I wanted to post this like a month ago, but I wasn't able to pay my phone bill and seeing as that's what I write on - no update. But here we go and I hope you all enjoy!

"I hate th' both of ya."

"Nah."

"Hey Alex? Go fuck yerself."

I grinned. "Wanna watch, don't ya?"

I could only imagine the way her face crinkled when she made a noise similar to blanching. I chuckled softly and rocked back on my heels, looking over at the back of the Dinky-Dino statue. It was really fun sending Cass through the vents, like the good ol' days with my men but instead it was post-apocalypse and she was a tiny drunk lady.

"Wha' exactly am I lookin fer here," she grumbled, helping as I heard the opposite grate clatter to the floor.

"A safe, a clipboard, a locked cabinet - anythin' that incriminates the only sympathetic lady in th' entire town," I uncapped my flask, taking a slow sip as my eyes roamed around me.

Cass mumbled on the opposite end, now faint as she rummaged through the office. It didn't make sense that only one woman in this entire town had anything nice to say about Carla. She was so sympathetic, a little too much for my taste; I mean, I had known Carla almost as well as Boone thanks to our time on the Strip and I had less nice things to say about her. I can guarantee Carla was nothing like a cactus flower, she was just the cactus: Prickly as fuck and undiscriminating in whom she struck. She had to be with the way she grew up, three brothers in a one parent house hold? I don't know how her momma made it without holding a pistol between her teeth.

I needed ta find Roger.

I shook my head, trying to focus on the task at hand. I heard the rattle of a filing cabinet, Cass cursing at narrow hips or something and then the creak of a safe door.

"Aw yeah," she hissed. "Jackpot!"

I flinched at the echo. "Shut th' hell up, lass. Ain't in the city, people'll hear us."

"Bite ma ass, Alexander."

"Tempting offer," I hummed. "Perhaps over celebratory drinks?"

She groaned and I chuckled of course, scratching at my arms in the tickle of cool desert air. I wanted my coat, needed ma coat, but I had to ditch everything but Nezi back in Manny's place. Couldn't fit between the chain-link and the back of the building with those damn shoulder pads, so bye-bye coat.

I felt naked.

I think I would rather be naked, though.

I jumped when there was a flash down the road, my stomach tightening at the sight of the flashlight bobbing towards us in the distance. "Oh fuck," I crouched down, cupping my hands around my mouth. "Cass! Cass book it, we got us company!"

There was a loud crash on the other side, a string of explicit curses and then I heard her clambering into the vent. Did she even close the other side? It didn't matter, she'd obviously knocked something over or broke something, I doubt a knocked out vent would be what tipped us off. Her eyes got really big when I grabbed her under her arms like a child, hauling her out and pushing her further down the path. She clutched a bundle of envelopes and other papers in one arm, holding her hat down with the other and going faster than me by a long shot.

Damn tiny people, her legs almost left her body she was going so fast. She was already in front of the motel as I was sliding around the corner, having to push off of the ground when my boots slid in the dirt. Cass was laughing as she climbed the stairs, urging a big grin onto my face as I felt the blood rushing through my face and neck. She pushed through Manny's door, scaring the man into flailing off of the other side of his bed while the both of us hit the floor with him.

"What the actual -" Manny peered over the side of the bed, hands gripping the sheets. "Why?!"

I laughed, the action making me wheeze and hack. "L-Let me . . . Hoo wow, let me catch ma breath real quick."

Cass shuddered out a raspy laugh, rolling onto her side and pushing the papers towards me. "Th-That ol' bitch," I lolled my head towards her. "That ol' bitch did it, she took Boone's wife."

"Wait what," Manny was at attention, pushing himself to his feet. "Who took Carla?"

I reached over for the papers, holding them above me as my cheat constricting over and over again painfully; I really needed to do something about that. "I'll be damned," I muttered, shaking my head as I propped myself up onto my free arm. "Th' old bitch really did do it."

Cass pushed up onto her elbows, hat hanging back off of her loose bun. "What're ya gonna do?"

I licked my lips and scrambled to my feet. "Exactly what I told Boone I would do," I grabbed my coat, pulling out the beret.

Manny's eyes widened and he pushed around the bed. "You can't possibly be doing this good ol' boy style, Alex. What about -"

"She sold his pregnant wife ta the Legion," I glared down at him. "Really thinkin she deserves fair trial? Ya think she deserves any fairness at all because of this shite? I say good ol' boy style is th' only way ta go."

Manny shook his head without hesitation. "No, but we had morals dammit!"

"Yeah, and she doesn't," I snapped. "So, why should I? Yeah, yeah two wrongs don' make a right but it makes me feel better. So step in my way or don't, I can promise if ya do I'll cuff ya to the bed."

"An' I'm guessin not in the kinky way, so boo for everyone," Cass narrowed her eyes as she stood, adjusting her hat. "I know you're a military boy an' all, but shit like this don't fly."

"I was Kahn once, ya know," Manny snapped, fists clenched at his sides.

"So ya keep sayin," I opened the door, waving the papers in the air. "Think the Kahns would let this ride with a trial? Like I said, ya can try to stop me but this bitch is dyin' either way."

Manny's fingers flexed at his sides, his head shaking softly. I stomped out the door, not even angry; there was no point in it, he had his points, I had mine, and we weren't in the military anymore. I was sick of people like this getting away with everything because of these rules. It didn't work before the bombs fell, and it certainly wouldn't work in this new world.

"Its over."

I held out Boone's beret patiently, standing behind him as he continued to stare down the scope of his rifle, possibly at the spattered remains of a skull and shot out glasses. He hadn't liked at me once, he seemed a bit in shock but I wasn't one to judge; I still had blood on my face from being too close. Cass was waiting for me down the spine, smoking my cigarettes and drinking my whiskey, so I wanted to say something to hurry this up but . . .

