Chapter 1: Happy Trails To You, Til We Meet Again
Welcome everyone, to the third instalment of the Courier Charlotte series! This story will mostly just be a series of oneshots, rather than one overarching storyline, like how New Beginnings was. Anyway, I hope you guys and gals enjoy this story!
I do not own Fallout New Vegas, that belongs to Bethesda and Obsidian.
"So Arc, how's things with the Followers?" Veronica asked, as she leant back in her chair.
The two companions had found themselves sitting at a table in the Presidential Suite of the Lucky 38, playing a game of chess. While the two were friendly with each other, they hadn't really spent much time together. So, Veronica decided to fix this problem by offering to play a few games with the Followers doctor.
"Things have improved for us, at least since Caesar's death." Arcade responded. "Julia has managed to strike up a working relationship with the Garrett twins and even the NCR has offered us some support, in exchange for some needed medical assistance. Apparently, they've been stretched out too far and their medical experts are far and few between."
Veronica let out an interested 'huh' to that, as she stared at the board in front of her. She hated to admit it, but Arcade was pretty good at chess. Veronica was actually starting to sweat a bit, as she tried to think of a move to make. Veronica's concentration was soon broken, as the sound of glass being smashed filled the air.
Arcade and Veronica lifted their heads up in confusion, as they heard loud arguing coming from Charlotte's room. Their chess game now forgotten, the two companions made their way towards Charlotte's room, to see what on earth was going on. Just before they opened the door, it was soon flung open, with Charlotte marching out.
"Hey, come back here Char!" Cassidy shouted, rushing to catch up. "We ain't finished arguing here!"
"Well I'm done arguing." The Courier responded. "I can't stay cramped inside of this stupid casino all of my life, love!"
"I ain't upset with ya wanting to stretch your legs every once in a while." Cass fired back. "I've got a problem with ya wantin' to head to fuckin Utah!"
"I'll be taking ED-E and Boone." Charlotte responded, as she turned to face her girlfriend.
"And not your fuckin' girlfriend?" Cass asked, a scowl on her face. "Howdya think that makes me feel, huh? Makes me feel like fuckin' shit, that's what!"
"Woah, time out here!" Veronica interrupted, as she stood in between the two. "What the hell is going on here?"
"You tell her, Char." Cassidy stated, shaking her head. "Too fuckin' pissed to talk."
"Well I got a new radio broadcast on my Pipboy, from some guy called Jed." The Courier explained. "I wanted to go out with Boone and ED-E, see if it's worth going on."
"And not me?" Cass asked.
"I never said that, love." Charlotte sighed, rubbing at the bridge of her nose. "I said you can come if you wanted to."
"Wait, what is this radio broadcast you're talking about?" Arcade inquired.
The Courier turned to look at Arcade and Veronica, before she started fiddling around with her Pipboy. A tense silence filled the air of the stuffy suite, only broken by the sound of radio static, before Charlotte let out a grunt of accomplishment. Soon enough, the voice of a male filled the silence, drawing everyone's attention.
"Howdy. My name is Jed Masterson, and I'm a caravan boss for the Happy Trails Caravan Company. If you're hearing this, I have a job offer for you. Happy Trails is organizing an expedition north into Utah, off the Long 15, and we need people. We're looking for caravan guards, prospectors, couriers - if you're used to humping it across the Wastes straight toward trouble, we want you. If you've got a Pip-Boy, we definitely want you. On the other hand, if you're a greenhorn or a city-slicker spinning tales about your skills, you can kindly go hang. If we like your gumption, we'll pay you square and treat you fair. Find me, Jed Masterson, at the Northern Passage if you're interested. Luck to you."
Radio static soon filled the air before the message started repeating itself, as the words of Jed Masterson sunk into everyone's mind. After a while, Charlotte turned off her Pipboy, before she stared down her girlfriend.
"I'm not the type of girl to turn down an adventure, Cass." Charlotte explained simply. "And who knows? This might actually be fun."
"Like how the Sierra Madre was fun?" Cassidy asked, venom dripping from every word.
The Courier visibly flinched at those words, unpleasant memories flooding her mind. Memories of poisonous Cloud residue, of ghost people and of beeping collars. A frown appeared on Cassidy's face, making it obvious the Californian native regretted what she had just said.
"Listen gorgeous, I'm just a bit scared is all." Cass admitted, scratching at the back of her head. "You just came back from a fucking horror show and I though you might've died. So to see ya so ready to pack up and leave…..it makes me nervous, ya know? Like, you might not want me."
Charlotte just stood there silently, staring at her girlfriend, before she walked forward and grabbed Cass gently by her cheeks. Before the Californian native could even respond, Charlotte was already leaning forward and pressing her lips against Cassidy's. Cass just stood there stunned for a few seconds, before her hands snaked around the Courier's waist and pulled the woman closer together. The two lovers stayed like that for a while, before Charlotte slowly backed off.
"Never ever think I don't love you, Rose of Sharon Cassidy." Charlotte stated, a firm tone to her voice. "I love you more than anything; you are my moon, my stars, my everything. The only thing that stopped me from killing myself in the Madre was knowing I had you, waiting for me. You drive me, Cass. And if you don't want me going on this expedition…..well, I won't then. You're more important to me than some stupid Utah excursion."
"Actually, you can go." Cassidy stated, a smile on her face. "But I'm comin' with ya, no arguing now."
"Wait a minute, you two can't be serious." Arcade interrupted, hands on his hips. "You two are just planning on following some random broadcast and heading off to Utah? What about The Strip and Vegas? You have responsibilities, Charlotte."
"Well, I was gone for two months, and Yes Man took care of everything." Charlotte responded. "Anyway, the Mojave has been pretty calm ever since the Fort was attacked. The Legion has basically been crippled and the only real major problems have been the Powder Gangers, and they've been holed up in the NCRCF for ages now. I'm sure Vegas can handle me leaving for a while."
"This won't end well." Arcade muttered, shaking his head.
"Oh, stop being a whiny shit Arc." Cassidy retorted. "Ya ain't gonna find a guy if all ya do is bitch and complain. Anyway, next stop is Utah! I'll start packing my whiskey."
And Chapter 1 of Seeking Redemption is done and dusted! I'd like to thank Mandalore the Freedom, MisfitArtist, Alexeij, Fanfictionfan3601 and Starship King for all of their support and love! Anyway, I hope to see you guys and gals at the next Chapter!
Love,
The Desert Dancer