Important Notice: Hello all! Ring-A-Ding-Ding has gone through all of its revision/rewrites for previous chapters. The last two chapters have been deleted, replaced by a brand new...ish Chapter 20. I HIGHLY recommend going back and rereading this fanfic, as I have just completely overhauled it. Better writing, changing in some plot lines, new scenarios, etc. Although it has been so long since I updated this story, most of you would have to reread it anyway lmao. I want to thank those who have remained loyal to this story, and kept asking me about it, and I am really excited to finally get back into it and actually FINISH it. So here on out, there will be brand new chapters! Thank you :3
Chapter 20: Hanging by a Thread
Fevered dreams plagued Benny. Painful replays of the past haunted him. He dreamed of his days in the tribe out in the Mojave Wasteland. Learning to hunt and kill and defend himself at a young age, surviving on scraps, walking place to place, stealing, and surviving against wildlife and other tribes all came back to him. He dreamt of his father, his mother, his sister, and other tribe kin he had lost before he had taken over as Chief. He dreamt of killing Bingo again, taking down that mountainous, violent man with the same technique he used on Nero. He had been called the Fox in the same way his father Cash had been named the Coyote.
Like his father, he had always relied on his wits, his cunning, his natural knack of charismatic trickery to keep himself alive. Truth was, the half of the tribe that left him after his victory over Bingo had called him a cheat. Hiding a second blade was dishonorable. But what had they known of honor, any of them? Bingo had killed Cash using a poisoned knife, and no one went against him. When his mother had confronted him with his cheating, bringing it to the attention of the tribe, Bingo had killed her too.
Benny watched his mother be killed again, feeling the pain and bitterness of being defenseless and unable to do anything about it. It had tortured his soul far more than he thought it did. And he realized what kind of man he really was in the years leading up to now. He was no better than Bingo. He was a killer, manipulator, and deceiver. It had been all in the name to protect his tribe, to protect Melody and Swank, but he had gotten selfish. Power hungry.
The guilt flooded over him as he watched a replay of what he did to Chloe. Up in the cemetery of Good Springs, a defenseless woman tied up, lost, confused, hurt and he was the cause of it. A shot to the head, the sound echoing in his own skull like a siren, and then she was thrown into the shallow grave and forgotten. How many people had Benny done this to? He couldn't remember. But Chloe had been the one and only to live out of them all. Nero was right, they had been more alike than they previous thought, and it sickened him.
He thought he had sophisticated himself living the high life as chief in New Vegas, being rich and well taken care of with his whole tribe. But he had been far from it. His criminal acts made him no better than an animal, no better than a Legion solider, no better than any of the tribes he had tried to best. He had gotten cocky and power-hungry. He had spent too much time trying to figure out what made Mr. House click, learn what he could to be able to take over the Strip one day, that he wasn't protecting his sister like he should have. It was his fault that Nero got ahold of Melody…it was his fault she was dead in a forgotten grave somewhere in the Mojave Wasteland. Just like what he almost did to Chloe…
Surviving out in the Mojave Wasteland was harsh and cruel. It didn't matter in this post-apocalyptic world where you were, in order to survive you had to do things other could not. Survival was rooted deep within humanity. Benny was a survivor, but he also did things beyond what was needed, to prove a point, or for his greed and craving of power.
What he did to Chloe for the Platinum Chip, and his plans to set her up into a trap when she confronted him at the Tops was proof of that. And that, he was starting to realize, was wrong. He was only realizing this because of Chloe. He couldn't fathom how important she had become to him in just this short amount of time. She was the reason he was starting to see things on a different level, a deeper level he would have to work at understanding.
"Oliver, will you just listen for a goddamn moment?!" Colby snapped.
The Ambassador's office was thick with tension as Colby, Chloe, Ambassador Crocker, and General Oliver Lee were standing on opposing sides. Rex sat at Chloe's side, listening intently on the arguments going on. Ambassador Crocker had remained silent throughout most of the discussions, partly because he was on Colby's side, and also because Oliver wouldn't let him get a word in otherwise. The Embassy had much damage dealt to it, thanks to the Omertas, but reconstruction was under way. Crocker's office had the least amount of damage, but the computers were still down. In the four days that had passed since the Omertas' slaughtering rampage, the remaining Families, citizens, and NCR soldiers had been working hard to clean the Strip up and restore it to its former glory.
