Jesse lay on his small bed and stared up at the ceiling of the tent. His injuries were sore but he's dealt with worse. He pushed the thought of the pain out of his mind and thought about the Silent Wanderer; something wasn't adding up. This guy who had no weapons, no food, no water and apparently no voice just finds him out in the middle of the Wastes? Then there was the question of why the Wanderer would help him in the first place. Jesse had picked up on some cues from his mangled saviour, he had absolutely no idea what he was doing or why.

Yet he was smart enough to perform surgery to save Jesse's life. He managed to walk from who-knows-where to here and still be able to go on. He was tough, no doubt about it. Jesse felt amazingly safe with his new friend, even though he just met him there was an aura that radiated from him, and not the 'you're never having children now' kind. Whatever it was, Jesse could see goodness in his eyes.

Groaning, Jesse leant up from his bed and sat on the edge, looking down at his feet. His mind flashed back to the previous week.

Escape… he had to escape. His predator was not far behind now; he had to keep going further into the storm. The dust ravaged his eyes, it tore off his skin. He pushed against the wind even though he could barely see five feet away. A small piece of metal being blown by the wind appeared and struck him in the chest. He yelled in pain, enough to let the dust enter his mouth and throat. He coughed and spluttered but still walked on. Whatever awaited him could not be worse than what was following him.

Jesse shuddered.

The Rancher. That damn Bighorn Rancher who had chased him for years. He must believe Jesse was dead now; he did the deed himself after all. But what if he knew? What if he ever ran into him again and put the Silent Wanderer at risk? They were heading west soon, the same direction the flickering images of the Old World flag was heading after he…

Get a hold of yourself. You're safe now, that lunatic is long gone and won't bother you again. Just get the Wanderer where he wants to go and then start a new life.

Jesse took a deep breathe. Thinking about what to do never seemed to help. Talking always did though…

Should he tell the Wanderer everything? It's not like he had to worry about him blathering about it to other people and put Jesse at risk again. But Jesse was frightened. Telling the Wanderer everything may make him regret ever saving Jesse. But he did owe the Wanderer everything; he just hoped the truth wasn't worth more than that.

Perry was not far away from the tent picking large vegetables he found in the ground. He didn't know what they were or even if they were edible, but with luck this 'Jesse' may have a better clue. He grabbed the leaves of a particularly stubborn vegetable that lay beneath the surface. He pulled but it didn't budge. Perry readied himself and yanked it with all his strength. It freed itself from the ground but Perry ended up falling backwards onto his back from the effort. He sighed from annoyance.

A shadow slowly materialised above him. He looked up and that familiar sinking feeling in his chest returned when he saw who it was.

"Been a while since you saw things growing in the ground, hasn't it kid?" The Stranger extended a hand down towards Perry. He looked at it and didn't know if he wanted to grab it or tear it off. He was so exhausted of this. After so long, could he really hang on to this hate? He just wanted it to end. Everything.

He reached up and accepted the Strangers hand.

Pulling him up Perry noticed the Stranger's expression was of neither superiority nor contempt. He looked like just another man… in a trench coat and hat. As soon as he was up Perry let go and picked up his vegetable. He began to walk off to the tent with his prize when the Stranger shouted out, "Do you want to know?"

Perry stopped.

"Do you want to know why you were chosen for this? I didn't just pick your name out of my hat, kid. You're something special. But you were never the first."

Perry turned around and stared at the Stranger with a quizzical look. The Stranger reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette and lighter. He walked towards a large rock and sat down on it. Lighting his cigarette he took a deep drag and exhaled in a way that told Perry he was choosing carefully what words to say next.

"There have been others like you; Vault dwellers that just appear out of thin air and change the world. Both dangerous and inspiring. Exceedingly rare and more valuable than anything else in the world, especially in a world of scrap and forgotten history. It doesn't take much to forge such individuals, when the potential is there all they need is a goal."

The Stranger paused and looked out towards the horizon. "We've studied them. Learnt everything we could about them. Most importantly we learnt how to find such individuals, how to spot the diamond in a churning sea of mangled scrap. But it's been too long, America needs another."

He looked up again at Perry with a look he would never be able to understand. "At first we were hoping you would be that individual. But you were too far away from the action. In order to make a difference in this new world you needed to be in a place you simply weren't. We thought about bringing you there, but we realised that wouldn't work. Simply being there isn't enough; we needed someone who was a part of it."

Perry looked back in the direction of the tent and then back to the Stranger. The Stranger nodded. "We spotted him around the same time we spotted you. He was on the run, completely lacking purpose and focused only on his survival. And then there was you, on the hunt for a lost father and determined to finish his work. Both remarkably talented, but you had something he didn't; purpose."

