The battle was over. Word had come trickling across the dam that the Legate had fallen, and legionaries had turned and run in fear.
Veronica and Cass had stayed near each other, keeping an eye out and making sure neither of them got jumped from behind. Arcade had been off fighting with his former Enclave comrades, but Veronica hadn't seen any of the Remnants lying dead on the concrete, so she was sure the blond was okay.
Their section of the power plant had been cleared early on, and rumor had it that someone had started up the turbines and turned centurions sneaking in into Legion burgers. Veronica hadn't had to see it, and for that, she was grateful.
Still, the battle had been hard; Veronica was more exhausted and hurt in more places than she ever had before. She could already feel a few bruises forming, but did her best to push her own aches aside so she could help drag wounded soldiers to triage stations the Followers had set up.
Despite the fighting being done, the medical tents were chaotic and loud. The scribe did her best to listen to the orders given to her, trying not to lose the words in the rest of the yelling. At one point, she saw Arcade standing with one of the Followers, his helmet tucked under his arm and his hair plastered to his forehead with sweat.
He glanced up and saw her, shooting her a weary grin that seemed somewhat stiff. Under the circumstances, Veronica didn't blame him a bit.
She'd lugged somewhere between ten and fifteen soldiers to different tents when she decided to stop and take a break. Veronica wandered off to the edge of the dam, looking out at the calm waters of the Colorado. It would take a long time for the battle to quit replaying in her head, but watching the glassy river flow was somewhat soothing.
Veronica sighed and pulled off the combat helmet Cass had thrown at her, noticing a few dents in the metal and admitting to herself that Six had been right. Just wearing her hood would have gotten her skull bashed in. She could almost see Six's knowing grin and imagined the ornery tone the woman's voice would be sure to have.
Thinking of the courier sent a jolt through her and Veronica turned around, scanning the troops flowing back across the dam for Six. Panic and guilt crashed over her shoulders; how could she have forgotten the woman that had just swept her up in the best kiss of her life hours before?
Haggard NCR soldiers helping wounded comrades was all Veronica could see and she headed back toward the medical tent. She stepped aside as a few soldiers came running toward the tent with a mangled body, trying to avoid looking at it before following the men inside.
"Arcade!" Veronica shouldered her way through the tent, stepping over and around impromptu surgeries. The armored man turned and raised an eyebrow at her. "Have you seen Six?"
Arcade shrugged and shot her an apologetic look. "Not since the charge to the camp, sorry. You and Cass okay?"
Veronica did her best to swallow her anxiety. "Couple'a scrapes and bruises, but we're fine. Let me know if you see her."
The doctor nodded, his attention caught when someone came in calling for Julie Farkas. He seemed to take charge, directing the soldier to bring in their wounded friend and that Julie would be finished with the surgery she was working on in a minute. He caught Veronica's arm and gave her a gentle tug out of the way, the added strength from his power armor sending her reeling toward him. "Sorry," he muttered as he helped steady her. "I'm a doctor, not a soldier. Not used to this giant tin can."
Veronica was going to answer but the commotion of the soldiers hauling in a bloodied body distracted her. "Oh god," she gasped, feeling strangely numb. Despite the gashes and blood, the woman on the stretcher was unmistakable. "Six..."
"Shit," Arcade muttered, setting his power helmet aside and crouching beside the courier's body. He ripped off his gloves and set to work checking Six's vitals and trying to determine the extent of her injuries.
Veronica hovered behind him and tried to make sense of what she was seeing. Six had been perfectly fine the last time she'd seen her; it seemed preposterous that that could have changed in so little time.
"Hey Blondie," Cass called as she walked into the tent. "You seen Vee any-the fuck?"
"Bad time, Rosie darling," Arcade returned tightly, glancing up to see where Julie was. "About finished over there, doc?"
Cass bristled at the nickname, moving over to stand out of the way near Veronica. "S'goin' on?"
Veronica shrugged; her tongue felt like it had forgotten how to form words. "Six," she said again, gesturing helplessly toward the unconscious woman before them. "I just... They just brought her in. I don't know."
Cass gave her a sideways glance as the scribe's voice caught. "You know how tough Six is," she reminded Veronica, her tone surprisingly gentle. "Let the doc take a look at her, and I'm sure she'll be back on her feet and sweepin' you off yours in no time."
The words weren't as comforting as they should have been and Veronica gave a halfhearted shrug.
"C'mon," Cass said, wrapping an arm around Veronica's shoulders and leading her out of the tent. "Let's go get a drink."
Somehow, Cass got her hands on a few bottles of whiskey, and they settled outside of the medical tent, leaning against the wall and looking out into the sky.
"I should have gone with her," Veronica mumbled, rolling the bottle between her hands.
Cass let out a raspy laugh. "Nah, Six woulda been so worried about you, it'd probably have ended up worse."
"But I could have protected her."
