Okay, so I blame Fallout 4 for my absence, its just very addicting and I've been over on AO3 writing smut for it lol.

Nothing beats Mojave sky.

Day or night, calm or violent, the Mojave sky was always something so damn beautiful.

Maybe it was because the bombs only fell in maybe two places around the desert, still, no matter what, the sky had been beautiful even before the war. I had never wanted to be anywhere else from the moment I saw the red sand and found geckos in the hood of my car. Nearly all of my squad mates from way back when had been from the Mojave. They'd shown me all kinds of ways to survive out here on the bare essentials, showed me different hideouts and bunkers that just had to still be together out in the Mojave sand - I just had to find them all over again, if two hundred years hadn't destroyed any of the landmarks.

"Why you makin' goo-goo eyes at the skyline," Cass broke my concentration, but she held a half empty thing of whiskey so I forgave her.

I took it and sloshed the contents around for a moment, taking a mind-numbing swallow. "Was just thinkin'," I furrowed my brow and looked over at her. "Wait, I thought you were takin' a shower?"

She shrugged, nose slightly scrunched. "Well, that was 'fore I saw the showers. Man, they had body parts hangin in there," she shook her head and tugged her hat down a little. "I think they were traffickin' more than people, ya know?"

I wish I had a nose to scrunch up, but my nasal cavities just tingled. "Well that's fucking digustin'," I shook my head and then kicked at the pile of ash; there was a body nearby, a busted laser rifle still clenched in their cold hand. "So, I have a question for ya, lass."

Cass arched an eyebrow and took her hat, fanning herself with the brim. "Ask away then."

I cleared my throat a little, narrowing my eyes at the glint in the distance. "Am I drunk - I mean uh, I'm definitely drunk - but is that what I think it is?"

Cass stuffed her hat back onto her head, reaching over and fiddling with the scope tied around my thigh holster. I frowned at her but she must have been ignoring me because she just pressed the scope to her eye and leaned forward at the waist. Her lips parted as she scrunched up her other eye, hand on her hip. I sighed deeply and leaned back, my flask clenched in my hand; why oh why do you have to be empty, my tiny friend?

Cass shrugged and handed me back the scope, which I took with a glare because why couldn't she just hook the fucker back to its proper cord instead of making me do it?

"It looks like. . ."

"Right," I grumbled and the scope thumped against my thigh. "So, should we go check it out or save it for later?"

Cass frowned this time. "I would say later but some scrappers could come through and strip it down for parts."

"I uh. . .I highly doubt that," I murmured, pointing at the satellite in a bored manner.

Cass opened her mouth to speak but a mechanical whir erupted through the air and then a robotic voice - almost like a Protectron - followed the glow of blue that was starting to form from an equally blue orb in the center of the hull.

"Hostile detected, please clear the area. Any non-hostile life form must clear the area or be vaporized."

Cass and I pursed our lips, me grabbing a hold tightly to her upper arm and dragging her behind me. She sputtered but I shoved her into the old Streamline and pushed her down into a crouch, so we could at least be some sort of safe but I also really wanted to watch. I'd heard the same protocol before, the same words, same threat and I wanted to know. . .needed to know if it was the same or if I was imagining things.

Again.

"Alex," Cass hissed and shoved her hat between her thighs, glaring behind rebellious copper curls. "What the fu -"

"Shut up," I snapped, watching the raiders approaching, twitchy from Jet and holding welding tools.

They practically panted as they approached the rapidly-increasing-in-tempo satellite, lighting their tools and pulling down their masks. They all wore the same type of armor, which wouldn't be noticed by anyone else but me. . .in two hundred years, I had rarely seen raiders wear the same armor and when that had happened, we had a very big problem on our hands.

What I wouldn't give for her sarcasm and tenacity right now.

"We haul this out there and Mel will be sure to pay us up for the month," one of the women said, inhaling sharply as she wiped her nose on her arm.

"That son of a bitch won't pay us shit," one of the men snarled, eyes bugging and milky even from where we were. "He'll sit there and say good job then he'll send us off on another death trap showdown."