The Kings had stepped in to help as well, and were even making agreements with Yes Man, the Chairmen, and the White Gloves to take over Gomorrah. Some of the women who were not under the brainwashing of Nero's power stayed only because they had nowhere else to go while others had gone their own ways. The ones that were brainwashed after getting treated were taken home or stayed behind depending on their situations. In the days that had past, business on the Strip was already starting to turn back to normal.
The process of cleaning up the Strip and restoring it were better than Chloe could have imagined. Yes Man was doing a great job taking over the leadership, especially while Benny was still at Mormon Fort in a coma. He had upgraded the Securitrons using the Platinum Chip, although Yes Man said the Securitron Army under the Fort would still have to be unlocked manually at location. Apparently, Mr. House had destroyed the system before he died to prevent Nero from having access to the robot army.
Chloe herself had been asked to lead the Strip in a way. So, she had been working closely with Yes Man the past couple days. She felt accomplished, but not without a great deal of stress and exhaustion on her shoulders. She was worried about Benny, she was worried about the Strip, she was now even more worried since Oliver Lee walked through that door. She had never liked him, even when she was a kid. She didn't understand why Aaron Kimball made him General. He wasn't the right man for it, and he was corrupt. He didn't respect Kimball at all, and only wanted power and money. He could care less about the world or the people in it that needed help. His care only came in the form of land-grabbing.
"For what, Colby? So I can listen to more of your excuses? As soon as the President arrives in a couple of days, I'm going to discuss with him the matters of taking over New Vegas once and for all. The slaughter that happened a few days ago just proves that the Strip is controlled by tribals. House is dead and so that automatically cancels the contract out. I'm going to demand total annexation of this region. Caesar is dead, which we knew would be a matter of time because of his brain tumor, and so now we only have to worry about Lanius. The NCR will utilize this region just like it should have years ago. I will make sure of it."
"You don't care about anything but power you son of a -" Chloe hissed but was interrupted by her father.
"Talk all the shit you want, Oliver. I'm gonna have a talk with Aaron myself. Let's just see who he listens to."
"Taking action to go against your country's plans of annexing this region and going as far as to manipulate the President? That is treason Colby. You two need to be thrown in prison for this. If I was President, this whole scenario would have played out much differently. The NCR would already be in control."
The General stood proud in his uniform, his glare matching Colby's. This man made Chloe sick and disgusted. Rex growled beside her, ears pinning back as his eyes were intently fixated on Oliver.
"Yeah, and you would've had many more lives dead in the end," Chloe spat.
"C'mon, Chloe, let's go," Colby stated, his unpatched eye still glaring with hate at the General. "This isn't the end, Oliver."
"I'll make sure that it ends very soon," Oliver stated venomously at their backs as they left Crocker's office and the Embassy.
As they were walking along the Strip, Chloe was still riled up from the heated discussion. The evening sky, along with the dry wind started to help calm her down, as well as the classic songs playing on the streets. There were NCR soldiers patrolling as usual, as well as Securitrons. And though the Strip wasn't as busy as it used to be, it was getting back to its old self faster than they originally thought. The Strip looked good. Gomorrah was shut down for good, and the Kings had started remodeling for whatever they were planning to do with the place.
"Aaron will listen to us…right?" Chloe asked, starting to worry now.
Her father heaved a long sigh, sounding exhausted. "Honey…I'm really not sure. I haven't seen Aaron in years. If the NCR wants this region…I'm not sure there isn't anything we can do. Why is it so important to you to keep them away anyways?"
Chloe lowered her eyes. "It's for Benny…for the guys at the Tops. I got myself into this before finding out you were still alive. I owe it to them to finish it."
"But they're tribals. They won't hold any loyalty to you. I can see doing this if Mr. House was still alive, the man knew what he was doing. Benny? He's in it for something else, Chloe."
Chloe stopped walking, slightly glaring up at her father. "How can you say that…when mother was a tribal too? What do you have against them?"
Colby scratched his head, thinking his words carefully. "Your mother was different…she was a tribal, then became a Legion slave. She was…taken away from her tribe, by herself. It made her…different. I just…know how they are, how they work. Benny's no different. The Chairmen, the Omertas, the White Gloves…they're no different either. No matter how domesticated they claim to be."
