Chapter 2: Pain in me Arse!

"Hu?" Cait mumbled as she lifted her head off her sleeping bag. The pounding sensation reminded her of the last fight. "Fucking vault bitch." She ran a hand through her hair before reaching for her bag, noticing a lack of chems. "Shite." She hissed, slowly lifting herself off the lumpy sack. Her light footsteps echoed down the empty hall before the sound of laughter drowned it out.

"What the hell are you two on about?" Cait grumbled as she loomed in the office doorway. "Ah! Cait good to see you awake!" Tommy chimed, popping the cap off a beer. "Here you earned it champ!" He smiled as he handed the red head the drink. "Why so happy? I lost to this fu..." She stopped herself when her eyes landed on the giddy woman sitting right across from them. "No hard feelings Cait~" Nora slurred, taking another swig of her drink. "Your loss is my gain little bird! I finally made some money for a change. Your winnings were becoming too predictable." Tommy chuckled. "Hu, well I wish you two weren't so loud about it." Cait hissed, pressing the not so cold beer to her aching head. "Sorry sweetie ~ here this should help." Nora kindly handed over a tin of mentats. "Sweetie?" Cait questioned before taking the chem. Who was she to turn it down? Tommy watched the exchange. He wanted to stop it for Cait's sake but she did get clobbered in the head. "Hay, I want to ask for a favor." He started, looking Nora in the eyes. "Sure, shoot." She chuckled. "I want you to take on Cait's contract." He began.

"What!?" The red head slammed her fist down onto the desk. "You're making me broke little bird, not to mention your addiction."

Nora eyed the red head, "Why should I?" She smirked, trying to act level headed through her drunken haze. "She's a good fighter, and if she'd get herself clean she'd probably be even better."

"What dose Cait think?" (N)

"Ya! Don't I get a say in this?" (C)

"That's not how contracts work." (T)

Nora stood up from her seat and looked the red head in the eyes for a moment before speaking, "Do you want to leave? I'll only take you if you want me to. I must warn you though, I'll bring nothing but trouble."

Looking through the sparkling pair of gray eyes, Cait smirked, "Is that a promise?" The two women chuckled together before Cait groaned in pain. "It's a deal then." Tommy stretched before heading to the door. "If anything happens to Cait I'll make sure you pay for it. I'll gut you from testicles to eye balls."

Silence stayed between the two as they walked through the Commonwealth. Cait held her own in fights but never really engaged in helping the other. She wasn't impressed when they hit Sanctuary. Barely standing houses weren't new nor was the miserable people who walked along the streets. "Welcome back General." Preston called as he jogged up to the two. "General?" Cait questioned but didn't interrupt. "How are things Preston?" Nora smiled as she hopped out of her crippled power armor. "We could use some more food and water, but we seem to be living just fine."

"Mm, mind if I take a look at the garden?" (N)

"Not at all." (P)

The three headed to the back of one house and Cait couldn't hold back a chuckle. "You guys are livin on this? A rad roach eats more then that."

"Thanks Cait." Nora shot a glare at her companion before taking a few gourds out of her bag to plant. "I'll try to bring back more next time Preston."

"Every little bit counts General."

The night air nipped at Cait's shoulders while she stirred a large pot before her. "Any idea on when we're going to eat?" She whined as a shiver ran down her back. "It should be good now. Thanks for taking over, my arm was killing me." Nora smiled as she handed over a portion of the stew. "That hammer doesn't do you any favors." Cait chirped as she took the first taste. She didn't want to admit how good her first 'home cooked' meal out in the commonwealth was, but her face gave her away. "Good? It would have been better if my kitchen was still in one peace." Nora chuckled softly. "So you really lived here, before the war?" The red head took a large bite and leaned closer to the fire. "Yes. The vault I was frozen in is just up the hill."

Cait could tell that Nora didn't want to talk about it anymore, so she focused on eating. To her it was almost better then a shot of psycho. The silence grew under the moon. Sparks from the fire popped, and when Nora looked up she noticed the red head was barely holding the ceramic bowl. Green eyes hidden behind closed lids, and red hair draped forward. Nora smiled as she set her bowl down. "Looks like bed time." She proclaimed, shuffling over to Cait as quietly as possible. Lightly touching her arms, Nora noticed scaring and how muscular Cait was. "You're a tough Irish girl alright. You're freezing!" She gasped before silencing herself. She scooped her arm under the other's legs and gently lifted her, feeling the tightly wound muscles on her fingertips. Taking each movement with caution as thoughts ran through her mind.

