Hello!

Welcome to chapter two! I just wanted to say thank you for making it this far. I am currently in the middle of trying to rope all the earlier chapters in and attempting to sift through errors and plot holes and make the story a little more round. If you spot anything of major importance, do not hesitate to let me know via message ❤

It was hard finding anyone who really knew anything of use about Carla Boone. No one seemed to want to talk much about her, and people brushed Annie off at the opening sentence. All Annie had really gathered about the little 'missing persons case' was the idea that the night sniper managed to score himself a complete knockout and had somehow fucked it up greatly. It grew amusing to her as time passed, understanding that he did look like a man down on his luck. Jeannie-Mae at the front desk said the girl had run off on him. And Annie couldn't blame her - seeing as Novac looked like no place for a fancy Strip girl.

There was only one more person she hadn't had the graces of meeting - the daytime sniper. He was working his daytime shift, and the thought of traipsing up those stairs once again to be roped into another mission that wasn't her problem sounded… boring.

So she found it appropriate to sneak into his room. If he was hiding anything, he would have stashed it where no one could have found it. Duh.

It was close to sundown after a day of bothering townsfolk, so she had to act fast. Slipping into the bedroom after wasting four lock picks, she was greeted with an open space; the couches moved and shifted as if accommodating a whole family. Novac's hotel rooms weren't known for their space or class. Annie couldn't imagine raising a family there.

Catching sight of the glowing terminal in the corner, she slunk over. Annie bent her elbows to the table, stretching out her tired back. The keyboard was worn of its keys, the machine buzzing wearily - probably due to its age and the layer of dust on its screen. Pressing the arrow keys, Annie clicked on Khan Hospitality, the only file available.

The name rang a bell, making her head twang with an uncomfortable throb as the screen displayed a small letter titled to a man named Manny. The bells in her head started to ring harder, but she ignored them stiffly – as trying to read was a hard thing for her. Everything was always blurry, even her hands some days.

Benny. Stolen package. Boulder City. McMurphy.

Rubbing her head in attempt to stop the fast-moving thoughts, she stayed in that position for a couple of minutes. It was like she knew something but her brain just wouldn't give it up. Benny must have been the man who had shot her, and had stolen her package. Was Benny her boss? No… I work for the Mojave Express, don't forget that, idiot, her mind barked back at her. Benny, though… Who was Benny?

"And what the fuck do you think you're doing in my room?"

The voice from the door startled her but it didn't stop her from straightening up slowly, keeping her hands where he could see them. Annie didn't need to get shot again, that would just be a huge pain in the ass… or the head. She didn't know. Turning around, she squinted from the miniscule light seeping through the doorway, and focused on a broad-shouldered man with a rifle in his hands. The gun caught her attention first - then the beret - but when her eyes connected with his, the gun dropped to his side.

"Anna?" He choked out, shoulders seizing. "What are you doing here?"

Manny. Manny Vargas. She had seen him beat a man half to death on the cold dust of the Mojave Desert.

"Manny!" She sighed as comfortably as she could, her hands going straight to her hips in an overenthusiastic attempt to seem pleasant. "Manny Vargas, it's been a while!" The voice that had debuted with Boone was back and throwing itself out of her throat.

He seemed taken aback by her welcome, staring at her place at the computer.

"What are you doing here? In my room?" He asked, putting the gun down at the door but keeping it at arm's length when he realized she wasn't going to move.

"I'm looking for our friends." She beamed at him, eyes glinting. Oh boy, she bit back a pathetic squeak, how can I possibly get out of this? "Heard you'd pulled up a chair in Novac, figured you'd know where to find 'em. I heard they went through this way."

The words spilling from her mouth had jumped out – finding it easy to speak to the man who sat on the brink of her brain like an old friend. There was a lot going on in her head that added to the bursting excitement, even though she was a little scared. Praying that she didn't bust a stitch, she looked at his bed and bounced over to it, flopping on the end like a lazy cat

"Jessup and McMurphy." He said flatly. "They said they were doing a job. It seems like you've read the rest." His mouth twitched and he lowered himself to the arm of his chair. Her eyes flickered back to his beret and he caught her eye, taking it off slowly.

"Yeah… Sorry 'bout that." She wasn't sorry, languidly chewing her bottom lip while watching him turn the beret in his hands. "So… I'm a courier now." She pointed at her pipboy, as if that meant anything. "And you've obviously been with the NCR."

"Toured with the NCR for a few years. First recon." He shrugged. "It's a better feeling – giving back instead of taking." He broke off, letting his eyes swallow her face. It had been years… she no longer looked like a scared little girl. "What got you out of the Khans?"

"I had enough." She blinked at him, breaking into an uncertain smile. That's where she could place that man's face – angry, dirty, bloody in the swirling dust bowl. "Not a kid anymore." Her hand absent-mindedly went to her jaw, cradling it with the filthy palm, crossing her ankles to keep her dignity hidden.

