Chapter 22: Don't Leave Me Now

The water felt so good on Raven's skin as it fell from the shower head onto her, and she didn't care how long she had been in that shower. She was savoring each droplet that hit her. Raven ran her fingers through her hair and she doused her face with the water, and a soft moan came out of her lips. To have all that blood, muck and grime washed off was heaven to her. The courier leaned her head back and smiled a little, feeling the water slide down her neck and to her chest. It was at that moment when Raven heard the bathroom door open. She yelped and shut the water off immediately before reaching for her towel. She wrapped it around her naked form just as the shower curtain was drawn open. Raven's eyes widened when she saw Pacer standing there. She was speechless at first, but then she narrowed her eyes and regained her composure.

"What the hell is the matter with you?" she asked. "You don't just go barging in on someone while they're taking a shower!"

"That's not important right now, " replied Pacer. "I need to know something."

Raven ran a hand down her face and shook her head. "Can't it wait?"

"No."

"Alright, fine. What is it?"

"Are you in love with the King?"

Raven blinked a few times in shock. "Excuse me, what?"

Pacer slammed his hand on the wall of the bathroom. "I said are you in love with the King?"

"What the hell kind of a question is that?" asked Raven. She stepped out of the shower and walked past Pacer. "That's the question that couldn't wait? Seriously? You're an idiot."

Pacer turned and grabbed Raven by the arm, then pinned her against the bathroom door. Raven clutched to her towel, feeling slightly vulnerable at this point. "I'm not an idiot, Raven. I see the way you look at him. And this whole...thing you did in Utah, bringing that memorabilia here...that is not something that you do out of the goodness of your heart."

Raven grunted. "Why is everything I do viewed as a threat, Pacer?"

"Because you're a woman," replied Pacer. "The King has a soft spot for women. Especially nice, beautiful women. But you take the cake, missy. You're about as virtuous and attractive as they come and I don't want the King getting distracted from the important shit."

Raven smirked. "Me? A distraction?" she said. "I don't think you give your leader enough credit. He knows how to be professional, though I can't say the same for his right hand man."

Pacer leaned in, narrowing his eyes at her. "I don't like you."

Raven rolled her eyes and pushed past him. "Well, shit. Guess my whole day is ruined now because you don't like me." Raven turned back to him and feigned a saddened look. "Perhaps even my whole life!"

"This isn't a joke, lady."

"Never said it was. Now if you're done berating me with meaningless questions, would you mind getting out of here so I can get ready for...whatever it is I'm supposed to get ready for?"

Pacer crossed his arms. "You still didn't answer the question."

Raven shook her head. "The answer is none of your damn business."

"The King is my business. I watch his back and make sure he doesn't get mixed up in bad company."

"Oh, bad company like the NCR when they sent that envoy?"

"Yes."

Raven grumbled. "So your answer to that was to undermine the King's authority and make the judgment yourself?"

Pacer blinked a few times. "That's not...that's not what I did."

Raven walked up to Pacer and glared at him. "That's exactly what you did, Pacer, and you know it."

The King's friend didn't speak. He just stared at her for a few moments before walking out of the room. He slammed the door shut and Raven out a hand to her face. Her head shook side to side before she let out a loud grunt and went back to the bathroom. Just as she did so, the bedroom door opened. Raven turned abruptly to see the King was the one coming in. Her cheeks instantly flushed when she saw him because she was in nothing but a towel. The King didn't say anything to her. He just stood there, watching her. There was an awkward silence in the room, so silent you could hear a pin drop on the floor. The two stared at each other for a few minutes before the King finally spoke.

"We need to have a talk, Miss Wagner."

"Yes," said Raven. "I suppose we do. What would you like to talk about?"

The King advanced towards her and she didn't move even when the King was only inches from her. "You left without telling me," he said.

"Yeah, I know, " she replied. "I'm sorry about that. Didn't Boone tell you I left?"

"Yes he did, but I'd rather have heard it from you."

"I just needed some time away, Mr. King. After that whole thing at the picnic, I just had to get away for a while."

The King placed his hands on the courier's shoulders and looked into her eyes. "You could have written me."

Raven shook her head. "Getting to Utah from the northern passage took two weeks. Besides, the only people that were going to Utah were the caravan I was with and myself. The people in Utah were only tribesmen, really. Not stupid, but...more like underdeveloped. I couldn't, in good conscience, send one of them here with a letter for you. I mean, c'mon...it's Freeside, for crying out loud. They wouldn't have lasted five minutes."

"I suppose you're right," said the King. "I was worried about you, though. I was afraid you weren't going to come back."

Raven grinned. "I'm a rolling stone, Mr. King. I never stay in one place for too long."

"So you don't plan on staying here in Freeside for good?"

"No. I've got other things to do, you know," replied Raven. "There's a particular man that I need to see in New Vegas, but that won't be for a while. This is my last stop before New Vegas."

"Well, what's stopping you?" asked the King.

"Shortage of caps," she said. "Gotta earn my keep in order to get passed those damn Securitrons at the gate."

The King laughed and said, "Well, I could get you into New Vegas, but that would require you calling in that favor I owe you."

Raven thought for a moment before answering. "Wait, I thought I already called in that favor? Where you thought it was a date?"

"It was a date, but that day at the picnic was not considered one. No, I'm going to take you out on a real date. And besides..." the King leaned in and kissed her cheek. "I don't consider it a favor. I consider it a privilege."

Well, I did a lot of editing on this one. This was a particularly difficult chapter for me. I wasn't sure how I wanted it to play out, but this is what I came up with in the end. Review if you want to. And I promise to make the chapters longer again. I just like leaving little cliffhangers lol.