Disclaimer: Fallout: New Vegas is the property and creation of Obsidian Entertainment and Bethesda Softworks; however Titus Aurelian is my player character and thusly belongs to me.

Author's Warning and Notes: So I thought I'd try my luck at something entirely different than what I normal write and take a shot at writing a Fallout fanfic. This fanfic will be rated M for coarse language, violence, substance abuse, suggestive themes and sexual content. The story will also contain slash (for those of you who are unaware of what that implies it means this story contains male on male relationships/sex) so if it isn't your cup of tea, keep moving. On that note, the main pairing will be my player character, Titus Aurelian (formerly known as Littlefang when he was part of the Hangdogs before they were assimilated into Caesar's Legion) and Arcade Gannon but I may occasionally throw in other pairings to keep things interesting, or just for shits and giggles, we'll see how things go. As a side note this story will also contain spoilers in regards to both the main game and its DLC but I'll try to keep it to a minimum. Reviews are greatly appreciated and flamers and trolls will be ignored. So without further adieu, on with the show.

PS: As a side note, anything in Italics is either thoughts or Titus' flashbacks. But thoughts will appear as such, 'Italics'.

Chapter 1: Welcome to Goodspirngs!

Part 1: Waking Up Dead Isn't Much Fun

The hot, summer sun beat down on the boy as he remained crouched down in the brush, patiently waiting for the most opportune moment to make his shot. The dog lying down next to him glanced up at him panting, his tongue lolling out of the side of his mouth. The boy smiled and pat him on the head before going back to focusing on his shot. But just as he was about to take the shot a cry rang out in the distance, causing him to miss his shot and scare off his prey. Littlefang cursed himself before scrambling to his feet to glance around, trying to figure where the scream had come from. It was then that he noticed the billowing clouds of smoke on the horizon hanging over the area where his village was. The boy gasped in alarm and took off like shot heading back towards the village, his dog following not too far behind.

As Littlefang got closer to his village he could see that someone or something had set his village ablaze. As the boy and his dog rushed through the village he found himself surrounded by death, slaughtered villagers were strewn about every where but there was no sign of his tribesmen ever loyal companions. It wasn't until he reached the center of the village that he saw what had become of the missing dogs. Men in strange garments surrounded the remnants of his tribe as they were forced to watch their dogs be burned in front of them, powerless to do anything. Littlefang was outraged to see his people and their spirit animals be treated so shamefully and flew into a rage.

Without so much as a second thought the boy charged at the strange men and stabbed one of them in the back. However, the other strangers were quick to react and rushed to the aid of their wounded brother-in-arms and grabbed a hold of the boy. Littlefang struggled against their grips, snarling and kicking at them as some of the men tried to grab his ankles. As soon as the man tried to subdue the boy, his dog sprang into action, snarling viciously and attacking the men that were trying to harm Littlefang. However a shot suddenly rang out and Littlefang watched in horror as his honoured companion went down.

The sight of his spirit animal laying dead before him cause him to renew his struggle, snarling, kicking and even going as far to bite his captor. But just as one of the men were about slit his throat, an order of "Stop!" rang out. The legionnaires froze instantly, the knife still pressed dangerously close to the boy's neck as a centurion came over to further examine him. The boy glared at him with all the hate and malice he could muster as he spat in his face. The legionnaires gasped as spittle hit the centurion's cheek, causing him to reach up and wipe it off before, smirking wickedly.

"Let him go." He ordered, the legionnaires immediately doing as they were told, they set the boy down before the centurion. "Yes, he will do quiet nicely, he will make for a fine addition to Caesar's Legion." He said, still smirking wickedly as he menacingly loomed over Littlefang.

Titus noticed that the musty smell of pre-War house and sun-dried laundry with the slight undertone of blood and Med-X permeated the air as he began to stir. He stretched out in bed before moving to sit up a little faster than he had intended to, an action he instantly regretted as a white, searing pain shot through his head and momentarily blurred his vision.

"Where the fuck am I?" he questioned as he glanced around, barely able to make out the outline of things. "Ugh, fuck my head!" he exclaimed as he reached up to grip his head. "It feels like my brain is in a fucking vice grip, ugh that's what I get for going on a 3 day bender." He muttered to himself as he massaged his temples.

Titus was about to get up out of bed when he heard hurried footsteps coming into the room and reached down to draw his gun. However when he found his gun wasn't there, he looked down to suddenly realize that not only was his gun not there but he wasn't wearing anything at all other than his underclothes. He glanced around in a panic, searching his for gun or his clothes when he realized that he was in unfamiliar surroundings, it seemed to be some sort of doctor's offices or clinic. He tried to remember how'd got there or where he had been before this but that caused another wave of searing pain to shoot through his head, gripping his head in an attempt to alleviate. He snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the footsteps stop and glanced up to see an older man standing in the door frame.

"Yer awake. Well how about that." the older man noted in a slight drawl, obviously surprised to find the other awake much less sitting up in bed.

