Chapter Summary: Beth, Boone, and Arcade return to Vegas, then head out to Camp Forlorn Hope where Arcade makes a new friend. They then continue on to Camp Golf where Beth and Boone have a conversation with Chief Hanlon.

Chapter 24: All Along the Watchtower

A couple of days away from Vegas had given Beth a chance to cool off and she wasn't as upset with Mr. House as she had been when she left. She still wasn't okay with him knowing so much about her, but there was nothing to be done about that now. Besides, she wanted to keep an eye on him and his massive robot army. Having used the Platinum Chip to activate the securitrons at Fortification Hill, she was responsible for whatever he chose to do with them.

"I am pleased that you have decided to come back," Mr. House said upon her arrival to the Penthouse. "There is much to do."

"Let me be clear about one thing," she said, putting a hand on her hip. "I'm still not okay with you invading my privacy. If I'm going to work with you, I need to be able to trust you." She noticed the securitrons that had previously stood guard near the console were now absent. Even though she didn't pose much threat to Mr. House with or without them, she supposed it was a small gesture of goodwill.

"Of course, Ms. Evans."

"And you can drop the formal address. I think you know me well enough to call me by my first name."

"Very well. Elizabeth."

She resisted the urge to groan. "Elizabeth" had always sounded too long and bulky to her. The only people she could remember calling her that had been Overseer Almodovar and her father when he had been really angry with her, which hadn't been often.

"So what exactly do you want me to do next, Mr. House?" While he might know her reasonably well, she still didn't know much about him, so she wasn't about to start calling him "Robert."

"The Boomers at Nellis, perhaps you have heard of them?"

"The isolationists up north?" she said with a raised eyebrow. "Yeah, no one gets within a mile of Nellis without being blown up. What about them?"

"I want you to make contact."

She barked out a laugh. "What part of 'being blown up' was unclear? You want me to go on a suicide mission?"

"I have confidence in your resourcefulness, even if you don't. I'm sure you'll find a way. The Boomers possess a great deal of firepower, both pre-war and newly manufactured, no doubt. I want it in my arsenal or for them to at least be neutral."

This was a ridiculous request, but also somewhat intriguing. Previously, she hadn't given much thought to the Boomers, as people called them. Now, she wondered who they were and why they chose to keep the outside world away so violently. "Do you have any more information about them?"

"They began occupying Nellis Air Force Base approximately fifty years ago. One of my securitrons observed their arrival...before it was blown up."

"Blown up?" she repeated. "I'm seeing a pattern here."

"From their clothing and Pip-Boys, they appeared to be former vault dwellers. That's all I know about them."

Thoughtfully, she glanced out the window to see the bright lights of the Vegas Strip illuminating the otherwise darkened evening. She looked back to the screen. "Seems like it would be best to just let them be."

"I might concur, if it were not for those howitzers of theirs. One can't allow indeterminate variables to rattle around in equations like that. They have to be accounted for, one way or another. Once the battle for the Dam begins between the Legion and the NCR, I need to know exactly how the Boomers will factor in."

She supposed he had a point. Without knowing their motives, the Boomers could have an unpredictable effect when the inevitable Second Battle for Hoover Dam took place. "Okay. I'll see what I can do," she said unenthusiastically.

"Very good." At that, the screen flashed "Connection Lost" and stayed that way.

"Your manners leave something to be desired, you know that?" she said with annoyance to the screen and trudged back up the stairs to the elevator.

Once again, Boone was pacing around the suite at the Lucky 38, waiting for Beth to get back from a meeting with Mr. House. It was becoming a familiar pattern that he wasn't enjoying. Unlike last time, Arcade was also there, but he wasn't sure if that was better or worse. Things were still strained between them after their exchange at Foxtrot. As pissed off as Boone had been at the time, part of him couldn't blame Arcade for being confrontational. In the doctor's place, he probably would have reacted even more strongly.

He decided to go into the kitchen to see if there was any beer in the fridge and he found Arcade poking through the cupboards. Boone cleared his throat to announce his presence.

Without turning, the doctor said, "Looks like the kitchen has been well-stocked since the last time I was here."

"House's robots must have done it," Boone answered. The food had been pretty well depleted when he and Beth had left. He had also noticed that the beds had been made and there were fresh towels in the bathroom.

