Author's Note: I hope everyone is doing well. We are making our way towards Vegas. Please enjoy the chapter, and please continue to review.

The group decided to stop at the 188 Trading Post to rest and get some food before they made their way to Vegas. It was about an hour walk from Boulder City, and about halfway through their walk, Mark remembered he hadn't looked at whatever Jessup tossed to him. As they were walking, Mark took it out and looked at it. It appeared to be a golden flip lighter, with the insignia of the Tops Casino on it. "What's that?" Amata asked as she walked up next to him. "It's a lighter that Jessup tossed to me before we left. He must have swiped it from Benny before he got away."

"Mark, have you decided what you're going to do when we actually get to Vegas and confront him?" "Eh, not exactly, but I'm working on some ideas. Right now I'm leaning towards going undercover somehow. I don't want to get in a shootout unless absolutely necessary." "I wasn't aware that you were a master of disguise," Amata said jokingly. "Hey, I have many, many talents. Although some of those talents are for your eyes only, if you catch my drift." "Don't flatter yourself. You're not as great as you make yourself out to be."

The 188 Trading Post was where Highways 93 and 95 intersected. There were a few shops here. There was a weapons dealer, a bar, a restaurant, a medical station, and a general trader. As they walked up the hill to the shops, Mark thought he felt someone staring at him. Mark looked around. It wasn't anyone in the group. Cass had immediately gone to the bar, Boone went to check out the weapons dealer, and Amata was just looking ahead. Then he noticed who was staring at him. It appeared to be a woman in a brown robe. Mark could swear he had seen that type of robe before, but he was having trouble remembering where. "Amata," said Mark, "why don't you go get something to eat. I'll be over in a minute. ED-E, go with her." Amata looked like she was about to say something, but then she shrugged her shoulders. "Ok. Let's go ED-E."

Mark started walking towards the woman. She must have realized that she was staring, because she turned around rather quickly. Mark stopped a couple of feet behind. "Hey there. You, uh, wanna tell me why you were staring at me?" She turned around and said, "sorry about that. I didn't realize that I was staring. Look, I'll be honest with you. You look like you've traveled a long way down some bad roads." Mark tried to suppress a grin. "You have no idea." "Where are you from?" she asked. "Well, my girlfriend and I are from a vault in DC." "Ooh, the Capital. Go sightseeing often?" "Yeah, I've seen the sights. Hell of a commute to get there, though." "I can imagine. Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. Veronica Renata Santangelo at your service." She gave Mark a theatrical bow. Mark chuckled. "Well, Miss Santangelo, you may call me Mark Franklin." "So, you're from a vault, huh? I kind of live in a hole in the ground too, although it's more like a bunker. I gather any supplies that my family might need. Although, these days I think they'd rather have me out here anyway."

She was silent for a few moments, and then spoke again. "Can I ask you a question, like straight up?" "Sure, go ahead," said Mark. "I had a run-in recently with this group calling themselves the Brotherhood of Steel. Pretty strange bunch. Do you know anything about them?" As soon as she said, "Brotherhood of Steel," Mark suddenly remembered where he had seen that robe before. "You wouldn't happen to be asking me because you are one of them, am I right?" She looked stunned. "How-how did you-?" "Like I said, I'm from DC. I helped the Brotherhood out with something. Saw inside their Citadel. Learned their history. I'm pretty sure I saw a couple of scribes wearing those robes. Plus, I've been out here a few months, and you're the first person who's mentioned the Brotherhood at all. How'd you think I got out here anyway?"

She chuckled and shook her head. "You certainly have been a lot of places. I was only asking because I know about our reputation out here. We've made a lot of enemies." "Yeah, I heard about the falling out you guys had. It's a shame, too, because back east, the Brotherhood are regarded as heroes." "I know," Veronica said, "I know all about that. I wish that this chapter could do the same thing." She looked wistful. "So, where are you and your group headed, anyway?" "Vegas," Mark said. "Hoping to strike it rich, are you?" "Not exactly," Mark said as he rubbed his scar. "The head of the Chairmen, Benny, robbed me, shot me, and then buried me in a shallow grave. So, I'm going to get some justice." A look of indecision came over Veronica's face. "I'll be honest, when I first saw you, you looked like someone who could handle himself, and talking to you only confirms it. There are still some places in the Mojave that I'd like to see. Maybe I could come with you and your group, help you guys out?"

