She ran behind a broken down, toppled over freight from a train, her shoulder bleeding as she unloaded the stock from her empty gun. Hurriedly, she reached in her pack and pulled out another stock full and loaded it, panting as she peered around the corner, hearing the pounding footsteps growing louder. She could hear her own heartbeat pounding in her ears, almost in sync with the footsteps that were drawing closer and closer. Then, a giant claw whipped around the corner, making her jerk backwards, and the mouth of the beast could be seen as it opened itself up and let out an ear-shattering roar.
A distant gunshot, and the beast let out a pained growl, reeling back as its arms reached back, clawing at the fresh wound on its back. Jovie let out a sigh and jumped to her feet, climbing the freight and disregarding her shoulder's pain. Where...? She could see it. The distant glare of his scope caught in the sun's gleam. The deathclaw was still searching for him, but he had managed to hide himself pretty well in the dense layers of rock and boulders. Putting her Brush gun up on her shoulder, she aimed down the sights and fired... and missed as the deathclaw jumped to the side. It turned to her again, and it two steps reached her, its massive arms knocking the freight out of its way; she collapsed onto the ground, the Brush gun out of arm's length.
Another distant gunshot, but this time closer. The beast growled again and turned, and when she looked, he was walking towards them, his gun on his shoulder as he ejected the shell, ready to shoot again. It began to charge.
"BOONE, GET AWAY!" she screamed. He shot again, this time, the bullet piercing the deathclaw's head. Yet, it would take more than that to bring it down. They had been fighting it for a while now, and she had already emptied herself of 20 gauge shotgun shells. Quickly, she grabbed onto her Brush gun, rose up, and ran to the side so if she missed, she wouldn't hit Boone, who in the meantime shot again. The deathclaw reached Boone and swiped one of its massive claws at him. Boone had admitted to her once that he was not adapt at close range combat, but he managed to duck- however, he was unable to dodge the backhanded swipe of the beast, and he flew to the side, he sniper rifle being knocked out of his hands as he hit the desert ground and slid several feet. Jovie couldn't worry herself with him. She had to focus, or they would both be...
Aiming down the sights, she shot, the bullet entering through the ribs of the deathclaw, who was honing in on Boone. Boone had managed to get up on his hands and knees, gasping for air before reaching in his holster and withdrawing a pistol, turning around quickly and emptying a clip into the deathclaw, which slowed it down for a moment. Jovie ran closer, still keeping Boone out of her path, and knelt down on one knee to steady herself better. Aiming again, she could see Boone eject the empty clip and quickly load a full one. She shot...
The bullet pierced the beast's left eye, blinding it in that eye and causing it to barely miss Boone as it swiped, the gust causing dust, sand, and small rocks to blow all over Boone, who shielded himself by covering himself with his arms. As it howled in pain, it began to frenzy, desperately throwing its claws about. Boone rolled out of the way jumped to his feet, going around the beast and running to his sniper rifle, picking it up. Far enough away, Jovie pulled a grenade out of her bag and took the pin out with her teeth, spitting it out.
"BOONE, COVER!"
Not needing to look, he knew. He jumped behind a boulder and covered his ears as Jovie threw the grenade, which exploded on impact with the beast.
"NOW!" she ordered, and he rose up, honed in on his target, and shot.
At last, the deathclaw collapsed, dead. Jovie, panting and tired, ran over to Boone to check on him, picking up his beret and broken sunglasses along the way. He had disappeared behind the rock once he had shot, and there was no time for celebration after defeating one of the Mojave's most powerful beasts. Once she got closer to the rock, she slowed down when she saw his hand just lying on the ground with blood on it. She had forgotten... deathclaws have tough hides.
"Hey," she called out to him, rounding the rock. "You dropped these."
He had one hand on his side that the deathclaw had struck him, and she could see it had torn his armor and clothing, as well as gashed his side. Eyes closed, head tilted back on the rock, he winced as he opened his eyes and looked at her, seeing his beret and broken sunglasses being handed to him. He grunted, a grin on his face as he reached up and took hold of them, his hand then dropping back down to the ground.