"You're wrong about them…about Benny and the Chairmen at least. Benny…he tried to tell me about Jacob, and I didn't listen. When I got taken, he could've left me to take over the Strip, to not risk himself, but he came for me. He faced Nero for me. I owe him my life."
"After he almost took it away from you…twice?" Colby retorted, shaking his head. "Boone told me he had planned on killing you when you came here to the Strip looking for him. Did you know that?"
Chloe swallowed, looking away. "Doesn't matter, he didn't end up going through with it."
"And you don't think it could be because he knew he could use you to get control of the Strip? To overthrow House? Hell, the first thing that guy did when we got back here and the Omertas were attacking the Strip was ditch us…ditch you…to go for his own tribe."
"He took some major risks if that's what he was in it for, especially when he had his chances to take the easy way to gain control. And I'm glad he checked on his family first, he's their chief and they are his responsibility. I would've done the same thing if it was you."
Colby grew quiet and Chloe felt better. She wasn't expecting to be at odds with her father in such a way. It felt wrong to go against him, but there was no way she couldn't defend Benny, not after all he had done for her. She could understand her father's distrust in Benny to an extent, the Chairmen chief didn't exactly have the best rep when it came to morals, but he was getting better.
Her father grabbed her into a hug, and her tension slipped away. He kissed her forehead before pulling back. "I hope you're right, I really do, honey. I guarantee with Benny now in charge though…we'll find out really fast where his loyalties lie. Just…be prepared okay?"
She slowly nodded her head. "Alright, but I expect you to give him and the Chairmen a fair chance. My friends and I are going to hang out at the Tops tonight. You should come with us, see how they are. I promise you, you'll like them."
Colby patted her head. "Deal, honey. Are you…gonna go and see how Benny is doing?"
Chloe looked towards the Strip's doors that led into Freeside. She frowned, and slowly shook her head. "I want to, but I already got kicked out from being there too much earlier. I'll check on him tomorrow morning. Swank is there with him now, maybe he can tell me some news when he gets back to the Tops tonight."
Benny opened his eyes slowly. At first, they were blurry, and his head was pounding. Soon they cleared, and it was then everything came crashing back to him. He jolted up into a sitting position, ignoring the sharp pain as he did so, and realized he was on a cot in a tent inside Mormon Fort. His chest was bare, except for the bandages wrapped around where Nero had stabbed him.
"Easy, bro, easy. No need to fall outta bed."
He was relieved to hear Swank's voice, saw him sitting not far from the bed. He gave a weak smile, head pounding but very much alert now. "How long have I been out?"
"Four days. You were almost six feet under, dig? You can thank Arcade and Julie for saving your life."
"What about the Strip? What happened?"
Swank chuckled, shaking his head slightly. "Of course you'd be worried about that. Don't worry about it. Yes Man's been doin' a good job. And Chloe's been helping too. The family's all good, no casualties."
"How's Martin?"
"He's better. He's good enough to work. Good enough to be back to his smartass self."
Benny moved to get up from the cot. Swank was quick to his feet, wanting to stop his younger half-brother from going too fast. Benny didn't need any help getting to his feet, only swayed for a moment. He looked himself over. The bandages over his torso and arm from Nero's stabbings were fresh. He was only wearing a pair of grey slacks and wondered where the rest of his clothes and items were.
"I don't think you should be gettin' outta bed," Swank stated.
"I've got work to do, people to see."
"No, you don't. Chloe and I got it covered," Swank grumbled.
"Do ya have any smokes?"
Swank sighed, digging into his jacket to pull out a pack and handing him a cigarette. Benny put it in his mouth and Swank lit it for him.
"How's Chloe doing?" Benny asked.
"She's stressed but good. We've had to kick her out of here plenty. I think between worrying about you, the Strip, her father, and the trouble with NCR, she has just about collapsed. Poor dame."
"What trouble?"
"The General arrived, and he's none too happy with what happened. He's threatening to convince the President to annex New Vegas now that Mr. House is dead. They know Nero was behind it all, and says the Families are still tribals and do not belong here. I think Colby and Chloe have been in heated debates with him and the Ambassador for the past couple days."
"Great," Benny sighed. "He's cryin' in the rain though."
"Don't be so cocky. This ain't over 'til the fat lady sings, and that fat lady is the President."
