Thank you for the reviews! Sorry it took so long I had things going on in life.
Chapter Two
Delores bashed the back of her head against the door in annoyance; she did not want to stay trapped in this place for the rest of her days with that weirdo coming to check on her. She was not going to let a man like keep her here like a caged animal. Vulpes might be trying to be the good guy, but Delores had seen that enough times while travelling the Mojave and she wasn't about to become his secret either, but now the angry she got the more her face and head hurt that too pissed her off. She sighed as she stood up; using the door for support the most important thing was for her to see to her wounds.
She walked down the stairs, her hand lightly gliding over the handrail and down into the storage room. She went over to the water fountain to look at herself in the mirror that was hanging on the wall. Delores used her fingers to open up the cut, it was deep enough for stitches she moved her fingers from her wound and examined the bruise on the cheek that was rearing up its ugly head in a blue-yellow colour, and it looked horrible it had been a while since she had bruise like that in a long time.
Delores looked over to the storage barrel that sat at the far side of the room; she knew the Legion refuses to use modern medical supplies on themselves so she was luck to find stimpacks. She did know that they used healing powder since it is made from natural resources.
It was slow working thought, but it did the job.
She walked over to the barrels and routed through them to see if she could find anything, but alas, she did find two healing powders at the bottom of the barrel and pulled them out. She went back over to the mirror and put a small amount of powder into the palm of her hand. Delores pressed the button of the water fountain to add a small bit of clear liquid and mixed it with her finger soon enough the powder became thick like a paste.
Looking into the mirror once again Delores took a small amount of the paste and gently rubbed it into the cut. It worked like a plaster but stung like hell, but at least it has covered it up and had less risk of infection.
She stuck out her tongue that she bit when Vulpes booted her in the face. There were holes from where her teeth dug into the muscle it did not look too bad, but was sore.
Moving away from the mirror Delores sat on the nearest bed to her. She laid her back on the mattress, her body felt so sore it felt good to lie down and looked up at the ceiling she did not feel tired at all, and it was too quiet for her liking to sleep. Delores was always used to hearing the Boomers explosions screaming in the distance and hearing showers of machine guns shooting, in the safe house it was nothing but silence.
The next day Vulpes unlocked the door to the safe house, he brought food and water for Delores and he did tell Atticus that he would be the one stocking up from now on just to keep him away. He placed the food and water on the table where an old TV was sitting. Vulpes walked down the stairs to find Delores sitting on one of the beds, she did not sleep at all last night. Her eyes went straight over to Vulpes as he stopped at the bottom of the steps, looking at towards her.
"I take it you didn't sleep?" he said with a grin seeing the bags underneath her eyes as he walked over to her. Delores stood up from the bed "Stay away from me," she said, but Vulpes did not listen he walked closer, she jumped on the bed and down on the other side, now she had her chance to get away. Vulpes could see what she was doing did she think he was that stupid?
Delores quickly made a break for the stairs, but she was knocked down by Vulpes with a kick to the stomach and forced her down to the floor, holding her hands above her head in a vice like grip and sat on top of her. Vulpes watched her struggle underneath him.
"Fuck, let me go!" She said as she spat in his face and he simply slapped her hard across the face, which left a nice red handprint on her cheek, and Vulpes wiped the saliva of his face
"Disgusting dog," Vulpes said he was getting tired of these games now, he just wanted her to behave. "Will you calm down, otherwise I won't explain why you're here," he said calmly he waited for her to finished fighting against him; surely enough she tired herself out. Delores laid there panting and sweating.
"And what if you don't want to listen?" She said up to him, the cold floor felt nice on her sweaty back.
"Then I will tell you anyway, even if you listen or you don't, that's up to you," he said getting off her body, he knew she was not going anywhere even if she did he would slam her back in to the floor.
Delores sat up slowly rubbing her cheek it was still stinging, "I already know, it was an order from Caesar." She said as she stood up and dusted herself down.
"That's where your wrong, It was not an order from my Lord I did it out of my own initiative. My lord did not take too kindly to hear you sided with the NCR, he sent out frumentarii to search the Mojave, and you don't need me to tell you what they'd do next." Vulpes said his dark blue eyes watched her, he could tell she was listening to him. Delores looked up at him, "If it wasn't an order, don't you think you'll get into big trouble for interfering?" she said now she was confused. Why would he risk his own life?
