So, I changed things around. I really started to hate this story after a while so I didn't think I could keep writing it. But here I am. Hopefully I can make it better from here on out. I've also been really busy since college started and I've been away for months, working on school work so I've had no internet time.

Her feet led her down the I-15. She hadn't been there yet and her eyes kept glancing about to make sure that there were no "critters" coming after her. Sunny Smiles had said that this highway was dangerous, but so far, she only found a few bloatflies.

After another mile or so, she ran into a small shop. She nodded at the people working and continued on.

"Hey, hold up," A bright and chipper voice ordered.

The Courier turned and saw a woman trotting her way.

"No offence, but you look like you've traveled a long way over some bad roads." She crossed her arms over her skinny chest. "Where do you come from?"

The Courier blinked a few times, wondering just why the woman needed her to stop and talk. She took in her sloppy appearance with her rough clothing. She didn't seem like someone who could afford to hire her for any dirty work. "I come from Good Springs."

"Wow. That's a long way from here." A pause. "You know, you're the first person I've seen come this way who looks like she can actually handle herself."

The Courier shrugged and waited for her to continue.

"First thing's first. I have a question." She held up a finger to display that it was only one question. "I met this group calling themselves the Brotherhood of Steel. Pretty strange bunch. What do you make of them?"

"They're harmless so long as you don't get in their way or have any tech that they want," The Courier droned, repeating dutifully what Boone had explained to her.

That earned her a smile from the other girl. "I don't suppose, that maybe I could come with you? Help keep you alive? Feed off of your success?"

The Courier chuckled and shrugged. "I guess you could. I'm just wandering to clear my head right now though."

"I promise I will allow for maximum head clearing." The spunk in her voice made the Courier smile. "Before we head off, there's something I wanted to tell you." A pause. "I'm from the Brotherhood." She inhaled deeply. "I know, I know. But I just wanted to make sure you wouldn't hate me on sight. We've made a lot of enemies."

"They haven't crossed me." The Courier smiled playfully and the two of them headed out.

Looking at the sky, the Courier let out a breath, watching the cigarette smoke float away to the stars. She wished that she could float away sometimes. Wandering through the skies as scattered molecules didn't seem so bad, with the exception that she couldn't get this drunk if she were nothing but atoms.

Veronica was on her belly, almost asleep. Her face was deep red and her bent legs were swaying slightly.

The Courier snuffed out her cigarette and pondered what she should do about Boone. She wondered why he didn't make the effort to be at least a little happier. Everytime she looked at him, he seemed to be scowling. But when he was there every day when she woke up, that was different. She would unzip the bed roll and sit up to see that he had already packed everything for her. Then he would move over to her and hand her a little food. The two would eat in silence until they had finished before he would help her to her feet like a proper gentleman.

Every morning he made her something to eat. Every morning he helped her to stand. He protected her on countless occasions and she couldn't even hit a Brahmin half of the time.

She choked out a loud sob before she even realized that she was crying.

"What's wrong?" Veronica asked, sleepily raising her head.

The Courier shook her head. "It's stupid," She whispered.

"If it's making you cry," Veronica scolded. "Then it's not stupid."

"I just miss someone is all," She admitted, biting her lip.

"Who is it?" Veronica propped herself up higher, tucking her elbows under her.

"Just a sniper I met a few weeks back."

"Someone you like?" Veronica managed a sleepy smile.

"No," was the first thing out of the Courier's mouth. "Well, I don't know. It's complicated."

"Tell me."

Smiling at Veronica's automatic reaction to comfort her, the Courier took in a breath and admitted, "I don't remember anything past the last two weeks. I've been traveling with a sniper that I met on my travels and he's been taking care of me. He protects me if anyone is shooting at us, he picks me up when I fall, cliche not intended." She sighed. "He even made me breakfast every day for the week straight that we traveled to New Vegas. I don't know. Maybe I do like him. He has a dead wife though so it's not right for me to like him; it's insensitive. Plus he's hard to talk to and even harder to please." She stopped, breathing after the long spout of words.

Veronica offered her a sympathetic look. "It's hard, having feelings for someone." She sat up and matched the Courier's cross-legged sitting position. "The girl I fell in love with, lived with me in our bunker. Eventually, she left. She wanted me to go with her, I wanted her to stay with me. I guess we were both too stubborn."

"I don't know what to do."

"Just be patient and don't push him past his limits. He's had it hard. He might end up being afraid to love someone else after he felt how horrible it actually feels to loose a loved one."

"I do remember him telling me not to get too close," The Courier recalled, turning so that she was lying on her belly, looking over the side of the building that they had chosen to stay in. "He said that those close to him usually get hurt to add to his punishment."

"'Punishment?' What does that mean?"

