Soldiers For Life

Five: Betrayal

~Axton~

I woke up to find Juniper still curled up into me, her head on my bicep, her hair part honey blonde, the tips the same maroon as the dye she had used, and it looked absolutely perfect. I looked at the pale caramel skinned woman, and saw absolute paradise. I knew we had to get going soon, and she would want a shower before heading out. 

" Hey, June Bug, darlin'. Time to get up." 

She rolled over, and her blue eyes locked with mine, and she smiled. 

" Oh good. I thought last night had been all a dream." 

" Oh honey, we both know I was in your dreams last night." 

We shared a laugh, and she very tiredly and weakly smacked my chest. 

" Do you have a shower here?" 

" Yep. Can't miss it. Only room in the whole place with a door." 

She carefully got up, using the support beams to walk to where she needed to go. I got up and picked up her clothes from the night before, setting them down on the chair next to the door. I went back to the clothing pile that was my shit, and pulled myself together, and I felt my dog-tags, along with the ring. Last night, I slept with a married woman, Handsome Jack's wife no less. I was both the most lucky and most dead son of a bitch on Pandora right now. I also remembered how quick, how perfectly, how easy it was to admit I loved her, and for her to return it. I felt my heart sink in knowing she would have to go back with Jack, but for some reason, I believe she'll want to stay. I turn around, and found that she had braided her hair, and it looked so damn pretty. 

" You, darlin', are a real knockout, you know that?" 

" Well, it wasn't my brain that got me my husband, that's for sure." 

We laughed, but it felt awkward after a moment.

" Listen, Axton, about all that, I meant what I said last night. I do love you. I never felt like this with Jack, and he can never give me what you can. I don't want to go back to Hyperion, to Jack. I want to stay with you and the Raiders. You guys have shown me how much of a family unit you all are, and it's amazing. I never had that with Hyperion." 

I placed my dog-tags, ring and all, around her neck, and she looked surprised. 

" I've had those since my enlistment to Dahl, ring included. I want you to have them. I don't ever want to lose you, and I want you to have them and know, no matter what happens today, no matter what choices you have to make, you will always be my perfect slice of Pandora." 

She kissed me, and I knew this feeling. It was the feeling of good-bye. I pulled her close, and if it weren't for the knock on the door, we might have gone farther. I moved the bar, and opened it to find Lilith.

" You two ready? We got a BNK3R to blow up!" 

" Wait, we can't kill the catalyst!" 

" Why?" 

" It's a girl, a Siren. Her name is Angel and she is Jack's daughter. We can't kill her." 

" What kind of cruel- never mind. Thank you for this information. Also, when the fuck did you dye your hair blonde?" 

" I was born with it. I've been wearing dye to hide myself among all of you. Can't have Jack know I'm alive, now can we?" 

" Fair enough. Alright, let's go!"

As we walked I notice that Juniper looked very nervous. 

" Hey, what's wrong?" 

" Jack is going to kill us, I hope you know this."