AN: This is the first part of an ongoing piece of fiction focusing on my Courier and her unlikely love affair with Benny. There will be a few more chapters chronicling their relationship during the events of New Vegas, and perhaps a bit afterward. Rated M for adult concepts, occasional language, and a bit of naughtiness.
Please review! I'm trying something new with this couple, so your feedback is always greatly appreciated :)
Chapter 1: Pistol Packin' Mama
As Anne rode the elevator to The Tops' 13th floor, she felt the first semblance of doubt beginning to override her optimistic thoughts.
I can't believe I'm actually doing this.
The Courier harbored no delusions that her ideas were sane, or even plausible half the time. But this was something else even for her. It wasn't that she hadn't bedded people to get what she wanted, she just previously hadn't done it in such a high-security area. Arcade was probably right. According to him, her idea was "nuttier than a Bighorner dropping" and now that she thought of it, likely just as filthy.
Her self-preserving doctor friend had attempted to dissuade her from following through with her ludicrous plan, of course. And what was the said plan again? Ah, yes: seduce Benny into a false sense of security, get him alone, and then pull the trigger. Anne had to admit it sounded a lot crazier than it had earlier. Funny how impulsiveness could leave such a nasty aftertaste.
The rickety old elevator seemed to take its sweet time reaching its destination, so Anne leaned back against the wall and mulled over the events of the last half hour. Her friend's words still floated around in her head:
"Not that my opinion will matter here anyway, but this all sounds a little risky," Arcade had said, his voice hardly above a whisper as they strolled around The Tops.
"Well, someone's gotta put the "risky" in "frisky"... might as well be me."
Arcade hadn't been amused by her clever play on words, settling himself as comfortably as he could among the casino's gambling drunkards. He was clearly reluctant to be involved with such a sordid affair.
"I worry about you sometimes, Anne. I truly do."
"I'll be in and out," she had said, patting him on the shoulder. "Promise. I just gotta get close enough to pull the trigger, then we'll kick this place like a bad habit. Okay?"
"Well, I'm here if you need me. Just please be careful."
"Hey, careful is my middle name!"
Arcade had merely sighed.
"Judging from our brief history together, I highly doubt that."
From there, Anne had snagged Benny rather easily, despite some initial doubts regarding the morality of sleeping with a broad whom he'd previously attempted to assassinate. A little cleavage and self-deprecating behavior could go a long way with a guy like him. He'd given her the key to his suite, swaggering off with a strut that only a man with the promise of "getting some" could achieve . Anne was left to follow his lead and meet him in his room. Nobody could interfere. No bodyguards, no pesky hotel patrons... just Benny and herself, mano a mano.
Just the way I like it.
The elevator finally gave a little ding, alerting Anne to her destination. Good thing, too, because she couldn't stand another minute of the obnoxious, jazzy elevator tunes that played in the background, competing with her devious little thoughts.
The hallway leading to Benny's suite felt long enough to be death row, and Anne couldn't help but wonder how many scantily clad bimbos had made the same walk of shame.
At last, she arrived at the large double-doors that lead to his bachelor pad. Anne paused for a moment to fiddle with the room key and smooth out her red, silken dress. Then, she unlocked the door and tread lightly, taking in the scenery. Benny's room was nicely furnished, with all sorts of pre-war knickknacks and paraphernalia, and it lingered with an aroma of pricey cigarettes mixed with cheap cologne. It was definitely not Anne's thing. As she tried not to gag at the rather overpowering stench, Benny rounded the corner, looking quite ravenous as he quickly closed the distance between them.
"Hey, pussycat," he said, in what she assumed was his bedroom voice. "Glad to see you made it. Are you ready for Benny to show you the Tops?"
Wow. So much for foreplay.
He slid an arm around her waist as Anne forced a smile. The image of a wildcat getting ready to pounce on its prey was suddenly brought to mind. And with it, a new nickname.