Did they not hear the fucking beeping? The warning?

I'd seen atomic blasts before, more than I care to count, but fuck did this flash sting my eyes.

There was a loud keen and a pulse made Cass stumble back while I gripped tight to the window frame. The raiders fell back, tools scattering in the dust the pulse kicked up. They all looked up in horror but they didn't have time to run or really do much else because the bright blue orb crackled with electricity and a new wave grew, much like a pulse grenade. I cringed as the pricks of pain covered my muscles, the raiders screamed in pain. I looked back at Cass, who was seizing up, and threw myself over her. I wrapped her in my sister, pulling her hard against my chest and scrambled to my feet, trying to run as far as I could from the pulse wave. The air crackled with energy and another wave knocked me on my ass - or rather, Cass' ass if you wanted to get technical.

Cass screamed as I landed on top of her, the implosion of the pulse making the hairs on even my head stand on end.

"Oh my fuck," I grumbled, pushing up onto one arm and keeping Cass close with the other. I looked back over my shoulder, watched the air crackled with the aftermath of electricity. "Okay, this was a terrible fucking idea and. . .Cass," I looked down, watched her eyes rolling back into her head. "Oh fuck!"

I dropped her gently to the ground, turning her onto her side and forcing her mouth open so faint trickles of spittle and more blood than I felt comfortable with seeing came out. It soaked into the red sand, my hand rubbing gently on her back as her seizing slowed. She convulsed once, twice, and then hiccupped, her body going completely still in what I could only assume was sleep.

I swallowed thickly, leaning in to try to find breathing and a pulse. I found both and sighed in immense relief, dropping back to sit on my heels as I watched the final streaks of electricity dissipate around us.

"What the fuck," I muttered, pushing myself up to my feet with a grunt.

I picked up Cass when I was pretty sure she wasn't gonna swallow her tongue and started trudging back towards the main part of Nipton, having to kick in a door or two because of the handful of drool and whiskey I was toting. When I laid her out onto the only bed with a mattress, she whimpered and her face curled up in pain, which couldn't possibly be good.

"I knew I shoulda told you to run," I sighed, placing her hat beside her head on the mattress. "I'll be back for ya, girly. . .gotta go see what that thing is first."

It was concerning, such familiar technology and a familiar sentry attack. . .it made my stomach flip. I hadn't been this nervous or cautious in so long, I didn't really know how to handle this. Charge over and tear the thing apart? Watch it through the scope first? Wold it fry me like it surely fried those raiders? I had only known I would survive from experience, but that was at a range, I had no experience up-close and personal.

"Guess there's a first time for everything," I grumbled, stepping back out into the hot Mojave sun.

The air is quiet again, save for the faint hiss and pop of the fires be didn't put out around us. I don't pull Nezi out, I don't even wear my damn hat just in case. In case of what, you may be asking?

I have no fucking idea.

I cringe as a circle the wide berth of the old picture lot, ducking my head this way and that like the curious, cautious old dog I was. The raider's bodies littered the ground, armor melted to their skin in some places and their skin. One of them, a female, even had her eyes popped; must have been from the sheer pressure in the air, I could still feel the muscles in my arms wriggling at the aftermath.

"Now, just what the fuck are you," I murmured, approaching the satellite slowly.

I jumped when it beeped three times fast, my heart hammering loudly in my chest. The blue orb blinked and then pin points of a scanner, obscured by the bright fucking sun, began to glow and circle around me. I stared down at my hands as the rays of blue curved over my fingertips, my chest plate.

"I knew it," I said lowly, eyes narrowing as I listened to the satellite beep again. "You're a little present from the Big Empty. . ."

"Non-Hostile life form detected, recall codes 776-Epsilon 9 scanning. . .scanning. . .data confirms the presence of Alexander Anderson, Special Air force Soldier. Designation: Head Of Security, Alpha Squad for Z-14 Pepsinae DNA Splicing Lab and X-13 Research Facility," there was a shrill beep. "You are 204 years late for your shift, Mr. Anderson."

