few nods in the crowd.
“We survive because we stand together. Because we trust each other with more than just our lives.”
His eyes shifted between V and Panam.
“Panam was born into this family. She carries its fire, its stubbornness…” he said with a faint hint of a smile, “…and its heart.”
“V wasn’t.” Saul looked directly at him now.
“You came to us carrying another name.. Bakkar.. Wraith.” He let the word sit for a moment before continuing “A past that could’ve kept you drifting.”
V held his gaze.
“But you chose differently,” Saul said. “You stayed. You fought. You proved yourself, not through words, but through action that you understand what this life demands and what this clan needs.”
He stepped closer.
“You weren’t born an Aldecaldo,” Saul said. “But you earned it.”
The words landed heavy and solid. V had been part of this family for a while, yet hearing it spoken aloud and being acknowledged as an Aldecaldo, still felt almost unreal..
“And today,” Saul went on, “you’re not just standing with this clan.” He gestured between them. “You’re choosing each other. Not because it’s easy. But because it’s real.” He nodded once, his hands now clasping together in front of him. “Speak your vows.”
V exhaled slowly and turned fully to Panam, taking her hands in his. There was a slight tremble in hers that mirrored his own.
“Saul’s right, I wasn’t born into this clan,” His voice steadied as he went on. “I was a Bakkar… a Wraith…” his voice slightly strained, like it hurt to admit that last bit.
“I was drifting. No roots, no direction, plummeting through Night City and the Badlands. Just… surviving.” He slightly shrugged.
Panam’s expression softened.
“I didn’t know what I was looking for,” V admitted. “Didn’t even realise I was lost, just had the goal of making it as a merc.”
He gave a small, almost disbelieving breath “Then I found you.”
Her fingers tightened slightly around his.
“And everything changed,” he said. “You showed me how to live, not just survive. You took me in, this clan took me in… when it would have been easier to let me go.. and you gave me something real..” His gaze didn’t leave hers. “You feel like home, Panam. Not a place. Not a stop along the way.” His words final and gentle at the same time when he emphasised. “Home.”
A quiet stillness settled around them.
“I’m yours,” V said. “Wherever that road goes.”
Panam blinked, emotion flickering across her face before she caught it.
“Panam’s turn,” Saul said softly, like it was only meant for them to hear.
She took a breath, her usual sharpness and grit not existent in this moment. “You are a stubborn pain in the ass.” she said, a faint smile tugging at her lips. “You push too hard. Take risks you don’t have to.” She draws a deep breath. “But…” she continued, voice softening further, “you care. More than you let on.” Her thumb brushed lightly over his hand “You stay. Even when things get difficult. Even when I make it difficult.“
Her eyes held his.
“I don’t say things like this easily,” she admitted. “But… you matter to me. More than I expected. More than I planned.” A small breath. “You’re not just part of this clan now,” she said. “You’re part of my life. And I don’t want that without you in it.”
Softer now, eyes unusually glassy. She’s raw and vulnerable in a way she would never let others see under any other circumstance “I’m yours too.”
Saul gave a small nod, then glanced to the side.
Mitch stepped forward, grinning, holding out two simple rings. V let out a quiet huff of a laugh as he took one. Panam took the other.
“Go on,” Saul added, eyes flickering between them.
V lifted Panam’s hand carefully, sliding the ring onto her finger. His touch lingered just a second longer than necessary. Panam followed his lead, steady and sure, placing the ring on his hand.
Saul watched them, then spoke. “By the will of this clan,” he said with a touch of pride, like he was giving away his own daughter, “and by the bond you’ve chosen; I recognise you as joined.”
A beat.
A voice from the crowd called out, “Kiss already!”
Saul exhaled, almost amused and gestured to the young couple. “Go on.”
V didn’t hesitate. He pulled Panam close and kissed her. Panam answered instantly, her arms coming up around his neck as she pressed her lips to his hard and unyielding.
The kiss barely had time to end before the camp exploded.
Vehicles honked, people cheered loud, proud and deafening as if every Aldecaldo decided at once that subtlety had no place here. Someone cranked the music up in a car, bass thumping, mixing with laughter, whistles, and shouted congratulations.
V barely had a second to breathe before Mitch was there, grabbing his shoulder. “About damn time.” Mitch said, grinning as he pulled him into a rough half-hug. Panam got pulled away just as quickly by Carol wrapping her up in a tight hug that was way more emotional than she’d ever admit out loud.
Nearby, Cassidy tipped his hat at V. A silent acknowledgment that V and the cowboy had come to a mutual respect for each other.
-*-
A bonfire roared at the center of the camp, sparks lifting into the dark sky. People gathered in shifting circles, talking, laughing, retelling old stories with exaggerated flair.
Somehow, V found himself dragged into a drinking contest. He didn’t even remember who started it; only that it ended with him winning by sheer will and a lot of cheering.
