Her eyes pried themselves open and she squinted as she gazed around the room. It was dim, but she could still make out the ceiling fan as it hummed and clicked above her. She rolled her head to the side and looked at her arms. The top was bandaged up and an IV had been placed in the other, causing her to give a groan.

"Well, ring-a-ding-ding, baby. Look who's finally back in the land of the living."

"Huh?" Connie squeezed her eyes together in an attempt to get them to focus, setting her eyes on Benny at the other end of the room. "How long was I out?"

"Couple days. Took a bad turn for a while there, had to drag your little buddy out of here."

"Butch," she groaned, realizing he wasn't there. "Where's Butch?"

Benny chuckled and moved from his seat in the corner to the one next to her bed. "Probably in the bar. Like I said, baby, we had to forcibly remove him. The Quack wanted to cut the junk out of your arm there and we couldn't have him in here."

"But he's here?"

"Not in this room, but he's around. He's alright, if he wasn't so whipped by a broad, he might be cool enough to be Chairmen material."

"He's not whipped." Connie snapped, trying to pull herself up, her arms feeling like jelly.

"Hey, hey, hey, c'mon," Benny reached forward and behind her, rearranging the cushions and pillows before helping her sit up in the bed. "Easy now."

"...Thanks." Connie eyed him. While Joan had been clean, he was cleaner. Well-groomed, smelled like expensive cologne you'd only find in a vault... Connie was way in over her head here. She was in another world. "What's a Chairmen?"

"The Chairmen? Baby, the Chairmen are only the coolest, swingin', with it family in The Strip. ...Actually, we're the only family in the Strip nowadays, ever since Joan decided we should run things."

"I have no idea what that even means."

Benny chuckled. "Baby, you're a long way from home, aren't you? Joan said something 'bout you being one of those Vault broads."

"Joan would be right. ...So... who exactly is Joan, anyway?"

She watched Benny's expression change as he put his arms behind his head and leaned back into his chair. "Joan... Joan's a pretty classy act. She wasn't always that way, though. First time I met her she was just some sooty broad with a valuable package and sunburn. But then we got to know each other a bit better, you know? Took some work on my part but that cat walks into a room now and BAM she knocks the wind right out of you!"

"So... what's her story, then? How'd you even meet someone like that?"

Benny suddenly went a little rigid and shifted a bit. "That's a question better saved for her, baby."

Butch's eyes flickered over to the figure who'd taken a seat next to him, before bringing them back to his scotch, not saying anything but instead giving a nod of acknowledgement. He listened to her order, finding it hard to not be intimidated by the air of confidence and power Joan held.

"Any news on Connie?" She asked, lighting a cigarette. He shook his head.

"Nah. They kicked me out yesterday and won't let me back in. They say they'll let me know when she wakes up, though."

Joan gave him a sideways glance as she exhaled. "Don't worry. Arcade's the best Doctor around these parts. He's pulled me out of worse messes than an infection before, this is a walk in the park for him."

"Yeah," Butch swigged back at his glass as the waitress placed some kind of red drink in front of Joan. "Didn't have'ta kick me out, though. Stupid jerk in the suit kicked me right out on my ass."

"Don't take it too hard. Benny might've been a bit rough... but that's how he is." Joan gestured for the waitress. "Another one for my friend, here."

"Thinks he's so cool just 'cos he's got a stupid ass suit." Butch mumbled, eliciting a laugh from Joan.

"You're not wrong about that, Butch. I trust the rest of your stay has been pleasant, though?"

Butch was silent for a moment, before turning to direct his stare at Boone, who was sitting at a table by the entrance. "Hat man over there's been doggin' me since I left the room."

Joan turned back to her drink and smiled, taking a sip. "That's Boone's way, I suppose. He's... being protective."

"I ain't gonna do jack."

"I don't think you are. But Boone can't be sure of that, can he? ...How do you know Connie, anyway? Wouldn't have put you two together."

Butch finally looked her in the eye. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, she's just... very rough around the edges in comparison."

Butch snorted. "Connie? Nah, she's just a big softie on the inside. Never woulda' pinned her as the 'shooting slavers' type of 'gal back in the Vault, ya know?"

"So you grew up together?" Joan's eyebrow perked. "In the Vault?"

"Yeah. We was a bit different, me and Connie. I was the leader of the Tunnel Snakes, baddest gang in the Vault, no one messed with us." As he said this, he smiled and his chest puffed up a little bit with pride. "Connie was the Doc's kid, goodie two shoes and all..." Butch smirked. "Still hot, though. We didn't get on at first, but then we both got stuck workin' in the salon."

"Salon, huh?" Joan asked. "So were you hairdressers?"

"No!" He snapped quickly. "Barber. I was a barber. And she was the pedicurist. Then we started talking, and Jesus Christ, let me tell you now - back then, that girl could talk. But she was actually pretty cool, and then I noticed she had tits." Butch was grinning from ear to ear, now. "We fooled around and stuff, you know? Then one day, shit gets real fast and she's been kicked outta the Vault. Saved my mom's life first, too, despite all the security shootin' at her and shit.

Didn't see her for too long after that, she was gone for a few months. Figured she was dead, Overseer went off his rocket and next thing you know we're all shootin' at eachother down there. Then when we're on our last legs, the Vault door opens and who else should waltz in like some beautiful angel from above than Connie, shotgun in hand and all. Gets the Overseer to step down and saves us, and then this fat bitch Amata takes over and kicks her back out. I wasn't having none of that, no one told me what the hell to do."

"I'm sure they don't." Joan chuckled.

"Damn straight." Butch took another swig of his scotch and continued. "So I got my stuff, told Amata to kiss my ass and left. The Snakes were going above ground! Took me a lotta walkin' and lots more runnin', but I wound up in some dive bar in Rivet City. 'Course, I had no idea where the hell Connie was now, but they talked 'bout her lots on the radio and junk, so I pretty much just sat there and drank and listened for her on the radio. Kept trying to plan ways to find her, but then one day she found me. Been together ever since."

Joane, who thought this was adorable, despite probably being younger than them both, gave a small smile. "Sounds like you really like her, Butch."

"Well, yeah. She's my best girl. But only because like, she's smokin' hot and can shoot a Mireluck in the face from miles away and junk..."