Benny shook his head. "Not while I have Yes Man."
"You willing to go to war with the NCR?" Swank asked.
"I'm willing to do what's right."
"Right for you? Or right for everyone else?" Swank growled.
Benny glared at him. "The NCR can't even protect their caravans, dig? Do you think they can hold down this region? They'll toss us out like dogs, and anyone else they consider a tribal. The Strip would be turned into a base. I don't know about you, but I don't want us to go back to scalping people for fun."
Swank sighed. "I just don't know what's right anymore."
Benny blew the smoke from his cigarette out from his nose, looking to his brother. "I ain't about to let us get thrown back out there to the old life. The boys…they wouldn't be able to survive it."
"How many people will have to die for that?" Swank asked. "Besides, most of our business comes from the NCR. What're we gonna do if you blow 'em to smithereens?"
Benny shook his head. "We can make the same kinda deals with them like House did. If they want to go to war and try and take it, it's all on them. We'll just be protecting our family and turf then."
"You've always been the brainy one. I hope you're right."
"Trust me, Swank. When have I ever let ya down?"
"You really want me to answer that?"
Benny finished his cigarette, and chuckled, but then coughed a little afterwards, feeling the pain in his ribs. "I killed Nero, the most powerful chief in this region, a fuckin' nightmare to many…the NCR don't scare me."
"Was gonna ask how ya did that. Glad the son of a bitch is finally dead and outta our hair."
"Challenged him to the knife. Was gonna save the juicy details for the boys when I got back, dig?"
Swank laughed softly, shaking his head. "You and your stories. Well, I'm sure it's a good one. The guys will love it."
Benny frowned, his eyes going to the cot he had been resting on for the past four days. Swank must have sensed his change in demeanor, for he gave his younger brother and chief a worried glance.
"What is it?"
Benny looked to his right-hand man, weakly inhaling a breath. "I finally got the truth from Nero…before I killed him. About Melody…"
Swank paled, but waited for the chief to continue.
"He said…she wouldn't submit to him and so he killed her…dumped her in a forgotten grave somewhere."
Swank closed his eyes, turning away from Benny. His fist was balled, and he inhaled sharply, before thumping his fist hard down on a nearby table. "Piece of shit…I knew it."
"It's my fault…I wasn't there to protect her. Not as a chief…not as her brother."
Swank turned to him, looking stern. "She was my sister too, dig? We both failed…I'm just…relieved she's dead instead of being a slave somewhere."
Benny barely nodded his head. "Yeah."
"Well, look who's finally awake."
The voice caught them off guard. They looked to see Julie Farkas entering the tent. She looked the same as usual, and carried a clipboard with some notes.
"Benjamin, you should be lying down. Now get."
"What? I feel fine, toots!" Benny replied.
Julie poked him hard with a pencil where one of his stab wounds were at. Benny yelped, almost falling over. With a glare, the Follower doctor herded him back over to the cot, where Benny sat down. Julie looked him over carefully, scribbling some notes as she did so.
"Not too bad. The Med-X and Stimpaks have definitely kicked started your healing. Although, with as much blood as you lost, you'll be a little weak for awhile. You're lucky you didn't need a blood transfusion because I'm really low on blood packs right now," Julie explained.
"Oh, so I can leave now?" Benny asked.
"Definitely not. I need to look over you for at least two more days."
"Oh, no, no, no. That ain't happening. I got work to do! Just give me some treatment to go."
"Better listen to her, Ben," Swank stated.
"Listen Benjamin," Julie sighed. "I get you want to get back to the Strip…or your Strip I should call it now and get back into your normal routine, but you still need to be looked over. You need stitches taken out in a few days. Complications could come up in the meantime. You're staying here."
"Arcade is still in the Strip, dig? He can look over me. And if any complications come up that he can't handle, well, you ain't that far away. I'm needed in the Strip…at the Tops. Just like you're needed here. I'm sure you get that?"
Julie grumbled something to herself, tapping the clipboard on her hip. "Fine. But I still need you to stay for a couple more hours so I can get your file checked over and some supplies ready. I will have to change your bandages one last time as well. I'll be back."
Benny nodded, knowing that was the best he was going to be able to do when it came to Julie Farkas. Relieved, he laid back down on his cot with a wily grin on his face.
"You're platinum, Julie baby!"
