Edited: 12/14/17

Nevaeh. . .

"Ugh my head," Nevaeh groaned, shielding her eyes from the sun with her long hand; why do I have fingers like a spiders legs? Where the Hell did I get those from? Must be mom.

Walking sucked, and she only says this right now because she didn't have sunglasses anymore.

They were on the ground somewhere between Chevy Chase and Galaxy News.

Fucking super mutant crushed them with their huge fat ass.

She hated those things, they took this guy from Big Town and turned him into one of them somehow; she's not really sure where the hell those things come from anyway. She had known who it was that was freshly changed because of the tattered clothing they were wearing when they returned a week later. They looked like they had still been in the process of changing because their eyes were still so small and their skin color still had splotches of human looking skin.

They still had those Jangles pajamas melted into their skin, it was a sickening sight.

Nevaeh sighed and passed through the chain gate, smiling a little into the lovely shade of the metro. She paused for a moment to light a cigarette, cupping her hand over the flame so it caught the end of the cigarette and turned it red. Maybe she should go scavenging for some sunglasses if she visited the city again, they would be so helpful in battle.

As she walked further into the tunnel, she could hear voices filtering up towards her and put on her best smile.

No sense in bringing everyone else down while I have a migraine that was my fault.

Roy and Bessie Lynn saw the girl first, Bessie moving forward with more grace than she could ever hope to achieve.

Nevaeh loved Bessie, even if she was a ghoul. Nevaeh loved her warm smile and patchy skin. She had brought her a dress from a store near the Museum of Technology and, even though it was musty and this baby-puke shade of green, she loved it. And it got her points with Roy, though he was still a little pissy over the deal she was reluctantly letting go sour.

Not, my fault Tenpenny actually made a smart decision and had guards crawling all over his tower. Nevaeh had been more headstrong and unclear in her decisions when she first came from the Vault. Far more cocky, less cautious, too reliant on bullets and sheer luck to get by.

Things were just supposed to go her way, in the beginning.

Bessie smiled with her crooked teeth as she grabbed Nevaeh's right hand and gave it a squeeze. "Good morning Nevaeh," she chirped and then took in the wince she gave. "Is everything ok?"

Even though ghouls couldn't have children, Bessie Lynn had natural mother instincts. And Nevaeh was her baby. She shook her head, taking a nice drag from her cigarette. "No, everything's not okay," Roy's shoulders hiked in defense and she waved a hand at him, their joint sign for Vault Girl Problems. "I still gotta get the key from Dashwood and find me a good babysitter, or bodyguard. Both."

She chuckled and Roy glared, Nevaeh didn't have the energy to glare back. He didn't hate her, per say, and she couldn't say she disliked him. Nevaeh thought of their relationship was a mutual tolerance for the corners they had backed each other into. She was his only ticket into the tower and he was her only ticket to keep her people safe, vice versa in so many areas.

But that didn't mean they had to sunshine and rainbow each other, that was Bessie's job and she had occasionally shown her venomous side when Roy and Nevaeh had gotten into their first scuffle. So, they had learned to stay in check when she was around, sometimes even when she wasn't just in case.

"Maybe Roy can-" Bessie started, but Roy cut her off.

"No," he stated bluntly, taking a swig of the beer in his hand.

She chuckled while Bessie glared and jerked her head towards the stairs leading down from the platform. Bessie perked up a little and pecked Roy on the cheek, scampering behind her, much to Roy's annoyance judging by the growl he gave.

Below the platform, along the cleared areas around the stalled train cars, were small bin fires. It was a small town down here - quite literally - with the buzz of activity and Maggie chasing Simms' kid around. Nevaeh could smell meat cooking and the sniffing of the ill, which immediately drove her to a bad mood. She wanted them all in the tower, not giving her mixed signals as she passed by them.

They needed warmth and security, not cold ground and mole rat meat.

The buzz behind Nevaeh died and gave way to a new one as she started through one of the empty tunnels that was usually closed off for Roy, Michaels and Bessie. She could hear the clink of bottles and taunting laughter alongside the slap of cards on a table. Nevaeh chuckled when she came in and saw Gob with his head in his hands, everyone else pointing and laughing while Jericho raked up the caps Gob must have lost. She smirked and leaned against the door frame, too impatient to wait for them to notice her.

"Hello, ladies and gentlemen."

