Fallen caught the suitcase and heard all the little viles within clink quietly together. "You do need that everyday don't you? That is why I'm giving it back… she worked really hard on trying to make you better, no sense in that work going down the drain." She went over and grabbed some clothes from her wardrobe and began dressing in men's sleepwear.
"Thank you," he said to her slowly and was relieved that he at least had this back. He hugged the case to his chest lightly and turned away to leave.
Her voice came once again, "Oh zombie," she was teasing at him, "You start on fixing the roofs of all the houses tomorrow, so you better be ready for that." He heard her snicker as he got to his door.
Oh my god what a bitch! he thought to himself as he opened his bedroom door and walked into the soft yellow light of the table lamp. He had no idea how to even begin fixing a roof, but that was his job as of tomorrow. "She could have made me a soldier or something but no! I am her bitch manservant!" he angrily started mumbling to himself. He set the suit case on the edge of his new bed, opened it then removed a vile and syringe. He filled the syringe and administered a dose of the medication to himself. He cringed slightly at the needle pressed through the new layer of raw skin. When he finished, he heaved a heavy sigh before moving the suitcase and lying down on the bed.
Now that he had the time to rest he could think. He did his best to clear the anger from his mind as he remembered his last moments out in the field with Ava. He should have stopped her; the Brotherhood wouldn't have fired since they were right there. It was all on Eris that the bullets had even been fired in the first place; her men even took the first shot after all. No he couldn't pin the blame on someone else. He just let Ava go; but he knew full well that either way she would be dead right now. She was so weak at the time; he knew inside that she wouldn't have made it to the Citadel for proper medical treatment. Even with him knowing that there was nothing that he could have done didn't take away from the fact that he felt guilty for her death. He laid there the rest of the night thinking about everything he could have done instead of just standing there, watching as Ava was gunned down.
The sun rose slow in the sky as he lay looking at the dirty wooden ceiling. He could hear Eris begin to stir in the next room over. Her light steps creaked on the wood and metal flooring. He could hear her fiddling around with the Pip-Boy through the wall, and humming softly as she did. He wondered what in the world she could possibly be doing with that thing this early in the morning. She let out a sudden loud gasp, "FUCK!" he heard a loud click then her feet came stopping down the hall. His door flew open and she stood with her arm up and the Pip-Boy strapped to her.
"How do you take the fucking thing off?" she rushed over to Fallen, "Answer me how do you take the damn thing off!? There has to be a way, you had to have seen the little bitch take it off, please tell me!" her eyes were full of anxiety as she started to tear up.
"I don't think it ever comes off, how did you open it to get it on anyway?" Fallen asked her calmly as he sat up in the bed. All the while thinking that this was exactly what she deserved.
"There is a release on the inside but my arm is in the way I can't get to it. You have to get something like a screwdriver to push the fucking button then it pops open." She said trying to calm down, he could tell that the Pip-Boy needed to be loosened and was causing pain to her arm.
"Then try and fit something in there and pop it back open," he raised his 'eyebrow' like he was telling her she was an idiot.
"You don't understand I can't even fit my finger nail under it right now, I need it at least loosened, ooooh… you're no help!" she stormed off and went back into her room. He could hear her whip open her wardrobe doors. The hinges let out a crack from the force of the doors being sent flying open. He heard her hurriedly getting dressed and then she came back to him holding her boots in her hand and wearing light blue mercenary coat; her skirt was tattered and her fishnet stockings were filled with holes. "Well get ready you are coming with me!" she scolded him, and started hoping down the hall putting on her boots as she went.
He could hear her talking to Murphy down the hall about leaving. He got dressed in his leather armor that he had been given by Roy Phillips before leaving Tenpenny Tower with Ava. Eris footsteps where heard coming back down the hall and she stopped in the door way, she tossed him a combat shot gun and some ammo. "Come on you zombie fuck, what you couldn't be any fucking slower could ya?" she stood there tapping her foot as he grabbed some viles and syringes for his medication.
He followed her out of the common house and into the middle of the village. "Come on we have to get a fucking peace offering for the guy we are going to go see." She said grumbling, "He'll try and kill me again if I don't…" she then whispered hoarsely to herself. They came upon that last house Fallen had yet to be told about. Upon entering it Fallen noted very quickly that is the clinic, to him it was very obvious seeing the medical supplies and cots; some with people some without.