"Oh shut up," she mumbled as she left the tent.
Chloe and Colby made their way to the Tops after checking up on Yes Man at the Lucky 38. With everything secure, Chloe felt better about heading over to the casino to relax. Rex kept at her side, tail wagging and looking out at all the work still going on. The NCR soldiers that weren't killed or taken to Mormon Fort for treatment worked diligently to clean the Strip. She could tell that they were all exhausted and worried as she was.
Things weren't looking good for the NCR at the moment, especially with the final battle over Hoover Dam approaching. Lanius was known as the Monster of the East for good reason. She had heard stories how many thought he was invincible because he could not be killed. He was strong and mighty, but also intelligent. Everyone had feared Caesar, but even more feared Lanius. He was younger, stronger, even bigger and more robust. And perhaps more bloodthirsty as well.
As far as Chloe was concerned, Lanius was the Bull that the Legion was represented by. She knew there was going to be no other option than to grab the bull by the horns in this final battle, but she feared that if something didn't give, the NCR just might lose this war.
Chloe shook the thoughts from her head. She would only stress herself out more thinking like that. She glanced over to the building of Gomorrah, still shut down at the moment. The name had been taken down, and she could see the Kings working on refurbishing the casino and hotel.
"Hey, sweetheart, how you been?"
Chloe smiled, turning to The King who had just walked up behind her and Colby with Pacer and a couple of other Kings. Rex barked excitedly, receiving pets from his old master.
"I'm alright. Just been a stressful few days."
"How's Benny's recovery been goin'?" The King asked.
"He's still out of it. Had a few nasty stab wounds. Julie said he was close to bleeding out."
The King dipped his head. "I must say…I'm surprised."
Chloe gave him a look of mild confusion. "That he lived?"
"Not so much that." The King shrugged. "Benny's always been one to use his wits and cunning. He preferred to rig the odds in his favor before tossing the dice, know what I mean? He faced Nero knowing there were no odds in his favor…for you. He faced his true fear for you."
Chloe thought on his words, surprised. Benny had always seemed so confident, arrogant too, that she didn't even think that he had any fears, that maybe tribals were naturally fearless, or he himself was.
"Benny feared Nero?"
"You were dumb if ya didn't," Pacer scoffed. "He was a man to be feared…glad he's dead."
Joseph sighed. "Well, I admire Benny's nerve. He wouldn't have done that for just anyone. He must really care about you, Chloe."
"T-thanks."
The King motioned to the old Gomorrah building, ready to change the subject. "Well, sweetheart, what do you think?"
Chloe nodded, slowly smiling. "It looks great. What are you turning it into?"
"It's my new School. But we're also keepin' the casino, bar, and hotel open as well. The money we make here on the Strip will go towards helping Freeside. I still have many of my boys on watch there at the old School while I'm here."
"That's great, Joseph. Much better than what it used to be. I can't wait to see it when it's finished."
"If we are even able to finish it with the war," Pacer grumbled.
"We're hoping to get Aaron to recreate his agreements he had with House," Chloe said, glancing to her father. "But it still doesn't rule out the possibility that the NCR could lose the final battle."
"If that happens, we're all fucked. And not in the good way," Cass stated, having walked up coming from the Tops. She had Boone with her.
"I hear you'll be leavin' for Hoover Dam when the bear flag President arrives. Travel safely, sweetheart. And good luck dealing with him," the King stated.
"I'll do all that I can. I promise."
The King smiled, dipping his head at her. He then left with his posse, heading for the old Gomorrah building and leaving the Courier with her friends and father.
"So many are relying on me to keep NCR from annexing this region, yet…we still have to worry about the Legion also," Chloe said.
"Part of me feels like it would be better if NCR took control of the region, but I trust in you, Chloe…I'll help in any way that I can," Boone stated evenly, studying her closely.
"Yeah, me too…I guess," Cass mumbled.
Boone subtly nodded towards Chloe while glaring at Cass. Cass gave him a face, in which the sharpshooter shoved her forward gently. Cass heaved a sigh, putting an arm around Chloe and pulling her close.
"Alright, someone needs to be around good company. Come on, girl. Everyone's waiting for you over at the Tops. Let's forget about our troubles right now. We can work out the details when Kimball actually gets here."
Chloe slowly smiled. "Thanks, guys."
