"Do I look like I've lost hair?" Layla asked for the third time in an hour. Veronica sighed heavily.

"No."

"Are you sure?" The girl was looking into the bottom of the shiny metal container she used as a mirror. There was a fairly good chance her nearly fatal radiation poisoning could have later negative effects. Dr. Usanagi had assured her she'd recover should any of the symptoms show up, but the girl acted like she expected every hair on her head to suddenly drop off.

Veronica felt terrible about the whole ordeal. Layla had been very close to dying. They ended up staying at the clinic for another whole day so she could get hydrated. She was still weakened now, but Usanagi had said she was okay to travel. "Keep her drinking, let her take frequent breaks and try not to get in any gun fights," she'd told them. The scribe had been mildly amused that the doctor had explained this all to Boone as if he were Layla's next of kin; another honest mistake.

That particular impression hadn't faded as they made their way to Hidden Valley; in fact, it intensified as they traveled. Boone had gone into 'super deranged mother bear mode.' He had been out-shooting ED-E for most of the trip and had nearly opened fire on a couple of traveling merchants who'd made a few rather inappropriate comments concerning both of the women. The Courier was taking his overprotectiveness in stride, as usual, and Veronica suspected she secretly enjoyed it.

Now, however, she turned to the man with a mildly desperate look.

"Boone? Is my hair falling out?"

The sniper looked at her for a moment, then answered.

"No."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure."

"…You'll tell me if I start losing hair, right?"

"Yes."

The Courier seemed to calm a little after that, and they continued their journey to Hidden Valley. Veronica had the Pulse Gun, and she was going to march it straight to McNamara and shove it under his nose. It'd be the proof she needed. At least it Goddamned better be for the trouble they'd gone through to get it. The Brotherhood was going to have to adapt to the world around them instead of pretending they could outlive it.

*.*.*

None of them spoke as they entered the bunker and made their way to the command room. Layla dearly hoped this was going to work, but she had her doubts. Her early impression of the Brotherhood had been that they were a bunch of quasi-religious jerk-offs that irradiated all the NCR's gold and killed a bunch of people over technology. Since she'd been able to deal with the group directly, she'd found they were, for the most part, a bunch of tech-worshiping hardheads. There were a handful of exceptions, obviously Veronica, but Elder McNamara also seemed to be in a slightly more sensible mind frame. If there was anyone in the Brotherhood that might listen to reason, it was him.

The elder looked wary as they entered, but smiled.

"Hello Veronica."

"I brought you a present." The scribe pulled the Pulse Gun from her pack and laid it in front of McNamara. He looked at it for a moment, then back to her. "It's a energy gun that can nullify power armor," she continued.

Elder McNamara gave her a patient look. "It could be the only one of it's kind."

Veronica frowned. "We won't have military superiority forever. We don't really even have it now. We need to form alliances, be diplomatic, maybe even start recruiting from outside to strengthen our numbers. We won't survive much longer if everyone hates us."

"We don't help them, and we don't let them in," the elder answered. It sounded like he was quoting something. Their Codex, Layla figured.

Veronica's frown deepened. "We'll die out..."

McNamara sighed, and for a moment they shared the same sad look. "I know."

Veronica scooped up the Pulse Gun and turned to Layla and Boone, face unreadable. "Let's get out of here..."

Layla followed Veronica out into the hallway, Boone falling into step beside her. Once they were out of the room, the scribe stopped.

"He didn't care. It was like speaking to a stranger," Veronica said. Layla frowned, moving to her friend's side.

"He'd made his mind up before you ever came in here with that," the Courier said, nodding to the Pulse Gun.

"I know, it's just… I thought I could make him see. They won't change, and we're going to die out slowly… or very quickly."

Layla put an arm around the scribe's shoulders and gave her a squeeze. Veronica looked at her.

"What should I do? I can't change what's going to happen…should I leave? Maybe join the Followers? They're at least willing to listen to good ideas."

Layla frowned. "You're the only one who can answer that."

The taller girl sighed heavily. "'Only one.' Guess I am on my own, huh?"

"No," Layla said firmly. "You're never alone as long as I'm around." A touch of a smile came to her face. "Boone too, right?" She turned his way and found him gravely nodding.

Veronica smiled slightly, then frowned as she thought. After a long silence, she spoke again. "I'm going to stay with the Brotherhood… They're my family. I'll do what I can for them, even if it won't end well."

Layla nodded, then looked apprehensive. "So… are you still gonna work with us?"

The scribe laughed. "Of course I am. I've got my whole life to watch my family disintegrate, I figure I can help you for now."

Layla gave her a grim smile. "Can't pick your family."

"Isn't that the truth." She looked at the metal walls around her. "Let's get out of here. I need some time to think."

*.*.*

Boone had a bad feeling just as they left the door of the Hidden Valley bunker. Something wasn't right, he just couldn't pinpoint what. He saw Layla look his way as he pulled his rifle off his back. He shook his head at her unasked question.

Enemy. She signaled with an eyebrow raised.

Watch. He signaled back and she nodded.

Veronica opened the door to the surface, and they walked out. Boone's eyes adjusted quickly, and he found four paladins standing in a semi-circle around them.

