"Oh, come on now, Ash!" Cass called after the other woman as she ran about in the apartment, preparing for her next mission. "Don't be angry… and certainly not about a man! Not worth it…"

"I'm not angry," Ash huffed, giving Cass a quick glare over her shoulder. "And certainly not… over him!"

"You never were a good liar either…" The dry remark made Ash spin around, causing Cass to almost crash into her.

"Well, I'm not angry for the reason you think," Ash corrected herself as Cass grabbed her shoulders gently.

"Ooof course not," she replied, not sounding one bit serious. "You're not at all feeling hurt and betrayed over his actions."

"…How do you know about… our talk anyway?" Ash asked, realizing that Cass was still holding on to her shoulders and she couldn't help but wonder if the other woman was a tiny bit… tipsy.

"Well, I was in the apartment when it happened. Pretty hard not to overhear. I'm pretty sure Raul heard it too." Ash facepalmed at that notion, reminding herself to have a chat with Raul before she left.

"Anyways, how much do you like this man? To be honest, I'm shocked I'm even asking this about… a ghoul, but hey, whatever… floats your boat." Cass continued, casually waving her hand, before returning it to Ash's shoulder. Ash made a small turn with her head to the right, feeling more and more awkward by the minute.

"Like and like…" she started slowly, as Cass rolled her eyes, finally letting her go. "I don't know!" Ash huffed again at her reaction. "A little?" It was again about the small guilt for even feeling that way, let alone admitting it to anyone.

"Okay, you don't have to say it but anyone can figure out he means a lot to you, despite being an asshole."

"Hey!" Ash frowned, as Cass smiled demurely at her reaction. "Sorry, he is a bit of an asshole actually," Ash corrected herself, folding her arms across her chest. But that was the charm actually… and frankly, not counting the last fight, he hadn't really been an asshole to her for weeks. As in fact he had even tried to be helpful, in his own way, more than she had ever seen him before.

Cass arched an eyebrow, watching Ash's expression change as she thought about the whole thing, before giving her a pat on her shoulder.

"He can't be too bad judging by how your face just lit up," she remarked drily as Ash beat her hand away with a not too amused frown.

"Not that it matters, he seems to hate me for keeping that gold bar a secret," Ash shrugged afterwards.

"Hah! You know its women who are supposed to be so easily scorned, not men! He really is as… fancy as he acts. Honestly, Ash, we both know now that you're obviously the most mature one here. Can't you just sweet talk him into forgetting the whole thing? I mean it was yesterday, he can't possibly be that angry still."

Ash made a grimace that said very much otherwise, considering how long he had plotted his revenge and for how long he had tried to reach the Madre's treasure. Cass had a point though. She could easily go over and talk to him. Worst case scenario, she'd get shot on sight by him, but she doubted he'd risk getting thrown out from the Tops. Normally she wouldn't even entertain the idea, she was stubborn like that. But when it came to proving a point to Dean… then, yes, her grudge could skip a day. She wanted to think she was more mature than Dean in that regard.

"You may have a point. Perhaps not sweet talk, that's what he does best… but he does like winning too… and that goes for anything, even maturity," she shrugged, almost amused at where her mind was going, or so she thought. Dean wouldn't expect to be played with.

"Sounds like you have a plan then," Cass grinned. "And I'm ready to add some more to it, if you just listen".


Ash felt like an idiot, walking back into the Tops. Tommy greeted her in his usual cheerful manner, so Dean couldn't have talked to him about what had happened. Which wasn't surprising really. Dean wouldn't have made a show of even being close to angry. Quietly seething was more his thing. Quietly seething AND planning his revenge most likely. Tommy happily gave her permission to go backstage; a long corridor with a few worn doors. Despite everything she had been through, ant infested rooms and streets with ghost people… this corridor still made her almost more nervous than those!

She cleared her throat, mentally slapping herself for being afraid of this, of Dean. But doubt was settling in, perhaps she had misjudged him. Perhaps he was so angry that all he had thought before had just vanished. Ash paused outside his door, lifting her hand to knock on it, her jaws clenching together as she went through what to say in her mind.

The door opened suddenly, revealing none other than Dean about to step out. He paused as he spotted Ash, looking about ready to knock on his head. His expression hardened under the glasses, while Ash just stared at him in near shock, before finally lowering her hand.

"So, you come crawling back?" he asked drily, every word slow on purpose. Ash narrowed her eyes briefly, irritation popping right back up at his attitude.

"Does it look like I'm crawling?" she asked in the same manner, folding her arms across her chest defensively. "Also, hello to you too," she added with a scoff. Dean's face didn't change, his thoughts about this completely unreadable. He just watched her, until he had to focus his attention on lighting up a cigarette. The girl looked more nervous than she wanted to let out, that much was obvious, even if she was annoyed too.

"I'm heading back out in the Mojave tomorrow morning, up to a small, old settlement in the mountains," Ash said, taking a step back to avoid the smoke, besides, she was sure Dean would purposefully blow it in her face anyway. "If I find anything of value, I'll bring it back to you."

"What?" he asked, keeping his gaze on the cigarette.