"Yeah, well I quit," I snapped, though I knew this was just a machine and not one of the more intellectual monsters they would have sent if they had known. . .

I heard the mechanical sound of the engine whir inside of the chassis but turned away from the satellite, praying to whatever God or Devil that sent this thing that it wouldn't abduct me. Not again, not ever fucking again would I return to that place. They would have to send a Courser after me, to get me to go anywhere like that again. The satellite wasn't sent for me, it wasn't meant to find me, I don't really know the how's and why's but for the moment, the main priority was to get as far from that fucking thing as possible.

"Think this is. . .really necessary?"

I chuckled, it wasn't the best choice, maybe not the right one, but it was something I had to do. Couldn't hang about doin nothin anymore, they didn't need me here anymore, even if he was giving me the look that begged "Do you really need to leave us?"

I ruffled her hair, much to her displeasure and flicked the pout she threw my way. "Yes, lass, I gotta go. You found yaself out in that swamp, I gotta find maself out in the dirt."

She sighed, arms crossing tightly over her chest as she looked over the edge of the cliff we were on. I understood why she, a sniper of all things considering her loud fucking mouth, would want to make a home on this cliff, but it didn't mean I had to like it. You could barely hear the cackle of the market below, something I had helped build and was now. . .abandoning.

I sighed and shook my head. "Look, its not like. . .I want to go," I lied; I had wanted this for years. "But I won't be gone foreva, I promise."

She glared at me from the corner of her eye and Rex licked at her palm, Fluffy perched on his head. I couldn't bring Rex, I just couldn't, not this time. He had to stay behind, protect her, protect these people; she needed him more than I did. If anything happened, he could find me again, I wasn't worried about any of that.

"You got this, right," I looked over at him, his hard scowl; he always looked like that. He nodded softly, staring down at the dirt and I wanted to laugh that he of all people was scowling. "Guys, we'll see each other again, if I need ya. . .I'll send along a souvenir alright? No airwaves, no messengers, just a little momento with my signature on it."

She glanced at me sideways but I knew she was fine now, her shoulders sagging beneath her armor. "You look like you know you're gonna need to do something like this."

I shrugged. "Its the Mojave, its nothing compared to D.C. but. . .its not friendly, and I could use as much help as I can rally," I sighed and gave her shoulder a squeeze. "Keep yourself you of trouble, okay? Can you manage that?"

She snorted and rolled her eyes. "I can try. . ."

My eyes were open before I was awake, which was both concerning and. . .what the fuck was that noise?

Every bone in my body aches and protested to me pushing myself up, a side effect of the blast I'm sure, but I had to get up. Was that. . .hacking? Yeah, most definitely hacking, so it had to be Cass waking up and I couldn't let her -

"It fucking burns," she snarled, holding tight around her waist as she writhed on the ground. "What the fuck is happening to me?!"

I cringed and crouched down beside her, grabbing tight to her arm and keeping her on her side despite her protests. "Its the aftershocks. It could take hours or even days ta get through th' system, lass," I sighed. "Shoulda grabbed ya an' ran, I fucking knew it."

Cass screamed and promptly vomited onto my boots, which I deadpanned at but she was in np joking mood with the way she was thrashing on the ground. I grumbled and stood, looking around but finding no first aid kit, no chem stash, nothin.

"God dammit," I spat out and turned on my heel, grabbing my hat from the mattress I had been lying on.

"Where th' - ah fuck it hurts!"

"Don't get up," I urged, shrugging my coat on and heading for the door. "I gotta find you some Med-X."

"But -"

"Just try not to choke on your tongue, Cass," I slammed the door behind me, shielding my eyes from the sun. "Do you ever go away?"

I looked down both sides of the street, not entirely sure where to go. I perked up a little when I heard the distant spouting of trumpet music. . .was the calvary coming in or was I still asleep? I narrowed my eyes slightly to the West, seeing the glint of my bike and then the flutter of the tarp covering her.

And then a shift.

Maybe it was the heat, my mind would try to coax into me, but the music could not be faked because it was just so God-damn annoying.

