AN : I'm really sorry everyone who read this and wanted another chapter. It took me a long time to find where I wanted to go with this story since I got sucked into New Vegas and now I think I know how it will eventually flow. But rejoice Reaven has returned.

Disclaimer: I own no part of Fallout just the personality of Reaven. Bethesda owns the rest.

Chapter Two: Learning the Wastes

It wasn't that Reaven disliked Moira, no that wasn't it at all. Moira had been nothing but sweet for the three days she had been outside the vault. No Reaven simply disliked the fact that Moira never seemed to mention the extra dangers that came with her tasks.

Get radiation poisoning for me and I will fix you right up she had said. Sure but then there was that little mutation on her side where the skin was burnt away in a little cap sized patch. Find food and medicine. Oh, so sorry I didn't realize there were raiders already there. Go retrieve a mine for me up north and while you're there be sure to take a peek at the playground.

Well Reaven had made it to the playground. In fact she was now cowering behind the slide because some crazy old man was firing pot shots at her from a nearby roof.

"Come out of there you scavenger!" The man roar as he let off another shot that hit the dirt mere inches from Reaven's right foot.

While he was right about her scavenging Reaven didn't really like the sound of being termed as such. Sure she had picked most of the locks on the nearby houses, but really the people who once owned them didn't need any of those things anymore. She had even asked one of the skeletons if they had minded and they didn't say it bothered them.

"Stop shooting at me old man!" She shouted back, her own temper almost at its limit. "I don't want to have to kill you!"

There was a deep cackling laugh as the man shot again this time hitting the slide and causing Reaven to pitch forward in pain as the bullet bent the metal into her spine. "Come an try girlie!"

Glancing down at her pip-boy Reaven sighed. Her statistics were dropping with each near hit and before long she'd need to do something or risk wasting a stimpak. She didn't much like shooting people. Raiders were one thing but crazy old people were another.

Checking her ammo Reaven lifted her scavenged rifle and threaded the barrel through the handle of the slide for stability. She had acquired the gun from a doped up raider the day before and, while she had used it a few times, she still wasn't adjusted to the kick. There were only three bullets left for it so if she missed because of recoil then the old coot had her.

Taking a deep breath she focused on his head which bobbed in and out of view behind the crumbling wall of the all but destroyed building.

Her shot took him by surprise and she was rewarded with a muffled cry and a fine mist of blood. His body falling through the broken floor hitting the dirt three stories below.

Making sure she moved slow enough to disarm anymore mines in her way Reaven moved to examine the body. She had to fight back a gag when she saw the pulpy mess of her victims head. Why hadn't he just backed down? Maybe she should have been nicer when she yelled at him.

Doing her best to avoid his upper body Reaven retrieved the sniper rifle, still clutched in his hands, and the ammo from his pockets along with a key that was tagged by a piece of plastic with the words 'Master Key' scratched into it. Not sure about the key she pocketed it and stored her new ammo and gun in the duffle bag she had found back at the super duper mart.

It had begun to get dark now and her bags were full. Moira would be wanting her mine and the report to go with it, Reaven intended to give her just that with a few choice words as well. The thought of traveling at night, however, made her nervous. The mine field was the furthest out she had gone and her bravado was spent on dealing with the sniper.

Deciding to campout and wait till the morning to head back Reaven ascended the ramp that lead to where the old man had been perched. If he had stayed here for any length of time then he must have had some sort of bedding arrangement. He wouldn't be using it she thought dryly to herself.

Sure enough there was a musty old mattress and a burnt out fire pit on the second floor where the third story's floor still protected it from the weather and the walls still stood somewhat firm.

Sitting her duffle bag beside the mattress Reaven made a small fire using a bit of gas and some scattered clutter the sniper had left nearby. The fire didn't last long but allowed her enough time to heat up a packet of Blamco Mac and cheese using a bottle of slightly dirty water and a fork she had weaseled out of Moira. It wasn't near as filling as what she was use to but it was enough to quiet her stomach.

The silence grew as night fell and Reaven found herself curled up in a ball on the far side of the mattress with her back pressed into the corner. A week ago and she would have laughed in the face of anyone who had even hinted she would be in her current situation. It still didn't really feel right. Looting and stealing, shooting and killing.