"Apparently he did something bad in his past that he won't tell me about."

"So you go for the bad boy types?"

The Courier chuckled.

"I'm glad you're feeling better." Veronica shifted in her blanket and the Courier heard her head hit the pillow. "I hope I get to meet him soon."

The Courier let out a nervous laugh. "Well that'll turn out interesting."

Six marveled at the service rifle she had gotten off of Ranger Jackson. The wood was filed smooth from the weapon repair kit she had also received from him.

Veronica had decided that "the Courier" was just too long and bland a name, so she had decided to call her "Six" based on her courier number. She kind of liked the sound of it, so she kept it.

They were headed back north. Six had tried to fall into her usual routine of walking without talking as she was accustomed to with Boone. However, when she tried this, Veronica insisted that something was wrong and that she needed to talk about it.

Right now she was relieved to not have to talk. Veronica was busy chatting up a petite red head alcoholic they had picked up from the Mojave outpost. Veronica had smooth talked her into coming with after developing an interest in her. It was the Courier who did all the hard work, as usual. Work such as clearing the road, and convincing Jackson to let Cass leave.

Once out, Cass seemed to brighten up a bit, joking around with Veronica.

"Hey!" Cass bellowed.

The Courier stopped and turned to see that they had fallen a little behind.

"Just where are we going anyway?"

"We're headed for the Strip."

"Been a long time since I've been there." Cass licked her lips. "They've got plenty of fun and whiskey." Her voice seemed to rumble almost like Boone's did, but in a more energetic way. Cass had a way of talking that seemed to make her seem more likable no matter what profanities spilled out of her mouth.

"I've never been there," Veronica piped up. She had her cute and witty moments too.

"Babe, where do I even start?"

And with that the Courier smiled and began walking again, listening bemusedly to the conversation between the two girls.

By the time they had reached the Strip, the Courier had scraped up plenty of things to sell and did so at the Gun Runner's weapons stand. She loved that the vendortron was dumb enough to accept half the shit she gave it and that it had plenty of caps to spare. She also loved the sniper rifle she bought off of it.

It was black and smooth and sturdy in her hands. She loved the weight of it and felt comforted by its presence. She couldn't wait to show Boone.

Biting her lip, she wondered if Boone had waited for her. She had been gone for a few days now and he might have just left after getting sick of waiting for her. Maybe he thought she was dead.

She sped up a little and made a beeline for the Strip.

"Hey, what's with the rush?" Veronica asked, jogging to keep up.

"Well, you remember the Sniper I told you about?"

"The one that you like?"

Six rolled her eyes with a grin. "Yes, that one. Well, I kind of never told him I was leaving, and I kind of worry that he won't be there when I get back. He might think that I died or something."

"Hun," Cass injected her drunken wits into the conversation. "With tits like those, I don't think he went anywhere."

The Courier let out a laugh, "He loves his wife."

"As you keep saying," Veronica quipped. "But I still know that you like him."

She shook her head as they reached the Strip gate. "I don't."

"When you were drunk," Veronica sang. "You said you did!"

Veronica and Cass both chuckled.

When they reached the Lucky 38, the two stopped their teasing and stared in awe at the tall building.

Anxiety rising up, the Courier didn't give them a chance to marvel or ask questions. She opened the door and led them right into the elevator.

"Someone's in a rush," sang Veronica.

"I'll let you explore later," The Courier chuckled.

The elevator opened up and the Courier stepped out impatiently. She heard footsteps to her right and turned to see Boone exiting the kitchen.

"Hi," She giggled, relieved.

"Where the hell were you?" He growled.

"Hey, darling, you mind if we go into the other room?" Cass asked without waiting for an answer. She tugged Veronica into the guest bedroom.

"Well," The Courier stammered, feeling a sense of dread creep over her. "I went down the I-15 and then to the Mojave outpost, and then straight back here." She bit her lip, daring a glance into his eyes. He wasn't wearing his sunglasses and his eyes burned their way into her.

"After the first few hours, I listened to the radio, waiting to hear something about the Chairman being killed in his own hotel. After a day, I kept listening to see if you'd been killed. I had no clue where you were or if anything had happened."

She pursed her lips and looked at the floor, feeling like a child being scolded. "Sorry…"

Boone sighed and leaned against the wall. "Next time just let me know."

"Why do you have to know my constant whereabouts anyway?" She countered, feeling anger spike up for a moment and regretted it instantly. Why did she have to be so difficult?

Boone fixed her with a glare, which she returned with some difficulty. "Fine," He growled. "I guess I'll just stop caring about if you're okay or not." He turned on heel and went into the entertainment room.

The Courier heard him drop into a chair and then hit something. She bit her lip and pressed her back to the elevator door, wishing she wasn't so stupid.