It was wrong. This was wrong. Layla wasn't supposed to be here. This was his end, not hers. The Legionaries had him, though he'd fought with all his might. He couldn't stop them, and his punishment had finally come.

Now he was on his feet, and Layla was here. He didn't remember standing up.

"BOONE!"

The sniper heard The Courier's panicked cry. It shook him out of the shocked stupor he'd been in. He found there were several Legionaries advancing on them. Before he could think, Layla grabbed his arm, pulling him back until he was against the rock wall of the canyon. She stepped in front of him, shotgun pointed in the direction of the oncoming group.

"Good luck getting us alive, assholes!" she cried, unloading a round into the first man who came within range. He went down as his stomach was ripped apart.

The confused haze still permeated Boone's head, but a thought stuck out. Five shots. Layla's shotgun had five shots, and she'd have to reload. Then the swarm of Legionaries would be on them.

Another shot fired, and he flinched at the sound of it. Three more until the assholes would have them both. The captured centurion's threats to Layla came back to him: begging for death at the end of a leash. He'd be slowly tortured to death, but that didn't matter. He deserved it.

Another shotgun blast took two Legionaries. Two more shots. Layla didn't deserve it. She didn't deserve their filthy hands on her. She didn't deserve it even if she had foolishly reached out to him. Carla hadn't deserved what had happened to her, even if she'd foolishly loved him. His baby hadn't even had a chance to know their father loved them; the little boy with his father's eyes or the sweet girl with her mother's smile he'd seen in his mind couldn't have done anything to deserve not even getting a chance. He'd done what he could for his wife and baby, but now he watched, doing nothing as Layla shot her second-to-last round. The Courier backed up, almost pressing into him as the group of incoming Legionaries were nearly upon them.

No. He wasn't going to let them have her. He wasn't going to let them have him. He wouldn't wait for fate to be finished with him. Layla fired her final shot into the crowd, taking an impressive three men down with the spray of the single round. Realizing she was out of ammo, the next Legionary reached out for her with a triumphant grin.

Boone saw Carla's excited, nervous smile when she'd agreed to marry him. The sniper swung down with his machete on the soldier who reached for Layla, cleaving most of his arm off. He planted a boot into the man's stomach and kicked him back.

He saw the little boy who was thrilled his father was teaching him how to use his rifle. He pivoted out of way of another attacking Legionary and swung his machete. The man's skull caved in from the force of the blow.

Boone saw his baby girl telling her daddy to stop scaring away her dates. There was a pair of hands on his left arm, trying to hold him back. He swung the machete into the man's throat. Blood spurted onto him as the Legionary staggered and fell.

The sniper saw Layla with fire in her eyes and Legion blood on her armor, stopping to reload her shotgun. Boone Dodged a Vexillarius' oncoming knife and cleaved into his chest.

The Courier moved to his side, tossing him her shotgun. He caught it easily and shot the legs off an approaching Legionary as the girl pulled the chainsaw off her back. The attacking group had lost their smug looks by now, but when the air filled with the sound of the chainsaw coming to life, they looked grim.

Boone and Layla moved at the same time, tearing into the remaining Legion forces.

*.*.*

Boone stood still, breathing heavily. It was finally quiet, he realized. Layla was also gasping for air, looking around to make sure there were no more. She looked his way, a grin worming its way onto her face.

"Boone, I'm a sucker for dramatic timing and all, but that was a little close."

Shame colored his face, and he looked away. A moment later, he felt the girl's hand on his arm and looked back. She was giving him a good-natured smile.

"It's okay, we're still in one piece. Hey, we're not even getting dragged to Lanius." Her smile faded a little as his frown grew.

"We made it…" he said. "Don't know how to feel about that."

Layla gave him a knowing smile. "You underestimated us."

"I guess so." He looked at the bodies surrounding them. "I thought whatever we could handle, they'd send more. It would have made sense for me to die here. But I'm still alive."

"Did you ever think that maybe you're not such a terrible person? Maybe you're a good guy who made a mistake?"

"That 'mistake' was unforgivable."

"Well you're still alive, and you said yourself this would have been the best time to die."

That gave him pause. He'd been so sure he deserved the things that had come to him, he'd never considered any alternatives. Punishment had been the only thing he'd been sure of for so long. Now he didn't know.

"I don't know what to do with any of this," he said finally. Looking up, he found Layla giving him a serious, but not unkind look.

