They knelt behind boulders, Boone looking through the scope of his sniper rifle, Jovie behind him. Silence... The NCR soldiers on the hill above them watched, eagerly awaiting their command.

"Boone. What do you see?" Jovie whispered.

He lowered his rifle and kept an eye on the movement of the Legionnaires. "This isn't good. There are a lot, Jove. Who knows how many are in the houses."

Jovie bit her lip then tapped Boone's shoulder. They switched positions quietly and carefully, him handing her his rifle. She looked through the scope as well for a time and hung her head.

"This has to work. They need a win, and they need it here." She looked through the scope again and muffled a gasp by clamping her mouth shut.

"What? What do you see?"

"Boone... there are soldiers on crucifixes."

"What?" Boone grabbed his rifle, moving beside her and looking through. He gritted his teeth. "Shit..."

He felt her hand on his shoulder. "We can't leave now." Then, she was gone. His eyes scanned the area until he found her sneaking up the hill to the soldiers. He watched her as she said some words to them, which by the looks on their faces, they seemed not to be too fond of. She then made her way back down to him and pulled out Li'l Devil from its holster. "Boone. You ready for some close combat?"

Boone pulled out his pistol as well, checking its ammunition. "Just the two of us, huh?"

"They'll be firing support," she responded, adding more ammunition to Li'l Devil. "I couldn't risk it. Not after everything."

He nodded. "Sure. We'll sneak, take out as many as we can as quickly as we can without being detected. They can pick off what we can't."

"Mm-hm." She inched forward some, squatting, her pistol aimed forward. "Boone?"

"Hmm?"

"Try not to die on me."

He held back a laugh, and started sneaking around the other side of the boulders to flank the Legionnaires from both sides. Jovie inched her way forward, hoping the gravel wouldn't make too much sound to give away her position. Glancing up at the NCR soldiers, they all had worried looks on their faces, but each gave her a nod, readying their weapons. First shot came from Boone, immediately followed by another. Hurriedly, she snuck-

"Where the hell did that come from?!"

They were searching for Boone-

Gunfire. From her. A legionnaire went down without a sound, a bullet to the skull.

"TO ARMS!"

"Alert Dead-" a grunt, and he fell.

"Release the dogs!" another legionnaire ordered.

Gates lifted, and she knew it was only a matter of time before they were found. But then, one by one, they were picked off by the soldiers on the hill, who were well hidden. Out of the houses ran some of the soldiers... all but one. "Dead" whoever... must be the leader. They surrounded the house. Idiots, she thought to herself, giving away your commander's location. She scuffled behind one of the homes to see a Legionnaire behind it, holding a Brush gun. Before he could open his mouth, she shot him dead.

"A male! NCR beret!"

She jerked and peered around the house to see two snipers on lookout points, their rifles raised. One shot but thankfully missed. Boone hunkered behind a boulder large enough to keep him safe, but now his position had been compromised. Jovie whipped back around, reloaded, and peered back around, raising her gun at one of the snipers. She aimed and took the shot, the sniper falling dead.

"What the hell?!" the other sniper cried out. Another shot from the hill, and he, too, was dead. More shots from the hill, and a couple of the Legionnaires guarding their commander were taken down. A shot from the northwest... They had scattered and now were regrouping. Jovie moved cautiously- she felt her body being slammed into the rocky canyon wall, a Legionnaire grabbing at her arms.

"Got you, you bitch."

She fought back as much as she could, finally headbutting the legionnaire's nose. She heard the crunch of the fragile bone breaking, and he reeled back, blinded temporarily. When he had slammed her into the wall, she had dropped her gun, so she brandished her knife went to stab him, but he had regained his senses and blocked the assault. Another gunshot, this time from Boone, filled her ears. She ducked, avoiding a punch from him, but unable to avoid a kick to her face. She was knocked to the ground, instantly tasting iron, and immediately, his foot was placed on her throat.

"You... you are a problem. Think I don't know what you did? We should've killed you then."

His foot pressed firmer on her throat, cutting off oxygen to her lungs. She struggled, kicking, her hands on his foot in efforts to push him off, but to no avail. Letting go, she trashed about, trying to find it. Her knife... where...?

