Chapter 24: Bye Bye Love

"He felt now that he was not simply close to her, but that he did not know where he ended and she began."

~Leo Tolstoy

The miasma of cigarette smoke, spilled liquor and the rancid smell of old sex clung to him and Cass as they walked out into the Gomorrah courtyard. They had spent the bulk of the day quietly listening as incognito as they could, trying to get any information that would help Maxson deal with the Omertas' plan to stab Mr. House in the back. Though Paul didn't give two shits for Mr. House, he knew that a 'family' like the Omertas were better off pacified before he made his own move.

The day had been a bust, all they had for their trouble was a minor buzz from sipping on drinks and losing caps at the tables. He grimaced in frustration as he breathed in the slightly clearer air out in the courtyard, Cass appearing none the worse for wear despite the thick pall that had pervaded the casino.

The redhead nudged him and pointed with her chin towards an attractive but tired looking woman eyeing them… no, eyeing HIM intently.

With no other leads to go on, he walked over to the prostitute, who smiled knowingly at the courier.

"Well, what do we have here, huh? Let me guess. You've heard about the mistress who makes all your fantasies come true."

The attractive red head continued, "So you've followed the call of your desires… all the way to the arms of Joanna, moi. Now that you've found me, I wonder, do you have what it takes?"

Cass squawked as the courier elbowed her in the ribs, just hard enough to forestall the smart ass comment about to leave her lips.

"I always have what it takes." Paul stated with no small amount of cockiness, ignoring Cass's wide-eyed astonishment.

"Oh, confident. I like that. So, what do you want to do with what you've got?"

Maxson smirked, "The better question is what are "you" going to do with it." His voice pleasantly sonorous and flirtatious.

Joanna smiled demurely, "Oh my, aren't you something else…!? I guess you'll have to see for yourself what I can do, huh? Consider it "on the house," honey."

"Lead the way." The courier gestured magnanimously.

"Follow me, hon." She winked and sauntered gracefully, her hips wiggling suggestively as he fell in behind her. He looked back to make sure that Cass was coming and was somewhat taken aback at the daggers she was glaring at the prostitutes back. Her expression went neutral as he looked at her, making him wonder if he had actually seen that look or not. He shook his head and continued to follow Joanna up to her room.

The back of his neck felt uncomfortably warm as he followed the scantily clad woman up to her room, keenly aware of the uncomfortable position he had idiotically put himself in. Though Cass was just a friend to him, a position she made clear to emphasize more than once, he couldn't help but feel an indelible attraction to the fiery woman. That and the nagging thought that Cass's behavior was motivated by jealousy pounded through him in time with his rising heartbeat as he entered the woman's room, Cass closing the door behind them a little harder than necessary.

"Come here, baby. I'm all yours… are you ready to be all mine?"

He winced inwardly as Joanna turned around and licked her lips and a faint growl escaped Cass's lips.

"Um, I'd like to talk first." He replied, trying in vain to regain his composure.

"All right, honey. What do you want to know?"

He smiled at her, channeling as much of his charm as he could, "I'd like to know about you."

"Yes?" She seemed confused at the question.

"What's your story?"

"Oh, nothing special, hon. I'm the best lay in Gomorrah, and that's all you need to know."

"Do you like it here?" The courier was scrambling for a way to get information from her without further putting himself in Cass's bad graces. He already considered that he would have been burned to a crisp by the heat raging in her eyes.

Joanna seemed to sense his reticence, "I like that you're here, doesn't that make you happy?"

"Joanna, you can trust me. Why are you avoiding my questions?"

A sudden look of panic crossed her features, her mouth turning down into a frown while her eyes almost welled up, "I'm… I don't know what's happening to me. I can't feel a goddamn thing anymore, empty and poisoned like the wasteland."

He was somewhat surprised at the sudden shift, as was Cass by the way her mouth worked silently. He often underestimated the gravitas his voice seemed to have, and was still caught off guard when people started inundating him with their life's story.

"I'm afraid I won't make it out of here, not without Carlitos. If the Med-X doesn't kill me first, Cachino or another Omerta will." She continued, a tear coursing its way down her cheek.

