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[font size=1" color="#FF0000]LAST EDITED ON Nov-25-00 AT 01:52AM (GMT)[p]Dom: Ok folks, been wondering what happened to me and Slinky? Well, this is it. A little present from us to our um... fans? 
This is a combination of Last of his kind and Aftermath, so if you haven't read them, get to it now, cus you'll get lost. Welp, that's about it. Enjoy : )
Slinkster: Heya gang! Yeah, me and Dom are still alive…like the man says, if you haven’t read either of our stories, do so, lest yee be confused. This story is more a less a continuation of both our stories, so consider it as such! I hope ya like it! (cause I sure do!!)
Reunion.
Meeting for the first time.
By John Davies and Kelly Mitchell
Final work done on 11/24/2000
Duegar barely had time to react as Sheia leveled a rocket launcher at the town. He charged her, and barreled her over…not before she had time to fire. His assault knocked her aim off course, and the rocket exploded on an empty patch of concrete, near a well.
On top of her, Duegar grabbed her shirt collar and shook her, “What the hell are you doing!?”
“Getting this job over with!” she yelled back, kicking him off of her. She rolled away and stood quickly, eyeing her leader suspiciously.
“This was not the plan, Sheia,” he said flatly, his voice devoid of emotion. His eyes betrayed his thoughts, however, and the female mercenary did her best to meet his gaze.
“You know as well as I do that you have a different ‘plan’ than just ‘stake out’,” Sheia challenged. He did not answer, and merely turned towards Broken Hills, raising his binoculars.
The small town had reacted quickly, and intelligently. No one was outside, panicking… but he could see the glint of weapons in almost every window, as they waited for the perpetrator to reveal themselves. Duegar cursed loudly, and spat on the ground.
“Well, I guess we do it your way,” he snarled, “Don’t kill her right away…I want to talk to her first.”
Gordon, who had been witness to the scuffle, shook his head, and ran for his gear. As they suited off, they failed to notice Marcus dart to his house, where most of his heavy artillery was stored.
The three mercenaries looked at each other, and Duegar nodded. Before they could charge in, however, Gordon pushed his comrades down. Duegar was about to scold him when a rocket sailed through the spot they had been standing, and detonated on one of their tents, sending flaming debris everywhere.
Springing quickly to his feet, Duegar looked towards the source - a super mutant, who looked less than pleased.
“Now or never!” shouted Duegar, charging towards the town as fast as he could. He could already see that the Sheriff’s shot had stirred the other residents into action, and he tried not to think about it. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Shiea bring her combat shotgun to bear, while Gordon hastily loaded his plasma pistol. Duegar knew he wouldn’t be able to draw his mini gun fast enough, and slapped on a power fist. He searched desperately for Trill, knowing that the sooner he got hold of her, the sooner combat would stop.
Something whizzed past the lead mercenary’s ear, and he heard Gordon cry out in pain. Shiea shrieked his name, but continued on. Instead of turning to see his comrade, he opted to find where the shot came from.
Hanging out one of the window’s was a woman in a slightly worn Vault suit holding a gauss rifle. Their eyes met, and Duegar felt a tinge of doubt creep into his mind. The rifle swung into a direct line with him, and Trill closed one eye to aim.
Suddenly, Sheia pushed him out of the way as a large mass hurtled by them. Abandoning his weapon for a power fist of his own, the super mutant barely missed the both of them, shattering the pavement. Sheia turned to face the Sheriff, while Deugar pressed on towards his target. As he did so, more residents poured onto the streets, weapons blazing. Trill, observing his approach, frowned and retreated into her home.
“Fire in the hole!” he heard the tribal yell. Those nearby quickly retreated to their homes as a grenade bounced out of her window and towards Duegar. Barely able to reverse his momentum, he threw himself away from the grenade, just reaching cover as it detonated.
Sheia did her best to avoid the Sheriff’s enraged swings, and hoped for an opening. As it was, every time she brought the shotgun up to fire, she would have to move, or risk being pulped by his power fist.
Meanwhile, Gordon clung to life a few feet away, the wound in his shoulder bleeding profusely. The gauss rifle slug had ripped through his combat armor, him, and out through the back, leaving a gaping, un-patchable hole. As he slipped into unconsciousness, he saw the grey Deathclaw leave the Sheriff’s home and charge towards where Duegar had run.