He stepped in front of Layla as she stood blinking at the sunlight. Her eyes were still probably oversensitive from her radiation exposure and dehydration. Looking Veronica's way, he saw her powerfist-encased hand clench into a fist as she made a grim face at the group before them. Not a good sign.

"We heard you, Veronica," one of the paladins said. "We're not going to let you question our ways."

"What are you going to do? Gun us down?" Layla said testily, squinting at the four men surrounding them. Judging by their lack of response, that was probably exactly what they planned on doing. "Oh don't be ridiculous," she continued. She still sounded impatient, but Boone knew her 'oh shit' tone when he heard it. "Blind loyalty doesn't help anyone. She was just offering alternatives. Your group is strengthened by her questioning."

The paladins didn't speak for a moment, and Boone slowly signed Go. Door. behind his back. It'd only buy her some time, and if these wasn't the whole group, she'd be walking into more trouble. It was better than getting gunned down here though.

There were four of them in full power armor, but his anti-materiel rifle was already in his hands. Veronica would probably go for the leader, so if he took a shot at the one next to him, it might cause enough of a pause for them to get back behind the bunker door. Then they could just wait for the paladins to come through the bottleneck and take them out.

"Fine. We'd better not hear about you causing any more trouble," the lead paladin addressed Veronica, who merely stared at them. The group dispersed then, going around to one of the other bunkers. He heard Layla let out a breath.

"God, I guess this is how it's going to be," Veronica said sadly. "They're desperate, and the first thing to go is trust."

Layla reached out, squeezing the scribe's hand. The girl looked back at them, frowning.

"Let's get out of here… I need to get away from this for a while."

*.*.*

Veronica sighed heavily as she looked out at the Mojave from the mouth of a dinosaur. Layla had suggested it, hoping it would cheer her up. Normally, it might have, but Dinky wasn't cutting it tonight. Boone stood nearby, having decided to take a shift at his old post while they hung out in Novac.

There was definitely something to be said for his brooding presence; it was comforting. The irony that she was more comfortable around an NCR sniper than all of her Brotherhood family right now was just a little too much for her, and she sighed again.

Boone stepped forward, and for a moment Veronica thought he was about to say something. Instead he aimed his rifle out the mouth of the dinosaur and snapped off a shot. Taking up the binoculars Layla had left her, she looked to see what he'd hit. There was a dead fire gecko hundreds of feet away.

"You're kinda scary sometimes," she remarked. She thought she heard the sniper chuckle.

"You're the one who scares me." The scribe turned from her lawn chair and looked at him, confused.

"I can do that with a high-caliber rifle. You can do it with your fist."

Veronica grinned. "I couldn't do it from a mile away."

"You'd think of something."

She smiled. Something was different about him lately. Veronica had been noticing it the whole trip. He seemed a little less gloomy. It suited him, just as the half grin that was on his face did.

The door from the gift shop opened, and Veronica turned to see Layla balancing three bowls in her hands.

"Who wants Fiend Stew?"

"Oh yeah!" Veronica took a bowl and sat back in her chair as The Courier took the other chair they'd dragged in. Boone remained where he was standing, but with his rifle slung over his shoulder as he ate.

"Ahhh," Veronica said as she tasted the stew. "We need to come up with a new name for this. It's too good to be named after that psycho and his crew."

"What? Just because it's named after a rapist pyro?" Layla said. "What are going to call it?"

"Dead Man's Stew," Boone said between mouthfuls.

Veronica gave him an impressed look. "Look who's a poet and I didn't know it."

Layla laughed, then gave the scribe an appraising look. "Told you this was a good idea. It's like a sleep over, only instead of 'Truth or Dare' we play 'What did Boone Just Shoot?'"

"Are we still going to braid each other's hair and talk about boys we've kissed?" said Veronica.

"Sure, but I'm the only one with braidable hair who has kissed a boy," the Courier answered.

"We could practice kissing."

"Fine," Layla said. "You and Boone go first."

"Har." Veronica leaned back in her chair and went back to her food. The night was quiet and cold, but the stew was going a long way to warm her up.

"Layla," Veronica said. The girl looked her way.

"Thank you. I know we didn't accomplish anything, but now I know I've done everything I could for them."

The Courier's previous grin melted into a serious look. "You can't pick your family…but you've always got an extra one with us."

Veronica smiled.

"I know." She thought for a few moments before speaking again. "I know you've got a secret you can't tell me… but it's okay. I trust you."

Layla took her hand, giving it a squeeze. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. Thank you for everything."

"You're welcome… and thank you, too."

Neither girl spoke for a long time. The only break in the comfortable silence was Boone shooting another gecko.

I hope you enjoyed Boomtown! Next Saturday we'll be starting "My Peace I Give Unto You" which will take us to Utah :D I hope PSN goes up soon, so my loyal readers will know what I"m talking about. And finally, thank you for all your very kind reviews, alerts and favorites!

Oh, and before forget, I will be changing update days to WEDNESDAY/Saturdays (Sorry Ella). This will hopefully put an end to the delays we've been suffering lately. Anyway, enjoy your week, and to my fellow Americans: have a good (and safe) Memorial Day!