Okay this is the new and improved version of the chapter i hope everyone likes it
Light was shining into the room through the partially boarded up window. A radio was playing the song "Jingle Jangle, Jingle". James sat in a chair near his currently occupied bed noticing these things; though the radio was actually the spherical robot that was at the woman's side. James looked at the woman bandaged and sleeping on his bed. He smiled. She was beautiful. Her brown hair seemed to almost dance through the air as it fell and her face was full of innocence yet had a few minute scars from fights.
James watched as the woman slowly opened her eyes; they where a beautiful shade of brown. He couldn't help but stare at her eyes. She stared straight back at him in a sleepy haze and mumbled something.
"…Wherm..i..?" She asked.
"You're in my room in Novac; you passed out in the middle of town." James said "I felt like I needed to watch over you until you woke back up."
"Oh…thank you…" She said rubbing her eyes.
"It was no problem." James said as he smiled "What's your name anyway?"
"Oh…sorry, I'm Ashlyn." Ashlyn said. "Where's the music coming from?"
"The robot that you where with." The Ranger said.
"You bucket of bolts I'm glad you tell me things." said Ashlyn sticking her tongue out to the robot.
ED-E responded normally and observed as Ashlyn was tackled by the dog that had taken up a spot at the foot of the bed. Rufus licked Ashlyn's face until she was covered in his saliva.
"Yuck." Ashlyn said whipping off the dogs slobber. "Who is this big guy anyway?"
"That's Rufus he's mine." James said "He likes you a lot. He isn't friendly to strangers normally."
"I've always wanted a dog. Wanna trade?" Ashlyn asked in a joking manner.
"No he would be mad if I traded him for a robot. Besides he's almost like a son to me." James said with a chuckle.
"You're a pesky robot." Ashlyn said to ED-E "It's hard just to get rid of you now."
"So what's your name?" Ashlyn asked.
"I'm James an NCR Veteran Ranger." James said pointing to his duster hanging on the coat rack.
"Wow, I never thought I'd meet one of you guys." Ashlyn said with respect towards the man "Let alone be sleeping in the same bed that one uses."
"Yea, I'm a bit more social then the rest of the rangers." He said with a smile.
"How's your arm and chest anyway? They hurt?" James asked as he reached for a syringe of Med-X on the nightstand.
"Yea a little bit. I won't need any Med-X though." The Courier said examining the blonde ranger.
"He's cute." Ashlyn thought to herself unable to contain a smile.
"You think I'm cute don't you?" James asked.
"How did…" Ashlyn asked now blushing.
"Kinda a sixth sense I've got." He said with a smile.
"Oh." She said still trying not to look at The Ranger.
"Don't worry I get it a lot when I'm not wearing my extra armor." He said putting his thumb to his riot vest.
"I just feel weird now." Ashlyn said as she began to pet the dog that had slid his head beneath her left arm.
"Don't." James said as he stood up "So since I helped you already how about I show you around and keep you company until your ready to leave town?"
"You'd do that?" she asked.
"Sure I'm not really busy considering the snipers have got the Legion covered for now." He said slipping his revolver into his right hip holster "Oh I got you some better armor."
"Why are you being so kind to me? I'm a stranger." Ashlyn asked as she looked at the pristine set of combat armor sitting on the table in the kitchen area.
"I just had it lying around and I figured you'd need something better than thin leather." James said walking to grab the armor for her.
James sat the armor at the foot of the bed as he nudged Rufus off the bed with the boots he was holding.
"What's the robots name anyway?" James asked.
"He's ED-E I fixed him up back in Primm." Ashlyn said as she untied the laces on the armors boots.
"Oh, well turns out he's also a radio." James said as he turned a dial on ED-E.
"I'll let you get changed." He said as he grabbed ED-E and opened the door letting Rufus walk out; which he soon did the same.
The door to the room shut and Ashlyn was left alone inside the now silent room. She pulled the covers off herself and stood next to the bed. The Courier looked at her pip-boy; it had been a day and a half that she was out. She thought against taking her bandages off and simply put on the under armor clothing to the combat armor.
"He's the nicest ranger I've ever seen and he's a veteran at that." Ashlyn thought affixing the thigh covering to the armor.
"I wonder if he's single?" she wondered blushing a bit.
"How can I repay him?" Ashlyn asked out loud as she put the final bits of leg armor on.
"Dinner would be nice." James said from the other side of the motel room door.
"How did…" The Courier asked as her voice faded away.
"First thing we learn in the rangers is to listen to what's around us." James said with a chuckle.
"He's even got a sense of humor." Ashlyn thought slipping on the chest piece of the armor "He is just perfect."
James watched as Ashlyn walked out of the room now wearing the set of olive green combat armor. He noticed that she was blushing ever so slightly. The Ranger moved his hand a little and Rufus took the cue and pounced on Ashlyn and began to lick her again.