Three days, soon to be four, and already she had killed enough people to fill the vault. Most of them had been raiders but it wasn't something Reaven wanted to become normal. She never wanted to become so numb to killing that she could walk away without weeping for the fallen, whether they deserved it or not.

It was hard to fall asleep and each time she would doze off the old man's accusing eyes seemed to stare back at her. By the time the sun rose Reaven was no better rested than she had been before and now had a horrid crick in her neck.

The trek back to Megaton was quiet.

Even the wasteland seemed to feel her depressed mood for no sooner had the walls come into view than the rain began to fall causing her to run for the cover of Craterside Supply.

Moira stood behind the counter toying with a laser pistol Reaven had found broken on a raider inside the super duper mart. She smiled expectantly as her test subject entered and dropped a deactivated mine onto the counter nearby.

"Just what I always wanted! My very own land mine!" When Reaven didn't smile at her jeer Moira pinched her cheek. "Its not so bad."

"There was an old man up there Moira. He shot at me."

A small frown replaced her smile and Moira snorted. "I'm sorry. I had heard someone was there but I figured it was just rumors."

Reaven stiffened and turned a cold glare to Moira. "You knew he was there and didn't warn me?"

"I had heard yeah but I didn't really think he was there…"

Moira's mercenary reached for his gun as Reaven's hand went to rest on her own. "I'm going to take a break from your book." She ground out, "Before I do something stupid. Its time for me to go talk to Moriarty anyway. I've stocked up on some tradable things." With an appeasing nod to the mercenary she left without even accepting the reward Moira had been retrieving for her.

Mumbling to herself Reaven made for the one building in town that she had avoided religiously. Everyone had told her how horrible Moriarty was. Gambling, monopolizing, prostitution. It just didn't seem right that her dad would have anything to do with such a man.

There was silence as she entered the bar. Everyone turning to look at the girl who's name seemed to grace everyone's lips. Reaven moved forward, head down, to the bar looking up only when she was close enough no one could catch her eye.

What she didn't count on, however, was the man behind the counter to look so…. Dead.

Without thinking she took a step away her eyes widening and her hand flying to her mouth.

The man frowned and eyed her coldly, "What? Come to stare at the zombie?"

"N-no!" Reaven stuttered. "I'm so sorry I just didn't…" Without warning the stress of Moira's tasks, killing the old man, and her stupid blunder in offending a potential ally caught up with her and Reaven burst into tears. "Screw it I want to go back to the vault!"

"Whoa kid! Calm down," The man looked around as if trying to find some help. "Moriarty will kill me if he sees you crying like that."
"I'm s-s-sorry," Her voice was high and nasally now and she felt like a little girl again wishing her daddy would come and hold her or Snow would make her laugh. "I'm so lost. I didn't mean to insult you. I just…."

Holding his hands up in a peace meaning motion the man smiled, his burnt lips pulling up in a grimace,. "It's ok. I shouldn't of snapped at you like that. The names Gob."

"R-Reaven," She held her hand out in a grasping gesture.

Reluctantly Gob shook it letting go after only a few seconds. His calloused skin scratching her palm loudly. "You know you need to be a bit more careful. If Moriarty saw you shaking my hand he'd let into us both."

His words confused her an Reaven stared at him dumbly. "Why would he do that? I mean its just saying hi."

"I guess the rumors about you being a vaultie weren't false," Gob shook his head and turned away from Reaven to clean some glasses on the shelf behind him. "I'm a ghoul. We aren't very popular around here and Moriarty is the worst of the bunch." Gob hesitated for a moment glancing about as if expecting someone to attack him. When nothing was forth coming he went back to cleaning. "You would be better off not getting friendly with me."

"Shove that!" The harshness in Reaven's voice made Gob flinch and almost drop the glass he was polishing. "Sorry!" She apologized quickly but her gaze stayed stony. "It seems I'm an outcast too so I don't see why I should care much about what rules are set out here. I've spent four days hunting down stupid leads and killing things out in the wastes. The least I'm worried about is offending people who don't like you."

"You're spirited. I will give you that," Gob chuckled hoarsely. "Tell you what. First drink is on the house and I will give you a small discount so long as you don't tell Moriarty."

"Deal," For the first time since leaving the vault Reaven smiled.