My editor assures me that you folks won't contract diabetes from this chapter. If any of you are currently diabetic, please check your levels after reading this. Thank you.
Layla couldn't help but feel nostalgic as she walked down the cracked desert road. It was probably because she was traveling alone, with no fancy armor or chainsaw on her back. She had no one to talk to, not even ED-E, and the lack of noise from his buzzing around was particularly noticeable. Yes, she felt like she'd been before Benny shot her in the head; half-cocked and underpowered.
Though she did have to admit she'd never have been running around in a business suit and high heels before. She wouldn't have been on official diplomatic business either. The NCR had been seeking contact with the remaining independent factions in the Mojave, offering them a place within the new unified territory.
There had been more rejections than not. Most of the groups who'd managed to stay neutral throughout the hostilities between the NCR and Caesar's Legion weren't going to change their minds so quickly. Layla had been pleasantly surprised that the local NCR representatives seemed to respect their wishes to remain independent. She'd been a little worried they'd just walk in and start demanding tax money. Westside, Jacobstown, Freeside, Primm and Novac, among others, were all recognized as free towns.
Now, Layla was on her way to meet with a group that had shown an interest in joining the NCR. The Courier had been chosen over the normal diplomats for this task due to the slightly bizarre nature of the group; the surviving remnants of the Fiends were requesting to join the NCR.
Layla was pretty sure this was going to be a disaster, but she'd been surprised by people before. There wasn't much left of the Fiends since Motor-Runner and his goons had been killed, but the small groups were still making trouble. If they were willing to accept the NCR's terms, it would not only give them a new chance at life, but make life a little easier for everyone in the Mojave.
The month that had passed since the Second Battle of Hoover Dam had been busy, but a little mundane. Life consisted of meetings, delegations, negotiations, renegotiations and enough stuffed shirt politicians to make her almost miss the Legion's ever-present threat. It had been weeks since anyone had tried to kill, kidnap or otherwise do her harm.
That was a good thing - she knew that - but it did make life a little boring. Politicking was usually as dull as things could get, only broken up by the occasional diplomatic mission.
As she reached for the door leading into the South Vegas ruins, she started to regret wearing the heels. The ground had been bumpy enough on the road. In the ruins, she was going to be lucky if she didn't fall on her face.
The area she stepped into was just as depressing and creepy as she remembered. Of course, it had also been swarming with murderous Fiends. Their numbers had been greatly thinned since. The place was deserted now. As she walked, she thought she heard movement near one of the bombed-out buildings, but couldn't see any source for the noise.
Now Layla was starting to get nervous. Fortunately, they weren't meeting near the entrance of Vault 3. The mutilated bodies strung around had always put her on edge, and she got the feeling she was going to need her wits about her for this. She walked past Zapp's Neon signs to the road just east, where she was supposed to meet her contact.
No one was there to greet her. Checking her Pip-Boy, she found the she was a few minute early. Sighing, she settled in to wait. Other than the destroyed cars and ruined buildings, there wasn't much to look at.
She was just about to turn on her radio when she finally saw figures coming down the road in her direction. As they got closer, Layla could make out the distinctive armor of six Fiends. In the center of the group was a tall man with angry-looking scars covering his exposed torso. She figured that must be Jaundice, her contact. When they'd come within a few yards, he motioned for the group to stop.
"You the NCR lady?" he asked. Layla was momentarily heartened; he didn't sound like he was high or about to gut her.
"That's me," she answered. "My name's Layla… Are you Jaundice?"
"Yeah." He looked her over a little more slowly than she felt comfortable with. "So, what's the offer?"
"Amnesty from any crimes committed, so long as all members agree to go through a rehabilitation program set up by the Followers of the Apocalypse," she explained. "Once the Followers are satisfied with your recovery, you'll essentially be on parole. You'll be set up with jobs and have to check in to make sure everything's going smoothly."
It was a sweet deal, much sweeter than most of the NCR representatives wanted to offer. If the Fiends truly wanted to get clean and get a fresh start, this was going to be their best shot. Jaundice nodded.
