Thanks again to guts-for-garters, for commenting. I think I've told you this before, but awesome screen name.
I didn't think anyone was paying attention to this fic, so I was ignoring it. Now that I know someone is reading I'll finish it.
I hope you enjoy!
It was a week until Audrey and Silus would be set free. That was assuming neither of them fucked up in a way that added years to their sentences. In order to avoid getting caught passing contraband by some of the guards who didn't like her, Aubrey had continued to pass more and more of her business to Frank. Having a much longer sentence and less to lose, Frank was a sensible inheritor to Aubrey's domain, but Silus was still unnerved by the greed he saw in Frank's eyes. He knew the look from working with new recruits for the Legion. Younger, stronger men who were hungry for power and would take foolish risks for it. They were the ones who challenged Praetorians for their positions and all too often got blown up trying to dash into known minefields.
Still, life in the Legion was behind Silus now. He tried to focus on keeping himself and Aubrey safe until the day the would both walk out of this prison free. Emerging from the hot tin box that was the NCR reeducation classroom, the sweat covered couple walked towards the cool shade next to the shower barracks to take up their usual positions. As the couple moved through the dusty courtyard Silus noticed Frank walking towards Aubrey and himself. Two large men were walking with Frank. Silus could feel Aubrey's lips part in a smile, she trusted Frank despite his warnings as she felt Frank wouldn't be foolish enough to move for early control of the courtyard this close to her release.
The look on Frank's face told Silus that Aubrey was wrong. Now it was a waiting game. Frank would have to do something for Silus to react or he'd risk alienating Aubrey. Counting himself lucky that guns weren't going to be an issue in the yard, Silus did take notice of the goons who had their hands stiffly in their pockets. They couldn't have made it more obvious they were carrying. Still Silus had to be careful; he knew the man on Frank's right was in for theft, so he wouldn't be too much of a challenge. The other man was the wild card. He could be in for anything. Capable of anything.
"Miss me boys," Aubrey said, stopping short of the small mob.
Frank looked at her with surprise, and Silus felt himself coil and ready to pounce. Before Silus could do much else Frank nodded to his men. "Now," he ordered.
Both goons produced shanks made from tooth brushes and tape. The makeshift knives were then driven forward towards Aubrey's middle section, the sharp but jagged surface promising to rip and make a horrible mess of any soft tissue it came across. The thief's shank managed to drive a deep gash into Aubrey's side as Silus put his hands on both of her shoulders and swung her away from the attackers.
Silus then turned and used his forearm and leg to break the arm of one of the goons. The man screamed out in pain, and whistles began to blow in the guard stations, alerting the yard to danger. Silus drove his elbow into the man's nose, causing a torrent of blood to break free and shower down on both of them as the order to "Get down" was called.
Laying down in the dirt Frank smiled up at Silus, knowing that if Silus was foolish enough to attack a prone man he might very well be shot by the guards.
"On the ground," A guard yelled from next to Silus, his gun pointed and ready. Silus rolled his eyes and complied. He was aware, in that moment, how carelessly the guard was as he held the gun. Too long these men who ruled over the prison had gone unchecked in their strength. If he wanted to Silus could disarm this man, beat him to death with his own gun, and take out enough guards to possibly make a clean break. His brain thought better of it quickly, and he realized running would cost him more than waiting ever would.
Metal handcuff's closed around Silus's wrists and he turned and looked towards where Aubrey had run off. One of the guards was helping the red headed woman up, while she held her shoulder in pain. Obviously the other prisoner had gotten a good jab in. He scanned the yard for sign of the man who had stabbed her, and then realized he could see a dark glistening around the head of a man who was laying near Aubrey. He hadn't noticed the sniper shot in his struggles, but it was obvious now that Aubrey's other attacker was dead.
"Simon, I would hate to have you here longer than need be," were the wardens words of warning. Then he reached over and back patted the large Silus sitting in an awkwardly small chair. Silus flinched. He didn't intend to, he told himself he'd show no fear, but he jumped defensively when the warden tried to touch him. Apologies only got you killed in the Legion, so Silus had been careful to be respectful but not apologetic. The situation made the warden chuckle as he walked off, enjoying the power of the moment just a little bit. It wasn't every day a brute grimaced when he was touched.
It was at that moment Silus realized every muscle in his body was tight. He allowed himself to draw in a deep breath, letting the air he was holding out his nose slowly. He had to remind himself that Legion found the rest of the world soft for a reason. He should have been punished for disobeying orders. Whipped, beaten, broken. Instead the NCRCF had simply warned him away from future fights and praised him for defending a 'helpless' female.
