A/N: Huge apologies for not updating as soon as usual... the holidays have taken up so much of my time. Lots of love to all the reviewers!

Elaine didn't have time to think more than a few moments before the battle broke out around them. As soon as they reentered the power plant, a wave of Legion men rushed at them from the stairwell to the lower level. Luckily, Elaine and Craig had a number of NCR soldiers with them, so they hadn't been completely overwhelmed in the confining space.

"Dammit," Elaine groaned, feeling her side where her armor had stopped a bullet. Just because the round hadn't pierced the armor didn't mean it didn't feel like someone had punched her in the ribs - hard. Boy was that going to bruise. "These guys are well-equipped."

"Help! You've gotta do something!" A man in some kind of hotshot red engineering jumpsuit ran up to Craig and grabbed his arm.

"Get off me," Craig said gruffly, pushing him away.

"What's wrong?" Elaine asked, not really sure if the guy was stable enough to give her a useful response. He was panicked, shaking uncontrollably.

"The Legion is using the intake tunnels to get into the Dam! Someone has to stop them."

"Is there something we can do to keep them from getting inside?" she asked.

"I... we don't even use those tunnels... I don't know..." he muttered, looking around wildly. She noticed there was an embroidered name tag on his jumpsuit - Mike Lawson.

She grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him violently, "Come on! There has to be something. Think, Lawson!"

"Um," he appeared startled and finally looked her in the eyes. After staring at her blankly for a second, he seemed to come back to reality. "Maybe-... maybe you can divert the flow of the water into the generator turbines? That would grind them up like hamburger - yeah..."

"Okay - how?"

"There's a terminal on the second floor just into Power Plant 3." He pointed up a stairwell just next to them.

"Alright - I've got it." She turned to go, but the man called to her again.

"Oh - you may need to go outside to activate the manual override. That system hasn't been used in a long time."

She nodded dismissively and headed briskly up the stairs, with Craig and the other troopers at her heels. "I'll take care of it."

"Good luck." he called meekly after her. "I'm going to find a place to not get shot." She heard Craig let out a snort of a laugh. Wouldn't we all like to be doing that right now, she thought.

Pushing open the large metal door between the power plants, she looked around for the controls. Craig stepped over to the edge of the catwalk, firing with precision at the Legion troops on the ground level. After a moment of searching, she noted a waist-high console with all sorts of pressure gauges and sensor dials. Shit. Of course it was complicated. Why the hell hadn't she brought that Lawson guy to do this? After studying the controls for a minute, she looked over the set of switches that looked like they should divert the overflow water through the main system. Reroute auxiliary intake into the generator tunnels - that's what he said to do! - she flipped a couple switches and turned the final dial, increasing the flow.

The pressure indicators shot up quickly into the red. "Fuck! Now what?" she groaned. A red warning light lit on the console - 'Manual Override Required.'

Craig glanced back at her, "What is it?"

"There's a blockage in the intake system. Gotta get to the manual override valve to relieve the pressure."

"That guy said the override was outside. There was an exit back in Plant 4. Let's go." They left the NCR troops on the balcony, still firing on the Legion as even more emerged from the lower levels of the Dam. They backtracked into the next power plant, ignoring the firefight around them, and proceeded outside through a door on their left.

Stepping outside she realized they were at the river's water level, with Hoover Dam looming imposingly above them to their left. It had never looked so impressive to her. Even though it felt huge on the inside, nothing could compare to the awe it commanded when standing at its feet. A steady outflow of water arced in an unnatural waterfall over to their right, sending up a cloud of cooling mist. She could feel the tiny water droplets settling on her face, it was deceptively relaxing. Down here, it was peaceful - she had to strain to notice the muffled sound of gunfire and explosions inside and far away atop the Dam.

"Wow, this would be a nice place to kick back with a beer," she mused aloud.

"You couldn't be convinced to drop the battle against the Legion this morning," Craig teased as he searched the area for hostiles. "And now you want to take a break for a beer?"

