A/n: Thanks everyone for the hits and reviews. Just as a friendly reminder, if you've got your pms turned off, then I can't reply to your reviews. But that's completely up to you if you want a message :)

Six awoke in her suite in the Lucky 38, her head aching from a long night of poor sleep. What happened in Freeside scared her, and it made the Courier wonder if she would be able to keep control. People liked her, but liking someone didn't mean that you would necessarily do what they said. After all, she liked Vulpes a lot, but she didn't do anything he told her to do.

He was going to be so mad when he found out what happened, if he didn't already know.

Six supposed it was all water under the bridge now, but she still wore his mark. And if anyone asked her why, she was sure that she wouldn't be able to come up with an answer. It wasn't because it looked nice; she could care less about wearing jewelry. And it certainly wasn't because she was sentimental or something, because she totally wasn't. Though she did wonder if he kept the lock of hair that she gave him.

Six sighed and rolled over in bed, forcing herself to get on with the day. Rex awoke with her movement, hopped up, and began to run around the room. He ran in circles around the coffee table, jumping on and off the couch as he passed it on each lap. Smiling at his antics, the Courier stood and began the task of putting her taken leather pants on.

She hopped, cursed, and wiggled her way into the pants inch by inch, growing frustrated with each passing second. Finally, they were in place and Six buttoned them quickly. She stared at the shirt in front of her and frowned; she wasn't in the mood to struggle into that one as well. The Courier quickly grabbed a bra and a weathered tank, throwing them on in a matter of seconds.

Leaning over, she began to tie her hair up and yelled at Rex as he mouthed her hair. Frustrated, Six opened the door to her bedroom and the cyberdog ran out into the main area, barking. If people weren't awake yet, they would be. She finished tying her hair and made her way to the kitchen, surprised to see that she was the last one up. A quick glance to her pip-boy told her that it was almost eleven.

She shuffled to the fridge, grabbed a Nuka-cola, and pocketed the cap. Her friends watched as she sat down and began to drink, finally waking up.

"You were out for a long time, sleepyhead," Veronica smiled.

"A lot of good it did me," Six grunted, "I didn't sleep well at all."

Cass chuckled and leaned forward, her face turning pink.

"You need to get laid," she teased, "you'll sleep very well then."

The Courier snorted and drank more of her cola as Arcade rolled his eyes and sighed.

"I'm so over guys right now," Six replied, "Rex is all the affection I need."

"So, there's nothing with Fox?" Cass quipped, "Because I'm serious that I'd fuck him in every position imaginable."

Six frowned and gripped her bottle. Couldn't Cass just let this whole thing go? She couldn't tell if Cass was joking or serious, and it was driving her crazy.

"Stop," Six mumbled.

"Why?" Cass insisted, "You're not interested so –"

The Courier stood, her chair snagging on the carpet and falling backward. She grabbed her bottle of Nuka-cola, left the room, and entered the elevator. She didn't want to deal with this, so she just left.

The elevator took her up to the penthouse, dinging when it opened. Six made her way down the stairs with her drink in hand and hoped that Yes Man would be online. She needed to talk to him about their plans. Rounding the corner, she was pleased to see his face on the large terminal screen.

"Hello, Yes Man," she greeted.

"Hey there!" the bot replied, "You look a little glum today. Care to tell me about it?"

Six sighed. She wasn't sure how a bot would understand anything that she was going through.

"I don't have emotions," it said, "but I can calculate probability extremely well. Just tell me what's on your mind, and this time, thanks to my new programming, I can one-hundred percent keep a secret."

"You can?" she asked, "so, does that mean you can't say yes all the time now?"

"Yes!" the bot chuckled, "or no, rather. I can say no now. Any secret you tell me is safe."

The Courier sat down in front of Yes Man's console and crossed her legs.