Arcade stood up with a pot in his hands and turned around. "I really wish I knew what she was thinking working with him, but I suppose I should ask her."

Boone grunted in agreement. While she had told him about the general plan with House, it would be better if she explained it to Arcade herself. It would sound less insane than if he tried to.

"Any preference for dinner?" the doctor asked, changing the subject abruptly and setting the pot on the stove. "I was thinking chili."

"Sounds good."

"Chili it is." He set the pot on the stove, then rummaged through the fridge, pulling out vegetables.

"I could help," Boone offered, still standing in the doorway.

"Sure, if you want. Dice the onions for me?"

He nodded, walking over to the counter where there was already a chef's knife set on a cutting board. As he diced, Arcade took a package of what appeared to be some kind of chopped meat and added it to the pot. It made a satisfying sizzle as it hit the hot metal.

"Hey...I wanted to apologize for yesterday," Arcade said, sprinkling salt into the pot.

"Oh?"

"I'm still not okay with the situation, with you two fighting the Legion, but I could have handled it better, so I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it." He paused a moment, not knowing what else to say, then resumed working.

"Beth says you're a good guy and it's obvious you really care about her."

"I do." In fact, he cared more about her than he did about anyone else alive. Even with his aviators on, the onions were starting to burn his eyes. He blinked sharply and turned his face away as he chopped. After a couple of minutes, he asked, "This a small enough dice?"

Arcade looked over at the board. "Yeah, that's perfect. Thanks." He took the board from him and raked the onions into the pot. "You're pretty good at that."

"Hm."

"Who taught you?"

"Grandmother."

"That must be nice. I never knew any of my grandparents." There was a tinge of sadness to his voice, then he cleared his throat. "You could do the jalapenos and carrots next." He handed back the board. "By the way, you know not to let Beth anywhere near a stove, right?"

"Huh?"

"She's good at a lot of things, but if she tried to boil water, I swear she'd burn this whole building down. Don't let her anywhere near food unless it's to kill it or eat it."

Now that Arcade mentioned it, any time she had been the one to cook, most of the meal usually ended up charred. He supposed growing up with a single father in a vault hadn't given her much chance to learn things like cooking. "Good to know."

The two of them continued cooking and chopping in companionable silence until they heard the elevator ding. Beth poked her head into the kitchen.

"There you guys are. What's for dinner?" she asked brightly.

Her cheerful demeanor made Boone smile with relief. At least her meeting with House seemed to have gone better than the last time.

"Chili," Arcade answered as he took the cutting board from Boone again and added more chopped vegetables to the pot.

"Fantastic." Beth approached the fridge, which made Arcade look apprehensive for a moment, as though worried she was going to try to help, but all she did was retrieve a beer. She popped the cap off and stashed it in her pocket, then sat down at the table.

"What did Mr. House say?"

Taking a sip of her beer and setting it down, she answered, "He wants me to get in contact with the Boomers."

"How the hell does he expect you to do that?" Boone asked, putting the knife down and turning around to face her. As far as he knew, no one had ever managed to successfully communicate with the Boomers. The NCR had certainly tried.

"That's an excellent question," Arcade said.

Beth sighed. "I don't know, but I have a few days to think about it while we go to Forlorn Hope. I'll think of something."

They managed to reach Camp Forlorn Hope by early afternoon. From what Arcade could see, the soldiers looked disheartened and the conditions of the camp were sparse. Beth insisted that things looked better now than they had when she and Craig had visited there previously. He wondered how much worse it had been before.

After stashing their packs in a small vacant tent, their next stop was at the medical station, since Beth said she wanted to check on things there. Inside was dark and musty. The smell of blood and antiseptic filled Arcade's nostrils. A tall man in a bloodied t-shirt and dark pants stood over one of the beds where a trooper was lying with his head and arm bandaged.

Beth announced their presence, "Alex?"

"Hey, welcome back," the man greeted, setting his clipboard down on a nearby table and walking over to them. "I didn't think you would be back so soon."

"We had some business in camp and thought we'd stop by to see how things were going here."

"Well, you'll be happy to know that Private Jenkins was taken to Camp McCarran yesterday. In a couple of weeks, he should be fit for transport back home to Shady Sands."

