FalloutKitten: You know, that's an interesting question! I actually don't know. I had never thought about the chance of that to tell you the truth. I have a few possible things planned for Gaius, but they're all very vague so anything is possible at this point.

Into Space: Thanks, I try! I love Vulpes because of his intensity, which is both subtle and intimidating. That kind of power should be scary. ^.^

Chapter IX

Up in the Air

What was it with people and their insistence on having caps before they did anything? People couldn't talk anymore without having caps shoved in their face. Human decency or generosity didn't mean anything to these people. The man they had found idling about on the road to Nellis was no different. Scarlet and Vulpes had almost given him a heart attack when they came into view, but the best cure for a scare was sucking some poor travelers out of their money. He immediately went into a rant about how dangerous passage through the area was. "Its those Boomers," he told them, "firing away at anything comes close. Makes it hard to salvage anything in the area." He then said that for 300 caps he'd give them some tips that might possibly get them further if that was their wish.

Scarlet withheld the urge to tell him there might be some caps on the bottom of her boot if he'd just bend over and allow her to pay him his dues. Before she got a chance to come up with something of equal sass that wouldn't ruin any chance of getting information out of him Vulpes was already pulling out a bag from his things and passing them over. "We'll be back for 600 caps when we're finished." He told the prospector, apparently deciding to take that deal the man had offered about anyone that made it being given double what they'd paid. She had a feeling from that offer that he'd made it many times and had never had anyone come back asking for their money. It made her nervous to try to use his tactics.

They said goodbye and continued to walk. She waited until they were out of hearing range to speak again. "What do you think about that?" Vulpes was the one who had taken the slip of paper the prospector had hurriedly jotted down his tips on, probably because he had been the one of pay for them. Scarlet didn't care. He was the one with the mind for strategy so she would have just given it up to him anyway.

It took him a full ten seconds to reply, his eyes still moving over the words on the paper. She waited patiently for him to complete his analysis. "The instructions seem sound. The only problem is that we're only going to have one chance at this." He handed her the paper and let her read it for herself. Apparently success all came down to timing, which would explain why so many people had failed to return. Sometimes timing was trial and error and in a situation as explosive as the one with the Boomers, quite literally, you could not afford any error.

"Well, technically we have two tries. If we don't go together then if something happens to one of us the other can learn from the mistakes."

Vulpes considered this. Scarlet was very important to Caesar and would probably be none too pleased to find out she had died, even more so that Vulpes had just let her walk right into her demise without so much as attempting to keep her out of danger. He hadn't been sent as her guard, he'd been sent as a teacher and an observer, but it didn't take an idiot to understand that she had to stay alive. Regardless of that she was right. The Legion needed to ally themselves with a group as armed as the Boomers and to do that they had to find a way inside even if that meant sacrificing something. He stood up from the position they had crouched into and began to move forward. "If I get there follow exactly in the way that I do it. Watch carefully."

Scarlet's hand shot out and grabbed his arm. "I—uh—" She realized she was touching him. He felt the unease all the way down to her fingers. For a moment it seemed her mind was in silent deliberation as to the decision to release him or not. Finally she pulled her hand away. "I'll go. There's no need for someone like you to go."

"Someone like me?" He asked. He couldn't tell if she was concerned or if she was somehow insulting him, implying that he couldn't make it.

"Yeah, someone important." She told him. "Listen, I'm one thing. I'm already living on borrowed time here." Her index finger motioned to the scar he knew was hidden beneath her bandanna. "You're smart and you're strong. You do something that although terrible to some is amazing. To the Legion you're a valuable asset. I can't just let you go down there. I should go. I'm small and fast. I have the best chance of making it and persuading them to stop their bombardment for you to join me."

His eyes flickered across her face as she spoke, reading all the minute signals in her face and the tones in her words. "You're trying to use flattery to convince me to not do something dangerous." He finally told her. Here would have been her perfect chance to kill him, or try to. Inside he knew that all the men and women he had killed were probably rooting for her to let him go, but destiny seemingly had other plans.