"We need a minute to talk this over," he said.
"Oh, sure," Layla answered, stepping away. She was amazed; and now very glad she hadn't taken a few of the bets that had been offered on the way out of the Embassy. After talking with the others for a moment, Jaundice turned back her way.
"We've got a counter-offer for you," he said, and Layla did not like the veiled threat in his tone.
"Oh yeah, what's that?"
"You do what we say and we'll let you live to give the NCR our answer." He advanced toward her, the rest of the group forming a semi-circle around him.
Uh oh. "Jaundice, for the sake of your people, don't throw this opportunity away," Layla said firmly, trying to not make any hostile moves. "You have a chance to get your lives back." The Fiend was almost within arm's reach, and she took a step back. "If you do anything to me, you won't be getting this offer again."
"When we send what's left of you back to the NCR, tell them our answer is no." He coiled himself to spring at her when his head suddenly exploded.
Layla dropped to the ground, drawing her magnum from the holster under her suit coat, and shot at the next closest Fiend coming her way. She didn't even know why she bothered; all six Fiends were missing their heads or other equally important body parts before she'd been able to score a decent hit.
Getting back to her feet, she saw half of 1st Recon looking at her from the nearby bombed-out building further down the road. Bitter-Root lazily waved to her from one of the windows. She waved back, despite herself, then looked behind her to see Boone and Gorobets climbing down from the neon sign building behind her.
As the snipers approached, Layla put her hands on her hips and addressed Boone. "I thought you weren't going to shoot until I gave the signal? I could have talked my way out of that."
"I gave the order," Gorobets said. "Command wouldn't have been too happy with you getting injured on my watch." He grinned. "That, and Boone's first mission back shouldn't end in beating his superior to a pulp for letting you get hurt."
Layla's frown lessened, but didn't vanish completely. She looked back at the bodies on the ground.
"Idiots… That was a really good deal they threw away."
"Sometimes you can't reason with people like that," Gorobets said.
The Courier sighed and shook her head. Then she perked up. "As a high-powered diplomat-type, I demand an escort back to the Strip."
Gorobets laughed at that just as the rest of 1st Recon joined them. "I'm supposed to see you back safe."
"I'm also going to take advantage of my position to sexually harass one of your men," she said as she hooked her arm in Boone's.
"You politicians are all corrupt," the lieutenant said, and Layla laughed.
*.*.*
There were muffins on the table. Muffins. Layla hadn't seen a muffin in ten years. And there was a whole basket of them on the table. How the hell were they supposed to have a meeting when muffins were looking her in the eye. Taunting her with their deliciousness-
"Miss Granville?" came from across the room. Layla looked up.
"Yes, Councilman Watson?" she answered, stopping herself from frowning. She hadn't liked the man's tone. Putting it kindly, the gaggle of secretaries, councilors and cabinet members who'd been assigned to help the Mojave on its way to becoming an NCR state had been a little stiff. Not kindly, they were a bunch of stuck-up douche bags with sticks up their asses. The eight people at the table with her represented the closest thing New Vegas' had to a government at the moment.
"I asked if you were trying to undermine our diplomatic efforts, or was this a happy coincidence on your part?" the man nearly snarled.
"Was there a particular reason for that remark, or are we waxing poetic again?" she responded evenly. The man's frown deepened.
"The Freeside… 'delegation' has been making things difficult again," he said, anger starting to show in his voice, "and their leader claims it's because of promises you made."
Ah yes, she remembered why she didn't like Watson in particular. He seemed to think she was sabotaging NCR interests on purpose by treating the people of the Mojave with a little understanding. She inwardly calmed herself, then spoke.
"The Kings," she said pointedly, "are the leaders of a sovereign nation. Are you telling me we should start backing out on our agreements because we don't like the reality of them?" She leaned back in her chair. "I thought the point of this meeting and our current efforts was getting the Mojave to like the NCR, not hate it."
"A sovereign nation isn't supposed to be reliant on free handouts-," Watson started, but Layla bolted upright in her chair.