Boone sighed and slowly lowered his rifle, leaning it against the teeth he was so snug against. He looked over at me and sighed again, deeply, and all but fell back into his chair. The door bumped into my arm as Cass came in, head ducked as she realized she had hit me; she passed me the flask and I took a fantastic sip. I offered the flask to Boone and he took it without hesitations . . . promptly draining all the whiskey inside.

"C'mon lad, that's cold," I murmured, stuffing the empty tin into my coat pocket. "So, what now?"

He clasped his hands together, elbows digging into his knees. "I guess I'll take your offer," he looked up at me. "If you'll still have me."

I chuckled. "Why of course."

He groaned as he stood, grabbing his rifle and fiddling with the strap. "Get your stuff from Manny, and anything of mine. Not ready to tell him I was wrong."

"I gotcha," he took his beret, tugging it down over his head. "Wait for us at Gibson's."

He nodded and squeezed out between Cass and I, shutting the door softly. I took Boone's seat, shaking my head softly at Cass, she was just staring at me.

"Didn' expect a ton'a excitement, but I expected more than that," Cass muttered.

I shrugged. "Guess 'e already came ta terms with most of this when he . . . did what he had to do. This was jus' tyin up loose ends."

Cass shrugged this time, opening the door and pulling off her hat. "Well, how bout we go ahead and wrap this up? 'm ready to get outta hickville."

I chuckled and stood, following her. "Come on, lass, these seem like yet type of people."

"Cus of th' accent," she shook her head. "Piece'a shit."

"All for you, lass."

Cass stumbled back into me when the door to the Dinky flew open, a bewildered Manny there and looking almost lost.

"He's gone," he questioned, straightening himself and trying to regain his composure. "He left and he didn't say anything?"

"Five minutes," Cass balked. "He's been gone five minutes, dude."

Manny narrowed his eyes softly and I could see Cass prickle, ready to throw a punch. "Boone and I weren't the only ones watching Novac," he warned.

"Well," I stepped around Cass. "Tell ya boys to come on then, seeing as you wanna get aggressive for no reason."

"I have my reasons," he snapped. "I'm up to my ass in problems caused by Boone and Carla, and then he doesn't even care to try and settle shit with me and them? He knows he's leaving me on my ass and possibly dead!"

"Maybe ya don' make stupid bets then, huh," Cass chuckled. "Kahns crippled my caravans from time ta time, I know all about your hobbies boy."

"You don' know shit about me."

"I'm gonna knock th' shit outta ya both," I snapped, pointing at Cass. "You, shut th' fuck up and you," I turned to Manny. "You're still an NCR soldier, why don'ya act like it? Stop hangin round drug addicts and the like and get the fuck out of here? Now, get outta ma way, I got places to be. And Kahns to introduce myself to properly."

He grit his jaw and turned around sharply; much to my own relief, he didn't go to his room but instead went the opposite way. I looked back at Cass and she had an extremely sour look on her face that carried us to the room.

"He was so cheery earlier," she mumbled, grabbing her pack.

"Boone's always a bettin man, probably got 'imself into hot water with some Kahns looking for their pay."

"Don' NCR hate Kahns?"

"Doesn't mean they won't bet with em. I know more than a few generals that like ta bet with Papa Kahn," I hauled my pack over my shoulder, walking towards the door. "But they went for high stakes, Boone would have used them as spies on the Legion, seeing as they're almost in cahoots."

"Think he would plan that ahead? Just to watch some Legion?"

"They have a big camp right down the road, and last I heard there was a group of Kahns lost somewhere around here to the Legion. They could want reparations for their lost men because of Boone."

"How did ya get them from Manny jus' bein pissy?"

I chuckles. "Jus' know my men."

"I jus' wanted to lay in a bed tonight," Cass grumbled, arms crossed over her chest as she stared up at the sky.

I chuckled from my roll, staring up at the same stars; they were so thick when we were this far from the lights of the Strip. If you went out far enough, a few rare spots between here and the Capital Wasteland, you could map out the thicker clusters that arch and roll through the night sky. That against the backdrop of an endless sky and the silhouettes of the mountains?

I could be an outdoor-sy guy.

"He watchin," she mumbled after a long pause.

I hummed softly, knocking the toes of my boots together a few times. "Suppose, yeah. Still in Legion territory, and 'm sure Kahns are at our ass. I'll pry outta him what was up with Manny, so don' worry."

"Ain' worryin," Cass mumbled stiffly, punching at the bag she was using as a pillow.

"Uh huh, sure ya aren't," I chuckled, pushing myself to my feet. "Imma go scout a little, can't sleep with you mumblin and worryin."

I snickered when her boot hit my back, jogging a little in case she decided to throw something better. "Ain't worryin!" She snapped.

I shook my head softly, jamming my hands into my coat pockets. The desert air was cooling, and I hadn't wanted to make camp so quickly after leaving Novac, but we didn't want to stumble into Boulder City with the light of gunfire over the ridges and then there was the Outpost just on the road.

No, no NCR this late at night.

I wasn't going to try and find Boone, there was no proper point to use. He wanted to scout alone, and he was very damn good at hiding so I would probably be stick stumbling around in the dark until morning trying to find him. So walking softly in the dust was my plan, but I was very much aware around the edge of my flask.

Perhaps I had a drinking problem.

"Yeah, yeah I have a drinking problem thanks to a Wasteland of ungrateful people looking for me to fix them."

I stopped, hand shaking softly around metal. I lowered the flask, staring down at it in . . . annoyance . . . and something else, couldn't quite put my finger on it though. I shook my head and shoved the flask back into my coat, glaring at the lights of Vegas in the distance.