Eris made her way across the entrance room then into what was supposed to have been a dining room; but was now a ward for the sick and wounded. She went to the far side of this room to stand next to the woman that had served dinner the previous night. He came around the beds to stand next to her and noticed the very young girl squatting next to the corner.
"So…" Eris spoke up, "This is Fallen," She pointed to Fallen out to the woman then she turned half way to Fallen, "Fallen this is Nao, our best chef and her lovely daughter Rene." Fallen looked at both of them and grumbled slightly. "Hey!" she exclaimed at him, "You don't grumble your boo-hoo-hoo at people you just met you fuck!" she put her hands on her hips and turned to Nao.
"So are they ready yet, I need to give one to Des, I need his help undoing this fucking thing," she pointed to her arm. "He is the only one I know that has the intelligence to get the fucker off… without cutting off my arm!"
"Oh yeah they are ready, but Momma isn't doing so good. Rene has been by her side though she is really attached to her," Nao told Eris who then knelt down next to Rene and uncovered the sick dog to take a look.
"Get the surgeon in here," she said petting the dogs side, "See if he will have her spayed, that might make her better. Its possible she is sick still from when she had the puppies, she most likely has an infection up in there and spaying her is the only thing I can think of aside from antibiotics." Eris said standing back up and walking over to the screen door behind Nao.
"Alright, I hope you know what the hell you are doing," Nao said to her with an unsure tone, "And be careful traveling all the way to Common Wealth, it's dangerous and I would rather be under your command than… well Murphy or Ricco."
"Ah! Who needs to be careful life is a fuckin' adventure right?" she jeered as she stepped out into the yard with Fallen following after her. The moment he stepped out his feet were rushed with fuzzy grey and brown puppies.
"Looks like they enjoy you, fuck head! You gonna be nice to them or do you hate dogs too, you ungrateful shit?" she asked him lighting a cigarette. She snapped her fingers twice and large grey and white male dog came from around the house. "There you are bud, I want you to meet Fallen." She led the dog over to him. At this time Fallen was petting all the little puppies which where wrestling each other and barking playfully at him. "Zombie, this is my First Lieutenant Titan," she leaned down slightly and pet the dog who now sat at her side. He is coming with us to help protect the parcel." She said leaning down to the puppies. She picked the one that was sitting alone and being quiet. It was brown with a little black eyebrow and pretty blue eyes. "I think Des will like you, come on mutt everyone knows where I'm going so we don't need to say goodbye." She nosed the pup, kissed him and put him under her arm. "By the way I wasn't talking to the dog…" she spoke with her cigarette pinched between her lips.
They headed out of the community and started out in a Northern direction. Fallen took note of her every move and noticed her right leg had a slight gimp. He scrunched his 'eyebrows' at this, and then looked down at the back of her leg. He could see a scar that went around back of her knee with little dotted scars along it where it looked like someone did second rate stitches. He took into account that because of the type of person she was, she most likely got the hell beat out of her a lot.
He stayed a small distance behind her while they walked and thought about how much he missed Ava. He hadn't had too much time to grieve for her yet, it drove him crazy inside to have lost another person that was so important to him. He was surprised at himself that he didn't go off the deep end like when he lost his wife. Then again somehow this woman's hard words kept him going, Murphy was right she pushed you to want to do this, she was the best Black Widow he had ever met. He was convinced in his own mind that she wasn't like this on purpose though, there was no way. She was all guns, shoot first ask question later.
He continued to think in his head for hours as she silently moved on ahead of him. After many cigarettes and puppy pit stops later, they had already crossed the river and where heading up toward Paradise Falls. He could see the sign from the distance and he hoped that they weren't heading inside. After all it was a slaver from there who got him in the first place. He was just thankful he didn't have to wear one of those collars.
Titan was scouting up ahead as they came very close to Paradise Falls and she snapped her finger loudly making Titan run back to her. "Good boy, we don't want anything to do with those guys over there." She told the dog as they made their way around the complex. Fallen was immediately relieved, he didn't have to face those people again. It was people like that that made him realize how horrible the world really was, especially after he became a ghoul.
