Note: Not the end yet. I'm a little over projected plan, so I'm going to extend the ending maybe another two chapters? I've got to come up with some ideas, eventually. And... well, I kind of don't want to end this, just yet.

Jericho lit a cigarette, staring at the huge concrete door. The thing was set into the side of the rocks, right out in plain sight. He liked that. Meant you always saw 'em coming. Maybe them Enclave fucks weren't half as stupid as Nathan's stories made them out to be.

He smoked in silence, crossing his arms over his chest and wincing when he stubbed what was left of his pinkie and ring finger. His eye was still swollen and blood covered most of his armor, but he could give a shit. He stared at the door and waited, patiently.

Never was patient, before. Old age got to him in the end, go figure.

He wasn't dead. It'd take a lot more than some gimpy knees and a few missing fingers to stop him. Tracking down the Enclave base hadn't been as hard as he'd thought, either.

After that fight with Lillie at the Mills, he'd expected his brains were about half liquid in his thick skull. Christ, but he'd been a stupid git. Fucking miracle he'd made it all this way, ass-end of the Capital Wasteland, without getting himself torn to shreds by those goddamned Deathclaws out there.

Didn't matter. He was waiting for Lillie. About the smartest decision he'd ever made, all his life, going with the stupid girl.

She'd kicked his ass pretty good, back at the Vault. Woke up face down on the floor just inside the doorway, lying in a puddle of drool with his hand on his dick. Nothing ever changed. Was too old to change.

He'd pushed himself up off the floor, spat out a tooth, and grinned. Blood had dried onto his face, a good-looking bruise spread across his forehead and cheek. Admired it in a shattered piece of mirror, then grabbed up his rifle and took off. Hadn't know where the fuck to go, then.

Took him all of about an hour before he started walking north. She'd told him them fucks was northwest. He was already west. Might as well see this one through to the end. If she'd let him―

At this point, if the shit in his lungs didn't take him out he was sure Lillie was gonna do it. Fuck cancer, he wasn't gonna pussy out like that. She'd earned the right.

Jericho snorted out smoke, a cloud rising up around his head as he stared at the door. She was gonna get him for all he was worth, even if she'd gotten him for free.

He did like her. Flicked ash from his cigarette and stared at the door, thinking about that. Yeah, she treated him like shit, and yeah, she got under his skin. Like a damn needle, poking at the hurt and sewing up the wound at the same time. But she was fucking honest. Not like Moriarty, treating him like he was just a dumbass with no helpful thoughts in his head.

Them games she played. He couldn't half keep up with them, but he was tough enough to survive her. That oughta count for something.

Lillie hadn't ever stood down from a challenge. He liked that, too. She kicked as much ass as he had, back when he was a stupid kid. She didn't know a goddamn thing about the wastes. Didn't know her ass from a hole in the ground. He was willing to teach her, and seemed like she wanted to learn.

She'd learned a lot, already. She'd know more than enough when they was done with all this Enclave shit.

The door opened as two Vertibirds flew overhead. He didn't look up, kept his eyes on the door. Lillie poured herself out, landing on her knees at the entrance. Jericho strode forward, grabbed her by one shoulder and hauled her away from the place just as the gunfire started. Shit went to hell around them, but he kept stomping up the road.

She'd gone limp in his hand, like she didn't have a bone in her body. Knew she was conscious, so―must be more of that stupid shit she'd pulled talking about eggs and being all fucking crazy―

He dropped her to the ground just as one of the power armored soldiers came up on them, bringing up his rifle and firing wildly back. She flopped onto the dirt, but whipped out a foot and took him down, kicking him hard in the shin. He landed on his ass―but laughed at her.

"Fuckin' Christ," he muttered. "I missed you, too, you crazy bitch."

Lillie smiled at him. Blood streamed from her right eye, like she was crying, but she didn't seem to notice. Jericho turned his rifle onto the assholes chasing them, wondering what she'd been up to down there. Hoped she'd sorted that shit out, at least.

After a second or two she sat up, pushed herself up from the ground and turned herself to face the soldiers. She cracked her neck to one side, lifted her pistol, and started shooting.

Jericho kept his eyes on her. No mercy given, her bullets tearing into the soldiers that were marching up the road. Lillie spun out a leg and kicked one of them, hard, hitting him at an angle and knocking him down. She lifted her foot, placed it firmly on the soldier's chest, then shot him in the face at point-blank range.

"C'mon, Jericho," she said, lifting a gatling laser from the corpse. She grunted with the effort, but anchored it against a hip. "Fire, you fucking asshole!"

He grinned. Fuck, yeah.

She didn't say a word for a long time, after they fought off the soldiers. Started off across the wastes like nothing had happened, wiping her face on her sleeve and leaving a trail of blood. They marched without stopping, over all the downed trees and rocks fucking everywhere.

Christ, but he hated this place. If it wasn't the bears or raider fucks, it was the damn up and down terrain getting on your joints. Made him feel too fucking old―

"What's the plan," he asked, when they'd traveled a couple hours southeast. "Where we headed?"