'It's our first day and she could possibly be sick?! I should get her a jacket or something, that corset will be the death of her.' Nora looked down and noticed Cait's chest was visible from that particular angle. "Oh for the love of ..." She freed up a hand and tightened the loose top. She could feel the other's back tighten from the touch. "You need to lay off the psycho miss mussels." Nora whispered playfully, laying the red head on her bed. She headed to the living room and laid on the newly repaired coach. "Only tonight." She nuzzled the arm before drifting off.

Soft hums left Cait's lips as she turned over in the soft covers. Her body felt heavy and ached as she lifted her head, eyeing the unfamiliar room. "When did I get here?" She groaned, looking out the window gave her a better idea. "This must be her room then." Cait grabbed her pulsing arm and stumbled into the hallway, and to the bathroom. She opened the mirror and her green orbs widened at the verity of different chems, neatly organized and in large quantities. "Jackpot!" Cait chimed as she stuffed a few in her bag before shooting some psycho into her pleading body. "That's the shit." Cait smirked before eyeing a few jets towards the sink. "Eh~ why not?" She took a hit and man did it feel good. She felt so fast walking into the living room. "Morning sleepy head." Nora smiled as she placed a few boxes of food into her bag. "Ready to go?"

"Fuck ya I am!" Cait held herself together as best as she could, but her grin just couldn't stop. "Mmm~ you feeling alright?" Nora asked lifting a hand up to Cait's forehead before getting it pushed away. "Oh I'm great! Let's go!" Cait was out the door before Nora could stop her. "She found my stash..." Nora sighed before following out the door. "Let's go boy." She called, and just like that the three were off.

"Be careful Cait. Dog meat is on edge." Nora warned. "Don't get your panties in a wad." The red head huffed as she continued to take the lead. Barks caught Nora's attention. "Cait!"

"What is it now?" She huffed in response before fear was literally slammed into her. A DeathClaw had been roaming the area and now it was snapped it's jaws right above Cait's nose. "Shite!" She breathed in shock. "Get off her!" Nora pulled out her newly constructed shot gun and took a shot. The two clasped hands as the beast shook off the shock. "Let's go!" Nora shouted, pulling her dazed ally along. "I'm not scared!" Cait shouted, yanking her hand away to pull out her own gun. "Live to fight another day!" Nora demanded. "Fuck that!" Was hissed in response.

Cross, annoyed, and grief couldn't describe how Nora felt. She didn't even want to look at Cait, let alone talk to her. "I've never had DeathClaw before!" The red head chimed in satisfaction as she tended the fire. Not a word passed Nora's lips as she continued to cut through the slain beast. "You're pretty tough, that monster didn't see it coming!" Cait smirked before it fell. "Nora? What's wrong?"

Anger took hold; biting back her words became difficult for the vault dweller. "You almost got yourself killed! Why didn't you listen?"

"Runnin away would make us look weak, but look what you can do!" Cait pointed out the kill. Nora growled, biting back her next words. Cait continued, "You're a pain in me arse!"

Nora took a beep breath, dropping her carving knife. Cait backed away as Nora came closer. "What? You gonna kill me?" She spat as the other gently took hold of her arm. "What are you...?"

"You're hurt." (N)

"Shut up I'm fine." (C)

The strained muscles looked ripped through like snapped guitar strings. "Oh Cait can't you feel that?"

"What are you on about? It's just a scratch."

"Your arm could have been ripped off."

"It's gonna take more then...Hu?"

Cait looked into the eyes of her partner. They were soft and full of... tears?! "Nora!?" She rested a hand on the wanderer's back. "You need to be more careful." Nora scolded as she jabbed a stimpack into the so called scratch, making Cait recoil in pain. "Shite! That hurt!"

"Good, you're psycho is fading."

"How did you...?"

"Just looking at you give's it away."

A smirk stretched across Cait's face, "Maybe you should pay more attention to the road and not me arse."

Nora couldn't help but chuckle, backing away to once again cut at the dead creature. "Just don't be a pain in my ass alright. You're too strong to be acting like a damsel in distress."

"Well you're too pretty to be me knight in dusty armor."

Nora chuckled once more, "Calling me pretty now? I'm flattered."

"Oh shut up, the fire is ready." Cait couldn't tell if it was the fire or her body, but something was turning up the heat.