"It's an old place. There might even be something resembling your glory days," the woman shrugged.

"If I wanted anything from you, Courier, I'd have taken that gold already. Spare me your attempts at making good again, I'll have none of that."

"Who said I do it for you?" Ash replied, her tone catching him off guard as he looked at her properly. She looked herself again suddenly, as she normally did even after nearly having gotten killed. He shrugged his shoulders sharply, his head bending forward for a short moment as if inclining for a better answer.

"Yes, of course you wouldn't understand that," Ash said, her tone almost condescending. "You think just because I'm still offering you help, I'm what… sucking up?" she continued before he had a chance to retort and she had seen him start doing it; of course he had not appreciated that tone used on him.

"I am not, Dean. I'm simply being the better person by acting like an adult. And as an adult, I am helpful by nature. Even to stubborn old fools, like yourself. That insight is no help to anyone but me."

With that she turned and left his room, leaving him standing there, having almost bitten down on the cigarette in anger. He plucked it out abruptly, watching her leave, jaws tense and face scrunched up in a deep frown.

"God damn that woman," he huffed, as he walked back into his room, shutting the door firmly behind him. Who the hell did she think she was, just wandering in there and telling him that she was better than him! While that hadn't been her exact words, it might as well have been. He had expected the girl to be weak and clumsy in matters like these. Not that… self-confident, even if she was those things with everything else. He knew her too well for that. Something felt wrong, frankly…

He had no real desire to bother with her again, that he had told himself a lot the last day. And he was going to continue to do so. But… darn it; she had spoken of a place that might contain old things. That could serve him well, and he wasn't sure he wanted her grabby hands all over it. Or use it as leverage against him.


Ash returned to the Lucky 38, not sure if she had succeeded or not. Her unsure expression caught Cass's attention at once while Raul merely paused in the main hall before walking on, slight disapproval in his face.

"So? How did it go?" Cass asked, holding her hands together in near excitement.

"I'm not sure…" Ash replied, petting Rex a bit off minded.

"Well, did you do as we planned?"

"Yes."

"Then I'm sure you succeeded. This… Dean sounds like someone who doesn't want to be out-matched, in any regard. Even in who can be the most mature about his argument of yours."

"Honestly, Cass, when did you become this wise?" Ash asked, the tease clear in her voice.

"A lot of whiskey. And a lot of foolish men. Just trust me on this. Wait and see. Also, you may want to go and talk to Raul. The old ghoul seems upset about something and well… I don't think it's anything I did."

Ash nodded once, as Cassidy left, no doubt to gain even more wisdom from her whiskey, or possible work on further plans for herself. Ash went to find Raul, recalling him having gone into one of the living rooms in the suite.

"Cass said you seem upset," she said once she saw him, working on an old rifle that no doubt had broken down, by one of the tables.

"I'm not, boss," he replied, not taking his eyes off the rifle.

"Come on, Raul… you know I always want your honest opinions," she pushed it, as she sat down next to him. "You also know I can't stand old men being upset. It's disconcerting."

Raul gave her a non-too impressed look at her tone, eyebrows raised. He knew the tease well, she always used it and it always worked.

"I am not upset, boss," he insisted, looking at her now, much to her relief. "I'm just… concerned. About you. And your obvious interest in Dean."

"Oh." Ash felt awkward again, as if she was having a conversation about a touchy subject with her parents all the sudden. It didn't come as a surprise really, since Raul was the only authority figure she had at the moment.

"I'm not interested in him!" she continued, not really believing herself. "Why?" she asked instead afterwards, looking annoyed at herself.

"He's an asshole, boss."

"Well, that's certainly straight forward…"

"The subject's obviously bothering you. And you wanted an honest opinion…"

"So, it's not because he's a… ghoul?"

Raul put the rifle down this time, turning to face her.

"You could develop an interest in a deathclaw for all I care, boss, as long as it was nice. This is a human being, who's an idiota to say the least." Ash blinked at him, not even wanting to imagine the former.

"Look, I'm not trying to dissuade you, Ash…" he continued, putting his hand on her shoulder. "But at least keep an eye out?"

"I always do that… know better than to fully trust him, even if I'd like to think I can. Besides, you may be worrying for nothing," she shrugged amused.

"Yeah, no. No, I'm not. You may also want to tell him that I'll shoot him if he hurts you. I got… experience in shooting those kinds of people." Ash chuckled, standing up while kissing Raul's cheek.

"Thanks, Raul… you're so adorable," she told him.

"And so I will remain, boss."

She shook her head amused as she left the room. She still had some preparations to make before tomorrow morning.


Dean wasn't too fond of being made to wait outside the Lucky 38, like some common visitor but Victor had refused to let him in, by saying that Ash was on her way down anyway. Stupid machine, assuming it was Ash he wanted to see in the first place. It was very early in the morning so not many others were even awake at this hour and those that were didn't seem to notice who he was, with the same black jacket as before, as well as a scarf and a hat. He was already regretting his foolish decision to stay here; standing here in this morning cold was not to his amusement, the sun had barely risen, for crying out loud!

