Chapter Twenty-Two

"Running for Cover"

If I could wake my crooked heart
If I was there right from the start
To feel what it was like to be turned on

If you could fly the battling wind
To miss the mark correct within
If your wish came true your dreams made real

Running for cover
Running to hide

We've been trying with each other to unravel the age old story
But I'm starting to think that there's a reason we don't understand
And it's easy to blame someone else for my wants and my worries
But I know, I accept that it's just a part of who I am

Now we're running for cover
Running to hide
And you say it's not my problem
I decide out of mind

Yes, we're running for cover
Yeah, we're running afraid
As we run with one another
Of the mess that we've made

Posey

"I told you this was a bad idea!"

Jude's shout was drowned out by the raider's savage yells and echoes of gunfire. Posey didn't even have time to agree as the raider in front of her tried to plunge his serrated knife into her chest. Posey's duffle bag was full of the contents of the Raider's fridge (not to mention the dozens of cartridges of ammo they'd found as well) and she'd been trying to hack the terminal into the pharmacy when this whack job had snuck up on them and nearly taken Posey's arm off with his knife. Jude was busy with the other two raiders, who were hefting assault rifles. He was crouched behind the counter and trying to pick them off with Posey's hunting rifle, leaving Posey to grapple with the idiot who'd brought a knife to a gunfight. Problem was, he'd already gotten a good hit in. Right on her exposed arm, just above her elbow where she'd managed to deflect the blow that was meant for her heart. The raider had hardly given her a chance to get to her gun and Posey was too busy dodging more wild swings to dispatch him.

"Can't dance forever, Princess!" Snarled the man in front of her, his filthy face twisted with rage, as Posey leaped to her left to avoid a deadly swipe. Posey ducked another slash and struck him hard in the throat with the heel of her hand. The raider stumbled, choking on curse words and Posey yanked her colt from her holster, pulling the hammer back and lifting it up just as the raider sprang at her again, eyes bloodshot and bulging, mouth wide open and practically foaming, his knife, already stained with her blood, flashing in the dull electric lights.

His forehead crashed into the muzzle just as she pulled the trigger.

Posey stood, chest heaving and gun still held aloft. It was all ear ringing silence, and Posey could barely hear the slight patter as drops of her blood struck the cracked tile beneath her feet. Slowly, she looked from her smoking gun to the raider, crumpled at her feet and stepped back, dropping the colt as if it were suddenly made of molten lead. It clattered against the floor and Posey staggered back, her heart in her throat, eyes transfixed on the bloody mass at her feet.

Slowly, she dragged her eyes over to Jude, who was looking over at her, eyes wary and hands clenched around her rifle. His face was carefully blank. She swallowed hard, and could feel her hands shaking, and yet she could also feel her heart beating a rapid rhythm against her ribs, reminding her that she was still so utterly alive. For a moment, that's all she was. Her body was an exposed wire, thrumming with energy and there was no room for grief, no room for anything as adrenaline coursed through her veins, making her head spin. Jude stepped closer, crouching down to pick up her colt, and he slid it back into the holster on her hip.

"You okay, Blondie?" He asked, his voice low, his eyes sweeping over her. His face was covered in a fine sheen of sweat, onto which dust had settled, leaving him streaked with grime.

She blinked up at him, her odd euphoria fading as her gaze fell again on the bloodied remains of the raider she'd just shot at point blank range. The life she'd just thoughtlessly taken. Her stomach churned and she felt suddenly very heavy.

"Yeah," She said, at last, her voice trembling just as much as her hands. "Yeah I'm okay, it's just...this was a bad idea."

The walk back to Megaton was quiet. Posey couldn't seem to muster up enough energy to speak, and Jude hadn't said a word since he'd insisted that they patch up Posey's arm with the newly acquired medical supplies they'd fished out from the pharmacy. It was odd, to have Jude tend to her wounds, instead of the other way around, but he'd insisted. So she watched as he carefully cleaned and bandaged her injury, his thick eyebrows knit in concentration as he wound a little too much gauze around her arm to keep the sterile cotton pad pressed down firmly over the gash. He held her arm for a moment, gently running his thumb over the gauze, his lips puckered in a frown.

"I'm okay, Jude." She said, placing her hand over his. "It's just a flesh wound. We can get Doc Church to stitch it up when we get back."

His eyes flickered up from their hands to her face, his gaze searching. She avoided his eyes, gnawing on the inside of her cheek, trying desperately to hold onto that sense of exhilaration she'd felt only moments before...

Right after she'd blasted a man's head to bits.

Her stomach lurched and she felt suddenly cold and drenched in sweat, and she was very glad for Jude's steady hand on her arm.

"Come on, Blondie." He said at last, "Let's get the hell out ofhere."

"You're back!"

Posey couldn't help but smile at Moria's enthusiasm as she stepped through the door at Craterside Supply.

"Oh dear," Said Moria, her lips quirking down into a frown as she took in Jude and Posey's rumpled and somewhat bloodied appearances. "I guess it wasn't exactly smooth sailing."

Jude snorted and Posey used her good arm to elbow him.

"There were a few, uh, complications." Said Posey, letting her overstuffed duffel bag crash onto the counter. "There was a raider crew, using the place as a base. They had it pretty well guarded, not to mention picked clean. Everything they had is right there." She nodded towards her duffel bag.

"Oh dear," Muttered Moria again, unzipping Posey's bag and peering into the rather beleaguered contents. "Well, that's certainly not very much."

"Yeah and let me tell you, it was a blast getting through those maniacs." Said Jude with a scowl, "So next time you wanna go on a little supply run you can go yourself, see how you like getting shot at."

"How was I to know that the place would be full of raiders!" Protested Moria, "And anyway, that's exactly why we're writing this book! So other people won't fall into the same trap, unawares!"

"Yeah well I doubt anyone with an ounce of common sense is going to waltz into a place that's using mangled corpses as decoration!" Snapped Jude, "You wanna write a Wasteland Survival Guide? I'll give you a survival guide, use your damn brain! That's why you've got one!"

"Enough, Colorado." Said Posey, looking over her shoulder at him with a frown as Moira wilted beneath his tirade. She turned back to Moria with a smile, "But he has a point. It's fairly obvious where raiders make their bases, you could mention something about their rather um, distinctive, decor choices in your book."

"Yes, I suppose that would be helpful." Mumbled Moria, "I am sorry, guys. I didn't know it would be so dangerous!"

"It was just a couple of raiders, Moria." Said Posey soothingly, reaching out to pat her friend on the shoulder and wincing as she raised her arm. "Nothing that we couldn't handle."

"Well, you two keep this." Said Moria, pushing back Posey's duffel bag, "And here," She reached below the counter and retrieved a small, boxy contraption, about six inches tall, with some kind of wheel or crank on top. "It's a food sanitizer." She said, "It should make all of this a little um...better."