"You're pretty, you know that? Lucky me that I get to break that pretty little neck of yours."

She finally felt its hilt, picked it up, and stabbed it into his Achilles' tendon. He screamed in agony, then screamed again when she pushed it outwards, slicing it clean in half. He fell backwards, and that's when she heard a gunshot, making her jump. But it wasn't at her. She turned around to see Boone, his pistol aimed at the man. She started coughing, gasping for air, getting up on her hands and knees to pick up her gun.

"Jove, you okay?"

She nodded and rose to her feet, staggering slightly. Boone had a wound to his face that seemed to be from where a bullet had grazed his cheek and a tear to his pants where there was blood. She glanced but knew enough he had found a dog that the NCR soldiers had missed and was bitten.

"The Legionnaires surrounding their commander's cabin are dead. There are more houses, but I had the rest come down."

She caught her breath, rubbing her bruising neck. "What of those on the crucifixes?" she asked, her voice raspy.

"I... haven't checked yet."

"Boone!" She ran toward the center of Nelson and up the platform to the three NCR troopers on the crucifixes, Boone following. "Boone, they're still alive! Help me get them down!"

He knelt down, where she put her legs over his shoulders, then rose up, letting her untie the ropes that bound their hands and feet as he held onto her legs to keep her from falling. Somehow, she caught each soldier as they fell forward, then lowered them to Boone, who placed them on the ground. Once it was finished, the NCR soldiers had joined by then, and Boone motioned for them to come over.

"They need medical attention," he spoke. "Two of you should go with them back to Forlorn Hope." Not wanting to argue with an ex-First Recon, they did as Boone said. He then looked over at Jovie, who stared at the house the leader was in. "You know... it could be a trap."

"I know," she nodded. "But... 'Dead'..."

He titled his head. "'Dead'?"

She started toward the house, but he grabbed onto her wrist. "Jove, listen to me. We have to be careful about this. Going in there is even more dangerous than fighting out here."

"Believe me, I know," she agreed. "But, Boone... there's something... I need answers to."

He shook his head. "Did you remember something?"

"You can say that, sure," she answered. "If you're not going with me-"

"Oh, I'm coming, all right," Boone interrupted, pulling out his pistol. Sniper rifle had no business in close-quarters combat. "But I'll open the door."

They made their way to the house, and Boone held up three fingers, then two, then one. He flung open the door, two Legionnaires instantly opening fire, making Boone and Jovie pull back until they had unloaded their clips. Jovie was the first to move, shooting one then the other, and before Boone could even stop her, she ran into the house to the commander, who had his machete at the ready... then dropped it. She grabbed his by the front of his armor and slammed him against the wall before throwing him to the ground, pointing at the machete.

"PICK IT UP!" she screamed. Boone by now had entered the house, his pistol pointed at the Decanus that was on his hands and knees on the floor. Jovie... something was wrong. When the Decanus did nothing, she kicked his torso as hard as she could, making him cough. "PICK. IT. UP."

"Hey!" Boone called out to her. "What are you doing? Just kill him and be done with it!"

The glare she gave him... and he holstered his gun. She reached over, grabbed a chair, and sat it in the middle of the room before picking the Decanus up by pulling him up by the back of his armor and tossing him onto the chair with such a force, it nearly knocked over. What Boone was seeing was pure rage. There was no getting to her. She then reached down and picked up his machete, running her thumb down the sharp blade without cutting herself, eyeing it with... familiarity?

"You don't remember me, do you?" No reply, and with this, in one, swift movement, she pierced the machete through the decanus' foot, making him scream. She grabbed hold of his mask and made the goggles line up with her eyes. "LOOK AT ME NOW AND TELL ME YOU DON'T REMEMBER!"

A sinister laugh came from the decanus' throat. "What made you remember me?"

"I killed one of your men before he could get your name out, but I know... I heard 'Dead', and that's all it took," she answered darkly. She then pulled the machete out of his foot, eliciting a grunt from him. "What's my name... Dead Sea?"

Boone's breath hitched in his lungs as he stepped forward. "I think I know what's going on here. And it ends now."

