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sanddusted-wisteria · 7 months

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Veritas Vos Liberabit [Part 1/3]

The truth will set you free.

F!Builder/Grace; pre-slash

Warnings: Spoilers for the main quest starting from "The Goat", INCLUDING some early Act 3 content.

Also on AO3

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[Summary contains spoilers, so it's below the cut]

Summary: Mission's over. Time to leave.

But maybe there's still some time for one last talk.

One last truth.

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A/N: I normally write for a nameless builder, so most of you are probably not acquainted with my builder character, Wisteria. There's not much you need to know about her backstory and such for this fic. Just know that she likes being a bit silly when she can be. I typically pair her with Qi, but this idea with Grace just took a grip on my brain and would not go away. Enjoy!

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6:30 AM.

Still an hour before departure.

Grace shivered and rubbed her bare arms. It was cold. This was her favorite outfit. The only one she could keep. The rest were burned last night. Shame it didn’t do well for anything but the desert high noon.

She kicked idly at a stray strand of sand grass on the otherwise spotless platform. There wasn’t a whole lot else to do. No one to talk to except Jensen, and she’d already made enough small talk with him. Nothing to read. She had no books. She had nothing at all, in fact. The bag next to her was empty. Personal effects of any kind outside of HQ had to be destroyed whenever leaving a mission site. Couldn’t risk any fingerprints or DNA traces. The bag was just a prop to make it look like she was just your average traveler. One that traveled light.

From somewhere in the distance, a door opened and closed. Then came a yawn. It was only because the morning was so quiet that Grace could hear it at all. She knew right away where it came from.

She looked up towards Fresh Pines across the tracks, and Wisteria stretching luxuriously outside her door. She finished with a satisfied grunt and looked up at Grace, giving her a wave. Grace waved back. Wis and Jensen were the only ones who knew when she was really leaving. Grace had given everyone else a different time. Luckily Jensen was a man of honor, and kept his lips sealed. And for everything she’d been dragged into, Wis at least deserved one last truth from Grace. That, and Wis was the one she’d wanted to say good-bye to the most.

Wis crossed the tracks with an easygoing gait. She was in no hurry. She knew Grace wouldn’t try to bolt.

“So,” she said as she stepped onto the platform. “It’s really happening.”

“Yep. Feels…weird.”

“Feelin’ that a lot lately,” Wis muttered, the corner of her lips quirking up. She took a seat next to Grace. “About 50 different types of weird, honestly.”

“Hopefully you can start feeling a little more not-weird now.”

“Maybe,” Wis nodded thoughtlessly, staring into the distance. “Maybe.”

Grace hadn’t seen Wis like this in a while. The ease. Shoulders relaxed without the weight of work or battle. A wistful smile. Wis had several “modes” of sorts, Grace learned. This was her “off” mode, the one for relaxing and hanging out. For getting a drink at the saloon and chatting about this and that. For taking meandering walks about town and chittering about other townsfolk.

Made sense why Grace hadn’t seen it in a while. With the whole Duvos situation, she basically had to stick to her “on” or “battle” modes at all times (and one Yan-flavored occasion where she seemed to flip to “murderous intent” mode, but that was only hearsay as far as Grace knew).

When she wasn’t fighting for her life, she was cranking away at her workshop with the same zeal she always had whenever she got her hands on something new to build, only amplified with the new sense of purpose (Trudy had almost made the mistake of leaving Wis and Qi unsupervised. Not even the Light could save you if that happened.).

“Are you…doing okay?” Wis’s voice knocked Grace out of her thoughts. “Everyone’s been asking me nonstop, but I think someone’s gotta ask you. Y’know, knowing…everything about you.”

“Huh,” Grace said, raising an eyebrow. She was trying to bide a little time by filling the silence. Because truth be told, she didn’t know how to answer. She could try to brush it off with a definitive yes, or try to deflect it with a quip. But Wis wasn’t stupid. She could see through that kind of tactic. But at the same time, if she answered no, Wis would immediately get worried and try to get to the heart of the issue, whatever it was. And Grace didn’t know if she had the headspace right now to sort all that out. Maybe she should—

“Grace?”

Shit. Took too long.

Wis was looking at Grace now, a faint look of concern on her face. “It’s okay if the answer’s no…or if you don’t wanna talk about it too much.”

“Uh…yeah.”