"Just for the record. It was my idea. Craig had nothing to do with it. He's too grumpy to have a good time. We were able to talk Swank and the other Chairmen into throwin' a party for you."
"You're asking for it, Rose."
Her eyes widened and she glared daggers at Boone, who had a faint smile on his lips as he held that glare that could kill. "No one calls me Rose, jackass!"
"Well I just did. Get used to it," Boone snorted, heading past them to lead the way to the Tops.
Chloe chuckled at the two, hearing her father chuckle as well. "Well, Cass…looks like you finally met your match."
"If I wasn't so worried about you, I would bitch slap you in the face."
"Thanks, Cass."
It took longer than what Julie had promised to get him out of Mormon Fort, but Benny and Swank were finally on their way back to the Strip. With fresh bandages over his stab wounds and a bag of supplies and a stern doctor to-do list from Julie, Benny knew all would be good once he got home. He had the same slacks on as earlier, and Swank handed over his shoes and a typical Chairman jacket, saying his was in need of some washing and sewing. Two of his bodyguards tagged along with him and Swank, having been switching out posts to keep an eye on him at the Followers' Fort.
Benny had a slight gimp in his walk from his injuries, even on pain medication, but Julie assured him that he would make a full recovery. He kept Maria close regardless, even as his brother and bodyguards kept a close watch on their way to the Strip. He may have been a little down, but he wasn't down for the count. They passed through the Strip gate with no hassle from the Securitron gate keepers. Benny could tell that they had been upgraded in his absence, thanks to Yes Man and the Platinum Chip. Now all he needed was the Securitron Army down underneath Fortification Hill. Benny made a note to talk to Yes Man about it.
The Strip was in disarray, it took Benny a moment to take it all in. NCR soldiers, workers, and members of the casinos were in the process of cleaning up and doing repairs, and according to Swank it had been going well. Despite this, Benny could tell that there were many gamblers and visitors walking throughout the Strip or from casino to casino. He saw that Gomorrah's name had been taken down, and some kind of renovation was going on with Kings outside the building.
"Joseph is taking it over," Swank said, seeing Benny's suspicious looks. "Gonna keep the casino and all that but wants to add in a new school. In any case, should be better than the pack of rats that were our neighbors before...wouldn't you agree, brother?"
Benny slowly nodded his head. "Sure, I guess."
They made their way towards the Tops. Benny wanted to make sure everything was alright with the tribe and business before heading up to talk to Yes Man. Besides that, Swank told him that Chloe would be at the Tops tonight, and he wasn't about to pass on seeing her. Swank had said she had come to watch over him while he was out with his injuries and had to be chased out plenty. The girl held his heart, whether he liked it or not.
"Excuse me, Benjamin!"
The voice caught their attention. Benny, Swank, and the two Chairmen bodyguards saw Marjorie and Mortimor walking up with a few White Gloves. Benny's bodyguards raised their guns, but Benny motioned them to lower the weapons as he fished for a cigarette. He lit his cigarette as the White Gloves reached them.
"Hey creepy cats, what can I do ya for?" Benny greeted.
Mortimer glared at him. "Well, it seems you haven't changed, despite your close call."
Marjorie silenced her right-hand man. The female chief beheld Benny with stern eyes, but she remained collected. "I've been waiting for your return. And figured I might as well confront you, seeing as you now hold the title to the Strip. What do you plan on doing with us?"
Benny was caught off guard. Swank and his bodyguards glanced to him. He hadn't expected Marjorie to ask him upfront what he had planned on doing with any of the other Families once he gained control.
"What do ya mean?" he asked coolly, blowing out a puff of smoke.
"You know well what she means," Mortimer grumbled.
"I need to know what you plan on doing so I can prepare my family, my kin. We've been here just as long as you, the Wasteland is no longer a place that we can handle, but I am still chief and I have to do what I can to protect them," Marjorie explained, tears filling her eyes.
The look Swank was giving Benny was one he knew well. His half-brother and right-hand man wanted him to do the "right" thing. Benny clenched his jaw, feeling torn from doing that and doing what he should do to take out the competition against his own family. He remained cool though, not showing them any hints to his thoughts.
"Well, as long as you don't plan on bombing the Strip and killing everyone like our other neighbors did, I don't see any problems with us right now, dig?" Benny said, taking a drag.
