"You're sure you don't have any open sores, right?" Mrs. Nash asked.

"Yes ma'am," Layla answered as she sat at the older woman's table.

"Good, now eat up. You look like you haven't had a home cooked meal in a while," she said as she set plates in front of the girls at the table.

"Thank you. I guess I haven't really eaten much in a while… Homesick, I think."

"Well, you're a long way from home, dear."

"You just need a boyfriend," Suzanne said next to her. "That'll fix you up."

"Oh please, Suze," Layla grumbled. "All the good men in the Mojave are either married, gay or way too old for me."

The other courier at the table laughed, then went back to her casserole ravenously. "You need to stop looking for good men then," she said around a mouthful.

"Absolutely not. I told you about Larry, didn't I?"

"Was that the ex-raider?"

Layla groaned.

"No, and don't remind me about that jackass, please. Larry was out of the Hub. My first and last foray into 'bad boy' country."

"Aaaah," said Suzanne. "Wait, the ex-raider wasn't 'bad boy' country?"

"That wasn't the angle he was playing at." Layla shook her head. "Anyway, I think it was about the third time I was paying Larry's bail that I realized perhaps I wasn't pursuing the correct man."

Both couriers laughed, and Layla finally tried the casserole. It was very good, but bitey. She coughed on the first chew, making Ruby laugh.

"It takes some getting used to," said the older woman, looking up as the door opened and Johnson Nash came in.

"Woman, are you giving away all our food to the help?" he said, trying to sound gruff. Ruby laughed.

"Suzy's the one who brought the stingers, and poor Layla's down to skin and bones. She's not gonna make you any deliveries if she keels over."

Nash grumbled, but set a sarsaparilla in front of each of the girls.

"Thanks Mr. Nash!" Layla said, grinning from ear-to-ear. Suzanne rolled her eyes and snuck a drink from her flask. Finishing her dinner, Layla sipped her drink contentedly. Looking up, she noticed Nash giving her an odd look.

"Is something wrong?" she asked. The man shook his head, then went into the other part of the house.

"Ready for a job, Layla?" he called back. The girl leapt to her feet and followed him to the counter.

"Yes sir!" she said, in much better spirits now that she had a full stomach.

"Good." He pulled out his ledger. "You're making a delivery to New Vegas."

"Really?" Layla hadn't been that far east yet. "Have you been there before?"

"Sure have," he said while moving to dig some items out of his safe. "You'd do well to just make the delivery and leave. That is no place for a nice kid like you."

Layla bit her lip, now thoroughly intrigued. How much trouble could she possible get into?

"What's the delivery?" she asked.

"This." He handed her a metal disk. Layla looked at it, perplexed.

"What is this, a betting chip?"

"Yup. Here's the contract." He handed her a slip of paper, which Layla read over. It seemed simple enough; bring the chip to the contact at the North Vegas gate. There was even a big bonus on completion.

"Interested?" Nash asked, still giving her an unsure look.

"Yeah, that's a lot of money." Layla grinned. "Who set up the job?"

"A robot cowboy," Suzanne said, walking up next to her.

"Neat!" Layla responded, wondering what a robot cowboy needed a fancy chip delivered to Vegas for.

"What'd you get?" the other courier asked. Layla held up the chip, and Suzanne showed her a chess piece. "I got one too."

"How many are there?"

"Six," Nash answered, then held out a pen to Layla. "Sign here, and you'll be Courier Six…"

Layla took the pen and signed with a grin. She had a good feeling about this one…

*.*.*

There was something on the kitchen ceiling. Layla couldn't tell if it was a stain or a glob of some sort. Either way, it was gross and it needed to come off. Looking around the room, she grabbed one of the dining room chairs and climbed up.

Even with the chair, she could barely reach the spot. Whatever it was, it was caked on. She started scrubbing at the questionable material, glancing at her Pip-Boy clock every now and then.

She still had a few hours until Boone was due in; she hadn't seen him for two long months. Her regular caravan games with Ambassador Crocker had revealed that 1st Recon was on a sensitive, dangerous mission. That meant he couldn't tell her where they were or what they were up to. The Courier had known the situation would come up, and she'd been very careful not to try and whine the information out of the ambassador. She didn't want to foul up their arraignment by being childish.

1st Recon's current tour of duty was up tonight, and she'd have Boone home for a few weeks. She' d been worrying a lot more since he'd gone back; his last mission included getting electro-tortured and shot in the lung.

