Well, I have that blog with the Zodiac and birthday stuff posted. Go to my blog via my profile page, or scroll down to the update section and I've posted the direct link to the article.

SwankDoll: Thank you much!

KenzieGirl: About the zodiac stuff. I haven't had much chance to compare it to fictional, but as real life goes its fit every single person I've checked their birthday for so I say its pretty accurate.

Vect the Atoner: Yeah, I kind of laughed when I found out he was a cancer because my best friend is one and I automatically went "that explains it all then!" And Claire's lack of companions. At the beginning it just didn't seem right to have anyone with her. I don't know why. It just struck me that that soon in her journey she wouldn't have really stopped to pick people up, maybe after she's slowed down a bit. I'm throwing around some ideas though, and I think I'll probably involve her getting Rex soon. About any humans, it just depends on where the story takes her.

DarknessDiablo: Hehe, the hair thing. I found that pretty hilarious myself. And the Sammy Davis Jr. thing, maybe a little bit, but I'd almost compare him more to Dean Domino a little bit. (There's this one picture that reminds me a lot of the one that Dean has on his posters. Sunglasses and all.)

KatrinaJG: God, the Brotherhood. The only ones I could really stand to be around for too long were the east coast ones in 3, but i never cared to even really explore. I dealt with them as I had to via storyline. I won't go into the reasons I have disdain for the NCR, but House's statement to the Courier to look out the window and see the result of governments like that pretty much sums it up. Oh the "chrissakes" thing. I almost spelled it Christsakes, but in my head I just heard it without the T, so it more reflected a little bit of her thought process. It just seemed more casual. And hey, no prob with the getting really involved in games. I do too. In 3 it took me a bunch of playthroughs before I could TRY to play an evil character because it was so far from my nature, and when I blew up Megaton I physically felt ill in real life. When Claire doesn't ask for his name its probably more of her just having too much on her mind, although I haven't decided yet. Outside of story I just chose not to put that in yet. Oh, and House? I'm hoping I can show how he eventually starts letting his guard down more and more until he unconsciously stops filtering. I'd answer more but I'm afraid I might ruin it. Finally, I haven't play OWB yet (although I did read/hear about how they dislike each other), haven't had time, but I have purchased and downloaded it. If it suits possible story archs I might actually involve it in here. I can only imagine the shit storm...

FloatOn: Yeah, that's one of the more impotant elements, Claire's want to please House, potentially at all costs. Again most of this story involves much of its development being within each of the main character's emotional and mental arenas. Especially House.

Sorry if some of my replies seem kind of rushed or blocky. I've been up a looong time.

A Terminal Affair

6

"I have good news and I have bad news." The Courier stood before him, hair tangled, dust clinging to nearly every inch of her clothing. This time she had come right up to the Penthouse to speak with him despite her appearance. "Which would you like to hear first?" She blew an errant strand of hair out of her face with annoyance and then pushed it behind her ear.

This was one of those moments that he got a flash from the past, an image of himself leaning forward on his hand as he sighed deeply, fingers sliding through his neatly combed dark hair before lifting his eyes back to the person he had been talking to. The physical movements were absent, but the emotion remained, filling him with a sudden overwhelming weariness. From the expression on Claire's face something had not gone as planned. "As much as I would like to hear the good part first, I have a feeling we should save that for after the bad you have to tell me."

Claire was looking at her feet, arms akimbo at her sides, hands on her hips. Her posture revealed her unhappiness with herself as well as the way this mission had ended. She didn't lift her head when she continued on with her report, but between the thick curtain of her hair he caught the intense blue of her eyes as they locked on him, or his picture rather. "Well, the bad news is kind of a multi-part thing. First of all, Benny wasn't there. I have no idea where he was. I even watched out for signs that he had snuck in and was hiding out, but I'm sure he would have made a move on me at some point. He's not had the ability to not take a chance to fuck me over yet." With that comment she frowned, finally raising her head, eyes staring up at the ceiling as if thinking about her previous encounters with the man.

"Second," she went on, "I don't think I can go back there." Here she paused.

"Did something happen while you were there that made you feel threatened?"

"Err… Not exactly." She scratched the back of her head, leaving her already tousled brown hair even more disheveled. "Uhm, I kind of… toldthemI'dkillyou."

House heard her words despite them being run together and mumbled almost to the point of whispering. Still, maybe he'd heard her wrong. "What was that, I'm not sure I quite heard you."

A few curses. "Caesar wants me to kill you."

"I see. How are you going to handle this?"

"Oh, I'm not going to handle it – because I'm not going to do it."

He took in the way her entire body went rigid, the rise in her tone, the absolute vehemence behind her statement. It was amusing, for she was reacting almost as if he was implying she was actually going to go through with it. He was well past thinking her capable of such. And even if she was going to she would have probably come right out with it first off. She was, after all, a terrible liar.

After a few seconds she deflated a little and added, "so Caesar can just stick it up his skirt."