She hopped down off the platform and strode along the water's edge, looking for the manual override. "I didn't say I was going to have one now. Don't worry, big guy. You were more tempting in bed earlier than a beer by the river will ever be. It sure would be nice to take a swim, though-"

"Spotted!" Craig shouted, and shoved her down behind a sandbag. She fell with an audible 'Oof!' He started shooting down toward the Dam's face, staying in cover beside her. Retrieving her rifle, she peered over the bags to see several Prime legionnaires had emerged on the far end of the concrete walkway. "Eat this," Craig growled at his target. She fired on the nearest one carrying a big axe, ripping a hole in his bicep and forcing him to drop the weapon. She loved that about the Legion - they rarely wore enough armor to prevent her from crippling them quickly. Cocky assholes, they think their stupid Legion pride will protect them.

Elaine took the final shot, piercing the last Prime's skull with a well-aimed headshot. "Hah, sucker," she laughed triumphantly. "What do you think? Good enough for First Recon?" she slapped Craig on the shoulder and stood from behind their cover. Along the edge of the walkway a few feet ahead of them was a pipe with a red wheel knob, sticking up in a gap in the retainer wall. "That must be the pressure release valve," she said as she vaulted over the sandbags and moved to kneel by the wheel. Over the edge of the concrete, she could see the output of the Dam rushing underneath them, giving the river its speed. She tried to turn the valve, but it was rusted tightly in place. "Craig... can you get this?"

He cocked his head, indicating for her to stand and keep an eye out for more enemies. Once she was on watch, he squatted and tried to turn it, but even he couldn't make it budge. "Damn," he grunted, turning red in the face as he gave it all his strength.

"Wait-..." she tapped him on the shoulder and ran over to one of the dead Primes. Grabbing his automatic rifle, she brought it back over, and wedged its barrel into the wheel, to work as a lever. "Try this." Craig yanked on the gun, and slowly the wheel made a grinding sound and turned. There was a mechanical grumbling as the water was rerouted through the Dam's turbine systems, and then the water beside them erupted in a bubbly red mess, complete with chopped up bits of Legionaries.

"Gross - suddenly I don't feel like taking a swim anymore." Craig shot her one of those half-amused, half-annoyed looks that made her want to laugh out loud.

His serious exterior crumpled, and he shook his head with a chuckle, "You'd never make First Recon with that mouth of yours. Always talking."

"First Recon just can't handle me, you mean. Besides, you have to admit, I'm much better company than those duds," she reloaded with a grin. "Alright - back to business. Those bastards won't be sneaking into the Dam, now. Let's head up to the top and join the assault on the East bank."

They jogged down to the end of the riverwalk, and reentered power plant two, fighting their way through prime legionaries and centurions. It was more difficult to fight with only the support columns as cover against the enemy fire. Fortunately, a group of rangers joined them quickly, and helped them put down the squad of legionnaires. They proceeded into power plant one, making their way toward the exit. Being on the second floor catwalks proved an advantage here, and they decimated the remaining Legion men on the ground level without taking any damage. "Alright, that's over," Craig grunted next to her, lowering his rifle and giving his bandaged arm a shake.

Ahead of them, one of the NCR troopers kicked a nearby Legion corpse mockingly, "Had enough yet?" The soldiers moved on, continuing their sweep of the Dam to take out any remaining enemies.

She turned to Craig, "You still doing alright?"

"Yeah, arm's just sore," he dismissed it. She was already feeling sore all over - this was turning out to be a long day. They proceeded up the stairs, exiting through the now empty visitors center. Once outside, she could smell the battle on the air - a morbid perfume of gunpowder, singed flesh, and smoke.

As she stepped through the door, a man leaning against the wall grabbed her ankle, "Help. Please."

Startled, she looked down, and saw his legs had been severed at the knees by a grenade, or some other kind of explosion. He was bleeding out rapidly, a look of terror on his face. She cringed and knelt by his side, "Oh god." He looked like he couldn't be more than sixteen years old. A child. His young face was so pale, it hurt her heart to look at him. Craig put his hand on her shoulder. He didn't need to say anything - she knew that the kid wasn't going to make it, no matter what she did.

"Here," she pulled a handful of med-x from her bag, and injected each of his thighs with a couple syringes, knowing it would at least numb the pain. She could at least do that for him. She took his hand, trying to give him some comfort.