"Don't you tell me you've been trying to go back on Colonel Hsu's supply offer," she snarled. "I'd better not hear another goddamned word about you wanting children to starve on Freeside's streets because your dick's bent out of shape!"
The council member stared, wide-eyed at her for a moment. Looking away, he mumbled something about it not being a problem. Layla sat back in her chair, trying to get her temper to back down. She found herself sounding more and more like Cass in these 'civilized talks.' The caravaneer would no doubt be pleased.
The tone of the meeting had changed considerably since her outburst. Most of the people at the table looked uncomfortable, but the newly-promoted Governor Crocker was all smiles.
"Now that Freeside is settled, how did your talk with the Fiends go?" he asked. Layla bit back another sigh, knowing this would get blown out of proportion.
"They were… insincere in their willingness to negotiate," she answered.
"What happened?" asked Douglas, one of the other council members. The graying man wasn't wholly unlikable, but Layla always felt like she was under a microscope when he looked at her.
"It was an ambush; they never wanted to talk." She thumbed through her files, then set a folder on the center of the meeting table. "This is Lieutenant Gorobets' report on the technical, tactical aspects of the 'negotiations.'" She sat back on her chair. "So it was a bust."
Douglas reached for the report and started reading through it. Layla caught a smile on General Manning's face. The one-star general had been shipped out to the Mojave as the military liaison, working under the recently promoted Brigadier General Moore. While she did like Manning, Layla found herself fairly annoyed that Colonel Hsu hadn't been given this spot. But he was still overseeing Camp McCarran.
She decided to ignoring the annoyances of political dealings and the reminder that she now had a general in the area who hated her. Layla looked up as Ambassador Crocker addressed the group again.
"General, have we got an update on Legion movement I can send back west?"
Manning grimaced somewhat before going through is own files. "Strike-and-fades are still happening in areas near the Colorado."
Layla frowned. "Do they seem to have any purpose? Are they after anything?"
"Just attacking populated areas and raiding for supplies. Gaius Magnus doesn't seem to have a grand scheme," the general said as he slid a paper over to the Courier. "He just seems to want to cause trouble for us."
"Has Magnus named himself 'Legate?' yet" Layla asked as she picked up the sheet. The centurion had taken command of the Legion after their loss at the dam and had been striking out at the NCR since.
"If he has, they've kept it quiet," the general grumbled, "Which means no."
Layla glanced over the casualty numbers and regions that had been hit. "'Glorious Caesar' didn't really give a damn about what would happen to his people after he died, huh?"
"Does that surprise you?" Manning snorted. "The good news is that with the Legate gone and the frumentarii wiped out, it's just a matter of time before they tear themselves apart."
The Courier nodded, then handed back the report. The general accepted the papers back and passed them on to Crocker. "We'll get them, but it won't be easy. You tell the boys back west that we still need our standing force out here."
Crocker nodded. "If there was nothing else…?" he asked, looking around the table. No one spoke. "Let's call this meeting adjourned."
Everyone started gathering their things to leave, and Layla noticed Crocker gesturing her over. She lingered as the others left.
"Where were you when I was a young diplomat?" he asked once they were alone. "These meetings are downright tedious without you stirring things up."
Layla found herself blushing. "I hope I'm not making things worse."
Crocker waved the comment away. "It isn't anything that doesn't need to be said," he laughed. "I don't know how you're able to insult Watson's manhood, vaguely threaten him and sound civil in one sentence, but you managed. Are you sure you don't want to become a full-time politician?"
The Courier grinned marginally. "Nah, these meetings wear on me. I've been begging the rangers to give me jobs to do to keep myself from going mad."
"Speaking of which," Crocker said, "I have a letter for you from Chief Hanlon." That got her attention.
"Ooo! Gimme gimme gimme!" she cried, causing the governor to laugh as he handed it over. Tearing open the envelope, she grinned at the note inside.
"Layla Granville,
This is an official request by the New California Republic Rangers for your services as an independent contractor. If you are interested, please report to Camp Golf on Monday, the 15th, 0800.