"Of course, tiger." She tapped his nose playfully . "But patience is a virtue, you know. You got a restroom around here?"
"Sure." He shrugged. Benny seemed mildly disappointed by the postponement of their little tryst. "Right over there through the bedroom."
"I'll be back in a flash. Just give me a second to slip into something a little more comfortable."
She gave a suggestive wink and Benny's mouth formed a little "o" in understanding.
"Ooh, I dig, baby. Just don't keep the Ben-man waiting!"
Anne kissed him on the cheek just to tease him, and proceeded to slide over to the restroom. She could practically feel his eyes burning into her backside as he stared.
Keep staring, sugar.
Once in the bathroom, Anne slid out of her dress to reveal the slinky nightie that she was wearing beneath it. She bought it just for the occasion. It was an awful piece of lingerie, really... lacy and girly and ridiculous. Nothing like what she'd typically wear for dancing to the horizontal tango, but Benny seemed the type to enjoy such a thing. However, Anne's game-plan assured that he wouldn't be enjoying it for long. With a smirk upon her face, she reached into her cleavage to adjust the strap that cleverly concealed a tiny pistol there. She pulled it out, assuring that the safety was off and that her little surprise wouldn't cause any premature mishaps.
You're in for a real treat tonight, Benny-baby.
When her gun was back in its hiding spot, she leaned against the sink and regarded herself in the dirty mirror. Anne was generally content with her dolled-up appearance, though she did admit that it was quite the stark contrast to how she'd been looking over the course of the last few weeks. Her gray eyes were striking, her fair cheeks had an abnormal blush to them, and her pink lips were now an alluring shade of red, all compliments of make-up. The only thing that remained the same was her hair, which was still kept in a tight ponytail at the back of her head. She released it, allowing her sleek blonde locks to frame her face and touch her shoulders.
Ah, much better.
As she emerged from the bathroom, she tried not to laugh at the sight of Benny impatiently pacing by the neatly-made bed. He had removed his infamous checked jacket, revealing the slim and compact figure beneath it. To her surprise, his jacket gave him the appearance of a much more intimidating man.
So, it's not all just for show, huh?
Anne cleared her throat to alert Benny to her presence while she leaned in the doorway, doing her best seductress pose.
"Wowie wow wow, pussycat," Benny said when he noticed her change of attire. He certainly wasn't subtle as his eyes bore hungrily into every inch of her. "I dig the ensemble."
"You like it?"
She glided over to him with as much grace as she could muster, wrapping her arms around his neck. Benny toyed with one of the straps of her nightie as he slid a finger along her shoulder and down her chest.
"I can't wait to see what you're hiding under this pretty little number."
"Oh," Anne grinned. "You have no idea..."
Without further ado, Anne grabbed Benny by his tie, tugging him close to her as she captured his mouth in a kiss that was more eager than she had anticipated. His mouth tasted pleasant, quite the contrary to what she had expected, especially for a smoker. Then again, she couldn't remember the last time she'd been romantic with anyone so attractive.
Benny's hands were already fumbling up and down her exposed flesh, grasping and groping wherever they pleased. Anne groped right back and suddenly had the wild urge to rid him of his disgustingly crisp white dress shirt. Anne unbuttoned his shirt with no complaints from Benny, and she allowed her fingertips to trace a path from his lightly muscled pectorals, down his smooth abdomen, and further downwards to the patch of hair that surrounded his navel and disappeared into his pants. Again, a surprise. Benny was in decent shape.
Not bad, tiger.
As she rested her palms upon his chest, Benny's mouth wandered from her lips and down to her neck, where he proceeded to give her one hell of a hickey. Anne tried her hardest not to groan. Although he was a little rough, it felt damn good. His kisses went south yet again as he showered her chest with affection. He nipped at the sensitive skin just above her breasts, his hands becoming a bit more adventurous in the process. An alarm immediately went off in Anne's head as he pawed dangerously close to the concealed pistol.
Figures he'd be a boob-man. Shit!