"That's good to hear," she replied with a sad smile.

"Was that one of the men you helped last time?" Craig asked.

Beth nodded. "Yeah, the double-amputee. I'm glad he's on his way home, at least." She fidgeted uncomfortably in silence for a moment before abruptly gesturing to Arcade. "Alex, this is my dear friend Dr. Arcade Gannon. Arcade, this is Dr. Richards."

Alex's handsome, weathered face broadened into a smile. He reached out a hand and shook Arcade's in a firm grip. "Pleased to meet you."

"You, too," Arcade returned, staring a moment into the other doctor's clear blue eyes.

He pointed to the emblem on Arcade's lab coat. "I see you're with the Followers. They help a lot of people. I've always admired their work."

Arcade glanced down at the symbol over his heart and fidgeted with the collar of his coat. "Yes, thank you. We try."

Beth spoke up again, "If you need any help, Alex, I'm sure Arcade would be happy to assist."

"Always good to have an extra pair of hands," Dr. Richards said.

"So much for my vacation," Arcade mumbled sarcastically, which made Beth glare at him with equal sarcasm.

"Anyway, Boone and I need to talk to some people," she said. "We'll be back later." With that, she and Craig left the tent, leaving Arcade alone with Dr. Richards.

Looking around, he could see that all but two of the beds were taken up by injured troopers.

"How can I help, Doctor?" Arcade asked.

"Please, call me Alex." Picking up his clipboard, he flipped through the pages. "Private Taggart over there needs his bandages changed," he said, pointing to the trooper in the far corner. "Sergeant Vega is due to come in soon to get his stitches out. Everyone else is stable for the time being."

"Are you the only doctor here?" Arcade asked.

"Yup, it's just me," Alex said. "I had an assistant physician until about six months ago. They reassigned her to the Dam. The NCR is anticipating the Legion attack and they want to be ready. All I have is a nurse who takes the night shift."

"Seems like they need to focus more on the front-lines out here. This camp looks to be in dire need of resources."

"I did my best to make that argument, but I don't make the final call. At the end of the day, all I can do is keep my head down, do my job the best I can, and hope I'm making a difference."

For one man to be responsible for the medical care of this entire camp on the edge of a war zone was baffling to Arcade. He didn't always agree with everything those in charge of the Followers decided either, but they never made decisions that actively put lives in jeopardy. The Old Mormon Fort wasn't exactly state-of-the-art, but at least they were fully staffed with doctors and nurses. The NCR was far from perfect, but these were good people who deserved better. He felt an unexpected affinity with this weary, yet still idealistic doctor.

Just as he was about to help change Taggart's bandages, two soldiers burst into the tent carrying another whose legs looked badly injured. "We have wounded!" one of them shouted.

Alex immediately dropped what he was doing and rushed over. "What happened?"

"Legion attack. One of the fuckers tossed a grenade near an old truck and it exploded."

Together, the two doctors treated two troopers for varying levels of burns and shrapnel wounds. Arcade had plenty of experience treating injuries, but mostly gunshots and stabbings. Wounds from explosives were on another level of trauma he wasn't used to. Overall, it was challenging and tiring work, far more so than his research at the Fort, but also far more rewarding. Here, at least, his awkward and abrupt bedside manner didn't matter as much. These patients were either unconscious or in too much pain to care what he was saying, much less how he said it.

After an intense few hours, they were able to stabilize the troopers. Only then were he and Alex able to take a much-needed respite. The two of them sat in the far corner of the medical tent where Arcade brewed some sweetened broc flower tea.

"So is this what every day is like for you?" Arcade asked, handing Alex a cup.

"Not every day, but a lot of days, yeah. I'd like to say you get used to it, but you don't. Patching up the ones you can just so they can go out and fight again isn't much easier to deal with than those you can't help." He took a sip of his tea. "Anyway, I'm grateful you were here."

"You're welcome. It was nice to feel useful. I don't treat patients much these days."

"Oh?" Alex said, seeming surprised. "Why is that?"