Sincerely,
Chief Hanlon"
There was a note behind the official summons, and Layla smiled further as she read it.
"Got something you're really gonna like, Kiddo."
"Thank you, Governor," she said, beaming in his direction. "Looks like I might be unavailable for a while. Oh, and please don't let them call any emergency meetings this weekend," she continued, a humorless grin starting to crowd her face. "I know that one two weeks ago was because Watson knew Boone was home and he's a petty jerk."
"So long as no one dies, I'll make myself unavailable," Crocker said, smiling. "Go on home, I'm sure he's already on his weekend pass."
Layla smiled. "You're too good to me."
"Take the muffins while you're at it. I can't be left alone with them."
"You do not need to ask me twice."
*.*.*
"I'm home! Can someone help me with these?" Layla called as the elevator to the Lucky 38's suite opened. No one answered her.
She sighed, shifting the bags in her arms. "I've got baked goods!"
Veronica and Arcade appeared seconds later. The Courier dumped the groceries in Arcade's arms and her briefcase and stack of books into Veronica's.
"Why do you get to hold the… are those muffins?" Arcade asked as he looked at the basket in Layla's hands.
"Yes," she answered. "They look really good… but not until after dinner."
"Yes, mother," Veronica grumbled. Once in the kitchen, they started putting away the food Layla had bought on the way home.
"Did Boone get in yet?" Layla asked as they finished.
"Yeah, he's in the shower," Veronica answered. The Courier nodded, then started for the bathroom.
"Pervert," the scribe called after her.
Layla grinned as she approached the bathroom, hearing water still running. Opening the door, she slipped in as quietly as possible. She chewed her lip a moment and debated on what to do. She could throw open the shower curtain, but she'd probably get water everywhere. She'd joined in on Boone's showers in the past, but he had to be nearly done by now.
So, she decided on a stake-out. Sitting on the desk chair by the door, she grinned. Steamy, naked Boone would be just the thing to wind down from a busy day. Glancing around while she waited, Layla spied an issue of True Police Stories she hadn't seen before on the desk.
As she started reading a story about a Nazi organ farmer, she felt hands close over her shoulders and yelped. Boone had emerged from his shower and snuck up on her. She hadn't even noticed the water turning off.
Shaking her head, Layla grinned at him. "Why do I bother trying to sneak around you?"
Boone merely shrugged, and she grinned as she found him in only a towel, skin still damp. Standing, she kissed him.
"How was your day?" she asked.
"Had to guard a politician," the sniper said. "She managed to screw up the mission."
"Oh really?" Layla gave him a mock-glare. Boone nodded.
"How was your day?" he asked as he gathered his clothes.
"I had to deal with meat-head soldiers most of the day," she retorted as she snatched his beret off the pile of clothes and put it on.
"I'll be out in a few minutes, gonna shave first," Boone said after a half-hearted attempt to get his beret back.
"Oh can't you wait until tomorrow?" she pouted; three days of stubble was the scruffiest she'd ever seen Boone, something that only happened when he was on assignment. The man grumbled; he wasn't a fan of letting his hair or face get 'overgrown.' He looked at her batting eyelashes and sighed.
"Fine, but I'm shaving in the morning."
Layla grinned and kissed him. Boone used the opportunity to grab his beret off her head, stuffing it along with the rest of his clothes under his arm.
"Brought you something."
"Oh yeah?" Layla perked up at that. "What is it?"
"In your room," he said. Layla tried to maintain a slight air of dignity as she ran for the master bedroom to see what her surprise was. On her bed were a few rolled up bolts of unmarred fabric and a pre-war sewing case.
"Oooooh!" the Courier squealed as she opened the case. It was packed with sewing implements and equipment.
"Spades actually found it," Boone said, having followed her in. "We thought you'd like it."
Layla's smile faltered when she turned to find the sniper had already gotten dressed. "Thank you… Who said you could put clothes back on?"
He shrugged, and she was about to pounce on him when she heard a call from the hallway.
"Layla! You said you'd make dinner!" Veronica hollered. "Quit being a pervert and feed me!"
