Veronica watched the silhouettes of Legion soldiers backlit against the burning dinosaur-shaped building in the center of the town of Novac. The Legion had swept into town on the heels of the fleeing townspeople, trapping Veronica in an abandoned gas station. At first all had been quiet as the remaining townspeople watched from hiding places while the Legion marched in a long column up Highway 95. Then as the light began to fade into evening, gunshots rang out from the mouth of the dinosaur. A centurion's head exploded, and the Legion charged with a roar.
Veronica crouched behind several empty barrels as gunfire erupted from town. The remaining townspeople added their fire to the lethal shots of the sniper as they made a desperate stand against the Legion. Every shot from the dinosaur's mouth killed a Legion soldier, but they quickly flanked the ancient building and set it ablaze. Screams and cries rose from the rest of Novac as the Legion exacted its vengeance while the sniper fired until the flames reached the dinosaur's head, then fired one last shot.
That was when Veronica bolted, desperately sprinting into the darkness. Shouts and gunshots rose from behind her, but before she reached the other side of the highway and freedom, her foot went into a pothole and she went down hard. Stunned with pain and tasting blood, Veronica tried desperately to get to her feet when she felt a hand seize her hood and yank it from her head. As more hands seized her Veronica screamed…
Her eyes snapped open and Veronica awoke to a bewildering flood of sensations. The phantom pain of the dream had faded to a dull ache in her left arm, and she realized she was wearing only underwear and lying on a bed with clean sheets. Completely disoriented, Veronica's eyes darted about a large dimly lit room until they came to rest on a huge figure sitting next to the bed with gleaming eyes. Veronica started and yelped, then recognized Valeria's bulky silhouette.
"What…Where are we?" Veronica stammered as she sat up and pulled the sheet to her chin.
"We're in the Penthouse suite of the Lucky 38." Valeria replied, leaning forward and illuminating her concerned face in the dim moonlight.
"House's Auto-Doc patched you up." She added as Veronica turned and saw the robot, its monitor dark and its arms retracted.
"We're in the Lucky 38?" Veronica asked incredulously as she turned back toward Valeria.
"One of House's Securitrons led me here through the sewers." Valeria explained. "You…were in bad shape and the Legion was after us…I didn't have a choice." Valeria looked down at her hands in awkward silence, clearly not knowing what else to say. Veronica looked out the panoramic windows at the moonlit sky beyond in wide-eyed wonder.
"Nobody's been inside the Lucky 38 for over two-hundred years." She finally whispered in amazement. "And we're in the Penthouse?"
"House wanted to speak to me." Valeria said, still staring at her hands.
"Why?" Veronica snapped, turning to stare at Valeria.
"He needs an…item recovered. A platinum chip he believes is in the Sierra Madre." Valeria replied still looking down.
"House wants us to go to the Sierra Madre for him?" Veronica asked in amazement. "Not that I'm not flattered, but…why?"
"We're not the only team he's sent." Valeria said as she turned to look out the window. "House believes we have a personal stake in finding the Sierra Madre. That and the fact we owe him would give us an incentive to get inside and recover the chip."
"A former Brotherhood Scribe and a…gladiator would have a better chance than professional mercenaries?" Veronica asked dubiously as she lowered the sheet and rested her arms on her knees.
"Apparently nobody else has made it back." Valeria replied with another shrug. "I guess House thinks it's a matter of motivation and not training and equipment."
Veronica stared intently at Valeria as the big woman continued to stare at her hands. After several long minutes of silence, Veronica finally spoke.
"What I saw in the Thorn." Veronica said quietly. "After you killed the Yao Gui. Was that what you didn't want to tell me about?"
"Part of it." Valeria replied, her voice hoarse.
"Then tell me the rest." Veronica demanded. "I'm not going to march into Death Valley unless you come clean with me."
"You won't want to anyway." Valeria replied miserably. "It was wrong for me to lie to you. I knew it then, but I had been alone for so long…" Valeria raised her head and met Veronica's eyes. "I was going to give you everything I won and leave. I always knew you were better off without me, I just had to accept it."
"You self-absorbed numskull!" Veronica snapped, causing Valeria to blink in surprise. "What are you? My mother? How can you assume you know what's best for me?"
"I just…know." Valeria replied awkwardly.
"Look Val." Veronica hissed. "Maybe your deep, dark secret will scare me off, and maybe it won't. If you don't spill right now, it won't matter. Clear?"
Tears began to pool in Valeria's eyes as she nodded and took a deep breath. Veronica waited glaring as Valeria gathered her thoughts, than turned to look at the moon outside.
"I was buying bloodpacks." She finally said in a monotone.
"Bloodpacks?" Veronica replied as she narrowed her eyes with suspicion. "Why?"
"I need them to…live." Valeria whispered, refusing to look back at Veronica.
"Live?" Veronica asked in confusion.
"I need to…eat human flesh or I'll get sick. Raw animal meat will work as long as I supplement it with human blood." Valeria continued to stare out the window, tears beginning to run down her cheeks.
"Oh…" Was all Veronica could say as she stared wide-eyed at Valeria.
"That's why I've tried to learn about my mother." Valeria continued. "I'm not a natural mutation. I'm the result of an experiment my mother was involved with. I think the Enclave may have been involved, and I'm terrified of what that means."
"Oh." Veronica repeated.
