A little while ago, I wrote a short thread on twitter about an idea I had. It's basically a mostly canon-compliant imagination of what would happen after the ending of Ghosts, a few years into the future. At this point, the Federation seems to be wiped out, but there's no trace of Logan. Hesh starts wondering whether the Ghosts are truly the legendary heroes he grew up to think they are.
I normally wouldn't post something like this with so little context, but I doubt I'll ever actually write this AU. It'd be a shame for it to go to waste, so I wanna post a little snippet (basically the twitter thread from back then but rewritten) as a treat, if you will :] Maybe someone else will like it. I don't know.
Also its Heshkeegan because I am a self indulgent little bastard. @duckwingping has also helped me a lot with this AU
Fic under the cut. Have fun!
David sat in a corner, silently tracing the pattern in his half empty glass of whiskey. He paid little mind to the people surrounding him, instead listening to the terrible music played in the pub. He tapped his foot to the beat, but not out of enjoyment - rather, out of boredom.
It was awful and loud, mixed with the noisy chatter of other people. The heat did little to comfort David, but somehow that was exactly what he needed. He could worry about the damage in his eardrums and the consequential medical bills, instead of whatever depressing thought his brain may come up with.
In a way, the overstimulation relaxed him.
Every here and now, he'd glance to the bar where a tall brunette was seated. She was in a group of roughly four other women, chatting the night away over some drinks while occasionally winking at the bartender. She was gorgeous, with long, dark locks and a beautiful smile. For a brief moment he considered shooting his shot, but after remembering the state of his home, David changed his mind again.
Sighing, he tilted his glass and looked at what was left of his drink. The reflection of a tired man with messy facial hair and a long overgrown buzz cut stared back, judging him. David still cut his hair often, just not as regularly as he used to. It's been years, but he had yet to grow used to any comforts he rarely saw during the Federation War.
David looked at the watch on the back of his wrist - old habits die hard, after all - and then back at his glass. It wasn't time to go home, but it was too early for another drink. The song finished and another started. He tapped his foot to the beat of even worse music again, considering his options.
-”Looking lonely, handsome” Had the words not been followed up by a hand on his shoulder, David would've assumed it was directed at somebody else. “Can I buy you a drink?”
-”Who-”
He turned to the side, watching the man pull out a chair and sit down where David could see him. Embarrassingly enough, it took him more than a few seconds to recognise his face. ”Did Merrick send you?”, he grumbled eventually.
-”He isn't that obsessed with you” Keegan laughed. David couldn't remember ever seeing him laugh before. “Nobody is, really”
David raised an eyebrow. “And yet you sought me out. How curious” There was something accusatory dripping from his tongue, but Keegan didn't seem to pick up on it.
“If that's what helps you sleep at night” Slily, Keegan reached for David's glass. Before he could process it, he'd drank up the remaining whiskey.
-”Hey!” David frowned. “I was gonna finish that and then go home”
-”All alone?” Keegan wiped the liquid from his lips before folding his arms on the table, smiling as he leaned closer.
David scoffed. ”What's that supposed to mean?”
Keegan shrugged, nudging his head to the bars direction. “Dunno.. ‘seen you fix your gaze”
“Fuck off” David rolled his eyes. “I don't know what the hell you want from me, but-”
-”Logan is alive”, Keegan said, not letting David finish his sentence.
For a brief moment, the music didn't seem as loud anymore. David stood still, processing the man's words.
-”I know”, he finally replied, confidence shining through his words. He crossed his arms. “That’s what I've been saying all this time. Logan is a strong man, but.. you guys didn't believe me”
-"It's not that, Hesh”, Keegan furrowed his eyebrows slightly. “There's..- there's something else. Ghosts.. there's something keeping them alive. Keeping us alive”
-”And I wish it didn't” David sighed, not questioning Keegan's ramblings too much. “It's good seeing your face again. But I don't want to rejoin the Ghosts, no matter what pretty words you throw at me"
He watched Keegan reach out for his hands, roughly pulling on them to get their faces closer. David bit his tongue before he could spit curses at the man. His therapist had helped him realise that his excessive use of cuss words wasn't necessary and made him look immature, so he tried to cut back on them. Of course, the occasional “shit” or “fuck” did slip through, but he had gotten good at controlling it.
-”You aren't listening” There was a softness in his eyes David hadn't seen before. Curly black hairs on his chin made Keegan look older, he noticed. “That's not what I mean”
-”Then what do you mean?” David kind of didn't want to know, but still asked.
-”Logan, he is.. Well, I can't say he is okay, but he is alive. And I-I don't know what it is that's keeping him - or us, for that matter - alive. But there is something they're hiding from us”
David pulled in his lips until they formed a thin line. “Are you sure you didn't forget to take your meds today, Keegan? You don't look too well”
-”I am serious! Merrick knows about this, but he won't tell me. I just-”
-”Right” David pulled away, wiping his hands on his coat before looking around the bar. “You almost got me there. Where's everyone hiding?”
Keegan didn't laugh however, and instead looked even more frustrated. “It's just me, I promise”
-”I really hope you're telling the truth, Keegan. Both about Logan, and about being alone. It's been, what, five years?”
-”I know..”
-”And you guys spent at least the first two harassing me, begging I come back. I had to change my address and my phone number more times than I can count. And you've been pleading, saying I'd regret it and-”
-”And that you'd crawl back and wish you never left and all that, right?”
-"Right” David sighed. Defecting was a process he wished he'd never have to experience again. He had tried to keep it private, painless and quick, but was given a hard time. They'd conveniently ‘lose’ his documents, slowing the process down, or ‘desperately need Hesh' during a mission. The worst was when they lied about having a lead on Logan, just to never follow up. Before that, he would've considered staying, but after being disappointed one too many times, he could no longer take it. The “Ghosts” never had his best interest in mind - and they clearly didn't care about his brother, either.
-”I know. They have said all that and more to me too” Keegan tried to smile, but his eyes looked empty. They always were cold and emotionless, but something sincere hid behind the shell that was Keegan. “I hoped you'd understand”
David was still for a moment. “Did you..?”
-”I did” Keegan shrugged. “It was.. a hard decision. The Ghosts were all I knew. But it was the right thing to do” Keegan looked at the table, tracing the pattern of the carved wood with his fingers. “I'll admit, I resented you for leaving at first. I couldn't imagine why you’d leave after watching your comrade fall. But I think I understand now”
-”That’s..” David bit his lip for a moment, searching for words. Anger boiled inside of him for a reason he couldn't quite establish, but he remained put together. “I see”, was all he could say.
-”I can imagine what it's like to lose your brother. And after learning what I know now, I can't possibly imagine staying there” Keegan looked serious, or at least tried to. David could tell he was sincere, but something was betraying him. “I miss Logan as much as you do. And I need your help to get him back”
David tapped his foot irregularly, trying to match the rhythm of the loud music. ”I don't know if I believe you”, he said finally. “Besides, I must go”
-”Hesh, please..”
-”It was good seeing you, Keegs”, David searched for his wallet while getting up. “But I have every reason to assume you're either lying, or were sent by Merrick”
-”I understand, but-”
-”Goodbye Keegan. Take care”
He could feel the stares in his back as he walked up to the bar to pay; And they didn't stop until he stepped outside of the building.