They continued on this way, until the sun was burning orange in the sky and night was beginning to fall. He could see an abandoned Power Station in the distance, and she was heading right over to it. They came up on the station and she unlocked the gate with a lock pick. "We will bunk here for the night," she told him as she pushed the gate open. She set the puppy down and it wandered a bit before squatting down to use the bathroom. When it was done it pranced over to Titan and tried playing with his paws while he walked. "Zombie," she inquired over her shoulder, "Could you shut the gate behind you?"
Fallen did as was asked of him then followed her into the station house. Herself and Titan made quick work of the Radroaches once they were inside. When she was done with that, she made a make-shift bed to sleep on and laid down on it with Titan laying almost on top her. Fallen stood in dull light of the room looking down at her from the corner of his eye. "So… are you going to fucking stare at me all night or are you going to fucking lay down and got to sleep?" she broke the silence rudely.
Fallen grumbled and laid down on the dirty floor a distance away from her. "No sleep here!" She said pointing next to her, "Don't you know anything?" she exclaimed and was followed up by a loud bark from Titan. He got up and went over to lay next to her, "There," she said as he laid on the ground beside her. "I'm not going to bite you, you know? Dumbass Fucking Zombies." She turned over and hugged Titan, who wasn't having the most comfortable time with the puppy biting playfully as his toes.
Fallen could feel his eyes were heavy from not sleeping the night before, he found himself drifting quickly asleep. He wasn't so used to the hard ground anymore seeing as how he hadn't slept on it in months but his heavy eyes ended up getting the best of him despite his sleeping arrangements.
He woke the next morning to the puppy licking his face, he tried to raise his left arm but found that it was pinned down. He looked and saw Eris laying with a leg over him and Titan had his head lying up on her side. Titan lifted his head slightly and cocked an ear when he realized that Fallen was awake.
Eris was laying with her mouth open slightly, and she was snoring quietly. Fallen tried to pull himself out from under her without waking her to the best of his ability. Once he was free he got up and went outside with the two dogs. He stood out to the side of the building to take a piss. He was happy that at least it didn't burn for him to urinate any longer. The medication was doing more for him then he could have ever imagined already. He then looked over at the pup and Titan; who was nosing the puppy around making sure that it wasn't getting into anything dangerous.
When both dogs were done doing their business he let them back into the station house. Upon entering he saw that Eris was sitting with her back against the wall checking over her arm where the Pip-Boy was pinching off her circulation. "You know…" she grunted trying to keep the blood flowing in her fingers, "I think I will be fucking lucky to have fingers after all of this. I am surprised have any feeling left at all!" he looked down at her hand which had turned a bright red.
She stood and dusted off her ass, "You could have fucking woke me up and told me to fucking move!" she looked up at him, "Well I guess we should get the fuck out of here then, huh?" she asked him rhetorically as she passed by him and went out the door. He followed her out along with Titan and the pup. She turned to him and took out a cigarette lighting it. "Don't you ever fucking talk? The only things I have heard you say are 'Please I wanna leave'" she said mocking him. "Come on you dumb shit," she said scoffing and just started to walk away with Titan quick at her heals.
He grumbled and scooped up the little pup into his arms and started to follow closer behind her this time. "I do talk…" he started noticing her jump a little at the sound of his voice. "I, I just don't know what to talk about…" he stammered feeling hatred for her. It was apparent in his voice how horribly he felt toward her.
She giggled a little at him," You know you could fucking talk about how much you dislike me!" her giggle turned into a hearty laugh, "Or how much you want to kill me! It's alright it not like it isn't noticeable…it's not like I want you around for you conversation anyway."
He was now doubting what had Murphy told him earlier. Maybe she was just a bitch and Murphy was trying to take the heat for her by saying she was just pushing him. He definitely couldn't see her ever, ever being any nicer to him; not in the slightest. With his lack of response she got quiet and it stayed that way as they left the capital wasteland.
It was about noon when they came upon a small shack out in the middle of nowhere. The place looked incredibly dingy, not that this was any different than anywhere else in the wasteland. The small shack was surrounded by sandbags which gave it a rather fort like feel, rather than that of a shack where someone did or once lived. She strolled up to the door seeming like she knew what she was doing. She gave the door three knocks, but there was no answer from within. Fallen could see a somewhat disgruntled look shoot across her face. She knocked again, there was still no answer, it was then that she decided to take hold of the door knob and slowly push the door open.
