They reside in Zion with the Burned Man and his tribe. Joshua teaches Flora of his God, one that loves and forgives. It is through his teachings that she is able to soothe the hurt and rage that festers in her heart. Watching the children play in the pristine waters of the Virgin River, Flora finds the peace she is searching for. Even the chill of winter is delightful as they settle into their new lives. For three years all she has is bright days and pleasant nights.
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. That spring Joshua falls ill, no amount of praying nor beseeching the Father in the Caves alleviate the suffering of the former Legate. Flora volunteers to go to New Vegas to obtain medicine but is stopped by Joshua's firm refusal. A high fever sets in, causing moments of confusion. During those times the Burned Man reverts back to his former Legion ways, yelling out orders and lashing out at those around him. A quick search of the Old World buildings in the area only provides enough medicine to momentarily bring his fever down. During a period of lucidity, Joshua makes her promise to continue looking forward, no matter what obstacles lay ahead. All things happen for a reason, are his final words to her.
He dies a few days later. Flora mourns the death of her close friend, Joshua had saved her from a slow death of tightly held rage and misery. He accepted her as she was, never asking for anything but an open heart.
Though welcome to stay with the Sorrows, Flora thought it best to leave. With heavy hearts, the family continues on the trade route heading North. They finally stop when one of the wagon wheels break, stranding the family in a small town at the base of King Mountain. Finding employment at the Lonely Bighorn, Flora supplements their income with hunting and the gathering of wild herbs. Within a year, she has enough caps to purchase a run down house sitting on two acres of land. It was hard work but eventually the run down house becomes a home.
Five years had past since they fled from the Legion.
"Mom! Mom!," Castor calls as he runs into house, "There are soldiers in the valley!"
"What?!," Flora calls from the kitchen, putting down the mixing bowl as her fifteen years old twins burst into the small room.
The boys bear an uncannily resemblance to their father with sparkling blue eyes and lanky frames, fortunately they did not carry his temper nor other unsavory characteristics.
"Mercenaries!," Pollux corrects. "Mr. Wilson said it was squad of them and they paid in gold coin."
Flora narrows her eyes at this, traders and travelers alike paid with caps, very few paid with gold.
"What did they look like?," she asks.
"I don't know," Pollux said shrugging his shoulders. "Mr. Wilson just said they look like mercenaries."
Flora shakes her head, "Go and get cleaned up, lunch is almost ready."
Setting the table, she hears the front door open behind her.
"It's about time," she calls over her shoulder as she places plates on the table.
Harold had been a tremendous help with managing the homestead. Refusing any form of monetary payment, the old widower settles for home cooked meals and company. Flora turns to greet her old friend but is surprised. Instead she finds an unknown man looking around, the front door open behind him. Gathering herself, Flora approaches to ask the man who he is and what did he think he is doing, when another man walks into her house. The air stills as she gasps in shock, drawing eyes to her. Standing in her living room is a man she thought she'd never see again.
"Hello Flora," Vulpes greets.
Before she can respond, the children bound into the room rushing past her in a whoop of excitement at the sudden appearance of their long lost father. The Emperor disappears under a mountain of children, their happy cries bringing a smile to his face. Only the youngest child hangs back, her small arms wrapped around her mother's legs. She does not know her father, being a newborn at the time of the family's escape. Vulpes notices the small child and approaches, kneeling before her. Helen hides behind her mother's leg with Flora placing a hand upon her daughter's tiny head.
"Hello child," he says softly. "What is your name?"
"That's Helen," Castor says over Vulpes' shoulder.
"She's five," Celeste adds.
"Do you know who I am?, " he asks.
Helen shakes her little head.
"I'm your father," Vulpes announces with a gentle smile. "You were just a baby last I saw you."
Flora kneels down beside her daughter, brushing the dark hair away from the child's face.
"This is your father. Remember how I told you he had gone away?"
Helen nods, her blue eyes darting to Vulpes.
"He is here now, you want to give him a hug?"
The small child shakes her head before burying her face in her mother's arms.
Vulpes smiles, "It's okay little one. There will be time for us to get to know each other."
He looks at Flora, a true smile upon his face, "Mars be praised, we are together again."
Despite the joy surrounding her, Flora can't help the feeling of sorrow that settles on her shoulders.