"Thanks, but I think the glasses are a lost cause."
She chuckled as she sat down beside him, her own shoulder bleeding. It had yet to heal, and she had insisted on going out to help Rex with his new brain in Jacobstown. The deathclaw... what was it doing there? Not that it mattered anymore. She brought a knee up and leaned her arm on it, leaning her head back on the rock as well, still trying to catch her breath. After a moment, she looked at Boone.
"You gonna be all right?"
He nodded rather slowly. "How far is it to Jacobstown?"
She pulled up her Pipboy, scrolling through until she found the map. "Not far. I gotta call Rex... I told him to run."
"Don't bother," Boone gruffly told her, motioning his head forward. "Here he comes."
She looked ahead to see Rex running their way, and within seconds, he was there, licking her sweaty face. "Good boy," she praised, her throat dry and itchy. "We're about there, okay? You'll get a new brain, and you'll be right as rain." She pet him and looked at Boone again. "Come on. On your feet."
"Yeah." He went to stand up, but struggled. She knew... He had been hit too hard. She wasn't sure the damage he had endured from the hit. Using the butt of his sniper rifle, pushed himself up, grunting as he did.
"All right. Step one, good to go," Jovie encouraged. She looked overhead... the sun was starting to go down. Not good. "We've got a hill to go up. Ready?"
"Yeah."
She then reached and took his beret from him, putting it on his head. "You're gonna need that." She looked at her Pipboy again and turned in the direction of the town. "Let's get goin'."
Jovie started walking, and she heard scuffling behind her. He was moving at least. Rex kept back with him, ensuring he was moving. They moved even further, Jovie replacing her Brush gun with a 10mm pistol, holding it at ready. If they didn't move faster, they wouldn't make it before nightfall.
"Boone? How we doin'?"
"Less talkin', more walkin'," he winced.
"Gotcha," she nodded.
"J-Jovie. Raiders. Left."
She turned to her left to see two raiders running up, and with two quick shots, they were downed. She smirked. "Heh, nothing like a deathclaw, right?" A shot behind her made her jump, and when she wheeled around, she saw Boone had his sniper rifle on his shoulder. It took her a moment to find it, but up on a hill was a dead raider. He grunted, Rex whining and pawing at his leg. Jovie took a step toward him, concerned about his situation. Not that long ago, if it hadn't been for Raul, she...
"Let me help," she offered, reaching out for him.
"I'm fine," was his hoarse reply.
"Sure you are," Jovie sarcastically retorted. "Now show me by actually moving, dammit! It's almost dark, and I don't wanna be out here when it is!"
He glanced at her, and she knew it had reached him. Boone was an ex-NCR soldier. All he knew was toughness. If this was how she was going to get to him, so be it.
"Roger that," he agreed, hastening his speed. They got to the beginning of the hill, to which Jovie let out an incredulous laugh.
"I thought this thing said it was just a hill. This is a damn mountain."
"Guess we got some climbing to do."
"Yeah," she nodded. "You need a shoulder?" He shook his head. "Of course not." She looked forward. "Let's just stay on the road. No shortcuts. It's too late for that kind of risk."
Onward they started, sometimes having to take a break here and there for Boone to catch his breath. She could hear him wheezing... ribs broken, surely. After killing a couple giant mantises, they reached the top, only to be greeted by two Supermutants... and that was when Boone toppled over, losing consciousness.
XXXXXX
Blonde hair, bright blue eyes... he hadn't seen it in so long. Was it...
"Carla?"
"You're confusin' this ugly mug with someone you know?" a gruff voice came back. His vision cleared, and there stood a female ghoul dressed as a doctor. Groggy, he tried to raise up in the bed but couldn't.
"Who are you? Where am I?"
"My name's Calamity," she replied. "I'm Dr. Henry's assistant. He helped fixed your dog Rex."