"Thanks, Moria." Said Posey with a smile, accepting the rather strange gift. "Maybe for right now we can focus a little more on getting the Triumph up and running before we make more headway into your research."

"Triumph?" Said Jude, raising an eyebrow.

"The bike." Said Moria and Posey in unison. They both flashed each other a grin and Jude rolled his eyes, though he seemed to be more at ease now that they were back in Megaton and there were no future escapades in the name of science that would more than likely end in serious injury. At least, not for a while.

"So glad the bike's got a name." He said, "Come on, Blondie. We gotta get you patched up."

"I'll be back tomorrow," Promised Posey, allowing herself to be steered out of the shop. "Later, Moria!"

"You know I can't decide which of you two is crazier." Said Jude, looking down at Posey and shaking his head in disbelief as the door to Craterside Supply closed behind them. "Moria, for thinking up all that crazy crap, or you, for actually doing it."

"Or you," She said tauntingly, poking him in the chest, "because you follow me right into it. Every time."

Jude frowned and Posey laughed, leaning her head against his shoulder. She wanted to bottle this. This moment where the sun was turning the sky into a work of art and Jude was looking down at her, his frown slowly melting away as he took her in, and for this brief moment, everything seemed suspended. The only thing that ached was her arm, the only thing that was weighing her down was her pack, heavy on her shoulder.

"'Course I do, Blondie." He said, a slow smile unfurling across his lips. "I'd follow you to the end of the world."

Posey felt herself blush, the tips of her ears and cheeks burning in the afternoon air.

"Is that so, Colorado?" She asked, raising herself up just slightly on her tip toes, cocking her head to the side.

"Well, yeah. There's bound to be some seriously cool loot along the way."

Posey scowled letting herself fall back down on her heels with a huff.

"You really know how to charm a girl, don't you?" Said Posey flatly, and Jude smirked down at her.

"Worked on you, didn't it?"

"Oh shut up." She said, pushing past him, hiking her bag higher up on her shoulder and wincing as she did so. The weight of it suddenly disappeared though as Jude slipped it off, careful of her bandaged arm, and slung it around to join his equally weighty scavenging pack.

"Let's get that arm of yours sewed up, then we can go test out this new doohickey of Moria's. I'm all kinds of hungry."

"You're always hungry." Said Posey, "And honestly, my arm's not that bad. Let's just go home."

"Blondie," Jude looked over at her, taking in the rusty spots already showing through her bandage.

"Seriously Jude, it's not that deep." She insisted. "Let's not waste caps and spend the night listening to Doc Church chew us out."

He still looked unconvinced, so Posey simply brushed past him, making her way towards the house. "Come on, I probably still have a suture kit back at the house."

"Blondie,"

"I'm not asking to the end of the world, Colorado." She said, raising an eyebrow. "All I'm asking is up to the house."

"And all I'm asking is to Doc Church's." Said Jude scowling. "It's closer, anyway."

"I bet you I can beat you to the house. " She said, flashing him a coy little smile. "Loser pays for a round at Moriarty's."

"That would be a more tempting offer if you drank, Blondie." He retorted, crossing his arms and glaring after her. "What if your arm gets infected? Then you'd have to cut it off. How many caps do you think we'd have to pay for a decent amputation?"

"We really should invest in a couch." Said Posey, turning away from him and walking up the incline towards the house. "I'm tired of sitting on the stairs."

"You'd have to run around doing everything one handed." Continued Jude, as though she hadn't spoken, but Posey heard him follow after her and allowed herself a triumphant smirk. "You think it's easy firing a gun one handed? Or tying your shoes?"

"I saw a nice blue one at Moria's the other day, and it only had a few springs poking out of it."

"Why are we still talking about couches? Blondie, you ever seen an infected wound? Not. Pretty."

"A blue couch, Jude." Said Posey, "It's destiny! it's your favorite color!"

Jude rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well maybe Moria can pay us in furniture for our next suicide mission." He muttered, as the reached the door, digging around in Posey's bag for the key. "Or since you two are besties now maybe she'll just give it to you."

"I'll see what I can do." Said Posey, with a smile, leaning against the doorframe as he fitted the key into the lock and pushed the door open for her.

"Good evening, Master Jude!" Wadsworth greeted them happily as Jude threw down their bags with a sigh, rolling his shoulder. "I trust your journey was pleasant?"

Jude glared at the robot and Posey bit back a laugh.

"Can you do us a favor, Wadsworth?" She said with a smile, "We've brought back some grub." She crouched down, hauling her duffle bag up onto the bookshelf near the stairs and unzipping it to reveal its contents to the robot. "Think you can whip something up with all this?"

"Oh but of course! Right away madam!" Said Wadsworth brightly, "Dinner will be ready shortly!"

"Sounds great. Here," She held out the food sanitizer from Moria, "see if you can make sense of this thing."

"I say!" Said Wordsworth, his claws closing gently over the offered device, bringing it up and examining it closely. "Splendid! Absolutely splendid! I shall certainly make good use of this, madam!"

As he drifted over to the kitchen, humming happily, Posey looked begrudgingly at the stairs, casting Jude a pointed look before settling down on one of them with a heavy sigh.

"How's your arm?" He asked, sitting down on the step below her, letting his shoulders drop slightly as he leaned back against the wall, which groaned slightly as the metal warped beneath his weight.

"Fine." She said, picking at a loose string at the edge of her bandage.

"I thought you were gonna stitch it up?"

"I can't stitch it up by myself but, It'll be fine."

"Well then let's go get Doc-"

"I said, it'll be fine, Jude!"

Jude paused, looking up at her, his eyes flicking from her bandage to her face and back again. Posey avoided his gaze, drawing her knees up to her chest.

Even she had to admit that their little 'shopping trip' had been a close call. There had been more raiders than either of them had expected. She remembered stepping inside, her eyes adjusting to the gloom, watching the raiders prowl above the shelves, their figures looming out of the murky darkness, looking barely human with their bulky helmets and spiked shoulder pads. She remembered the feeling of her heart pounding in her chest as she'd crept forward, carefully picking her way across the refuse the raiders had accumulated. She remembered the first crack of gunfire, and how the raider had dropped without a sound and how his companions had yowled.

"You'll pay for that! You hear me! I'm gonna make you pay you little-"

"What time are you going to go into Moria's tomorrow?"

Jude was staring up at her, expectant, and slightly wary, his eyes sweeping over her face, eyebrows drawn low. The longer she looked at him, the more her chest seemed to contract, and whatever sick sort of euphoria that still clung to her slowly ebbed away, leaving her drained.

"I dunno." She shrugged, resting her chin on her knee, keeping her eyes resolutely fixed on the floor. "Eight, eight thirty maybe? Do you have to go to work with Walter?"

"I don't have to." He said, shifting slightly on the step, wincing and jimmying his shoulder up a little higher on the wall. "But the old timer could probably use some help. I can come over and work on the bike after I finish up with Walter."