"Wh-what do you mean? You aren't going to kick us out?" Marjorie was thoroughly surprised.
"Don't give me a reason to," Benny stated seriously. "At the moment, got lots more on my mind to worry about than you cats. For now, the Ben-Man has things to do, people to see. Ta-ta!"
He turned and headed into the Tops. Swank softly smiled, nodding at Marjorie and followed after Benny with the Chairmen bodyguards in tow. The White Gloves remained, flabbergasted, before they went back to the Ultra-Luxe.
Chloe wasn't surprised to see that it was Tommy in charge while Swank was away looking over Benny. As late as it was getting, she was starting to worry. Swank would have been back by now, and she wondered if something had come up with Benny or his injuries. She pushed the thoughts out, focusing on enjoying the evening with her father and companions.
Though it didn't take long for Tommy to grab her and escort her down into the main lobby where they had a large bar area set up for the party. Her father and friends came along, curious to see what the older Chairmen had planned. He presented her in front of the other Chairmen as they were getting their drinks. They cheered at her, even Martin, who was bandaged up around his shoulder, stepped over to give her a friendly hug before handing her a drink. It was her favorite she noticed, tequila with a little Nuka-Cola mixed in, and she wondered how Martin knew.
"Listen up gang. 'Ol Tommy's only gonna say this once. The boss is still out recovering and Swank hasn't returned from checking on him yet, but I want to let all you cats know that this lovely dame has done so much for us! Chloe, her father and her friends helped us take out those degenerate rats before they could wipe out the Strip and our family. The way our proud and cocky chief went to her aide…to make sure she would be alright, proves one thing!"
Chloe felt all the Chairmen's eyes on her, their smiles and nods. She flushed under Tommy's loud words, not having expected this kind of praise from him. After pausing a moment, Tommy grinned, continuing.
"It proves that Chloe is now one of us! Part of the family, dig? She's the boss's girl after all, so remember to be grateful for what she's done for us, and treat her the absolute best, got it?!"
The Chairmen cheered at her once more, Chloe smiled at them, nodding her head. Her father laughed at her embarrassment, especially since she wasn't one to embarrass easily. She tried to sneak away, but Tommy grabbed her and pulled her back to the center of the crowd.
"Aw c'mon baby, don't you have anything to say?" Tommy chuckled.
The Chairmen stared at her expectantly. Chloe heaved a sigh, scratching her hair and thinking really fast. "Uh, thank you. This is unexpected, and I'm truly grateful. Truth is, we were all really lucky to get out that attack alive. I came to this region after thinking my father was dead to try and start anew. I made so many new friends. And Benny? Well, we didn't have the best firsthand meeting, but I can honestly say I'm happy with where it has taken me now. In a way, I blame myself for what the Omertas were able to do."
She closed her eyes for a moment, taking a breath to continue. "You see…Benny stood his ground trying to warn me about Jacob's true intentions, and I didn't believe him. I had known Jacob most of my life, and thought he was a friend. It definitely put a wedge between us, and when I left here with Jacob, I was led right into a trap…a trap that had me locked to Nero. Benny didn't have to come after me after he had tried to warn me. He could have left me and continued on with his plans…stayed safe. Instead, he risked it to come and save me. And that led us through Caesar's camp and back here to stop Nero's attack on the Strip. He almost got killed trying to save me from Nero and get in a position where we could get the Strip under control."
Chloe lifted her drink slowly into the air. "So…here's to Benny. Even though he can be one hell of an asshole sometimes, he's managed to make me love him anyway."
"Here, here!"
"To the Ben-Man!"
"That's our chief!"
Chloe was glad to be able to escape after that. She spent the evening enjoying herself with her father and friends at the Tops, her stress dwindling as it grew later and later. She danced with Veronica, gambled with Cass and Boone, and then retired to the lounge upstairs with Raul and Colby for some drinks. Cass, Boone, and Veronica continued to hit the cards. Lily and Arcade had gone to a show at the Aces Theater if she recalled correctly. Rex laid under the table by her feet, tired from the night while ED-E floated around the upper floor. She must have missed it, but Chloe realized that her father and Raul had made friends fast, and were busy trying some cigars at their table, with Raul going on and on about a particular brand from the Pre-War days.
