He can't bring himself to reject her. Even if part of him still feels like he's crossing a line, the love V has for Misty won't let him harm her. Of course, he'd never thought of that love as romantic. At the same time, looking back he couldn't lie to himself and pretend that it was entirely platonic either.
Misty and all she'd done for him were as much a part of V as everything else that had happened in the previous timeline. He'd brought all of that back with him, more than just 'this is Jackie's girl and you have to make sure she's taken care of'. He brought back the care, the tenderness, the way Misty had tried to do her best by him even as they both knew he was dying bit by bit, inch by inch.
And now here he was with this Misty who had only ever experienced him at his best, as a rock that she could rely on in the most tumultuous time of her life. V owed it to both versions of Misty to give this a chance… but it couldn't be rushed.
Slowly, V reaches out and puts his hand on the table, outstretched and palm up… in offering. Misty goes still at seeing it, before slowly and hesitantly reaching out as well. It's almost like she thinks he'll pull it away, or maybe just disappear altogether. Like she thinks this is some dream that will end at any moment.
Finally though, Misty puts her hand in his and V runs his thumb over the back of her knuckles as she shudders from the touch.
"Alright."
Misty looks hesitantly hopeful, a soft smile spreading across her lips. V swallows hard and smiles back.
"But we take things slow, yeah? I don't… I owe it to you and Jackie to make sure this is really what you want from me. Anything too fast, anything too quick… it'd be doing a disservice to my choom's memory. And it wouldn't be fair to you either."
Her breath hitches at the mention of Jackie, but in the end she slowly nods.
"Yeah… yeah, that makes sense V. I get it… I understand."
V can tell from her tone that Misty is pretty sure she's already there. Already convinced that this is in fact what she really wants from him. After all, she wouldn't have talked this shit over with Mama Welles if she had any doubts about this being some post-trauma induced crush or something. No, this was very real and very serious for her.
But maybe V was the one who needed time to make sure. Maybe he needed to take it slow as much for himself as for Misty or Jackie's memory. He just wasn't man enough to say it out loud. Fortunately, Misty won't force him to.
"Okay… alright. We'll… go on a date soon yeah? See how it feels. Just to talk and hang out and… be with one another."
Misty nods excitedly at that… before smiling softly.
"And I'd love to meet the others too at some point, V. Feel free to send them over to my shop even if you want. Everything is on the house for you and… anyone who you care about."
V doesn't quite hesitate at that, but he does find himself wondering just how such interactions will go. Will the others he's currently in bed with find it weird that he's planning to shack up with his best friend's girl too? Or will the weird part be that he's taking his time to 'woo' her instead, when he really didn't wait that long with any of them?
… No matter, in the end. V isn't about to try to hide this from anyone. He's made his bed. Now he has to lie in it.
"Yeah. Sounds good."
-x-X-x-
The next two weeks are both super busy and way too long. An old idiom from Johnny's memories of the military comes to mind for just how it all goes.
Hurry up and wait.
Getting ready to save the President of NUSA from Hansen and all that shit is a lot of work sure… but V has an amazing team at this point, along with some pretty powerful AI on his side. All in all, it's not difficult to get things set up for the big day… but once they ARE set up, V finds himself spinning his wheels a fair amount.
Of course, there's plenty to distract him with. Between his girls and this new thing with Misty… and of course, introducing his girls to Misty. The two of them go on a total of one date before Misty suggests that they all go out together next time. That's how V finds himself doing fucking karaoke of all things with Misty and his entire crew. Even Lucy comes along despite not being… carnally involved with him.
Fortunately, Misty gets along with the others. Almost too well if V is being honest, like she's a missing piece of a puzzle they didn't even know they were building. He keeps getting veiled comments about how much they all like her and want her around more and it starts to make him wonder if maybe he shouldn't have kept what was going on a secret from them after all. Well, most of them anyways. He would have always told Alt what happened. That wasn't ever in question.
Still, eventually enough time passes and the day arrives just like last time around. Except, last time around V wasn't ready for it. He didn't know it was coming, he had no clue So Mi was about to hijack the Relic and suppress Johnny's voice so she could recruit V for her hairbrained scheme.
This time around is obviously very, very different. When Songbird comes a-knocking… V and Alt are ready. Waiting.
Still going to hit like a truck of course, but it helps that V… isn't really himself these days. He's an engram sent back from the future who possessed his younger body. He and Alt are already sharing space in this form, though getting Alt her own body had helped a lot in making room for both him… and the eventual Songbird who wanted to perch herself on his shoulder.
But first, the call. When it arrives, the 'Unknown Caller', V tilts his head to the side and accepts with a small, crooked smile. Immediately, So Mi's voice is in his ear once more.
"V? Can you hear me?"
The thought of being upfront with her HAD crossed V's mind. He and Alt had even discussed it as an option. The problem with that path was simple… So Mi didn't trust easily. No, scratch that. So Mi didn't trust at all. This wasn't like with Rogue where they had somehow managed to survive fucking with the Queen of the Afterlife by the skin of their teeth solely by being completely fucking honest with her.
