“Up and down that road in our worn-down shoes, talkin’ bout good things, and singin’ the blues. You went your way, and I stayed behind; we both knew it was just a matter of time…”
The irony of Jesse’s song choice wasn’t lost on him. It was legitimate, granted; a simple, rhythmic tune without too much chord fingering. Something he’d known for a long time and could rely on muscle memory for. He’d been doing silly hand exercises and carrying fidget toys for a couple of weeks now since Angela and Brigitte had finished up most of the work on his prosthesis, learning the nuances of the new sensitivity and touch sensors. The tactile feedback on guitar strings was completely different than it had been with his own fingers, but he was pleased with how quickly he was coming along.
He rested his head on the wall behind him, taking a breath of cool sea air. The past week had been more than a little bit unreal. Having Gabriel back around was one thing, Reaper or no – he seemed to be slowly shifting nearer to the man he’d known in the waning years of Blackwatch, at least. But this young, eager, idealistic Commander Reyes was a guy he’d never met. He was closer, if anything, to the guy who’d recruited him, but he’d been an utter hardass to Jesse his first couple of years (by necessity, mind); by the time they became friends, the weight of responsibility had already settled firmly onto his shoulders.
“No wasted time, we’re alive today – churning up the past, there’s no easier way.”
This guy was – happy. Content with himself and his life, knowing he was doing good work, excited for the future. It was bittersweet in a way Jesse wasn’t sure he could take much more of – the peace he’d always wanted for his mentor, but only by way of not telling him about half of what had happened in the last thirty years. And in about another day, if previous experience held true, he’d be shunted back to the future, this happiness buried again under the weight of history.
But he knew. If only for a little while, he knew, understood – everything he’d done for himself, for humanity, for the world. Maybe not quite everything he’d done for Jesse McCree, but at least a general sense of his appreciation. At least when he came back, he’d hopefully remember how that felt.
“Time’s been between us, a means to an end…” A soft smile came to Jesse’s face as he sang. “But God, it’s good to be here walkin’ together, my friend…”