"I don't know where to begin," she sighed, "Fox told me that he's a Legion agent. His real name's Vulpes Inculta. He gave me his mark to give me safe passage into Legion lands. And, when I got to the Fort to confront Benny, Vulpes told me that he loves me. But I don't love him back, and now Cass is joking with me about hooking up with him, and I just don't like that."

There. That was everything. It felt good to get it all out, truth be told.

"There was only a thirteen percent chance that Fox was a Legion agent," Yes Man marveled, "I'll add that to my databanks, though. So, what's bothering you?"

"I don't know," Six replied, "I miss him, but he's a Legionary. I can't be his friend if he's going to be like that."

"You know," the bot said, "There's a ninety eight percent chance that he doesn't want to be just your friend. Legionaries give their marks to their wives."

She started shaking as she realized that Vulpes meant what he said. He loved her, and she was the only one he had truly fallen in love with.

At least, he thought he was in love with her. Perhaps he thought she was pretty so much that he just wanted to have sex with her, and when he had what he wanted, the thrill would be over. Perhaps, she was the first woman he bothered to talk to at length, and mistook friendship for thinking he was in love. And now, she was even more confused with what Yes Man told her.

"So," she swallowed, "he loves me?"

"No idea," it replied, "insufficient data." If the robot had a body, it would have shrugged.

"And what about Cass?" Six asked.

She became instantly nauseous as she thought about her friend trying to seduce Vulpes.

"Well," Yes Man said, "if he loves you, then he won't bother with her."

"It's not that simple," she protested.

"Yes," the bot replied, "it really is that simple."

Six couldn't argue with Yes Man over this. She knew that Vulpes liked having sex with as many women as he could, and Cass liked sex almost as much as he did. If Cass truly wanted him, she could have him, and there would be nothing Six could do about it.

The Courier wished Vulpes had been Fox; she wished with all of her heart that he hadn't been a Legionary in disguise.

Six could have loved him.

"Whole thing was my idea," he chuckled.

Benny exhaled a ring of smoke as Swank shook his head. It felt good to be home, though he wasn't sure how long he would be able to stay. The Courier could kick him out of her newly made utopia, leaving him and Raul to wander around until they found a place they would be welcome.

"You shot that dame," Swank frowned, "didn't even give her a chance to talk with ya. I don't know how you can say that we're a classy establishment when you go and do things like that."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Raul shift uncomfortably. The ghoul followed him around since he released him from his prison on Black Mountain, never telling him anything about his history. Then again, Benny supposed he never asked.

"I wanted this," Benny admitted, "badly. And she carried the platinum chip with her, which would activate the securitron army. Then a few weeks later, she comes back here, and she appears to be working for House. The broad had me on the ropes; I had no choice. Vegas needs to swing, baby."

Swank nodded and looked down at the floor. The guy was good, but he was one hell of a softie.

"I suppose that's fine," Swank conceded, "but the lady's in charge now. If her and Mr. Smiley-bot say so, it's curtains for you, and there's nothing I could do about it."

Swank gave him a pleading look, one that said to get out of town before it was too late. But Benny knew that his former second in command wasn't the only softie on the Strip; courier Six was a damned bleeding heart. He would bet on it that she'd let him stay.

He didn't need to wait much longer before the Courier wandered into the Tops, a tall, blonde Follower tagging along on her heels. She walked toward his table and Benny stood and smiled, trying not to cringe when she didn't return the smile. He wasn't sure what turned her into a leather wearing, gun-toting dame without a smile, but Benny was sure that it was sexy as hell no matter which way he looked at it. He guessed that he had seen her like that before, but at that time, he had Legionaries breathing down his neck.

"Hey baby," he greeted, offering his hand to the Courier.

She took it, the leather of her glove unable to bulk up the size of her tiny hand. Benny shook the Follower's hand as well, and the man introduced himself as Arcade.

"Hello, sweetheart," Swank smiled.

Benny watched as the Courier's face softened for the man who used to be his second, and he couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy. He wasn't number one anymore, and this dame wouldn't smile for him. Benny always made the ladies smile.