"All that growing up grew you a voice box, I hear." He leant back, putting the beret back on before standing up. "Drink?"

"Yeah." She muttered at him gently and he puffed a sigh. "Whatever's fine."

"Easy enough." He kept his back turned while he poured a couple of glasses. "And are you in town to kill me?" It was her time to snuffle at him.

"No, no, to be honest I can't get any damn gun to work." She crossed an arm over her chest after lighting a smoke, letting the room develop its own chemical heaven to contrast the carpet hell. "And besides, if I was here to kill you I wouldn't risk it now that I know you're a big soldier now."

"Never could shoot for shit, could you?" He laughed at her, handing her a glass and sitting back down on the chair. "So why're you looking for the old ball and chain?"

"Let's just say that the guy in the nice suit that was here has something of mine. I know he was travelling with some Khans, Manny, I just figured you'd know where they were heading."

"Boulder City." He squinted at Annie, taking note of the mass of hair she hadn't always had. She sipped her drink awkwardly, taking one last drag of the cigarette before putting it out in the half-burnt ashtray. "You came all of this way because you 'heard' I was here?"

"Better than wandering around aimlessly in this shit hole."

"A courier should at least know her way around. Specially with, well, is that a pipboy?" He stared down at her and she fidgeted slightly, trying to keep up his eye contact. Her mind kicked into overdrive. "Where the hell did you get that?"

She had to bullshit her way through this conversation, and so far she was going well but he had somehow caught her out. Annie didn't need him to know she was basically brain-dead - he could have fed her any information he wanted, and that could have been very bad. He didn't seem like a bad man, but what did she know? She was grasping at straws.

Still, the frames of memories that flicked through her mind told her that he was a good man, even though most of those memories were of him covered in dirt and splitting loot. She hadn't heard much of the Great Khans since she had awoken in Goodsprings, but by the way Manny was talking about them lead Annie to believe that they weren't the most saintly.

The words 'Bitter Springs' flashed in her mind and bought back a feeling that swallowed her like a slimy throat. It was always so hot, but her hands were like ice and the sand was always mixed with needles and boot heels. There was a sense of pain felt with an abandoned bedroll, piled high with water bottles and chew tobacco. A man between her legs, not Manny though, his hair golden and tanned from the midday sun. Another man with his hand down the front of Manny's pants.

A laugh forced out of her throat and Manny jumped, leaning forward in the chair to check if she was okay. Her eyes were wide with excitement as she looked up at him, causing the man to cautiously lean back again.

"So, you worked with that night sniper huh?" Her voice rattled along the train tracks, heading straight into uncharted territory. She was taking a wild risk there, running on a limb but still holding enough confidence to keep her voice steady. She straightened her back, lighting another cigarette. "He's kinda cute. Does he know you're gay?" He recoiled, hands tightening on the rests of the chair. Her grin became clear – she had caught him off guard. "Must have been pretty shit, huh? Getting your best friend to move to Novac only to have his new wife get in the way."

He stayed silent, letting her cross her legs underneath her. She tucked her tunic to cover herself, leaning back to stare at him.

"It's not like that." The man finally spoke up, watching her lean over to ash.

"So you didn't kill her?"

"No!" He shook his head, taking a breath. "When I first heard the news, I thought I owed someone big time. I figured Craig would get over it, but it's been nearly a year and nothing's changed."

"But he seems like such a pleasant guy." She scoffed at him and Manny shied away even further. Licking her lips, Annie sat up straight to try to catch his eye. So Craig was his name, huh?

"He was… until Carla went missing." Shifting uneasily in his seat, the man didn't feel as comfortable as he did ten minutes ago. He wanted her out. "Listen, Anna, I have to get some sleep."

"Just play along with me here, man." Annie whined at him, causing him to stand. "Come on, Manny, I was just kidding."

"I need a good nights sleep or I won't be able to concentrate tomorrow." He opened the door for her. She stood to full height, brushing her hair over one shoulder before stubbing her smoke out for the last time. "Come say goodbye before you leave."

"You don't mean that." Annie was slightly irritated by the way he had reacted. Maybe Boone was more than just a soft spot for Manny. He said nothing and she let out a deep sigh, stepping out the door.

"I do." He finally told her. "Goodnight Anna."

Taking one last look up at the man, the only sturdy memory she had, Annie shook her head. The man brought her memories of swirling dust clouds and the taste of blood, torn denim vests and dirty syringes glinting under the harsh desert sun. She had regretted turning the conversation sour, much preferring to sit and drink the night away with stories that she'd never heard before but lived through them fully. She had lost though, quite terribly too. The man had clammed up at even the mention of Boone.

"Goodnight Manny. You look like shit." She jabbed at him with a grin, smiling her nicest with the setting sun as her backdrop. Manny felt bad for kicking her out, knowing that there was something off with the girl. If she could trek through the desert just to find him, then there was something lurking the bigger picture. But his ego was bruised and his heart felt trampled. She'd promised not to say anything.

"I know."