"You made a mistake… a big one that you can't take back. You can learn from it and move on, do good for people, or you can throw yourself off a cliff and be no good to anyone. If you'd gotten yourself on a Legion cross instead of going with me, the people here would be dead. Forlorn Hope would have been wiped out, and they'd be marching on Novac by now." She gave him a slight smile. "I know I'd be dead fifty times or so by now."

He sighed, ignoring the thought of Layla dead. "It feels like I'm living on borrowed time, but I guess you're right." Now he found the Courier giving him half a grin.

"Borrowed time is still time. No sense in wasting it."

Closing his eyes, Boone took off his sunglasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. The confusion and guilt in his mind hadn't faded, but it felt like it was easier to think now. He opened his eyes and found Layla watching him.

"I should go help with the injured… Why don't you stay here for a little bit?" she said, and he nodded. Some of the gratitude he felt must have shown on his face, as a small smile formed on hers. It vanished after a moment, and she looked at him carefully.

"Boone… you're not going to throw yourself off a cliff while I'm gone… right?" She said it lightly, like a joke, but they both knew the gravity of what she'd meant.

"I won't."

"Promise?"

"Yeah."

She looked satisfied with his answer.

"Come on, you can rest in one of the medical tents," she said. He looked at her, confused, and she maintained her serious look. "I don't want you getting snatched away while I'm not looking." She grinned, "Raul will be pretty pissed if I have to drag him through another Legion camp to save you."

He gave her an incredulous look, but she didn't back down. But, as the battle had ended and the adrenaline left his system, he was starting to feel his injuries. He nodded and followed her to the line of tents near the command center. She guided him into a small tent, sitting him down on one of the cots and giving him a shot of Med-X and another stimpak.

"I'll be back later," she said it softly, putting a hand on his arm and giving it a squeeze before she left.

Boone stared at the tent flap after Layla left. She'd been the friend he had needed, even if it hadn't exactly suited her. He'd known she was interested in more than a friendship with him, he wasn't blind. Had she pursued him, he knew in his weaker moments he would have taken up the offer, if only to distract himself from all the negative emotion in his head. But she had held back, and he knew it was what he'd needed.

He thought about Carla, and a sob bubbled past his throat. Part of him realized he hadn't ever cried about his wife's death. He had stewed in rage and guilt for so long, he'd never let himself feel grief. It washed over him now, and he lied down on the cot, tears starting to flow.

He cried as he thought about his wife and their baby and the life that had been stolen from him. Before, he'd swallowed his tears and focused on the guilt until his mind had twisted so much he couldn't think of anything. Now, a strange relief came from every sob. It didn't make any of it better, but it was a little easier to bear.

Eventually, he calmed down, his tears slowed to a stop, and a hazy, tired numbness settled over him. Closing his eyes, he quickly dozed off.

*.*.*

The sun had risen by the time he woke, still alone in the tent. Confused thoughts came back to his mind almost immediately, and the only thing he concluded was that he had a lot of things to sort through. But at least now his mind was clear enough to do so. Just as this thought came to him, he saw a shadow at the tent's entrance.

"Hey Boone?" Layla's voice filtered in from behind the cloth. "Can I come in?"

"Yeah."

The girl looked exhausted, and Boone felt a little guilty not helping her with the people in the camp. She sat on the other cot with a groan.

"Well, just some minor injuries, broken leg, bunch of dead Legionaries. And, I couldn't find Vulpes' body, so I'm sure he's still alive. Slippery bastard." She looked his way.

"How are you feeling?" she said, tiredly stretching her shoulders until they popped.

"Okay. I… Thank you." He took a deep breath. "I know I've been messed up. Things seem… clearer now."

There was a gentle smile on Layla's face when she got up, moving to his cot and sitting next to him. She put her arms around him, pulling him close. He returned the hug and found the awkwardness from before was gone, replaced with a warm, comforting feeling.

"You're welcome."

As she held him, a range of emotions assaulting Boone, from giddy joy to crushing guilt. There was something there that hadn't been fully formed before, but it just confused his thoughts more. Layla was giving him a concerned look.

"You okay?"

"I don't know," he admitted, and she gave him a half smile.

"That's better than a no."

Boone laughed without meaning to. "Yeah, I guess it is."

I hope you've enjoyed the story, thank you for all the lovely reviews, favs and alertinginging (And thank you, Waterpeach, my editor is doing quite well now). Also, I hope everyone had a nice Easter, kinda forgot to put that earlier.

Anyway, we'll be back in the saddle on Saturday with "Boomtown."