"He's not my dog, but-" he then stopped and jerked up, his side searing with pain. "Jovie! Rex! Where are they?"
Calamity crossed her arms and leaned the weight of her body on one leg. "That pretty gal that was with ya? She headed back to New Vegas. Said she had a promise to keep to someone named 'The King'."
Boone felt the tension in his body ease some. "So, she's okay?"
"As far as I knew. Had a messed up shoulder, but Dr. Henry patched her right up," Calamity answered. "She's tough, that's for sure."
Boone remembered the deathclaw battle, and when Raul had burst into the Lucky 38 with her in his arms, her barely hanging on. Even then, despite those moments, she still had a smile on her face and joked. He nodded. "Yeah... she is."
Calamity then looked behind her. "Dr. Henry, he's awake."
Dr. Henry walked up to the both of them and looked down at Boone. "Finally. Four days is long enough, don't you think?"
Boone's breath hitched in his lungs. "Four days?"
Dr. Henry gave him a nod. "Your friend left two days ago. Wanted to make sure both you and Rex would be okay." He shrugged. "Good dog. Strong dog. I'm sure he'll do just fine from now on." He then jerked when he noticed Boone getting up out of bed. "What are you doing?"
"I'm going."
"I can see that," Dr. Henry sharply addressed, watching Boone put on his torn shirt and armor. "Look, it's great that you're awake, but you still need rest. Jovie said something about a deathclaw attack. Take your time."
"She's traveling alone with Rex. I gotta find her."
Dr. Henry put his hands on Boone's shoulders. "Now, listen. I know you're worried about her. She was real worried about you- I'm surmising you two are close. But you're in no shape to go off on your own. Do you know how close your ribs were to puncturing your lungs? That beast did a number on you."
"Yeah, but did she tell you she barely survived an attack from a group of Legionnaires two weeks ago?" Silence. "Thought so. She's in no shape, either."
"You're two days behind, though," Calamity pointed out, crossing her arms. "And you traveling alone in your condition isn't wise, either."
Boone's heart raced. Frustrated... Why did he feel this way? "Look, are you gonna let me go or not? Because the only way you'll keep me here is if you strap me down on that bed."
With a flustered sigh, Dr. Henry let him go. "Fine. Have it your way. But don't make my work on saving you worthless, got it?"
Boone nodded, giving him a wordless thanks. Calamity walked to a desk and reached into a drawer, pulling out several stimpaks and handing them to Boone. "I'm not sure how important she is to you. She made it seem you were acquaintances, if that. Just take care of yourself."
Boone took the stimpaks and put them in his pack. He put the strap of his sniper rifle on his shoulder and headed out of Jacobstown.
XXXXX
Two days. He didn't stop for two days, no matter what he felt like or how much pain he was in. He knew how to get to New Vegas from Jacobstown; years as a soldier for the NCR, he had been nearly everywhere. He found a pair of sunglasses after he killed a group of raiders that had attacked him somewhere along the way, along with some ammunition and some more stimpaks. When the pain became too much, he would use one, but only when he couldn't handle it any longer. He made sure to keep an eye out or Jovie wherever he went.
"I'm pregnant, Craig."
He blinked and wiped the sweat off his brow, the intense desert sun and heat making him want to see refuge in shade somewhere. Maybe it was the heat that was making him think too much. No, that was ridiculous. It was being alone.
He looked at Carla as they sat on the bed together, his hand on top of hers.
"Pregnant? Are you sure?" She smiled as she nodded. "How do you know?"
"I'm three months late. I don't think you can get any more certain than that."
"Then... then this is great!" he laughed as he embraced her. They fell back on the bed, and she giggled in his ear. He put his hand on her stomach. "Would explain why you've been throwing up so much, huh?"
"Guess so."
He sighed as he rose up slightly and looked down into her eyes. "I know you've been lonely here, Carla. It's been hard on you."
She shook her head. "I just don't think people like me very much here. I'm just... different." She then smiled. "But that's okay. I have you, and soon the little one, too." She kissed him. "Thank you for this."