"Hey, Swank," Six nodded, "Benny and I have a very private conversation that we need to have. Would you be kind enough to allow us to use the Tops for our meeting?"

He frowned; the broad was smarter than she looked. Instead of telling Swank what to do, she kindly made a request.

"Not a problem," Swank replied, "just let me know if you need anything." With a nod, he disappeared, leaving Benny to the wolves.

Six sat down in front of him while her unintimidating muscle stood behind her with his arms crossed. The Follower glanced around the place, as if he didn't want to be there.

"Yes Man and I had a long conversation this morning," she began, "today marked the day that he awoke from a self-induced reprogramming, where he taught himself how to say no. From here on out, Yes Man will be the protector of New Vegas and will always have the interests of the people in mind. I am now his messenger, as well as the ambassador for the people."

The gal had gotten really serious in the short time he had been absent, and Benny figured that something must have toughened her up. Then again, she did give up the chance of being the NCR's pet, as well as a Legion consort. And those creepy Legion guys really liked her, especially Fox and Old Baldy on the throne. She gave all of that up to give New Vegas a chance at freedom; perhaps she was stronger than she looked.

"You will be allowed to do as you please on the Strip," the Courier said, "just like any other citizen. You will never be permitted into the Lucky 38. This comes with the stipulation that you never reveal the identity of Fox, which has become a state secret. You are also required to behave in accordance with the laws of New Vegas."

Benny found her mention of Fox to be strange. Why was his name a state secret?

It then hit him that Fox, or rather, Vulpes, could be a double agent. The guy was clever enough, and could certainly put on any act that suited him. With this in mind, Benny found himself agreeing to keeping Fox's identity a secret.

"This all was Yes Man's idea," Six continued, "He's calculated the risk of keeping you around here, as well as other risks."

Her statement was vague enough to confirm his suspicions that Fox was a double agent.

"I'll play your game, baby," he nodded, "nothing out of my mouth about that cat, as well as a bonus promise to never shoot at you again."

"Never?" she smirked.

"Never, ever," Benny laughed.

"Good," Six smiled, "I can't stress how much Yes Man means this. Now, what you do here isn't anyone's business, so long as it doesn't interfere with society. You can work out what you can with Swank if you want; Yes Man doesn't want to involve himself in it."

Benny glanced over to where Swank sat out of hearing range and nodded. He didn't deserve to be the head of the Chairmen, but at the same time, he knew that Swank would fold like a deck of cards if he so much as hinted about wanting the job back. Swank was a good guy; he just wasn't cut out for being the head of the Chairmen, and both of them knew it.

"You'll have no complaints from me," he smiled.

The Courier nodded and shook his hand, leaving a parting sentence:

We'll be watching you.

Vulpes made his way down highway 40, his back to the setting sun. His jumpsuit was plastered to his torso with sweat and his bandana was moist from collecting his breath for the greater part of the day. Each step that brought him closer to Flagstaff made him feel heavier, the weight of his responsibilities burdening him.

It wasn't as if he had a choice in the matter; his entire life had been spent in the service of Caesar. Truthfully, no man in the Legion had a choice, and no man knew differently. Men were servants of Caesar, just as women were servants to the men. It was the price of creating a civilization capable of conquering.

But he and Caesar did have conversations about what they would do when they conquered New Vegas. There would be a need for healers, farmers, and ranchers; the Legion couldn't rely on trade alone. Now, he had to worry about such things. He was sure that the nearby university would have plenty of books on the subject, most notably, information on the Romans. Vulpes wasn't a fool; he was sure that whatever Caesar told him about them was carefully filtered. Soon, he would have unrestricted access to the university library, and the truth.

The first buildings of outer Flagstaff appeared, and with them, a group of Legionaries. They saw him immediately and stopped him. Taking out his mark, Vulpes identified himself. One of the Legionaries gasped, saying that Mars was exceptionally good to his Legion. He called for his decanus, who came running at the sound of Vulpes' name.