House held back the urge to chuckle at her comment. He imagined her saying that to Caesar's face and the possible reactions that might occur because of it. It was true that he wanted no harm to come to the Legion's emperor at this time, but that didn't mean they weren't enemies, something that had not escaped Caesar's attention and because of that he would allow himself the momentary pleasure of the man realizing he was not going to get his way. However, that led to a new problem. "He's going to know you lied to him, and likely sooner than later."

"I know." Claire admitted. It was no secret that the Legion had spies everywhere, even on the Strip. It was impossible to find them all and House didn't bother trying for their presence was a monkey wrench in the gears of the NCR. "I think I could get away with coming and going a few times before it hits them I'm not planning on doing anything against you. When that happens I better have a plan. I need to find Benny, and I need to do it fast, or I'll have to find some other way into the Fort."

"You said before that you were trying to track him?"

"Yeah, but I lost that trail, especially when I completely dropped the hunt and just headed up to the Fort. I think I know what I can do though."

House was interested. Unlike others, who might just wait for orders, Claire was attempting to be proactive. If she was formulating her own plan he would hear it. "Go on."

"I'd like to talk to Swank. Out of everyone he seems to know Benny the most. Benny likely understands that he can't just waltz into the Fort. He's not like me; he didn't have an invitation. So he might be out there somewhere figuring out his next steps. He'll have to have a safe place for that since he can't be here anymore. Swank might know where he'd go. It's a long shot, but its still a shot. What do you think? Waste of time, or worth a try?"

Definitely worth a try. At this point they had to do everything they could to interfere with Benny's progress and take that chip back. "It seems that you should make another trip to the Tops, but this time with more business on the mind than pleasure."

"It seems so, boss. I'll go as soon as I clean up. Its not too late and I think I can catch Swank."

Claire looked ragged, dark circles shadowing her eyes, and a telltale lethargy to the way she moved, indicating it had probably been a while since she'd slept. House considered suggesting that she get some sleep before continuing on, but there was also a staunch determination about her. "Very well. I won't keep you any longer. Report back when you have your answer."

XXX

From the moment that Claire Stokes had been lifted from the cold embrace of death itself she had never seemed to stop moving forward. Not even a week after she had woken in the little town of Goodsprings she was on the road, days later she had quelled the takeover of the city of Primm (something the NCR on the opposite side of the highway had failed – or even cared – to do), and had managed to survive the road to Nipton, where she faced down a high-level member of Caesar's Legion and lived to tell the authorities at the Mojave Outpost. In Novac she had helped uncover a kidnapping plot wrought by a trusted member of the community and took time out of her truth-seeking journey to make a detour to the Repconn Facility where she befriended and aided a strange group of ghouls on a mission to the stars.

In Boulder City she'd finally tracked the last piece of the puzzle about Benny when she caught up with the Kahns that helped grab her. In true Benny style he'd betrayed those that had trusted him and took off, but he'd made a mistake by leaving those men behind to talk. They gave her proof of his wrong-doing and the information to finally track him home. After doing some work in Freeside Claire was finally able to get the money required to pass through onto the Strip. On November 11, exactly one month to the day that she took a bullet for merely carrying a special package, she met the man who had, over two hundred years ago, spurred these events. She met House.

He remembered clearly what it was like to see her step through the doors of the Lucky 38, and would not deny that he felt as much anxiety and anticipation surrounding their meeting that it appeared she did. She had made herself small in the gloom of the hulking ancient building. Childlike and vulnerable she introduced herself – and then apologized for letting her guard down and losing his chip. Shot in the head, almost killed, and she stood there saying how sorry she was she didn't fight back harder. At the time House had thought that perhaps she was just going through the motions, the obligatory apology. As he got to know her he realized that she had meant it. Especially now.

In the last few messages sent between Claire and his alternate persona she had told her tale. It hadn't been in such detail that one would have known the entire story from her telling, for she left some out, down-played much, including claiming that Benny had just "tried to kill her" and completely leaving out the fact she'd endured a bullet to the skull. But House had put together her story with the information he had collected about her and finally her trip across the Mojave was complete. The final summation was that she was an incredible young woman picked up and tossed by the chaos of the Mojave's power struggles, and instead of just collapsing under the burden she had learned to fight back.

Such strength of will was so rare in this world. So when House found himself considering and reconsidering his choice to let her go ahead with her work without stopping for rest he realized it was a curious reaction. Claire was more than capable of taking care of herself, especially in a place like the Strip, and she had no doubt worked on less sleep, but despite his wish to regain his property he also found himself wanting his employee to take care of herself. Was it guilt? In a way he was at fault for her initial injury; he didn't want more harm to come to her in his name because he pushed her harder than she was comfortable or able to handle. In the end he decided that it was her job, one she took quite seriously, and that she would know when she needed to stop.

However, from her obvious intense feelings on personal failure on her part he feared she might lose sight of her own well-being and make illogical choices. He could only hope she kept a clear head.

XXX

Clean! The final bit of dust disappeared down the drain as she rinsed out the tub. It was nice to feel the heaviness of the grime lift off her skin. For a day she'd felt like she was carrying the dark sickness of the Fort around with her. Every dust particle that attached to her there was like some kind of disease, a microbe of despair. She wanted it off. She wrapped one of the fluffiest, whitest towels she could find around her and reveled in its complete antithesis to the filth she had just rid herself of. On her way out of the bathroom she grabbed another and started to dry her hair as quickly as possible.

