"Have a seat," Hardin said as Veronica strode into his office.

"What's up, Edgar?" she asked, taking a seat.

The man grimaced slightly, but it faded as he sat behind his desk.

"It's about the trouble you've been stirring up."

She sighed. It was only a matter of time before the old blowhard was going to come down on her for this. The scribe had hoped it would just blow over, but the jackasses who'd confronted them after she'd made her last plea to McNamara undoubtedly went running to tattle to Hardin.

"I can appreciate your concern for what's happening to us," he continued, looking troubled. "We are weakened, and only getting weaker while we stay underground. And I agree that things need to change."

"You do?" Veronica blurted out. Hardin was not the progressive, free-thinking type. In fact, she was pretty sure he had the Codex tattooed on the insides of his eyelids.

"Yes, though not the way you do. This is about Elder McNamara's insistence to continue the lockdown. If we don't go back to the surface, we will die of attrition."

"Ah." The scribe frowned. "Well, I don't think there's much we can do until he changes his mind…"

"There is one thing," Hardin said, getting Veronica's attention. "We could oust McNamara."

Veronica felt her face pull into a sneer. "Let me guess, you'll be the new Elder."

"I am the most qualified," he said, almost dismissively. "I have had the most battle experience and am the most knowledgeable about tactics. Under my leadership, we could continue the war with the NCR."

Groaning, Veronica shook her head. "That didn't go very well the first time, remember? You do know some of the people I've been working with are NCR, right?"

"They won't be a problem for long."

She didn't like the way he said that. "What have you done?"

*.*.*

Vargo lunged for Layla, and she ducked under his hand. Power armor, freaking power armor. She didn't have anything that would… Starting with realization, she remembered she had one of her proton throwing axes in her bag. If she could just get it out before-

Her thought was interrupted as a metal gauntlet closed over her arm. She could do little more than squirm when the man grabbed her other arm and held her still. One of the other paladins came their way holding an explosive collar, and Layla found herself surprised that she was panicking. The thought of another collar around her throat was more than a little upsetting.

Just before he got the collar around her neck, the paladin went flying. Vargo jerked a moment later, then gave her a perplexed looked that soon morphed into rage.

"What the fuck?" he cried, then looked like he was struggling to move in his own armor. Boone appeared at Layla's side a moment later, nose bleeding and looking furious. He carefully pried Vargo's, frozen fingers away from Layla's arms, releasing her.

"Are you okay?" he asked. She nodded.

"What happened? Why are they…" She trailed off as he held up his arm, which now sported a crazy-looking zap glove. She saw the name 'Paladin Toaster' scrawled on the side.

"Had Raul fix it for me. Thought it might come in handy," he said, a faint grin on his face. Layla shook her head, smiling.

"Well, I'm glad one of us is paranoid about these- oh!" She turned back to the bound ranger, suddenly remembering him. The relief on his face mirrored her own as she removed the gag.

"Are you okay?" she asked as Boone cut the ropes off his arms and torso. "Did they hurt you?"

"Only beat me a little to soften me up," said Ranger Dobson. "I think they were waiting to get all of us."

"What do you mean?" Layla asked, digging in her bag for a bottle of water. The ranger accepted it and drank it down in only a few gulps. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and spoke again.

"You're Layla and Boone, right?"

She nodded while she made sure Boone's nose wasn't broken. The Ranger gave them a grim smile. "They're planning some kind of coup. They wanted you out of the way, then they were going to use us as hostages when they restart their campaign against the NCR."

"What?" Layla cried. She turned to Vargo, who's armor was still frozen while he glared at them. "Is that true?"

"You've been making this lockdown worse than it needs to be. You're probably sabotaging us for the NCR. McNamara is too much of a fool to see you for what you really are."

The Courier glowered at him. "I'm the only reason the NCR hasn't already rushed the place, and you attacked me."

Dobson stood, stretching out his undoubtedly stiff and sore muscles. Layla noted the explosive collar on his neck and turned back to Vargo.

"Where's the key to that collar?" she growled, letting all the venom from this turn of events color her tone.