He moved off from his perch against the wall when he heard the elevator open and Victor roll to the side. She had put on the NCR ranger coat and clothes again, well aware that none would bother her or check with her to see if she was a ranger or not. The only real difference was the ordinary hat she had, plus a scarf around her neck. Ash stopped abruptly when she stepped out, not having been prepared for it actually, hoped yes, but actually prepared, that was another thing.

"Dean?" she asked at the lack of anything else to say.

"I'm coming with you."

"Uh… okay, why? I thought another bomb would be needed to drag you out of a civilized place like the Tops…"

"While I do prefer it here, in an actual city, there seems to be something to be gained from your trip. Might as well tag along and make sure you don't steal that too." Dean's words were nonchalant and probably meant to hurt, but Ash merely shrugged. The fact he was here, meant that Cass's plan had worked. It was hardly because of the trip he had come, but rather to show that he wasn't backing down. It was quite funny to realize these things thanks to another woman.

"How… delightful. Well, at least you seem prepared this time," she noted at his clothes.

"I'm not an idiot," he replied, gesturing for her to get a move on. She rolled her eyes; fairly sure one could bathe in the tension. She merely nodded before she started to walk, heading for the exit from New Vegas.

They went in complete silence, neither saying a word, or as much as breathing near one another for that matter. Ash didn't mind all that much since she was busy making sure the road was clear and safe. She was just glad that this trip would take a few days at most, if not less even. Jacobstown was quite close to them compared to the destination in their last trip after all.

It wasn't until they were beyond New Vegas and back out on the actual road, the mountains looming up in the near distance, that anyone spoke up and it was naturally Ash.

"So, you need to know a few things about this area… It's not a desert like the rest of the Mojave. It's an actual forest… if we're unlucky there'll be snow too."

Dean groaned quietly, as if debating whether to answer or not until he did so, despite his want to not give a damn.

"Snow…" he said instead. "Well, I hardly knew the Mojave were capable of snow… not like most of Europe."

"The forest will be our real problem. Hard to see and since it's actually flourishing… there's a lot of animals. Big ones." Dean glanced at her or at her back to be more precise. She had a sniper rifle on her back, not the anti-material one, a subject he wasn't going to start again either.

"Well, you're properly armed again," he said. "Despite being a thief, you can shoot well…"

"Oh, stop calling me that," Ash huffed, having had enough of that particular term. "You're not much better yourself you know! You steal things too, either directly or indirectly!"

Dean have her a glare, not about to admit she was right. He had stolen… and he loved to do so as well. He withdrew back to a grumpy silence, not finding much else to do. The area around them were flat and boring, with only a few animal skeletons peaking up from the ground here and there. An old vehicle sometimes joined them, reminding him yet again of how things used to be. He almost envied Ash; to her such things as vehicles were just like a tree or a rock, part of the environment. To him, it was a constant reminder of how much better the world was before the bombs. And how easier it had been.

As the hours went, he noticed a great difference in how the environment changed. It started to look less and less like a desert and more like an actual forest. The plants were greener, taller and just seemed more alive than the Mojave plants. When the actual trees and pine trees started to appear, he was near shocked.

"This place looks basically untouched by the bombs," he noted out loud, forgetting he was not supposed to talk to the girl. Ash glanced at him, smiling faintly under her scarf. Dean's surprise was obvious in his tone, whether he let it or not. But the break in the silence was appreciated on her behalf.

"Most of the Mojave does, you know," she pointed out. "It just doesn't show. Here it does. I've heard it's a big difference in most other cities. They supposedly have barely any green plant life or healthy water. Thanks to Mr. House, Mojave was spared the worst."

She bent down as she talked; plucking a large, light green plant from the ground, holding it between her fingers. She then handed it over to Dean who took it with a somewhat doubtful look. He had only seen the Mojave since he had left the Sierra Madre and had assumed it was the worst the world could offer right now, since it was a desert after all. Even if he had known about Mr. House's ways of protecting the Mojave, he hadn't really taken it in his thoughts. If Ash was telling the truth, then… well, he didn't much like the idea of the other cities looking like the Sierra Madre, even if a lot there could be blamed on the Cloud. He tossed the plant to the side, finding himself in a bitter mood now. Nostalgic perhaps even.

"I suppose it'll all grow back eventually," Ash shrugged, as if noticing his mood. "It will just take time. No doubt you're used to things taking time now, no?" she asked almost amused.

"Frankly I care little for how the world outside New Vegas looks like," Dean lied coolly. The idea of being stuck forever in Las Vegas didn't appeal to him much; he was used to traveling around before the bombs and after having been stuck in that place for 200 years…

"Is it far to…wherever we're going…?" he asked her afterwards, as she brought up her arm and the pip-boy.

"Jacobstown. And we should be there before it gets dark."

"Good. I still do not approve of walking this much." Ash shook her head. Nothing new there after all.


More of a filler chapter to prepare for the good stuff. Delays and what not doesn't make for efficient writing and I'm trying to learn as I go.

Doesn't help either that I've been distracted by Skyrim's version of Dean, Teldryn Sero... .

Thanks for reading!