Wis nodded without another word, turning back to look out at the desert landscape.

Meanwhile, Grace’s mind was reeling. She’d been caught off-guard. By such an innocuous question. By Wisteria. Pun-loving-laughy-taffy-ever-so-slightly-naïve Wisteria.

How…?

Every fiber of her body was screaming not to ask, but she just had to. “Did…did you know?”

“About what?”

“Me.”

Wis had the gall to look confused. She umm’d and ah’d a bit. “Nooo…?” she said finally, with the most exaggerated shrug she could make.

“…With a question mark?” A twinge of annoyance twisted Grace’s stomach.

“Uh, yeah, with a question mark. It’s like…” She frowned and held up a finger. Her way of asking for a few moments to puzzle-piece the words together in her head. “Okay, it’s like this: no, I didn’t know about who you really were. But I had a gut feeling that kinda…pointed in that direction.”

“Really?” Grace raised an eyebrow. “What kind of gut feeling?”

“Well, it’s just…” Wis’s fingers clenched like they did when she was nervous. “It’s…ugh.” She huffed. “It’s hard to explain a gut feel, y’know?”

Grace just waited patiently. She’d talk. Her eyes were glimmering like they did when she was pursuing a truth she knew she could find. A look Grace had gotten to know all too well in the past several months.

The crease in Wis’s brow eased. “It’s…it’s like you’ve tried so hard to hide something that it’s obvious that something’s there. You try to dig a hole to bury something and dig so deep and wide that everyone can see the loose dirt.” She met Grace’s eyes, her gaze devoid of pity or disdain. Just…a look. “I could never guess you were a secret agent and all that, but…as we hung out more, I started to feel that something was up. Couldn’t tell what it was, though.”

And with a shift in her stomach, Grace suddenly realized that Wisteria was far better at this job than Grace could ever be.

Grace was skilled, undoubtedly. Years of training from the Alliance’s best made her that way. Forced her to be that way. At the drop of a hat, she could put on a new mask, play a different part, advocate for another devil. She could anticipate what someone would say 5 minutes from now, or steer them to say it 5 seconds from now.

She could always extract what she wanted, be it the truth, a lie, blackmail, or a bribe, as long as she built the right front.

But Wisteria…silly, happy, witty Wisty… She didn’t even need the front. All she had to be was her, and everything and everyone would open up to her eventually. Whatever she wanted would find her sooner or later.

She didn’t need to chase the truth she needed, not as relentlessly as she probably thought she did. All she had to do was exist, here and now. The truth behind Duvos came to her because of who she was. The truth about Grace came to her because of who she was.

So optimistic. So determined. So genuine. So clever. So kind. So warm. So…

…

Wis let out a light sigh, the tiniest curve of a smile on the edge of her lips. Grace only then realized that she was just staring at her.

“I won’t pry, I promise. You’ve still got your secrets to keep. You’ve got a right to that. State-protected or not.” Wis said, stretching out her wrists as she always did when her hands were too still for too long.

Grace quickly got her bearings back, letting out a snort. “Heh. Who’s to say which ones are the ones the government keeps?”

Wis chuckled. “Gotta get a big ‘Top Secret’ stamp right on your forehead.”

“Don’t think I can get you clearance on it then, unfortunately.” Grace smirked.

“Well hey, ask your boss while you’re over there!”

“Oh yeah, and make him extra mad.” Grace rolled her eyes, but her tone was light.

Wis just laughed that bright and genuine laugh. Her purest one, not a sarcastic snort or the stupid guffaws she made after her equally stupid puns.

Grace felt a smile slide up her face. A real one, not a calculated reaction.

So silly.

A rumbling grew under their feet. They turned to see the train from Highwind pulling in.

“Atara-Highwind express, bound for Atara!” Jensen bellowed from the other end of the platform. “Passengers for Atara, tickets ready, please!”

Grace looked back at Wis. There was a look in her eyes that she’d never seen before. Strangely sad. Facing the inevitable.

An impulsive thought suddenly shot through Grace’s head.

Come with me.

Wis would make a great agent. She had the natural talent for it. She was just so naturally disarming.

The train slowed to a halt with a hiss.

They both stood up from the bench. Wis turned to Grace with a warm smile.

Come with me.

Grace could vouch for her. Put in a recommendation. Get her the best training instructors at HQ. She could probably start in the field in less than a year.