Trill exited her house soon after the grenade exploded, hoping to catch the assailants off guard. She was confused by the attack, and more than a little irritated by their timing. A part of her was glad for the distraction, but on the whole, she was very, very angry. Her eyes watered at the smoke from the fire caused by the grenade, and she searched for a target. Her target found her, and she felt a powerful hand twist her arm high on her back. She arched her back and fell to her knees in response to the pain.
Goris knew he would not be able to reach Trill in time to save her. Time was his enemy. "No!" he screamed, reaching a claw to her in desperation.
Duegar leaned his face down to Trill's, as she struggled to escape the powerful grasp he had on her.
However hard she tried, she could not break his hold on her. She began to panic as he lowered his face down to hers, bringing with it the foul stench of an unwashed man.
Marcus, who had been backing up the red haired woman towards the jail, got a clear shot of what was unfolding, and felt his heart leap into his throat.
"Your friend Lynette sends her regards." He whispered with a grin as he placed a Desert Eagle to her temple.
Trill screamed in defiance and fear as she heard the hammer click, ready to end her life.
Blood emptied onto the ground as the gunshot sang through the air.
The people of Broken Hills froze in their places, watching the scene before them unfold with a mix of horror and awe.
` The blood continued to form into a pool surrounding Trill, as she collapsed on the ground.
Duegar gasped, and fell to his knees, as the hole in his torso allowed the last bit of his lifeblood to leak away onto the pavement.
Trill looked up in a foggy haze to see a large figure standing over her. "Gor...Goris?" she asked in a wavering tone.
"No," a voice replied, as the figure held out a clawed hand to Trill.
She took a hold of it, and used its strength to pull herself up, only to be confronted by a creature she had never seen before. "Who are you?"
"My name is Rage."
Trill stared at the strange person, not quite sure what to make of him.
“I’m…Trill,” she said, returning the introduction. He nodded knowingly, and cocked his head at her.
“Are you well?”
The tribal nodded at him, trying form some sort of recognition in her mind of him, and failed. What was he?
She heard someone shout her name, but found she couldn’t tear her eyes away from her rescuer. His eyes were incredibly intense, and had the tell-tale glint of intelligence. Large hands touched her shoulders and turned her around.
“Trill? Are you all right?” Marcus asked, breathing heavily, glancing warily at Rage. Goris approached her as well, but found that he too could not help but stare at him. There was something familiar about him, but he couldn’t place it.
Trill looked up into Marcus’ concerned face, and rewarded him with a faint smile, “I’m OK.”
“Thank God,” he said, looking at Rage again, “Thank you…for saving her.”
"Thanks are not required. Is the town secure?"
"Yeah," Marcus grunted, looking towards the jail and watching two of the mutant citizens dragging the woman he had been fighting to the jailhouse.
Rage turned to Marcus. "I need a place to stay for a while, could you tell me if there is some place I could rest?"
Marcus smiled, and nodded in the direction of his home, "You are more than welcome to stay with me for however long you need, after what you’ve done here. I have a small cot that I can pull out for you," he said, drawing Trill into his arms as he spoke.
"That will be fine. I must leave for an hour, but I will return soon," Rage turned, and began a quick paced walk down the road, and into the wasteland.
They watched him go, as quickly and mysteriously as he had come.
“There’s something you don’t see everyday,” Marcus observed, turning towards the jailhouse. Trill and Goris agreed, following the super mutant.
The Sheriff greeted the guards, and they motioned him in. They had put the woman in her own cell, and she was now sulking moodily near the back. Marcus tapped on the bars.
“Hey,” he said, getting her attention. She glared back, but said nothing.
“I think you owe us an explanation,” he said, returning her scowl.
She spat defiantly at him, and continued to stare balefully. Her actions did not spark the reaction she had desired, however. Marcus chuckled at her.
“Not in the mood, huh? We’ll see how you feel after a few days, then.”
“It doesn’t matter, Marcus. I know what they were here for,” Trill said, touching his arm. He looked down at her with curiosity.
“Yeah? How do you know?”
“The man that Rage killed…he said, in so many words, that they were sent by Lynette to kill me.”
If the woman was surprised by her knowledge, she didn’t show it.
“Lynette,” Marcus said simply, his inquisitive expression twisting into one of hatred. He turned his gaze to the red haired woman, who flinched slightly.
“Do you have anything to say for yourself?” he asked grimly.