He laughed. "I should be thanking you. To think, I'm going to be a dad."
"You'll do great. I know it," she assured. She then rose up, and he could tell something was troubling her. "I'm just worried about something."
"Yeah? What is it?"
She twisted a strand of long, blonde hair around her index finger. "Jeannie May..."
"Carla, we've talked about this."
Carla bit her lip and let go of her strand of hair. "I know, Craig, but... she keeps staring at me. It's not normal. I don't like her."
"You've barely talked to her."
"Because I get a bad feeling when I do," Carla retorted, sounding slightly exasperated. "Craig, please... just... keep an eye on me, okay? I don't trust her."
Boone sat up as well and put his arm around her shoulders, kissing her cheek. "I promise, I will. I'm sure you have nothing to worry about, but I'll make sure you're safe."
Boone pulled out a pistol and shot a molerat that was running towards him.
His wife flashed him one of her trademark smiles that he knew to only be associated to him. "Thanks."
He could see the lights of New Vegas as he drew closer. He glanced to his side to see Horowitz Farmstead, and he knew he was close... as well that he was now in Fiend territory. He knew that Jovie and Rex had to have come this way, and he wondered how they fared. They had taken down the leaders long ago, but there were still those around that just seemed to never get bored of killing innocents. Jovie... she had to be all right.
"You think... Carla would've liked me?"
Maybe his answer was too hasty. But they were two very different people. Perhaps. Carla would only associate with someone once she got to know them. Jovie was unafraid of meeting new friends... or enemies. That's what made her so dangerous.
Dangerous? With Cass, he had described her as peaceful.
It wasn't Jovie who was dangerous. It was her heart and soul. She could hold her own, that was certain, but she wanted to test the waters first. Her coming up behind him on the dinosaur was extremely dangerous, but there she had been. And that was where it all started.
Gunfire. He stood still a moment to listen, monitor the direction it was coming from. He turned east and ran, taking his rifle off his shoulder. Maneuvering through the dilapidated homes, he could see the fire of laser weapons. Definitely raiders. But the also heard other gunfire. Rounding the last house, he took aim down the scope at a raider and fired, a perfect headshot. To the side of that one was another raider, and before they even had time to react, he ejected the shell and popped one into her. Then, the shooting was over. He exhaled a breath of relief, eyeing the perimeter just in case-
"You sure you're all right? Why don't you head back to New Vegas to rest? I'm sure that was a scare," he heard a familiar voice speak. It sounded as though it was around the building in front of him, so he ran around it.
"I'm fine. You saved my life," a man spoke. "I'm from the Crimson Caravans, so it's not far. Thank you so much."
He could hear a Brahmin let out a moo as the man and his pack took off, and then, he saw her, her back to him, her 10mm in her hands. She stretched her shoulder out before holstering her gun and started forward, him knowing she was heading towards Jacobstown... back to where she last left him.
"You sure make it a hell of a task to find you," he managed to call out to her. She stopped and wheeled around, a surprised look on her face.
"Boone?! What in God's name are you doing here?!" she gasped as he drew closer to her. "You're supposed to be in Jacobstown, resting!" He didn't reply, confusing her. "Look, I know you're probably upset I left you there, but they said you needed rest. And I made a promise to the King that I'd bring him Rex once-"
His arms extended and took her into them, bringing her close to his body and wrapping around her. She stopped talking, her eyes wide and mouth slightly open as shock took over. What on earth was going on?
"I want you safe is all," Boone quietly spoke.
She glanced up at him. "You were worried?"
He nodded. "I may not act like it, but... you mean something to me. I don't have... I mean..." He exhaled in frustration. "I'm not good at stuff like this, but I don't have many I'd consider friends." He held her tighter. "They told me you'd left, and I..." He pulled her away, and she was visibly confused, but also appeared upset.
"I wanted to help you," she began, clenching her fists. "Raul helped me. He carried me, despite his injuries. It's what friends do, Boone. You could barely function."