Now she was relieved he'd be safe and sound for a few weeks with her. Because everything was safer around her.

She cursed as she kept trying to scrub at the spot on the ceiling. It wasn't budging.

"If potty mouth was a viable detergent, my equipment would sparkle," Arcade said as he walked into the room.

"I can't reach it…" Layla answered.

She frowned at the stain again, then looked over at Arcade, "You should be tall enough though…"

The doctor sighed and stepped on the chair once Layla had hopped off. A moment later he was trying to scour the mark off with curses. He and Veronica were helping her clean in preparation. The remaining members of their group were supposed to meet them later for dinner. The Courier was fairly sure that Cass and Raul had made excuses to get out of cleaning.

Layla grinned as he accused the stain of having poor breeding, then bit her lip. She debated a thought for a moment before she spoke again. "Did you hear they figured out a little about House's cryo-tube thing?"

Arcade stopped scrubbing, then turned a frown in her direction.

"Layla, we've been over this."

The Courier felt her stomach turn a little at both his tone and the words behind it. She thought she'd been subtle, but that was probably impossible after all her prior attempts.

Arcade was leaving for California soon. He'd told Layla a few weeks ago that he was starting to feel useless now that the Legion wasn't as much of a threat. The Courier had promptly found him things to do, mainly going with her to meetings to represent the Followers. She kept finding busy work along with official needs, anything she could think of.

Eventually he'd told her his plans to go west to teach in the Boneyard. Layla had tried harder to find something to keep him here, but he'd taken her aside to tell her his mind had been made up. She'd made a few other attempts to convince him to stay, including finally allowing the Followers to go look at the basement of the 38. They'd wanted to study the medical machinery that House had used to keep himself alive for so long. She'd been squeamish about letting others poke around the man's body… especially after what she'd done. The Followers had been pouring over what they'd found since; a treasure trove of medical information.

Layla had hoped Arcade's interest in the situation would keep him in the Mojave, but it hadn't changed his mind. The doctor must have heard the wheels in her head turning to come up with a new tactic. He stepped down from the chair and set down the rag, then put his hands on her shoulders.

"Layla, I'm going to California. I…" He paused when he saw the tears that welled up in her eyes, despite her attempts to stop them. "I appreciate your attempts to get me to stay. But I'm just spinning my wheels out here."

"I don't want you to go," she finally admitted. It sounded childish and selfish when she said it out loud, not to mention pitiful, which was why she hadn't come out and said it before.

The doctor sighed and let her go. He took his glasses off and cleaned them on the edge of his shirt.

"I know," he said finally. "But I am going."

Layla sighed, then nodded. "I know."

Arcade pulled her into a hug. "You can always come visit me, you know."

"Yeah," she managed to hold back a sniffle. "Will you come back if I need surgery?"

"If it isn't an emergency, and you give me enough warning, yes."

"Okay." Layla sighed into his shirt, then stepped back. She avoided meeting his eyes as embarrassment set in. Eventually she looked at the ceiling. "That stain's still up there."

"I know," the doctor said with a sigh, then climbed back on the chair.

*.*.*

Another group of soldiers poured out of the monorail. Most wore excited smiles, probably looking forward to time off at the Strip. Some, especially the MPs, looked sullen. They were going back to work.

Layla stood on the tips of her toes, looking for red berets. Not seeing any, she sighed and planted her heels back on the ground. Checking the time on her Pip-Boy, she frowned; they were late. She'd been warned there'd be a mountain of post-deployment paperwork at McCarran.

A few minutes later, the monorail came back with another load of troops, and Layla felt a flutter in her stomach as she smoothed her gold cocktail dress. She hadn't worn the thing in a while, but she knew it was Boone's favorite.

Taking a deep breath, she rose up on her tiptoes again, looking for red. After the first few moments of soldiers moving past her, she spotted Sterling. He smiled at her and looked to his side, saying something. After another few people moved past her, there was a part in the crowd and she saw him.

Boone grinned in her direction, and she felt a sudden burst of apprehension, but tamped it down. She didn't bother to wait for him to clear the main station area, instead running up to him and throwing her arms around his neck. He wrapped his arm around her waist, lifting her up as he kissed her. The Courier was vaguely aware of people thudding Boone on the back, undoubtedly the rest of 1st Recon as they continued on to the Strip.

Finally breaking their kiss, he lowered her back to the ground. She pressed her cheek to his chest with a smile.