In her panic, Anne grabbed Benny's crotch and squeezed, jolting him away from his wandering kisses. His eyes were dilated as they met her gaze, thick brows raised in both surprise and amusement.
"Pussycat, you are one naughty broad."
"And I can only get naughtier," she said wickedly. Anne deftly rid him of his belt and unbuttoned his trousers. She slid them off of his hips and Benny stepped out of his pants, leaving him standing in only his underwear and his unbuttoned shirt.
"Can't wait to get to the goods, eh?" he quipped. "Well I can't blame-oh!"
Benny released a little moan as Anne plunged a hand down his boxers, effectively shutting him up.
Still got the magic touch.
He was quite vocal as she worked, clearly enjoying it, and soon he was practically begging for release.
"Baby doll," Benny groaned, head tilted backwards in pleasure. "You're killing me, here..."
Precisely.
Anne stopped torturing him for a second in favor of pressing her body intimately close to his, staring into his chestnut eyes. He really did have quite the handsome face. It was a shame that his little playmates would soon be cleaning his brain matter off the walls.
"How about we take this to the bed?" she breathed into his ear and nibbled, while her fingers snaked around his back to scratch a trail from his shoulder blades all the way down to his backside. She could feel his skin raise in goosebumps at her touch.
"You've got it, baby."
With that, Anne pushed him backwards onto the mattress and straddled him. She grasped the hair at the nape of his neck, crushing him towards her as their kisses became more urgent, almost animalistic in nature.
Damn, he's a real handful. Too bad I won't get to the grand finale... I bet he's good.
She bit his bottom lip hard, issuing a sound from Benny that was pleasure mingled with pain. He was probably the kind of guy that liked to be tied to the bedpost and spanked before a good round. It was a tempting notion, but she resisted, settling instead for a little tongue-to-tongue. He responded by running a palm up her inner thigh, but she swatted his hand away and broke their kiss.
"Uh uh, good things come to those who wait. If you play your chips right, you might cash out."
"Baby," he frowned. "You're a real party pooper. I want to go for the jackpot right now."
Anne put all of her weight onto her palms and leaned forward, purposely creating a great deal of cleavage and giving Benny quite the show.
"Wow, great charlies. Why don't you give 'em a shake for the Ben-man?"
She did just that, and Benny was practically shivering with delight. Anne slipped a strap over her shoulder and pouted pin-up style, pleased that he was falling for the bait.
"Is this what you want, handsome?"
"Do you even need to ask?"
"Fine. I guess you've earned yourself a little show. Close your eyes. And no peeking!"
He did as he was told, a permanent grin plastered onto his features. Anne reached between her breasts and and pulled out the cleverly concealed weapon as quietly as she could.
"Now open them."
Benny's expression immediately transformed from one of excitement to one of confusion when he saw barrel of the gun aimed directly at his face. It was priceless, really.
Pity, and here I am without my camera...
"What the hell!" he shouted, bolting upright. "Did you play me for some kinda chump?"
"I should have guessed the key to your heart was accessed through your pants," Anne scoffed, immediately dropping her seductress voice in favor of a much more abrasive tone. "How original."
"You bitch! I should have known it was too good to be true."
"Most things in life are."
"How the hell did you sneak that past security?"
She smirked at him, the gun not wavering from his face.
"Tiger, these charlies aren't just for show."
"Well played, toots, well played."
Benny stiffened and attempted to move, but Anne pressed him down firmly. She had powerful thighs resulting from years of traversing the Mojave on foot. There was no way he was getting out from under her.
"I've got a twitchy trigger finger, Benny. You move another inch, and your brains will be painting the walls."
Benny's face remained neutral despite her threat, and Anne bet that he was one hell of a poker player. But as she looked into his eyes, that lovely sea of chestnut brown... she saw precisely what she had longed to see for so long. He may have kept unfathomably cool under such circumstances, but something in his eyes was burning hot with the terror of having absolutely no control over the current situation.