"Its not flattery if its true. Don't argue with me. Please stay here." She was pleading for him to stay safely back. He did not understand why. He was for the most part a stranger to her, a stranger she had met with blood on his hands. Any other person in her position would have done everything in her power to bring justice, or at least the profligates' version of justice, to him. She was not. "Plus, I need someone I can trust is capable to pull my broken body back if I survive."

She was a bad liar. She was trying to protect him. He didn't need her protection, but he would respect her wishes. "If you think that is best, then I will stay back and watch." He nodded his head. "Although I do not understand why you would care if a savage like me died."

Scarlet's eyebrow lifted. "What?"

"Back in Crocker's office you called the Legion savages."

"Yeah, but I said that for his benefit." Her face scrunched up into confusion, possibly hurt. Then she spoke his name, which she rarely did. Perhaps she was intimidated by him, or was afraid that addressing him by name would invoke something powerful and dangerous. "Vulpes, I don't think you're a savage at all." He noticed she said she didn't think that he was a savage.

Verdict still out on the rest of the Legion, my dear? He thought, studying her reaction to his words. Not that it mattered what she thought about the rest of the Legion. He was beginning to believe that she didn't need to have an opinion on them. She was emotional; Caesar was right. Still, he would do well to completely assimilate her. His vision of the morale crushing savior-turned-destroyer in terms of the NCR wasn't complete if she didn't fully embrace them. Also it would make for a wonderful addition to his résumé. "Very well. Let us get on with this before it gets dark. It would be a shame for you to get blown up because you tripped over a board you couldn't see in the dark."

-X-

Scarlet had never felt like a bigger idiot in her entire life. The agony that lanced through her leg seemed to agree. She leaned back against the wall in the only remaining corner of one of the destroyed buildings and let out a pained wail. Even as the missiles fell around her she was more frustrated and angry with herself than afraid. She had claimed to be faster, had promised to get the job done, and here she was camped out only yards from safety, but unable to complete it. For her credit she had made it most of the way and if she had timed that last run just right instead of getting ahead of herself and thinking she could make a mad dash for the finish line she would have had it.

When the firing died down – she guessed the Boomers thought they'd killed her – she heard Vulpes' distant voice. She only caught the tail end of it through the howling wind, but it caused panic to flood through her. "—Coming to get you. Hold on."

Goddamnit, he was going to get himself killed! Scarlet had to ask herself for what? It wasn't like he actually cared about her safety, because she doubted if he had any emotions at all. Most likely the Legion stripped you of those as well when you went through training. He was coming to rescue her on the ideal that she was important to Caesar, therefore important to him because of his duty to progress the Legion further. She should hate him for that, hate him for being worth nothing more than a tool, but she couldn't make herself feel anything but concern. He was still a human being and deserved to live just like anyone else, even if he didn't always give others that chance.

At first she couldn't see him, but it was hard to see anything from the position she was in, and there was no way that she could move and make it easier. Even trying to shift an inch over made her entire body feel like it was going to shatter into pieces. She fisted her hands into tense little balls when she heard the missiles again. Each explosion made her heart clench that much tighter in her chest. It seemed like forever until she finally saw him. For a man his size he was agile. He jumped over a large pile of rubble and gripped the wooden beam that was still there, using it and his momentum to slide him inside. Twisting his body he was able to immediately position himself so he landed on the ground next to her, his back against the wall at her side. So surprised by his maneuverability she could only form a few words, "are… are you okay?" That was perhaps the sexiest thing she'd ever seen in her life. She'd seen men in combat before, and she'd seen men run, but she had never seen one so graceful and quick.

Vulpes wasn't able to hide the frown that presented itself. She was so backwards. "I should be the one asking that of you."