As the door eased it way open the long barrel of a shotgun came from the darkness within. The only other thing that was visible was the faint red glow of a cigar. "Great, it's you!" the raspy ghoul voice that came from inside sounded shocked. "You could have yelled you half witted fuck. I almost blew your fucking brains out." He pulled the door open and the light shinned in illuminating him. Fallen was surprised to see a ghoul with so much hair and a mustache.
The ghoul set his weapon down and leaned it against the wall. "It's nice to see you too Desmond. Have you found your way into the Common Wealth yet?" she asked this of him half snickering.
Desmond eyed her as he let her and Fallen inside. "You think your some sort of fucking comedian asking shit like that every time you show up don't you?" He shut the door behind them and Fallen could hear him shuffle in the darkness. A small light turned on from a desk across the room where Desmond was now standing. "So… did you come here for a little more… action?" he asked her slowly wearing a large grin.
"No actually I came all the way out here for one of two reasons. One I need you to take this Pip-Boy 3000 off my arm…" she held up her arm to show the ghoul, who scowled at her.
"You are a fucking waste of my time, didn't you learn anything? All those weeks you stayed here to learn, I should cut your fucking arm off for wasting my god damn time!" he walked over to her taking her by the arm, he lead her into the next room and closed the door.
"I was serious about this not being about sex Desmond…" Eris said looking into his eyes as he pushed her against the desk once inside the room.
"Then what more could it be, that's all it ever fucking is when you come around; that and stealing then killing my only link into the Common Wealth." He said pressing himself against her, he looked at her carefully "You're actually fucking serious aren't you! I guess I can take that damn thing off you now then." He back away from her and leaned down pulling open a drawer in the desk. He grabbed a screw driver and a bobby pin, "You fucking fool I taught you about Biometric locks, you should have been able to open this damn thing yourself." He said as the Pip-Boy opened and dropped off her arm then falling to the floor. "Where the hell did you get this fucking thing anyway?" he asked her looking back at her, his eyes meeting hers.
"That is the other reason I am here… this girl, she has a possible cure for the ghouls and I want you to analyze it. Tell me what it is made of and what it really is doing to Fallen." She leaned back on his desk and kicked off her shoes.
"Fallen? You mean you fucking ghoul friend! Ha are you fucking going to kill this one too!" he laughed at her, "What's in this for me?" He looked at her over the dark frames of him glasses, peering and almost burrowing into her.
"Whatever you want to be in it, I guess…" she said to him reluctantly, I always seem to be stuck as his play thing when I come here, it's actually quiet gross. She thought of last time and the pain she endured, he definitely didn't make the sex fun in the least. He knew that though, it was his purpose to make everyone else suffer. She chalked it up to his past, and all the people that stepped on him to get where they are or were; that was if he hadn't killed them off yet.
Desmond made no hesitation in pressing against her and whispering in her ear, "You will be in this room as soon as the sun goes down," he was almost snarling at her like a hungry beast, it sent a shiver down her spine that she didn't miss. "You may be excused." He stepped away from her and went to the door showing her the way out and back into the room with Fallen and the dogs.
She grabbed her shoes up from the floor, "By the way, Desmond, did I already tell you that I got you a puppy?" She bent down and scooped the small pup up from the floor holding it out to Desmond. He eyed the puppy from the door way of his room; he took a step and grabbed it from her hands. He checked it over, looking at his teeth and gums. She knew he approved of her pick when he scowled at her then took the puppy in the room with him and shut the door.
She turned to Fallen, "So," she started then paused for a moment. This was an extremely awkward moment for her, she didn't want Fallen to have to hear what was going to happen in only a few more hours. "Zombie I will show you to your sleeping quarters," she said to him low in her throat.
Fallen retorted at her, "Why do you call me that? I have a god damn name!" He clenched his fist tight at his side, Titan barked at him out of nowhere feeling the anger from Fallen.