"Ha, I look pathetic, huh?" She sniffed, smearing her mascara stained cheek somewhat brusquely, "The great joanna and now… I don't even know why I'm telling you this."

"Tell me about it." Cass muttered, hopefully too low for Joanna to hear.

Paul ignored her, his demeanor the very image of sympathy, "Tell me about Carlitos."

"He was an Omerta that… fell in love with me. They don't ever mix with people outside the 'family' you know?"

She closed her eyes as she continued, her shuddering breaths convincing Maxson that the feeling was… is mutual.

"He was planning to escape with me but Cachino found out about us. So he did something, talked, I don't know, and Carlitos disappeared."

"Cachino talked because Carlitos broke Omerta rules?"

Her tone turned angry and sullen, "Cachino doesn't give a shit about rules, only cares to feed his perversions. He lusted for me, he's done things to me."

She paused, "Look… I'm stuck here, I know that. Carlitos is the only thing that kept me going, and now I don't have anything left."

A sudden memory leapt into his mind as she continued to mention her paramour's name. He met someone in Vault 21 whose name he was sure was Carlitos. They had simply passed sometime in the vault while the courier was resting up from a bad injury. The man's accent was similar to the ones he had heard from the Omerta men around Gomorrah.

"Any chance that Carlitos is alive?" The courier asked, trying to put two and two together.

"If he's alive, he's long gone. The Omertas want him dead, now."

The courier explained in a low voice, Joanna's eyes widening as he described the man he had met to her.

Her hand came up to her mouth to hide her astonishment, "If you had met him, anywhere… I'd do anything to get him back and escape this hell, although I'm not keeping my hopes up."

"It wasn't that long ago Joanna. If it really is him, I'll get him for you."

"Hon, nobody's given me a free thing before. What's it going to be for you, caps, sex, straps, what?"

The courier smirked at her in triumph and relished in her surprise as he said, "All the information you can give me on Cachino and the other Omerta bosses."

Cass was unusually quiet and sullen as they walked to the renovated hotel of Vault 21. He slowed so that they were side by side and glanced at her, grinning at her goofily. She ignored his attempt to cheer her up and simply pulled her ever present hat further down her head, shielding the upper part of her face from view. He sighed and placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her, his mouth opening to reassure her, somehow.

She shook off his hand and strode even more quickly towards Vault 21, leaving the courier to hurry and catch up. He was conflicted, his friend was clearly upset with him, but why really? She made it clear that it was just friendship between them, though from her words… that term was stretching it. She made is seem more like an enterprising business arrangement. He filed it away for later as they walked down into the Vault, turning his focus on finding Carlitos.

They found him lounging in an easy chair, nursing a beer with an empty expression in his dull gaze.

He glanced up as their shadows fell over him, a scowl coming over his features.

"Hey, scram. Come bug me when I'm at the diner… if you're a real pain in the ass."

"We're here on Joanna's behalf." The courier stated, gauging his reaction to the mention of the woman's name.

The look on his face said it all, "What did you say…? I mean, Joanna sent you? Please, tell me! Is she all right? When did you see her? What does she have to say?"

Both Paul and Cass shared a look that seemed to say, 'weren't you just an asshole to us 2 damn seconds ago?' A ghost of a smile tugged at her lips and glittered in her eyes at the 180 degree turn. Paul smiled back at her, glad that some of the tension between them was beginning to thaw.

"She didn't know you were still alive. I remember seeing you down here a few weeks ago, I mentioned it to her and she asked that I come back and make sure."

"Then she has to know! I'm ready to help her escape, once and for all."

An angry look darkened his features, "Why am I even scared of Cachino and all those fuckers? Joana and I are dead anyway if we don't get the hell out of here."

"Why haven't you already gotten her out of Gomorrah?" Cass shot at him, acid dripping from her tone.

"What, you think I can just waltz in there and take her away? She's their doll now, okay? Besides, I step in Gomorrah and I'm as good as dead, you hear? You don't just leave the Omertas unless it's in a body bag.

"Okay, I'll let her know that you are alive and ready to help get her out."

"Deal! Come back with news soon, you hear?"