"Okay, good. We could really use the help."

"Hey, Blondie." He paused again, drumming his fingers against the step above him, looking up at her in silence. Wadsworth's gentle humming filled the space between them and Posey felt her heart pinch.

This is it. She thought numbly, This is where he tells me that I'm nuts. That he's through. That he's done babysitting a basket case.

"I know you're eager to help Moria with her research." He continued, "I know you're looking for something to help keep you busy. But.."

Here it comes, She thought, and she let her eyes squeeze shut, drawing her shoulders up towards her ears, bracing herself for impact.

"You need to take it slow."

She let a breath she hadn't even realized she'd been holding and let her arms relax, letting her good arm fall limply onto the step below her.

"Jude," she said, too weak with relief to say much else but he held up a hand,

"I know that this time everything went fine." He said. "That we're fine. But the next time we might not be. You were reckless back there."

"Reckless! Jude-"

"You ran in there guns blazing! We had enough when we raided their food supply!"

"I was being cautious! And medicine was part of the deal, Jude." She said flatly, letting her head fall back against the wall. "Food AND medicine! What happened to you see a raider you kill it?"

"We take care of raiders when they come after us." Said Jude, lips twisting into a scowl. "When did you become so eager to go in after them and slaughter a whole raider crew?"

Posey flinched. She could still feel the jolt in her arm when that last raider had crashed into the mouth of her pistol.

I'm gonna make you pay for that, you bitch!

"And why won't you go see Doc Church about your arm?"

"Because," She said lifting her head up marginally before letting it thud back against the corroded metal, "it'll be fi-"

"Don't you dare say fine." Said Jude, his scowl deepening. "It's deep, Posey. And not exactly what I'd call clean."

"Jude please don't make me go see him."

Jude hesitated, taken aback as Posey slumped forward, resting her forehead on her knees, her hands curled limply on the steps. That dull ache was creeping back up on her, spreading out from her heart, flooding her entire body with lead. She brought her arms up, wincing, and wrapped them around her knees, obscuring her face and almost relishing in the burning pain in her arm.

"They all smell the same." She said dully, voice muffled. "All clinics. I know it won't be like his clinic but," her voice caught and she could see Jude through a gap in her arms as he let his head fall forward with a sigh, running a hand down his face.

"Posey," He said, and his tone was so uncharacteristically gentle that she had to screw up her eyes and bite her lip to keep it from trembling. "Posey, listen, I-"

"Dinner is served!"

Posey lifted her head to see Wadsworth holding aloft two bowls of Blamco mac and cheese.

"I say, quite an ingenious little device you've picked up, madam!"

"Glad you like it." Said Posey, her lips twitching up in a smile. "Thanks a bunch, Wadsworth."

"Happy to be a help!" Said Wadsworth brightly as Jude took one of the bowls and passed it to her. The warmth from the bowl spread out from her hands and Posey smiled to herself, pushing around the gooey pasta with her fork.

"You know this has always been my favorite." She said softly, "Mac and cheese. There was oodles of it down in the vault. Apparently, when I was a kid, it's the only thing I would eat."

"No wonder you crawled out of that place looking so scrawny then." Said Jude, his voice low as well, and his tone decidedly light. "Never before experienced the hearty wastelander diet. Don't worry, you'll bulk up soon enough."

"Yeah, because iguana bits and squirrel stew are so much better."

"Puts hair on your chest, Blondie."

Posey laughed and shook her head, taking a spoonful of the rather sticky pasta into her mouth. Honestly, it was pretty bland, although this particular batch did seem to have a rather improved flavor. They ate in silence, listening to Wadsworth's thrusters hum gently and the clink of cutlery as he washed up.

"Maybe that doohickey of Moria's really worked." Said Jude, taking his final bite. "I mean, I only kind of want to throw up right now."

"That might be due to the radiation, rather than the actual flavor." Said Posey, setting her bowl down on the step beside her, where Wadsworth promptly gathered it up.

"You're bleeding again." Said Jude, his eyes trained on her arm.

"Shit," She muttered, frowning down at her bandage, her frown deepening as she watched the scarlet sploches spread.

"Blondie, we really need to get that taken care of. It won't take very long, we'll be in and out before-"

"Can't you just do it?" She asked, tearing her eyes away from the growing red stains to Jude, who'd frozen on the step below her.

"What the hell makes you think I'd be able to do it?" He said, eyes wide. "If you're that against it, let's just use a stim and call it good."

"I'm not gonna waste a stimpack on a cut, Jude. What if we need it for something more serious later?"

"Posey, I-"

"Come on, you're telling me you've ever had to patch someone up before?" She demanded, "Not even one of your merc friends?"

"For starters," He said, holding up an almost accusatory finger. "they were never my friends. And if they were desperate enough to have me stitch them up, they already had one foot in the grave."

"Come on, Jude." She said, reaching out and clapping him on the shoulder with her good arm. "Rudimentary first aid! Everyone should have some!"

"I don't know my way around a needle!"

"What, fashion design never been one of your hobbies?" She asked with a grin. He gave her a sharp look.

"I can stitch up a hole in my shirt Blondie," He said shortly. "but this ain't the same."

"Don't be a baby, Colorado, I'll walk you through it."

Jude swallowed hard, and Posey noted he looked a few shades lighter than moments before, his freckles standing out in sharp relief as the blood drained from his face.

"Back when I needed stitches," He said numbly, his eyes trained on her bandage. "you said you didn't know how."

"I said I'd never done it before," Corrected Posey, "besides, I've learned a lot more since then. Back in the memorial my dad was,"

Her voice caught and she looked quickly away, flexing her fingers. She wished she could clench her fists tight, feel the bite of her nails in her skin. But she couldn't. She'd promised. So instead she closed her eyes tight, trying to keep her breathing steady and even. Trying to fight that feeling of falling.

She heard Jude groan slightly as he got to his feet, and she looked up at him with red rimmed eyes. He stared down at her for almost an entire minute (Posey counted every second, all forty-five of them) before he sighed, shaking his head.

"Fine." He said at last, stretching his arms high above his head, then letting them drop to his sides, shaking out his hands. "But this time, you've gotta get a little buzzed first."

"I'm not getting drunk, Jude." She said witheringly as he helped her to her feet.

"Maybe I should get a little buzzed first." He muttered, running a hand through his hair, which just flopped back down onto his forehead.

"Now's not the time to get squeamish." Said Posey, brushing his hair back from his forehead and drawing her hand down to frame his face. She gave his cheek a smart tap and turned, walking briskly up the stairs. "Buck up, buttercup. I'll prep the suture kit, sterilize the needle and the rest, you wash your hands, and wash them good."

