One More Time - Soldier Boy

08

He blew up half a block.

Jesus fucking Christ, what the hell did they do to that man? While his history has been sketchy, the man did not deserve that kind of power... as far as Morgan knew.

Soldier Boy, without a doubt, was an asshole.

Still kind of living in the past, he's slowly getting into this new future for him.

She's staring at him.

He's staring at her.

There's something about this kid, he thinks, that reminds me a lot of myself.

He always thought that there might be little jim's running around, he's always wanted kids. Granted he'd prefer a son — lord knows if he already did — but he never... well.

He doesn't know.

It's just a theory to him.

"Gonna keep starin' at me, kid?"

Butcher gives Morgan that signature fucking smirk of his and she scowled. "All fuckin' day, she's gonna keep an eye on ya while Hughie and I do a supply run. Savvy?"

"No—" Morgan and Soldier Boy speak at the same time, almost the same fucking tone of frequency and Butcher can't help but think it's uncanny.

Of course he knows, Morgan thinks to herself, Hughie is a fucking pussy and Butcher is... Butcher. The blonde folds her arms over each other and Butcher pulls her aside.

"Listen luv," Morgan hates it when he does that. Calls her 'luv' with that accent of his — he's an ass, he knows he can get away with it too because she loves it and honestly? He likes calling her that. Not often he does. If he did it was to either Becca and, very rarely, Raynor. Morgan? She was new, she was a different story — she was his. By his side all the time, if she weren't here and if Hughie weren't either... he wouldn't have gotten this far. "Consider this a bondin' moment with your old man."

"How do you even know?"

Hughie chimes in, Ben is off in the distance snorting up what Morgan hopes to god is flour. "Uhm... remember when I said we needed to talk?" Hughie looks at her with the most apologetic look on his face. He had blurted it out to Butcher one night, the night she left to talk to her parents.

"Hughie, you fucking traitor—"

Butcher had to keep Morgan from giving the kid a black eye. "—Listen, he were right to tell me," Butcher begins, "you, however, were wrong not too."

"So this is my fault?"

"...Sorta?"

Morgan gut punch him and if he weren't hopped up on Temp V, he would've doubled down. Ben must have had heard the hit because he let out a laugh. "If this is anyone's fault," Morgan hissed through her teeth, "it's my fucking parents."

"Still here, y'know?" Ben is high as a kite but he can hear everything. They're talking in piss poor code but it doesn't take a fucking moron to put the puzzle together this conversation might be related to him in a way, "Listen do whatever you two need to do," Ben begins as he shoos Butcher and Hughie out the door of the motel room, he didn't have time to listen to Butcher and Morgan bitch like an old married couple. "I'll take care of the kid."

"I'm 27." Morgan tells him and Ben can't help but give her an eyebrow raise that read 'really?'.

Butcher snorts, "Oh we'll be on our way," he looks at Morgan with a twinkle in his eye, like this was punishment for her. For fucking lying — but he should be a little less harsh, she had a point, they lied to her all these years. Even after the Compound V accusations were released, they still lied to her. But he wasn't told right away, so he was going to use this as an advantage, "And if anyone is watching anybody, it's her watching you."