A nagging voice would be stuck in Rebecca Harpers' mind as she navigated the corridors leading to the Freeport's bar. Something from the confrontation outside the Freeport burrowing into her thoughts on repeat, over and over again.
"If you were better. Kristoff would be with you now."
Usually, a statement of that caliber would be enough to set alight the blinding fury that had become Rebecca's trademark over the years were it not for the moment of clarity her talk with the Rogue's current pack leader had brought, the conclusion she'd come to from the conversation staying her hand for the moment.
"It's a low blow, easy bait, but it won't work."
She would think to herself as she neared the bar, internally doubting whether it was her new mindset for the current problem or just the sheer fact she was outgunned that had stopped her from retaliating.
Entering the bar, she would scan for her target before finally laying eyes on her younger brother, who would be propped up on a stool by the counter, cradling a nearly empty pint glass. He'd be wearing a simple white T-shirt that had been paired with a simple pair of black cargo pants and a pair of brown work boots.
Remaining unnoticed for the moment, Rebecca scanned the room, looking for any sign of the Corsair that Jason had taken as an adopted brother. Rebecca would be satisfied to see that Jason was alone for the moment; she'd quickly make her way to the bar counter before standing to the right of Jason.
"Jace."
This would be the only word to leave her mouth before she threw a right hook directly at Jason; as he turned to face her, a nasty crack would be heard in the room before the clatter of Jason's stool hitting the metal floor shortly before Jason joined the chair on the floor. The resulting noise would cause the entire bar's focus to fixate on the siblings.
After weeks of anger and endless poundings the punching bag in her room on Nobeoka had suffered ever since Jason had reappeared in Rebecca's life; the end result would leave Rebecca feeling just a bit better about things before she would notice the confused look in Jason's eyes as he clutched his nose that now appeared to have been broken and was dripping blood onto the floor and his shirt.
There would be a slight twinge of shame at the sheer satisfaction she received from what she would be the first to admit was a cheap shot and the fact that she was supposed to be using Jason to her advantage rather than beating him to a bloody pulp, for the moment at least. Extending her left hand, she'd lean over to offer Jason a hand up.
The sudden gesture would be the thing only stopping the bartender from raising hell, calling for one of the bouncers to throw Rebecca out of the bar and preventing Rebecca from accomplishing what she'd actually come to do.
Currently lying on the floor, cradling his broken nose in his right hand, Jason would look Rebecca up and down in confusion.
Rebecca's attire consisted of black bloused combat boots with black combat pants and a grey tactical fleece. Such attire would suggest to Jason that Rebecca had been wearing her armor rig on earlier, a thought that caused Jason to hesitate a moment before he finally accepted the offered hand with his left and pulled himself up with Rebecca's help.
Now back on his feet, he'd pull the stool back up before retaking his seat as Rebecca took up the free chair on his right. As the two took their seats, the bartender approached them before throwing a clean rag on the counter in front of Jason, presumably for him to use to stem the bleeding, in silence.
"Double fizzy vodka black and a whiskey and cola."
Rebecca would say to the bartender, breaking the silence that hung between the two siblings. The bartender simply nodded before pouring the drinks as Rebecca turned to face Jason, whose head would be faced up at the ceiling, as he held the rag to his nose, he'd fail to resist a small smirk at the fact Rebecca remembered his preferred choice of drink.
"Let me see it."
She'd say softly, as Jason turned to face her, he'd hold down the rag for a moment, before seeing Rebecca frown.
A second later her hand would reach out and grab his nose, setting it back in place before Jason had a chance to protest and prompting a pained yelp from her younger brother.
"Bloody hell, forgot you could swing like that, was that for-"
"Kris, yes, also for digging into business that doesn't concern you."
Jason sucked the air in between his teeth before he spoke again.
"Getting off light then, I would have handled that differently if I knew you were dating him never mind the fact that you lo-."
Jason would curse internally as he saw the dead eyed stare Rebecca would give him as he was about to say the L word.
"Right, point taken."
As Jason hastily corrected himself, the bartender would set the two glasses in front of Rebecca, diverting her piercing glare as she produced a cred chip from her pockets and apologized for the mess.
Rebecca would sigh wearily before she spoke to Jason again.
"Who even told you that?"
"That Levan kid, but I was bloody damn well thinking it before then."
Prompting a raised eyebrow from his sister, he'd proceed to elaborate after an amused chuckle.
"Come on, I literally saw him do something only Kels was ever able to do."
"Who said I ever lov-"
This time it would be Jason interrupting, laughing before taking a sip of his drink.
"You're not that full of shite, Becks, come on, you two were hardly a secret, despite both me and Gav doing everything we could to deny knowin' it."
Rebecca would stare down at her drink for a moment in silence before Jason would realise just how fresh the wound from the loss of those two still was despite the years.
"I'm sorry Becks."
An awkward silence would follow as Beck's focus would lie on the drink before her, prompting Jason to cough awkwardly.
