A/N: Just something I thought of. Maya's a lesbian, by the way, because there are too many heterosexuals. It's about time a Siren fell in love with a lady. If anyone needs hugs after reading, I will supply. If anyone reads this who reads my other things, I'll get to those eventually, I've just got some novel ideas I'm working on, and playing a Mechromancer, and it's all taking up most of my time.

She's just a girl.

Objectively, Maya knew that she couldn't be, that she had to be fairly old. But, Jesus. The girl looked like she was sixteen. And she was hooked up to those things…

Maya had known Angel was a Siren. She could feel the girl's power from so far away… she didn't know that Angel would be so young. Look so young. Maybe she was that young; Maya couldn't tell anymore, what was true and what was false, not with this Siren at least. It was easy with Lilith: She was straightforward, when Roland wasn't involved. And the older Siren seemed to have a soft spot for Maya, as they were of the same species.

She glanced around her, discreetly, to gauge the reactions of her friends to this new revelation. Well, new to them. Axton's eyes were wide in speechless shock. Salvador looked grim, obviously having a mission now. Zero… was Zero. The newcomer, Gaige, looked confused. Thankfully, she didn't say anything.

When Angel told them to cut the eridium lines, Maya was shocked. She knew what that meant for Angel, even before she said it: She'd die.

A question plagued her: Could she take the life of this girl, or somewhat-girl, this Siren that looked like a child? Could she take the life of one of her sisters?

She didn't want to. She'd just found Angel… the front of Maya's mind was screaming that she'd find a way to help Angel, to get her free without killing her… and then Angel and Maya and Lilith could find out about themselves, together…

The deeper part knew that wasn't going to happen. She had a rising feeling of dread as she tried to shoot the pipes feeding eridium to Angel; when the shields appeared, Maya didn't even think much about it, just fell back with Zero to defend the others as they did most of the engaging.

Roland was a blessing, appearing and helping them by dropping the shields. Maya barely noticed; she was too busy with her corrosive shotgun and submachine gun, killing the Hyperion robots so Axton and Salvador could focus on… freeing Angel.

Her shotgun was a Hyperion. The irony did not elude Maya.

She heard, vaguely, Gaige's Deathtrap materializing, Axton throwing down his turret, Salvador's shout that meant he was going nuts and bringing out two guns. She barely noticed because she was letting adrenaline and power and what sure as hell felt like invincibility rush through her, lifting robots into the air as soon as she felt she could, making them explode. Phaselock felt so good.

Then she felt a hand on her shoulder, and a soft voice: "It's over, Maya."

Both the hand and the uncharacteristically short phrase startled Maya, but she realized that there were no more loaders, that the one she had just killed was the last.

And Angel was dying.

"Dad… I have to tell you something."

Maya felt like the whole world was waiting, wanting to know if Angel still loved her father after everything he did to her. Maya certainly was, and she knew Jack would be listening very closely.

"You're an asshole."

Then it was over. Maya felt Angel die. She was the first one to the girl. Everyone was talking, nobody looking at Maya and the girl, so Maya did something she never thought she would: She leaned down and kissed the dead girl, gently, on the forehead. "See you on the other side," she whispered.

When she looked up, everyone was still talking, but Gaige was looking at her with a smile. Maya stood up, carrying Angel's body. It hadn't disintegrated, which meant she wasn't being remade at a New-U station. Or was she? Was the process different for a Siren who spent so long being pumped full of eridium?

All she knew was, she was going to bury Angel.

Jack appeared. Roland died. That collar… and then Lilith transported them all back to Sanctuary. The others recognized where they were immediately and took the opportunity to loot everything, but Maya was busy. She was carrying Angel, and she needed a place to bury her.

When people saw Maya carrying Angel, they immediately ran for the Fast Travel, came back with dirt, lots of it. They made a grave just outside the headquarters for the Crimson Raiders, and Brick and Mordecai watched as Maya gently set Angel into her new, permanent home.

Everyone went back a respectable distance when Maya asked them to. Her fingers gently ran down Angel's cheek. "I loved you," she said gently. "Even when you were just a voice, even when you betrayed us, I loved you. And I hope you can hear that, wherever you are." She leaned down and kissed Angel's forehead again, and stood back so others could come pay their respects to the legendary Guardian Angel. Even Brick and Mordecai came down to look at her sadly, although they didn't say anything.

Maya appreciated that courtesy.

Zero looked down at Angel, emotions unknowable behind that helmet, and then whispered a haiku before bowing his head and departing, probably to check around for Michael Mamaril. That man usually had a good sniper rifle for Zero, when he was around.

Axton sighed quietly. "Even if there were times I didn't like you, Angel, you were good to us. You didn't deserve what he did to you. You deserved so much better." He laid a single, blue flower on her chest and stood aside, near Maya, rubbing her arm. Out of all of them, he was probably the least psychopathic. If Maya wasn't the way she was, she could see herself loving him.

Salvador said something that sounded a lot like a prayer in Spanish, then set his favorite pistol on Angel's stomach. "Hope it protects you in the afterlife," he says in his gruff way, then hurries away. He doesn't like to show his vulnerabilities. Maya understood that perfectly.

Gaige bit her lip. "I didn't really, um, know you, but your life sucked. I hope you get a new one that's way better." She swayed for a minute, then turned and ran off. To Scooter's place, most likely, to talk to him about improving Deathtrap. Maya could see the tears on the girl's face; she'd go to her later.

One by one, the citizens of Sanctuary filed by, either saying something or gently placing something in her grave, some memento or memory. Then Brick stepped forward. "You helped us a lot," he said. "You also tried to kill us twice. So I don't know how to feel about you, girl. But you were a damn strong woman, stronger than any of my Slabs, and you shoulda died fighting. Not like that."

Maya realized Mordecai had disappeared; he reappeared later with a sheet. "A shroud," he said quietly to Maya. She nodded, and Mordecai gently placed it over Angel. "Like the big man said, I don't know how I feel about you, girl. But in the end, you were good. You did the right thing. I hope, wherever you are… you're happier than you were here."

Angel opened her eyes partially. Everything was fuzzy.

It was so strange. She had felt herself dying, every cell in her body screaming for eridium that wasn't coming. She shouldn't be alive. She shouldn't be breathing.

"Angel?"

Her eyes opened fully. Things came into focus. She saw…

"Mom?"

It was her mother. Older, certainly, but definitely…

She looked around. Her old home. On Earth. "Mom," she whispered again. Her tattoos glowed faintly as she felt around, grabbing onto something electronic—the TV—and pushing into it, trying to get away.

Jack said her mother tried to kill her. Jack said…

Jack had said a lot of things.

She slid into her old body and looked up at her mother. "Mom… dad, he…"

"Hush, baby girl." Angel felt her mother's arms pulling her close. "Hush. I'm here now, Angel, I won't let him hurt you again." Angel let out a sob, and clutched as close as she could to her mother.

She was safe.

She was home.

And she could feel, faintly, lips ghosting across her forehead.