The collapsed building with the fire seemed to be made of red bricks, even from a distance. Luckily most of the corner facing them was whole, so Ash could sneak up the entire way to the wall. She quickly spotted the small hole in the wall after a few meters and carefully peered through it, well aware that the wall stopped entirely just a few bricks away.

The first thing she saw was a fire with some people sitting around it, as expected really. The next thing she saw was the barrel of a shotgun popping up in front of her face, right through the hole in the wall.

"Don't move," came the strained voice of a male ghoul, before he stepped out from behind the other side of the wall, still keeping the gun aimed at her. Dressed in thick leather armor with several knives hanging from his belt, as well as another weapon on his back, it was pretty clear that this ghoul knew how to handle the shotgun he kept aimed in Ash's face.

His hazy, yet obviously brown eyes quickly fell on her three companions, causing him to arch an eyebrow, which he surprisingly actually had. Unlike most ghouls, he still had patches of black hair on his skull and there even were a few faint spots of beard around his mouth.

"Interesting company," he continued, keeping his hands steadily on the shotgun. "What's your business here?"

"We're merely looking for a safe place to stay the night," Ash explained. The ghoul continued to literally stare her down.

"Should I assume your company means that you're not a bigot, or would they happen to be slaves or something?" he asked, nodding towards the others. Dean actually laughed at the notion of being a slave.

"Do we look like slaves to you?" he asked drily afterwards, well aware of the shotgun aimed in Ash's face. He wouldn't admit to being a tad worried about the other man's hostile manner, but at the same time the man seemed reasonable as well. "I can assure you that you won't find a friendlier… smoothskin anywhere else but her," he added, using the phrase for other humans that he didn't much like to use. It just seemed to mark his own difference from unaffected humans all too much.

"Fine," the ghoul said, lifting the shotgun. "Try anything funny though and you'll be having a knife between your eyes." He gestured for them to walk past him and into the old remains of the house, where the warm fire was a comforting sight for anyone who traveled in the pitch darkness of the Mojave.

Ash was intrigued by what she saw in there. The four other people sitting around the fire were all ghouls, dressed in fairly decent pre-war clothes and not looking too bad off. None of them seemed nervous about the strangers' presence either. Angryl on the other hand seemed highly uncomfortable. So much that he grabbed Ash's shoulder, leaning in close.

"We're not really stayin' here are we?" he asked casually. "They're all ghouls!"

"So?" Ash muttered back, knowing well what he thought of ghouls but she honestly didn't care at the moment.

"I don't want to get… infected…"

"It doesn't work like that, you idiot!"

She pushed his hand off her shoulder so abruptly that both Raul and Dean turned to look at them, while Angryl glared back at Ash, a bit embarrassed about the others staring at him. Luckily the other ghouls hadn't noticed, looking curiously at them.

"Guests, I'll assume?" one of the male ones asked, his features lacking any sign of hair at all while he wore glasses.

"Two smoothskins traveling with ghouls. That's a rare sight, and I've been around for a while," a female one said. "Have a seat, why don't you?"

"You're very kind," Ash smiled politely, as they all joined them by the fire. Angryl seemed the most uncomfortable and made sure to sit down furthest away, keeping a weary and almost disturbed eye on the ghouls. If his injured leg was bothering him, he certainly didn't show it.

"Too kind," the armored ghoul said, as he sat down somewhere he could keep an eye on both them and their surroundings. The shotgun came to rest on his lap, just in case.

"Perhaps… but any smoothskin who travels with ghouls must be more tolerant than the rest," the woman continued patiently. "What's your name, dear?"

"Ash," the courier replied calmly. "They're Angryl and Raul," she continued, pointing towards the other two before smirking towards Dean. A smirk he found himself not liking.

"That's Dean Domino."

The four pre-war dressed ghouls all moved to get a better look at Dean who rolled his eyes.