Lunch is a noisy affair. Vulpes looks very pleased, sitting at the end of the table where Harold should have sat. Flora gives a brief wondering to the older man and his whereabouts. The children continue to hound after Vulpes' attention each speaking over the other. She studies the man that sits before her. Ruling an empire has aged him Flora thinks spying threads of silver in his dark hair and faint wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. His sharp gaze is unchanged as he catches her assessing him. Flashing another warm smile, Vulpes winks at her. Despite her uncertainty, the action draws a smile from her, giving rise to that smirk that she always found attractive.
Much to her surprise, Vulpes assists with the cleanup. On the inside, Flora bristles at his intrusion but for the children's sake, she plasters on a mild smile.
"What?," he grins.
"The Emperor doing dishes," she replies.
"I can cook too," he whispers.
"I remember, that stew of yours wasn't half bad."
"Wasn't half good either," he chuckles.
The rest of the day passes quickly with the children pulling Vulpes every which way. The twins show him their pelts, collected from the mountain. Celeste sings song after song. By the end of the night Helen sat nestled in his lap, her sleeping form cradled in his arms. As the older children struggle to stay awake, Flora urges them to bed. They finally trudge off when Vulpes assures them he will still be there in the morning. Returning from putting the children to bed, she finds the living room empty. The front door is cracked, indicating where her husband slunk off to. Taking a deep breath, Flora steels herself as she joins him on the front porch. In the growing darkness, she can just make out the Praetorian Guard that encircle her tiny home.
"You and your men are welcome to stay the night," Flora says. "This place is quite secure."
"I know," Vulpes replies breezily. "We've already checked it out."
Flora thinks about the noises she heard last night before giving her estranged husband a swat.
"Asshole, that was you last night!"
Vulpes gives a roguish grin before taking her hand.
Not only had they checked the property last night but he had crept into her home too.
He had to know.
Despite having several children during their time apart, a time which he truly thought her dead, the thought of finding a man living with her upset him greatly. Walking carefully, Vulpes searches the common rooms for any such signs and much to his relief found none. Satisfied, Vulpes left as quietly as he entered vowing that he would rest besides his wife again.
"Does your wife know you are here?," Flora asks, uncertain if she wants to hear his answer.
"I don't know," he says. "Do you know I'm here?"
Flora gives him an unamused look, to which he chuckles.
"I never remarried."
Flora chuffs, "That must have pissed Miranda off to no end. After all, you were willing to set me aside for her."
"Even kill," she adds after a brief pause.
The sounds of the night fills the lull in conversation as the moon begins to crest the hillside.
"It was never my intent to kill you," Vulpes says quietly.
"Sure fooled me," Flora says, attempting to free her hand. "If it hadn't been for Wren, I would have truly died, all of us."
"Why would I want to kill my children?," he growls, his grip tightening.
"I don't know," Flora says sharply, growing increasingly agitated that he would not let go of her. "Why were you so taken with her? What did she have that I didn't?! I fought a war with you! What had she done?"
Growing frustrated with how the conversation was going, Flora abruptly stands to leave but is yanked down by his firm grasp.
"Don't," Vulpes says.
"Please," he adds. "Listen to what I have to say."
"Let go of me," she demands.
"It was Miranda," he blurts. "She organised the attack, I knew nothing of it until after it happened."
Flora stills, her mouth hanging open, the words running through her brain until they click. Her first thoughts were in regards to that station climbing whore and an intense desire to bring her immense physical harm when a second thought pops into her mind, one that makes her giggle then outright laugh. Vulpes frowns upon hearing her laugh, eyeing his rediscovered beloved with concern.
"Why are you laughing?," he asks tensely.
"You didn't know?," she asks with incredulous tone. "How could you not? Weren't you at one time Head of the Frumentarii?"
Vulpes' frown turns into an intense scowl as he glares at her, finally releasing her hand.
"Tell me dear husband," she says in mocking jest, "Just how did a twenty year old girl get one over on you? Was it just her pretty face or her tight body too?"
Flora continues to laugh as Vulpes grit his teeth.