"Bull." The redhead took a swig of her drink and sighed contentedly as it burned down her throat. "I'm right and you know it. This is probably the best way it coulda ended up, shit as it is."
Veronica shot the cowgirl an incredulous look. "Did you even see her laying there?"
"Don't think anyone could've missed her," Cass retorted. "Your girlfriend's the hero of this whole thing; wouldn't be surprised if she got special treatment even NCR officers don't get."
The scribe was quiet, throwing the idea around in her mind. Her brain stuck on the new title for her relationship with Six and she was torn between smiling and being flustered. She settled on the latter and stared down at the concrete near her feet.
Cass gave her a sideways glance and grinned. "You gotta help me shake Arcade down for those caps later."
Veronica groaned and set the bottle aside to bury her face in her hands. "I can't believe you were betting on me and Six. I didn't... I mean, I didn't know she thought of me... I thought she was straight."
The cowgirl scoffed. "Girl, I dunno what you've been smoking, but Six has been loony for you for a while now. 'Bout as long as I've known both of you, in fact." A smug look came onto her face. "You're harder to figure out, but I had a hunch you were all goofy for her too. So long as Arcade pays up, it'll have been a worthy hunch."
Veronica flushed and thought back on her feelings for Six. She'd kept them secret, not sure how Six felt; the courier was one of the best friends she'd ever had, and Veronica didn't want to lose her over something like this. It ended up not mattering, she mused with an absent smile, and she ached to be in Six's arms again. The battle still had her anxious and she craved the security she'd felt in the courier's embrace.
She and Cass sat in silence for a while, and Veronica wordlessly passed the redhead her untouched bottle of whiskey when Cass' ran dry.
Cass rambled about the Boomers' plane for a while, wondering aloud how something made of metal could even get off the ground. Veronica didn't have the energy to explain it to her, and opted not to mention what she'd heard about vertibirds.
Night was creeping closer and someone ran out of the medical tent toward the dam's offices. Cass and Veronica exchanged a concerned look but neither of them heard any alarming noises.
"Everythin's fine," Cass reassured the scribe lazily, shifting closer and tossing an arm around her shoulders. "Arcade'd tell us if somethin' happened."
Veronica nodded and did her best not to start thinking. She didn't have to distract herself for long; movement at the tent caught the pair's attention and she looked up.
Arcade had discarded his power armor and was in a lab coat speckled with blood. He stretched before spotting them and walked toward them wearily.
Veronica's heart jumped into her throat and Cass patted her shoulder comfortingly.
"She's awake," Arcade murmured, pulling off his glasses and cleaning them on his coat. "Looked worse than it was. Julie feels pretty good about it." He shoved his glasses back on and focused his gaze on Veronica. "Want to go see her?"
She nodded immediately and took the hand Arcade extended to her, allowing him to help her to her feet. Veronica jogged around the blond doctor and headed for the medical tent, ducking inside the canvas flap and searching the bodies for Six.
The courier was propped up against some pillows, cringing slightly as one of the medics gave her a few injections. The blood staining her skin had been cleaned off and she looked alive and healthy.
Veronica's knees threatened to give out and she swallowed the surge of relief that choked her, moving into the tent and stepping around other wounded soldiers to get to Six. The medic heard her coming first and glanced over his shoulder, recognizing her and moving away quickly.
Six watched him go, looking puzzled at his sudden exit. Her eyes flicked over as Veronica sank to her knees at the courier's side and Six's face lit up. "Veronica!"
"Hey, Six," the scribe murmured, grabbing the courier's hand. She heard her own voice tremble but didn't have the time to be embarrassed.
Six gave her hand a squeeze and looked her over for injuries. "You okay?"
Veronica nodded. "Gonna have a few sore spots, but I'm fine. Had a nice dent in my helmet, though, so you were right. Thanks for that," she added, doing her best to sound as though the words pained her.
Mild alarm flashed over the courier's face before her shoulders slumped with relief. "Good thing I'm just as stubborn as you," she teased weakly, giving Veronica an affectionate smile. She opened her mouth to say something else, but the swish of the tent flap distracted them both.
"Good job, Courier!" General Oliver said with a tip of his hat. "Been a long time coming, and I'm glad to see the Legion running with their tails between their legs. You oughta get a medal or something. I'll have my men look into it." He signaled for one of the guards trailing him to make a note of it before looking back down at Six. "Thanks to you, NCR is going to thrive here in the Mojave."
Veronica restrained a frown, looking at Six; Yes Man had helped the courier plan a future for an independent New Vegas, but the general seemed to have different ideas.
Six raised an eyebrow at the general before letting a calm smile slip onto her face. "Actually, General, I have a few friends that you might like to meet. Let me just say this, they don't think an NCR presence here in the Mojave is such a great idea."