"Who the fuck are you? Where the hell am I! How the fuck did I get here?" Titus demanded angrily as he shot the older man glare of distrust.

"Whoa, whoa there, just calm down. There's no need to get yourself all riled up." the older man insisted. "I'm Doc Mitchell and yer here in my clinic in Goodsprings." He explained. "Victor brought you here after he dug you out of your shallow grave up at the cemetery." He added. "You've been out cold for a couple of days, I was stating to think you wouldn't be waking up." He finished.

"What the hell do you mean, 'dug me out of my grave'? What was I doing in a cemetery!" he exclaimed angrily, but the angrier he seemed to get the more his head hurt. "Why am I here?" he asked through grit teeth.

Doc Mitchell blinked in momentary confusion before frowning as he noted the pained expression that crossed the irate courier's face. "You shouldn't rile yerself up like that." he commented with a sigh. "But you honestly don't remember anything?" he inquired curiously.

"Remember what exactly?" he demanded as he glared at the other while rubbing his temples. "I mean what exactly is it that I'm supposed to remembering, huh?" he questioned in annoyance. "Cause the last thing I remember is leaving is leaving the Mojave Express office and heading for New Vegas." Titus explained. "So tell me doc, how do I go from being on my way to finish a routine delivery to being buried alive in shallow grave?" he asked in irritation.

"Welp, I can't rightly tell you just how you might have ended up here in Goodsprings, but what I can tell you is that you were shot in the head in up the cemetery last night." he explained. "Then whoever it was that tried to kill you threw you in a shallow grave. You'd still be there if it were for Victor." he added.

"Shot in the head?" Titus exclaimed in disbelief before cringing in pain. "Is that why my head hurts so much and why I can't seem to remember anything that happened between the time I left the Primm and now?" he questioned as he rubbed his temples again.

"Yep, I would have to say it is." the older man replied. "The most I can do is prescribe some Buffout or Med-X to help relieve the pain for now." he explained apologetically.

Titus snorted and rolled his eyes. "Thanks for nothing doc." He said with a sigh. "Look if we're done here doc, I've really got to be going. Ya know places to be, packages to be delivered and all that shit." He said flatly as he moved to get out of the bed.

Doc Mitchell nodding understanding, "Alright, just give me a minute to go get yer stuff and you'll be on your way." he said before heading into the other room. "So courier, what's your name anyway?" he called out from the next room.

"Titus," the courier replied. "Titus Aurelian"

The doctor seemed to pale a little as he paused at the door frame after hearing the name before scowling. "Sounds like a name one of those Legion fellers might have." he commented. "Look courier, I don't know if you're mixed up with them or not but the people of Goodsprings are good people, we're not looking for any sort of trouble." he stated as he placed Titus' things on the nearby gurney. "There are your things, feel free to use the bathroom down the hall to change if you'd like." he offered.

It didn't take a genius to notice that the atmosphere had taken a dramatic change after the courier had announced his name. Titus snorted and got off the bed a little faster than he probably should have, causing him to suffer from a momentary spell of dizziness before regaining his proper footing and grabbing his clothes and messenger bag off the gurney.

"Thanks doc, but you've got nothing to worry about." he stated as he passed by the doctor on his way down the hall. "After all, do really think that if I were a Legion spy I'd spend my free time getting shot in the head in cemeteries in the middle of nowhere?" he retorted, rolling his eyes before closing the bathroom door behind him.

Once the courier was alone he leaned back against the door, clutching his possessions close to his chest.

'What the fuck have I gotten myself into this time?' he thought to himself with a heavy sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

Titus gave another sigh before turning his attention back to the task at hand and set his stuff down on a little shelf next to the sink. Once he was fully dressed he examined himself in the mirror, brushing some his ginger hair out from in front of his green eyes but then scowled when he noticed the stubble on chin. He was just about to curse himself for once again forgetting to pack a straight razor when he froze, his eyes going wide in panic as he noticed something very important was missing. He felt around his neck in a panicked state before his eyes darted to his bag and he dove for it and began to worriedly rummage through it.

His deck of caravan playing cards, no, additional ammo rounds for his 9mm, no, his reading glass, no, a half empty pack of his favourite brand of cigarettes, no, a business card for the Casa Madrid with a little message scribbled on the back in red ink which read, "Come back and see me real soon" with a heart and signed Jimmy, no, no, no! He searched his bag frantically but there was no sign of his fang necklace anywhere, it was the only connection to his tribe that he had to hold onto! However, that was when he noticed an even larger problem. There at the bottom of his bag, were the delivery orders and manifest for his package but there was neither hide nor hair of the package itself.

The courier nearly ripped the door of the hinges as he burst out of the bathroom and stormed down the hall.

"What's the big idea doc!" he exclaimed angrily. "Where the hell is my chain! Or better yet, where the fuck is the damn package that I'm supposed to be delivering!" he demanded irately before cringing in pain as his headache flared up again.