"Um, right." She took a deep breath. "My leg's fucked up, but I don't think it's broken. The pain just isn't allowing me to stand very well, and there might be minor muscle damage."

He leaned down and rolled up her pant's leg to take a look at her injury. The softest touches of his fingers hurt and she cursed them. He was touching her and she couldn't enjoy it. Then again if she hadn't been injured in the first place he wouldn't have been touching her at all so she didn't really know how to feel about that. She cried out again as he tested it further. Sparkles of white and black glittered in front of her eyes forcing her to grab his hand. "Stop!"

"Its all right." He was trying to sound reassuring, but the natural tone of his voice wasn't helping him sound gentle.

"No its not, I feel like I'm going to pass out. And then that makes me feel stupid because it's just a small wound on my leg." She leaned back against the wall and groaned in frustration. "I'm sorry. I should have listened to you." After watching the speed and ease he had made it to her, and without any serious injuries, she had realized she had made a serious underestimate of him.

"Then that is a lesson learned."

Suddenly another crashing explosion came. It was very close. Whoever was firing at them was good at what they did. If they made it out of this Scarlet would have to find him and tell him so. There were no hard feelings for the attacks aimed at them; she knew that in the wasteland you did what you had to do to protect yourself and those that you cared for. The Boomers were doing just that. It didn't change the fact she could feel the ground shaking and fear shoot through her. Her hand had found the sleeve of Vulpes' shirt and was gripping it tightly.

"They know we're here now." He said, chancing a look around the corner toward the gate. "I think they saw me come in here. We don't have very long until they can finally lock onto us. It isn't far until the safe point. If we can make it passed there they can't fire anymore lest they hit their own base. We'll have to move quickly, can you endure the pain until we get there?" He showed no signs of noticing her grasp, and if he did he didn't seem to care.

"I think I can. I'll have to. It would suck to be so close and then die just because I didn't try. If I fall just leave me."

"I'll make sure you won't fall."

The confidence in his voice wiped away her fear. There was no room for doubt in his tone. Like the strength she found to walk into Cottonwood Cove or the challenge that was presented to escape the bunker beneath the Fort she was finding him a symbol of assurance once again. She wondered if he was aware that he had that kind of power over people, or at least over her.

Another missile came screaming out of the sky and he grabbed her against his chest as the ground nearby tore apart, sending debris flying everywhere. It rained over them, sharps bits of rock and metal tearing at their clothes, any exposed skin. When Vulpes pulled back she could see a line of blood across his cheek where he'd been cut. "I think the time is now, before he has a chance to fire again."

She nodded. They would probably not survive another blast. A little more to the left and the man with the missiles would get them. Vulpes pulled her to her feet and supported her at his side. Without any warning they swung around the wall and started for safety. The pain screamed up her leg, threatening to down her within the first few steps, but Scarlet gritted her teeth. She'd been through much worse and wasn't going to let this bring her to failure. She stumbled but stayed upright, and before she knew it they were safe. Her fingers wrapped around the chain link fence and she could breathe.

He continued to support her as they walked, one arm around her waist. Between him and the fence she only had minor difficulty in moving forward. "What happens when we get to the gate? What if they won't let us inside?" She tilted her head to look at his face.

Vulpes was deep in thought and didn't look at her when he spoke. "I believe that would constitute being unreasonable. It is preferable to become allies, but if they will not work with us they are not necessary to use their weaponry."

"You! Stop!" They had arrived at the gate and on the other side a man was standing there with a gun leveled on them. "How the hell did you get over here?"

"We ran." Vulpes replied to the man. "It is not that hard."

"But nobody is that fast!"

Scarlet felt the tug of a smile on her lips. Vulpes was. He was that fast. She realized the swelling in her chest was pride. Even though she didn't know him well and they'd only worked together a couple times she was glad that he was the one who was with her. Legion or not he was fantastic.

"Are you going to let us in or not?" Vulpes growled. The danger in his tone made his impatience in this matter evident. "If you didn't notice my companion is injured."