This made Silus wonder if Aubrey really was helpless. Sure she needed a body guard, but she had managed to land herself in a position of power on the yard without one. You didn't become a king of the prison without being able to fight. Still she'd been slashed and stabbed by the man attacking her with little resistance. Though if she hadn't been seriously hurt Silus would probably have to spend more time in this shit hole.
Dark halls lined the way to the yard, where the sun had already set. A guard followed Silus back to the barracks and lingered in the doorway listening for trouble. Frank and the living man who had attacked Silus had been put in solitary confinement until after Silus was due for release. The news had made Silus relax a little bit, but the idea that Aubrey was wounded troubled him. He hadn't gotten word about what had happened to Aubrey. He assumed that if she had died someone would have spoken about it, but who knew in a prison.
Sleep flicked on the edges of Silus's mind, but he kept seeing Aubrey in the sun with blood running down her shirt. She looked frightened and that bothered him. She was always sure and cocky, it was why he liked following her around. It was familiar to him to have a charismatic person calling the shots in his life, and the idea that she could disappear so easily was upsetting. What was worse was that it made him mad that he could be so easily shaken. Aubrey was just a woman and Silus couldn't afford to be weak.
Rolling over on his cot Silus wondered what Aubrey would do when they were released. For his own safety he should probably move onto his land without her, but he didn't want to. If he had his druthers he wouldn't even be away from her right now. Even if she was languishing in a medical ward, hooked up to the strange machines the people of the west seemed to have, he would stand beside her. Still this was another sign of weakness, wanting to take care of something softer than you. She was an Achilles heal and Silus wasn't used to being vulnerable.
Still there she was, fading in and out of his tired brain like sunlight through bird wings.
The medical ward was silent. There were no other patients so Aubrey was in isolation from anyone else. At this point she was so used to the sounds of other people snoring and shifting in their sleep, the quite made sleeping here unbearable. It was an oppressive absence of sound that settled on her chest and made her wish she could run away from it. Just a few feet outside was open sky, people, life, but this room was made to hold the living until they died or got better. Funny that the sound of nothing reminded her of death.
When morning came Aubrey had not slept well, but she had enough energy to seem strong. She had been stitched up and given bandages to replace what was on her arm and stomach. She felt half tempted to trade them for goods in the yard, but thought better of it seeing how she was getting out soon. The first thing she did in the light of the early morning, after the second wake up bell rang, was to look for Simon.
He emerged from the men's barracks looking like he'd not gotten any more sleep than she had. It was good to see him alive and mostly free. His eyes lit up for a second when he saw her and then his face went back to the grumpy mask of stoicism that always hid his emotions. Part of her wanted to run up and hug him, feel his hard muscles shift under his thin uniform. He made her feel like no one could touch her, even if several jagged lines across her body said otherwise. Though in all honestly she'd let the man hurt her. Sure, the shoulder wound was a surprise, but the bloodied belly was enough to argue that Simon was defending her from an attacker. It had worked and here they were, together again.
Simon nodded as she walked next to him and headed towards the metal building where classes were held. Unlike most mornings he turned his head to look at her and she caught his eye. His response to her look was to turn his head and act like he was uninterested. The coolness he showed around her was another puzzle piece in the mystery of Simon. The other women in the NCRCF were jealous she had taken the new man so quickly, but changed their minds once they realized how aloof he was. Aloof, sarcastic, and often times cruel. Still the side long glance had had just given Aubrey didn't speak to sarcasm or cruelty. He seemed to worry about her, yet he never seemed to worry about anything. It was frustrating, so she took her normal stance and refused to think about it.
"Did he hurt you bad?" Simon finally asked as they sat at their usual table.
Quick eyes studied Simon enough to let Aubrey know that he was sincerely asking, and the attention made her stomach squirm in a funny way. "No, thanks to you. Though I have to admit I knew they were going to attack, just not with shivs. I wanted to make sure I took a blow so the guards maybe wouldn't lock you up. Looks like it was worth the gamble. Good job not killing that guy."
"He had no hand to hand skill," a cocky chortle escaped Simons lips as he spoke. "A well trained child could have disarmed that man and sent him running."
"I think you underestimate yourself," Aubrey commented. "I've met a lot of NCR grunts in my day, and none of them had moves like that. Either you were special ops, and aren't telling me for some reason, or you'll full of shit about being in the NCR."
Exactly as Aubrey expected, Simon shifted in his chair uncomfortably. He wouldn't say anything; he never did when she talked about the past. It bothered Aubrey more than she wanted to say, but a lot of people in jail didn't want to talk about what happened to them before. Though few were as tight lipped as Simon.