Dead Sea let out a pained laugh, his head rolling slightly. "Jovie, right? I can hear that disgusting ghoul's voice crying it out over and over as he tried to save you."

Jovie punched him, hard, knocking his head to the right. He hissed from the contact then spit out a tooth and some blood. "He did save me, but not without you hurting him." She walked around him, wiping the blood on the machete on his armor. "How many has it been, Dead Sea? How many was it that couldn't be saved?"

Carla entered Boone's mind, but he shook the thought away. Jovie needed him now.

Dead Sea said nothing, this time, Jovie piercing the machete through his shoulder from behind him, another yell filling the air. She pulled out the blade then threw it to the ground, withdrawing her own knife, as she walked in front of him and straddled him, putting her arms around his neck, making sure he felt the blade move back and forth on his neck.

"What's the matter, Dead Sea? You almost had me then. Can't finish the job now?" She looked down at his crotch and laughed. "I guess it would be a little difficult to get it up in these conditions. I'm the alpha now... right?"

At this, Dead Sea grit his teeth, and his fist collided against Jovie's cheek, knocking her off his lap, as he jumped up. Boone unholstered his pistol and pointed it at Dead Sea.

"Sit down!" he ordered. Dead Sea didn't move. "NOW!"

"No, no. It's fine," Jovie assured, getting up and waving off Boone's demand as Dead Sea sat back down on the chair. "This is what I wanted." She then looked at Dead Sea, ignoring her bloody nose and lip. "What you wanted. Right? A better fight? A challenge?" She took her knife and placed it on his wounded shoulder. "Although~ someone has lost a lot more blood than I have. I don't think it would be fair. Not that it mattered to you back then, did it? I was dying, and you just had to try." She then leaned down to his ear. "But what you didn't know, big boy, is that I survived death once. And that I will fight for every second I've got left."

Dead Sea turned his head toward her. "A collar would look beautiful on you, Jovie. I'll make sure Caesar has one specially made just for you."

"A collar, you say?" Jovie hummed. She exited the room for a moment then returned, a collar and a small box in her hand. Front behind, she put the collar around Dead Sea's neck and fastened it. "You mean one like these?"

Dead Sea's body squirmed. "Where-"

"What, you think we haven't found some of your friends escorting people to your Caesar with these on their necks?" Jovie asked, twirling the device between her fingers. "Tell you what, Dead Sea. Or can I call you 'Deaddy'?" No answer. "Aww, what's the matter? Don't like that one very much?"

"Jove..." Boone whispered. This wasn't Jovie... not his Jovie.

"You bitch... I'll make sure Caesar makes you burn."

Jovie sighed, no longer twirling the device. "Have it your way."

She pressed the button, but nothing happened. Dead Sea had closed his eyes, but opened them when he felt his mask being pulled off his head. Jovie grinned as she showed him the device. "It doesn't work. I made sure to destroy it when we saved those people." She threw it at him, the device colliding with his chest. "One last question, and you're free to go."

Dead Sea, the brown-haired, blue-eyed decanus, sat there in disbelief and embarrassment. "You're going to let me go?"

"If you answer my question." She watched him nod. "I had a dress with me. I went back to that place and couldn't find it, which tells me you lot probably took it for God knows what reasons." She crossed her arms. "Where is it?"

"In that cabinet, by the bathroom."

Jovie uncrossed her arms and headed toward the cabinet. "You'd better not be lying~" she warned in a sing-song voice. She opened it and smiled. "Huhn. Well, I'll be damned. You're not. Guess you are just snakes ninety-nine percent of the time, huh?" she said as she made her way in front of Dead Sea, putting the dress in her backpack.

"So, I'm free to go?"

"Yeah, sure," she nodded, turning around and idly tossing a hand in the air. "Just so you know, you pissed yourself."

She made it out the door, and Dead Sea let out a sigh of relief. "She's crazy."

"No," Boone denied, pointing his pistol again at Dead Sea. "She just knows me all too well."

Jovie heard the gunshot... and smiled.

Then cried.