I stumbled back, eyes wide as my ass hit the dirt, a happy little ball of metal bouncing side-to-side in the air above me. I pushed back my hat, half amused and also half startled at the sight of ED-E celebrating. . .well, I suppose him finding me. He dipped up and down before pushing hard enough against my face to send me flat on my back.

"Ya little shit," I snapped with a grin, pushing him off of me. "Ya supposed to be back in Primm, what're ya doin here?"

He let out a few beeps and trembled, my brow furrowing when a small compartment popped open on the side of his chassis. He floated there patiently as I gathered myself up, my palms rubbing together firmly. I didn't fully approach him, I couldn't, because sitting in that small compartment was a full syringe of Med-X; a holotape rested beneath it.

I slowly pulled Nezi from her holster, making ED-E give out small, distressed beeps but I was on full alert. Why Med-X? I would be less creeped out and angry about a teddy bear (and those things were creepy as fuck, okay?), but the disturbance of this alone begged several questions. Were we being watched? Were we just lucky? If we were being watched, why would they give us medicine and not take us out? Wasn't raiders, Scorpions or any of those other fuck-nut gangs around the Mojave. Could it be. . .no, no one from D.C. would come this far out to track me, unless -

I looked back over at ED-E who was shaking worse than a gecko in heat. "Sorry lil guy," I mumbled, keeping Nezi hanging in one hand. "Where'd you get this stuff, huh?"

He gave me a woeful little beep, which made me chuckle, albeit nervously. I grabbed the Med-X cautiously, opting to grab the holotape as well despite every fiber of my being saying what the fuck are you doing?! There was no beeping or count down, wail of siren or anything like that; I have to say, after all of my heartache over the years, I was disappointed to not hear that familiar evil cackle that came with an obvious trap.

"I think they would have rigged you to blow or something," I mumbled, flipping over the holotape as I started back towards the crumbling home. "Wait, you're not gonna blow on me are ya?"

He beeped (shocker) and hovered beside the door while I ducked in. To be honest, I shut it as quickly as possible to purposely keep him outside, just in case he would blow or he was wired to listen in on us. I honestly don't believe he just appeared out of nowhere because he missed me, ya know? I only knew the ball for a couple of hours, even if he didn't show up with the Med-X and a holotape out of nowhere, I would be a little cautious.

"You're Satan," Cass moaned when I entered the bathroom, finding her still in the same position as I had left her moments ago. "Y-You were gone for so long!"

I crouched down beside her. "I was gone for five minutes, you big baby," I rolled my eyes, tugging off the plastic cap. "Now sit still."

I grabbed her bicep and pinned it, much to her annoyance and whimpering, jamming the needle to the hilt into her arm. She tensed up, watching me in horror as I pulled the needle from her arm and tossed it off to the side.

"Now," I started. "I give that ten, and then we gotta get the fuck out of here."

Cass sputtered, ready to push herself up, but collapsing back into an immobile heap on the floor. "Wh-Why do we - motherfucker this hurts," she cringed and curled up on herself, whimpering.

I sighed and stood, walking over to our bags and proceeding to shove everything I recognized as ours into their proper place. Cass was still asking questions but I had to get us out of here, away from ED-E just in case. I wouldn't get someone else killed, ya know, because I was lazy and got too friendly.

Should have never brought her with me.

I jumped when a gentle, shaking hand rested in the crook of my elbow. Cass was giving me this sincerely in-pain look and I sagged my shoulders, dropping my bag with an annoyed huff.

"Alex why the Hell are you freakin," she mumbled. "Did somethin happen?"

I sighed angrily and looked over at the door. "ED-E showed up out of nowhere, carryin the very medicine I was lookin for and this holotape," I flipped it up between my fingers. "Look, I just don' wanna stay here with this kinda shit. We need to get out of here."

She furrowed her brow, dropping her hand and watching me gather our things. "Well. . .why don' we listen to the holotape first, okay? Maybe its jus -"

"Cass, I'm not stayin where he found us," I snapped, thrusting the pack out at her. "We leave in ten."

Cass stares at me, her cheek caving on her right side as she chewed on it. "Fine. . .fine, okay."