The teacher entered the room and started to prepare his lesson. Another day learning about how they could be good productive citizens. It occurred to Aubrey that she hadn't really told Simon how much she appreciated him. Before the class started she leaned over and settled her freckled hand on top of his lightly tanned skin and whispered into Simons ear, "Thank you. I owe you so much. Someday I hope to make it up to you."
His hand engulfed hers then, pressing her fingers together harder than Aubrey would have liked. Simon turned, his yellow eyes seeming to glow with a flame fiercer than any fire. He watched her for several seconds, devouring her body and soul with the look on his face. The man was frightening and she was forced to yet again encounter him. If she was smart she'd run away from him, but instead she found herself sucked in like a moth to a flame.
"If you knew anything about me," A horse threatening whisper escaped Silus's lips, "You'd never put your hand on mine so casually. You're right, I wasn't an NCR goon, I was something much worse. Much more deadly. I used to break little girls like you as a hobby. The more head-strong the better. I want to atone for that time, however; start a new life so far from my old one that I can just forget who I used to be. I want you to think about that the next few days, because if I can't make peace with the gods, then everyone around me might suffer."
When Simon freed her hand Aubrey exhaled, not realizing she was holding her breath the entire time he spoke. The teacher eyed them but began his lecture despite their talking. They were quite now, that's what mattered. A shot of pain hit Aubrey in her shoulder from tensing up her body, and she leaned forward slightly with her hand over her wound. Simon bend his body to make sure she was alright, and she realized his pity was the last thing she wanted right now.
Looking up from his projection ,the lecturer opened his mouth to ask Aubrey if she was alright. The guards had informed him that one of his students was hurt in a prison fight, and he had been on the lookout for someone in pain. People who were in such situations were often ready for the kind of teaching he had to do. Before he could say anything a new guard entered the room and boldly walked to the front of the class. The teacher nodded and took a piece of paper from the man, adjusting his thick glasses as he read the note.
A low murmuring went through the room as Aubrey recovered. The pain still throbbed but it wasn't as pointed and harsh. Small words now floated across the room to her ears. "Hoover Dam," "war," and "battle" were heard as part of a thick soup of speech spinning all around her. It was easy to forget the NCR was at war inside of the prison.
"Ladies and gentlemen," The teacher spoke up over the voices all around him. It took a second, "Ladies and gentlemen," before anyone shut up.
The small ginger haired man adjusted the bow tie on his ridiculous white lab coat and began to speak. "I have an announcement to make about the war. It seems that earlier this morning General Oliver, and that Courier Six everyone is hearing about on the radio, lead the fine soldiers of the New California Republic to victory over the Legion. It seems the Courier gained the assistance of not only the Boomers, but also our former enemies the Brotherhood of Steal, and managed to turn the Great Khans in our favor. These combined forces fended off an attempt by the Legion to take the Dam using a water tunnel. A small group lead Courier Six took the camp of Legate Lanius. It seems the Legate was killed by Courier Six in front of his tent and rumors persist that Caesar has also fallen in battle. It will only be a matter of time till the other higher ups in the Legion are caught and executed with more mercy than they showed Nipton."
A cheer sounded from the guards and several of the inmates. Exuberant conversations spread across the room, lighting up the faces all but the most dower of criminals. Everyone had been affected by the war one way or another. Aubrey was beaming, she had no personal stakes in the war, but it was good to know the fighting was over for the most part. She turned to Simon to share her enthusiasm only to find him pale faced and frightened in his chair.
"Are you okay?" She asked, forgetting his earlier warning and putting her hand on Simon's shoulder. He seemed not to notice or hear her, so she shook him and asked him once again if he was feeling alright.
"Class!" the teacher yelled over the inmates, "You may have the afternoon off, with no effect on your graduation date, provided you fill out your worksheets in your free time."
This elicited another cheer from the prisoners who immediately began to file out of the building, leaving only Simon and Aubrey behind. Simon seemed stuck in place. It was like the good news had shook him in a way the others around him couldn't comprehend. Aubrey shook him harder this time, and he seemed to snap out of it and turn to recognize her.
"We should go out to the yard now," she said.
Simon nodded and rose to follow her. Aubrey made her way slowly towards an unoccupied bench near one of the fences. Most people didn't like to sit here because guards could overhear their conversations easily, but something about Simon told Aubrey that he wasn't going to be talking for awhile. He was leaning forward in his seat flexing his hands together as if he was preparing for a fight. Unsure what else she could do Aubrey sat next to her friend and waited for him to say something. The whole time she tried not to focus on how odd his behavior was. Maybe he had someone he loved fighting and was scared they were dead, or maybe he was hoping he'd get to punch Caesar to death himself.
