A cigar lay on the table, smoke rising in an upward spiral. Streams of golden light slipped their way through the gaps in the boarded window. Dust danced it's way through the beams, never slowing to settle, always moving. The gleams were the only source of light within the room with the exception of the faint glow given by the radio. It crackled out an old world song, 'the day that I stop counting, that's the day my world will end'. It had been Carla's favourite. He sat staring in to nothingness as a wave of heart wrenching guilt and anger washed over him. Unwanted memories of their life together began to surface so Boone began drowning his sorrows through the two vices he knew, whiskey and cigarettes. As the whiskey began to go to his head he dropped the empty bottle and it clattered under the table. Lack of sleep was beginning to catch him as he felt a heavy weight to his eyelids. Drifting into unconsciousness, he dreaded the dream which would soon consume him.

He woke with her in his arms, sound asleep with a string of drool attached between her lip and his chest. 'Whatever', he thought, 'as long as she's happy'. He let out a sigh of content as he slipped out of the bed, gently resting her head on to a pillow. He went to the bathroom and wiped his chest over, cleaning himself of Carla-drool. After changing he quietly left the room so he could have a smoke. The sun began to peek over the horizon, gently warming him as he rested on the balcony. With a busy day ahead of him he took the time to savour his cigarette, eventually lighting another off of it. In an attempt to justify it he told himself that would be the last one he would fit in today, she wouldn't let him smoke around her, especially with her carrying his child. After stubbing his second one out on the balcony pole he turned to their room to wake her.

Upon re-entering the room he looked to the bed to find it empty. He headed towards the bathroom, guessing she would be in there only to find the mirror smashed into shards. Glass littered the sink and the floor. He headed towards the door in a panic, fearing the worst as he noticed a shard from the mirror lying on the floor by their bed. The tip was red with blood, a trail following the bathroom to where the shard lay. He fell in to a blind rage and burst through the door, only to find he was no longer in Novac, but upon a hill in legion territory. A modified hunting rifle lay by his feet, noting its familiarity as he realised it as being his own. Glancing quickly to the bottom of the hill confirmed his fears. He was in Cottonwood Cove. A lump formed in his throat as he saw her, swarmed by a sea of crimson red. They were selling the slaves. Once her turn was up and they began bidding he took a deep breath, aiming his sights on her head. "I'm so sorry" he pleaded to the only two he could ever love as he squeezed the trigger.

A light knock woke him from his sleep. Straining to open his eyes he got up off of the sofa stretching his neck out in an attempt to smooth out the crick. Still trying to shake the dream from his mind he opened the door to see a woman stood in front of him, a strange robot hovering behind her. She looked at him with a half expectant smile only to receive a glare that would make a deathclaw flinch.

"Can I help you?" He asked with a groan as he rubbed a hand over his eye.

"Oh, um, Boone right? Alice." She met the introduction with a half smile that he could have sworn was half judging. "I just wanted to pop in and introduce myself. I was actually wondering - I mean I had been told by the owner of this place that you're on watch - if there's any chance you saw a guy coming through here in a checkered suit? Bunch of khans with him..." She looked him up and down, a sense of amusement across her face. He snapped out of his daze, still trying to shake his dream from his mind.

Realising what she was finding funny, he pushed his sunglasses up, straightening them and pulled his beret over so it wasn't lopsided anymore. "Can't say I have no, sorry, did you check with the other sniper?" He asked, trying to be as helpful as he could muster even though he had no interest in the conversation.

She returned his answer with a sigh, "no problem, I'll do that now. Thanks anyway."

He closed the door as she walked back down the stairs, returning to his vices.

That night he prepared for his shift on watch in the Dino's mouth. In an attempt to avoid any interaction with Manny he made sure to time it perfectly that one shift ended and the other started upon his arrival. The two snipers crossed on the stairs, paying one another no notice. He stepped into his nest to find the same woman that turned up at his door earlier, stood in front of him now, at his work. She turned and saw the surprise on his face.

"Expecting visitors? Or maybe not. I found out from your friend where my guy was headed. Just thought I'd come and say thanks, seeing as you pointed me in the right direction and all. Speaking of which, I should probably get going. Only a few more hours of light left."

"Huh, I guess I maybe am. " she stopped in her tracks as he continued. "Maybe it should have been you I was expecting all along. I need someone I can trust."