Perry thought about that word. Purpose. The more he thought about it, the more furious he became. He threw his vegetable into the dirt and glared at the Stranger. The Stranger did nothing, only watched in fascination. Perry couldn't take it anymore. Despite the futility, he tried to scream a single word.

Why.

The Stranger read his silent screams and smiled. "Why? For the future, Perry. You're going to give him what he never had; a purpose. What happens next is always difficult to determine. But a man like Jesse with a purpose could do great things, and ultimately change the face of the new world by helping a friend from the old."

Perry took deep breathes and tried to calm himself. He was getting sick of everything being out of his hands, yet still being expected to work for it. The Stranger took a deep drag from his cigarette and exhaled. "There is a city out west by the name of New Vegas. Something important is happening there and Jesse's skills could tip the balance of power. The Old World was flawed but in this New World it can lead us into the future. The leader of New Vegas, a man by the name of Mr. House follows our vision. Not knowingly, but once his dominance is absolute we will approach him. He will be the face of the future and we will guide him. So to do that, we need Jesse."

The Stranger stood up and dropped his cigarette, crushing it beneath his shoes. "Which of course, leads us back to you. It's taken years, but we're not far off now." The Stranger paused and stared into Perry's eyes. "Perry… I know you don't trust me, but if you have any wish to see humanity rebuild, like your father did, then please… you must guide him. Deliver the deliverer." The Stranger slowly tipped his hat, and then walked away. Perry didn't watch him go; he already knew it was pointless.

To his surprise, The Stranger stopped. He shouted over his shoulder, "By the way, your brute friend? He didn't just disappear into thin air you know. He's been following you, and we have no idea what he'll do when he finds you. Be safe… Perry."

Perry looked up but frowned when like so many times before The Stranger was gone just as he tried to find him. Then the words of what he just said sunk in. Fawkes… he was following Perry. He rapidly looked out over the horizon in every direction, some hills and crumbled buildings littered the landscape but he could see no giant. But the creature Fawkes became wouldn't need long to catch up. They had to go.

Perry knelt down and quickly gathered up the splattered remains of his vegetable. As he picked up each soft piece one by one a faint memory echoed in his mind. Broken pieces of a shattered whole. Bringing them back together but never being able to join them again. The words of his red haired friend filled his thoughts.

Did you ever try to put a broken piece of glass back together? Even if the pieces fit, you can't make it whole again the way it was. But if you're clever, you can still use the pieces to make other useful things. Maybe even something wonderful, like a mosaic.

Well, the world broke just like glass. And everyone's trying to put it back together like it was, but it'll never come together the same way.

Perry paused in his gathering and started to think. The Stranger and the people he work for are trying to build the New World by using the old. But it can't be done. They failed the moment they begun this mission of theirs. If what The Stranger said about Jesse is true, that he can tip the balance of the New World then he was more important than Perry realized.

But if the future was to be built it mustn't be like this. The foundation must be one of moving on from the past. Perry was going to teach Jesse what it meant to let go. He was going to teach him the meaning of purpose… and the meaning of sacrifice.

Jesse paced around the small tent trying to walk off his sore chest and anxious mind. He didn't know when The Wanderer would be back and he wasn't sure how he'd begin when he was. As if on cue, the sound of sliding rocks warned Jesse that The Wanderer was back. He exited the tent and saw The Wanderer running down a small hill with a broken Xander root in his arms. He was about to wave when the look of urgency on The Wanderer's face halted him.

The Wanderer ran up to him and looked like he was being chased. Jesse urgently asked, "What's the matter? What's happening?"

The Wanderer just shook his head and pointed west along the road. Jesse nodded in understanding; they had to go. They rushed inside and gathered up all the medicine and remaining food they had left. Perry still wished he had his rucksack from Washington in moments like these but he couldn't even remember what happened to it. Filling their pockets with everything they could carry, the two companions exited the tent and began their journey west.

A new purpose for The Wanderer. An anxious return for The Courier.

For hours they walked in silence. Jesse would look to The Silent Wanderer and study the urgency in his eyes. He would look back over his shoulder every now and again but whenever Jesse looked he couldn't see a thing. When he wasn't looking back or staring determined in front, The Wanderer would be looking down at his pipboy.

Out of curiosity Jesse would look over and see an entire map of the area displayed on the screen. Every now and then a flash of text would appear and The Wanderer would type something. When the companions would stop for a rest and a drink, The Wanderer would tinker with the chassis of the device. Jesse had no idea what he was doing, but all he could think was: I got to get me one of those.

That night they made camp along the road. Jesse took a sip from his water container and looked at The Wanderer, he had finished whatever he was doing to his pipboy and was now eating a piece of Xander root. Jesse had to say it was okay to eat before he would take a bite, he must have never seen one before.