"You look like my sister," he said through the druggy haze.

She found herself completely unable to think of anything to say. "I-... I'm sorry..."

"Tell her I love her. Tell my family," he said weakly.

"What's your name?" Elaine asked, feeling tears swell in her eyes.

"Nate. Nate Wilson," he sighed, letting his eyes close. She held his hand for a minute longer, but then his head drooped and he faded silently away.

She released his hand gently, placing it across his chest. Standing, she ground her teeth, trying to keep from getting upset. Still, a tear rolled down her cheek. "Let's go," she said, wiping it away with her sleeve.

They moved to join a squad of NCR troops, and began their advance across the Dam. Elaine's mind was still distracted by the dead youth behind her. How many had given their lives to drive Caesar back, to bring some semblance of civilization to this wild land? The New California Republic was certainly flawed in many respects, but hell, she was old enough to know that everything is. To whatever end, she felt more committed than ever to do her best to take down the Legate.

She bent down to reload. "You're mine!" Craig growled next to her as he took a shot. Another trooper somewhere nearby goaded, "You like that?" as he emptied his clip into a legionnaire. She took aim again, continuing the assault.

Vindictively, she wished it were Caesar waiting for them on the far bank. It would feel so much more meaningful to put a bullet between his eyes. He was the one responsible for bringing the Legion beast to life. When he'd sent her the Mark to enter the Fort, she knew it had to be a trap. It would've been utterly stupid to go there, even if she'd had the reckless courage at the time to do it. Courage, she pondered the word, as she continued shooting over sandbags, pumping bullets into the waves of legionaries facing them. Here she was, rushing at the very heart of the Bull. Didn't feel so reckless now. Caesar was dead - how he died was irrelevant, she reminded herself. Now all that was left was to crush the Bull itself.

A loud roar of engines announced the arrival of the Boomers, bringing her out of her thoughts. As the huge bomber flew overhead, it dropped shells onto the remaining Legion men at the far side of the Dam. The giant structure shook beneath their feet, and the sound of the explosions at such close range was nearly deafening. She and Craig both dropped behind a sandbag wall and covered their ears. Once all the bombs had fallen, she heard a NCR sniper next to her curse in surprise.

"Glad that paid off," Craig muttered to her as he reloaded.

She rolled her eyes and shook her head, trying to get rid of the numbing ringing in her ears. Visiting Nellis had seemed like a crazy errand for the NCR... and well, the people there were definitely nuts. "For a second there, I was worried they were going to blow the whole Dam, dropping bombs on it like that. Fucking crazy Boomers." The plane flew away to the northwest, back toward Nellis.

A squad of NCR Ranger veterans met up with them on the other side to offer support and escort them to the Legate. Breaking methodically through the Legion defenses, it wasn't too difficult to work their way to the midst of the enemy stronghold. The ranger vets had been a godsend - their skill rivaled First Recon. Together, they'd been able to snipe the melee fighters and dogs before any of them even came within striking distance. The centurions with automatic rifles were a bit tougher, crippling a few of the rangers. The wounded fell back to safety, just outside the camp. Now they were down to only two extra men, and she felt a bit undermanned. If General Oliver had thought this such an important mission, why hadn't he sent a squadron of troops with them?

As they regrouped, Elaine found the brief pause in battle unnerving. "Where the hell is the Legate?" She had expected him to make himself known as soon as they'd arrived - his reputation was not that of a man who'd hide and let others fight his battles for him.

Over one of the ranger's radio: "Unit 15, reinforce Unit 16 at defense point sigma delta." Elsewhere the battle was still raging.

She looked over at Craig, awaiting his usual tactical advice. He said, "Let's head uphill, maybe that'll take us toward the Fort - I don't know. I don't like them having the advantage of higher ground, though. If they attack while we're down here, we'll be sitting ducks."

The remaining two uninjured ranger vets took point and moved up the winding path cautiously. Behind them, Elaine turned to Craig, "Do you think this was a ruse? Maybe the Legate isn't even here. What if-"

He held up a hand, silencing her, and the two of them stopped in their tracks. "Heard something."

