"I'll show you what a damn whelp can do," Ashley rumbled with a toothy grin down, leaning in to kiss Nelson's neck as her fingers played over her torso. "Prepare to have your damn mind blown..."

~ * ~ * ~ *

Ashley shifted to rest half-atop her, still panting quietly while she rested her head on top of Nelson's collarbone. "Goddamn...Nelson...here I was worried...about wearing you out..."

Nelson snorted softly as she traced a claw slowly up along Ashley's spine to coax a shiver from her. "Hmph. I suppose you did alright...for a whelp," she murmured, though the playful smile danced through her tone as she eventually settled one hand on Ashley's shoulder while the other cradled her lower back to keep her held close. "Goddamn if I ever go drinking with you again, though, Mills..."

The pilot gave a muffled snicker against the fur on her chest, her soft blue eyes eventually lifting to meet Nelson's. "You really suck at th' whole...afterglow thing, bitch..."

Nelson smirked and lifted a hand briefly to brush Ashley's mussed-up mane back before dropping her hand back across her shoulder. "Who says this wasn't just an exchange to get a ride back to Qoppa?"

Ashley blinked before grinning amusedly and lightly pinching Nelson to bring a squirm and scowl to the muscular chupa. As Nelson eyed her dangerously, Ashley only winked and then curled a bit closer. "Yeah, I guess I c'n afford to drop you off. Even if you owe me a new pair of panties, you drunk sex-beast."

Nelson rolled her eyes and tucked away the small smile. "Shocked you bother with underwear at all, Mills. But fine -- put it on my tab."

"I'll need your number for that," Ashley purred, her eyes dancing up at Nelson, who squinted back at her and then sighed in resignation.

"You really are a persistent cunt," she noted, which only made Ashley grin and shrug easily. Nelson shook her head but allowed the tiny smile to return. "Fine. I'll give you the frequency on the way back. But it's for emergencies only, understood?"

"Mhmm, absolutely," Ashley replied cheerfully before chuckling and nuzzling over Nelson's bosom while closing her eyes.

Nelson asked herself what the hell she was doing, and didn't have any good answers. This felt frightening close to the start of a relationship, which was the last thing she needed. But Ashley was young, and they were both drunk. She'd understand the need for this to be a fling, why there was no way this could be anything more.

And if she didn't, well...it was about time to change their frequencies, anyway. Her smile faded as Ashley's breathing slowly settled into a quiet snoring, though she kept the gentle embrace secure. It didn't matter what she wanted -- like Tracer reminded her constantly, friends and lovers were fleeting but she had only one life to fight this war. The Movement came first.

They rested together for a few hours before Nelson finally grumbled quietly about needing to get back to her base. Luckily Ashley had been willing enough to participate, even if she pouted and made a point of flinging her torn panties at Nelson while they gathered their clothes back up to get dressed.

Nelson caught them with a scowl and then balled them up. "If you're hoping I keep these as a fuckin' keepsake, you're dumber than you look."

"Oh please, like you don't still have my SSF coat lying around in your top-secret rebel mine-shaft somewhere," Ashley replied airily while hopping into her pants. "Bet you gaze lovingly at it every day and wonder why you never called me, eh?"

Nelson looked at her flatly. "If you think I didn't immediately burn that blood-soaked thing the minute I was back to base, you're a damn fool."

...It was a lie, but Nelson didn't figure Ashley would ever be inside the repurposed mines to see the stained jacket hanging in a corner of her personal quarters.

"Heh, well I guess we'll just have to get into another losing firefight and crash into another fuckin' forest so we can get you a new one," Ashley suggested with a wink. "My schedule's lookin' free next week, let's settle on a time!"

"Still a mouthy bitch, how the fuck is it you haven't had your jaw broken by someone with less patience than me?" Nelson asked ironically.

"Oh yeah, that's you, Nelson, the rebel-bitch with infinite patience and a heart of gold!" Ashley crowed as she tossed the wrinkled shirt back over her bra while her eyes stole a delighted look at Nelson struggling to cover up her own plentiful bosom. "And one helluva rack, too..."

"I shoulda broken off your fingers inside, made a fuckin' keepsake outta them," Nelson replied mildly. "See how cocky you are walking around with nubs."

