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Show Me My Silver Lining (TFTBL Rhys/Fiona Fanfiction) - Chapter One

SUMMARY: A fan-written continuation of the lives of the Atlas CEO and Pandoran Vault Hunter. Canon-aligned with TFTBL, but not with game 3. What happened after the vault? How does the beloved duo continue growing together? Rhyiona ship including slow burn, fluff, and banter. Enjoy!

(art made by using Canva)

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CHAPTER ONE: It’s Not Worth Losing People Like You

Fiona and Rhys were teleported outside of the vault arch, the arch no longer glowing. In the hand Fiona used to touch the chest was a glowing pendant shaped like an armillary sphere. The pendant was a saturated purple like the inside of the vault. Tiny strange markings were written all over, surely of some alien language.

“What is this? Some sort of fidget toy?” Fiona mumbled. While Fiona dangled it by the chain, Rhys took the pendant in his hand, flicking the rings into spinning. Around them, portals of images appeared. The two stilled, wide-eyed and gaping.

“Woah…” Fiona turned, glancing over each one.

Rhys took a step back. “‘Woah’ is right…”

In each portal, there was a different terrain. One was a dark exotic jungle, another was a sunny meadow. One depicted a red canyon and black sky, while another showed the bottom of the ocean. Then Rhys and Fiona looked towards the portal image that showed exactly where they were standing, right at the empty vault arch. Rhys experimentally waved one arm up, then saw his arm move in the image in real time.

“Huh,” Rhys said. “I think this might be showing us spots the Vault of the Traveler… well, has traveled to.” He tried scanning it with his echo eye, then frowned. “Not any data about this thing, other than that it came out of the vault, so that’s my guess.”

“Hmm… Don’t you think there’d be more locations if this shows exactly where the vault teleported? I thought it’d travel a ton more throughout the galaxy.” Brows furrowed, Fiona then gave the pendant’s rings another flick. Suddenly, the portal images blurred and switched to presenting entirely different locations. “Oh okay, there we go. Wow,” Fiona stared around, giving it another flick, cueing another blur, followed with more locations. Flicked, blurred, another set of locations, flicked, blurred, another set of locations. She sucked in a breath, processing it all. “This is… this is a lot.”

Overwhelmed, they looked at one another. Rhys helplessly shrugged. “So, what now?”

—Months later—

Throughout the few months of holding onto it, her mind feverishly went back and forth on what to do with it. At first, the idea that it could get her to travel to places unknown was incredibly exciting. Exploring perhaps uncharted worlds, and that it could bring her a significant advantage on maybe tracking down other vaults, thrilled her in all her waking hours. The endless possibilities of how future adventures may play out, epic saga after epic saga, was all she could think about. She and Rhys had shown Sasha and Vaughn, and they were also speechless at the sights it revealed, giving Fiona an extra sense of importance to her unique possession.

So why didn't she get around to using it? It gave her nightmares. Or, as she feared, more accurately it gave her visions. Though the strong taste of hope and excitement initially fueled her, any goodness she felt immediately died out when she started waking up in cold sweat. She’d wake up from nightmares of accidentally going through portals she couldn’t get out of. She drowned herself at the bottom of the ocean. She stepped into a tornado. She choked in outer space. Fiona would bolt up in the middle of the night, heart racing and mouth swearing. However, the nightmares of tragic deaths weren’t what got to her the most. No; it was the nightmares about her getting placed somewhere in the galaxy, and then the pendant would stop working, or spontaneously shattered in her hand. Then inevitably she’d have no connection or way of communication. No getting back to Sasha, to Vaughn, or to Rhys. Forever.

Fortunately, in Fiona’s eyes at least, Sasha hadn’t caught on too much regarding her nightmare outbursts. Sasha had grown to be a heavy sleeper, especially with a sister who snores like Fiona. However, it didn’t take long for Sasha to notice the consequences of Fiona’s sleep deprivation. Fiona also lost her appetite and severely paled as a result. It became more apparent and concerning when Fiona had zoned out while August smashed a bottle onto the head of a customer who refused to pay for his drinks. When August dragged the guy out of the Purple Skag to “discuss other payment options,” Sasha turned and frowned at Fiona.

“Fi?” Sasha nudged Fiona’s arm. Fiona, sat hunched over with her arms folded on the counter, slowly looked up at her, and Sasha shook her head. “Okay, there’s broken glass right in front of you at your elbows, and you didn’t even notice. You’re off. You didn’t even scowl when August kissed me on the cheek earlier. ”

Fiona frowned. “Oh. Gross.” Sasha and August had gotten back together, but for real this time. Though they were happy together, and Sasha’s happiness and being cared for was what counted to Fiona, she’d still scrunch her nose at Sasha’s taste in men. Fiona slowly blinked a moment more. “Gross.”

“See?” Sasha shook her head as she began to sweep the glass into a dustpan. “Why’d it take you so long to respond? You’re like, on pause. You’ve been on pause for a while now. What’s been going on?”

Fiona shrugged absentmindedly.

Sasha huffed. “I’m tired of seeing you like this. I’ve asked you so many times to explain, and then I realized you’re not even present enough to hear me. How do you think I feel seeing you like this? Imagine if it were me like how you are right now instead of you.”