"I've been mutating ever since I left Vault 101." Valeria continued with a shuddering breath. "I don't know what I'm turning into Ronnie. That monster you saw in the Thorn is what I become. Most of the time I can control it, but when I'm really threatened, or when I haven't 'fed' for a long time…" Valeria's voice trailed off as she quietly began to sob.
"Wow." Veronica finally said. "I admit, that's a shock." Valeria wiped her face with her arm and looked up into Veronica's eyes again as Veronica added. "But after what I saw in the Thorn, it's not as big a surprise as it may have been."
Valeria stared at Veronica, her face a mix of misery and confusion. "What…do you mean?" She stammered.
"Make no mistake Val." Veronica said seriously as she swung her legs off the bed and faced Valeria. "That's an ugly secret and one I'm still trying to process, but honestly after all this buildup it's not as shocking as you may think."
"I'm a monster!" Valeria objected. "How can you say that?"
"Because you've saved my life twice." Veronica said quietly. "You clearly hate being this way and you're trying to find a way to cope with it. If I thought for a second you enjoyed being a…cannibal, we'd be having a very different conversation."
"You saw what happens when the rage overcomes me." Valeria objected. "I'm a danger to everyone."
"A Yao Gui was trying to bite your face off." Veronica snapped. "How often does that happen?"
"You're not…afraid of me?" Valeria asked in disbelief.
"I was at first." Veronica admitted. "But then I was hurt and alone with bloodthirsty animals coming for me in the dark. I was going into shock and all I could do was call your name." Veronica looked down at Valeria's huge hands clasped in her lap, and slowly reached out and covered them with hers.
"I was going to die, and suddenly you were there." Veronica said with a smile as her eyes began to shine. "Somehow, you heard me and came to the rescue."
"Ronnie…I." Valeria tried to say before Veronica raised her fingertips to her lips, silencing her.
"We live in a cruel world Val." Veronica whispered as tears began to roll from her eyes. "We try to do the right thing, but so often we lose sight of what that is." Veronica lowered her hand and clasped Valeria's earnestly. "When I've really needed you Val, you've come through, even when you didn't have any reason to. I don't know about anyone else, but to me you aren't a monster."
Valeria sobbed as Veronica smiled through her own tears then suddenly threw her arms around Valeria's neck. The big woman started in surprise, then enveloped Veronica in her huge arms and buried her face in her shoulder. They held each other while Valeria shuddered and cried on Veronica's shoulder. Finally her sobs subsided and Veronica gently pushed away before wiping her own eyes with the palm of her hand.
"If you ever hold out on me again you big lug, we're through. Understand?" Veronica admonished with a smile. Valeria nodded mutely as she sniffed and wiped her eyes.
"Now that that's settled." Veronica said as she carefully stood from the bed and flexed her arm. "Wow, that Auto-Doc does good work." Suddenly she staggered and immediately Valeria was standing over her and holding her up.
"Sorry Val." Veronica apologized as she held her forehead. "I might need to work on standing before I try walking."
"Oh good, you're up!" Vera declared in her cheerful synthesized voice. Veronica started then stared at the Securitron as it rolled through a curtained doorway and stopped before them.
"Mr. House saw a change in your vital signs and sent me to check on you sugar." Vera said as she leaned forward to aim her monitor at Veronica. I know you've been through a lot, but Mr. House says we can't wait around much longer. The Legion's out in force and the security cameras say they're searching the Underground."
"I guess it would be too much to order room service?" Veronica cracked with a small smile.
"Of course you can Sugar." Vera replied without irony. "Mr. House says you'll have to leave soon, but not right away. Your big friend wouldn't go to bed until she knew you were okay." Veronica glanced at Valeria who shrugged self-consciously.
"You should both get some rest before your wake-up call. Mr. House keeps early hours, and when Mr. House is up, nobody sleeps."
"Okay…Vera." Veronica said with a nod and the Securitron turned on its wheel and rolled out of the room.
"Pleasant for a killing machine." Veronica observed as soon as Vera was out of sight.
"You should see Victor." Valeria said with a smile as she wiped her nose and sniffed.
"I guess we should try to get some sleep." Veronica said as she eased herself back on the bed. "Is this the only bed?"
"I'm sure there are others on the other floors." Valeria said looking down. "I'll see if House will allow me to use one."
"Not going to happen." Veronica said shaking her head.
"I know you look fine Ronnie." Valeria protested. "But you've just had surgery."
"This is a queen size bed Val and we're not splitting up. I know you're over seven feet of muscle, but I'm not that big and I can make room. Now shut up and lie down." Veronica rolled on her side, and then patted the mattress behind her. Valeria stared at her uncertainly until Veronica looked up at her in amusement.
"I promise I'll keep my hands to myself."
Valeria didn't smile in response as she continued to stare worriedly at her friend. Veronica sighed and looked up at Valeria with all attempts at humor gone.
"You were watching me Val. You knew I was having a bad dream, didn't you?"
Valeria looked down at the floor and nodded.
"Please Val. I know you think you're a monster, but tonight I need one to keep the nightmares away."
Valeria looked into Veronica's eyes and saw her mute appeal. She smiled as reassuringly as she could and began to remove her armor. Veronica looked away and closed her eyes as the bed creaked under Valeria's weight while she lay facing the other wall. Veronica moved so her back touched Valeria's, and with that contact lay still until her even breathing told Valeria that her friend was asleep. Valeria stared out the window at the moon for a long time before she too finally closed her eyes.