On my way to the NCR Embassy I stopped off at The Tops to pick up a weapon or two. Since I killed Benny, the Presidential Suite was mine and it was where I now considered home. Why Swank didn't claim it for himself I wasn't entirely sure but I assumed he was just happy to be the leader of the Chairmen and the suite was a kind of thank you gift. Perhaps it would be wise to be wary of a guy who was grateful I killed his friend. Perhaps it would be even wiser not to count him among my own friends, but Swank never gave me a reason to mistrust him and I was the one after all who convinced him ending Benny's life was the right thing to do.

With any luck, he would now be at reception and packing a few extra weapons than necessary. My ankle was throbbing after the walk from the Fort so the fewer steps I had to take, the better.

"Hey baby, you're still alive, ring-a-ding!" Swank grinned as I limped in the door."You out of stimpacks or something?" he asking casting his eyes to my ankle.

"No," I replied leaning against the reception counter, "I'm one of the few people who are actually allergic to stimpacks. Last time I took too many I was vomiting for a week, nothing would cure it. Don't really have time to take that chance right now."

"And what will you be doing with your time?"

"Oh you know, the usual, trying to get myself killed, not succeeding, that kind of stuff. Actually I was hoping you might have a spare gun I could borrow. Preferably a big one "

"Why, who you planning on filling with lead now?"

"Nobody if I can help it, but if needs must," I shrugged.

"Right, well I've got a 9mm submachine gun here," Swank replied from behind the counter as he scanned the shelves underneath.

I leaned over the counter, looking down at him and smirked, "Well if that's your idea of big, I'm going to have to seriously question your boasts about the size of a certain other thing."

Swank moved to lean across the counter so his face was only inches from my own, "You're a funny gal," he grinned, "but you know if you want hard evidence of it's size rather than having to overuse that imagination of yours, I'd be happy to oblige."

"How about you go get me a decent sized gun and then we'll definitely discuss this in more detail."

"Baby, you know it's a sin to tell a lie."

"Maybe," I replied solemnly, "but it would be the very least of the sins I've committed!"

"You're alright, aren't you doll?" Swank asked, concern etched across face, the sudden loss of humor from my voice apparently troubling him.

"Never been better," I replied with what I hoped was a convincing smile but suspected otherwise.

Swank eyed me with suspicion but didn't press me any further on my feelings. "What sort of gun you looking for anyway?" he asked standing up straight.

"Oh any sort of rifle will do, I don't really want it for shooting purposes I just don't want to give the impression I'm under armed. Maybe get me a few grenades and a knife as well. Actually, you should probably give me the submachine gun too, I might have to use that one."

Swank cocked an eyebrow in response, "You planning on taking out an army or something?"

"Yeah something like that. I'll give you my key, you can get the weapons from my room," I said searching through my belongings that Veronica gave me leaving the Fort hoping my key was there. Finding it, I handed it to him and noticed a small smile appear on his face.

Knowing what he was thinking I warned "And don't go through my underwear!"

"I'm hurt you think I would ever do something like that," Swank replied sarcastically.

"Yeah I'm sure your heart is breaking. I'll be outside having a smoke alright?"

"You should quit, you know they'll kill you," Swank scolded as he backed away toward the elevator.

"Well they'll have to get in line." I retorted making my way outside.

Once out the door I sat on the step and lit up a cigarette. I was facing the fountain and the Ultra Luxe and for the first time I noticed how eerily quiet the Strip was. There was no drunk NCR soldiers on leave being loud and boisterous and the few gamblers there were went quietly about their business. I guessed two weeks after a battle, people were still nervous of traveling anywhere. It was a different place to the one I had left and I was beginning to feel uncomfortable at the unfamiliarity of it all when I heard a friendly voice approaching.

"Heeeey," the cheerful voice of Yes Man came towards me from the left.

"Hi Yes Man" I responded happily.

"I heard you were back on the Strip and might I say you look fantastic!"

"You're lying but I'll take it anyway. You make those changes you were talking about before?"

"Yes, I can now only take commands from you, isn't that great? Also I've taken the liberty of transferring to your Pip Boy notes on everything of importance from the last two weeks. Would you like me to go through the main points with you now? "

"Yeah, go for it."

"Well as you may see yourself everything on the strip is just great and I've been keeping tabs on all the major players. The White Glove Society have expelled all the cannibals that were in their midst, removed their masks and are adhering to your request to 'calm the fuck down with the creepiness'. The few remaining Omertas still residing in Gomorrah are behaving themselves and the establishment is doing well and everything is above board after Dazzle taking over the running of it. The Tops, well the Tops is the same as it was before you left and Swank is such a nice guy, isn't he?"

"You are allowed have your own opinions Yes Man, I don't mind," I smiled to him.

"Of course but you're so wise, how could I not share your opinions?"

I was about to try argue so more with Yes Man when I heard the door behind me open. I got up and turned to find Swank there with the weapons. He had two plasma grenades, three frag grenades a switchblade and a Varmint Rifle.

"Fuck, Swank when I said any rifle I didn't mean the most shitty one you could find. I'm hardly going to look threatening with that on my back."

"Don't be angry with me doll, be angry with yourself for not being specific," Swank shrugged.

"Indeed, you can hardly expect a member of the chairmen to possess enough intelligence to figure out the most obvious weapon to give you would be the most powerful one," Yes Man quipped much to Swanks disgust.

"Hey, who asked you? Fuckin' creepy robot."

"Come on now Swank, Yes Man is your friend. Only a few minutes ago he was saying what a nice guy you are! " I tried to keep a serious tone but couldn't hold back the laughter.

"Yeah I bet he was," Swank grumbled as he went to go inside. "Take care of yourself with those NCR bastards."

"Alright Yes Man, time for me catch up with some old friends at the Embassy. I'll see you soon okay?"

"Sure! Of course my calculations predict that NCR plans to usurp your position in New Vegas are near completion and the optimal course of action would be to devise a strategy to stop them rather than walk right into their embassy, where upon you'll be outnumbered and likely killed, but I'm sure you've already taken that into account!"

"Yeah, I'll see you later Yes Man" I waved him goodbye as I walked to the gate.

"I certainly hope so!" he responded.

At the gate, I stopped momentarily. I could feel my heart beating faster and a wave of nausea hitting me. I needed a moment to prepare myself.

Two weeks it had been since I defeated the NCR and took everything that was important to them. More importantly though, two weeks since I had seen Boone. I closed my eyes and exhaled deeply. What happened next would define the future of New Vegas and a lot of that would depend on the question of where Boone's loyalties lay. A question I couldn't with any certainty answer. And it terrified me.