Layla sighed, aborting her pounce. "Duty calls."
*.*.*
Layla knew that one day her friends would go their separate ways. Now that the threat of the Legion wasn't looming over their heads and the Mojave was starting to settle down, everyone would be going back to their lives. But just because she'd known it didn't make her happy about it.
Cass was starting up her caravan at the end of the month; Layla had fronted her the money to get it going again. Raul didn't come to the 38 nearly as much as he used to. Arcade was talking about going back to the Boneyard to teach medicine. Lily pretty much just stayed in Jacobstown now, tending to her heard and receiving treatment. Boone was there as much as work allowed, and Layla was pretty sure she wouldn't be rid of him for a long time. Which left Veronica; the scribe had taken up a fairly permanent residence in the Lucky 38 with her.
The thought of everyone moving on was depressing, but she admitted she was only currently dwelling on it so she could stop thinking about the movie she was watching. Cass, Veronica and Arcade had been enjoying it, but Layla was trying very hard to give the impression she wasn't freaking out. Maybe if she got herself worked up enough about everyone leaving, she could start crying and they could stop watching the movie.
Layla had managed to calmed herself down past the point of wanting to turn off the TV and throw the holotape out the window. But as another stalking sequence started up she bit her lip and gripped the sheet bunched up in her hand tighter. She'd thought she'd been hiding it well, but Boone put an arm around her protectively as she tensed further.
Something warm and fuzzy went off in her chest, and she scooted a little closer to the sniper. A wave of contentment settled over her. Forgetting about the movie for a moment, she decided she'd spend the time she had left with her friends enjoying it, not mourning that it was almost over.
Then, when it turned out the alien had been hiding on the escape pod, Layla shrieked.
"Wuss," Cass admonished. Soon afterward, the creature was blown out of an airlock and the credits rolled.
"That was a good one," Veronica said, sitting up. She looked at the others in the room. "So, do you want to watch another one? I think we have the sequel."
"Naw," Layla answered, trying to sound casual. "I'm ready for bed."
Veronica gave her an incredulous look. "It's only nine."
"Yeah, well I had a long day. I had to deal with threats to my person and politicking. It's very tiresome."
"I can imagine," Arcade said as he stood from his chair and stretched. "Come on, you know how old couples get. If they stay up too late they get cranky."
Layla threw a pillow at the doctor, striking him in the back.
"See?" he said. "It's sad, really."
"Get out," Layla said, threatening with another pillow. A few moments later, everyone but Boone had vacated, and Layla lied back on the bed with a sigh.
"What's the plan for tomorrow?" Boone asked as he moved closer to her.
"No plans all weekend," Layla said. "Oh, wait, I have unfinished business with you." He looked at her as she sat up. She grabbed his shirt and pulled it off, then finally pounced on him.
"Thought you were tired," he said, then groaned as she nibbled and bit his shoulder. He made a frustrated noise when her mouth retreated from him.
"Yeah, I guess so." She scooted to her side of the bed and stretched. "Good night, sweetheart. Sleep we-AH!" she squealed as Boone dragged her back to the center of the bed, pinning her as she giggled.
*.*.*
It was the same dream that always woke him. The one he'd never be rid of. Screaming children and gunfire.
Boone used to have that dream every night, only broken up by the one he'd have about Cottonwood. Now it was far less often, once or twice a month at most. It was always the same thing, and was always just as upsetting.
He dragged a hand over his face and sighed as the last traces of the nightmare started to fade. Not long ago, those dreams had been the only thing he'd thought about.
Soon after he'd reenlisted and was transferred to 1st Recon, Lieutenant Gorobets had taken him aside to talk. No one had spoken about Bitter Springs when it had happened, and Boone had left the army afterward. While he'd been gone, the others had started talking about it and dealing with the aftermath. Their lives weren't back to normal, like they'd been before the massacre, but they were able to live with it now.
By leaving the military, Boone had run away from another family, only this time it had been the family that really cared about him. If he'd stayed with the unit, they would have worked it out together, like Gorobets, Betsy and Sterling had. He would still have married Carla and things… might have been different.