"Hey."

"Hey." Boone sounded happy, and she looked up to see him grinning at her. Her smile deepened, and she gave him a squeeze.

"Miss me?"

"Yeah."

"Well," Layla said, breaking away from him and hooking her arm in his, "everyone came home to see you."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

They continued outside of the station to find the rest of 1st Recon waiting.

"About time; we thought you were gonna take it to the floor," Bitter-Root said with a grin. He focused on Layla, who was giving him a mild glare. "How's life back in politics?"

"Can I go back with you guys and get shot at again?" Layla answered.

"All right everyone, you know when we're meeting back here," Gorobets said. Boone had explained to Layla at one point that the unit always went their separate ways as soon as they went on leave, but came back a few days before they were due to regroup. The lieutenant smiled at them. "Enjoy yourselves… but stay out of trouble. That means you too." He pointed a finger at Layla.

"No promises," the Courier responded. The others laughed, and she found herself frowning for a moment before joining in.

*.*.*

Walking the Strip would always be bittersweet to Boone. Sometimes he could swear he heard his late wife's laughter in the air. Their best times had been on these streets, and he found he missed Carla the most when he walked them now.

He got the feeling Layla was reading his mind as she looked his way with a sad, understanding smile. He knew she never expected to take Carla's place, nor did she want him to forget. Boone would forever be grateful for her patience with his more melancholy moments. He looked at the flashing neon lights again, thinking about the past and the broken promises it held for a moment more before he brought himself back to the present.

The Courier was wearing the gold dress she'd worn the first time she dragged him out on the Strip for 'recon.' He'd offered to wear the suit she'd found him, but she wanted him to wear his uniform.

Linking her arm in his, she smiled sweetly at him. "You look like a different guy in a clean uniform. All handsome and respectable."

Boone felt an admittedly silly burst of pride at that and smiled. He felt someone link their arm on his other side and found Cass grinning at him.

"Let's make all the other boys in uniform jealous, you heartbreaker." She was in the dress Layla had found in the Sierra Madre; the Courier had declared it far too high cut on the slit. Cass had no such issues with the garment.

Layla giggled from his other side. "We look like we're off to see the Wizard."

Cass started to say something, but Boone didn't hear it as he felt something collide with this back. He couldn't even get his arms free from the girls to turn before someone wrapped their arms around his neck.

"I've scaled Mount Boone!" Veronica cried as she clung to his back, knocking his beret down over his eyes.

"Only one person here has done that," Cass replied. He saw Layla blush as she straightened his beret.

"Do you want us to hang on to a leg each?" Arcade said as he and Raul looked on.

"Giddy up!" the scribe called.

"Stop roughhousing, dear, you're going to hurt yourself," Lily admonished from somewhere behind them.

"All right," the scribe pouted, and suddenly the weight was gone from his back. "Come here, Arcade."

"Keep away from me," the doctor cried, moving to hide behind Lily.

*.*.*

A few hours later, they were on their way back to the 38 after dinner at the Tops. Layla was back on Boone's arm, and Cass was busy going over her gambling losses with Raul.

"You're too predictable at poker," the ghoul admonished. Cass scoffed.

"And you're awful at Black Jack. We can't all make bad calls and magically get just the card we need," the woman said, glaring at the Courier.

Layla chuckled, but said nothing more. Boone had noticed she'd been quiet tonight. Well, quiet for her. The sniper suspected it had something to do with Arcade. The doctor had told him his plans to leave for the west, and that she hadn't been taking it well.

Layla had moved around a lot in her teen years, so she wasn't a stranger to losing friends to time and distance. The group that had come to stay at the Lucky 38 had been more than casual friends, though, and Boone knew the girl had been dreading the time when everyone would eventually move on.

He looped an arm around her shoulders, and she smiled up at him. His gut fluttered for a moment, and he almost blurted out something he'd been waiting to say to her. This wasn't the time or place; not in front of the whole group.

"On to the Gomorrah, Miss Cassidy?" Raul asked, interrupting his thoughts. The caravaneer grinned.

"Sounds like a plan." She looked at the others. "Don't wait up."

"What the hell are you two going to the Gomorrah for?" Veronica cried.

"Black Jack," Cass shot back.

"Surrrrrre," the scribe teased.

"I've got to head out in the morning," Cass continued. "But I'll try not to be a stranger while you're home, cowboy," she said to Boone. Then the two headed off for the other casino.