The guard looked down at Scarlet's bloody leg and swallowed. Actually seeing his handiwork must have been new for him because his expression melted into sickness. "I have to wait until our Master-At-Arms arrives. I can't make that decision but she can."

So they waited. It only took a few minutes for them to see the figure hurrying through the twilight, a rifle slung across her back. "Let them in, Justin." She told the guard. "Pearl wants to speak with them."

As the guard swung the gate open Vulpes bent and swept Scarlet up into his arms. The movement was so surprising she gave a startled gasp. Her body weight off her injured leg felt wonderful though as well as how warm his body felt against hers. As he carried her toward Pearl's barracks she tried to make her mind forget exactly who he was and that any sign of compassion was out of necessity for her safety. Her initial admiration and intrigue with him was growing into something much stronger. Something that she was afraid of because if she let it get out of control it would spell certain doom for her. Regardless she could not just ignore it, for despite the dangers he presented he also made her feel safe. She hadn't felt that in such a long time. So for the moment she allowed him to shield her; she would deal with reality later.

-X-

To say that Scarlet's injury put a damper on things was an understatement. Vulpes contained his anger, but barely. The only thing that kept it in check was his uncertainty at whom he was more angry with, the Boomers for being so damned Xenophobic or Scarlet for not listening to him. Still, her attempts at reason dealing with the choices that led to her injury were not completely stupid. There was a bit of logic in what she had suggested, her going first, and it was only by negative chance that she had received the wound on her leg that had stopped her so close to victory. It was further than anyone else had ever made it.

The Master-At-Arms, who they were told was the leader of Security and the like around Nellis, was a woman named Raquel. She waited outside while the two were escorted inside the Elder's homestead. Pearl greeted them immediately, with much more warmth than her younger Boomer counterparts. "My dear, I'm sorry about your leg." She told Scarlet and motioned to Vulpes to bring her over to her couch. "Set her down. The two of you are safe now."

Vulpes did as Pearl requested. It was hard to believe their leader was this friendly when the underlings were not. "If it is okay I will attend to her wound while we speak."

Pearl had no objections to this, apologizing once more for the less than positive welcome they had received. "I have waited five long years for an outsider to come and visit. Until now no one has."

"If you've wanted to meet people from the outside world then why all the bombs?" Scarlet inquired. A small hiss escaped her lips as Vulpes worked to disinfect the wound with what she had in her bag. He tried to ignore many of her medical supplies with minimal disgust. She had a section devoted to just stimpaks and a good amount of med-x and other such drugs. She would have to learn to do without once she joined with the Legion.

"Because, child," Pearl told her, a soft intelligence in her voice, "as much as we would like to welcome everyone we realize that the Wasteland is a harsh place. Our seclusion has kept us safe all these years. However, the changing world is becoming a more dangerous place. We watch as the lights came on and robots began to patrol the area. We must learn to adapt and learn what is going on or we will be swept away by it. Your presence is welcome here. You two are a little piece of the outside world. I hope the others can learn from you and see that not all outsiders are to be made targets."

"Is there anything that we can do to help your people to show them that we can be trusted?" Scarlet asked. Vulpes let her do the talking. He was more than able to set people at ease, but being a woman Scarlet had a better chance at showing a softer side that people let their guard down to.

"Well, we recently have had some trouble down at the generator room. Some ants have taken up residence and knocked out some of our power. Talk to Raquel about it, because she knows much more about it than I do. If you have any medical knowledge our doctor might welcome you. Our engineer, Loyal, might also have a job for you."

"We can get right on it."

Vulpes completed bandaging Scarlet's leg. At the end he tugged it just a little harder than necessary as he secured it, grabbing her attention. "After a good night's sleep. I think you need to stay off your leg and rest for tonight." He looked at the Boomer's Elder, "is there a place we can sleep for the night?"

