I was half way to the old gas station when I noticed an ugly cloud was drifting down from the sky. This wasn't any ordinary fog that was happening. Oh no it was filled with radioactive dust that still lingered even after two hundred years of the Great War. As I walked a little faster slinging my rifle back on to my shoulder to give me movement. I notice the cloud getting larger by the min. The Geiger counter on my wrist started beeping more rapidly now and that's when I bolted.

That beep can only mean one thing: this was going to be one heck of a storm. Time seem to slow as I dashed to the station. My steps felt heaver, my breathing slowed. That giant cloud now formed into a wall blocking everything with in a 300ft radius. I could feel the radiated heat coming from it even though I still a good 20 feet away.

I finally reach the door but it was jammed. Knocking my shoulder against the door a few times before it finally rattled loose. The cloud was inches away from me. I could feel my skin bubble up, and I was wearing my radioactive suit under my ranger uniform. The door swung open and I quickly closed it watching as the cloud finally engulfed my little enclosure.

I quickly surveyed the area, my .357 magnum out stretched. Walking a few feet in I turned on the heat signature from my ranger helmet, one of the many awesome features I had installed, and scanned the area. Nothing was moving so I holstered my gun and took off my helmet. I had forgotten to tie up my hair when I had started from Novac, so the mess of hair came jumbling down. I just whisked it here and there out of my face and walked towards the broken counter.

Going behind it I found the area relatively cleared already. Perfect for laying down a sleeping mat. Slipping off my heavy sack I unpack only a few items and unrolled my mat. Even though I had a great night sleep the other day, surprisingly on an actual bed, I knew the storm was going to be awhile. In the wastes you never knew when a radioactive storm was going to start, or how long it was going to last.

I decide to take my new time and begin taking inventory of all my items. After a few hours of wasting time I looked out the window and saw nothing but brown. So, checking my pip boy for the time, I decided to lay down on my mat and took a nap. I honestly never knew how to spend my time in these stupid dust storms. Normally I would be with a troop.

Even though being a Ranger they don't march with a troop at all. They actually don't even march into battle. We were assigned more or less secret missions by the NCR. We go into them by ourselves or with a few men. I had gotten promoted a few times in my service and actually train new Rangers coming in. But, this wasn't any secret mission I was on. I was on leave from the NCR going back home to Freeside.

I had gotten some disturbing news from my sister who took a more peaceful side at being a Follower of the Apocalypse. It wasn't as creepy as the name suggests. It was a small group at first but when the idea begins to spread so did the group. It was a group of people going out of their way helping others. There was thousands of medic clinics set up all over the broken country. They did detox and actually held classes for people in need. Helping them build skills for life, farming, hunting. Things like that.

My sister joined them after our parents died. Our older brother was in the ncr training to be a Ranger at the time, he had no idea how hard our lives became. I tried doing it as well. I've always liked helping people and had a natural learning ability, as well as being a great nurse.

I just didn't feel as strongly about it as my sister did, however. I wanted to go out into the world and see everything, like our brother was doing. After a few years of wasting away with the followers we got news from the NCR that our brother died in combat. My sister took it really hard, but never showed it. She just went on with her duties.

I couldn't stand it anymore. I left one day joined the NCR and never looked back. I worked hard at becoming a Ranger just like my brother. I wanted to finish his duty for him. I got transferred a couple of times and finally ended up at the Mojave Outpost as the trainer for the new recruit. I was doing this for only a couple of months when I received a letter from my sister at the Old Mormon Fort. It was short and to the point.

"I need you to come back home. We are having a lot of problems and could use your help.

-Kalynn"

She was never one for words but even this was disturbing. We haven't spoke for over five years. Yet she went out of her way to find me even after my multiple transfers. I knew I had to rush to her. So, I put in my leave and left the post. I was with a caravan up till Novac, that was their only stop and they turn around back to the Mojave Outpost.

When I first started learning the routes Ranger Jackson had set up I voiced my concern as these are dangerous. I actually had been on patrol on these routes myself. They were swarmed with wildlife that the caravan guards were not equipped to handle. But, the head Ranger said these were the safest routes. He wouldn't listened to me anyway.

When I passed Nipton on that route I found it razed to the ground by legendries. A lot worse than wildlife for sure. Thinking about all the crazy stuff that has happened in my life thus far made me finally tired enough to sleep. It wasn't long before I started hearing strange creaking noises in the gas station. I've always had been a light sleeper. But, whoever was in the station with me did not know I was already occupying the area. I also notice the storm finally stopped. So, I guess that's why this person was here. I pulled my magnum from my hip holster and quietly inched myself to the back of the counter. Taking a couple of breaths I jumped up, my gun in front of me.

"Stop there!" I yelled at the intruder with as much tenor as I could muster so I could make myself seem scary.