Caesar is dead. So is Lanius. Silus assumed, Lucius, Vulpes, Anthony, Marcus, Red Claw, Travis, Julian, Cato, and a hundred others he had fought beside now gone too. It wasn't that the great and terrible Caesar had huffed and puffed himself out of existence that shocked Silus. The most upsetting part of this news was that Silus probably wouldn't be murdered one night by a Frumentarii.
After all no Frumentarii was going to follow the orders of a dead dictator and risk blowing their cover now. Getting caught would mean that they were sacrificing the only life they had left and everyone in that branch of service was too shrewd to take such a risk. He was certain that if Vulpes managed to survive the man would put on an NCR uniform, march west, and start a new life as whomever he'd killed. That is if the bombastic jerk wasn't fighting for control of what was left of the Legion. He wouldn't put either past the head of the Frumentarii.
It was amazing to be alive while the only life you had ever known decays. To be given a new chance at life that the NCR had not been able to promise when he struck a deal with them. Silus just hoped that he was still valuable enough for them to honor their half of the bargain. Even if they didn't, he was alive. Alive, and soon to be a free man. No one was going to kill him, and that tasted sweater than any victory he won for Caesar ever did. Part of him celebrated that the harsh life he had would soon be wiped from the face of the earth. Another man made mistake in a long line of foolishness.
The sun was burning his neck and Silus felt happy about it rather than annoyed. The sun was odd, seeing how he was pretty sure he was in the classroom with Aubrey. Silus had a vague memory of walking out of the classroom with her. It wasn't like him to be dazed and he was still to hypnotized to punish himself for being lead around by a woman.
"We have the day off," he muttered, looking into her large green eyes. She smiled at him. It was a simple pure smile. Genuine happiness. He had never seen anyone smile like this while he was with Legion, and it made him feel glad whenever he saw it on Aubrey's face.
"We just have to do some homework," Aubrey assured Silus with a sigh of relief. "I thought you'd checked out for good. Glad to see you came back to me in the end. I'm starting to think it's a trend."
"I can't believe he's dead," Silus confessed, no longer looking into Aubrey's eyes.
He felt her arms around him. Had she been hugging him long? It was nice to have her press so close to him, but he wasn't in a place to feel anything else about it.
"Who can't you believe is dead?" Aubrey asked.
Silus's hush voice spoke the name "Caesar," only with a hard K instead of a soft S. Fortunately for him he spoke to softly for her to understand him. Aubrey asked him to repeat what he said, and he corrected his error. "Caesar," he repeated, with the correct, incorrect, pronunciation.
"Are you afraid for the people you knew in the war?" Aubrey was obviously trying to be sympathetic. It bruised his ego, but he was so tired from the shock of it all that he just took it.
Silus looked up at the sky, "I guess so. I don't think they will do well after this. They only know one way of life and that's going to go away now. I hope they can adjust."
"Maybe they need reeducation classes from Professor Dickweed," Aubrey laughed at her own joke.
Despite himself Silus let out a snicker. "I think most of them would grow bored with Professor Dickweed and feed him that red light he uses to point out things with."
Laughing again Aubrey squeezed his arm in a familiar way. Silus smiled at her, but his look was weary. She seemed to see the smile but not the pain, and that she could be so selective bought him more comfort. They sat like that into the night. Aubrey going out of her way to make light hearted jokes and Silus smiling at them. He had no idea what else to do with himself now, a statement he repeated to Aubrey as dusk started to settle in.
Aubrey puffed up her chest and answered like a proud bird singing over his nest. "Well I'd start by going to my bunk to finish my homework so that you don't get in trouble. Then tomorrow I'd get up, take a shower, put my clothes on, and start living my fucking life."
A man ten years older than Silus looked at Aubrey through Silus's eyes. She tugged at his shirt a little, and motioned for him to start heading towards the bunks. Before they left he lowered himself like he was going to speak into her ear. Aubrey didn't move, she stood there, arms crossed, waiting for him to say whatever it was he was going to say. She didn't expect it when he swept her up in one big arm and pressed her small body to his chest. Another strong arm wrapped around Aubrey, and she felt his nose in her hair, inhaling, exhaling. Then as swiftly as he touched her, Silus released Aubrey and walked towards the men's' barracks alone.
Before she was out of earshot Aubrey thought she heard Silus mumble, "Maybe you can teach me how."