"You might find one of the tents empty. They already have cots in them so it would be nothing to make yourself comfortable. Or I could set the two of you up in the perspective women or men's barracks if you don't mind being split up."

Scarlet opened her mouth, but once more Vulpes took control of the situation. "I would prefer we stay together. I want to look after her injury."

Pearl nodded. "Are you her bodyguard?"

"No, I am not. We're just traveling companions." He rose to his feet and reached down to help Scarlet. At first she wobbled, but his bandage was snug and comfortable, allowing it to help relieve some pain.

Pearl showed them out and handed them over to Raquel. "Sleep well."

-X-

Raquel guided them to one of the empty tents Pearl had told them about, and left them with a warning not to abuse the privilege they were given by being allowed to not only stay at Nellis, but to wander freely as if they belonged. It was going to be hard to earn the Boomers' trust it would seem. Scarlet found the corner cot and stretched out, issuing a happy sigh of comfort. "I think we have a good chance here."

Vulpes nodded. "It seems that this Pearl has high hopes for us outsiders. With her backing us I think you're right. Although, I am concerned about the Master-At-Arms. She will be watching us so we should be careful what we say and do."

"I don't plan on doing anything bad, so I think we're good to go. We'll just need time. Of course, we haven't met any of the others yet." She bit her lip nervously, wondering if everyone was going to be as difficult as Raquel or if they'd follow Pearl's lead and give them a chance.

"Since we've been given permission to explore I also suggest we look around for anything useful, subtlety. We can see if they're going to be worth all this trouble or not." Vulpes hated to waste his time, and with a situation as complicated as this he didn't want to get to the end and then realize that these people weren't going to even be that great of an aid to the Legion. Scarlet might have been okay with sticking around just to help out and gain her own allies, but Vulpes was not. Their orders had been clear. If they would be of no use they would leave, report back to Caesar and move on to their next objective.

Scarlet's eyes started to flutter. The exhaustion and pain was beginning to take its toll on her. He realized his annoyance with her had almost disappeared. "Get some sleep." He told her. "We will find Raquel in the morning and take care of their bug problem."

"Mm'kay." She mumbled. One of her arms was thrown over her face and her golden hair had nearly worked itself out of its ponytail, bits of it sticking up in weird places. "Don't… don't forget… uhm… bug spray." She was almost gone, sleep heavy in her voice and obviously weighing down any coherent thoughts. He said nothing more to her and let her rest. It was only a few minutes later he heard her breathing slow, indicating she was finally asleep.

It would take Vulpes a lot longer to find sleep. He lay in the cot closest to the door, mind a tangled mess of information and options. He thought of the Boomers, of the Legion, and of Scarlet and the games they played with each other. She tried to hide her attraction for him, and sometimes she did very well, but he was a master at reading people. When he had picked her up it had not only been because it was the fastest way to get her to Pearl's but because he knew that it would have a massive effect on her. Somewhere inside he knew there was a switch that was dangerously close to being flicked. He would draw Scarlet into the Legion, yet his reason was becoming less about Caesar's wish and more about his own desire to dominate and control her destiny. Caesar could conquer Hoover Dam, overrun Vegas, but Vulpes Inculta would have the sweetest conquest.

I hadn't intended for Vulpes to begin to voice, even mentally, his desire to own the Courier, but it seemed like a right spot to do it, and Gaius had mentioned his comment about wanting to make her a slave earlier. Speaking of Gaius, since FalloutKitten mentioned it I thought I'd ask, what does everyone else think about what would happen if the three of them got into a triangle of sorts? The thought actually scares me... There's a part of me that can't actually imagine anyone being dumb enough to challenge Vulpes once he makes it obvious he's set his sights on her. Maybe that's just me. I sure as hell wouldn't want to fight the guy.

Next Chapter: More Boomer action. Some exploding ants. Some very sick people. And possibly something cuddly (haven't decided on this last bit yet).