Chloe chuckled at them, focusing on her drinks and relaxing. She tried not to worry about what the day had presented to her. She knew she would be able to check on Benny in the morning, but she found herself awaiting Swank's return to ask him of any news. Until then, the Chairmen took great care of them up in the lounge. When Chloe saw Cass, Boone, and Veronica trudging upstairs to join them in the lounge, Chloe turned to her father.
"So, what do you think of them?"
"The Chairmen?" Colby asked, and slowly nodded. "Well, gotta admit, they are pretty nice. They're definitely different from most tribals."
"Told ya," Chloe giggled. "Now you just need to give Benny a chance."
Her father blew a puff out from his cigar. "I will."
Cass, Boone, and Veronica sat down at their table with their own drinks. Chloe was glad to see them.
"Hey, you guys have fun? Win anything?"
"You kidding? I just watched," Boone snorted.
"I won a few hundred caps," Cass said, but then teasingly glared over at Veronica. "But miss hotshot Brotherhood Scribe here won a thousand caps!"
"Damn Veronica," Raul said, choking on the smoke from his cigar. "I didn't know you were so lucky."
Veronica laughed. "Trust me, I was surprised as well. I will be able to buy a special dress for myself now. I'm so excited!"
"A dress?" Cass snickered. "I'd be buying me a really nice flask or rifle…probably the flask."
"That flask wouldn't keep you alive if you got into trouble," Boone stated, taking a cigar offered by Raul to light.
"You wanna bet?" Cass laughed.
Downstairs, deep whoops burst out, followed by some hollers and laughter. Chloe, Colby, Raul, Cass, Boone, and Veronica were startled, even Rex shot his head up, cocking his head.
"Jesus fucking Christ, what the hell is that?" Cass grumbled, taking a long drink.
"It's a type of tribal call," Colby chuckled at her. "Wonder what's got them so excited."
Chloe stood up, walking over to the solid railing of the second floor to look downstairs. Many of the Chairmen were gathered up at the front lobby with some commotion going on. She saw Swank, but he wasn't alone. It took her a minute because he didn't have his typical checkered jacket on, but she realized it was Benny and gasped.
"It's Benny!" she exclaimed excitedly, bolting for the stairs.
Her father and friends quickly got to their feet to follow her. Rex shot out from under the table, barking, to catch up with her. As Chloe descended the stairs and jogged for the front lobby, she could see Benny talking, looking as if he was telling the Chairmen a crazy story with his trademark smirk. He looked better, although he was still bandaged up. The Chairmen jacket he had on was unbuttoned with only his bandaged chest underneath.
Her brain knew it would be better if she waited for him to finish talking with his tribe since he had just stepped back into the Tops after being close to death the past few days. But her heart couldn't wait. She had been so worried about him, and thankful for what he had done for her, for the Strip.
"Benny!" she cried, breaking through the crowd of Chairmen, her companions and father catching up.
Benny paused in his speech, turning to face her. She saw his face light up, and he spread his arms wide. "Pussycat!"
The pet name tug at her heart, and she could only laugh as she ran up to him. She jumped into his arms, hugging him hard as he spun her around. She kissed him hard, so relieved to feel that he was still alive, still real. The Chairmen whistled, but she didn't care.
"Baby, baby, baby," Benny purred, still holding her close. "Damn you're the most gorgeous thing in here. I sure missed you, pussycat."
He kissed her deeply, and she tugged on his jacket. Chloe pulled him close, almost felt like crying.
"I'm so relieved!" she gasped between his kisses. "I was so worried!"
"Relax, baby!" Benny snickered. "Gonna take a lot more than that to take me out. Although, could you let up on the manhandling, babe? Still a little sore here."
"Oh sorry," she mumbled, loosening her hold.
Benny stroked her face, leaning in to kiss her gunshot scar gently before easing his lips to her ear. "What say you and me cash out?
She had no idea if he meant it in such a way or not, but it made her think back to when she first confronted him here at the Tops after her long search of hunting him down after he shot her. It seemed forever ago now. From what she felt then and what she was feeling now, Chloe knew they had come a long way together. But it wasn't near from being over yet, she cautiously reminded herself.
"I'd dig that," she whispered, kissing him.
A/N: Hope you all have enjoyed the compete overhaul/rework of this story. Next to come will be a brand new chapter! Thanks for reading and reviewing! ;D