The path was steep, and the rangers were rounding a bend ahead when suddenly the attack came from above. An enormous man, his face hidden behind a metallic mask, jumped down from the ledge above and cleaved one man's head clean off with a swipe of his huge sword. The second ranger fired a few shots, but was run through before he could do any serious damage to the enemy's massive armor. The Legate kicked the man off his sword, and sent him flailing down to the ground below. Even if she hadn't seen his picture before on NCR propaganda, she would have known this was Lanius, without a doubt. He truly was a monster of a man. Turning, he raised his hand, pointing at Elaine and Craig, "And who are you to come before me … you bear the insignia of the Bear, yet you do not wear it as a soldier of the West wears it." He strode forward with frightening confidence.

Elaine backed away, trying to maintain distance. "I may not be NCR, but I sure as shit won't let you take Hoover Dam."

"Brave words, but words will get you nowhere. I have heard such things said before. The outcome is always the same - you will be crushed under my heel." He raised his sword, gesturing to the Dam beyond them. "It was Caesar's will that this gate to the West bear the flag of the Legion. Caesar's will shall be done."

"So you serve your master, even in death?" It was a risky move, she knew. But if she stalled long enough, more NCR troops might arrive to back them up. Of course, waiting might mean the arrival of more legionnaires. Still, they needed every second she could buy them. Out of the corner of her eye, she could tell Craig was studying the terrain, looking for some sort of advantage.

"You try to anger me? I honor Caesar by leading as he would. As I expect my men to honor me. A Profligate such as yourself could not understand such loyalty. But, I will give you a quick lesson in respect."

"You will not succeed in taking the Dam. And when you fail, the Legion will crumble into nothing. That will be your legacy."

He hissed sardonically, "Save your speeches, woman. We will take Hoover Dam and carve our way West, paving the road beneath us with the bones of the NCR." He tightened the grip on his sword, swinging it beside him ominously like a pendulum.

She knew this was it - there would be no more stalling. Elaine responded with decisive finality, "The battle ends here - with you." At this, she leveled her rifle at him. Holy shit... she was so tense, she felt like something inside her might snap.

"At least you have the courage to face me yourself," she could almost hear Lanius smile behind his mask. "For that, I will make your death a swift one."

He launched forward with a guttural battle cry, sword raised and ready. The rounds from her rifle seemed to have no effect, though she could tell that she'd torn into his flesh in at least one place along his arm. Even though the Legion was adamantly against drugs, she couldn't help but wonder if the man had Psycho and Jet flowing through his veins instead of human blood. One of Craig's rounds struck the joint in his armor at the knee, sending out a vicious spurt of crimson. Still the man didn't slow, storming onto them like an enraged bighorner. She reloaded quickly, preparing to lay into him with another volley of bullets.

Lanius swung his sword at her, forcing her to jump backwards, teetering at the edge of the path. The sword was undoubtedly heavy - its slowness was their most obvious advantage. She fired at point-blank range, hitting him in the shoulder joint. His torso only twisted back a bit with the blow, but he lost the grip on his sword with one hand. She started to strafe around him, moving away uphill so that Craig would have access to his back. Maybe his armor would be easier to penetrate on that side, she hoped. She took aim and sunk a bullet through the leather of his boot.

Regaining control over his weapon, the Legate lunged for her again, this time alarmingly close. She was only able to parry the blow by tumbling to the side, smacking into the cliff face hard. The sword's tip still swiped her across the side, slicing through her armor like butter and severing the straps on her side satchel. Fuck! The fiery sting of the gash on her side was far less panic-inducing than the realization that her ammo had been in that pouch, which now lay on the ground by the Legate's feet. How many bullets did she have left in the gun? Six? She scrambled backwards, further up the hill.

As the Legate stepped toward her, he jerked repeatedly at the impact of Craig's precise shots from behind. How could he still be walking? She could see blood splatter out at each hit, but it was like he didn't feel them. He seemed to feel no pain, like one of the Fiends... but a hundred times stronger. She shot him in the boot again, praying it would drop him to the ground - or at least slow him. Though blood oozed freely from the wound, he kept coming.

He was close now - too close. She couldn't possibly evade another swipe from that huge sword. She aimed for his eye - the only weak point in his helmet. If only... she pulled the trigger.