"Don't tell me you're all from before the bombs…" he muttered, almost displeased. He hadn't been blind to Ash's tease and he was still deciding what he thought of it…

"We are actually," one of them smiled amused. "Well, except young Blake over there," he added, pointing towards the armored one. "He's… fresh compared to us."

"But, my. Domino himself? I had no idea you survived the war," a female ghoul said, the admiration obvious in her tone.

"I saw you perform in New York actually," the second female piped up. "Was marvelous. Best day of my life."

Ash was almost giggling behind her hand by now because Dean looked bothered to say the least. She'd think he'd enjoy meeting old… fans, but perhaps she had been wrong. Or just purposefully mean.

"Can't you sing for us?" the female ghoul continued.

"Certainly not out here!" Dean protested soundly. "I'll most likely be back to doing that in New Vegas in a few days, if you're headed that way…"

"Oh, we are! That's about the only decent place to live in around here, we've heard. Besides, it'll be interesting to see how it looks like now after the war…"

Ash refrained from mentioning that they'd probably be disappointed, if they had seen it before the war. To her New Vegas was a beauty, but Mr. House had already told her that today's New Vegas was just a fraction of what it had used to be. Even Dean cleared his throat, glancing over at Ash who merely shrugged. It was for the ghouls to discover for themselves really.

"Hey, you mind?" Blake said suddenly, catching the attention of his ghoul companions. He pointed towards a thin metal pole that had been leaning towards the brick wall behind him. There were two rats hanging from it, looking somewhat freshly killed but most of the blood had dripped off them by now, which explained their location. One of the ghouls by the fire stood up to fetch it and put the pole over the fire with the help of the debris that surrounded them.

"Strangers aren't accounted for," Blake continued towards Ash's direction, his eyes still suspicious and sharp.

"Tsk, don't be rude, Blake," one of the female ghouls sighed. Raul nudged Ash discretely, pulling up a small bag he had carried with him, to her feet.

"Don't worry, we have our own food," she said quickly, raising her hand before taking the bag Raul had given her, giving him a thankful look. It wasn't anything fresh he had brought with them, as it was canned food but at the moment Ash was thankful for anything. Besides, being ungrateful wasn't her style or anything she had ever practiced in her life. She was handed a pot by one of the ghouls, before pouring over the canned food into it. She was about to arrange it over the fire when Dean took it from her, mostly because he was closer to the fire and had easier access. He honestly wasn't sure why he offered to do work instead of her but afterwards it seemed like the gentleman thing to do. He reached up to touch his temple afterwards, still feeling a bit of pain from the previous blow.

"How are you feeling?" Ash asked him once she saw him fuss over his wound and he snorted lightly.

"Don't you worry about me, my dear," he said smoothly. "If I couldn't handle a hit to the head, I wouldn't have lasted long in show business." Ash arched an eyebrow at that, not entirely sure what he meant and to be honest, she probably didn't want to know either.

Some time passed, with the other ghouls chatting quietly among themselves, while Ash's group kept to themselves¨. Raul made a few comments on Dean who replied to them with a not so hidden annoyance, leaving Ash rolling her eyes. Even if she mostly kept an eye on Blake: a notion that was shared, she found herself looking towards Dean a lot too. His and Raul's discussion was surprisingly civil considering they were basically insulting each other. Luckily both the ghouls weren't prone to hasty or violent tendencies unless provoked, something she was thankful for. It was enough that Angryl looked bothered about the whole thing, remaining over in his corner like a child that had been bullied and was now sulking in the corner. He seemed changed, Ash thought almost nervously. It made sense really, that he'd manage to keep his true feelings hidden the first days but now they were starting to resurface into a bitterness she couldn't understand. It didn't really make her feel better, knowing that he seemed to dislike ghouls this much and was in a camp full of them. The woman was thankful when the food seemed to be ready for everyone, as they served their meals up on brought along plates.

"I suppose you're having a hard time adjusting to this kind of food," Raul continued the discussion from before and Ash could swear he was enjoying poking Dean.

