Craig Boone stood outside her room for what seemed like the millionth time. He wasn't sure why he couldn't just knock on the door and talk to her, the old NCR Sharpshooter has already done that on multiple occasions. But this time Boone wasn't going to have a friendly drink and talk about Legionaries and rifles. This time he was going to talk about a much more sensitive topic.
It felt like just yesterday they were heading to Cottonwood Cove to kill all those slave trading bastards, though it didn't go as he thought.
Boone was uneasy. He didn't understand why they weren't killing the fucks on sight, its what they all deserve. What was more confusing is why they weren't attacking them. Ever since that shady looking man spoke to Sugar-Pie outside of the Tops casino she had made herself scarce, she had told him to go back to Novac. A week later she came back with an Anti-Material rifle and said, "Get ready Boon, we leave for Fortification Hill at dawn."
They walked down the main path, passing wooden crosses with skeletons perched high on them. Rex kept close to Sugars side, his mechanical parts making almost no noise as they walked. Then he saw them. Legionaries walking around like they were the best. Boone felt his blood boil and his trigger finger twitch.
Sugar-Pie kept walking like…she had been there before. Craig shook his head, no way that was true. Though as they kept walking he couldn't shake the feeling. She stopped and looked around, like she was looking for a particular person. While the courier looked around Boone noticed two Legionaries walking by.
"I wouldn't mind trying her out." He heard one say as they both looked the courier over.
He snapped. Not thinking he pulled out his rifle and shot both fuckers in the face, causing their heads to detach from their bodies. This of course didn't go unnoticed. Boone took aim only to have Sugar-Pie scream at him.
"What the fuck Boone! I told you not to shoot till I said so!" she screeched as her rifle was to upholstered and Rex was off to kill.
He vaguely remembered her saying that but he didn't care. He had a score to settle with these things. His silence was rewarded with a growl from the now aggravated women.
Gun shots and pain filled screams filled his ears, this pleased him. While he and Rex kept the Legionaries at bay Sugar went to work defusing the explosive collars that were secured around the slaves necks.
As the last Legionnaire fell and the slaves had escaped, Boone turned searching for Sugar-Pie. He wanted answers. He wanted them now. But she was already heading towards a makeshift boat that would no doubt take them across the Colorado.
He followed in silence, not wanting to take his mind off of killing Caesar. As they stepped onto the boat Rex laid down and Boone watched land disappear as she took them on a quick route to the Fort.
The ride there took two hours, and every moment was in silence. The only communication was small nods when offered food or water. Craig would sneak glances at her when he could, hoping to find out what was happening behind her hazel eyes. He got nothing.
Once they got there it was hell. Boone couldn't remember the last time he had fought that hard. Though as they neared Caesars tent the Legionnaires had thinned out. As Sugar-Pie opened the tent flap Caesar stood, he seemed taken back and angry as she raised the rifle and put a bullet in the mans head instantly.
Rex jumped and ran, tearing men's exposed legs to shreds, while Boone and her picked them off as they ran towards them. Then it was over. As the last shot was fired and the remaining Legionary fell, silence fell over camp. Boone walked around the tent, checking to see if any Legion had survived and was now hiding. When he felt the tent was secured he turned.
Sugar-Pie was violently searching each body, ripping open pockets and pouches. Nothing seemed to catch her interest till she ripped open one of Caesars pockets and pulled out a photograph. Craig watched her as she began to tremble.
"Sugar what's-" He reached a hand out to her, she didn't like this.
"No! Don't touch me! You don't know who I am!" She screamed as she jumped back.
Her feet moved faster than he's ever seen as she ran for the exit, the flap floating in the breeze as she left. Boone was frozen to the floor.
"What the fuck…" He mumbled as he walked slowly after her with Rex following close behind.
As he pulled back the flap back fresh air swirled into his nose. The smell of dead Legion excited him more than he would have liked to admit. His eyes wandered the now clear area while he headed back to the boat.
"Sissy Sugar!" He heard a childish voice yell in a panic.
Boone sped his pace up, there was a child here? How had they missed her?
"Bunney! Don't worry I'll save yo-" She was cut off by a loud bang of a gun firing, followed by a scream of sadness and rage.
Boone was running now. He was trying to find her but shots and screams echoed off buildings and tents. Rex sprinted ahead of him, taking an abrupt left and stopping. He could just barely see his tail as he rounded the same corner. The Sharpshooter wasn't prepared for what he saw.
Sugar-Pie was frozen in place inside of a slave pen. She was on a knee, gun pointed at a now dead Legionary and an arm around a girl that looked about 13. Then he noticed the bloody bullet hole that was expertly shot into her heart, killing the girl instantly.
The hand that was holding the gun was now shaking. Silent tears streamed down her pale cheeks as she turned to the teenage child that was lifelessly slumped against the chain link fence. She dropped the gun and pulled the body into a passionate loving hug.
Boone dared not move, let alone speak a single word. Instead he simply stood and watched. The child had the same champaign blonde hair and big hazel eyes as Sugar. He was slowly realizing why they had come here, why she was gone for that period of time. She came here o find her sister. He couldn't believe it.
"She was…she was your…" He looked away, unable to say the finale word,
"Yes," she said in a shaky voice, "She was my sister, my little Bunney." Sugar pulled back and brushed a strand of hair out of Honeys eyes.
Her head bowed, gentle fingers reached up and closed her eyes. She slowly stood up, her face hidden from Boones view.