Arcade drank from his cup and set it down. "I'm mainly a researcher. Not a particularly good one." He shrugged. His research had been stagnant for a while now and he had been reluctant to ask Julie to give him more clinic hours, although he was always on-call for emergencies. While he was proud to be one of the Followers, part of him had always felt like he was an outsider among them. He stayed on the periphery, never showing too much ambition or initiative that he drew attention to himself. Today, despite how grueling and difficult it was, he felt like he had actually made a difference.

"Maybe that's not what you should be doing. You're a talented doctor, Arcade," he said sincerely. "Seeing you work today, I couldn't have done better myself. Don't sell yourself short."

"I've been told my bedside manner is somewhat lacking."

Alex raised an eyebrow and smirked. "I might have to test that out for myself." At first, Arcade wasn't sure if he was flirting, then he put his hand on Arcade's arm and said, "You've certainly been good for my morale."

"Um...that's good." Arcade felt his cheeks grow warm.

"I'm sorry. Am I making you uncomfortable?"

"No, no. Not at all." He smiled back.

"Good." Alex leaned in and looked into his eyes. "Can I kiss you?"

It was surprisingly bold and Arcade had not expected it. He glanced around to make sure no one was watching and when he saw they were well-hidden behind the privacy screen, he nodded. Alex tilted his head and leaned forward until their lips met. Arcade reminded himself to relax and enjoy the moment as their tongues caressed and ran along each others' lips. He felt Alex's hand on the back of his neck, pulling him closer. The other man's breath tasted sweet from the tea and he felt the brush of beard growth on the edge of his mouth.

In that moment, Arcade wanted nothing more than to pull the man's clothes off and see if the empty gurney could handle both their weight, but caught himself. He pulled back slowly, breaking the kiss and feeling a bit breathless.

"I've been thinking about doing that since the second I saw you," Alex said with a sly smile. "Didn't know if I would get the chance."

"Glad you did."

"Nurse Cobb will be here in a few minutes for the night shift. Do you want to continue this in my tent? It's not far."

He wanted to say yes, but hesitated. Although he had been with his share of men, with Alex, there was an extra complication: he was in the NCR army. Arcade knew he shouldn't let himself get too close. It was one thing to be friendly with him, maybe even to kiss him, but actually going to his bed? There was too much risk. Part of him also couldn't help but think about what his family would say.

"I should get to sleep," Arcade said, standing up. "We're heading out in the morning." He wasn't sure that was true, since he hadn't talked to Beth, but he needed to make an excuse.

Alex eyed him with enticement. "Say goodbye before you leave?" It was something Arcade would never have been direct enough to say to a man. He always flirted, dropped hints, and made jokes, but he had never been so forward. Here was a man who wasn't afraid to come right out and ask for what he wanted. It was insanely attractive.

"Um...I'll try. Beth likes to leave early."

"I'm usually up early."

"Okay."

"But if I don't see you, I'll be sure to look for you the next time I'm in Vegas."

Before he could second-guess himself, he replied, "Please do." He took a last look at Alex, wishing things were different, before he abruptly left the medical tent.

When he returned to the tent where they had stashed their packs, he found Beth and Craig sound asleep, cuddled together on one small cot, leaving the other for him. Quietly, he draped his lab coat over a chair, removed his shoes, and lay down.

Turning his head to look at the sleeping couple, he felt wistful. They looked so content, like they belonged together. How nice would it be to have someone like that, too? He closed his eyes and thought of the handsome, bold doctor, wishing for a love he knew he could never have. Lovers made poor confidants, he reminded himself.

The next morning, the three companions rose before the sun to get an early start. Beth filled Arcade in on what Tech Sergeant Reyes had said and how they'd been tasked with talking to Chief Hanlon at Camp Golf, since he was the one who had signed the false reports from the rangers stations.

Before they left, Arcade said he had to stop off at the the medical tent because he had forgotten something. As he walked away, Beth couldn't help but smirk.

"What?" Boone asked her.

"Nothing. He's just full of it," she said.

"Full of what?"

"He didn't forget anything. He wants to see Doctor Richards."

He looked at her skeptically. "And how do you know that?"

"Because I know Arcade. I saw how he got all flushed when Alex shook his hand. Plus, he didn't come back to the tent until well after we went to bed. Didn't you notice how he was glancing around expectantly during breakfast?"

"Not really. Is that why you made such a point to leave him alone with Richards yesterday? And why you didn't go back to fill him in on what Sergeant Reyes said?"