Her bath had energized her again, leaving her feeling hopeful. The trip to the Fort had not gone the way she had imagined, but it hadn't been a complete failure. She had managed to gain Caesar's trust for the moment, which was a great accomplishment for someone who couldn't fib her way out of a paper bag. At first she had been afraid to admit what she had to do to gain that trust, as if just saying it out loud would make her truly guilty. It had rather eased her mind since House seemed to blow off Caesar's request. If he thought she was going to do something to him he showed no signs of it, and she wasn't going to look. She didn't want to know if he didn't trust her yet.

Ten minutes later she was out the front doors of the Lucky 38 and hurrying over the Tops. Chance wasn't working the door that night, but one of the other Chairmen directed her towards the restaurant where Swank was supposedly having drinks with some of the other guys. Surrounded by fellow Chairmen and their girls Swank was bathed in the glow of brotherhood and camaraderie. Claire paused for a moment just to smile. He always seemed to have a light that shined brightly from his person, and everyone around him basked in it. Even herself. As if sensing her presence Swank lifted his head to look her direction, and when he spotted her he smiled and waved his hand.

He was calling her over, but she just shook her head and indicated that she needed to speak to him in private. A minute later he excused himself from the table and was by her side. "Well, well, I must be one lucky man to see such a sight twice in one week." His fingers ghosted over her cheek and down her jaw line before bending his head to brush a gentle kiss of greeting over her lips.

"Mmm. You might not say that when you hear what I have to say. Is there someplace where we can go?"

Swank's expression melted into a studious one, as if he were figuring out her sudden seriousness. He nodded wordlessly and wrapped an arm around her shoulders as they exited the restaurant and headed for an area where they could speak without being overheard. "This have something to do with work?" Work being House, of course.

Claire nodded, but waited until he closed a door behind them, locking out the cacophony of the gamblers beyond. "I need to know about Benny."

"Aww, doll. How sad am I that you come here and ask me about another man?" Swank pouted, but there was a faux quality to it. The joke faded when her demeanor did not lighten. "What's going on?"

Claire proceeded to tell him about her trip to the Fort. He already knew that she had been looking for Benny to get that which he had stolen back. "I need to find him, and I need to find him fast. You know him probably better than anyone. Is there anywhere you can think of that he would go to hide out?"

"There are a few places, yeah." Swank looked thoughtful. "I can mark them on your pip-boy for you."

"That would be great." She moved closer and switched to the map screen on the pip-boy. It didn't take long at all for Swank to figure out the layout and begin marking areas for her. Five total, but he pointed out two in particular that might be more likely. Claire tried to concentrate on his words, but it was hard when he was multi-tasking by twining his fingers around the back of her neck and lightly brushing his fingers over the skin there. It was languid, anything but casual. Damn you.

"I hope that helps." He told her, shooting her a glance out of the corner of his eyes. They danced with a familiar mischief. The warmth of his skin pressed against hers as he nuzzled her neck, lips tracing path to her earlobe. After a playful nip he added, "anything else I can help you with?"

Claire couldn't help but give him a small laugh. "As much as I would love to take you up on this I'm exhausted. I only came over here to see if I could get the information." The urge to touch was too strong and she found her combing her hand through his hair and twisting in his arms, which had somehow found their way around her waist. She was tempted to let him take her right there, let him push away the last remnants of the nightmare that was the Fort. Something kept her from giving in. "I know if I stay I'll be too tired to make it home, and I really need to get some rest."

"You could always stay here. Then again I know you're not too keen on spending the night."

She sighed. "Sorry about that I just –"

"Hey, no worries, babe. It's just a fascinating thing. The stereotype is usually the man sneaking out on the woman, not the other way around. Then again… you do upside down real good." A kiss on her temple and a wink, "you can make it up to me on the trip."

"Huh?"

Swank smirked. "You didn't think I was going to let you go out there hunting Benny by yourself. You're right, I do know him the best, and I know that if he sees you before you see him you just might not come back. If I'm there he'll be less likely to attack, and if he does… I'll put him down like a dog." He sighed, not thrilled about his statement. "Benny has changed into something horrible during his stay here. He didn't use to be like this. He fought our leader to take control so we could have the chance to come here, and now he acts out against House like this." He shook his head and closed his eyes. "Without Mr. House we'd still be running around in Gecko skins poking at things with sharp sticks. We Chairman owe him a lot. Benny owes him a lot."

"I know the feeling." Claire replied seriously. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Go get some sleep, dollface, and I'll catch you in the morning. I just have to make a few arrangements for while I'm away."

"Is eleven o'clock ok for you?" She would suggest earlier, but knew that sometimes Swank was up late taking care of issues in the Tops and she wanted to make sure he got enough sleep.

"Gives me time to grab a quick breakfast and make my rounds. Perfect." He curled his arm around her shoulders again and they walked back into the bustling main area of the Tops. "I'll walk you back to the 38 if you want."

"I'd like that."