They were seated up in Posey's room. Posey perched on the edge of her bed and Jude in the rickety chair from the spare room. She'd ditched her armor for the threadbare jeans she'd got from Moria, and her dingy tank top and Jude had the sleeves of his own faded plaid shirt rolled up to the elbow. Everything he'd need had been scoured as well as they could and Posey was confident they'd achieved just about the same level of hygiene as any other hole in the wall clinic out in the Capital Wasteland. Jude took a swig from his flask before holding it out to her.

"Are you sure you wanna do this sober?"

Posey shook her head. "I don't want anything from Moriarty's distillery." Her nose wrinkled. "For all we know he takes a piss in it."

"Judging from the taste you're probably right." Said Jude, capping his flask and tossing it onto the bed behind her. "If you're not gonna take the booze, then we can give you a little dose of Med-X."

"What's that?" She asked, digging her fingers into the edge of the mattress.

"Pain killer. Anesthetic, whatever you wanna call it. But it's pretty potent stuff. We'd have to be careful just to give you a small dose."

"Fine." Said Posey, clenching her jaw. "Just do it quickly."

She screwed her eyes shut tight as Jude slid the needle into her arm and let out a hiss as he depressed the plunger, letting whatever was in that syringe rush into her bloodstream. She could already tell her arm was going to be sore tomorrow. She opened her eyes as Jude withdrew the needle, gauging her reaction carefully.

Posey felt all of her tightly clenched muscles relax slowly and she let out her bated breath in a contented sigh. All her pent up anxiety, the clenching hold around her heart, the weight pulling at her shoulders eased away, leaving behind nothing but a blissful numbness. Posey felt a lazy smile grow on her lips.

"What is that stuff?" Said Posey slowly, shaking her head.

"I told you it was potent." Said Jude. "And I've seen more Med-X addicts than I'd like to count out there so for now," He placed the syringe of Med-X back in their first aid kit and snapped the lid shut tightly. "that's all you're getting."

"That's all I need," Said Posey with a laugh and Jude's brows knit in concern as he scowled slightly.

"This is why I offered you the booze first, Blondie. That stuff is dangerous."

"You're dangerous." Said Posey, actually sticking her tongue out at him, something she hadn't done to anyone in years.

"You bet your boots I am." Said Jude, taking up the needle. "I am a danger to society right now. Especially to you. Okay, Nurse Nancy, how do I do this?"

"It's easy," She said, "we've already prepped the area so just start sewing."

Jude scowled at her and Posey giggled.

"You know," She said, reaching out to pat his cheek. "Only you can make a scowl endearing, Colorado."

"Stop flirting with the guy with a needle in his hand and walk me through this, would ya? I'm out of my depth here."

"Would you say that I'm flirting with danger, Jude?" She laughed at her own joke.

"You are quite literally flirting with danger right now, Blondie. Now quit screwing around!"

"Alright, alright, jeesh," muttered Posey, scowling slightly. "Right to business then. Ever been sewn up by a medical professional?"

"A true professional? Only once."

"Usually they take a curved needle, run it from the outside through the entire layer of skin, then across the laceration back through the other side, bottom to top and out." She said, reciting nearly word for word the medical textbooks she'd poured over with Jonas back in the vault. "Then they tie off each stitch with a square knot."

"Well I don't have a curved needle, I've got this." He said impatiently, holding up the straight needle from the kit.

"Okay then, so instead of going all the way through the skin at a steep angle, go only halfway through at a much gentler slope." She said, waving her hand unconcernedly. "After the needle exits at the center of the cut, instead of entering back through in the same direction and going bottom to top, change directions and go top to bottom again. It'll be less traumatic for everyone."

"Speak for yourself, Blondie." He muttered, but he took a deep steadying breath, and carefully probed the needle into her skin. He looked hurriedly up at her but Posey had her eyes shut, her head lolling back, humming the same cheerful tune Wadsworth had been singing earlier.

"I can't feel a thing," She said, keeping her eyes firmly shut. "So you just carry on."

It took a long time, seeing as a steady uninterrupted suturing pattern was impossible the way Posey had described, so Jude was forced to do it in three sections, all the while Posey remaining blissfully numb. She could sense vaguely the tugging sensation of the suture thread but any pain it caused was so blurred and on the edge of her foggy mind that by the time her body registered it was in pain, Posey didn't really care. In fact, she'd almost dropped off to sleep, propped against the headboard when Jude finally said wearily,

"There, finished."

She opened her eyes and looked down at the five-inch gash in her arm, now with rather neat, black sutures. She could tell where he'd begun. Those stitches were a little crude but towards the middle and the end, he'd done a rather good job.

"Not bad, Colorado." She said appreciatively, "Not your first rodeo?"

"I don't even know what the hell a rodeo is." He said, wetting some more gauze with alcohol and dabbing gently at her arm. "But I never wanna do that again."

"What? A little blood making you queasy?"

"Just when it's your blood." Said Jude evenly, and the smirk on Posey's lips faded slightly. He pressed a fresh bandage to her arm, winding more gauze around it to keep it in place. It was a little bulky, but it felt firm as he drew back, sighing deeply.

"There. Feel better now?"

"You know, you did such a good job I might accuse you of having done this before." Said Posey, smiling over at him.

"I've never done it on anyone who mattered before."

Posey flushed a dull red and dropped her gaze. "You really know how to make a girl blush, don't you?"

"No, just you." He remarked, balling up all the spent equipment. "Besides, there's like a thirty percent chance you won't remember any of this in the morning."

"That's not very high."

"High enough," he said, pushing himself up out of the chair. "Anyway, this isn't half as bad as the time you nearly killed yourself with radiation poisoning. Another one of Moria's bright ideas." He scowled darkly. "You know this stupid book is gonna get you killed."

"Go back to being a gentleman with good bedside manner please." She said, drawing her legs up and sitting cross legged at the head of her bed. "I found that rather charming."

"I can't be too charming or you're gonna starting coming to me for every bump and bruise, looking for me to doctor you up."

"Too late."

He smiled and shook his head. "Fine then. Jude Hiller, Ex-Mercenary, part time mechanic, part time...what was that thing you said forever ago? EMZ? Emergency medicated-"

"Emergency Medical Technician." Said Posey with a laugh. "EMT."

"Yeah, that."

He smiled as he looked her over, and Posey smiled back sleepily. She felt oddly light, like the only thing grounding her was Jude's smile, the wrinkles around his eyes and the warmth unfurling in her stomach as she looked at him.

"Thank you, Jude." She murmured. "For patching me up."

He shrugged, slipping his hands into his pockets. "How many times have you done the same for me?" He scrubbed at the back of his head uncomfortably. "Just, next time, let's try and seek out a professional. Or you know, hopefully, there isn't a next time."

"Nowadays that seems like asking for a bit much." Said Posey,

"I'm asking you to be more careful." He said, crossing his arms and leaning back against the doorframe.

"I wasn't sloppy, Jude."

"No, you weren't sloppy. I'm not talking about the whackjob who came after you with a knife. That wasn't your fault."