Carlitos was practically giddy as the courier and Cass left the Vault hotel, the turn of attitude making Cass almost grin. But as they walked along the strip back to Gomorrah, her expression soured somewhat. He kept quiet about it for now, but promised himself that he would sit her down for a serious talk once they got the two out and the promised information.

"Hey there, gorgeous. I knew you'd be back soon enough." Joana purred, a hopeful and expectant look in her eyes. It made her look… hungry, as if she hadn't had a meal in days and was suddenly presented with a Brahmin steak.

Cass looked equally intent, but for a far different reason.

"I have a message for you, from Carlitos." Paul answered, grinning at the explosion of emotion that played out over Joana's face.

"What? Have you seen him? Have you talked to him?"

He just couldn't contain himself at the joy that lit up the tired looking whore and turned her into a beautifully glowing… woman in love and finally, with hope.

"Carlitos wants to get you out of here."

"He… does? Wait, this changes everything. I can't leave my girls here… And, where would we go even if we escape? No. It's too risky, we'll all end up dead."

"I know a place you can go. You, Carlitos, your girls. You'd be welcome. You'd be safe." He emphasized that last word, knowing how rare a thing it was to promise.

"You sound so sure. Damn it all, you better not make me regret this later. But the Omertas will want us dead. What are we going to do about that?"

"You'll never see them again, you have my word." He assured her.

"To be free and with Carlitos again… Tell him that I still, I – nevermind. Let Carlitos know that we'll be ready when you are."

Carlitos had been thrilled to hear that Joana was ready to leave. He asked them to get some backup from a couple of mercs who owed him a favor. They were easily tracked down and they all made arrangements to meet up in Freeside that night.

He and Cass had an even easier time smuggling the three women from Gomorrah, simply having them redress in less smutty clothing and walking out the front door was all it took. The lobby was packed and none of the Omertas men scattered around paid the small group much mind at all.

He should have known it was going too easily. After a brief and uncomfortably expressive re-union between Carlitos and Joana, Cass's muttered comment about them fucking right then and there notwithstanding, it appears that it would be easy going for the entire operation.

The courier knew better than to tempt Lady Luck by thinking that way. Whatever anyone else had to say about her, she was a fickle bitch, and she was laughing her ass off right now.

A dozen or so Omertas rushed them and sprayed the street with so much lead that the whistling retorts devolved into a steady high pitched whine. Luckily, their aim was off from rushing to catch the group, giving them precious moments to dive into cover before they were perforated with holes.

Joana and the girls wailed while Carlitos and the mercs swore, there were far too many Omertas for them to have any chance of getting out alive. Paul peeked around the corner of the building, a hunting shotgun in his sweaty grip just as one of the thugs rushed it, surprise clear on both of their faces as they stood inches from each other. Paul broke the spell first, jamming the stock of his shotgun into the man's stomach, doubling him over.

He didn't wait for him to recover, reversing his grip and blasting the man in the face and getting showered with blood and gore in return. He didn't bother wiping himself off as he leaned further out and activated VATS, targeting the next two men coming to test their defense.

The lead man fell screaming, clutching at the ground beef the courier had made of his midsection. The second man simply fell to the ground, his head nought but pink mist and bits of bone raining back down to earth.

The courier jerked himself back as the building corner started to disintegrate under the concentrated return fire from the Omertas. They couldn't last long like this, all the Omertas had to do was pin them down while sending some of their men to flank them. Then they'd be finished.

"Where is that damn backup you promised?" Carlitos screamed, wild panic making his voice break.

"Back up is here."

The group whirled at the announcement, the electronic voice booming and intimidating enough on its own. The owner of the voice shocked the group into stunned silence, only Cass and Paul immune to the effect the sudden arrival had on them.

The figure towered over them, almost eight feet encased in gleaming dark blue steel, the visor of his bubble helm open and revealing Ramirez, hard eyed and grim. His wounds had fully healed and he was a big enough man to not hold a grudge against the Brotherhood, an opinion not shared by his constant companion, Vasquez. Flanking him, a pair of combat robo-scorpions flexed their tails as if eager for the fight, their legs skittering as if readying for a race.

