"I'm afraid that sometimes you'll play lonely games too. Games you can't win 'cause you'll play against you."

― Dr. Seuss

As her feet scuffed the desert floor Lanius could feel his patience slowly chipping away with every kick. Small dust clouds rose, lingering for a moment before being blown away. Every so often she would twist and turn her wrists, jerking them ever so slightly and scowling, as the umbilical rope line would only twitch ceasing any movement at the knot that ended tied by the Butcher's belt.

"It's not very fair, you kidnapping me like this is it." It sounded like a question, but Lanius had heard enough about (and from) this Courier to know silence was best. He had already predicted more words were about to tumble out her little, never resting mouth. "I mean, look at you. You're bigger than me, a monster of a man. That Vulpes Inculta, he's taller than me, but I could take him, he was a fairer adversary. Caesar's cheating sending you." She punched a fist into her palm in a small fighting gesture. She paused almost as though she was waiting for her words sink in and gauge a reaction from the man before speaking again, "Bringing you into the equation? Unfair, scandalous, a dirty tactic." Lanius snorted a small laugh.

"Because you're a defenseless little girl? I don't think so Courier. I'm no fool to believe that you're not dangerous." Her lips quirked into a slight smile, at least this man hadn't underestimated her,

"Is that so?" It was then that Lanius' mouthed twitched into something akin to the Courier's expression.

"Yes. You're even more manipulative with words than that damned fox. You may not have brute strength, but your words and those sniper eyes of yours. You're the dirty tactic." He paused in speaking, briefly. Then spoke once again. "I wonder Courier. Who are you really?" His feet ground to a stop, something the girl hadn't noticed as she stumbled into his solid, hulking back, snapping her focus quickly and attentively, correcting herself by stepping back and distancing herself from Lanius. "I want to know Courier where is-" She didn't need to be a mind reader to know what he was asking and as she stared hard at him her lips pursed into an unattractive line.

"No." It came out cold.

"I'm not asking." His voice was dangerous, laced with venom.

"No." This time it came out quick, her eyes hardening as they held his glare. Lanius stalked up to her threateningly, unspeaking as his chest squared up millimeters from hers. She looked tiny next to him, in stature and build, her head barely reaching his collarbone as she glared up at him.

"I don't care what you want to know." Her words were also laced with thick venom, her body language something more threatening, dangerous than before. Had she not been tied, Lanius may have needed his guard completely up. His teeth bore in a low growl, the angry tension inside him had been building and now it threatened to explode. How he wished to hurt this small, degenerate that stood before him, a woman considering herself on some equal ground to him. "In this game of kings, the knight doesn't need to know, it just needs to act, quickly, might I add, before your king gets caught in a checkmate." He paused momentarily as she saw the cocky smile on her features. He thought about those words before laughing, laughing hard and low in a bellow. Turning he started walking off again, she was never going to answer him straight, so he wouldn't bother for now. Without a word, she complied falling into step behind him. How foolish he thought this girl, to think she could gain a checkmate, when it was she who had been checkmated already.

They sat in silence. The room was ill lit and dingy, shadows danced across murky walls leaving a bad taste in Craig Boone's mouth. Of course, that bad taste could just as easily be the coppery taste that Boyd had left him with after her rather aggressive pistol whip. Boyd. He stared through his dark glasses at her as she swigged a glass of cheap whisky.

"You know why the factions in the Mojave want your precious little Courier, right?" Boone knew this was an interrogation, but refused to co-operate. He wasn't about to sell out the young girl he'd traveled with for so long. The girl who helped him through his memories of Bitter Springs, made him accept Carla's fate.

"No." It came out sharper than intended, quick and bitter and for a moment the lieutenant seemed to know that the man sat in front of her was playing dumb for the sake of making this more complicated than it needed to be. Putting the glass she held down, she slowly took a cigarette from the inside of her jacket and with much care lit it. Boone watched silently as she took a long drag before blowing out a small cloud and speaking again,

"See Craig, I think you're lying to me." She shrugged nonchalantly as she stood to move over to the sniper, her boyish figure loomed over him and yet his eyes remained staring forward.

"The 'Courier' doesn't make it a habit of sharing her thoughts." Boone knew too well why people wanted her, but he wasn't ready to betray their groups trust. Boyd's eye twitched at how calm Boone was remaining, his wrists restrained in cuffs twisted behind his back, lip bruised and blood stained. Oh how she loved playing rough when she had an interrogation, but never once in all her years of serving did she think she'd get to crack this hardened nut. A quick strike across his face caught Boone off guard, yet even still that stoic attitude didn't change. Boyd let out a low growl shaking out her fist.