"Fuck you. I hope one of the others find out what happened and blows that asshole to hell," Vargo snarled.

"Wrong answer." Layla pulled the combat knife from her bag. As she moved toward then man, she felt a hand on her arm. Turning she found Boone motioning to Dobson, who had the collar off his neck.

"You just have to know how to take them off," he said. "Not that I don't appreciate the gesture."

The Courier put her knife away, feeling a blush coming on.

"What now?" Boone asked. His power-gloved hand creaked as he flexed it.

"We don't know who's involved," Layla said, "so we need to find Veronica and get to McNamara."

"How long is that armor short out gonna last?" Dobson asked Boone, who shrugged, looking to Layla.

"I don't know a whole lot about power armor," she said. "If I had to guess, maybe another minute. We'd better be quick-" As she spoke, Dobson went to each of the paladins and slammed them over the head with a laser pistol he'd pulled from one of their hands.

"…That works too," Layla said.

"Layla! Boone!" came Veronica's voice from down the hallway, the Courier sighed with relief.

"In here!" she called.

"What are you doing?" Dobson hissed.

"You heard what Vargo said about McNamara," Layla said conversationally as she checked Boone's nose one last time. "This isn't all the Brotherhood's plan. Veronica's on our side."

"I hope you're right," the ranger muttered as the door opened and the scribe burst in.

"Are you okay? Hardin said he was…" She trailed off as she saw the chaos in the room. She gaped at Vargo, who was clearly unconscious but looked like he was stooping down to grasp something invisible. "So uh… what the hell?"

Layla opened her mouth to explain when she heard footsteps in the hall. Turning, she saw Hardin bound into the room. He looked around the room, then at Veronica.

"Veronica, listen-" He was cut off as Boone punched him in the face. He crashed to the ground and didn't get back up.

Dobson laughed, "I like you guys."

*.*.*

"I owe you an apology for what's happened here," McNamara said again. Veronica had never seen the man look so flustered. Clearly he hadn't been expecting an attempted mutiny.

"Well, we can work this out still," the Courier responded. That was true; Dobson been good enough to let Layla handling this situation diplomatically. Once things had cleared up, they'd get him to the ranger safehouse.

"What's going to happen to Hardin and his people?" Layla asked, sounding apprehensive.

"He and his men will be dealt with," McNamara said dismissively. The Courier opened her mouth to question him further, but the Elder continued before she could.

"As of this moment, the lockdown is lifted," McNamara said. "The NCR does not have nearly as strong a hold on the area as we originally thought."

Veronica's eyebrows shot up. She never thought she'd see the day they'd all be able to go out again. She hoped Hardin would enjoy the irony of all this… if they let him live.

"That's probably true…" Layla said thoughtfully. "But you guys aren't doing so good right now either."

"We've had some hard times, that's for sure, but-"

"The NCR asked me to eliminate you and your entire chapter," she said, cutting him off. The startled look on the man's face was shared by just about everyone in the room, but Layla pressed on.

"I'm not going to do that. The Legion's coming. You've seen the reports of what they do. You're weakened. The NCR needs all the help it can get. So much so that I don't think they'll say no to a truce."

Veronica gaped at the other girl. The Elder's own shock slowly changed to a thoughtful look.

"There would have to be provisions to this treaty…"

"That goes for both sides," Layla agreed. "For now, I think the best I can offer you is an end to the fighting." She made a hard face as she continued. "And I suggest you get rid of all your explosive collars. NCR isn't very found of them being used on their people."

McNamara gave her a grim smile. "Tell the NCR we are willing to work with them."

*.*.*

"I'm not going to lie, this might be a hard sell," Layla said as she and Boone walked into the offices of Hoover Dam. The sniper snorted at her understatement. Turning another corner, she saw Lt. Colonel Gregory coming their way.

"Hey Boone!" the woman called, smiling. "You and I have to have a talk."

"Go on," Layla said as she moved towards Moore's door, "This will probably take a few minutes."

Boone nodded and moved to speak with Gregory as Layla turned toward the Colonel's door. Before she could knock, it opened and Moore stepped out of the room. She frowned as she noticed the Courier.