"Marco… where is Iara?"

Marco turned to the courier and smiled before gesturing toward the top of the building they were sequestered behind with his chin. A gesture made unnecessary by the wild howling that issued from Iara's speakers as she stood atop the edge of the roof and let rip with her chain gun, the brass casings tinkling like fairy dust as she rained devastation on the Omertas.

The few Omertas that were able to react in time were bathed in the blood and viscera of their less lucky companions as a storm of rounds chewed its way in a zig zag pattern across the road. It devoured asphalt, trash and flesh with equal relish, the ecstatic laughter from the wild marine actually audible over the dragon's roar of her beloved chain gun. Panic gripped the few remaining thugs as they wormed their way into every available crevice to escape the deluge of steel.

The storm of bullets ceased, accompanied by the whine of her barrels slowing as the woman stepped back from the ledge atop the building with a disappointed mutter.

Marco slammed his visor down and commanded the scorpions forward, the few Omertas remaining flushed from their meager cover by the menacing automatons and their flashing laser fire. Marco took up position and calmly and deliberately mowed the fleeing men down with carefully controlled bursts from his Impaler, the hypersonic rounds ripping the unarmored men to pieces.

The entire combat took seconds, and left a somewhat anticlimactic air for the astonished group.

Paul broke through their shock when he hauled Carlitos and Joana to their feet.

"This is the back-up I was telling you about, and the promise of safety. If you go with them, you will have the kind of second chance that almost no one gets."

Big beard spoke up, "Hell, if I can get me one of those guns, I'd be sure as hell more than willing to sign up!" Little beard nodded his head in emphatic agreement.

A short distance outside of the city, the six people somewhat warily boarded the waiting dropship, Medic Hannigan checking them over as they gingerly sat on the troop benches. Marco and Iara waved cheerily to Cass and Maxson as they loaded the scorpions up and followed them up the ramp.

Paul shielded his eyes as the dropship heaved into the sky on powerful thrusters, it dipped from side to side in farewell before it rocketed forward and out of sight. A split second later, a wave of force pushed a flurry of hot air and dust at them, forcing choked coughs from both of them as they shielded their eyes from the deluge.

Once the dust had settled and the hacking diminished to a less dire level, Paul turned to Cass, intent on asking her to follow him back to Gomorrah. He caught the tail end of a jaw cracking yawn, and noted the tired look in her eyes. If he was half as disheveled looking as she was, it was perhaps better to call it a night and force a meeting with Cachino tomorrow. He hesitated to tell Cass the plan, watching as she pulled her red locks from her face and tried to tuck it back behind her ears. She wiped away as much of the dust and grime as she could, her soft lips pursed in concentration. His gaze zeroed in on her gentle pink lips, noting that they appeared moving an awful lot.

"Hey! Anyone home?" Cass demanded, shaking him from his stupor while waving a hand in his face.

"Yeah, just tired. Thinking it's time to call it a night."

She glared at him sidelong, her mouth pursed in a disagreeable frown for a moment. Her expression softened inexplicably and she nodded, "Well, I guess when you reach your age, you just can't keep up as well as you used to. Let's get you to bed old-timer."

Paul scoffed, "What?! I'm only a few years older than you!"

"Yeah, and don't you forget it!" She teased, her eyes glittering merrily. It seemed as though the tension between them departed as quickly as the dropship had.

They walked back in companionable silence to the Lucky 38, their goal to reach the Presidential suite for a little downtime before House kicked them out to attend to the Omertas. They hadn't needed to worry about that, as House was keeping closer tabs on the courier while he was in city and had seen him going in and out of the Gomorrah all day and night. He hadn't followed him to Freeside, satisfied for the moment that the courier was finally making progress and doing as he was instructed.

Cass settled into the steaming bath with a heavy sigh, a fine whiskey in her hands and her ever-present hat perched on her head. Paul had insisted that she bathe first, and had given her an odd look when she playfully suggested he come in too and scrub her back.

The hot water and whiskey were doing a marvelous job of relaxing her as she sunk further into the bubbly water and lifted a porcelain leg out to hang over the side of the tub. She hummed to herself and took another swig, savoring the earthy taste of the whiskey before letting it burn on its way down her throat. She idly rubbed her neck and chest, spreading the bubbles around and rinsing the days' worth of grime from her.