He frowned and banished the thought. There was no sense in dealing with what could have been, something Sterling liked to say. Boone had told his unit about what had happened to Carla, well, most of it. He hadn't been able to make himself say how she'd died, but Gorobets and Sterling seemed to have figured it out on their own. The support he'd gotten from them when he'd come clean made him wonder why he'd ever thought leaving was a good idea.
The only strained topic when it came to the group was Manny. Boone hadn't spoken about the man, but he got the feeling Layla had filled 1st Recon in on what happened between the two since they'd moved to Novac. He was pretty sure Betsy was going to have words with Manny if they passed by the town again.
Sighing, he looked over to the other side of the bed and felt a smile tug on his mouth at what he saw. Layla was only half-covered by the blanket, face shoved into her pillow, probably drooling.
The Courier slept like she was heavily drugged when she was in her own bed. She'd taken to using Boone as her alarm clock when he was home, as he usually rose much earlier than she. He didn't mind, even if she usually responded to his attempts to wake her with a 'ten more minutes,' then turned over and went right back to sleep.
It hadn't taken long to get comfortable living with another person again. Since they'd gotten together, Boone had given up going back to Novac regularly. He never used to stayed at the casino for long when Layla wasn't there. Now, he'd moved his things here. Now the 38 was his home.
He moved closer and gently pulled Layla into his arms. She murmured, then seemed to get comfortable and stilled again after he got the blanket back over them. A moment later she kicked her feet free from under the covers.
Boone ran a hand gently through her loose hair. Some people never got a chance at life, a thought that always made him think of his unborn child. Once the sharp ache in his chest subsided, he looked down at the girl in his arms and wondered again why he'd gotten two.
*.*.*
"I looooove lazy Sundays," Veronica said, kicking her feet up on the kitchen table.
Cass tore the top of another muffin from its base. She liked to eat the stem first, then move on to the superior top. Layla had told them she'd gotten the baked goods from her meeting, but she thought she might be able to figure out how to make them.
"You look like you're gutting an animal for parts when you eat those," Veronica said. Cass shrugged at that.
"I like to save the best for last."
"Hmph, that's not what I hear from your dates," Layla said from the stove as she continued stirring the molerat stew she was making for dinner.
"Screwing and muffin eating are two different things." The woman made a face as she realized what she'd said. Veronica and Layla had already started laughing.
"She's right, though," Layla said as she calmed down. "Very different."
"Speaking of which…" Cass said, starting to grin. "Are you ever gonna tell us how he is?" Layla gave her a confused look. Veronica immediately perked up.
"Oh yeah, tell tell tell tell." Now the Courier looked back and forth between both women, still puzzled.
"Wha-"
"Why do you even care?" Cass interrupted, looking at Veronica. The scribe looked mildly offended.
"Just because I don't want to partake doesn't mean I don't want to hear about it. Don't you ever talk to guys about you conquests?"
"Yeah, but usually I'm planning on making them one." She looked back to Layla. "So, how is he?"
"A lady doesn't kiss and tell," the Courier answered, finally understanding. Both Veronica and Cass started laughing at the same time, making Layla glare at them.
"We're not going to let this go," the scribe said once she'd calmed down. "It'll be a lot better for everyone if you just tell us now."
Layla sighed heavily, giving the stew another stir. "Fine. He's amazing. Happy?"
"Details," Cass said firmly.
Now Layla looked exasperated. "He's strong as a big horner and very attentive. You're going to have to use your imagination for the rest."
"You're such a prude," Veronica retorted.
Thank you for reading! Updates will be back to Wednesday/Saturdays, so I'll see you on the 25th (assuming my government doesn't make the internet illegal).
Oh, and I've been posting some small snippets that are officially part of the 'All the Things You Are' storyline over at the Fallout Kink Meme on livejournal. No, they're not dirty, but they won't fit in any of the main stories. Head over to my tumblr ('pookie2') or check out the kink meme itself. Oh, of course, please note that the meme in general is NSFW and that folks under the age of 14 shouldn't be on there.