"I didn't want to bother them."

"Do you always meddle in people's love lives like this?" He raised an eyebrow with a smirk.

"No. Not unless they need it. And trust me, Arcade needs it. Now shush, before he comes back."

The three proceeded to Camp Golf. Arcade was uncharacteristically quiet during the trip, Beth observed, and he seemed rather pensive. She wondered what had happened between him and Alex. Based on how he was acting, she could tell that something had. He and Alex had so much in common, so they seemed natural together. Maybe she had meddled too much, but Arcade was her friend and she only wanted to see him happy.

When they reached Camp Golf, Arcade said something about harvesting plants by the lake, leaving Beth and Boone alone.

"I haven't been back here since I left the army," Boone said as they walked. "This was the only resort no one wanted to get sent to."

"Why is that? It seems nice enough," she observed. The building ahead seemed to be in good condition, the grounds were surprisingly lush, and it had a nice view of Lake Las Vegas.

"It was on the front-lines. It's not as important anymore, though. They pulled most of the troops out after we took the Dam. Now they have more camps and ranger stations along the river."

"You don't talk about the Battle for the Dam much."

"Most of the important stuff you probably already know." He shrugged. "Besides, I've taken out way more legionaries with you than I ever did in the Army. Too bad you never enlisted. I think a beret would look good on you."

She scoffed. "Me?! Can you really see me in the army? Taking orders? Following rules? Saying 'yes, sir' and 'no, sir'?" She marched her feet and swung her arms stiffly, then saluted with a laugh.

He shook his head with a half grin. "No, I guess I can't."

She supposed her time in the Brotherhood sort of counted, but she was never really one of them, so most of what she did with them hadn't really been orders. "Besides, I'm not even an NCR citizen."

"That could change." Not sure what angle he was driving at, she looked him questioningly. "Uh, I mean, after all you've done for the NCR, I'm sure they'd be happy to have you. If you wanted."

Leaving his statement unanswered, she opted instead to return to the subject at hand. "So this Chief Hanlon, do you know him?"

"Not personally, but from all I've heard, he's a good man with a solid reputation. Highly decorated war hero. Commanded the Rangers during the Battle for the Dam. "

"If all that's true, why would he be the one to manipulate the intelligence data? It doesn't make any sense."

"I don't know, but if he is, that could do a lot of harm to the NCR's position. We need to find out what's going on."

"You don't think he could have been compromised, do you?"

"You mean, as in working for the Legion?" He pursed his lips. "I can't believe that."

"Let's hope there's another explanation. We should tread carefully, though, and not get too confrontational. Let him volunteer information."

"Right."

After asking around, they found Chief Hanlon on the second-floor balcony of the pre-war resort building that now served as the main headquarters of Camp Golf. With graying hair and a full beard, he was a bit older and more grizzled than Beth had expected.

"Afternoon," he greeted, casually. "What can I do for you folks?"

"Good afternoon," she greeted. "I'm Beth Evans and this is my partner, Craig Boone."

The ranger's eyes brightened in realization. "Oh, you're the Courier that folks have been talkin' about. Been doing a lot of good work for the NCR, from what I hear. What can I do for you?"

"We're investigating some intel problems for Technical Sergeant Reyes at Camp Forlorn Hope."

"What sorts of 'intel problems?" He picked up a cup from the table beside him and took a long sip.

"She told us there have been some...inconsistencies with certain reports from the Ranger stations." Beth was being deliberately vague, waiting to see if he would give something away.

"Interesting that she would wrangle someone else into sorting out the problem. But I suppose you're in the right place. A lot of intel comes through here."

"Have you noticed anything unusual lately? Anything that would be cause for concern?"

"Wouldn't say so. Coordinating intel can be messy sometimes. Things get mixed up, people get confused. That's not to say Reyes is wrong for being concerned, but it's easy for the sand to get in your eyes out here." His tone was casual and dismissive, as though such things were routine and nothing to worry about.

Then Boone spoke up. "We know you're the one who's been manipulating the intelligence data," he said bluntly.

Beth turned to her companion with wide-eyes and whispered to him through gritted teeth, "I thought we were going to be more diplomatic about this?"