"Then what are you talking about?"

Jude's eyes swept over her, and he shook his head.

"When I'm sure you'll remember what I'm saying, then I'll tell you." He said, pushing off her door frame with his shoulder. "In the meantime, get some sleep. Med-X tends to knock people out."

Posey did feel drowsy, the edges of her vision were beginning to blur slightly, her head nodding.

"Goodnight, Blondie." He said, turning away.

"Hey, Jude?" She called, and he paused, turning to face her again, his eyebrows raised, expectant. "Thank you. I, I uh, I-" She felt herself blushing again, "I really appreciate it. I know I pushed you out of your comfort zone a little."

"The second I walked into DC after you, you completely demolished my comfort zone." He said, arching his brows even further so they almost disappeared beneath his hair. "Maybe from the second you opened the gates to Megaton."

Posey looked down at her hands, fisted on her flowered quilt.

"I'm sorry, Jude. Really, I-"

She heard Jude sigh again and suddenly he was crouched in front of her, tilting his chin down and his green eyes boring into hers. Posey met his gaze as long as she could, biting her lip before looking away. It was like staring too long into lights back in the vault.

"How many times do I have to tell you," He murmured. "You don't have to apologize to me, Blondie."

Half his mouth twitched up into a smile and he neatly brushed a tear from her cheek, pressing a quick kiss to her forehead.

"Get some sleep, Blondie. You're gonna need it if we're heading back to the nuthouse tomorrow."

Jude

Whether Posey remembered everything he'd said last night or not, neither one of them brought it up the next morning. She'd praised him again on his stitches, as they sat down for breakfast. She seemed no worse the wear for her first Med-X use, although she picked at the slices of fried cram rather enthusiastically. But then again, there were lots of reasons as to why someone would be a little unenthusiastic about eating cram. By now, Jude simply knew that if you ate fast enough, the taste barely lingered.

But Posey seemed more herself than she had in weeks. The jukebox was paying something neither of them had heard before and Posey seemed to be standing up a little straighter, her shoulders squared, her chin up. She'd even smiled at Wadsworth's joke about protons being Catholic.

But Jude was wary. If getting back to smiling took a near brush with death, Jude wasn't sure it was worth the risk.

"I'll probably finish up with Walter around three thirty." Said Jude, washing down his breakfast with some coffee. "I can swing by Moria's after that. When are you headed over?"

"Right now." Said Posey, tying her red bandana snug to keep her hair from her face. He noticed she still wasn't wearing her vault suits, opting instead for that same pair of jeans and something that looked suspiciously like his spare blue shirt. "Honestly, I'll probably spend most of the time reading that gigantic manual she has. Or helping sort out her inventory. It's a disaster."

"You should start asking for a wage, Blondie." Said Jude, putting down his coffee mug. "You her shop assistant now?" They'd drug the wobbly table that had been on the upper level downstairs weeks ago, even though it was barely big enough for the two of them to eat breakfast at, and one of the chairs was the musty armchair that had been wedged into the corner by a bank of lockers. But it beat having to eat on the floor. As much as Jude hated to admit it, the place really could use some homey touches. Or at least, some sort of seating that wasn't metal stairs.

"I dunno," Said Posey, pushing her cram around with a fork. "But I don't mind working for Moria. It's kind of fun. You want this?" She asked, spearing the square of unidentifiable pink meat (maybe meat?) on her fork and holding it aloft.

"You and I have very different ideas of what fun is." He said, using his own fork to maneuver the offered cram onto his plate.

"What do you call fun?" Asked Posey, leaning onto her folded arms, the table tipping drastically towards her, sending his plate sliding forward. He speared his cram before the plate bumped into Posey's arms and downed the whole slice in one bite.

"Not dying for some stupid ass book is usually what I call fun." He said thickly, "I really like not dying."

Posey rolled her eyes, a sight which warmed him to the core. At least he could get some sort of reaction out of her these days.

"Come on, dork." She said, standing up and shrugging into her Tunnel Snakes jacket. "We're wasting daylight."

Jude got to his feet, pushing back from the unsteady table as Wadsworth floated forward to collect their dirty dishes, sending them off with a cheery, "Toodle-pip!"

"I don't have some fancy vault tech strapped to my wrist but even I know it's not even nine o'clock yet." He said as they stepped out into Megaton.

"Well, time is of the essence when repairing two hundred-year-old motorcycles." Said Posey, squinting in the early morning light. Jude shook his head.

"Whatever you say, Blondie." He said as they tromped down the walkways, their footfalls clanging against the rusted metal. "I'll see you around three, okay?" They reached the main thoroughfare, where their paths would diverge. Jude, heading up to the water treatment plant, and Posey, heading to Craterside Supply.

"Yeah, see you at three." She said, nodding. He narrowed his eyes slightly and said sternly,

"And NO whacked out, crazy science experiments. Got it? Nothing to do with radiation or, or, how to tame a Deathclaw or...whatever. Nothing. Clear?"

"Jude-"

"Clear?" He repeated, a little louder than necessary.

"Clear!" She cried, scowling. "Jeez, no need to make a scene!"

Jude pursed his lips, physically restraining himself against the tirade in his head.

Me? Making a scene! ME?! This coming from the girl who confronted a dangerous mobster in the middle of a crowded bar!

She turned on her heel and headed towards Craterside Supply and Jude watched her go, frowning slightly. He waited until the door of Craterside closed behind her before setting off towards the water treatment plant.

"Colorado!"

Jude paused, turning to see Lucas Simms walking down from the main gates towards him.

"Simms." He replied, giving the man a nod.

"I heard on the radio the other day, about Miss Bennet and her father," Said the mayor softly as he reached him. "Real shame that is."

Jude swallowed hard, glad that Posey was safely tucked away at Craterside Supply with Moria. Then, reflecting back on that fact that she was with Moria...

Maybe he might want to rethink that statement.

"Yeah," said Jude, clenching his jaw and nodding slightly. "Yeah, he was a good man, her dad."

"That's what I hear." Said Simms, shaking his head. "Damn, seems like the good guys are getting fewer and fewer. I also heard the Enclave had something to do with it."

The hairs on the back of Jude's neck rose and he said slowly, "You sure hear a lot, Sheriff."

Simms merely shrugged. "News travels fast. And, well," He let out a sigh. "I got a town to worry about, boy. I need to know if we're gonna have the Enclave knocking at our door one of these days."

"You think Posey staking here is dangerous?" Said Jude, feeling his fists clench.

"Hell, I don't know, Colorado." Said Simms, running his fingers along the brim of his hat fretfully. "That's why I'm asking you."

He looked surreptitiously to his left and right before stepping closer. "Look," He said under his breath. "Half the town is crazy about that little vaultie after what she's done for Megaton. The other half don't trust her at all. We've all heard what was going on in Rivet City. And if it gets around that the Enclave ha something to do with it,"

"It better not get around then," Said Jude, scowling deeply.