TWANG! It thunked against the thick plating of his brow, leaving a substantial dent, but not breaking through. He raised his sword to strike her down - and she emptied the remaining rounds into his face, hoping for a miracle.

From behind, Craig tackled the Legate, sending him toppling forward. Elaine barely had time to dodge to the side. Craig gripped the man's helmet by the horns on each side, and pulled it off his head. With a loud grunt, he stabbed his combat knife at an angle deep into the man's neck. Elaine was shocked to see the man move again, even after this critical blow. Lanius pushed up off the ground and swung his elbow back, cracking Craig across the face, sending him tumbling away on the ground. Lanius dove after him with his sword, but Craig rolled to the side, barely evading his blade.

Not knowing what else to do with her empty rifle, Elaine grasped it by the barrel and swung it down onto the back of the Legate's head with all the force she could muster. As it struck his skull, the stock snapped off with a loud CRACK! To her amazement, the Legate dropped limply to the ground. Unconscious? Or... maybe even dead?

She wasn't going to take any chances. Dropping the gun, she yanked the knife from her thigh sheath and jumped onto the man's back, sinking it as deep as she could into the exposed nape of his neck. She clamored back to her feet quickly, leaving it in his flesh. There was no reaction, he just lay there with his face in the red dirt, blood slowly pooling around him. Craig stood shakily and took her arm, pulling her away from the man's body, as if he might come back to life again.

Panting heavily, she gasped, "Holy shit - I think he's finally dead."

Craig unloaded the rest of his rounds into the back of the man's head, which was no longer protected by his helmet. Elaine looked away as his skull was shattered into a pulpy mess by the bullets. "Now he is," Craig said, sounding just as exhausted as she was.

She stepped forward, and gingerly picked up the two pieces of her rifle from beside the man's body. Holding them up, she examined them with disappointment in the warm light of the setting sun. "You think you can fix this?" she asked hopefully.

Craig laughed freely, shaking his head. "Let me aim that for you next time," he quipped. She knew he was aware of how much it irritated her when he said that. Turning back to face him, she shot him a look. He continued, "Why didn't you just shoot him?"

She pointed at the side of her armor, now missing the ammo pouch. "I was empty, you idiot. You think I would have done that otherwise?" Then she laughed, too... it was pretty damn funny. "Seriously, though - can you fix it?"

"I can try," the corner of his lip curled into a smile. "But for now, sit down," he indicated a rock to her side. "Let me fix you up first. You're more important than that rifle."

Elaine scoffed a laugh, but did as he asked. She shed her upper armor and pulled up the side of her shirt to expose the slice across her torso. He injected a couple stimpaks and started putting in a line of stitches. As he worked, she could see some NCR troopers moving into the camp below. The sounds of explosions and gunfire were still in the air, but seemed much further away. Maybe the main forces had made it to the Fort by now. With the Legate lying dead at their feet, she felt confident that the battle was already won, even if it wasn't quite over yet. Craig bandaged the wound, and she put her armor back into place. "Thanks," she ran a hand over his face with a relieved smile. An angry bruise was quickly developing on his cheek... but he looked as handsome as ever to her.

A group of veteran rangers approached, accompanied by General Oliver. He looked down at the dead Legate, and shook his head in evident disbelief.

"What a fine bit of work! Truth be told, I'm surprised the both of you made it through in one piece. You and the Dam. I'm impressed to say the least, and that's no easy thing. You've secured the NCR's future - the administration sends its thanks, for what it's worth."

"We sure didn't do it alone," she said, standing next to Craig. "Lots of your men assisted us along the way. Many gave their lives. They deserve thanks as well."

"Ma'am, you may not be a soldier of the Republic, but your courage and desire to do right are what the NCR should always endeavor toward. Sometimes the Republic gets lost along the way while it's trying to follow its instincts... but when soldiers like you come along... you set an example and make us get back on track. And what you've done here today, that's going to keep us going for a long while."

"Thank you, sir. It just felt like the right thing to do." she said, surprised and humbled by his outright praise. "So, what happens now for the NCR?"