"Hold on," Hanlon said, standing up and setting his cup down firmly. The expression on his face was stern. "We should go someplace more private to discuss this."

Following him inside, Beth shot her partner a scowl. She hadn't made it as far as she had by being so confrontational when trying to get information. Boone was wearing his damned aviators, so she couldn't see his eyes, but his lips were pinched and his brow was furrowed in a scowl.

Downstairs, they crammed into Hanlon's tiny office and he asked them to shut the door behind them for privacy. For someone who was supposed to be an NCR hero, so vital to the war effort, his office did not show it. There was hardly room for the desk and file cabinets, let alone three people.

Hanlon sat in his creaky chair and leaned back. "Sorting and manipulating intelligence is what I do. It's what rangers are supposed to do. So yes, I exaggerated and embellished a few things."

Beth noticed that he wasn't exactly denying Boone's accusation. "There's a difference between that and outright inventing intelligence reports," she replied.

"We've seen the logs and talked to the rangers," Boone added, crossing his arms.

"You have, have you?" Looking at the pair seriously, he explained, "It's misdirection. That's what defeated the Legion at Hoover Dam."

"Yeah, but that was misdirection of the enemy. How does spreading false intel among our own troops help anything?"

Beth was surprised Boone was taking so much of the lead on this, but she supposed military matters were more in his wheelhouse than hers.

"Back in the NCR, no one listens. No one cares. You pick up an NCR paper recently? The war with the Legion hardly ever makes the front page anymore. People forget about it. Did you know that we lose more than a thousand troopers every year out here? Sons, daughters, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters." He put his hand down on a stack of papers on his desk. "I compile the reports. I see their names, their pictures. They aren't just numbers.

"I'm trying to get someone to pay attention to what's happening out here," he continued. "And if falsifying reports about Legion super mutants is what it takes, so be it." Hanlon looked at Boone. "You were at the Battle for the Dam, weren't you, son? With First Recon."

Boone nodded. "I was."

"You've seen the cost of war and what it's taken to keep the Mojave. Can you honestly say that anyone is better off now than they were before the battle? Or have things only gotten worse? Five years later, we're still here and Caesar is just across that lake." Hanlon jabbed his finger at the air toward the wall behind Beth. "He's spitting-distance away. Every one of the rangers is a volunteer, myself included. We all signed up willing to fight and lay our lives down for the NCR, for our home, but this isn't it."

Beth looked at Boone with apprehension, not sure what he was going to say, but he said nothing. Instead, he took a half step back, as far as he could in the cramped office, and looked down at the floor.

Seeing Hanlon's face now, she realized that the man wasn't quite as old as he seemed. The weight of his job had added years onto him. This wasn't a traitor to his home. Maybe he was misguided, but in his heart, he was trying to do the right thing.

"Okay," she said. "So someone pays attention. Then what? You demoralizing your own troops is not going to stop the war. Do you want them to think they're fighting for nothing? That it's hopeless? What is that going to do? They have no choice whether they fight or not. The Legion is coming and the NCR has no intention of leaving. The only thing we can do is give them their best chance to survive and hold the Dam."

"The war can end. Oliver can't stand that rangers got credit for victory at Hoover. Whatever I recommend, he does the opposite. I say I wanted them on the ridge. He'll put them right on the western part of the dam itself. We don't have enough firepower to hold that spot. The troopers will fall back and the rangers will advance to cover Oliver's retreat. We lose the Dam, Oliver and the senate are ruined."

"That's crazy!" Boone blurted out and Beth shot him another look. "Getting people back home to pay attention, I get that, but you're talking about sabotaging the NCR's defenses!"

"Being here is what's crazy. Getting out's the only sane thing to do. The people back home have to understand that."

Beth reached her hand out and gently touched Boone's arm in an attempt to calm him. "I sympathize with your position," she said to Hanlon. "I really do, but you can't keep doing what you've been doing. We can't allow it. The only question is what we should we do about this?"

"I suppose you could turn me in, but that might do a lot more harm than good."

She had to agree. This man was a hero to so many. If word got out that he had been deliberately sowing chaos with false intelligence reports it would be demoralizing to the troops. If anyone suspected he had intended to engage in sabotage, that would be even worse. "What happens if we don't?"