"I just wanna be prepared, Colorado, that's all." Said Simms, shaking his head. "I'm not about to kick the girl to the curb. Not after all she's done for this old junk yard. But I don't wanna have a lynch mob after her either. I'm not gonna say anything,"

"Damn right you're not." Growled Jude and Simms scowled.

"Will you calm down, boy! I'm on your side in this. I don't wanna see nothing bad happen to her neither. That's why I'm telling you all this! And you oughta know, old Nathan's gone missing."

Jude's eyes went wide. "What?"

"Mayna's been worried sick." Continued Simms, his voice low and fast. "We've both searched this place up and down and he hasn't shown up. And you know he never shut up about the Enclave."

"And what's all this got to do with Posey?"

"The Enclave know she's got ties to Megaton? They got any reason to follow her here?"

Jude shook his head and exhaled long and slow.

"Simms, I thought the Enclave was a ghost story until a few weeks ago." He said, raking his hands through his hair. "Until they showed up at that Memorial building. They came in vertibirds, Simms. I don't know what the hell they want."

Simms looked down, shaking his head. "Damn, Colorado." Said the sheriff, looking up at him with a slight frown. "What the hell did you get yourself wrapped up in?"

"I wish I had an answer for you, Sheriff. But, the truth is, I'm just as lost as you are." Admitted Jude, drawing a hand down his face. "I don't know what Posey could have that they could want. Info on her dad's project maybe? I couldn't tell you."

Simms sighed, turning and looking out over the shape of Megaton, his hands on his hips.

"Things were a lot quieter when that bomb was still ticking and that vault was sealed tight." He murmured.

Jude made no comment, and the man turned back to him with a smile.

"But I guess it's not a total loss. After all, I don't think I've ever seen you smile until lately."

Jude shook his head. "Didn't have much to smile about before."

Simm's grin broadened. "But now?"

"Well, now she doesn't have much to smile about." Said Jude, frowning and looking back at Craterside Supply.

"She's got enough. She's got you, don't she?"

Unbidden, a sudden, terrible thought entered his head.

But what if I'm not enough...

"I do know Mister Burke is after her." Said Jude at length, shaking himself slightly. "We've already had a run in with some of his goons."

"Burke we can handle." Said Simms with an errant wave of the hand. "He don't have the manpower or the means to wipe Megaton out, not now, thanks to our little Miss Bennett. He does have his finger in just about every baddie's pie though."

"Yeah, I know." Said Jude grimly. "Haven't heard a peep from him in months. It's making me jumpy."

"Don't you worry about him, Colorado." Said Simms, patting him on the shoulder. "He or any of his comes in here, we'll have them strung up before the day is out."

Jude didn't quite share the man's confidence.

"You heading up to work with Walter?"

"Yeah. There's always leaks spring up around here."

"You know you could easily take the place over from the old man." Said Simms, sizing Jude up. "You could really make a life for yourself here with that girl. Settle down, even."

Jude chose to ignore that comment.

"You see anything suspicious," He began,

"You'll be the first to know, Colorado."

Posey

Surprisingly, finding parts for the old bike wasn't as hard as Posey had originally thought. Moria had many MANY caravans coming through Megaton, and to everyone that passed through she told the same thing. She wanted any and all motorcycle parts she could find. Crow was the most helpful, seeing as he was a tinkerer as well. Moria already had an impressive stack of parts when Posey arrived that morning. Of course, neither of them really knew what to do with the parts once they had them.

"This might be a little more complicated than I thought." Said Moria, pouring over the pages of diagrams in the manual she'd found. Posey leaned over the counter as well, frowning slightly.

"It will definitely be a long project." Agreed Posey with a sigh. "But Colorado will be over later to help. He's good with this kind of thing."

I mean, he fixed a coffee maker once...

"In the mean time," Said Posey, straightening up. "Maybe I could help you with your inventory? Don't you have some kind of invoice or something? Somewhere you keep track of all your goods?"

"Oh," Moria blushed slightly, looking up from the mechanics manual to Posey, obviously chagrined. "Well, I mean... I did. A while ago. But, I, um...it's a little outdated." She finished, tucking her hair behind her ears.

Posey's lips twitched up in a smile. "Well, we can start with that, while we wait for Colorado."

"Sure." Said Moria, nodding enthusiastically, "and, well, I was thinking,"

"That sounds dangerous." Said Posey with a smirk, walking back around the counter and accepting the heavy ledger Moria handed her.

"It's for my book." Said Moria.

"Sorry Moria," Said Posey shaking her head. "I made a strict promise to Colorado. No Deathclaw taming or any other related activities."

"This one will be easy." Said Moria, waving away Posey's protests. Although Posey noted with some trepidation that she didn't completely discount the idea of Deathclaw taming. "I just want a forward with some details about life in a vault! Anything you can tell me."

Posey looked down at the ledger in her hands, clenching it tight to prevent her hands from trembling.

"Like what kind of things?" She asked slowly, looking up at Moria, a little hesitantly.

"Oh, I don't know." Moria shrugged, "Do they have lots of food down there? Is it sustainable? Is it better than out here? Stuff like that."

"They're not indefinitely sustainable." Said Posey flatly, "The vault I come from, Vault 101, only had around forty residents. You can't keep an entire population going for more than two generations with that few of people."

"So..."

"So unless they do something about that," Said Posey, opening up the ledger and staring down at the empty rows and columns. "It won't matter how many resources they have, they'll just...disapear."

"But they do have lots of resources, things like food, water, clothes, all that?"

Posey looked up at Moria, her eyes sweeping over the other woman's open face, her eager gray green eyes.

"I don't want people attacking vault's for their resources," Said Posey at last. "I can't speak for all vaults, but Vault 101 had sufficient for its residents. But no one, and I mean no one, is going to get through that door. So for anyone who thinks they could just raid a vault, I say good luck."

Moria was hastily scribbling down everything she'd said, nodding to herself and grinning maniacally.

"Vaults are run by their Overseers." Continued Posey, "They have a security detail and everyone in the vault has to have some sort of assignment. Some kind of responsibility. They don't do free loaders."

"What was your responsibility?" Asked Moira

"You need that for your book?" Asked Posey, raising an eyebrow. Moira blushed again, mumbling,

"No, I guess not."

"I don't really wanna talk about the vault." Said Posey, "I prefer it out here. There's a lot more room to wander."

"You think the Wasteland is better than Vault 101?"

"I'd take the Wasteland over Vault 101 any day." Said Posey vehemently, shaking her head. "I'm never going back there. Not that they'd let me in, anyway."

Posey forced a smile onto her face as she turned back towards Moira, though her knuckles were still white against her ledger.

"Come on," She said, motioning towards the overstuffed back room. "Enough reminiscing. Let's go treasure hunting. I've heard it said you never really know all that you have until you clean your room."