"Caesar Lanius will want to see you right away," the decanus nodded.

Vulpes didn't dare show surprise, lest it be misinterpreted as an expectation that the Butcher ought to be dead. He knew that Lanius suspected him of plotting against him, and didn't want to give him any suspicions.

"What has happened while I was gone?" he asked.

The decanus snapped his fingers at a recruit and ordered him to retrieve some water.

"A courier used an army of robots to throw the NCR out," he said, "and spoke with the Butcher. Some say she was a prophet, warning him about the dangers of spreading his empire too thin. I do not know what exactly happened, except that Caesar has crossed the river and Lanius is our sovereign."

Vulpes nodded slowly as he tried to process that Six talked the Butcher into leaving. It must have been an interesting conversation.

"Caesar Lanius sacrificed a bull and asked Mars for your safe return," the decanus continued, "and you have returned safely. Mars blesses the Legion."

He didn't want to protest, but the whole 'godhood' thing had gone too far. Vulpes understood Caesar's premise behind elevating himself to godhood; it would be easier that way to get everyone to obey. But along the same vein, the Legion now had a leader that believed that Mars existed, as well as believing that said god's voice would guide him as a leader. It was terrifying to think that things such as an eclipse or a sandstorm could potentially influence his new leader's decision-making processes.

Then again, the fact that Lanius sacrificed and asked for his safe return meant something. Perhaps he would let go of some of his hatred for him; it true, then Vulpes could slowly work on informing the Butcher of the truth of his station.

Either that or he would go out in a blaze of heretical glory. He supposed he didn't have much left to lose anyway.

It felt strange, sitting on a throne that had been a sacred seat not too long ago. Lanius knew it was still sacred, but admittedly, he wasn't used to the idea of being the voice of Mars yet. As he glanced around the throne room of the re-purposed Riordan mansion, he supposed he could get used to it. The Legion's old, wooden palace had stood for centuries and survived the Great War, and it was a worthy building to house the Legion's top men.

A messenger ran into the mansion, out of breath. He spoke hurriedly with the praetorians guarding the outside of the room and was ushered inside. Lanius motioned to the panting man to let him speak and watched as he bowed before him.

"Mighty Caesar," he announced, "Vulpes Inculta returns from the west. He's headed straight here to hear your commands."

The Butcher's eyes widened in shock. He assumed that the Fox had been lost to the desert, and truthfully, Lanius sacrificed the bull out of respect for the Legion's desire to see Vulpes return. Despite having a reputation for being brutal, he cared for his Legion. He also wanted to honor Caesar's wants and would take care of Vulpes, so long as he remained true to Mars and the Legion.

There was a commotion outside as guards opened the doors to the palace, allowing Vulpes to enter the building. The three surviving members of Caesar's guards smiled at him, and Lanius knew that it would be incredibly unwise to do harm to Vulpes. It made the announcement that he had disbanded the frumentarii somewhat difficult, but if Vulpes were a true legionary, then he wouldn't question.

Vulpes stepped into the throne room and knelt down before him. He wore a strange, white jumpsuit that was soaked through in places with sweat, plastered to his pale skin. A layer of desert grime coated his legs and turned his face a darker shade than the protected area where his bandana had been.

It had been years since he stayed in the same room as Vulpes for more than a minute, and Lanius knew that he had to be cautious with him. After all, Vulpes was favored by his Legion and had been personally blessed by the Son of Mars.

"Mars has seen fit to honor our sacrifice," Lanius said, "and you have returned safely. Did you complete your mission?"

He fought a chuckle as his question caught Vulpes off guard.

"I went into an abandoned Brotherhood of Steel bunker," Vulpes explained, "and was gassed and taken away. When I left, I heard what happened at the Dam and knew that my mission changed."

He watched as Vulpes reached into the pocket of his strange jumpsuit, his hand coming out with what appeared to be a golden coin.

