Chapter Text
Baby thought it was a nice evening for hitching a ride as she stood by the main road, just outside of town. Not many strangers found their way heading near Ruggsville this time of the year, but tonight there was a rodeo miles over in Pecos. Baby figured it’d be easy to catch some half lit stragglers who’d be kind enough to take a cowgirl home; almost a shame they’d never make it back home themselves.
It was past nine o’clock, when Baby heard what could only be the low rumble of an engine not too far off, and soon she saw the headlights of a vehicle approaching. After Baby was sure the driver could see her, she stepped closer to the road, giving a big wave and her prettiest smile. The big truck nearly passed Baby up completely, before she heard the brakes squeal to a hard stop. Then the vehicle backed up beside Baby, with what seemed to be a little more care, and she finally had the chance to climb inside the cab before the truck started moving again.
The inside of the truck’s cab would be spacious if it wasn’t so trashed to hell, there was barely any place for Baby to stick her feet.
“Howdy! Ya comin’ from the rodeo?”
Baby greeted the driver sweetly. She was disappointed to only find one person inside the truck, but she didn’t let it show. Otis would just have to wait the next go-round for a new art project.
“Sure am.” The driver replied gruffly, with a slight tip of their cowboy hat. It was at that moment Baby strained her eyes to take in the cowpoke’s appearance.
They were short in stature, shorter than Baby herself, that was for certain. They wore your typical western wear from head to toe; she couldn’t really make out many details in the getup, because there wasn’t a whole lot of light. Baby could’ve swore she saw the glitter of rhinestones reflecting off what little light was around though.
“Are ya lost? Don’t catch many folks ridin’ this old road so late! I live down a backroad not too far outta the way and I’d sure appreciate a ride home. I’ll even see if my mama has a roadmap for ya!” Baby bargained all friendly-like.
The stranger moved restlessly in their seat for a moment. “S’pose I can take ya home. I think I know my way ‘round good enough though. Might I get yer name, little lady?” The stranger spoke in a stiff kind of way. Baby figured they were just more of the shy type. “I’m Baby, Baby Firefly. What’s your-“ Baby was about to finish when the stranger slammed on the brakes abruptly, almost throwing them both through the windshield.
“-WHY THE FUCK DID YA GO AND DO THAT FOR?” Baby cursed, ready to drop her act and ring the driver’s neck.
“F-Firefly? Ya related to my Gloria?”
The stranger asked like they’d been spooked by a ghost. Baby was pretty sure her eyes widened the size of Mama’s good chinaware. The stranger’s right hand fumbled around the roof of the cab until they clicked on the dome light. Both people sitting in the truck could see each other a lot more clearer now.
The driver, in fact, wasn’t some stuffy man like Baby assumed she’d rope into giving her a ride to their doom tonight, but was a woman. A short, thin woman, around the age of her mama she figured, with frizzy, red hair that flowed around her shoulders. The woman also sported a pair of tired looking blue eyes and about a million freckles on her face. Baby was right on the money about the rhinestones, they adorned the women’s red western shirt along with a colorful array of embroidered details. The older woman’s denim jeans were dirty, threadbare at her knees and Baby could also see she wore dusty, old cowboy boots down on her feet.
“Yeah! That’s my mama’s name! I reckon ya know her?” Baby didn’t know why she asked such an obvious thing, Baby guessed she was a little shocked to encounter someone who knew her mama by name, at least someone Baby didn’t recognize right away.
The redheaded lady cleared her throat loudly. “I sure do know her. ‘Know Cutter too, and her babies. Just ain’t been ‘round in a real long time. Look at ya, lil’ devil Baby, yer all grown up.” The woman’s eyes turned sorta misty, but she didn’t shed any visible tears.
The woman steadied herself on the steering wheel, then directed her eyes over at Baby again. “I don’t think ya’d remember me much, considerin’ you’s was barely walkin’ when I packed my shit and left the ole homestead. Ya sure do look like yer mama, jus’ as pretty as a peach! Name’s Winifred. Everyone ‘round here always took to callin’ me, Fred, though.”
Baby couldn’t help but break out in a big, bright, genuine grin.
“Well, butter my ass and call me a biscuit! Mama’s told me some goodun’s ‘bout you! ‘Says yer meaner than a rattlesnake one minute, but sweet as honey the next. ‘Says Otis gets all that sulkin’ he does from ya too.” Baby giggled, recalling all the times her mama chided her older brother at the dinner table for acting like such a grump.
Baby watched Fred crack a small smile at what she had said. “Glad to hear ya know somethin’ ‘bout me. I was ‘fraid everybody had forgotten lil’ ole me, after I up an’ left.” Fred turned her face back towards the road once more, then Baby listened to her say, “Better getcha home now, hun. Trust me, I know what kind of loonies they got prowlin’ these here roads at night.”
Together, the women each let out noisy cackles as Fred finally continued their drive towards the Firefly family’s farm.