"I…I want her buried in Goodsprings…right where I was." she choked out, looking longingly into his eyes.
Boone nodded, he wasn't sure how but he would pull through for her. He had to. Sugar gathered Honey-Bun in her arms and silently headed for the boat. This was going to be a long ride, he thought as he and Rex followed behind.
The six hours they traveled were long and hard but they had done it, they had gotten her body to Goodsprings unspoiled. Plus it seemed all her friends had heard and started flocking to Goodsprings to pay their respects.
Most were NCR troopers and other soldiers, some boomers, Great Khans, a few Novac settlers, and even some kings and The King himself came down. All of them lined the path, their heads bowed as Sugar-Pie and Boone walked to the grave. The body was already buried under the dirt. Each person walked up to it, placed a bright orange Broc flower down, said a few words to Sugar and left, leaving the women to her grief.
Once everyone had left and the once plain area was a beautiful pile of flowers he stood back, allowing her some space. Sugar stood there and didn't do anything, though it didn't seem like she was really there.
She fell to her knees, the sudden rush of air causing the flowers to rustle. Her hands reached into a small pouch, producing a Legion coin and a switchblade. She slowly ran the blade across her finger, a line of blood appearing behind it. Then she ran it across both sides of the coin, creating two red X's on the Legion bull and Caesars profile. Sugar-Pie wedged the coin in the middle of the grave, a small glint of gold was just visible by the Mojave sun.
A frustrated sigh escaped from Boones tight pressed lips. He needed to talk to her about this. He rested his head against the door frame, trying to find the courage to knock. His dark eyes closed, wishing he could just raise his fist and bang it against the door.
Just then he heard the stairs creak from someone's unexpected weight. Boones eyes snapped open and he whirled around, facing that direction.
"Whose there?" He barked at the figure in a white lab coat that was now standing at the top if the stairs.
Chris narrowed his eyes and huffed at Boone, making his way past him. He was one of the first to hear about what happened and one of the first to try and talk to Sugar. Though that resulted in an Anti-Material Rifle being shoved up his ass.
"You better talk to her," He said in a ghoulish voice, "or he will keep that pain in and change."
With that he left and disappeared into a near by motel room. Boone let out another sigh. He knew that creep was right, he had changed after Carla was taken because he wasn't the type to talk about his feelings. Especially with people whom he felt attracted to. There was no denying it, Sugar-Pie was a fine piece of ass that he wouldn't mind having. What was he thinking? He was a bad, angry person, there wasn't even a chance of him having her so why even think about it? Though those thoughts never left his mind completely.
He turned towards the Mojave moon that was now hanging about the Dinosaurs head. Boone gripped the railing with both hands, the cold metal sending shivers up his spine. Ok, the Sharpshooter thought to himself, count down from five, when you get to one turn and knock. Don't think, just do. Boone started counting down quietly.
"Five," another deep breath, "four," one hand releases its grip on the railing, "three," then the other, "two," one lost deep breath, "…one." Boone didn't move.
Behind him the door swung open, causing Craig to jump and turn quickly. His heart pounded in his chest as he looked down the wrong end of a clean Anti-Material Rifle. Sugar-Pie stood in her underwear, that Boone noticed immediately. That was of course after he saw the gun pointed between his eyes. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying but deep inside those hazel vortexes there was rage, and a lot of it. He cared about her a lot, but that gun had to go.
"How about I aim my gun at you for awhile and see how you like it?" He growled, adding a little to much venom to his words.
They stood there in silence for a few moments, exchanging only looks and air. Finally she dropped here eyes to the floor still covering that rage with sorrow and depression. Boone need to find a way to bring it to the surface, but he had to be careful in how he proceeded with that.
"What do you want?" The courier asked, the gun lowering to a less threatening stance.
Crap. He didn't want to answer that. He REALLY didn't want to. He had to now though, he couldn't just say "never mind" and leave.
"We need to talk about what happened." He said, trying to be stern and strong but when she looked up at him he melted away.
Her eyes were so sad, so full of a broken heart and soul. Sugar nibbled on her lip, obviously not sure what to do. Part of him hoped she would say she'd be fine so he could go back to his room, but the other part wanted her to let him in so they could talk, but why would she? When she asked about his past he hadn't told her at all. How could he ask and expect her just to spill it all out to him?
"Do you really want to talk? Because if you do you must understand me and not judge my decisions. Enter with an open mind and heart." She whispered up at him, tears appearing in her eyes and threatening to fall again.
"Of course I do. Did others judge your decisions?" His mind wandered to Chris and wondered what he had done to cause this women to ask such a question.
"As if they had been through the same situations. Brought into a family they didn't want to be a part of." She looked away from him again, her shoulders slumped in defeat at what seemed like an internal battle.
Craig Boone wasn't sure what to say, he felt as though something should be said. He just wasn't sure what. This was going to be very frustrating on his part. He was not the sensitive type, not the type that would help those around him. But she was an exception.
He watched her turn back into her room, leaving him with a choice. Does he choose himself? Or does he chose to reach out and help the one person whom he has grown to care for through all the pain, misery, and radiation that now plagues this earth.
For a moment Boone stood there. If he went with her there was no retreating. Once he crossed the threshold he had to stay with her and not falter.
He stepped into her room with an open mind and heart. For her they would always be open.
*Author's Note: I'll put chapters 2 and 3 later on ,but r&r so i know if people like it XD thank *