"You're an NCR citizen Craig Boone, now is the time to show us your patriotism." Her eyes had become narrowed on him. "Tell us about the Courier. Courier number six." Now he finally looked up to her, and she felt an overwhelming satisfaction that she, Carrie Boyd had finally found Craig Boone's weak spot, his patriotism. He hadn't changed it seemed since he served, an unmovable sense of duty. The snarl her mouth portrayed came slow after the words he slowly spoke.

"I don't know what you expect from me Lieutenant Boyd. I've never known a Courier six. Or any Couriers." Craig Boone wasn't lying, he had never known a 'Courier 6'. Or any other Courier for that matter.

Vulpes stared across at New Vegas with a look of displeasure as Joshua stood by him,

"No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." Vulpes snapped his head to the side to look at the bandaged man,

"You remember that hellhole?" Vulpes questioned, his voice sounding tempered. Graham nodded,

"And I'm no fond of going there now than I was back then." His comment drew a small snort from the fox.

"A city of degenerates and debauchery." Graham hummed in agreement crossing his arms,

"For now, I'll cast my judgment aside. The girl needs her companions, yes?" He stared at Vulpes, calculating, "Do you have a plan?" he asked calmly, watching as Vulpes shook his head and began to walk away speaking some final words to Joshua.

"I'll act accordingly, I'll act however I must. It's ok, I suppose, if it's for her." For a while, the ex-Malpais just stood watching as the Frumentaari walked off. Until he had decided it was time for him to follow suit. For now, they would walk different paths but Graham knew his Lord had a plan to cross their paths again.

"My feet hurt." It was a quiet grumble, but Lanius heard her just fine and her complaint was ignored. "I want to take a break." She whined and again found herself being ignored. The Butcher knew she was burning a hole in his back, he'd seen that expressive scowl non-stop since he'd taken her captive. He knew her brow was furrowed; bottom lip stuck out slightly further than the top, pouting like a child and her eyes stern with small creases appearing across her childish face. He continued to walk on; if her feet hurt then Lanius was glad for it. She deserved it, just as she deserved everything that was coming to her and as they continued forwards to the Legion Fort, he could feel the rope he had her tied to occasionally yank tight and then return to normal. He figured she must have kept stumbling, probably tired and feeling the start of dehydration. He was at the end of his patience now, every yank of the rope pulled on his belt slightly continually jerking his hips uncomfortably. With a growl, quick turn and grab of the rope, he had the much smaller girl over his shoulder, her fists battering with anger off his solid back, feet flailing around mid air landing blows on the front plating of his chest amour.

"Get off me you scumbag! What are you- put me down NOW!" He could hear the discontentment in her ground out words

"If you do not stop." He ground out, between gritted teeth, "You will feel the butt of my sword again! You frustrating, little degenerate." Slowly, he felt her calm down, grumbling profanities to herself or to him, he couldn't hear well enough to say. Yet she didn't shut up, she just grumbled, on and on and on.

Maybe he should have let Vulpes deal with her. Clearly the man must actually enjoy this childish attitude of hers. With the angering thought of Vulpes, he stormed on.

Caesar rapped his fingers against the arm of his throne. Everything had been so quiet since he had sent Lanius away on the reconnaissance mission; the boredom was becoming insufferable to the Legion leader as the pace of his finger tapping increased. It wasn't until he heard commotion outside his tent did he move from where he had been sat for far too long.

And there he saw them.

Lanius. With an unconscious, vault suit wearing, brunette thrown over his bulky shoulder. The grin spread from ear to ear on the balding, older man as he bellowed across the distance to the Monster of the East,

"How glad I am to see you've returned Lanius and not empty handed I might add. I'm glad to see not all of my trusted have become defective." Caesar had begun pacing over to the Legate, legionaries bowing or saluting as he passed. "That damn girl." He snarled glaring at her, "I hope, begrudgingly, that she is still breathing, yes?" Lanius nodded before replying,

"I told her if she didn't be quiet, she lost the privilege of water." Caesar burst in laughter,

"The degenerate didn't listen I presume? Ha! As stupidly stubborn as ever, well, no matter. She'll regret that decision soon enough." Caesar looked out across the river, "Vulpes may not have, but I will have her lashed to a cross, for now at least." Slowly he twirled her hair between his index and thumb, "I want her more agreeable than she normally is." A dark smirk painted across his wrinkling features, "I'm sure if she's reunited with an old friend…" he seemed lost in thought standing silently until Lanius cleared his throat and with a hushed voice Lanius was told where to store their newly acquired plaything.

"Kid!" …

"Shit kid, wake up-" …

'I feel… heavy.'

"Shit…"

'Is that…'

'…You?'

"Come on, open your eyes!"

'Everything moved so quick …'

"...Desmond?"

Authors Note: This was more a filler chapter, I wasn't sure how to move the characters on to reach where they needed to be so I did a few time jumps. I hope it didn't come out too bad.