“This is it, huh?” Wis muttered.

“Yep.”

Come with me.

Wis opened up her arms, raising an eyebrow. Grace stared blankly. Physical affection was discouraged for agents unless used for manipulative purposes. But Wis…

Grace wrapped her arms around Wis’s waist, somehow managing to ignore the urge to just…fall into her. Wis’s arms closed so warm and securely around her.

Stay with me.

“Stay safe, okay?” Wis murmured, her low voice rumbling through Grace’s chest.

All Grace could muster as a reply was a hum.

After what felt like forever and yet still too soon, Wis let go. Grace swore the morning air was even colder than before.

“You got this,” Wis said. “You’ll do great—no, no…” She held up a finger with a familiar glint in her eye. “You’ll do Grace.” And there was that shit-eating grin.

“Shut up!” Grace laughed as she lightly smacked Wis’s arm. Wis just cackled. Like always.

“Allll aboarrrrd!”

Their laughter petered out. Grace’s feet still weren’t moving.

Wis gave her a nod, the smile never fading from her face.

She took a step towards the open train door. And then another.

She could feel Wis’s dark eyes on the back of her head. She had a heightened sense for when people were staring at her, but Wis’s gaze burned especially hot.

She was on the train now. She set her empty bag down a seat and opened a window facing the platform. There was a jolt as the train started to move.

Wis was still on the platform, moving with the train.

“Your boss sucks!” Wis called with a cheeky grin.

“I’ll be sure to tell him!” Grace called back.

“Good! Tell him to give you a raise, too!”

“He’ll raise the bounty on my head, sure!”

Wis doubled over with laughter. She was at the end of the platform now.

“Graaaaace!”

Grace’s head snapped away from Wis. Logan, Haru, Andy, and Owen were all running down Main Street towards the train, waving their arms. How did they…?

“G’luck out there, Grace!” Logan hollered. “Knock ‘em dead!”

“You’re gonna do great things out there, Grace!” Haru called.

“You’re still part’a the gaaaang!” Andy yelled.

“You were the best co-chef I’ve ever had, Grace!” Owen shouted. “We’ll miss your sandy omelets!”

Grace couldn’t help it. Bubbly laughter rose up from her chest. She leaned out the window and waved back, wind whipping her hair as the train sped up.

“I’ll miss you! I promise I’ll come back and visit!” she hollered.

She was too far away now to hear whatever they yelled back. As the train passed the oasis, she looked back one last time at the station.

Wis was still there. Still waving. Still beaming.

Grace found her eyes locked on hers, never looking away until Wis disappeared behind the train as it curved around the bend.

She ducked back inside before she could lop her own head off on the rocks surrounding town, still gazing out the window.

The city’s skyline flashed in and out between the beams of the Shonash Bridge. Grace watched as it disappeared behind Gecko Station, leaving only the giant ruined tower far above the rest of town visible.

Grace still couldn’t peel her eyes away, staring as it too shrank into the distance, before disappearing behind the edge of the tunnel into the mountains.

Sandrock was out of her sights now, but still it stood, stubborn and proud and vibrant as ever.

She sighed and finally took a seat, leaning her head back and staring idly at the train car’s ceiling. The rumble and sway of the train was making her eyes heavy. Normally, Grace knew that napping in a public place was a death sentence. In this line of work, it was full awareness or the business end of a weapon. But in the aftermath of everything, alone in this quiet car, Grace let herself drift off into the most restful sleep she’d had in years.

Though maybe it wasn’t just the relief of the whole situation that made it so peaceful. Maybe it was her dreams. Dreams filled with infectious laughter and familiar quirks and stupid jokes and a safe embrace.

And dreams of a beacon, shining bright with that same laughter and Sandrock’s newfound light.

Calling her home.

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A/N: I don't plan to do a longfic for Wisty on the scale of Builder, Researcher, Rooftop, but I do have ideas for some goofy little side adventures for her. Hopefully I can get around to those in the near-future. Thanks for reading!

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#i still don't know how this fic happened tbh #i just started writing added a dose of that good ol sapphic pining and here we are #this isn't really the type of fic that warrants a Pretentious Latin Title(TM) but screw it #my time at sandrock #mtas fanfic #mtas grace #mtas builder #mtas spoilers #shady's fics #vov

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