"Okay, baby, let's keep it smooth..." he said, palms skyward in surrender as he relaxed against the headboard. "There's no need for violence. If you wanted to talk, you coulda just said so from square one."
"Oh, of course!" Anne laughed. "Because that's exactly what you offered me back in Goodsprings. I have half a mind to put a bullet between your eyes right now."
She flicked the safety off and Benny narrowed his eyes at her, but he didn't flinch.
"Alright, baby," he sighed. "I ain't afraid to admit that the odds aren't in my favor here. You've got a crazy drop on me. If killin's what you came for, this would definitely be the time. But I'm gonna have to ask that you hear me out first. You have no idea what you're in the middle of here."
"Then you'd better start filling me in. What's this scheme of yours?"
Anne shifted slightly, making herself more comfortable for the ensuing conversation, but keeping Benny pinned.
"Broad strokes? Change in management."
"What, you want to rule Vegas or something?"
"Me and the Chairmen, we've got pizazz. Those other degenerates couldn't swing this town if they wanted to."
"And how do you intend to do that? Tons of hairgel and fancy suits aren't going to get you very far."
"We're more than just a bunch of classy cats, baby. I've got a surefire plan that'll put me and the Chairmen back where we belong. We're called "The Tops" for a reason. I want that to stay true."
"Uh huh. Go on."
"The winning hand is in the securitrons. I need a way to control them and beef up their hitting power. If I get those two ducks in a row, the other contenders can't stand a chance."
"And you're willing to kill for this noble cause?"
To her surprise, Benny's features actually softened. He was either remorseful over what he'd done, or he was a fantastic actor. Anne guessed the latter.
"Baby, I understand if you're sore," he pouted. "What I did to you was rotten, and I made an awful first impression. Do you really think it was an easy decision to put a bullet in that blonde little head of yours? Woulda been a lot easier if you were born an ugly broad, but you're pretty as a picture."
He flashed her a winning smile, to which she merely rolled her eyes.
"You really know how to woo the ladies." Anne decided to ignore the fact that his eyes were temporarily fixated on her cleavage. "You still didn't have to go through with it."
"I don't think you understand the level of game here," he said, aimlessly running a hand through his slick black hair. "If you think that the NCR or the Legion or even Mr. House wouldn't do the same... then those bullets really must've scrambled your brain. I needed that chip at whatever the costs."
"Why is it so damned important?"
"The chip is the ace in the hole here, baby. It has the potential to really get the securitrons kickin'. Thing is, I need to find a way to make the thing work."
"Well, you won't have to worry yourself over that. Hand it over."
Anne extended a palm to him, while the other hand kept the pistol trained on his face.
"Hey, cool your jets. It needs to be in good hands, ie, me, not you. You can get a juicy cut of the action, but the chip stays with me."
"No deal. Give it to me now, or I'll take it from your cold, dead hands."
Benny looked thoroughly amused. If he was truly threatened, he wasn't letting it show. It was enough to make her want to punch him in the nose.
The smug little bastard!
"You drive a hard bargain, baby. But I think that we can work together on this. What do you say? This is an 18 karat opportunity. I think you and I can handle this caper if we put our minds to it."
Anne regarded him suspiciously with a fair eyebrow raised.
"What makes you think I'm the woman for the job?
"Well it's not everyday that I meet a broad as driven as me."
"You're nothing like me," she spat. "You're a piece of shit, that's what you are."
"Hey, don't point the finger of blame at me when you've got your fair share of dirty laundry," he said, anger finally apparent in his voice. "I heard about your reputation, sister. To tell me you ain't got blood on your hands would be big fat lie, with a capital L. Our reasons may have been different, but the results were just the same. "
Anne contemplated his words, already feeling an uncomfortable heat burning within her chest. Benny was trying to rile her, and he was succeeding in the task. The whole "we're not so different" card, ah, she knew it well. It pained her within her very soul to admit that it was true: she had cold blood on her hands, and plenty of it. She supposed that being on the receiving end of the Wasteland's brutality had changed her perspective. Anne didn't like it one bit, but she had to admit that Benny made a fair point.