"I'd probably be a much shittier pilot, but guarantee I'd still make you come," she quipped, grinning enormously and dancing out of range of the wild swing Nelson gave with her tail.

"You goddamn bi--" They both paused as there was a sharp rap at the door. Nelson's eyes widened slightly before she hurriedly buttoned the rest of her shirt while Ashley smirked at her but calmly strode forward while speaking loudly.

"Listen, ya butch bitch -- you want a fuckin' lift to Qoppa, fine, but I want a favor in return!"

Nelson frowned at her before giving a slight smile and the tiniest nod. Ashley winked and grinned back at her before the voice outside the door called in curiously: "Ashley? Are you in there with--oh."

Ashley yanked the door open to find CT standing there. The ex-Freelancer blinked and then glanced between them before tilting her head a bit. "Oh, uh. Nelson. Hey. York and Wash were wondering if you'd already left or..."

"Needed to wait to sober up a bit," Nelson replied gruffly as she folded her arms and glowered down at CT. "Heard Mills was going to pass near Qoppa for a job, was negotiating a spot on her ship."

"Heh, she's expensive, but usually worth it," CT replied with a smile at the pilot, who grinned again and offered a middle finger. "You just gotta deal with all the bullshit she spouts the whole time."

"Trust me, I've handled worse," Nelson muttered back before glancing back at Ashley. She knew that casual smile was only barely restraining the delighted cackle, and she appreciated it more than she wanted to admit...even if Agent Connecticut tended to piss Nelson off less than the other Freelancers. "I'm short on resources at the moment, Mills." It wasn't even a lie, technically -- they were fairly strained right now with how much they'd been pouring into their secondary location.

Ashley chuckled with her hands on her hips. "Tell ya what, Nelson. You can owe me. It ain't too far outta my way." Her eyes glimmered and Nelson pursed her lips but forced a grunt and accepting nod.

CT tilted her head before snorting amusedly and stepping aside so the two other females could join her in the hall and head as a group toward the loading dock. "Damn, Nelson, she must like you -- not even York's best flirting gets us anything free from Ashe. And she did hard time with us back at Freelancer."

Ashley simply grinned and hooked her thumbs into her pockets while sauntering along at Nelson's side. "Hey, comrades or not, I got bills to pay. And York just ain't my type, I guess."

"Don't let him hear that, we'll have to deal with his shocked gasps for the next week or two," CT grumbled, even as she smiled slightly. "Men, am I right?"

Ashley nodded wisely, but Nelson only grumbled as she straightened her shirt idly. "Trust me, women can be just as fuckin' bad. Everyone's got it in 'em to be an asshole, far as I've learned." CT and Ashley both glanced up at her before the former looked quizzically at the pilot, who only shrugged and lifted her palms helplessly.

"Remind me never to get on your bad side, Nelson," CT noted before leading them down another hallway. "Come on -- I'm guessing neither you nor the boys want to see each other, I'll take you straight back to Ashe's ship."

"CT, you were always my favorite," Ashley chirped even as she stole a playful grin up to Nelson. "Even just talking to this angry bitch for a few minutes is enough to tell me the last thing I need is for her to get all riled up before flyin' her ass halfway across the ring. Thanks for saving me the headache!"

CT snorted in entertainment, even as she glanced briefly at Nelson as if afraid the insult-even-if-true from the pilot would earn her any residual wrath. But Nelson only gave a placid smile and remained otherwise unreadable. No point in giving away any hints about what she'd stand for and what she wouldn't -- better that all these bastards just remained nervous around her.

"Appreciated, Agent Connecticut," Nelson replied briskly. "We've already discussed what we needed to, and the faster I can return to my base, the better."

CT nodded before clearing her throat. "You can just call me 'CT', you know, we don't work for Freelancer anymore."

Nelson's eyes narrowed. "Perhaps not all of you, but old ways die hard," she replied coldly, pointedly falling silent as the trio awkwardly continued on their way.

There was a better mood to leave things on. Or at least one she was more used to.

The flight back to Qoppa was unexpectedly quiet for the first couple of hours. Although Ashley offered multiple times for Nelson to join her in the copilot's seat, the rebel remained staunchly in the back as she took the time dissembling and cleaning both her trusty revolver as well as the shotgun she'd taken from the truck even before knowing Tracer was going to 'borrow' it. Apparently she favored over-preparation above all else.