"This isn't my first day traveling," Dean replied pointedly, almost proudly.

"Well, you were a bit hesitant about the food in the start," Ash pointed out, much to Dean's dismay, especially when Raul grinned faintly.

"Natural caution," Dean defended himself, as Ash rolled her eyes, before she stood up, carrying a plate with some of the canned food on it.

Both Raul and Dean watched after her, none of them having missed Angryl's tension that hadn't improved yet. He looked a bit brighter when Ash approached him and handed him the plate of food. She had no wish to talk with him, the uneasiness she had felt before still lingering too much but when she turned to go back, Angryl grabbed her wrist suddenly, stopping her from doing so.

Raul noticed Dean twitch slightly at the movement, the ghoul's eyes narrowing slightly behind the glasses.

"Ash can take care of herself," Raul commented lightly, as he stuck the fork down in his food, looking for the best pieces.

"I didn't say anything," Dean replied, giving the man a terse look.

"You didn't need to." Dean snorted at the reply but nevertheless, he didn't want Ash anywhere near Angryl.

"I am sorry if you took… offense earlier, lass," Angryl started, as he let her go again but at least she remained to hear him out. "I just don't like ghouls, never had. Can't you see where I'm comin' from?"

"Not really," she admitted. "You dislike them because you're afraid to get infected. That alone shows how little you know."

"They're mutants! You have no qualms killin' feral ghouls do you? These are no different, except they wear clothes and can talk. Before you know it, they'll turn on you…"

"Please tell me you're speaking out of experience and that this isn't some childish assumption you made…" Angryl scowled at being called childish, his expression growing grimmer than before, as he put his plate of food to the side.

"It's not an assumption, it's common knowledge," he frowned, as he stood up as well. "But also experience. Why do you continue to trust them, lass?"

"We're not having this conversation, Angryl," Ash said tersely, as she turned to go, when he grabbed her wrist again, turning her around this time. That sudden motion even got Blake's attention, as his eyes landed on her ghoul companions for a moment, trying to determine their reaction.

"Yes, we are," Angryl frowned at her, not letting go of her arm. "The fact you keep defendin' these… freaks and would rather spend time with them than me, a normal human, just seems off."

"Perhaps I don't like you," she replied, annoyed now. "Let go of my arm before I make you…" she added coolly, but his grip only got stronger.

"No, the problem is not from my side. It's yours. You like these things, don't you? Dead lookin' people, really, Ash? That's a disgustin' idea for a woman like you!"

Ash had had about enough, as her fist connected to his face, making him let go of her in the process. He tumbled backwards in the debris, before sitting up, rubbing his jaw painfully.

"You have the nerve to call me disgusting and insult my friends, when you're such a shallow and pathetic being yourself," she frowned angrily at him, not keeping her voice low anymore. She suspected the others hadn't heard anything from before but now she didn't care anymore.

"Looks like I hit a nerve!" Angryl almost laughed, as he stood up again, a bit gingerly since his leg still hurt, despite the med-x. "I thought you were better than that, lass."

"I guess I'm not then. That won't matter to you, because you're on your own from now on," she said coolly, as she folded her arms across her chest. "You can head to New Vegas or wherever you want to go, right now," she added, as she pointed out towards the darkness outside the camp.

"But… I can't go anywhere now," he protested, previous disgust and anger replaced by surprise.

"You insult everyone here and then you expect me to care?"

"What the hell are you two on about already?" Blake finally asked, his patience having run thin, as he stood up, keeping the shotgun pointed to the ground.

"Angryl's leaving," Ash said pointedly, as she walked back to her ghoul companions and sat down, still fuming.

"I am not!" Angryl protested. "If anyone should leave, it's your 'employer'. He has no need of you anymore, now that ghouls are swarmin' all over the place."