"We clean up, take prisoners, and watch the East for any more trouble from the Legion. We'll let the dust settle, and see how the Mojave adapts to life without Caesar coming for its throat. Something tells me we better enjoy this breather while we can. What about you, miss? Heading to Vegas for some R&R?"

"I don't know," she replied. "I may just travel a bit."

"Can't keep the courier spirit down, eh? Fair enough. Well, thanks again. We'll take it from here." He shook her hand strongly, and then turned to Craig. "You deserve thanks as well, sir. I hear that you were with First Recon - a real outstanding soldier. We could sure use someone like you back in our ranks. I'd be more than happy to put in a good word for you if you'd like."

Beside her, Craig seemed to stand taller - proud and at attention. For a moment, she wondered what he'd say. He shook his head, "Thank you sir, I'm honored that you'd say that... but I only take orders from one person these days," he wrapped an arm around her waist. "No disrespect intended, of course."

With understanding, Oliver smiled, "Well, I'm glad she's on our side, then. Good luck to you both."

The General saluted, and then moved on to other business. Together, they started back toward the Dam. Craig looked down at Elaine, "Where to now?"

She thought for a moment, then just shrugged, "Away from here - from this battle. Let's just get across the Dam and camp somewhere for the night."

"Sounds good," he agreed.

They walked into the wastes for an hour or so, mostly silent. The sun had already gone down, and it was a clear, starry night. The near-full moon was large in the sky, offering plenty of light to keep an eye on the landscape around them. She wasn't sure where they were headed. Neither of them had really taken point - they just walked. Once they'd made it up into the hills, though, the sounds and smells of the battle were quelled. It felt like any other night in the Mojave: cool, crisp, and... to her, oh so calming. Elaine slowed and dropped her pack near the edge of a cliff, overlooking the wastes around them. Off on the horizon, the lights of New Vegas danced in celebratory fashion against the dark sky. "This'll do," she sighed, turning to Craig.

He nodded and pulled out a bottle of water. Taking a long drink, he passed it on to her. "Any big plans I should know about?"

She took it and drank, not realizing until now how thirsty she had been. He gathered a few pieces of cactus and grass in a pile and squatted to start a fire. "No - not really," she said finally. She sat down behind him and watched as he lit the kindling and blew lightly to feed the flame. "Anything you want to do?" she asked as she stretched her tired legs out.

Satisfied that the fire would catch, he scooted back next to her, leaning against the rock face behind them. Staring off at the horizon, he replied simply, "Nah." She regarded his face in the moonlight - he looked... uncharacteristically relaxed.

She smiled to herself, a sense of relief washing over her. It really was over. She turned a bit and leaned back against his chest, just enjoying their private view of the wastes. He fished a couple boxes of Dandy Boy apples from his bag, and put one in her lap. Opening it, she thought aloud: "I'd like to go by McCarran in a week or so, once things have calmed down. Find out about that boy at the Dam - Nate Wilson. They could probably look him up, right? I'd like to write a letter to his family, telling them his last thoughts were of them... that he loved them. Maybe that would be a comfort to them."

"Always fixing things..." he replied, wrapping an arm around her.

"I have to say, I'm getting pretty good at it." She smiled up at him warmly, and then started snacking on the food. Of all the different types of irradiated pre-war food, she loved these freeze-dried apples the best. Too bad she didn't have any fresh ones today - it would be a fitting reward. She started to speak, but then held up a finger dramatically, indicating for him to wait. He gave her a quizzical look. She chewed the mouthful of food properly, and then swallowed before adding, "Just wanted to say we should toast or something - for actually surviving today. Didn't want to drive you away with my poor manners, though" She ribbed him with her elbow. "So - Cheers!" she raised the box of apples and tapped it against his.

"Cheers," he laughed. Finishing his food, he reached into his bag and pulled out her broken rifle, looking it over. After a moment, "we may need to stop by the Gun Runners to see if I can get some replacement parts made. This isn't going to be a simple repair."

"If it needs a new stock, maybe I'll etch 'Legateslayer' onto it, huh?"

"Sure sounds better than 'Ratslayer,'" he admitted with a grin.