The doctor frowned as he noted the other's pained expression. "You really need to stop getting yerself all riled up over every little thing." he commented. "But I honestly don't have a clue of where the chain you're referring to is, you weren't wearing it when Victor carried you in here." He explained. "You might want to check the grave Victor dug you out of." he suggested. "As for yer package, I don't rightly know what happened to it, maybe the men that shot you took it." he stated apologetically.

Titus let out a bit a snarl as he sneered before heading for the door to have his arm grabbed by doctor.

"Wait, I have something to give you before you go." Doc Mitchell said as he produced a Pip-Boy 3000. "It's called a Pip-Boy, I grew up in one of those vaults they built before the war we all had one." he explained.

The courier glared at the other angrily. "I know what it is doc, I'm not a fucking idiot." he replied with an annoyed snort.

"Well, at any rate," the doctor continued. "Ain't got much use for it now, but I'm sure you could use it after what you've been through. It should help you find your way and it might just be able to keep you out of getting into anymore trouble." he said as he handed the courier the pre-War tech.

Titus slipped the Pip-Boy and its glove, glancing down at the little screen before turning his attention back to the doctor.

"Thanks doc." he said flatly.

"You might want to try asking around town to see if anyone noticed anything out of the ordinary or came in contact with the men who shot you that night. Might even want to try poking around up at the cemetery to see if they might have left any clues as to where they were headed." Doc Mitchell suggested. "Either way your best bet would be to start by talking to Trudy, she's the bartender over at the Prospector Saloon; it's up the road a spell just past the general store. If anyone saw or heard something you can bet she'd know about it." he added.

"First good news I've heard so far!" He exclaimed. "At least there's still some booze to be had out here in the middle of fucking nowhere." Titus muttered in frustration.

"I don't it would be wise to drink so soon after recovery if you ask me," the doctor noted. "It might make the headaches worse." he stated.

The courier then glared pointedly at the doctor before flipping him off. "Well it's a good thing that I didn't fucking you, now isn't it doc?" he replied with a sneer.

Doc Mitchell frowned and shook his head in defeat, "Suit yerself youngster, I was just giving you my professional opinion." he stated with a sigh. "But let's get you on your way. I'll walk you to the door." he said as he led the other to the front door. "Well, you take care of yerself, if you ever need to be patched up again you know where to find me." he stated before heading back towards the living room.

Titus simply nodded and waved his hand dismissively before walking past Doc Mitchell and out the front door. The courier quickly shielded he stepped of the porch he wouldn't be blind by the bright, midday sun. He glanced around with his eyes squinted as they tried to adjust to the sudden change in brightness. He could just barely make the outlines of the buildings he assumed to be the general store and the saloon and a water tower in the distance. The courier made his way down the small hill that the house sat on, not really paying attention to were he was going and ended up running into Victor which caused him to fall back flat on his ass.

"Hey, what's the big idea!" Titus exclaimed in annoyance as he got up dusting himself. "Who the hell just stops in the middle of…crap…" he started before realizing just what he had just run into. "Great, a fucking securitron. It just HAD to be a securitron." He groaned in displeasure.

"Hey sorry about that pardner, I was…hey it's you!" Victor said as he turned around to face the courier. "Well howdy, pardner! Might I say, you're looking as fit as a fiddle." the chipper securitron greeted.

Titus eyed the strange securitron curiously. "What's wrong with your face?" he questioned as he eyed Victor with slight suspicion. "Don't you securitrons usually have that tough-looking police officer face?" he inquired.

"Usually, but I'm just a special case I suppose." The securitron stated off-handedly. "But how rude, we've haven't been properly introduced yet have we, I'm Victor." he introduced. "I'm the one who found you up at the old bone orchard after all that commotion the other night and brought you the Doc to be patched up." he explained. "I see he fixed you up good, nice to see you back on your feet pardner."

"Commotion? You mean you saw the men who shot me!" he cried out in slight surprise. "Then why in the hell didn't you do something you worthless heap of scrap metal! Isn't that what you securitrons are supposed to do? Protect people and enforce the law?" he exclaimed irately.

"Welp, I was out for a stroll that night when I heard the commotion up at the old bone orchard. I saw what looked like a bunch of bad eggs so I decided to lay low." The securitron explained. "Once they'd run off I dug you up to see if you were still kicking. Turns out, you were, so I hauled you to the Doc right quick." He added.

"So…you didn't see them then?" the courier questioned flatly with a firm scowl.

"Nope, can't say I'm familiar with the rascals. Maybe some of the fine folks around town might be able to help you out. Sorry I can't be more help pardner." Victor replied apologetically.

"Thanks for nothing rust bucket." Titus said flatly before walking off. 'Fucking robot, if I never saw another one ever again it would be too soon. ' he thought to himself in annoyance with grit teeth as he made his way to the saloon. 'Well, let's hope this bartender knows something or I'm up shit's creek without a paddle.' he noted to himself with a scowl before heading into the bar.