"My Lords punishments are something I can handle, but for whatever reason I do not want him to get his hands on you. I should not be feeling this way for a degenerate like you," He said he did not understand his feelings, as he had never felt them before he turned and sat on the bed with his head in his hands.
Delores did not know what to say, a Legion had feelings and not just any Legion solider either, she did not know whether it was real or she was drunk and passed out on the floor at the Atomic Wrangler like usual. If she wanted to escape now was a good time to take that chance, but she knew that the door would be locked after all he did have the key and she was not in the mood to fight with him again, her stomach already felt like a Brahmin had kicked it.
Seeing Vulpes like this made her sad oddly enough, she sighed and went over to him and placed her hand on his shoulder, "You don't have to explain yourself," she said with a small smile on her chapped lips
Vulpes looked up at her smiling face; he had not seen a smile since the day his tribe had been taken by Caesar. The day he joined the Legion was the day he forgot everything, every day he would train to prove to everyone in the camp that he was the best it was also a way for him to survive to stop his mind from wondering, but since meeting Delores in Nipton everything changed. Caesar had seen it too, but he brushed it off.
He placed his hand over hers gently moved it from his shoulder so he could hold it. Delores' hand was smaller than his was and much softer too, it felt nice.
"I thought you would take this opportunity to leave," Vulpes said he was relieved she did not his thumb brushing over her flesh of her hand.
"I'll only stay if you let me go outside; it gets real stuffy in here." Delores said she was hoping he agree, she really wanted to stretch her legs and get some fresh air, but Vulpes looked away uncertain for a few minutes then he stood and held tightly to her hand, they both walked up the stairs.
Vulpes pulled out the key to the door from his belt, he unlocked the door with one turn of the key and opened the door pulling Delores out with him, the sun sharp light of the sun almost blinded her for a second, but her eyes soon adjusted to the light.
"I will allow you outside, but you must only walk around the fire pit. If you play any of your little games trying to escape then I will not let you out ever again, Understand." Vulpes said as he took her over to the fire pit, slowly letting go of her hand.
Delores nods her head once and walked round the fire pit she could feel Vulpes' eyes on her as she walked, it might have look ridiculous with her going around the pit, but that didn't matter she was more happy about being outside in the fresh air.
After that day, Vulpes and Delores spoke to more to each other; there was not any more fighting or any name-calling. Delores felt more relaxed with him around most nights she did not want him to leave, she had somewhat grown attached to him as he was with her.
"Please Vulpes stay one more night." Delores said as he grabbed his hand looking at him with puppy dog eyes, but he simply shook his head "No, not tonight. I have to go back to the encampment otherwise Caesar will get suspicious of my absents and I cannot have that." He said as he tightly squeezed her hand and pulled her up against him, wrapping his arm around her waist, looking down at her with a small smirk on his thin lips as he leaned down and kissed her forehead once.
"I'll be back tomorrow." Vulpes said as he let go of her and walked up the stairs leaving the safehouse and locking the door on his way out. Delores sighed as she flopped down on the bed she could not believe how much she'd really became attached to him, her heart always felt funny when he left her in the safehouse alone like something was missing when he was gone and she had no idea what to do with herself, it was a feeling she could not explain.
Meanwhile, Vulpes made his back to the Legion encampment he walked through the gate of the main camp, he could hear the usual slaves crying and screaming as the men took them at night or beat them for doing something they should not have.
He made it to the large tent that Caesar was located, but as he reached for the tent flap Atticus came up behind him. Vulpes turned around to see the veteran.
"What is it? If you are worried about the safehouse stock, do not be. I've got everything that is needed." He said already knowing what Atticus was going to ask.
"I know that you would, but it is still my responsibly after all and I think it's my right to make sure everything is where it meant to be." Atticus he was going to put his foot down this time, Vulpes took his job and all he could do now was train or run errands for the other soldiers
Vulpes eyes narrowed slightly, he really wished the he would just go away since he took over Atticus job he had asked nothing else, but about the safehouse asking him questions and pissing him off to the extent that he wanted to strangle the veteran or stab him to make it look like an accident.