She sat up suddenly as the door opened and closed with a gentle click, footsteps on the soft carpet announcing Paul as he walked up to where she lay. Suddenly aware of her bare breasts dripping with bubbles and clearly drawing his admiring gaze. She slumped down so quickly, warm bath water sloshed over the side of the tub and splashed his boots. She could feel her cheeks reddening under his intense scrutiny, any smart ass retort trapped behind a throat that refused to unlock.

He seemed to come to some kind of epiphany, if she had to hazard a guess at the strange expression on his face. It looked thoughtful, determined and resigned all at once. Her confusion was only heightened when he lowered himself to kneel beside the tub.

"Wha…" her words became muffled when he suddenly leaned in and pressed his lips against hers. Her lips betrayed her by opening slightly, invitingly, the rebellion joined by her tongue as she flicked it out to dance against his own. Heedless of the soapy water, his strong arms enveloped her in their solid embrace and pulled her partway out of the tub, crushing her against his broad chest. Her arms moved as if they belonged to someone else, wrapping around his neck and pulling his head further down, pressing his mouth more firmly against her own.

Her movements became frenetic as she abandoned the lies she had been telling him for months, been telling herself, as she overbalanced and toppled out of the tub, her naked body landing atop his. Hands were frantic as they explored his body, his hands massaging and gripping her, seemingly everywhere at once as their mouths and tongues continued to taste each other. She felt him hardening beneath her, the answering warmth spreading from her womanhood making her moan into his mouth with desire.

She jerked and grabbed at buckles and straps, her efforts rewarded as pieces of his armor and clothing fell away. He rolled them both over until he was on top of her, his heat making her dizzy with want. She brought her knees up and hooked her toes into the waistband of his pants, pushing with her powerful legs in jerks to remove the offending fabric. His manhood sprang free from the material and made her heart leap into her throat as she felt its firm strength against her stomach. His pants bunched up around his ankles, unable to be further removed as they were blocked by his boots.

She heard the tearing and almost laughed at her own strength as she held the scraps of cloth that used to be his shirt in her clenched fists. She pulled his head back down in a fierce kiss then ran her fingers down the contours of his chest, stopping just shy of his manhood. Desperate need fueled her as she reached down further with her right, guiding him into her and gripping his back with her left, pulling him down into her.

She exploded with a gasp as he filled her, the delicious sensation of him sliding into her making her see stars. She looked up and saw him, eyes fixed on her with such longing and affection before he descended and wrapped his lips around her breast, the nipple hardening under his questing tongue. Her heart raced as she raised her hips, matching him thrust for thrust as he sloppily suckled at her breast. His tongue danced around her sensitive flesh and made her cry out as waves of pleasure crashed over her.

She rolled over, pulling herself away from him for the briefest of moments, the sudden absence of him inside her almost heartbreaking. She pressed her ass up against him and in seconds, he was inside her again, leaning over her with a hand planted firmly on her hips and the other steadying himself against the floor. She bucked against him like a wild beast, encouraged by his increasing ardor and breathy grunts. He lifted himself up to grab her hips in both hands, gripping them firmly and moving her back and forth along his length. She screwed her eyes shut and bit her lip as she held on for all that she was worth, her release coming with a scream of unadulterated lust. Her flesh trembled in the aftershocks of her orgasm, his continuing thrusts threatening to make her peak again. She gripped the carpet as she felt the waves of a second coming radiate from her pussy. He grunted in an almost pained way as he splashed his seed inside her, the realization of his end making her cum again. He collapsed onto her, his weight welcome and comforting.

"We're doing that again right?" She murmured into his neck.

"Hhmm, I hope you weren't too tired. Because you aren't getting any sleep tonight."

She giggled happily as he carried her to bed, beyond ready for the second round.

A/N: For some reason, this chapter just flowed right out. Maybe on some subconscious level, I am eager to finish this story and declare victory. Please let me know what you think in the reviews! Next up, 'How Little We know' and the continuing spread of the Zerg!