"Ooh, while we're there, we can stop by the Crimson Caravan and see if they found any of the books I was looking for..." she murmured. Leaning her head back against his shoulder, she closed her eyes, enjoying the slow rise and fall of his chest. "Then maybe we can go to Jacobstown, get away from it all. Visit Lily - she'd love that. Just kick back and read a book..." she sighed contentedly.

"Dinosaurs?" he asked, still a bit amused by her curiosity.

"Sure. I think I've got time for that now," she said, eyes still closed.

"I still think they couldn't have been real. Only thing I noticed about 'em in Novac were those teeth. There wouldn't have been people around to start the Great War. They'd all have been dinosaur food."

She laughed, "Good point. I bet they weren't that big. Maybe like the size of geckos. Hey - speaking of bets - on our way, you wanna go to Vegas? Hit a casino?"

"I thought you were sick of that place."

We'll go to the Ultra-Luxe this time. I dunno - just for a night. I'm feeling pretty damn lucky right now."

He leaned his chin on her head and chuckled lightly, "Sure."

Something she hadn't thought about in over a month crept into her mind. "I told my folks I'd send them a postcard from Vegas when I got there. Guess I could do that, too. Tell them I'm alright."

"Have you written to them since we met?" he asked.

"No," she paused. "I haven't written to them at all, actually. Makes it kind of hard to do now."

He lifted his head and looked at her. "They don't know anything?"

She shook her head. "Don't look at me like that. I know, I know - I'm going around fixing everyone else's problems, but I forgot to fix my own." He continued staring at her - she could tell he was surprised. "Well, I left on pretty bad terms. Then all the shit happened with the Legion. When I finally got free again, I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I didn't want them to know about what had happened."

She sighed heavily and continued, "I thought about writing anonymously to tell them I'd died. Heck, at the time, it felt almost true. Seemed better for them to think I was dead, than to know what I'd been through. But, I never did it - I couldn't lie to them. So I just ignored the issue. Then when you and I started traveling around... well, I still didn't know what to say to them. Thinking about it, it seemed like a whole lifetime had passed... it would've been so difficult to write it all out. And we were so busy, anyway." She sighed, I was being really stupid, she admitted to herself. "I guess I should write them now, though."

"I think you'll be glad you did." He brushed a hand over her hair, smoothing it before resting his chin on her head again. Pulling her tightly to his chest, he was quiet for a good while.

She shifted onto her side, so she could look at his face. "What about you? Do you have any family?"

He looked down to the fire, "My mother died when I was a teenager. My father is a career military man - he was one of the reasons I signed up for the NCR in the first place. He and I stopped talking after I dropped out of First Recon. He was pretty disappointed."

"Did you tell him why you left? About Bitter Springs?" she asked.

"No. He always assumed it was because I met Carla. We wrote each other a few times, but it was always short. He knew I was living in Novac, but not much else."

"Bet he'd be pretty damn proud of you now," she mused.

"Maybe," he said thoughtfully.

"Guess if I have to write my folks, I'll just make you write your old man, too. So that way, we're suffering equally. Either that, or when we get to Vegas, we'll just send them each a postcard - 'Enjoying New Vegas - Love, Elaine and Craig.' That would be so terrible!" She laughed hysterically, gripping her bandaged side with a little cringe. "Ow."

He grinned at her mischievously, pulling her closer to him, so their faces were next to each other. "You know what I was just thinking of? Do you remember when you told me to 'never fucking touch you again?'"

She scoffed playfully, "Yeah, I s'pose I did say that. That was a long time ago, though." She tapped her chin and cocked an eyebrow in an equally roguish look, "Besides, I seem to remember you saying something like, you 'didn't want anything from me,' yourself." She leaned in and gave him a lingering kiss, "I guess we can leave those parts out of the letters..."

As their bodies entwined by the fire, neither one was too concerned with the letters they'd be writing... or broken rifles, dinosaurs, or even where they'd be staying the next night. They had each other - and if there was anything they'd learned... it was that you should just grab what joys life hands you, and enjoy the hell out of it.

A/N: I have truly had fun writing this … I hope you all enjoyed the ride as well. Feel free to leave any comments, thoughts, or delicious cookies in the reviews... Thanks to all who Fav'd this story, and to everyone who's been following along!