"Ah! Get him off I cant wipe his slobber of this time!" Ashlyn playfully screamed to James who was currently laughing heartily.
"Down boy." James said as he reached to pull Ashlyn up.
"Your mean." Ashlyn said trying to keep the dogs saliva out of her eyes and mouth.
"I can be." Said the smiling Ranger as he rubbed off the saliva with a shabby rag pulled from his belt.
Ashlyn looked at James with the look of a small child the moment he stopped wiping her face off. James looked at her in all of her present innocence. The Ranger watched as this grown woman suddenly burst into tears. As she fell to the ground he slowed her fall as he joined her. She sobbed into his shoulder. Minutes passed and the crying slowed and she looked at James again.
"I'm sorry James…its just…you reminded me so much of my mom.." Ashlyn said trailing off.
"Its fine, don't worry about it." James said as he pulled her into a quick hug "You feeling better now?"
"Yes…" She said sniffling one last time.
"How did a guy as nice as him get into the rangers?" Ashlyn asked herself.
"Well how about we go talk to Cliff so you can trade some of that extra stuff you had with you?" James asked.
"Okay, I'll grab my stuff quick." The Courier said walking back into James' room.
Ashlyn grabbed her things from James' room and came back out. James locked the door to his room then lead Ashlyn to Cliff's shop inside Dinky. She managed to get a discount due to James telling her about Cliff. She traded her stockpile of pistols, her service rifle and dynamite for ammo, some stimpacks and other medical supplies. Ashlyn also traded in her holey leather armor for just a few caps.
The last thing Ashlyn bought where a few random cards Cliff had. James knew that she played caravan at this point. He smiled knowing that he would have to play against her someday.
"Okay James I'm all done here." Ashlyn said smiling.
"That's good. How did you get all of those weapons though?" James asked.
"Some Powder Gangers on my way here." The Courier said thinking back to Primm and the battle at Goodsprings.
"You must have taken out about twenty of them based on how many pistols alone you had." James said with more respect for this woman.
"Twenty-six actually." Ashlyn said sticking her tongue out at James.
The Ranger only laughed at this.
"Anyway what else do you want to show me?" The Courier asked.
"Well it's about midday so let's go see Manny. He's one of the snipers who guard the town." James said pointing to the door at the top of the set of stairs inside Dinky.
Ashlyn followed James up the stairs, staring at his backside the entire way, James was oblivious to this. James opened the door and let Ashlyn through first and had Rufus and ED-E stay with Cliff. The two stood looking at Manny Vargas the daytime sniper for Novac. His skin was dark and he was wearing a merc outfit with an NCR sniper beret.
"Manny long time no see. This is Ashlyn she was the one who passed out in the center of town." James said as he put his hand on Ashlyn's shoulder.
Ashlyn who would normally avoid the contact from a person let James hand sit on her shoulder as she said hello to Manny.
"It's nice to meet you Ashlyn. It's strange you're the fifth person to come into town in the past couple of days minus James." Manny said.
"Was one of them wearing a checkered suit?" Ashlyn asked with the slightest hint of hate in her voice that only James noticed.
"Yea. Do you know him?" Manny asked.
"I've got some business with him is all." The Courier said.
"Business? That's a lie if I ever heard one." James thought to himself.
"Where did he go?" Ashlyn asked.
"Boulder City." Manny said wondering just what business The Courier had with the man.
"That's where I'm going." She said as she turned to James "Let's go I need to ask you something alone."
James followed Ashlyn out of the snipers nest then out of Dinky back to his room which he opened and held the door for Ashlyn. She sat on the bed and was joined by Rufus who she promptly began to pet as ED-E floated by the door next to James.
"What did he do to you?" James asked.
Ashlyn swept her hair away from the scar on her head and said "He almost killed me. He left me for dead in a shallow grave! I'm going to kill him!"
"And I'm going to help you." James said calmly.
"What? But you're a ranger you can't leave here." Ashlyn said taken by surprised.
James pointed to his riot vest and asked "Do you see any NCR symbols on this vest?"
"No but." Ashlyn said but was cut off by James.
"Exactly, if I'm not wearing that duster I'm free." The Rouge Ranger said.
"You don't have to do this." She said.
"I know but I want to." James said "Just consider me your own guardian angel."
Rufus barked.
"Oh yea and Rufus too." James added.
Ashlyn busted into tears yet again but these where happy tears. Kindness was the rarest of all commodities in the wasteland and she had found an infinite well of it.
"Thank you James. I can't think of anything to do to repay you." Ashlyn said wiping away her tears.
"You can let me help you. That's how you can repay me." James said grabbing his helmet and weapons.
Ashlyn stood up from the bed and slowly walked to James and hugged him tightly. He hugged back even though his hands where full. He looked at her glistening tear filled eyes and smiled.
"Let's get this guy." James said.
Ashlyn nodded and the group left the room and headed off towardsBoulderCity. They were notwbound together by the words of a man, a man who still had a heart.