Marie wishes she could join in the revelry that is happening around her, but she had already explained her inability to get drunk to the rest of the drunkards and they seemed unsatisfied but less enthused about buying her rounds they eventually swilled down. She giggles from her place at the bar, leaning onto her right elbow, letting her left hand thrum against the grimy counter top. She re-crosses her legs and then grins boldly at a cute guy with an eye patch. But he is quickly swept away by a woman in tight blue clothes and bright red hair. It's a flurry of colors here and she still feels light headed, even without the alcohol.

A sharp tap catching her attention and she looks over, seeing a Nuka-Cola sitting just inches from her elbow. She looks into the cloudy eyes of the bartender/owner, Gob. He smiles and she smiles back, taking a small sip of the drink before she lurches forward at a temporary weight on her back. A chorus of cheerful cries echo around the room and the weight is gone, replaced with the silky brush of someone's hair.

"It always like this," she can speak normal enough, the radio had been gone for an hour and the cheers weren't too loud surprisingly.

Gob shook his head, worrying the edge of a glass with an old, patchy, cloth. "Not really," he sighs. "Suppose it's the new company we have."

And he smiles and she smiles and Riley continues to stare out the window from a floor above her, rifle in her hands. Something in the air…it doesn't feel right. She isn't letting her guard down for anything. She hears Marie laugh and does look down, sees her talking animatedly to the ghoul behind the bar. It almost makes her want to smile but then she hears something, outside. Outside, outside. The gates, they're close enough and these things are flimsy enough she can hear straight through.

But no words, just the heavy clang of power armor. Brotherhood? Enclave? What could it be? And what faction of the Brotherhood? They had been steadily leaking in from all over the place. Something big was happening, she just knew it. But until he could shove Marie off, she had to play the good watch dog and bide her time.

No running off into the desert for her.

"Don't worry, Charon will keep watch," Turnip hiccups as she climbs the stairs.

Marie pushes on her back a little as she sways backwards and Turnip waves a hand. Riley was still by the door, at the foot of the stairs. Charon, the heavy ghoul, was peering out the door and she knew he heard it too. It was nearly five in the morning, and the clang of power armor was still loud and fresh. What the hell was going on? Patrolling the town? Maybe there were allies Turnip hadn't disclosed.

That made Riley question some things about the petite little psycho.

Charon looked over at her, nodded once and shut the door. Riley nodded back, prepared to climb the steps and then she saw the odd set of twenty three locks decorating the door. So, Turnip was as paranoid as she guessed.

She and Marie were bedded in the same room, a small one with one bed against the longest wall and to the left of the door. It was cramped but both were used to cramped situations. Marie thanked Turnip and Riley just unloaded their supplies into the locker under her bed, waiting for the door to shut to look over at Marie. She held up a finger, knocked on the walls, deemed them thick enough.

"I don't know about leaving you here," Riley began.

Marie paused from untying her boots and looked up, bangs falling into her eyes. "What do you mean," she smiled. "This place is great."

"I heard power armor outside the gates, I don't know if they were allies but if they weren't, we're in danger. Those trained enough for the use of that armor are not to be fucked with and I won't have you hurt."

Marie wanted to smile a bit broader but that smile dropped when she saw the way Riley clenched her hands. "Oh right," she muttered, re-lacing her boots. "I'm just a mission."

Riley went to stop her but Marie was already out the door, slamming it in Riley's face. She sighed, didn't hear the front door open (of course it wouldn't, that hulking ghoul was keeping watch and there were so many fucking locks) and fell back on her bed. She wanted to be back home, in bed, or at least on another fucking raid through a bandit camp.

This babysitter shit was not working out for her.

I'm looking to making these chapters longer, but until then you all have to suffice with these short bastards.