Fiona finally sucked in a breath, dragging a hand down her face. “I’m sorry. You’re right,” she admitted. “I’m punishing us both right now. I just,” Fiona paused, trying to formulate a coherent sentence. “I need to figure out how to get rid of it.”

Sasha raised a brow. “Get rid of what?”

Fiona felt the room blur in and out of focus. She wasn’t too phased by it. It happened a lot since the nightmares made her dread bedtime.

“Fiona?”

Fiona felt her limbs go numb. She wasn’t used to that happening as much. “We should call Rhys to–” The room started spinning. “Call Rhys to–”

Suddenly, Fiona fell off the stool and into darkness.

…

Dark out when Fiona woke up, she found herself blanketed on the couch in the back of their caravan. From the vault loot Sasha collected, they managed to buy a new and improved model. Bigger than the old one and with more windows along the sides, there was still the similar layout of a small kitchen against a wall accompanied by a well cushioned couch and table. With the additional space, it was enough to house queen-size bunk beds pushed against the very back. Thrifted quilts made the tight squeeze of bed space come across more cozy than cramped. Along with the fresh painted interior and new curtains, the sisters made it work. They were especially grateful to have real mattresses in a new home.

Fiona stared at the ceiling for a moment, then turned her head and noticed a health hypo on the table.

“Hey,” a voice said softly on the couch beside her. Craning back where her head rested, Fiona faced a dark pinstripe pant leg leading to a matched button-up, then spotted a familiar gold eye.

Rhys peered down at her with a smile. He toyed with her hat, spinning it around on one hand. “Glad to see you’re up.”

Her eyes immediately latched onto her beloved piece of clothing. “Give my hat back,” she groaned. She slowly brought herself sitting, letting the blanket fall to her lap. Though she felt lightheaded, she didn’t hesitate to grab for it, but Rhys held it up and away from her.

“You’ll get it back,” he assured her. “After you eat that grilled cheese.” Rhys gestured to the sandwich on the table.

Fiona scoffed. “You think I can’t get my hat from you otherwise?”

“I’ve got height to my advantage,” Rhys said. He had a confident quirk of a brow. “We both know you won’t be able to reach it being held up when I stand.”

“Mhm, but if I kick you behind the knees suddenly height won’t be a problem,” Fiona grinned, momentarily amused by the challenge.

Rhys smiled and shook his head. “Fiona,” he said gently. His eyes then softened. “Please, if not for you, do it for me– and-and for Sasha. I– uh, we– care about you. We care about you a lot.” He cleared his throat and briefly glanced away. His face faintly reddened, or maybe that’s just what Fiona thought she saw. She was still regaining a grasp on her surroundings, after all.

Embarrassed for even thinking that he might’ve blushed at her, Fiona quickly shoved the idea down with a bite of the sandwich. Suddenly, she felt hunger kicked in as she chewed.

“Huh. I haven’t felt hungry in a while,” she said between mouthfuls.

Rhys leaned back in relief as she ate. “Yeah, Sasha said so.”

Fiona glanced at him. “So, how did you get here?”

“Sasha called Vaughn to get Cassius. Doc brought you a health hypo and gave you some shots to kickstart your body in regaining energy again.”

“He’s still not a doctor, but okay.” Fiona tilted her head. “Well, he did make Vaughn well before. And I guess I’m starting to feel better than I have been for a bit. Guess that counts for something.”

“I think so,” Rhys said, tracing the rim of her hat. “Anyways, Sasha called me to come see you.”

“Funny,” Fiona frowned. She consciously resisted the urge to pluck her hat then and there. “Out of the two of us, I’d think I’m more of the babysitter than vice versa. You probably can’t even open a pickle jar,” she playfully jabbed.

“You probably can’t reach it on the top shelf,” he retorted. Fiona, biting back a smile, hit the side of his arm. “Agh– haha, wow, you still hit hard. Definitely getting your energy back.” Rhys shook his head. “But yeah. Sasha said you wanted to call me before you, uh, passed out.”

Fiona slouched a little, setting down a corner of the sandwich left. She glanced down at the floor.

“What’s going on, Fiona?” he slowly asked.

Heavily sighing, she closed her eyes for a moment, and Rhys waited. He leaned forward, but waited. He wanted to give her time to pull her thoughts together.

“I…” Fiona trailed off. “I was wondering if you had any connections… about anyone who’d be interested in buying the pendant.”

Rhys gave her a confused look. “You don’t want to keep it?” He scratched the back of his head. “I thought you wanted it.”

Fiona shook her head. “No,” she said quietly. “It’s not worth it. It’s not worth losing–” She shuddered.

Rhys frowned. “Losing what?”

Fiona met his eyes again, and he felt his heart ache as he suddenly met the misery worn on her face. “It’s not worth losing…” The people in my life. People like you. She shook her head, unable to finish verbalizing what’s been scaring her out of her mind and body like crazy.

Suddenly, his hand rested on hers. His human hand. She looked at their hands as he gave a gentle squeeze. “Hey,” he said softly. She met his eyes once more. “Don’t worry about explaining further. I know you’re tired. Just, know I’m on it. I’ll find someone interested; it’s on the top of my to-do-list. Okay?”

Fiona blinked back tears. “Thanks,” she murmured.

“Of course.”

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