“No,” she finally said, standing and facing them, “I’m ready for whatever punishment is necessary.”
Marcus looked at her in surprise, and then nodded, “Well, I’m not quite sure what to do with you,” he shrugged, “I’ll decide tomorrow.”
With that, he turned and left, Trill and Goris in tow.
Sheia stared after the odd trio, and wondered what she had gotten herself into.
**
“So what do you make of him?” Marcus asked Goris. Marcus and Trill, as usual, reclined on the couch while Goris sat on his haunches on the floor. Goris frowned, and shook his head.
“I’m not sure,” he said uncertainly. Something about the creature had struck Goris as very familiar, mainly the way he carried himself and spoke. Nevertheless, he couldn’t place him in his memory.
“Me either,” sighed the super mutant. Marcus was grateful that Rage had saved Trill, but he couldn’t help be put off by his appearance. At that thought, he smirked to himself; he was the last person to be questioning another’s looks.
Trill said nothing, and only half listened to their discussion about Rage. She really hadn’t been to bothered by the mercenary attack, seeing as they had been very direct, and no one was injured. The Chosen One wasn’t even fazed by the appearance of Rage. She had other things to worry about…namely, how was she going to tell Marcus about her pregnancy? Before the attack, she had been ready too…but that moment had past, and she didn’t know how to bring it up again.
“Hey, you awake?” asked Marcus, shaking her a little. Snapped from her introverted thoughts, she looked up at him.
“What? Yes! I’m awake.”
He smiled, “You zoned out for a minute, there.”
“Sorry.”
“No problem.”
“Do you think he’ll be back?” wondered Goris, obviously eager for Rage’s return.
Marcus shrugged, “He said he would. Guess we’ll have to go on that.”
Goris nodded in agreement, looking out the window.
Standing and stretching, the super mutant headed for the kitchen, “May as well kill some time. Want a beer, Trill?”
Trill started to reply with yes, but caught herself, “No thanks.”
Her statement was met with an arched brow from Marcus, but he didn’t comment, and disappeared into the kitchen. Goris too gave her an odd, but somewhat knowing look.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
Trill held his gaze for a moment, until Marcus returned, beer in hand. He sat down next to her and put an arm around her waist, drawing her closer. The three companions sat in silence for some time, awaiting the mysterious strangers return.
The sky was turning dark as a knock came on Marcus' door.
Trill looked over to Marcus. "Must be him"
Marcus walked over to the door and opened it. On the doorstop stood the strange creature that had saved Trill, and a small girl.
"I am sorry for my lateness. I had to make sure the way back was safe."
"It's no problem," Marcus said hesitantly, trying to figure out what a small child would be doing with such a strange creature, "Please, come in."
Marcus stepped aside as Rage and the small girl walked into the room. Rage noticed the woman he had saved, and the Deathclaw that was apparently her friend. He nodded to Trill, "I am glad to see that you are safe."
Smiling as she stood, Trill nodded back at him, "My arm is a little sore, but I'll be ok."
Trill studied the young girl that was standing beside Rage, she seemed to be about six years old, with blonde hair, and bright blue eyes, and was smiling as if she was completely content with the world, "Who is this young lady?" she asked, leaning down to greet the little girl.
"I'm Emony," The small girl said with a bright smile, "You're real pretty."
The tribal laughed at her statement, “Well thanks! You’re quite the looker yourself,” Trill winked, causing the little girl to blush slightly. Goris greeted them, more reserved than usual. Trill made a mental note to ask him later. Marcus motioned for Rage and Emony to take a seat on the couch. Emony gladly bounded over to it, while Rage merely stood to the side of her.
Marcus leaned on a wall, near Goris, and Trill sat by the energetic child.
“So, eh, Rage,” Marcus began awkwardly, “What brings you to Broken Hills?”
“I’m on my way to New Reno.”
“New Reno, huh? Not the best place for kids,” the super mutant said with a half smile, hoping the creature wouldn’t be offended. He had a feeling that whatever Rage was, he wasn’t to be trifled with.
“True,” Rage said simply, somehow ending the short conversation, “Why were those mercenaries attacking?”
“They were after me,” Trill said grimly, “The First Citizen of Vault City and I…aren’t good friends.”
Rage nodded at her statement, and turned his eyes to Emony for a moment. She was exploring the deeper recesses of the couch cushions. Her face brightened, and she withdrew something, clenched in her fist.