"Or are you hiding something in there?" Atticus said with a suspicious look on his face as he folded his arms across his chest
"Even if I did it would have nothing to do with you, I'll give you back the key if it'll stop you from pestering me." Vulpes said pulling out the key from his belt and giving it to Atticus who took it from him "Thank you, I'll go their early tomorrow morning." The veteran said as he began to walked away happy now that he had his old job back.
Shit, now Vulpes had to get Delores out of there, but where would he take her?
He entered the tent his mind was now swimming with what would happen if Atticus found her and he was not there, but Vulpes did know that she could handle herself, that was not the point. He did not want Atticus getting his hands on what is his.
It was early morning when Vulpes had finished his duties. He opened the tent flap and in the far distance, he could see Atticus leaving through the gate. Now was the time for Vulpes to get his brain in gear, he had been thinking about taking Delores to New Vegas maybe that would be the best place to take her, Vulpes disguised of course.
He went to his tent to grab his disguise from his footlocker stuffing it into a bag, and then made his way to Cottonwood Cove to search for a dress that the legion might have confiscated from the slaves when they captured them. Vulpes found a dress it was a pink and dirty, but it would have to do he could not find any shoes to match so he just stuffed the dress in the bag too. Now that he everything he needed, he fast walked back to the safehouse, and hopefully he would get there before Atticus.
Delores jumped up from the bed to a loud crashing sound upstairs; her heart was beating fast in her chest. She quickly grabbed a machete that was lying on the bed next to her; she went over to the stairs hiding behind the wall, and looked up around the corner, seeing movement.
No way was that Vulpes, he was not that loud when he came here. Her breathing stopped as soon as she heard whomever it was coming down the stairs, she held the machete tightly in her hand. The man did not even notice her there until he turned around and yelled seeing Delores, but he was soon silent when she stabbed him on the throat with the rusted blade a few times, blood sprayed out all over her face, arms and hands. His body fell to the floor with a heavy thud, his body still twitching it. Delores dropped the machete on the floor with a clank sound.
Vulpes made it to the safehouse; the door was still open when he got there. He rushed in and ran down the stairs to see Atticus body lying on the floor, bleeding out from his throat then looked at Delores to see her covered in Atticus' blood.
"I'm relieved that wasn't me." Vulpes said as he put the bag down on the floor and went over to the body now he had to bury Atticus; he had to choice, but to take Delores to New Vegas now. Vulpes grabbed Atticus legs and dragged his body up the stairs leaving a crimson trail.
Delores looked down at the bag on the floor and picked up, placing it on the bed. She unzipped the bag to find clothing something pink caught her eye. She pulled out the material to find it was one of them pre-war spring dress that she had seen in old magazines scattered around the Mojave; she had always imagined herself in one of them. Vulpes came back covered in dust and mud, he noticed she had been in the bag.
"Why did you get this? Are we going somewhere?" she asked him with a raise eyebrow
"Yes, we're going to Vegas for a while, now that you've killed Atticus the Legion will get suspicious." He said as he went over to the bag, getting this disguise out.
"Benny is at that casino…Oh yeah Tops maybe I could kill him." She said as she began to strip her clothes off apart from her bra and panties, and slipped on the dress. Vulpes eye fell on her breasts he was in the right frame of mind to just rip it off the clothing and force himself inside her, but no he was playing it differently this time.
"No, I don't want that kind of ruckus while we're there." Vulpes was not keen on the idea as soon Benny was killed the Legion would know and they'd send someone out to come get her and that was risky not just for Delores, but for Vulpes too.
Once they cleaned themselves and got dressed, they soon felt the safehouse. It was a long walked to New Vegas it was a good thing that Delores did not wear high heels otherwise her feet would be so sore by the time she got there, but little did they know they were being watched. In the distance there was a frumentarii lying on the ground looking through binoculars at them as they walked off. He saw Vulpes bury Atticus in an unmarked grave.
Caesar had grown aware of the lack of attendance that Vulpes had in the camp, so he sent a spy to find out what was going on with him.
"Well, well, looks like someone has a woman…and now killing our own. Oh! Caesar will not be pleased." He said to himself quietly.
The frumentarii smirked underneath his mask that covered up his mouth and half of his nose; he was the kind of man who wanted to see their leader crash and burn. He stood up and dusted himself down, now he had a long trek back to the encampment.
Secrets always are found out eventually…