But as they reached the Sea of Vossler and the gleaming reflections of the sun bounced off the calm waters and into the cockpit, Ashley found her usual chatty stride.

"Heh, hey, woman."

Nelson wrinkled her muzzle but glanced over her shoulder into the cockpit all the same. "What?"

Ashley grinned and held out a pair of sunglasses. "Here. Got spares."

"I don't wear sunglasses."

"Well, why not?" Ashley scoffed, peering back over her own pair. "You're a badass bitch, you realize how much more badass these would make you?"

Nelson's expression could hardly have been more dour. "Are you really trying to use that as a legitimate argument? For me?"

"Uh, yeah? You already got that effortless take-no-bullshit look with that button-up and those fatigues...ya got the haircut of a drill instructor, the voice of a ten-year sergeant...why not complete the whole deal?" Ashley grinned and waved the sunglasses just in front of Nelson as the dropship swerved a bit.

"Get your goddamn hands back on the stick, Mills," Nelson grumbled even as she reached out to snatch up the eyewear. "I ain't gonna take fashion advice from someone who wears shirts two sizes too small and has a damn bellybutton ring."

Ashley smirked. "Shit, bitch, I seen the way you were starin' at it. You project about as much as a priest in a pussy-house, like you haven't been thinking of getting your own." She smiled slightly over her shoulder even as she turned her attention back to the cockpit. "Don't think I missed those tattoos."

Nelson frowned immensely, automatically gripping her upper arm. Ashley hadn't mentioned anything about them during their bout of intimacy. The hissing cobra on her right arm was coiled around her thick bicep, the black ink fused into the scarring faded to a pale grey that was nonetheless still visible thanks to the shorter fur around the burns. "You gotta problem with them?" she muttered, even though she already knew the answer.

"Oh, yeah, you know me, they're such an offensive sight to my fuckin' delicate sensibilities," Ashley retorted even while she smiled back again. "You really were big-time Red Army, weren't you?"

Nelson shifted her weight but eventually stood up and let herself lean into the doorway to the cockpit. Up here, the reflections dancing up from the Vossler were unexpectedly bright and she sighed before rolling her eyes and donning the aviator-style sunglasses.

Ashley glanced up at her, then grinned cheerfully. "Hell yeah, toldja, you look like a fuckin' boss!"

The rebel snorted softly but didn't argue as she gazed down into the distant waters. "I was. I signed up for service voluntarily -- a rogue group of Blues decimated my home village. We were too small and too far away to be afforded the usual protections of the Law of Conflict, so." Nelson shrugged. "As what was technically a Red territory, they took it upon themselves to help themselves to what we had. Food, bullets, most of our stronger men were pressed into service. By the time the nearest Red contingent arrived, it was too late for most of us. Those who could flee did, the rest of us scraped by and tried to starve to death as slowly as possible."

Ashley blinked but kept silent even as she gave a long look up to Nelson to study her hardened features. Nelson eventually grunted and rubbed at her thick bicep again. "I joined for all the worst reasons. I wanted revenge but I also just wanted to eat, to have a place to stay that still had a roof, that didn't feel like a graveyard waiting for the tombstones. Found out quick I was good at being a soldier. Didn't take long for my first promotion, and eventually a transfer to a new base."

Ashley gave a small smile. "After you got your cowboy gun?"

Nelson eyed her but found a tiny smile in return. "Yeah. I was offered a commissioned rank but didn't want that." She studied her arm again. "I wanted to keep fighting. It was what I lived for. So I made it to Master Sergeant. Probably would have kept going if it wasn't for meeting Tracer and ending up being a goddamn rebel."

The pilot nodded slowly and stole a look over her shoulder again. "Guess that explains why the other one's a snake, too."

Nelson grunted as her arms folded over her chest again. She wasn't sure when Ashley had been clear-headed enough to notice the much-newer carving across one of her shoulderblades. A beheaded cobra entwined with Omega's symbol, crossed by the bold diagonal that had become representative of the Movement as a whole. Perhaps when they had been getting dressed. She exhaled slowly. "That's the symbol for our particular branch of the Movement," she murmured. "Tracer, the fuckin' bastard -- he made me design it. I was too stupid back then to realize it, but it was just one of many goddamn things he was doing to prepare me for leading these people."