"You think the Legion will stop at the Dam?" Boone asked, looking at the Chief. "I don't. They'll continue growing in strength and numbers until they're ready to take on the NCR proper."

She leaned in and put a hand on the desk, looking into Hanlon's eyes. "Listen. You have probably gotten unconfirmed reports that Caesar is dead."

Hanlon nodded. "I have."

"Well, I can confirm it. I saw it with my own eyes." She nodded to Boone who nodded back. "We both did." The Ranger studied her face, as though assessing if she was telling the truth. "This has to end here in the Mojave while the Legion is still demoralized from their loss, but if they take the Dam, there may be no stopping them."

His hands dropped to his hands that were folded in his lap and he sat there for a long moment. "You could be right. I suppose it's better to fight the Legion here and now than on our own borders." Hanlon sighed heavily and dropped his shoulders in defeat, not looking at either of them in the face. "Thank you for talking some sense into me. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to leave this office and pretend this conversation never happened." With that, he stood up squeezed past Beth and Boone to exit his office, closing the door behind him.

"That was rough," Beth said with a hard exhale.

"Yeah," Boone agreed, taking off his aviators and running a hand down his face.

"Your diplomacy skills need work, by the way."

"Sorry." He did sound apologetic.

"I guess it worked out the best it could have and it wasn't as bad as we feared. He's not a Legion spy, at least."

"At least there's that."

"I just hope he keeps his word and doesn't continue with his plan."

"I do, too."

Beth sat on the edge of the desk and looked at her companion, feeling exhausted.

"Do you think he's right, though?" he asked. "That the NCR shouldn't be here?"

"You think I want the Legion to win?!" she exclaimed, standing up.

"No, of course not! I've seen you kill too many legionaries to believe that. I'm asking if you think the NCR and House's securitrons should defeat the Legion, then House should control the Dam and send the NCR home. Isn't that what you've been planning since you activated those securitrons at the Fort?"

She was taken aback. "No, not exactly. I was hoping the NCR and House could co-exist, keep things the way they are, minus the Legion." She looked at him, confused. "If you thought that was my plan, why did you stick with me?"

"Because I knew you were a good person who was trying to do the right thing, not just pick the winning side. In time, I thought you'd see you were wrong, that the NCR would be the way to go." He let out a heavy sigh. "But I'm starting to think that it isn't."

"What?! You're not serious."

"I dunno. The NCR came out here because we needed resources. But look at the cost. Maybe it would be one thing if they could just defeat the Legion and hold the Dam, but they're trying to take over the whole region. It's not saving the NCR, it's bleeding it dry." He shook his head.

"Boone...You would really be okay with backing House over the NCR?"

He leaned back against the file cabinets and rubbed his forehead. "At the Battle for the Dam, never once did I question whether we were doing the right thing. We won. That was all that mattered. But that didn't stop the Legion and it didn't stop me from losing everything that was important to me. I trust you. If you say there's another way, that this all can end for good, then I'm with you."

"If the NCR does defeat the Legion and hold the Dam, they'll go after New Vegas next, won't they?"

He chewed his lip and nodded. "Probably."

"And with House's robot army..."

"They probably won't succeed."

"And even if they do, a lot of people are going to die." She sat back down on the desk, feeling nauseated. "Did I make a mistake?"

"It's not just you. If this was a mistake, it's mine, too. I was there every step. Besides, even without Hanlon's misdirection and sabotage, the NCR may still not be able to defeat the Legion on their own."

"The securitrons could definitely tip the odds in their favor. But then what? How do we end things peacefully after that?"

"I don't know."

"Something else to figure out. I really don't want any conflict between House and the NCR. I know he doesn't either." There was one burning question she still had. "Before you had a change of heart, what were you going to do if I didn't come around?"

"I didn't want to think about it."

"I would have chosen you." She reached out and took his hand. "I still would."

"I know that, but I didn't want to make you choose." He put his other hand to her cheek, leaned in and kissed her. When he pulled back, he looked into her eyes intently and it seemed like he was going to say something important, but then dropped his hand from her cheek and said, "We should go."

"Yeah. Arcade's probably wondering what's keeping us." With that, Boone replaced his sunglasses and the two of them left Hanlon's office.