No, if they tried that shit with So Mi, she would shut down and look for another path entirely. And then V didn't fully know what would happen from there because they would no longer have the advantage of foresight. So instead…
"Yeah. Can hear you loud and clear. Who is this?"
"Thank god… my name is So Mi. Just call me Songbird though, alright?"
V makes a grunt to show he's listening, prompting So Mi to jump right into things.
"I know your situation. I know about your problem, V. I can help you. I can save your life."
It's funny, even over the call… he can hear the desperate edge to So Mi's voice. He's not sure he heard it the first time around. Probably didn't notice it because he was wallowing in his own desperation. Still… game face on.
"Yeah? One way or another you have my full, undivided attention So Mi."
That provokes a chuckle from the other end of the line even though he can tell she knows he's subtly threatening her with that. Because either she CAN save his life or she's fucking with him and either way he'd be coming after her. Of course, she really is fucking with him but she doesn't know that he knows that.
"Glad to hear it. Because I'm sorry, but we don't have time for me to explain everything right away. I promise I'll answer your questions later but for now I need you to get to Dogtown as soon as possible."
V hums and nods, turning on his heel and already moving towards his nearby bike. This was another thing they'd considered changing. There was even an argument to be made for having V already in Dogtown when So Mi finally came calling. But that might have risked changing her actions as well and she was already unpredictable enough as is.
"Dogtown huh? I assume you got a way to get me inside."
"Yeah V, no stress."
Grunting, he hops on his bike (Jackie's bike actually, but V had used it so much in the future that it felt like it was his too) and blazes off in the direction of Kurt Hansen's domain. It doesn't take long to get there, he'd been just outside of Pacifica when So Mi's call came in. Soon enough, he arrives.
That's when the pain starts as Songbird connects to his relic. Not so bad that it sends him to the ground or makes him black out, but bad enough for him to have to lean on a nearby cinderblock just like last time. Heh, probably the most pain he's experienced since traveling back in time too.
And then she's in front of him again. So Mi, appearing like a digital ghost.
"Hey V, this is… easier than I was expecting. I can't even sense Silverhand…"
Luckily, V and Alt had a plan for that. Even as Alt is lurking in the background, hiding herself from Songbird with all that she has, V just shrugs and delivers their prepared excuse.
"I'm taking meds to suppress him. They're working… for now. I'd ask how you know about Johnny, but you already said you can save my life. Nothing in this world is free though. What's the catch?"
Obviously, they're relying on So Mi's desperation to keep her moving and not questioning things too much. And given that she's about to betray the President of the NUSA and very nearly get her killed, V isn't surprised one bit when that works.
"Right… okay. I'm a Netrunner, V and right now I'm on board Space Force One sitting across from Rosalind Myers. President of the New United States of America."
V lets out a low whistle, not even pretending it's a joke.
"Damn. How'd I even get on your radar?"
So Mi smiles, though it doesn't reach her eyes.
"You're a mercenary V… and a damn competent one at that. Given your situation, well… you're exactly what we need. Space Force One has been hacked and forced to change it's trajectory to Night City. They're going to bring us down over Dogtown soon, I imagine."
She continues on since it's clear V is listening to her.
"Our comms are down, leaving your Relic as my only option. Right now you're our only boots on the ground, V. The President will survive the landing… it's what comes after that isn't so certain. I need you to get inside of Dogtown and get her out. Before Kurt Hansen gets his hands on her. He has a thousand and one reasons to want the President as a hostage and none of them are good."
It's funny how much So Mi still cares about Myers, even after everything the other woman did to her. Like an abusive relationship where even as So Mi is doing her best to get away, she's still trying to leave her abuser in the best state possible. She still cares, even after all is said and done.
Still, V can't agree too easily or else Songbird might get suspicious.
"And if I help you… you'll help me, is that it?"
Smiling thinly, So Mi just nods.
"Of course V. You scratch our back, we scratch yours. This is the NUSA we're talking about. The amount of resources that we could turn towards your… situation is astronomical. Especially since you'll have saved the President herself. And if you don't believe me, well… here's an appetizer, as well as an additional incentive to get your ass into Dogtown on the pronto."
V grunts as he feels So Mi doing the same thing she did last time, 'cleaning' up the Relic so she can make room for the 'preem Militech software' that's still lying around in Dogtown just waiting to be claimed. Of course, this time around the 'clusters of junk data' that she mentions cleaning up for him as she works are planted there by Alt to give So Mi something to work with.
"Get into Dogtown, get the President and get her out, and I'll send you the location of every Militech Data Terminal in the area that I'm aware of. Jacking into those will let you download some old operational data and combat logs, which should help give you quite the edge in your line of work."
As she finishes working, So Mi leans back against a nearby cinderblock, smirking confidently.
"And that's just the leftover scraps, V. Imagine what we can do for you once you've saved the President herself."
Well now… V thinks that's more than persuasive enough to get him on board, now isn't it? Grinning viciously, he nods.
"Alright. I'm in."
Again, he's able to notice just how relieved So Mi looks this time around. She hides it well… but he's not distracted anymore. This time, V isn't going into Dogtown to save himself. He's not even going in to save the President, though that will be a nice consolation prize.
No, V is going into Dogtown for one thing and one thing only, even if she would never believe it. To save So Mi.