"I'm going back to Old Mormon," Arcade said. "I'll probably see you tomorrow." He waved as he walked off.

"I've got to head home too, dears," Lily boomed. "Gerdie's got worms." She moved over to pat Boone heavily on the shoulder. "Make sure you come up to visit at Jacobstown."

Boone nodded, and the nightkin headed for the Strip's exit.

"Well, I'm heading to Hidden Valley… We're doing inventory on electronic doodads," Veronica said as she, Layla and Boone made it to the doors of the Lucky 38.

"Oh?" Layla started. "Right now? Why don't you wait until morning?"

"No need. I'm meeting up with one of the patrols heading back," the scribe answered. "I'll be back in a few days."

"Oh." Boone noticed Layla smile as she answered. "I guess we'll see you then."

"Yep." Veronica was grinning now. "See you two later."

Boone watched as Veronica walked off to the Strip's gates. Turning back to Layla, he saw her smiling at him.

"So, I guess we're alone."

Boone nodded and felt that flutter in his gut again. "Yeah."

"Wanna go screw?"

The sniper grinned, deciding that revelations could wait for now. He scooped Layla up and threw her over his shoulder, and headed inside as she laughed.

*.*.*

"Play it again, ED-E," Layla said quietly. They were in the rec room. The door was closed. She didn't want to wake up Boone. It was very late, but it wasn't like she'd been able to sleep anyway.

The eyebot warbled, then its speakers crackled as it played the recording:

"Got a message for you: come find me. You know the way. See the Divide. See what happened, what was done. Your world, stripped bare; all its beasts, its' shadows.

Bring all your weapons. Bring your conviction. This is your road, but when you come, you'll walk it alone."

A set of coordinates followed, and the Courier grimaced as it finished. She hadn't really needed to hear it again: she'd all but memorized it since ED-E had played it the first time this afternoon in her room, right after they'd gotten done cleaning.

The frumentarii she'd been looking into, the one who had been posing as a courier and had given up the Platinum Chip job, the one who'd been keeping tabs on her, had finally contacted her. His trail had gone dry months ago; she had started to suspect he'd been killed. Joshua had told her what he'd known about him in the letters they'd been sending back and forth. She'd done some other digging, but there hadn't been much to go on.

Turns out he'd been setting up for her, and at the Divide, no less. Layla cursed as she started piling all her papers together. The bastard probably wanted to gloat. Well, she'd show up to this little courier reunion, only she didn't think he was going to like the message she had for him.

She'd already packed her things. Joshua had warned her up and down about the Divide: it was supposed to be very dangerous. Layla could feel her stomach turn slightly as she thought about how she'd bent the truth slightly about her preparations. She'd hinted that she was taking Boone with her to keep the Burned Man from worrying. But she was going alone.

ED-E warbled again, and she had to amend her thoughts; she was taking the robot.

"We'll be fine," Layla said as she moved to the door. "I'll be right back." She crept through the hallway, then carefully opened the door to the master bedroom.

Boone was still out cold. Layla looked at him for a moment while turning over the note in her hand, wishing she didn't feel so terrible. He'd be mad, upset when he figured out that she'd left.

She didn't want to hurt him; that was the last thing she ever wanted to do. She'd decided it was necessary to leave all of her friends out of this. It was her problem, her past. It was something she had to deal with on her own.

Taking a deep breath, she placed the note on Boone's beret where it lay on the nightstand. Then, despite how many times she'd decided against doing so, she leaned over and kissed him gently. If he woke up now, he wouldn't let her leave by herself. But Boone only smirked slightly in his sleep, one arm reaching to her side of the bed, searching for her.

Layla bit her lip and felt tears well as she watched, then turned away. If she was going to do this, she had to go now, before she talked herself out of it. Closing the door to the bedroom as quietly as possible, she slung her bag over her shoulders.

"ED-E," she called quietly, and the robot came to her side.

"Come on, we've got a job."

The robot chirped an affirmative, and they made for the elevator. On the ride down, Layla went over the note she'd written in her mind one last time. She hoped it would be enough…

'Boone,

I got a message from someone, courier business. I'm not going to lie: where I'm going might be dangerous. ED-E's going with me, so I'll have some backup. This is something I have to do on my own. I'll be back as soon as I can. I'm sorry.

- Layla'

Thanks for reading, I'll see you all on Saturday! I was worried I wouldn't make my deadline because of Mass Effect, but here I am!