"Colonel," Layla said frostily, then bit her lip. This was going to be hard enough without her being openly hostile.

"Granville," Moore answered flatly. "Is the situation with the Brotherhood resolved?"

Layla took a deep breath. She had to do this just right, or there'd be trouble. "I have."

"They're all dead? Somehow I doubt that."

"They're not dead. They're willing to sign a treaty with the NCR."

There was silence for a moment. The Colonel stared at her with a look of disbelief.

"You can't seriously mean to tell me you've spoken with them and offered, without sanction, a treaty." Moore said quietly.

"I did," Layla retorted, trying not to get unnerved by the anger in the other woman's voice. She squared her shoulders and laid it all out. "I did because we need all the help we can get. I did because the Brotherhood isn't in a position to attack the NCR, but they are in a position to help us. Something their elder has offered to do."

"And you believed them?" Moore's face was turning an upsetting shade of purple. "You just bought that they'd help us, just like that?"

"Well, I told them that we'd have discuss terms. I think they mentioned something about getting back salvaged power armor," Layla said, then had to stop herself from taking a step back from the other woman's glare.

"I… How can you be so stupid?" Moore asked, hands balling into fists at her sides.

"How can you be so blinded by a grudge half a decade old?" Layla shot back. Some tiny part of her mind screamed at her to be civil or this wouldn't end well.

"At least I know my loyalties," Moore growled. "At least I don't spread my legs for the Brotherhood, the Kings, House or anyone else who'll have you."

The Courier's face twisted. "So the Brotherhood busted your leg? Well wake up, that was years ago. We need all the help we can get, or you're going to find out first-hand what the Legion does to a woman with a limp."

*.*.*

"I've just gotten the combat readiness evaluation back from Camp Golf," Gregory said, handing Boone a sheet of paper. "And we've had some interesting results." The sniper had to fight down a grin as he looked at the report.

"The Misfits have all passed. They even broke a few records, and I hear we've got a '1st Recon veteran and a cowboy ghoul' to thank for it." The Lt. Colonel smiled. "Is Layla not keeping you busy anymore?"

"Wasn't much trouble for her to get into with all those rangers around," Boone answered. Gregory laughed.

"The brass is pretty pleased about the Misfits. Most everyone considered them a wash," she said.

"They just needed a push," Boone said. He frowned suddenly at the sound of raised voices behind him. He turned just in time to see Colonel Moore punch Layla in the mouth.

"Colonel!" Gregory cried as she and Boone ran for the two women. Layla responded with a punch to Moore's stomach, but the other woman looked unaffected. Moore lunged at the Courier, and Boone and Gregory reached them just as she had gotten Layla in a headlock.

*.*.*

"What the fuck happened to you?" Cass cried as she walked into the 38's kitchen and found Layla holding a frozen steak to her eye. "Did you finally annoy Boone enough for him to slug you?"

She then caught sight of the sniper sitting across the table, who looked offended at the implication.

"I got into a minor altercation with… someone," the Courier said stiffly.

"Who?"

"… Colonel Moore."

"Fuck!" Cass cried. "You hit her? How is it you're not in stocks at the Dam?"

"Well, she technically threw the first punch… so if anyone was going to get into trouble, it was her."

"Huh, what a psycho," Cass sat down at the table. "Are you gonna blow the whistle on her?"

"No." Layla said firmly. "We need that 'psycho' right where she is when the Legion attacks. Besides… I said some things that were punch-worthy. And we got the Brotherhood to ally with the NCR… so she wasn't too happy."

"Well, that explains why Veronica's all peppy," Cass said, then sat on a chair. "So what happened after she started swinging?"

"Boone and a few soldiers separated us… I could have taken her though."

"She's had ranger combat training," the sniper said. "She would have killed you."

"Yeah, I know."

I hope you've enjoyed 'Loose Ends.' Our next story, 'Patriots,' will begin on 11/10/11. I was going to go with 11/11/11, since that's what the kids are doing, but the editor pointed out everyone would be busy. So we'll all have something to do while we pine for Skyrim instead.

Thanks for reading! See you on the 10th!