"They're casino tokens from where I was," Vulpes nodded, "the Sierra Madre."

A gloved finger brushed against his as the Butcher received the coin from Vulpes. He turned it in his hand, finding the design curious. Its edges were certainly unique.

"And this," he continued, "is a tribute for you."

Vulpes removed the makeshift pack from his back, slung it forward, and knelt down before him to unveil two golden bricks. They were nice, but Lanius found his eyes drawn to the arms of the man in front of him as he lifted one of the bricks for him to see. Vulpes had filled out considerably since he had last taken the time to study him. He was still thin, but he turned from scrawny to sleek in a short amount of time.

Shaking the thought from his head, Lanius received the deceptively heavy brick.

"And how did you come across something like this?" he asked.

The question brought a light to Vulpes' eyes, a smirk spreading across his face. He was obviously proud of how he acquired them. The Butcher fought his instant reaction of disgust and waited for an explanation.

"After my capture, I discovered that my captor was a Brotherhood elder," he replied, "this man wanted the treasure of the casino, and I helped him acquire it. Unfortunately for him, the vault was a trap. So, I took these bars, and showed him exactly how we punish those who oppose us."

"And that was?" Lanius growled. Vulpes was speaking with as many words as possible, reminding the Butcher partially of why he never liked the man.

"I locked him in the vault," he purred, "There is no escape. He will starve to death in there, his ill-gotten treasure the only thing to keep him company."

For a moment, Lanius paused. What Vulpes did seemed elaborately cruel, but it had a sort of poetic beauty.

"I approve," the Butcher nodded, surprising even himself.

And there it was, the tiny smirk that let him know that his approval pleased Vulpes. It was difficult to tell with this one, but Lanius had the impression that Vulpes would do anything necessary to gain his approval, much like Caesar before him.

But he still doubted that he could be retaught and Lanius had no idea what to do with him.

"We have changed," he started, "the Frumentarii are no more, and dissenters will be executed."

There was a brief flash of hurt in Vulpes' eyes as he processed that essentially, he was nothing.

"Do you dissent?" Lanius growled. He waited for Vulpes to give him cause.

"No," he nodded, "the Voice of Mars is wise." He averted his gaze in subordination and the Butcher found himself surprisingly pleased. Then again, Vulpes could be trying to manipulate him.

"Good," he replied, "we will not wage war like that anymore. A man should face his opponent face to face in battle, without treachery."

He couldn't help but study the man before him, his eyes trailing from his angular face downward. Lanius glanced at a damp patch of sweat on his clothes, a small trail of black hair on his stomach visible underneath the flimsy jumpsuit. Vulpes certainly changed in a few years, becoming bewitchingly pretty. But he was staring.

Quickly, Lanius tried to focus on something else other than attempting to see through the jumpsuit. It was then that he saw the electronic device on his arm.

"What is that?" he frowned, pointing at the device.

Vulpes couldn't hide his unease as he looked at his arm.

"It's a pip-boy," he replied, "it was given to me to keep track of where I was in the casino. It has a set of maps, as well as radio tuning and item logging."

He didn't care. The Legion didn't use devices like that.

"Get rid of it," Lanius ordered. He wouldn't have a top officer sullied by the very thing that helped destroy the world.

The Butcher watched as Vulpes slowly removed the device and handed it to him. He was visibly reluctant to give it away, and Lanius knew instantly that he made the correct decision. Sighing, he waved his hand to dismiss Vulpes and told him to get a meal and a bath.

He still wasn't quite sure what to do with Vulpes, but his purpose would be revealed in time.

Six could see the billow of smoke from the cocktail lounge, and it set off a wave of panic deep in her stomach. Where was it coming from?

The Courier abandoned her plants and ran for the elevator, shouting for securitrons to follow her. They ran out of the Strip, ignoring people's questions as to where the fire was located. As she ran, a securitron informed her about what was going on.