Tackling Moira's inventory room was possibly one of the biggest challenges Posey had ever faced in since she'd left the vault. She didn't even really know where to begin, as she looked over the rows of shelving, all stacked high with boxes overflowing with merchandise. Some of it was simply piled on the floor or on the shelf, and Posey stood in the doorway, Moira's ledger in one hand, a pen in the other, looking dumbfounded.

"I think this is going to take longer than it's going to take to finish up the bike." Said Posey, turning to Moira.

"You really don't have to do this," Said Moira, chagrined. "I know where everything is!"

Behind them, Leo the Merc, snorted derisively. Moira scowled.

"Next time I'll try asking for a less opinionated mercenary." She muttered, shooting a glare over her shoulder.

"It'll be fun." Said Posey, her forehead wrinkling slightly as she took in the room before her. "I mean, it'll give me something to do, anyway. I'll go ahead and get started, you can go and tend to your customers."

"You're sure?" Asked Moira, and Posey nodded.

"Yeah, don't worry, I'm not gonna steal anything."

"Of course not, I didn't mean to-"

"Just go." Said Posey with a laugh, pushing her friend through the door. "I'll be right here if you need me."

Once Moira was gone, Posey sat down, cross legged in front of the first shelf, on which dozens of boxes of ammunition were scattered, bullets rolling every which way as she pulled one of the boxes down onto the ground in front of her. She started sorting them out, based on size, listening to the murmur of voices as Moira chatted with a Megaton settler about prices and caravan routes and who knew what else.

She hummed as she worked, and she considered turning on her radio but decided against it. She didn't exactly what to know what was going on out in the Wasteland at the moment. The task at hand was a little tedious, but it was something that took concentration and was just enough to keep her distracted as the time slipped quickly by, but not so distracted that she didn't hear the approaching footfalls that were too heavy to be Moira's.

"Blondie? You get lost back here?"

"No." She called, smiling slightly. "I happen to have the advantage of always having a map on me."

Jude rounded the corner of the aisle she was currently working on, (she'd finished with Moira's ammo and was now working on sorting out all of her guns and spare parts for guns).

"Good," He said, eyes sweeping up and down the shelves loaded down with goods. "Cuz you need one in here."

"Did you see the couch?" She asked as he sat down next to her, drawing one knee up to his chest.

"The couch of destiny or whatever?"

"It's blue!" She said, turning to face him. "It can't be a coincidence that it's blue. It's meant to be!"

Jude rolled his eyes, but his lips did twitch up in a smile.

"Whatever you say, Blondie."

"I'll see if Moira won't consider trading that with me in exchange for organizing this mess." She said, turning back to her work. "How's Walter?"

"As crotchety as ever." Said Jude, leaning back against the shelf behind them. "He keeps whining and saying that I should just take over, give him a chance to retire."

"That'd be nice, wouldn't it?"

"It'd be a steady job." He said, shrugging. "I ran into Simms today, before work."

"Oh yeah?" Asked Posey, making a careful note in her ledger. "Did he ask you to be his deputy? Or does he want you to take over his job too?"

"Ha ha ha." Said Jude sourly. "I'd be a crappy mayor."

"You'd look very cute in that hat, though."

"Damn right I would."

Posey laughed and Jude's smile grew before suddenly fading altogether.

"He'd heard what had happened at the Jefferson Memorial," He said quietly. "He asked me if I thought the Enclave would come looking for us here."

Posey turned back to her notebook, feeling as if all her extremities had suddenly turned to ice. Her hand, trying to record how many ten millimeter pistols were nestled in the box in front of her was shaking.

"Shit." She muttered, closing her eyes and clenching her pen tight in her hand. "I hadn't thought of that. What did you tell Simms?"

"That I didn't know."

"What do you think?"

"I don't know how the Enclave could track us down to Megaton." Said Jude, shifting slightly then freezing as the whole shelf behind him wobbled. He looked up in panic at the teetering boxes and hastily scooted forward, away from the whole mess. The sight of Jude, folded in on himself, his legs out at awkward angles, scooting, eyes wide in panic, was enough to draw a somewhat hysterical laugh out of Posey, which caused Jude to look even more alarmed, which in turn made Posey laugh even harder.

"I've got not only the Wasteland's most notorious mob boss on my tail," She said, burying her face in her hands to suppress her laughter, "but now a group of highly trained fanatics that cling to the corrupt government of the past?! What do they possibly think I can give them? I'm twenty years old! What do they want from me!"

"They probably think you've got intel on the purifier." Said Jude hesitantly. "They must not be able to get it up and running."

"Until they get the G.E.C.K. it'll be impossible." Said Posey running her hands through her hair, and drawing them down her neck. "And we needed the terminal to tell us where the G.E.C.K. was. The terminal back at the Memorial."

"Do they know they need the G.E.C.K?"

"I don't know."

"We don't know for sure that they know that we're here in Megaton."

"And if they do know?"

"If they knew for sure they'd already have been here. It's not like getting to Megaton is hard. Especially for someone with a vertibird."

Posey looked at the guns in front of her, running a finger over her own that she'd sold to Moira not long ago, tracing the words Vault 101 Security engraved on the barrel.

"We're safe here, Posey." He said, laying his hand over her own.

"For now." She murmured, barely audible.

"Hey," He leaned forward, his hands on her shoulders, reaching up and brushing her hair behind her mangled ear. "Hey, look at me."

Her eyes flitted up to his, but she didn't speak.

"We're gonna be alright." He promised. "You and me. We're gonna be alright. You know why?"

"Why?" She asked dully.

"Because we kick ass, that's why." He said firmly, and Posey's lips twitched in a wry smile.

"We do, don't we?"

"Hell yeah, we do."

"Jude?" She said softly, looking up at him from under her lashes.

"What?"

"I think you're the world's nicest bad ass." She said and Jude grinned.

"You're not too bad yourself, Blondie. Now, where's this bike we're supposed to be fixing up?"

So, without even realizing it, she fell into a routine. Slowly but surely, Moira's backroom began to look less like a hazardous junkyard, and the Triumph started to look less and less like a death trap with wheels. Even the house gradually improved, as Posey cleaned out the inventory space, Moira would occasionally send her home with odds and ends. A globe, a couple of strings of lights, and one patched, slightly sagging, navy blue sofa, as payment for all her help.

Time passed and no move came from either Burke nor the Enclave. Still, Posey couldn't help but feel on edge. She hadn't attempted to speak to Gob again since her first day back, and every time she passed a Megaton settler, some of whom would smile at her, and a few had even presented her with small gifts and murmured words of thanks, she couldn't help but feel that their very existence was in danger, just because of her presence. If the Enclave had access to technology like virtibirds, she didn't doubt that they'd have enough firepower to do some severe damage to Megaton's shoddy walls. One Enclave soldier with a fat man could easily be the end of the place.