"Hey!" they all yelled in a buzzed/drunken haze, save for Nova.

Nevaeh waved slightly and pushed off the frame, taking a seat between Jericho and Gob, leaning her head on Gob's shoulder when he scooted closer.

"What's up guys," she yawned, putting out her cigarette.

Nevaeh was pretty sure Gob liked her, and she meant liked her. He's always touching her and stuff, but she didn't think about it in any other way but friendship because he has never tried to push it any further than a hand on her knee. Which was what brought up the sudden train of thought. Nevaeh brushed him off subtly by crossing her legs, which he didn't try to pursue and she almost thanked him for it. She could be wrong, about his feelings, because Gob was still pretty damn touchy with anyone but she would never embarrass him and point it out.

Nova grinned at me, wiggling her copper eyebrows. "Gettin' fucked up and hoping to get a good lay."

"Hell yeah sweetheart," Jericho grinned grossly.

Nevaeh chuckled when she saw Nova roll her eyes. She wouldn't fuck Jericho, hell no one wants to fuck him. She would probably sneak up to the tower and seduce Anthony Ling; she could do that, but Nevaeh couldn't. She couldn't seduce someone and just fuck them. She got too personal, used to be shy and those things used to be important in her mind. Now that she was up here, had hardened in the Wasteland, she could probably do it but didn't want to get hung up on someone she really didn't care for.

Nevaeh wiggled her own eyebrows at Nova when they locked eyes and it caused her grin to widen. Nevaeh chuckled and sat up fully, reaching across the table for a bottle of booze. She could feel Gob's eyes trail up her back but paid it no mind and fell back into the chair. If he didn't look, she'd peg him for gay. . .she could still be right.

Gob noticed her drinking this early and expressed his worry. "You okay," he asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Nevaeh sighed and looked over to where Bessie had been standing, she was gone. Bitch fed me to the wolves. Nevaeh grumbled and took a thick swallow of whiskey, listening to Nova and Jericho yapping at each other like starving pups. They had always argued, mostly because Nova refused to sleep with him, even Moriarty couldn't beat her enough to get her to say yes.

He was so ate up the whore even called him nasty.

Nevaeh shouldn't still call Nova nasty, that was when they first met, and Nova even admits she was but now was a time for everyone to gain a new lease on life.

"I need a bodyguard, a good one. Anyone got any ideas?"

Gob looked uncomfortable, not meeting her eyes. Nova shrugged her shoulders slowly, taking a sip of her beer. Jericho voiced his services, but Nevaeh nearly blanched at that. She hated Jericho most of the time, the only reason she was tolerating him right now is because she didn't want to have a fight because of her headache. He was always trying to grope her and trying to talk her into his bed; he calls it seducing, but she called it disgusting.

Yeah whiskey breath and a scratchy, dirty beard. How can I turn that down? Oh let's not forget he's pushing 65 and I'm not even close to my twentieth birthday.

I don't know wrong with me that I can turn that down.

Gob cleared his throat when the room got quiet, successfully catching Nevaeh's attention. "I have an idea," he nearly whispered.

She raised a brow at him. "You know mercenaries?"

He huffed and puffed his chest, his squishy cheeks taking a light red tint. Nova cackled on the other side of the table at his display of offence. "I do. You remember where I'm from?"

She nodded, pilfering a cigarette from her pocket. "Yeah, Underworld. What about it," Nevaeh cupped her hand over the lighter and watched the end of her cigarette blaze to life.

He gave a good humph and relaxed back into his chair, making her chuckle a little. "Well there's this guy I know that would be an excellent bodyguard."

Nevaeh leaned back, bracing one hand against the edge of the table. "How would I know? What if he isn't as good as you think?"

Gob took a sip and shook his head a little. "He is a pre-war ghoul, before the war he was trained to be the best of the best. I've seen his work first hand and I can guarantee he is. . .good."

Nevaeh leaned back in her chair and inhaled on her cigarette, staring up at the ceiling while the chatter resumed around her. Was it really worth traversing through the metro tunnels and D.C. for one man? Was he really that good? He better be or I am going to be one pissed bitch. I guess I could at least try it out, if he wasn't any good I could just get my money back and send him on his way or whatever, right?