"I take it you didn't come looking for me to talk about the old days then."
"You still want to figure out this Oz' mess?"
"'Course, Oz was like a father to us after our actual father was found murdered."
Rebecca would wince at the mention of their biological father, it had always been a touchy subject Jason would recall sadly, his own fair share of sorrow for a poor man who deserved better still stung at him the odd time he'd find himself reminiscing.
"Yeah..."
There would be a brief pause, the pain in Rebecca's voice clearly leaking out for a moment before she'd compose herself and continue.
"I need to talk to Lynchie first, then I'll contact you, see what we have to work with."
Jason would be silent for a moment, realising how long it had been since he'd seen Alex, and the fact he was also certainly owed an apology.
Realising what he was about to ask ran the risk of undoing the sudden progress it appeared fate itself had given him, Jason would steel himself for the gamble he was about to take that scared him more than any Nomad or Core threat he'd ever stared down.
"Lynchie also deserves an apology, everyone else too."
Rebecca knew what Jason was getting at immediately, prompting a weary sigh in response as she weighed the pros and cons of granting Jason this concession. On one hand it allowed her an element of control she'd lose should Jason look for their old cell by himself. On the other, her lie being exposed ran the risk of the precious few of their cell that were still even willing to speak to her being alienated.
Realizing regardless of whether or not Jason wanted to find Lynch and everyone else, there was always the risk of a freak encounter, better for them to find out on her terms, she would think before conceding the term.
"Okay. Just don't be surprised if Lynchie has a bad reaction, him and everyone else think you went missing with Kels and Gav, going to have to figure out how to explain that one to him first, the rest come after we figure out Oz'."
Rebecca realised as soon as she said it just how uncertain she sounded to herself, and Jason immediately took notice.
"Burn that bridge when we cross it."
Jason responded dejectedly with a grim look on his face, as if another reminder of the problems he had caused the big sister who had always jumped in swinging every time Jason had gotten himself into trouble had begun to eat away at his soul.
There would be a twinge in Rebecca's lips as she saw the pain written across Jason's face, before she realised the concession of a small smile won''t kill her before it graduated to an outright chuckle as Rebecca thought about the fact that statement could easily pass as their family motto.
"The Harper way, right?"
The joke served it's intended purpose, receiving a laugh from Jason.
"Think we'll ever know any other way?"
"Probably not."
Rebecca confessed in a dejected tone as what was quickly becoming a reoccurring intrusive thought started to play in her head yet again.
"If you were better. Kristoff would be with you now."
The gnawing thought refused to cease and repeated again and again, her own fear that it was the plain truth
Lost in her own thoughts, the sudden touch of Jason's other unoccupied hand on her shoulder ripped her back to the present as she found herself facing Jason's green eyes, the eyes of the siblings mother, the worry present in them all too recognizable and at that moment Rebecca could swear that would be staring through to what tattered remains of a soul she still possessed after the toll the years had taken on it.
"You good, 'Becks?"
The concern in Jason's voice was palpable as he asked, and Rebecca fell silent for a moment drink clutched in hand, she downed what little remained in one go whilst debating confessing the hard truth that she was far from okay for a brief moment before her own stubborn pride got in the way as it refused to let her drop her guard, at least not around Jason, she was willing to work with him, but she still hadn't forgiven him for what he and the Corsair had done to Kris.
"I'm fine."
The words rang hollow to Rebecca as she spoke them, knowing full well that she was lying "through her fucking teeth" as Lynchie eloquently put it. With her drink empty and the non-ending thoughts that plagued her, Rebecca was unable to find anything more to say to Jason and proceeded to get up from her stool.
Jason received one last look from Rebecca before she began to make her way to the exit. Jason frowned and Rebecca knew he hadn't believed her, and by her estimation was probably disappointed that she hadn't decided to confide in him.
Rebecca's right hand retreated into her fleece's pocket once more to produce yet another cred chip which was tossed in Jason's direction and caught in his left hand whilst the right still held the rag up against his nose.
"Get that looked at when you've finished your drink."
Her right index finger pointed at Jason's nose as she spoke.
"Finish my drink first?"
Jason laughed before he continued to speak.
"Good to see your priorities are still the same as ever."
Rebecca's eyes almost rolled into the back of her skull at Jason's comment but she'd still fail to suppress a small smirk that formed at the coroner of her lips.
"I've got some things I need to sort, and I imagine you'll want to talk to your mate Rodrigo too, so I'll send you a message in about two weeks time."
Jason's head nodded as a smile began to spread across his lips
"Alright, and Becks?"
"Yeah?"
"Take care of yourself, yeah?"
Rebecca lips crossed into a wry smile before raising her hands and shrugging dramatically.
"No promises."
Out of Rebecca's view, Jason's frown quickly returned as she made her way for the exit. Her particular choice of words left the self styled revolutionary's heart heavy with concern.