"It's how we were trained in the-"
"To hell with the NCR!" she shouted, clenching her fists harder. "You're not with them anymore, Boone!"
"But you are."
"What does that matter?!" she yelled. She then inhaled and exhaled. "We're friends... right?"
The question made something in Boone's chest jump. Friends... What were they? "Calamity said you told her we were acquaintances."
"Just answer my question."
Boone put his hand on her cheek. "Yeah. We're friends."
She looked up into his eyes, her green eyes filled with doubt and so many emotions, he couldn't even begin to comprehend them all. "Then let me help. You hurt, I hurt. It goes for everyone." She pulled away from his hand. "You said you want me safe. Don't you think that's what I want for you, too?" He looked away from her. "Don't you think that's what Carla would want?"
"Carla's gone."
"But don't you?" She then cracked a knuckle. "And Manny. Boone, you two may have had your falling-out, but he misses you. He still wants your friendship back. It's time to repair things, but you can't do that if you get yourself killed due to your stubbornes and lone-wolf ideologies." She stepped toward him. "Look at me!" His eyes focused on hers, and he could see a fire in them. "I'm not Carla. I'm not Manny. I'm not any of those you knew when you were in the NCR. But I've had my fair share of shit, too, and I need you to trust me. I need you to need me."
The last sentence felt like a cazador sting, and he instantly felt guilty. Then, he felt a tinge of anger. "What do you think I felt when you were dying in my arms? Think I was emotionless with that? That I was thinking I would be okay, that I didn't need you? Huh?" At this, it was her turn to feel guilt. "Scared the shit out of me. Why do you think that is?" He shifted his weight from one leg to the other. "I'm the one who goes off on my own, you say? You're always taking these tasks, the jobs people put on you, that are dangerous. Without even so much as caring for your own well-being. Not to mention we've not even been to The Tops to see Benny, which I figured you'd go on your own without telling anyone. Am I right?"
She took hold of her arm with the other hand, her eyes on the ground. "It's my burden to bear."
"Bullshit," he nearly growled. "I get it. You want answers. You want to know why he did what he did. But you go in there alone, and then what? Hmm? He won't have bodyguards to back him up? They won't try to do anything to you? Benny nearly killed you once, Jovie. You go in there, I'm going with you."
Jovie laughed. "They'll take your weapons, y'know."
"Yeah."
"And you're not very good at hand-to-hand combat."
"I know."
"So, what then?"
"You can use anything as a weapon, Jove. Hope you know that."
She laughed again and nodded. "'Ex-NCR soldier Craig Boone kills a man with a poker chip at The Tops. More to come after this song.'"
This made Boone laugh as well. "I'd do it, too."
They shared a laugh for a bit, then Jovie glanced back toward New Vegas. "Well, since you're here, might as well head back to Lucky 38. I need a rest, and I'm sure you do, too."
"I need a bath, is what I need," Boone muttered, following her as she started walking.
And then, something weird happened. Maybe it was the sun, or his exhaustion, but he could have sworn to have seen Carla walking by Jovie's side, her arms behind her back, hands locked, looking at her with a smile. He blinked, and she was gone.
"You think... Carla would've liked me?"
"Yeah."
Hearing a random "yeah" from Boone made Jovie stop in her tracks and look back at him.
"Huh?"
Boone rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Before, when you asked me if Carla would've liked you..."
"Where did that come from?" Jovie asked, titling her head to the side in confusion.
"I've done a lot of thinking on my own." He wasn't lying, but how would she understand what he had just seen. "Anyway, I was wrong. Carla. She would have liked you."
This made Jovie smile. "You really think so?"
"Yeah, I do," Boone effortlessly replied. "You two are different, but... so were we. I think you two would've been good friends. Had you been in Novac, I don't think she would've been so lonely."
Jovie's eyes filled with tears, but she held them back with her usual smile. "I'm happy to hear that. Really, I am."
Without another word, they headed back to New Vegas. Boone knew he would rest easy for the first time in two days.