Lillie stopped short, her boots kicking up dust. She lifted a hand, staring at the vial she was carrying. She hadn't put the thing away, yet. Who knew what the hell was up with that. Jericho waited as patiently as he could, for her answer.

She didn't. He came up behind her, annoyed that she wasn't talking. "Kid," he said, reaching his bad hand out to lay it on her shoulder.

Lillie moved as quickly as ever, smashing him in the teeth with her occupied hand. He grunted, reeling from the blow. Spat blood onto the ground, whipped his own hand out to hit her back. She deflected the blow with her forearm, grabbing him under the chin by his jacket and pulling his face close to hers.

"Don't even try me," she hissed, deadly serious.

"Christ, who got you so fuckin' riled up," he growled, spitting onto her face. "Your Colonel boyfriend dump you, or somethin'?"

She blinked at the spray of blood and spit, then gritted her teeth and drew back her hand to punch him. "Fuck you!" she shrieked, pushing her fist forward.

He saw it coming, this time. Ducked to the side, grabbed her around the neck with one hand, and jerked her hand loose from his jacket by shoving her roughly onto the ground. "You gonna keep that shit up?" he snapped, flexing an arm. Fuck, she knocked another one of his teeth out. He wiggled it loose with his tongue, spitting it onto the ground. "We ain't got time for this bullshit."

She landed on her chest with a grunt, dropping the vial to the side. Had something yellow inside. He picked it up, turning it in his hand and glancing at her.

She didn't answer, just put her hands to the rocks and pushed herself up onto all fours. Jericho lifted up the canister and chucked it at her, glancing off her shoulder. "Whatever, then, fuck," he muttered. "You figure out your lay in there? Or are you still workin' for the assholes?"

"Don't know," she said, so quietly he could barely hear her.

"Well, what do you know?" he snapped, irritated. "For fuck's sake, you're the smart one. If you don't know, what's that make me?"

"Shut up, Jericho," she spat, turning her head to stare at him. "Just shut the fuck up."

He snorted, lighting a cigarette and staring at her. "C'mon," he grunted, "you really got nothing to show for all those games you played?"

"No, I don't!" she yelled, hatefully. She stood up, hands clenched, grabbing the vial again, and glared at him. "I don't have shit to show for nothing!"

Jericho put his foot a rock, leaning forward, and held up his right hand. Wiggled his remaining fingers at her, pointedly. "Least you can do is give me a real fuckin' answer. What the fuck, who the fuck, where the fuck. That shit."

She breathed out and looked away from him, crossing her arms over her chest. It was a another long moment before she said anything, her face full of all that stupid little girl emotion he'd seen so often. Jericho smiled at that. It was actually sort of reassuring, seeing that shit again.

"This." She held up the vial, her voice empty. "It'll kill everyone in the wasteland."

Jericho tossed the cigarette and scratched his chin. "Yeah," he said. "And?"

"If I don't..." she sighed, closing her eyes. "...Do what he asked, Eden is going to kill Colonel Autumn."

Jericho leaned his weight onto his knee, sizing her up. "Up to you, kid," he said. "I say fuck it. Ain't no one living no happy life out here. Be putting us out of our fuckin' misery."

"I'm not committing genocide," she hissed, glaring at him.

He shook his head and rubbed his arm. Felt the beginning of a coughing fit taking up in his chest. She stared across the wastes, looking past him. Tilted her head slightly. "If I do this I'll be killing myself, too," she said, sadly.

"Don't do it then. Let President Asshat and your precious Colonel rot down in that hidey-hole." Jericho coughed, dropping his foot to the ground. "Christ, stop whinin' already." The shit in his lungs started up again and he turned to the side, coughing violently.

Lillie shot him a terrible look, but put the vial into her pack. "You're an asshole, Jericho," she muttered, shouldering it and starting to walk away.

"You didn't pay for nice," he shot back, trying not to laugh. "You didn't pay at all―" He started hacking up mucus again, uncontrollably. The fit didn't let up, leaving him seeing white spots in his vision. Swore through the pain and dizziness, taking one step before he pitched forward.

Lillie caught him. She put one hand on the side of his head, leaned her cheek against the other side, and pushed him back up into a stand. Didn't let go, right away, her fingers twitching against his ear like she was trying to give him a goddamn hug or something.

"I don't know what I'd do without you, you know," she whispered, in his ear.

"Keep that up," he muttered, coughing again. "You ain't gonna like me much. Too old to change, kid." He felt the smile come across his face, grabbed her around the waist with one hand and squeezed her into him. He'd warned her. God, she was stupid.

She sighed. "We're going back to the purifier," she said, her voice muffled by the collar of his jacket. "I have to go turn it on, at least."

"Yeah, and?" he inched his hand lower.

"And I know which vertebra to sever so you'll never walk again," she said, lightly.

"Go on, then. Still worth it."

Lillie laughed.