Hell, why can't things ever be easy? Maybe I can make the most of this...
"So what have you heard of me?" she asked coyly, deciding to steer the conversation along. She was irked when Benny laughed at her question.
"Baby, where do I begin? The Silver Rush in Freeside? And the Omertas? You don't exactly go postal on a whole bunch of big name players and expect people, especially important people, not to catch wind of it . Vegas is scared of you."
"Are you scared of me, Benny?"
Anne leaned in, her eyes narrowing into mere slits as she pressed the barrel of the gun directly against his forehead. His brow crinkled, eyebrows raised.
"No," he said calmly. "You don't scare me. You may be doing lots of things to me right now, pussycat, but scaring me ain't one of 'em. And I've got a few more in mind..."
He was ogling her body again, so she smacked the butt of her gun against the side of his skull.
"Aaagh!"
"Next time it'll be a bullet."
"Ow, goddamn!" He rubbed his temple, which was sure to form a nice welt. "You're a mean bitch, you know that? And that may be just what I need. So what do you say? Last chance, pussycat. You and me see this shindig through, and you might be lookin' at the new King of Vegas, and I might be lookin' at its next Queen."
Anne squeezed the trigger a little tighter, her hands slick with perspiration and her heart pounding in her ears. She could end it now and get on with her life. It would be quick, easy, a nightmare finished... but the prospect of siding with the head of the Chairmen was far too tempting for her to resist. It was risky, of course, just as Arcade had warned. But what was life without getting your hands a little dirty from time to time? Benny may have a few tricks up his checked sleeves, but Anne had some, too.
And I've always loved an evenly matched game.
Benny looked up at her expectantly, with a certain vulnerability about him that she found quite irresistible. The sudden rush that Anne felt between her legs was both uncomfortable and unexpected. She wasn't sure if it was due to her power over him, or the fact that she was merely straddling a half-naked and rather attractive man, but one thing was painfully apparent.
Well, it's like they say... sometimes you have to sleep with the enemy in order to get things done. In this case, literally.
"Fine," she said, finally surrendering her weapon to her side. "You've got yourself a deal. But before we conclude this little meeting, I just want to let you know that if you go back on your word, I will kill you. And I swear to God, my bullets won't leave you walking out of your grave."
"Ouch." He winced. "Low blow."
"Do I make myself clear?"
"Crystal, baby."
A beat or two passed as the two of them eyed each other. The tension in the air seemed thick enough to choke on.
"So, uh..." Anne started. "What do we do, shake on it?"
She shrugged, still in quite the compromising position sitting upon Benny's hips. His gaze was fixed upon scantily clad figure once again, and he tentatively ventured a hand along her thigh and up her skirt. This time, Anne didn't resist
"I think I've got a better idea to make this thing official," he said. "Seal the deal and all that jazz. The key is in the ignition, baby. Why don't you drive us all the way to naked town?"
Ridiculous euphemisms aside, Anne found it difficult to resist as she ran her palms up Benny's tan chest, where they came to wrap around his neck in a sturdy embrace. She couldn't help but chuckle.
"Naked town, huh? You sure you're not gonna run outta gas?"
"I never do, pussycat."
"Well neither do I, tiger..."
As their mouths met eagerly once again, Benny's hands gripped her backside and she clawed her fingertips into his shoulders. They struggled for dominance for a minute or two before Anne gave in, allowing Benny to overpower her. He hovered above her with his face buried in the crook of her neck, breathing into her ear and sending pleasant tingles all the way down her body.
"You and me gonna accomplish great things, baby."
Oh, I've no doubt. And this sure beats shaking hands.
It was the last thing he said before they became entangled in the bed sheets, wearing nothing but smiles upon their faces as they ravished each other into the early morning hours.