Eris just chuckled deep in her chest, "Just follow me right in here…zombie," he voice was taunting as she spoke that word to him again. She just called him that to piss him off, she wanted him angry she wanted to push him to his limits, break him, and then build him back up like she did with everyone else. This was her best way, degrading them until there is nothing left; then pick them back up as a new, stronger being that can with stand the worst. Not just with words, but in the heat of battle as well. Fallen had no idea what was really in store for him.
She opened the door next to Desmond's room, there was a small bed and another mattress laid out on the floor. The small lantern on the floor was unlit and the light from the sun was shining in through the dirty window. Titan ran in and made himself at home on the small bed, "Hey! Get down ya mutt!" Eris yelled at the dog, "That's the zombie's bed, we are sleeping down here boy…" her voice leveled out to a soft pitch as she spoke. Fallen was taken aback by this. She could feel his surprise, "yeah I am going to be up late tonight… and… all the other nights we are fucking here so…" she stopped and took a deep breath.
Fallen could feel how tense she was, he could tell that there was something bothering her. It was strange really from her outward impression she seemed unbreakable, but now this was different. She was seemingly shaken at the core. Serves her right for being so bitchy, karma sucks huh, Eris? If only he had the nerve to say it out loud.
She turned around and passed by him without a word. She left the small hut and was gone for hours. While she was out Fallen laid in the room on the bed with Titan laying next to him. "She isn't so mean to you is she boy? What did I do?" he looked at the dog, Titan tilted his head realizing Fallen was speaking to him. "Ah who am I kidding? I'm talking to a dog for Christ sake." He sighed and looked up at the ceiling. Why am I so bent out of shape? This isn't me. In the past I would never have taken this abuse, but Ava… His silence was broken by the sound of Eris walking through the front door. He realized now that it was fairly dark out and he hadn't heard Desmond in his room for some time.
Eris came over to the doorway and sighed as she looked in, "Keep the dog quiet alright ghoul…" her eyes seemed distant as she pulled the door shut. He could hear her walk away and open Desmond's door. The voices were muffled through the wall, but he heard Desmond exclaim, "You're late!" conversation went back and forth for what seemed like an hour, but he couldn't make anything else out. Then it was quiet, almost too quiet. Then he could hear the sounds of a struggle, the bed in the next room was pushed across the floor from the sound. Then something hard fell and hit the floor. It dawned on him, it was her boots. The loud creak of springs was heard followed by her voice, "No, you're hurting me!" he could hear it clear through the wall. He didn't want to think of what was going on in there. He just couldn't help it though.
He heard Desmond chuckle slightly, and then Fallen heard her gasps. They were short and precise and he knew too well what was going on. Titan jumped down off the bed and went over and sat in front of the bed room door. He was whimpering to be let out so that he could save his master. Fallen knew just as well as Titan that she wasn't enjoying what was taking place. He could hear her groaning in pain ever couple of moans. This went on for almost an hour before he heard silence once again. He heard the bed creak once more then footsteps. He knew that they weren't Eris's, they were too heavy.
The steps came out of the other room and stopped in front of the door, the door handle turned slowly. As it did Titan did a small circle moving back so that the door could be opened. As the door came open the puppy was the first thing Fallen could see and it pranced into the room jumping around Titan's feet. As the door opened fully, the shirtless, barefooted ghoul was seen. Eris was held limp in his arms. Desmond crossed the room and laid her down on the mattress on the floor. Titan went over and sniffed her all over then laid down next to her and let out a small sigh. "Come on!" Desmond scolded the puppy then picked it up leaving the room without another sound.
Fallen heart sank, "No one deserves this, not matter what…" he got up and went to her body. He placed a hand on her neck checking for her pulse. She was definitely still alive, but she was out cold. Titan started to lick her hand from where he lay, with his head still on the ground. Fallen picked her up from the mattress on the ground and brought her to the other bed. He set her down softly then knelt down next to the bed. He checked her over and noticed she had bruises on her arms and neck. "Why would you bring yourself this low? This isn't you I already know that and I just met you…" he whispered softly. The moon shown through the window and illuminated her face. "Lily…" he smiled at her, "You look a lot like my Lily did…" he sighed heavily in sadness. He brushed her face softly with his hand; she was so peaceful despite what happened. He never saw this side of her yet, he almost didn't think it was possible for Eris to have peacefulness to her. Like her name implied she was outwardly chaotic.