Panam had drifted off into a group, surrounded by the women of the clan. She wasn’t one for fuss or gushing, usually too practical for it - but tonight, she let herself grin excitedly, admiring her ring and the way her dress moved with her.
V sat directly across the fire from her, watching as the women of the clan showered her with exasperated “oohs” and “ahhhs.” Panam was eating it up, and he smiled, completely enamored.
Saul approached eventually, slower than the others, but just as intentional. “You did well.” he said simply.
V nodded. “So did you.”
Saul glanced at him, swirling his whiskey in his glass, the ice clanging against the side. “This life isn’t easy, you know that.” His gaze settled on V. “You’ve proven yourself. Today just made it official, kid.”
V held his gaze. Saul gave a small nod, then stepped away, leaving them with that quiet, steady approval.
-*-
Later, music took over.
Someone turned it louder. Ironically, it was their song. Tennessee Whiskey. The first song they ever danced to.
Panam grabbed V’s wrist without warning “Come on.”
“Wait, what?” V asked, surprised.
“Don’t make me drag you.” She warned.
He laughed, letting himself be pulled into the open space near the fire where others couples had already started moving and swaying to the slow beat.
He quickly realised this song playing wasn’t coincidentally at all. She had requested it.
Panam faced him, wrapping both her arms around his neck. His hands gripped her hips, no hesitation this time unlike the first time they danced to this song. V was extremely mindful of his two left feet, but she guided him anyway; not perfectly but naturally. Like everything else with her, it didn’t feel forced.
It just… worked.
He pressed his forehead against hers, their gazes deepening with the closeness they felt.
The firelight flickered across her face, catching in her eyes, in the loose fall of her dreads. The white of her dress glowed warm in the orange light, the bottom of it a little dusty at the edges now from the red dirt of the desert.
V looked at her like he still couldn’t quite believe it. She noticed, because of course she did.
“What?” she asked.
“Nothing,” he said.
“Liar.” She immediately quipped, but there was no heat in it.
He shrugged. “Just… you look beautiful.”
Panam rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t hide the smile on her face. She huffed a quiet laugh, stepping a little closer. They shared a gentle kiss, before she rested her head on his shoulder. They moved together, slow, unhurried, the world around them blurring into the music.
-*-
Hours later, the fire had burned lower, music softer now, conversations quieter. People had drifted off in groups; some to sleep, some to keep drinking, some just to sit under the stars.
V and Panam ended up back near the edge of camp on the rock out crop, the same place he proposed so many months ago now.
The desert stretched out in front of them, endless and dark, the sky above filled with stars. Panam leaned into his side, as they sat together legs dangling off the cliff edge. She had his bolero jacket draped over her shoulders, protecting her from the desert chill.
She let out a slow exhale and teased. “Not bad.”
“Not bad?” V retorted with a slight chuckle. “That’s all I get?”
She smirked. “Yeah, what’s wrong with that?”
V just looked at her, his smirk matching hers. His face giving her the best ‘ya gotta be joking’ face he can manage.
“Alright, alright.. it was perfect.” She announced, but that teasing edge never left her tone. She leaned closer into him.
“Better.” He smiled, showing his silver teeth. He threw his arm around her shoulders.
For a while, neither of them spoke. They didn’t need to. V glanced down at her hand; at the ring now wrapped around her finger, catching faint starlight. Sitting beside his Mothers on the same hand.
His thoughts drifted, briefly, to his Mother. She would have been proud; proud that he had finally found his way, and prouder that he had given her ring to a woman who was as fiercely loyal as she was unyielding, someone who refused to take shit from anyone.
Panam followed his gaze, her eyes softening when she seen where his had landed.
“Been looking at it all night,” she mumbled “Still feels… weird.”
V looked at her through squinted eyes. “Weird good, or weird ‘you’re about to hand it back’?”
“Shut up.” She huffed, holding back a giggle. She then added much quieter “Weird like… I’m not used to keeping things this important.” Her eyes studied the rings on her finger.
She paused, the a small smile spread across her lips. “Your mom’s, right?”
V nodded once, his eyes focused on her. “Yeah.”
Panam didn’t say anything at first. Her fingers curled slightly, like she was testing the weight of it again with its sentimental value. She then leaned her head against him properly now. “Hope I don’t disappoint her.”
V turned his head, pressing a light kiss to her hair. “You? Nah, she would have loved you.”
She huffed. “You think so?”
“I know so.” He nodded once, sure of himself.
That earned a quiet laugh from her, softer than usual, but real. Her hand shifted, finding his, their fingers lacing together with the ring pressed between them.
A comfortable silence had fallen around them.
“Hey, Panam?” V asked, his voice just a whisper.
“Yeah?” Her voice was much softer now, all teasing gone.
“Where we headed next?”
She didn’t answer right away. Then, finally: “Doesn’t matter, as long as we’re going together.”