Mark looked her over. She didn't look like much, but she did have Brotherhood training, and Mark knew firsthand what that training entailed, having experienced it under Sarah Lyons. "Say you do come along. What do you bring to the table?" She got a big grin. "Well, I am a bit of a gearhead, and I thoroughly enjoy punching things." To illustrate her point, she lifted up her right arm, which up until this point, had been covered by her robe. The sleeve fell down, revealing a pneumatic power fist. "This is what I bring to the table." She turned, reared back, and punched a jersey barrier, splitting it in half like it was nothing. She turned back around. "So?" Mark thought it over. That was impressive. "I'll check with the others, but otherwise I don't see why not. Welcome to this little group of vagabonds that I've seem to have collected, Miss Santangelo." She smiled. "Well, thanks for taking a chance on a naïve young girl from California with stars in her eyes and a pneumatic gauntlet on her hand."

Just then, Amata came up next to Mark and kissed him on the cheek. "Hey, honey, who's this?" "Amata, this is Veronica Santangelo. Veronica, this is my girlfriend, Amata Almodovar. Veronica's going to be joining us." "Nice to meet you Veronica," said Amata. "Nice to meet you as well, Amata." Amata turned back to Mark. "Mark, everyone's getting lunch. You coming?" "Yeah, go back over. I'll be there in a minute." As she walked away, Veronica said, "Hey, uh thanks for not telling her I'm Brotherhood. I'll tell the rest of your group eventually, once I get to know them better." "It's all right. Look, I've known Amata my entire life. She knows about the Brotherhood, so she'll probably be fine with it. I've barely just met Boone and Cass, so I don't really know their feelings about the Brotherhood, so I won't tell them." Veronica looked at Amata as she walked away. "So, that's your girlfriend, huh? Damn. If she wasn't taken, I would so hit that." They were silent for a moment, and then the both of them burst out laughing.

A little while later, after Veronica introduced herself to everyone (she told the others that she was a "procurement specialist"), and after they ate, everyone was ready to go. Cass refilled her flask, and Boone looked armed to the teeth, as usual. They were about to leave when Mark noticed something under the bridge. It was a boy sitting in front of a bunch of trinkets, with a flag of the pre-war United States hanging above him. Mark was intrigued. "Veronica, who's that?" "Oh, him? They call him the 'Forecaster.' He's supposed to be able to tell the future. I really don't believe in that sort of hocus-pocus." "The future, huh? I'll be right back." He started to walk over when Amata spoke. "Mark, come on. You don't believe in that stuff, do you?" "I just want to see what he says, might be good for a laugh or two." "Fine, but hurry up." As soon as Mark got close, the boy looked up at him and started to talk:

"Your face does the thinking. Two to the skull, yet one gets up. Odds are against you… but they're just numbers after the two-to-one. You're playing the hand you've been dealt, but you don't let it rest. You have known pain both physical and emotional, perhaps more than one should. You shuffle and stack your hand, a gamble. Will it pay off? Forecast: rapidly changing conditions."

Mark tried to move, but the boy's almost hypnotic gaze kept him frozen. He continued:

"Local, local, here and now…little of interest, things to buy, false hopes, and regrets watered down, washed down in dirty glasses. With regret comes a girl...smiling sad, brown robe, named Veronica, half here, half there. Wraps her heart up like a pack, in the pack, a key, some say. Underground, and under a cloud, your meeting may be mutually beneficial. Forecast: cloudy, with a chance of friendship."

Mark tried to say something, but nothing came out.

"Bull and Bear over the Dam at each other's throats… but a light from Vegas? Ball spinning on a wheel, more than two at the table. All placing bets, all losing in different ways. A dam of corpses, towns of corpses, scattered across the sand. But where, and in what shares? Even the dealer doesn't know. Monuments in the east, monuments in the west. You came to escape your past, but your past will come back and reveal itself in ways that you would not expect. When your darkest hour comes, listen to the lion's roar and the cry of the 87th man. Forecast: a rain of blood will flood the desert, and it will take more than a purifier to cleanse it."

The boy finished talking, and then put on a strange piece of headwear. "Sorry, mister," he said, "no more thinking for today." Mark realized that he was holding his breath and had broken out in a cold sweat. Mark stared at the kid for a moment, but then turned around and walked back to the group. "Mark, you okay?" Amata asked. "You look a little pale." "Yeah, uh, I'm fine. Let's get going."

Hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Veronica is my favorite companion in New Vegas, so I was really looking forward to writing this chapter. Until next time.