He hit the all too familiar road once he dragged himself out of Primm. It was like walking backwards through time, a time when he was just a wide eyed boy trying to get to New Vegas and piece together why he had been buried alive in in a random cemetery in the desert. He remembered walking down this part of the road only after he had terrified himself with the deathclaws in Sloan. A tiny courier with a rusty varmint rifle clutched in his hands with Dean Martin crooning out of his Pip-boy radio.

But now?

He walked back towards Jean Sky, then past it, then traveled up the road to where it all began. The Courier felt like he had aged a thousand years since he last walked this road. He felt taller, yet heavier (and not just because of all the things he had brought with him from the Divide). He needed to get back to Vegas, get back to getting ready for war. Too much time had already been spent playing around, running off for days or weeks on end to accomplish dick all…

He really needed this small break though.

The Courier arrived in Goodsprings just as the sun was peeking over the horizon. He didn't stop at any house, nor went to the Saloon (and he idly wondered if Trudy had broken her radio again). Instead, he kept walking until he reached the hill that would take him to Goodsprings Cemetery. It was funny, that after all this time, that damned grave never got covered back up, all the dirt shoveled out to make it still in a neat pile right next to it. Last he heard, it was a tourist attraction these days, people wanting to see where the famed Courier rose from the dead to wreak his havoc and revenge across the wastes.

He probably made it easier on them all since he cleared up the Long 15 of giant, mutant lizards. But there was no one there now, and so he dumped his bag and guns aside to fall into his own grave. Stepped in and plunked himself down into the ground. He put his feet up and leaned his head back, and it felt like all the negative energy in him drained away into the dirt. A sense of peace seemed to wash over him, and he felt his bones and muscles loosen up as he lied there.

Maybe now he could die right here. Not like the Dam needed him that badly. Everyone scrambling over it could handle it just fine. They didn't really need him, right? If they did, they could find him right here, wasting away where his body should have been all along. Where it should have been the moment Benny put those bullets in his head.

The moment the Powder Gangers came around this peaceful little town for Ringo. The moment Primm was saved from those same Gangers days later. The day an impressionable courier walked into Nipton to see his enemies hanging from the cross and the men in red turning to him…

He could remember it all so well. Remember how he, The Courier, started changing people's lives the moment his eyes flew open to stare up at the ceiling of Doc Mitchell's house. But now he tipped his head back to stare at the shadow that suddenly loomed over him. A shadow with that ever inky smile that spoke to him in a honey laden voice and said, "And what are you doing down there for?"

To which The Courier replied with a sighing laugh, "Just remembering is all."

Remembering back, to a different time.

o-O-O-o

x-X-X-x

Through the scope of his rile, Wes followed the movements of the NCR Rangers as they moved about their base. He was no sniper, but thank to the modifications that the Ratslayer already came with, it made tracking the rangers a lot easier than it would have normally. He was waiting for them to turn away, just long enough to give the signal and start the invasion. Whatever "turning away" was really supposed to be. There was only really one way into Station Charlie, and one way out.

Did the Legion really think they were gonna be sneaky about it?

But hey, a fat stack of caps was still a fat stack of caps, no matter who it came from. People had been telling Wes a lot of bad things about the Legion since Goodpsrings, but they couldn't be that bad, could they? Sure, he saw Nipton, he was there, but if what was said about Nipton was true, then maybe it was for the best…Right?

At the very least, the Legion had been nothing but distantly polite and cordial with him, and willing to give him work along his way to New Vegas. Even if that meant helping them with a lil invasion of an NCR base. Totally not a big deal.

"Psst. Pssst, Wes. Wessss"

Wes grunted in response, not wanting to take his eye off Ratslayer's scope.

"Wes, is it time yet? The others are getting restless, and Decanus Celso wants to start," his companion said. The Legionnaire Recruit, Tigris, glanced back over his shoulder, down where the others waited for the signal.

"Hold on, just another minute," Wes insisted, watching the Rangers as they continued to move about. Two of them were talking to one another, but then one turned away and started walking back to the lone station building, while the other stayed behind, but thankfully started up a patrol away from the look out spots-

"Now, do it now!" Wes hissed aloud. Tigris didn't respond, but turned back to the others and started to wave out the signal. Quietly, the Legionnaires started to sneak away from their cover and slip over to Ranger Station Charlie. Wes swiveled the rifle in his hands to look down at the approaching squad, then back to the unsuspecting ranger. A few tense minutes later, the Legionnaires snuck their way inside, and chaos ensued.

"Let's go, Wes!" Tigris urged, and started climbing down from the rocky outcropping they had hidden themselves on top of. "Down with the NCR dogs!"

"Hold onnn," Wes whined as he rose, slinging Ratslayer up against his back as he chased after the other boy. The two scrambled down the outcropping to the ranger station, shouts and gunshots echoing through the small canyon as they did. The ranger Wes had been tracking earlier was already tied up, being interrogated by the looks of it. If it could be called interrogation when he was getting kicked in the head and in the stomach with a gun trained on him, but Wes was pretty sure that's what passed for interrogation these days.

"You two!" Decanus Celso barked at them from the doorway of the station. "Inside now, we're taking a hostage and we need more hands. Move it."

Wes and Tigris nodded and hurried inside. The station was a complete mess, dead bodies and blood everywhere. Recruits were moving in and out of rooms, moving the bodies aside then laying them back down on traps. A pack of recruits were having trouble with one of the rangers, a short haired brunette woman. Two recruits each would grab at her arms, but were then sent sailing down to their asses as she threw them off.

The two boys ran forward to help subdue her. But she must have been half deathclaw or something, cause she threw them all off again like they were wet paper. It felt like soon enough, the entire squad had walked in to get her tied up, and it only stopped when the leader of the operation walked in to knock her out with the butt of his ripper.

