A/N: You might need to head over to the Vault Wiki to understand the Fallout 2 references, look up the Chosen One and Bishop child. Obviously this is just me making up a BS back-story for the Courier so take it as you will. The song for this one is "Up on the roof" by The Drifters. Please R&R.
Small beams of light filtered in through the shack's many cracks, showing the falling dust and dirt as someone moved awkwardly on the roof. Raul groaned and reached for his gun belt, hoping whoever it was would get down and try to rob him before the whole place fell on top of him. The roof gave one more groan against the offender's weight before the shuffling stopped and was replaced by a tense quiet as Raul waited. He silently got up from his mattress and stared at the ceiling, waiting for the newcomer to make a move. Instead he just heard soft rustling noises and even…humming?
"When this old world starts getting me down, and people are just too much for me to face. I climb way up to the top of the stairs and all my cares just drift right into space. On the roof, it's peaceful as can be, and there the world below can't bother me…" A familiar female voice sang quietly.
Raul was a little shocked to realize that Moxie was the one currently threatening to destroy his home by mistakenly thinking it was a sound structure. He was more surprised to hear her singing, and not unpleasantly at that. Moxie was usually a fairly quiet companion, but when the mood struck she could talk his ear off …if he still had an ear to talk off that is. He didn't mind though, she had listened to him tell her parts of his sad past a few times, listening with a genuine interest and sincerity he hadn't expected.
The singing had stopped but Raul could hear humming from time to time as he gathered his things and walked out into the dry heat of the Mojave. Looking up he saw that Moxie was not on his roof but on the metal plank that sat few feet above it, resting on the tops of the boulders that flanked his shack. The bottom of her boots were the only visible part of her, she had stopped humming.
"You know Boss you could have come inside, less chance of a radscorpion crawling into bed with ya." Raul called as she sat up and looked down at him.
"Didn't want you accidentally shooting me," The courier smiled then turned her gaze to the scene before her. "Besides, there's a nice view up here." She leaned back against her duffel bag while her companion shook his head. A few minutes later Raul stood by the edge of the metal plank, looking reluctant to see if it could hold both of them.
"You're back sooner than I expected." He settled on the boulder and smiled as Moxie tossed him a Nuka Cola.
"Told you I wouldn't be gone long, just needed to make contact with the Boomers." Moxie opened her own cola. "Almost got my ass blown to hell trying to get in there, didn't want to risk anyone else's."
"Appreciate that Boss." Raul grinned before taking a drink. They fell into a comfortable silence as the sun slowly rose higher over the Mojave.
"Don't mean to pry Boss, but was that you singing a bit ago?" He watched her nod while swallowing a mouthful of cola. "You're not bad."
"Used to sing in New Reno," The corners of Moxie's mouth lifted as she spoke. "It was a small casino but I wanted to stay close to my parents. They worked there too."
"Were they singers?"
"No, they worked as a card dealer and receptionist. If singing runs in the family I wouldn't know it, the Donavon's adopted me." Moxie took another swig of her cola and sighed.
"Didn't mean to open old wounds Boss." The ghoul mumbled, but he felt relieved when his companion shrugged, not seeming too bothered.
"I know. The Donavon's were good parents. Never saw the need to go looking for my real ones…" However she bit her lip and dropped her gaze as she finished speaking, sparking Raul's curiosity.
"I sense there's more to that story Boss….but what do I know?" Raul laughed dryly, glad to see the courier smile a little and not rebuke him for prying.
"My real mother was a tribal. The doctor that delivered me told me that much… not that I asked." Moxie paused for a moment in thought. "But a lot of people in New Reno said I bore an uncanny resemblance to the big shot around there Mr. Bishop."
"Did you ever confront him about it?" The ghoul pulled one knee up to rest against as his companion looked back up at him.
"He found me actually…guess he heard about the resemblance." She shrugged again, not really caring how or why the casino boss had sought her out. "There was a resemblance, but if I was his I was the bastard child, he already had a wife and daughter."
Raul waited patiently for her to continue, choosing not to comment on her last statement. Moxie looked thoughtful for a moment and gave a small laugh.
"Apparently my mother looked similar to Mr. Bishop as well, and there was speculation that the leader of the Tribe she came from was Mr. Bishop's father…. So maybe he was just my Uncle."
"Did it matter to him?" Raul asked cautiously, wondering how she had handled the meeting with the leader of New Reno.
"Not really. If he is my father… or uncle, the only thing he ever did for me was offer me a job at his casino as a singer. Turned him down, said I couldn't leave my parents. So he just shrugged and walked away."
"Probably for the best, Boss." Raul ventured, knowing that parents like that rarely raised kids that turned out like Moxie. Had she accepted Bishop's offer Raul suspected that the woman in front of him would be a much different person than the one he knew.
"Probably." Moxie finished off her drink and stuffed the empty bottle in her pack. Standing she stretched her arms and groaned. "Ready to head back out?"
"Ready when you are Boss." Raul stood and grabbed his things, waiting as the courier carefully made her way back across the plank to join him. She smiled and led them down the boulder before heading west towards Vegas.
The ghoul smiled to himself as Moxie began humming again. Thinking Mr. Bishop had really missed something when he'd dismissed the young woman from his life. And he wondered if, when all was said and done, the leader of New Reno would be proud to know his relative had taken New Vegas for her own.