"Yes Man is attempting to contain the situation," it said, "the NCR Sharecropper farms are on fire."

This was very bad. They were going to use the abandoned farm to help their independence efforts, as well as provide food for Freeside's poor.

Six left Freeside and ran toward the column of smoke, watching as securitrons and people ran back and forth from any available water pumps. Inside the chain-link fence, the NCR's abandoned crops burned; they hadn't been watered for the two weeks up to the NCR leaving, leaving the farm dry as a pack of matches.

Securitrons pumped water into large tubs as quickly as possible before pouring them on the blaze. At other pumps, people did the same with buckets, knowing the importance of the farm. But their efforts had been for nothing; the fire destroyed all of the crops and some of the equipment.

Six tried to keep it together as townspeople turned to her and asked what they should do. Some were sad, others, angry that they gave up what the NCR could have provided.

One of the securitrons wheeled up to her, its face switching to Yes Man's smile. Six let out a sigh of relief, knowing that Yes Man would know what to do.

"Everyone," Six announced, "this is Yes Man. He's the one that made it possible for us to throw the NCR out, and he'll make it possible that we can survive this. He has access to all of Mr. House's old data and can calculate the best possible decision to make in every circumstance. Yes Man exists to further the interests of the people, not the interests of House, the NCR, or the Legion."

The crowd murmured among themselves, frowning at the robot in their midst. Six hoped that Yes Man's reprogramming gave him a better grasp on how to talk to people, or they could have another mob on their hands.

"I understand the importance of having a person involved in this," it said, "because humans don't trust bots very well. That's why I've chosen Six and her companions to act as go-betweens. We're going to send out an announcement on Radio New Vegas today, asking for the nearby towns to send representatives for their new government. We're going to assess everyone's needs and go from there. A big part of this is making sure that Freeside and Westside get food."

People nodded as the bot spoke. Perhaps they were still uneasy with having a robot running their government, but Six was confident that in time, they would get used to it and even grow to like Yes Man.

"What will be in this radio announcement?" a man in the crowd shouted.

"I'm so glad you asked," Yes Man replied, "we'll be calling for representatives, as well as calling for traders and people who want to work. The ultimate goal is to generate revenue from tourism as well as start some vineyards."

"Vineyards?" another asked, scratching his head.

"Wine farms," the bot replied, "grapes do well in dry ground. We'll also be asking the Followers of the Apocalypse to help with education. Apparently, Freeside and Westside have a sixty-seven percent illiteracy rate, and that's no good. Everyone should be able to read."

"Sounds good," the man drawled, "maybe we'll like our robot overlord."

"My calculations say that the majority of you will," Yes Man said.

The crowd began to disperse, and some walked around the farm, seeing what could be salvaged. Yes Man told Six to meet him back at the Lucky 38, and the Courier nodded. They had to make the message.

She left a group of securitrons with the people to keep order and make sure nobody got hurt sifting through the rubble. Making her way through Freeside, Six trudged her way up the stairs to the Lucky 38. As she rode the elevator up to the penthouse, the Courier wondered what could have caused the fire.

The elevator doors opened and Six hurried down the stairs to where Yes Man waited.

"Hello again!" it greeted, "You're probably wondering what caused the fire."

Six nodded slowly, afraid to hear what Yes Man had to say.

"Well," it replied, "the NCR decided that they didn't want to give us that farm and put it on timed charges. Pretty mean, huh? It's like if they can't have Vegas, then nobody can."

It didn't surprise her in the least. This kind of attitude was exactly why she wanted to get rid of the NCR's presence in New Vegas to begin with.

"But don't worry," Yes Man continued, "there's a seventy six percent chance that we'll all make it through this just fine."

Six frowned. There was still the chance that they wouldn't make it. Besides, Yes Man had been wrong about Vulpes being a Legion agent.

But being afraid didn't matter; Six committed to this, and she would see it through to the end.