"This is what the degenerates have to fight you with," their leader drawled in his silky voice. "A woman soldier that even you can't handle. Quite shameful really, and after you all did so well with Nipton…"

The squad bowed their heads in shame, and some mumbled "We're sorry, Lord Inculta" in apology.

Vulpes Inculta tsk-tsk'd at them before ordering to have the hostage shipped out, and the squad subsequently moved out back to Cottonwood Cove at the first light of daybreak. They all moved out, grabbing guns, grabbing the ranger, and marched back out of the ranger station. As Wes moved out with them, he watched Decanus Celso pick up an audio log and started recording-

"This is a message to the NCR from the Legion. We are coming for you. Run and we will catch you. Hide and we will find you. No matter what you do you are all going to die. We took one of the women alive."

x-X-X-x

"Ninety-eight…ninety-nine…One hundred," Wes finally finished counting. He stared down at the pile of caps for a few moments before glancing up to grump at Vulpes. "I was kinda hoping for more?"

"More how?" Vulpes sneered. "You never set an exact price, and this is what we're willing to pay. A hundred is a lot for many people."

"I know, I know," Wes replied. "But, I mean, I helped you take out a ranger station of all things. Shouldn't I get a little more?"

"You sat on a rock and watched," Vulpes said bluntly. "Unless you don't want the hundred after all," he continued, and started to reach out for the pile. He laughed when Wes hurriedly pulled the pile away from his hand.

"Hundred caps, pleasure doing business with you," Wes said quickly, then cracked a nervous smile. "I'll just uh, pack my things and be on my merry way. Won't be in your hair much longer."

Vulpes huffed in amusement and waved him off. Wes shoved his caps into his bag and bounced away to help roll up the sleeping rolls with Tigris. After a fun filled week of patrols, and marching, and scouting, and scouring irradiated caves with giant rats, it was finally time for Wes to continue on in his quest for the search of the man in the checkered suit. He couldn't sit here and play Legion any longer, especially when the squad was heading back to their main base.

Camp Searchlight, Nipton, now Station Charlie? They were busy guys! Busy guys who had busy things to do elsewhere, and Wes felt like it was time to get back on his own journey before that checkered suited man could get away more than he already had.

"You're leaving?"

Wes looked up to see Tigris hovering over him, his striped face twisted distraught.

"You're not gonna stay?" the recruit asked. Wes shook his head. "Don't you like the Legion though?"

"No, I do!" Wes reassured. "I just need to keep going is all. I just gotta go get that guy, you know?"

"Yeah," Tigris nodded sadly. Then a moment later he asked, "So after you find him and all, are you gonna come back?"

"Maybe," Wes smiled. "Can there be courier legionnaires?"

They both laughed, and Wes rose to link arms with the other boy. "I had fun though. I can at least tell everyone there's some nice people in the Legion."

"And I'll tell everyone there are some good profligates out here," Tigris promised. Wes momentarily paused, but kept smiling and nodding anyway. There was a bark from across the camp, time to go, bring everything. Wes and Tigris made eye contact one last time before they let each other go, and Tigris was grabbing his own things to start making the trek back to Cottonwood Cove.

"We'll meet again!" the recruit called out with a wave. "Promise!"

Wes waved back, and waved at the other recruits as they passed. Most ignored him, though a few did pause to wave back and mutter, "Bye, Courier" back at him. They left, and Wes turned away to start heading north again. He didn't get very far when a pair of arms suddenly wrapped around his waist, and he was pulled backwards into an armored chest.

"Truly sure you want to leave?" Vulpes purred in his ear. "I really could use a good solider like you around."

"You can't afford me," Wes smirked, tipping his head back to nuzzle it against Vulpes' neck. "Maybe when you can actually pay me well I'll think about it."

"So difficult. I'd have to break you of that," Vulpes chuckled. "Keep going north then. Your next stop will be the town of Novac. You can't miss it, especially with the giant dinosaur in their front yard."

"What?"

"You'll see."

Vulpes pulled at his arm with the Pip-Boy to toy and tap at it until a new marker appeared on Wes's map.

"I need one of these," Vulpes mused idly.

"Well maybe next time I come around, you can play with mine," Wes suggested. "Then maybe you can play with me too," and he waggled his eyebrows.

Vulpes sneered again, and pushed him away, "Profligate. My wife is somehow better behaved than you, and she's just as whorish and uncivilized as the rest of you."

"Yeah yeah, we need to see the light, render unto Ceaser, blah blah, bye Vulpes, my hundred caps and I are leaving to go see this dinosaur."

Vulpes shook his head but still said, "Vale, Courier. Until our paths cross again."

x-X-X-x

x-X-X-x

WHAT'S UP FALLOUT FANDOOOOOMMMM? I have been waiting...four years to write this goddamn thing. I'm just proud of myself for writing something for it at all at last. You know, like three months before Fallout 4 comes out. Cause THAT'S the best time to start a long ass series about New Vegas, right when we're all gonna get sucked into 4 and forget NV ever happened-

But anyway, hi. So you're not familiar with my game here, so I'll put you in the know. Chapters are as long or as short as they will be. I have no schedule for writing or posting. You could get a new chapter this weekend, or you could get it next week, in a couple months, or in a year, I dunno, hopefully won't be a year lmao. And as you've probably already noticed, this is gonna be one of THOSE stories. Blah blah blah, gotta find Benny, blah blah looks it's my own twist u guis, blah blah LOL FALLOUT. That story I've been waiting four years to write.

More graphic chapters will be posted on my AO3, and I will always note when that comes up because I just don't wanna deal with this site's maturity rating limitations and shit. I'm sure you understand.

We're gonna have so much fun together.