Of course he knew now, it was the girl's family that had encouraged her to make such a move, her uncle was once a general under Legate Lanius. Marcus went as far as to publicly call him out for the sudden death of the Legate. Much as Vulpes wanted to boast, he had no hand in the Butcher's sudden demise, that was all happenstance, something that Marcus refused to accept. But that was in the past, for in his rage, Vulpes had put all the men to death and sold off the women and children. Only Miranda was spared, which was a loose term considering that she now lived in a small box when not in use. Some days she was more raving beast than human, not that he could blame her, all that she's been through.
"I did not come five hundred miles to have you make fun of me," he spits before standing.
Still smiling, Flora grabs his wrist and pulls him down with a fierce yank.
"Then what did you come for?," she purrs, crowding his space til she was pressed firmly against him.
Vulpes closes his eyes, releasing a short breath.
"You, I came for you."
"For me?," Flora breathes into his ear, leaning into him. "But I thought you grew tired of me, with my heaving breasts and wide hips. Of my sagging stomach and of the children, those awful noisy creatures. And my dull eyes, my stupid dull eyes."
His eyes grew wide, not only because of the words she repeats, those uttered in scandalous embrace with one of his whores, but also due to the knife that rests against his throat. Dark shadows move in the night to interfere but stop when Vulpes waves them off.
"You used to love how my eyes sparkled in the firelight," she pouts. "How I was as wild and unpredictable as the Mojave itself. Do you remember husband?"
Vulpes nods.
"I changed because you asked me to. I was too wild and too hard for these soft women, those that never worked a day in their lives. I put away my wild ways, I put myself away because you asked me to and I did so because I loved you. All I did was for you," she says, resting her head against his. "You changed too, I remember a time when men whispered your name for fear of summoning you like the boogeyman. I watched you grow complacent and fat eating the scraps off of other's tables."
"We've both changed," he states.
"Some more than others," Flora says flatly, "You are not the man I married. I lost all respect for you once I realized that the Senators were sending their wives to "discuss" concerning topics. You know they all laughed at you, calling you a kitten when you were once a Deathclaw. The only collar needed was a set of shapely legs around your neck."
Flora wonders if Vulpes remains silent because of her words or the cool blade pressed upon his neck. Removing the knife, she sniffs, "If your former self could see you know, I'm sure he'd be quite dismayed."
He remains silent as she rises, making a show of yawning.
"Today has been quite a day, I'm going to retire for the night," she announces.
"Where am I to sleep?"
"I don't care, it won't be with me," she says sharply. "Sleep in the barn if it pleases you."
"Why can't I sleep with you?"
Flora scoffs, "You have been absent for five years, just because you show up now doesn't make up for anything, you cheating bastard!"
"It's my right, " Vulpes begins.
"Oh, excuse me, my Emperor," she mocks, giving a low curtsy. "I was not aware that you could claim sleeping with other women as sovereign duty! Hmmm, what would you say that qualifies as foreign relations?"
Her estranged husband crosses his arms, refusing to take the bait.
"You're the one that left me," he defends, sounding like a child.
Flora narrows her eyes, "You sent your family away so that whore could pretend to be your wife. I was your wife! Caesar himself married us in the Grand Temple. I fought and bled to further the gains of the Empire! All SHE wanted to further her family's ambitions! Are you that fucking blind?!"
"Don't you take that tone with me!," Vulpes growls, standing.
"Fuck you and your inflated self importance," she snarls, jabbing him in chest.
Vulpes grabs Flora, pulling her close, trapping her arms between their bodies.
"I don't want to fight," he says evenly. "I'm tired, all I want is to rest beside you."
His eyes focus on her lips causing Flora to fidget, fearful that he was going to kiss her.
"Let me go!," she shouts, twisting in his grip.
She quickly moves to the door when he releases her.
"I miss my family," Vulpes calls. "You were the only one that understood me."
"You made your choices quite clear," she replies.
"Good night my love," he responds wistfully. "I hope in the morning you will think better of me."
Flora rushes inside her home, firmly shutting the door behind her. Safely tucked away she collapses on the sofa, releasing a long sigh. Oddly enough,it was relieving to hear that Vulpes hadn't wished them dead. She had spent many a sleepless night, distressed over the notion that her former love would rather have her dead than simply put away. The events of the day rest heavily upon her. How in the world did he find them? Feeling too drained to think further, Flora goes to bed.