The general frowned and glanced over his shoulder uncertainly. "What, did you get some Brotherhood freaks outta hiding to come scare me away?" He laughed at the thought. "I remember Helios, Courier. They're nothing but a bunch of pests."
Veronica bristled but remained silent, focusing on the courier's fingers wound through hers.
Six's smile turned into a scowl and she pushed herself up to sit up straight. "Oliver, I think you've overstayed your welcome."
The general chuckled again. "I see, probably just the medication talking. We'll make sure you're taken care of while we secure the dam," he assured her, glancing at Veronica for the first time. "Your friends will have the same courtesy extended to them."
"You just try and do that," Six retorted. "The dam is mine, Oliver."
Neither party had a chance to say more before a strange chorus of mechanical squeaks came up to the tent. Outside, soldiers could be heard swearing incredulously, and Six grinned.
"Meet my friends, Oliver." She gestured toward the door, giving Veronica's hand a squeeze.
The general frowned and turned, moving back toward the door and pulling aside the canvas flap. He jumped at the sight of the securitron army assembled outside, giving Six a wide-eyed look. "You gonna tell them to lower their guns? They, uh, they don't look too friendly."
"The dam is mine," Six repeated calmly. "NCR has no place here. We'll do what we can to help your wounded, but you need to take your troops and move out."
Oliver scowled. "Do you really think you can order me around? Do you have any idea just how much power I hold in NCR? You don't want to cross me, lady."
"I take it you remember your way back to the Core region?" Six continued as though she hadn't heard him.
The general's jaw tensed. "Listen, Courier-"
"Yes Man," Six called. "I think we're having a little problem in here."
A few of the securitrons rolled into the tent and trained their sights on the general. Oliver twitched and his scowl deepened.
"Look, General. You're beaten. The Legion won't bother you again, but if you think you're getting your hands on the dam or Vegas, you're wrong. So you have two options. Either you can gather your men and leave peacefully, or I can have my little friends here throw you over the dam." Six's eyes narrowed and she stared down the general, the tension so thick no one dared breathe.
"Fine," Oliver spat, looking like he wanted to grab his sidearm and finish the courier off. "We'll go. Order your robots to stand down."
"Not a chance," Six scoffed.
There was another tense moment before the general muttered for his men to follow and left the tent.
Six sagged slightly, offering Veronica a relieved smile. "Thank God that's over with," she said. "That was getting a little too nerve-wracking for my tastes."
The scribe gaped at Six for a moment. "I can't believe you talked him down."
Six pretended to be hurt. "You doubted me?"
Veronica groaned and rolled her eyes, interrupted before she could say more.
"What happened?" Arcade asked eagerly as he ducked inside the tent, Cass right behind him.
"NCR's leaving," Six told him with a smile. "Vegas has its independence."
Arcade looked stunned for a moment, then closed his eyes and exhaled slowly. "Vicimus," the blond breathed, a wide grin taking over his face. He opened his eyes and grinned at Six. "Thanks, I mean it." Even in the dimly lit tent, it was obvious that Arcade's eyes were dancing.
Cass shook her head in disbelief, and Veronica and Six laughed at her quietly.
Veronica glanced around at her friends, pleased that they'd all survived. For all the horror of the battle, the day had turned out better than she had dreamed.
"Hey," Six murmured, catching the scribe's attention. "While I'm sitting up..." She gave Veronica an affectionate smile before tugging her close and kissing her softly.
Veronica sighed happily, resisting the urge to pout when Six finally pulled away.
The courier looked exhausted and eased herself back onto her bed, catching the look on Veronica's face and smirking. "More where that came from," she promised. "Once I'm back up and around, there's a helluva lot more." She gave Veronica a wink and laughed when the scribe's cheeked darkened.
Cass groaned while Arcade's ears turned pink and he muttered an excuse and left the tent quickly. "Glad you two finally got together," Cass admitted, grinning at Six and Veronica. "Was wonderin' when I'd have to give up and lock you two in the bedroom. This way's easier, and I win my bet fair'n square." She frowned at the thought and muttered a goodbye, heading after Arcade and yelling about her money.
Six chuckled and reached up to cup Veronica's cheek. They gazed at each other for a few moments and Six sighed. "Thanks for not dying, Veronica."
Veronica grinned and nuzzled into Six's palm. "You too. I kinda like you, y'know."
Six looked mildly amused. "Good to know." Her eyelids drooped and she sighed again. "Love you, Vee."
The scribe smiled, leaning over to kiss the courier's forehead. "Love you, Six. Get some sleep."
Six made a soft noise of agreement and dropped off to sleep. Veronica sat with her for a while, studying the woman she loved and enjoying being near her. Her fingers were still loosely tangled with the courier's and Veronica couldn't help but be glad at how everything had changed since that morning. Maybe a hood was worth arguing over, after all.
Whoops, longer and cheesier than the first part. Oh well, hope you enjoyed it. :)