Boone walked out of the home and joined Jovie's side. The NCR soldiers had went in the other homes and found what little remained of the Legionnaire army stationed in Nelson. Taking them as POWs, they were now heading back to Nelson to radio in to the other stations of their victory and to send backup to Nelson to ensure it remained in NCR's hands. Boone put his arm around Jovie's shoulders and sat her down on the stairs with him, where she leaned her head on his shoulder, wiping her tears away... or trying to. Dead Sea's blood was on her hands, which smeared on her face. Boone tore some of his clothing and gently reached forward, wiping the blood from her broken nose and busted lip as tenderly as he could. When it was gone, he discarded the cloth and just sat there, her head on his shoulder as she finished crying.

"Jove," he quietly addressed, "...why didn't you tell me?"

"Nothing happened."

"No, but it almost did." He sighed. "I'm just glad Raul saved you."

Jovie nodded against his shoulder. Then, "Boone? You've started calling me 'Jove'. You know that?"

Boone looked outward then shrugged. "Guess I have. Don't like it?"

She smiled. "No, it's fine. You're the only one who does. I like it." She then put her hand on his knee. "Sorry you... had to see me like that. I just... I knew." Boone said nothing. "I couldn't let him get away with it. Not just because of me... but because of the others, too. The ones he did..."

"You don't have to explain yourself to me."

"I'm still me."

"Yeah," Boone nodded, placing his hand on top of hers. "You're still you." He looked at the crucifixes, then their hands. "...Thanks, by the way."

"Huh? For what?" She followed his gaze to the crucifixes. "Oh. For that. Well, I mean... when I first found Nipton, they had that lottery, remember? I couldn't save them... they were so close to death. But I saw them, and I knew they could be saved. I had to try."

Boone nodded. "As NCR soldiers, we're told what to do, when, how, and all that. Most of the time, when we'd see things like this, we'd be ordered to 'mercy kill'."

"Oh my god..."

He couldn't take his eyes off the crucifixes. "When Carla was taken, I tracked them down. With the training I'd had, I just..." He took in a breath. "I looked through my scope and saw her. I saw they were going to take her to the Cove, and I knew once she was put on that boat, what awaited her was worse than death. So I... took the shot."

Jovie closed her eyes, feeling hollow. "Boone... I'm so sorry."

Boone shook his head. "Yeah, well. What other option did I have? I couldn't go into the Cove alone. And if I let them take her, had my child been born, what would've become of him or her? A slave? Indoctrinated into one of them? Killed? No. I did what had to be done." He tightened his hold on her hand. "I'm not justifying myself. What I did was unforgivable, and I deserve whatever bad is coming to me. Which is why we should part ways."

At this, Jovie jumped up and looked down at Boone, deeply confused. "Excuse me?"

Boone stood up. "I've got worse coming to me, Jove. The things I've done... I've not even began to atone. Losing Carla and the baby was only the beginning."

"What makes you say that? That more bad things are coming to you?" Jovie asked. "Boone... that makes no sense."

His eyes focused hard on hers, intense. "Because fair is fair."

She finally understood. "You're talking about Bitter Springs... aren't you?" No reply. "I think it's time we go back."

"No."

"Boone, listen to me," she ordered, reaching and taking hold of his hand to stop him from walking away. "Whatever questions you have, whatever doubts linger in your mind-"

"There are no doubts. Just sins I can't wash away."

This time, it was her eyes that were intense. "Then take me. Help me to understand." She stepped toward him, his hand still in hers. "I can't help you unless you help me."

He slid his hand from her grasp. "I don't need your help. What I do need is for you to drop it. Understand?"

The pain in her eyes pierced his soul so hard, it nearly shattered what little of it was left. "Sure... I understand."

"Good," he nodded. "Now, let's get back to Nelson. I'm sure they'll want to thank you for all you've done."

He started toward Nelson, and she followed quietly behind. He had helped her with Dead Sea, and promised to be there for her with Benny. He even trusted her enough to talk about Carla and his unborn child. But what was it about Bitter Springs that he just couldn't face? They had crossed a huge gap together, finally beginning to understand one another. At least, for a time. But now, the gap was bigger than ever.