Abruptly breaking the silence Jesse asked, "Just where are you from anyway? You may be from a vault but mercenary armour like that isn't standard attire in one of those prisons."

The Wanderer looked up from his meal and chuckled. He finished his piece of Xander Root then got on his knees in the dirt. Using his armoured finger he spelt out the words 'Washington D.C.' Jesse's eyes widened as the realization sunk in.

"But that's…. on the other side of the country." The Wanderer chuckled again. Jesse was starting to wonder if he was crazy. "You're something else to make that journey." The Wanderer stood up from the dirt and sat back on his rock. He then pointed at Jesse, no doubt asking the same question. Jesse shrugged, it was now or never.

Speaking slowly he started, "Listen… you saved my life, for whatever reason I don't know but I feel I owe you the whole story. So long as you travel with me you're in danger, I can't put it any clearer than that. But for you to understand, I have to start from the beginning. Just, please… don't hate me."

Perry's full attention was on Jesse as he took a deep breathe and begun his confession. "As a kid, I grew up in a raider gang. That there would be enough for me to understand why you'd try to kill me right now." Jesse looked up at The Wonderer but saw no move for a gun, no silent judging; just a scarred face of understanding and compassion. Jesse continued on.

"My mother was in the gang as well, one of the nicer ones. I never knew my father and I'm almost glad for it. My mother tried to convince the gang to not be so violent. She found books speaking of a guy who lived a long time ago named Jesus. He was apparently the deliverer of humanity and taught the world about compassion, about forgiveness. No one listened to her."

Jesse shook his head. "She was amazing. She named me after the guy hoping I'd deliver a message like he did… never happened. Apparently his messages were detailed in a larger book called the Bible but we never found a complete version. There was one story I always loved though, about a guy named Samson." Jesse smiled at the memories. "A man who achieved so much but in death did more than he ever could in life. I always liked that message…" Jesse looked up at The Wanderer who was still listening, but now with a sly smile.

"But umm… I'm rambling. The point is I did something that not only broke my mother's heart but ruined the rest of my life, and would have killed me if not for you." Jesse took a deep breathe. "One night when I was 13, me and the guys found a bighorn ranch in the Mojave. We were tripping on psycho and attacked the ranch. For no reason. But that's not the worst part." Jesse looked away from Perry. "There was a man and a woman. The guys beat the man until he was spitting blood. But the woman… I was a virgin at that point. The guys held her down and told me to change that."

Jesse dropped his head in shame. "And I did. With the man being forced to watch every second of it." Perry could hear the regret in every word of Jesse's confession, and felt sorry for him. "About a year later our gang was attacked. I managed to get away but the weird thing was it was only one guy who took us all out. My mother included. Turns out it was the Rancher who did it. What I had done the year before had resulted in the Rancher's wife getting a child. She died from the birth. I assume he left the child in someone's care and then came after us for revenge. I don't know what happened to the kid, but I'd hate to think what he'd do if he found me."

Jesse paused and took another deep breathe. "The Rancher got his revenge. But the one who killed his wife, the one who got away was his ultimate prize. I grew up constantly on the run. I got a job as a courier, was suitable as I just had to go from one place to the next just like I wanted. Not long ago he managed to find me by taking up the same job as a courier. So I did what I always did, I ran. I never learnt this guy's name, only that he wears a jacket with the American flag on his back."

Jesse frowned and looked up at Perry. "What happened next you can guess. I went to the one place I didn't think anyone else would ever follow. The Divide, a place along The Lonesome Road. But he caught me and got his revenge… and then you come along. I don't know how or why, but I owe you everything for it. And that's it, that's the whole story of my pathetic life."

The Wanderer looked at Jesse and didn't move for a while. But eventually he slowly got up, walked over and put his hand on Jesse's shoulder. The Wanderer pointed at his own chest, at his own heart and then pointed at Jesse's. With a smile, he walked away and lay down on the ground to sleep.

Confused and unsure of The Wanderer's message, Jesse lay down on his side of the camp. He didn't know what his story would do to The Wanderer's view of him, but by confessing it he felt his own view of himself was no longer as harsh. By letting it out, by telling someone who he really was, he could know himself through his own words. And despite the violence he's done, despite the uncertainty of his future, Jesse felt better and drifted off to sleep.

A/N: I'll be honest, the inevitable release of the Lonesome Road DLC has got me rushing to finish this story before it's out. I just know whatever history the courier and Ulysses has together would be far more interesting than what I came up with so I'm hoping to wrap this up soon. That's right, this is almost over. Stay tuned and remember to comment. Constructive criticism is always appreciated.