This is kind of a random fanfic I wanted to write (and my very first!). I apologize for the grammar since english is not my first language. It is some insight made by my vault character about all the companions he had through his travels and why he prefers a certain one over them all. I hope you like it! (And sorry if some seem out of character, it is intended for humorous purposes, kind of…)

-o-

He stretched his hands to the fire as the night seemed strangely quiet and cold. His companion was calmed, which made him believe there was no threat nearby. That calmed his nerves a bit. Still, he held his shotgun safely near him, just in case their perception failed.

He lifted a cigarette with the fire flames and inhale from it. As he let the smoke out, he turned his head to his companion who had just been laying down on the cold soil. He smiled and proceed to open his mouth with slight relief.

"You know what? You are by far the best company I've ever had."

As he raised his arm to take another taste of the sweet nicotine, a stitch ran from his palm to his very shoulder, making him cry silently in pain. He completely forgot he was harmed during the last confrontation, when they encountered a bunch of Raiders punching and humiliating one of their own with all kind of melee weapons, while he was, for some reason, naked for the world to see, quietly taking the beating. It's not like the Raiders give a shit, still he found it quite amusing if it wasn't for the shot he received from that foul mouthed chick.

He sighed as he grabbed his backpack in look for stimpacks.

"When I first met this guy… Uhm… I think Jericho was his name. I though he was a low-life scum who's only interest was to rape women and getting' piss drunk in Moriarity's Saloon. He was an old ex-raider living in Megaton, the first town I ever saw when I walked out the Vault. But when I witnessed his battle skills when confronting some random giant ants outside the town, I was surprisingly impressed. It only took me a thousand caps to make him help me out there. I was kind of afraid venturing outside all by myself, ya know?"

He took off his troublemaker jacket, patched himself up with a couple of stimpacks and wrapped a gaze around his bleeding arm. Taking back his cigarette he continued.

"But he suddenly had a heart attack while scavenging the Super Duper Mart just some miles away from Megaton. Poor ol' bastard, I did know he was old, what I didn't expect was that he died on me that soon."

He slightly chuckled while his companion didn't really pay much attention to him. Actually, he seemed to be sleeping, or maybe carefully looking at his surroundings for any threat. Whatever it was, it didn't look like he was interested in his story. He turned at him while holding back his cigarette.

"Your silence remembers me the next follower I acquired. His name was Charon. He was a ghoul thug working for a corrupt asshole down in Underworld. He seemed tough so I bought his contract from the bar owner, expecting to have a bodyguard that kept a close eye on my inexperienced ass."

He thought silently how wrong that sounded, yet he knew the one laying next to him wouldn't care less if he talked bullshit. Besides, he always did, it wouldn't be much of a surprise.

"It was funny that during the first trip through one of the tunnels, I tripped with him when I turned around to go back the way we came, and saw his scary rotting face looking down at me. I screamed like a little girl and took off running. I soon fired him because he gave me the creeps."

He chuckled slightly, rubbing his hands on his shoulders, and then taking his jacket back on.

"Then I met Cross. She was a Paladin working in the Citadel, a first class soldier from the Brotherhood of Steel that claimed she knew me and my father. She helped me during quite a while, though I never expected to found out she was trying to boss me around all the time. Besides, she was kind of… taking my confidence way off its limits. I found her breathing down my neck as I was pretending to sleep while I heard some suspicious flapping noise, figuring it wasn't coming out from outside. I was afraid to open my eyes and found out so, that same night, when she was asleep, I took my very attractive ass and left the shack we were staying for the night… Hell, I hope she's dead by now."

His companion raised his head and looked a him briefly but went on looking around. He didn't even noticed the quick reaction, he was so immersed in his memories, slightly laughing in his mind.

"It was when I went to Paradise Falls and this pimp dude sold me this time a slave chick named Clover. I won't lie to you, she was hot! But… she had this fucked up mind and sadomasochist attitude. By the time I didn't mind it. I mean, I didn't expect to find a sweet caring girl out here, besides, it made my adrenaline raise whenever she called me lover. It just melted me. But when she took off the knife off while we were having the 'occasional fun', stating it would 'spice things up', I had to run this time for my life! I didn't know what she planned to cut, but I wasn't staying there waiting and probably having my manhood mercilessly taking away."

He shook his head this time, rubbing his eyes with his fingers. He would miss Clover, but she was a little too much FUCKED UP woman for him. This time he took a bottle of scotch out and start taking long sips from it. He had a very bad habit of drinking too damn much for his health.

"Oh good lord… Okay… Then… when I got caught by the Enclave, and with much luck on my side escaped from the base, this Super Mutant softie called Fawkes showed up to save my ass from some Enclave soldiers patrolling outside. He was the only friendly mutant I've ever met, and when I scavenged Vault 82 for this thing called GECK, I found him trapped in one of the cells. I helped him escaped and ever since he helped me after I got off Adam's Base."

He leaned on of the rocks behind him, holding his bottle of scotch.

"If you thought the Ghoul was scary, should've seen this big guy. You know how creepy it is to have a Super Mutant on your back all the time, expecting him not to get berserk and attack you with his Gatling lasser all of a sudden? He said stuff like he felt the primal part of him pulling him away and that sort of shit. He made this habit of patting me on the back, and he nearly broke it. And I remember the time he tried to protect me from this grenade, throwing his enormous self on me and I simply felt my ribs breaking as they made contact on the concrete. God, I even remember his little speech of he never leaving my side. Shit. So politely and carefully, I dismissed the creepy bastard that kept addressing me as 'friend'. He just grumbled something in an angered tune and took off, while I felt like shitting my pants and almost fainting in the process."

His companion simply turned his eyes to him as he took another sip from the bottle. He was looking at the sky, like he was carefully examining every star.

"You might as well be my best bud. I mean, you are not an old alcoholic, neither are you scary ghoul, or a pervert tranny, some masochist bitch or a creepy mutant. "

The Vaultie took a slice of meat he kept on his backpack wrapped in some plastic. He saw his companion standing up, moving his tail from one side to the other, his tongue drooling for the juicy meat. He threw it near the dog and he started chewing on it silently.

"I think I'll call you Dog Meat… yes… you and I are gonna be best pals."