She exhaled a new puff of smoke, hypnotized by a stain on the table; oop, fish outta water. Nevaeh sighed at nothing and inhaled on her cigarette again. Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale, ash, inhale, exhale, booze, inhale, ash, exhale. One painful, harmful thing after another and all for the sake of pissing off a daddy that probably didn't even know she was out here. That meant her life sucked, she thinks.

She rolled her eyes at myself and leaned forward onto her folded arms, wishing she was a better person.

She watched Nova deal out cards again, skipping her because she just didn't play. Jericho scooped his up and Gob shuffled his around his hand, fighting to smile; he must have a good hand. Looking around, Nevaeh realized she kind of don't belong to this little group anymore, they had all developed a gross little bond where as she felt. . .out of place. She cleared her throat and stood shakily, putting out her cigarette on the table, making everyone look towards her, expectant on something.

"I'm gonna go check out this guy, Underworld right," Gob nodded and grabbed up another beer. "Well then I'm definitely going," I need to clear my head.

Gob smiled warily but stood up and hugged her tightly. "Good luck kid, I hope everything goes okay."

Nevaeh gave a hearty sigh, reaching across the table to give Nova a one armed hug. "You and me both. I hope this doesn't take too long, or I hope I don't die. Either one works right?"

"Right, be careful honey," Nova smiled and sat back down, smoothing out her stained skirt.

Nevaeh saluted them and wondered eased out of the room, sighing when she heard them erupt in their going-on's again. She was happy at least someone was happy and at ease with this temporary arrangement.

No one looked up as she passed this time, either just not hearing her or knowing who it was and ignoring her. She didn't see Roy or Bessie and assumed they had gone off to have alone time, but Michaels was there and waved goodbye to her. Okay, that made me feel a little better, I get to see a happy face today. When she was leaving the tower, not one person looked happy but she can excuse the guards because. . .well, they had to guard all of those pampered bitches.

She had offered her help continuously and had even spent a shift for one of the guards, which irked Gustavo because he hadn't approved it.

Bitches.

Nevaeh shielded her eyes when she stepped out of the metro, humming as she locked the gate behind her again; if they needed to get out, they could go through the port to the West. It would be a lot smarter, because you couldn't see that exit from the Tower, even if you used binoculars.

She had checked.

Nevaeh sighed and looked around, pursing her lips at the Pink & White in the distance; she had guarded Bessie one night, when she needed to check the scavenger that had once lived there for medicine. He had been killed by unknown assailants, but they had found the medicine. But she didn't need the grocer, she needed the bright pink building attached to it; the grocer was white, hence the name.

Nevaeh pulled her rifle from her back and cradled it as she kicked up dust, whistling until she was bored enough - and pretty sure she was safe enough - to turn on her radio. She flinched when Three Dog howled and then was cut off by Crazy, which had her singing along instantly.

She checked the cell in her laser rifle and stroked the barrel as she entered the parking lot. She had managed to get this from a dead Brotherhood Initiate when she had first come up on Galaxy News Radio. Well, she didn't manage, Sarah Lyons had given it to her as a payment for trying to save the girl Nevaeh only knew as Redding. She had spent three hours trying to save the woman, but the Behemoth had just done too much damage and had to have knicked an artery she couldn't find.

"Thank the Heavens," Nevaeh murmured as she slipped through the grocer and into a grossly decorated shop. "It looks like the inside of someone's vagina, my God."

There was pink everywhere and shaggy carpeting, the walls painted pink and the dresses clinging to the mannequins were pale pink. The counter was pink with chipped tan covering and it was just. . .gross. Nevaeh shook my head and walked over to the counters, plucking at the glasses scattered here and there. Most of them were reading glasses, tortoise shell glasses that weren't shaded enough. She sighed and strummed her fingers on the counter before she spotted a small, moldy box between the counter and the wall. She pulled it out from it's place and began to dig through scarves and glasses, singing a high pitch like from choir class as she raised the glasses to the dull lighting from the pink, shag lamp above her.

"Oh yeah. . ." Nevaeh purred as she slid the shades on, instantly darkening the room. "Ah yeah, that's the good stuff."

She straightened herself up and pulled her laser rifle in front of her, grinning widely as she stepped out into the sun. Not even a sting it a pinch, everything was bathed in shade and she was so happy she could fucking see.

"Take that bitch," Nevaeh mumbled as she raised her middle finger to the sun.