Ashley smiled again and shrugged while gently steering the ship around a cluster of low-hanging clouds. "I've never met the bastard, but I'd say he chose well."

Nelson grimaced, her claws digging into her arms. "You barely know me, Mills. And you have no idea of how I lead my people, how they're faring. Hell, when you did meet me, it was escaping from a mission where I got all three of my men killed...and for fucking nothing."

The pilot frowned but then twisted around to reach up and grasp Nelson's hip gently. Nelson's nostrils flared as her eyes widened a bit, but Ashley only squeezed her quietly before placing her hands back on the yoke. "You've beat yourself up enough for that, Nelson. Only thing worth remembering about all that is meeting me." She smiled but it was gentler than her tone suggested, making Nelson grumble and cast a sour glare back down at her.

"Yeah, real cute," she muttered even as she shifted her weight. "Point still stands."

"Not really," Ashley replied softly while she gestured idly with a thumb at the radio mounted to her cockpit. "You realize how much I fuckin' despise authority, right? Like. Fuckin' hate it. I'll go outta my way to find loopholes in every order I'm given, every possible way to get the job done without actually listenin' to what I'm told."

"And your point?" Nelson asked icily.

"My point is I fuckin' like you plenty!" Ashley exclaimed. "I trust you and I fuckin' used to work for the Director at Freelancer! And his mysterious ass taught me to never trust anyone who gives orders, no matter their affiliation to you. But goddamn, I'd follow you into a shit-storm, hands down. So fuck off with any doubts you got, because the damn right woman's got the job for once."

Nelson grumbled quietly even as she rubbed at her collarbone self-consciously. "I..." She sighed and then forced the words she loathed but knew were honest. "Thank you, Mills."

"You're welcome," Ashley returned even as a playful grin tugged at her muzzle. "So, what, I only get 'Ashe' when I'm fuckin' knuckle-deep in your cooch?"

Nelson's revolver was out in a flash, pointed at the instrument panel. "Woman, I wrecked your last bird. You think I won't do it again??"

Ashley's eyes widened slightly and she reached out to push the barrel of the pistol away. "Damn, bitch! Calm down, calm down! C'mon, they gave me the big girl this time, don't go fuckin' it up already!"

Nelson snorted again and glanced over her shoulder -- she had noticed, yes. The passenger area and cargo hold were considerably larger than the last craft, and the loading door for this one was a ramp that opened from the rear instead of the smaller side-door. It was certainly an upgrade. "Yeah, I see. Good for you, dumbass -- try not to get this one shot down."

"I thought we already established that it was mostly your fault, "Ashley replied with a teasing smile.

Nelson smiled despite herself. "Let me see your radio."

She immediately received a suspicious glare from the pilot. "Why, so you can fuckin' shoot this one, too?"

Rolling her eyes in amusement, Nelson tucked her revolver away pointedly and held out her empty hands. "Better?"

"Barely," Ashley answered warily. But she reached out all the same to grab the microphone and hand it to Nelson. "Who you callin'?"

"My people. Letting them know not to shoot at the SSF ship that shows up at our base in an hour or so," Nelson replied before she half-smiled. "You'll need to know the frequency, though."

Ashley blinked before lighting up and grinning back at her. "Heh, ain't you clever, bitch. But I guess you did promise," she laughed, leaning toward the receiver. "Go on, then, what is it? And don't mind me while I treat this like the most fuckin' romantic thing you're capable of doin' for me, as I go outta my way to drop you off at your damn front door."

Nelson snickered quietly. "Take what you can get, Mills. No guarantees in our line of work."

"Well, ya got one guarantee," Ashley shot back with a smile over the top of her sunglasses. "I ain't ever gonna stop chasin' after you, woman."

Nelson laughed faintly, a bit of reluctance seeping into her thoughts. She wasn't so sure Ashley's dumb, bright outlook on life was going to overcome her...everything else.. "Yeah, yeah, we'll see. Anyway, here's the frequency..."

Red vs Blue © Rooster Teeth. Halo © 343 Industries. Concept by Myshu, assisted by The Department of Chupapology.