"You assume to know what I need and don't need," Dean interjected. He was actually thrilled at the idea of Angryl leaving, even if he hid it well and kept to a more neutral expression to what was happening. "Quite moronic of you, I'll add."

"You know I'm right."

"You are right, I don't need her help anymore," Dean shrugged, as Ash glanced at him for a moment and he could have sworn she looked near disappointed, if not hurt even. Even if she knew Angryl had a point, Dean could very well just follow this group of ghouls to New Vegas instead, if she decided to leave.

"I want it," Dean continued, his tone leaving no room for mistake. Angryl snorted, almost annoyed.

"You all got her wrapped around your fingers, don't you?" he asked tersely. "What, tryin' to make her a ghoul? All you need now is a casket of radiation. Oh wait, you already got like six of them right here!"

A shotgun was suddenly aimed at him, as Blake had had about enough.

"I agree with the smoothskin. You should leave," he said coolly. "Before you leave in pieces."

"Don't be ridiculous," Angryl huffed. "Ash wouldn't let me get shot. Too nice for it."

"I'm on the verge of shooting you myself, so you might want to obey him," Ash lied coolly. She wouldn't go as far as shooting Angryl, even if it was tempting, but he didn't need to know that.

Angryl let out a sound in disbelief before looking towards Blake who had his gun fixed on him, eyes narrowing.

"Almost reminds me of a TV show…" Dean commented quietly.

"If you say a Mexican standoff, I will shoot you," Raul frowned annoyed at him.

"I'd never! Besides, wouldn't that incline to both have their guns and stand a chance?"

"Dean…" Ash said under her breath.

"Alright, alright. I'll refrain from commenting till the idiot's out of reach."

"Well… if that's how you feel," Angryl muttered as he turned around and grabbed his things. "It's not like I really wanted to be here anyway, only good reason was Ash after all and she's been twisted by you zombies. I'll just say this; good luck getting into New Vegas. Not only do they not accept mutants to enter, the path there is pretty dangerous still. I'd keep my eyes open."

"Oh, I will. Wouldn't want anyone else shooting you," Blake growled.

"Actually, why aren't you shooting him?" Dean asked.

"I won't become proof of his ignorance by shooting an unarmed man in the back because of insults," Blake scoffed.

"Trust me, not worth the effort either," Ash frowned, as she heard Angryl walk away, although she didn't bother looking after him. Instead her eyes were fixed on the fire. Blake didn't sit down for a good few minutes, as his ghoul companions chatted amongst themselves.

"Was he speaking the truth?" one of them asked. "Ghouls aren't allowed in New Vegas?" Raul glanced over at Ash, who sighed.

"Of course they're allowed," she said. "Another futile attempt of him to be clever. I can't believe I didn't see it sooner though."

"Yes, an interesting man to bring into our midst," Blake said rather sharply. "Now we're under threat as well."

"I'm sorry."

"Yah, because blaming someone for not knowing a person after just a few days' travel make sense," Dean said as he looked at Blake. "He seemed like a moron the first moment I saw him frankly, but Ash… she likes to believe there's something good in everyone. So give her a break. Take it from someone who knows," Dean winked.

Ash wasn't sure she appreciated the input or not but it seemed to make Blake let go of the subject, even if he snorted a bit at it.

"Let it go, Ash," Raul said, as they continued eating. "You can't predict everything, you know, even if you'd want to."

"I know, Raul," she sighed. "But I can't help but think I should have seen this coming earlier. Angryl didn't seem exactly… understanding."

"Nor fully sane. I even prefer him than Angryl," Raul chuckled, as he pointed at Dean with his thumb.

"You should be delighted you even met me, peasant," Dean scoffed. Ash smirked as the two of them entered another squabble, before she looked out towards the darkness where Angryl had left. She couldn't help but to feel worried…

Blake is an OC ghoul of mine that's a little based on Charon from Fallout 3, but very little. Havn't really found a good place to use him so figured he could pop in here for awhile. :P