However, that all went poof in my head when I actually saw who was in front of me. This giant of a man stood will over a foot compared to me. He was rather built with some extra meat on him. That was hidden under the dark brown leather duster that hung loosely around him. My eyes gathered up to his face now, which was covered with thousands of freckles, but oddly it looked rather nice on him. He had giant almond shaped eyes, the color of a grey, foggy morning. He had a stern glare, his own rifle pointing down from his nose. But, his trigger finger was poised aside of it. This man was military. I slowly lowered my own gun to show I didn't mean harm.

"Hey, I found this place first." I informed him.

I would had just let the guy have it, but as luck would have it was night out. My voice quiver from the heat rising in my cheeks and I noticed my heart beating rapidly. What the hell was going on with me? He also lowered his gun when he felt no threat. That's when a smile danced across his face.

"The place is big enough for the both of us. You can stay in your area and I will guard the door!" He exclaimed in a joyful voice.

That took me back. I dropped my gun to my side and blinked a couple of times at him. My mouth went completely dry and for once I was lost of words.

"Um…" Was all I could get out.

"Great! It's settled then." He told me and went to the far end corner of the room.

I stood there watching him completely absorbing his good looks. And when he took off his duster my swooning was finalized. This man with his bare freckled shoulders and broad chest made my heart literally pump out of my chest. How could I tell him to get out now knowing what he looked like under that heavy coat? I must had been the luckiest girl in the world to have front row seats to a beautiful gun show such as him. He finished putting down his mat, which of coursed faced me, and sat down, back against wall arms lazily behind him. He smiled slyly at me and raised his eye brows at me. He knew I was watching him for that full 20 minutes; I wasn't counting promise, while he sat up his things. My face flushed at his teasing. Puffing out my cheeks I pointed a threating finger at him.

"I swear to god if there is any monkey business at all from over there I will…I um…will.. Be not so happy about it!" I scolded him and quickly sat back on my mat keeping my gun on my lap.

I heard him stifle his laughter. I dumped my head into my hands completely embarrassed for what I just said.

"I am such an idiot around men." I sighed lying back down and throwing my arm over my eyes.

After a while of silence there was the sound of a radio being turned on and soft acoustic guitar started filling the room. It was the old music from before. I knew this song even. Before my brother was enlisted he played the guitar for Kalynn and I to help us sleep. Lusio was a wonder on the guitar; he could play any sort of song that played on the radio. He had also found sheet music for many other songs they didn't air.

He had a nice singing voice also, but hardly ever sang. Normally he would make us do the singing. Kalynn hated singing so I would be the only one. It was a wonderful memory, in the summer we would go hang out at the corner next to the Old Mormon Fort, Lusio on guitar, me singing and Kay peddling for money. We became really large.

The crowds would flock in and the whole neighborhood would have parties and there was dancing. It felt like we were celebrities, always being asked to accept work by the casinos. However, my brother knew what they were like and always refused.

I couldn't help myself when the song "Johnny Guitar" came up I slowly started humming the guitar part. Closing my eyes I let myself go when Peggy Lee's voice came on I match my tone with her and sang along to the haunting slow music. I didn't hear anything else but her and me in harmonic balance.

I remembered the old times when Lusio was still alive, always looking for a new place to sleep for the night. He was always watching over us when my parents died in a gang shooting. There was always something like that happening in Freeside. He promised he wasn't going let something like that happen to us. He kept us away from pretty much everything. We weren't allowed to go out by ourselves.

He was the one who got a job working construction with the NCR. It was never enough though. Kalynn argued with him his money alone was never going to be able to sustain us. So, finally he agreed to let us work with the followers and then shipped out with the NCR military. He never told us why he decided to join with them. There was never a real reason from him to leave us. Lusio was never one to really talk about anything anyway. That was now about nine years since we last saw him. Sure he wrote to us as much as possible, but no matter how much we begged him he refused to come back. We could not figure out why.

The song finally died away and when I opened my eyes I found the man staring down at me from behind the counter. He had a big smile plastered across his face, eyes sparkling. I was so use to this kind of strange behavior from men in the military that it really didn't faze me. He looked a bit disappointed when I didn't do anything about his weirdness. I shrugged and turned on to my side my back facing him. Then I realize he might be checking out my butt. I quickly covered my whole self with my heavy wool blanket even though it was quite warm in the station.

"You know you have a beautiful singing voice? You sounded just like her." He finally said.

I turned around laid on my other side, staring at him. As I looked at him I realize he looked a little familiar.

"Haven't I seen you before somewhere?" I asked him.

The man stood up wide eyed, his face turned bright red which showed off the brown flicks more promptly across his face.

"Um no…pretty sure I've never met you" He said quickly and walked off back to his mat.

I sat there for a minuet wondering what that was all about. Shrugging my shoulders I didn't inquire anymore about it. I just laid back down on my back, arms behind my head. But it bothered me a little, I know I have seen the sweet smile somewhere. Those cheerful eyes. But where? Sighing I gave up on thinking on it, there was no point because I was going to be gone before dawn anyway. Checking my pipboy I noticed I still had around three hours before sunrise. I will get some more rest then head out. I don't need this guy tagging along with me.