And yet, it was difficult to keep the grin off her face as she stood with Moira and Jude at the gates of Megaton, the Triumph standing proudly in the middle of the small circle they formed.

"You're sure it works?" Said Moira, who's smile was even more manic than Posey's. "Really? It works?"

"Well it should," Said Jude with a shrug. "It's got an electric motor and we've scrounged enough energy cells together to jump start a Super Mutant's heart. It should work just fine."

Both he and Posey were outfitted in their leather armor, both with combat helmets strapped firmly onto their heads.

"Well," Jude looked from Posey to Moira, and he straddled the bike, easing up the kickstand. "Here goes nothing."

"Easy does it." Said Posey, feeling her heart skip a beat as the engine sputtered to life, humming and causing the motorcycle to rattle slightly. "This is just a test run to make sure the thing doesn't explode."

"I know that's why I'm going first." He said. He carefully tested the right handlebar and the thing shot forward, and all three onlookers let out a yelp as Jude nearly toppled over.

"I said easy does it!" Said Posey, as Jude slammed on the breaks, nearly going over the handlebars as he did so. "You're gonna break it before I even get a turn!"

"Stop your fussing!" He called, shooting an annoyed look over his shoulder. "This isn't as easy as it looks."

He tried again, gently turning the accelerator on the handlebar and grinning as he smoothly rolled forward, and continued down the road leading away from Megaton. He went a little above walking pace, and Posey wanted to laugh at the look of intense concentration on his face as he made a slow loop and headed back to them.

"I can't believe it!" Cried Moira, clapping her hands. "It works! It really works! Posey, you give it a try!"

Nerves suddenly gripped her but Posey shook them off with a smile as Jude clambered off the bike, and Posey swung her leg over it, settling carefully into the seat, her smile growing as she felt the engine hum beneath her.

"Now just ease off the brakes, Blondie." Said Jude, "It's kind of hard to stay upright but don't worry about it too much, once you get going it's really-"

But the rest was lost to her as Posey cranked the engine and shot down the gentle slope leading to Megaton with a loud whoop. The wind rushed past her face, stinging her eyes and catching at the wisps of hair escaping from her helmet.

"Posey!" Bellowed Jude, both anger and fear coloring his voice. "SLOW DOWN!"

She could only laugh in response, though she did cut back a little as she hit a rough patch of road, jarring her slightly as the tires crunched over the gravel. She made a wide turn, heading back towards Megaton, where Moira was practically dancing in delight and Jude scowled after her, his arms crossed over his chest.

"What happened to easy does it?" He demanded when she'd rolled to a stop in front of him, yanking her helmet off her head and grinning up at him.

"Would you believe me if I said it was an accident?" She said sweetly. Jude's glower was confirmation enough of, but he still grunted out,

"No."

"This is incredible!" Said Moira, jumping up and down. "Incredible! Think of how much research you'll be able to do now! My book will be done in no time!"

"Moira." Said Jude warningly but Posey climbed off the bike, leaning it towards Jude with a smile.

"Come on, Colorado, let's see if this thing can hold us both. For research purposes."

"You know how I feel about research." He said, still scowling.

"Come on, Colorado!" She said, eyes wide, mustering up the best 'puppy dog eyes' that she could. "Just one little ride! I'll even let you drive. As long as you promise to actually go at least a nice trot this time."

"Blondie,"

"You know you want to!" She said teasingly. He looked down at her, arms still stubbornly crossed across his chest. Then, half his lips twitched up in a smile and Posey grinned as he took the handlebars in his steady hands.

"Okay, one little ride. We'll see if this thing at least makes it to Springvale, then we'll come back." He said, and Moira nodded.

"Bring her back to the shop when you're done!" She said, "I wanna look it over!"

"Yes Ma'am." Said Posey sharply, firing off a salute. Jude rolled his eyes but clambered back on the bike, and Posey slid on behind him, threading her arms tight around his chest. "Ready?" She asked, tucking her chin over his shoulder. He turned his head, and Posey felt her stomach flop as he flashed her a crooked smile, his eyes bright.

"You bet I am. Hold on tight, Blondie."

The two of them tore off down the slope and Posey's grip on Jude intensified as the breath was stolen from her lungs in a delighted shriek. She could feel Jude laughing, his whole body reverberating with it as they went flying down the road. Already, Springvale was coming up fast, the burned out husks of what had been houses still stubbornly standing. As they approached, Jude slowed slightly, carefully maneuvering around the bits of rubble and he slowed to a stop beneath the Red Rocket station.

The two of them sat, panting and grinning as the dust from their arrival settled around them.

"Holy shit!" Said Jude, yanking off his helmet and turning around in his seat to face her, his face split with a wide, exhilarated smile. "That was-"

"Awesome!" Said Posey with a laugh, pulling off her helmet and tucking it under her arm. "That was amazing!"

Jude laughed and turned around again, leaning forward and resting against the handle bars, the wind catching at his dark hair, his breathless laugh echoing around the abandoned neighborhood.

Posey's heart pounded in her chest, but in a different way than it had recently. Not in fear, not weighed down with grief, just steadily pumping on, completely intoxicated on adrenaline. Her Pip-Boy chirped and Posey looked down at it, brushing the dust that had settled on it during their ride from its screen.

As high as Posey had been feeling a moment ago, she suddenly plummeted, her smile sliding from her as quickly as they'd shot off from Megaton as she stared down at the words, flashing across her screen.

New channel acquired. It read. Vault 101 Distress Signal.

Instinctively, Posy whipped around on the bike, one hand bracing against Jude's back as she turned, her eyes scanning the horizon and fixing on the protruding lip of rock she knew to hide her childhood home.

Her childhood home, that was calling for her help.

AN:/ Hey guys...sorry for the delay. But let me tell you. WRITER'S BLOCK. HOLY CRAP. IT HAS NEVER HIT ME SO HARD.

I had to force myself to write this chapter and it took me SO LONG. So I'm sorry if it sucks. Because honestly, I just want to write some other stuff that I've got planned out for this fic. I wanna get onto the good stuff too guys! But first, we have to go with the transition stuff. I hope you guys aren't bored to tears with this!

Let me know what you think! Please guys! please please please I am unashamedly begging for a review. you guys don't understand! Reviews are what keeps us going! Writing a fic, we know that it's never gonna get any recognition beyond this corner of the internet. Writing this isn't going to benefit me financially. But I spend a lot of time writing this. And I do it because I love it. Because I love this story. Because I know there are people out there who enjoy reading it. And if one of those people is you, THEN PLEASE LET ME KNOW!

But that's enough begging. Thanks for bearing with me guys and my filler chapters.

But now, we're getting into the good stuff friends, so stay tuned!

XOXOXOXO

Living Pretty

P.s this song, Running for Cover is by Ivan and Alyosha. They are one of my top five bands, let me tell you, some quality stuff guys.