“I found treasure!”
Trill suppressed a laugh, and leaned close to the little girl, “Oh? What did you find?”
Emony opened her hand, revealing a shiny bottle cap. Trill groaned and fell back, while Marcus and Goris laughed vigorously. Confused by the reaction, Emony gave them all a strange look.
“Will I never escape the caps?” lamented Trill, putting and arm over her face dramatically. Emony tapped her arm, and held the cap to her.
“You don’t like them?”
“Eek!” Trill mock-screamed, shying away from the cap as if it terrified her. Amused by the adult’s reaction, she held it closer to her. Trill fell off the couch, making a choking noise, as if the cap repelled her. Emony giggled, and waved the cap around, eliciting cries of “Ahh! Stop! No!” from Trill.
The other’s watched their antics with amusement, glad for the distraction. Even Rage seemed somewhat entertained by the two, although one would be hard pressed to tell.
Finally, Trill let out a dramatic death cry, and help her arms and legs in the air, her tongue lolling out of her mouth. Emony could hardly contain her amusement, and giggled uncontrollably, dropping the cap. Suddenly, Trill surged to her feet, as though the cap held no more sway over her, scooping Emony up her arms. Squealing in delight, the child squirmed and the tribal began to tickle her mercilessly.
“Where’s your cap now? Huh?” teased Trill, a broad smile on her face, finally relenting. Emony gasped for air, still giggling, and threw her arms around the tribal’s neck.
“You’re nice!” she exclaimed. Trill felt a strange feeling come over her, and she hugged the little girl back. Was this what it was like, to be a mother?
Across the room, Marcus’ thoughts paralleled his lover’s, smiling at the scene. He hoped that someday, they might be able to have children. He also thought of Ella for a moment, robbed of the innocence Emony possessed before her time. Wherever, or whatever she was, he hoped she was doing well.
The small girl suppressed a yawn, and rubbed her clear blue eyes. Rage gave the girl a small smile, and put a hand on her head, “Time for bed.”
“But I’m not tired,” she protested, yawning again, unable to stifle it.
“I’ll get the cot, unless you’d rather use the couch,” offered Marcus, heading for his room.
“I believe the couch will be sufficient,” replied Rage. Marcus nodded to him, and went to get blankets for them. Trill stood, and yawned herself - it had been a long day.
The Sheriff returned with some blankets, and Rage tucked Emony in. As soon as the lights clicked off, she fell fast asleep. Goris, not wanting to disrupt their privacy, removed himself to the kitchen. He laid a blanket on the ground and curled up on it, trying to ignore the millions of questions he wanted to ask Rage. There was always tomorrow.
Rage himself watched Emony sleep, determined to maintain a constant vigil over his tiny charge. Hours passed, and heard the door to Marcus’ room open quietly. He turned to look, and Trill tiptoed out, still in her Vault suit. She carefully closed the door, being mindful not to make a sound. When she turned to head for the door, she jumped, noticing Rage watching her intently.
“Can’t sleep either?” Trill whispered, heading for the porch. He nodded to her, and joined her outside. The night air was refreshingly cool, and the two beings sat in silence for some time.
"Nights like these are what makes living worthwhile," Trill sighed as she looked up at the stars.
"May I ask a question of you?" Rage ventured, after a few moments of silence.
Trill looked over at Rage with a smile, "Sure, ask away."
"How did you manage to do it?"
"Do what?"
"You took on the Enclave, and won. How did you survive?"
` The shocked look on Trill's face made Rage regret his question, "I am sorry. Please forget that I asked."
Trill sat in silence for quite a while, regarding the strange creature, "How... how did you know?"
"I was there," he replied with a cool tone.
Trill's face took on a shocked expression again, "How... what... you were there?"
Rage sighed, "I was stowed away on the tanker when you made your escape. If it wasn't for you causing such chaos on the oil rig, I would not have been able to make my own escape."
"You are one surprising person, Rage. How was it that you ended up on the oil rig?"
Rage continued to look at the sky for quite a while.
"Don’t want to talk, huh? I understand, you don't have to answer."
"No, no it's not that. I should talk about it. It is a part of me."
Rage proceeded to tell her of the last year of his life. As he finished, Trill felt a newfound respect for the strange being before her.
"I am truly sorry for what they did to you Rage."
"It is what fate has chosen for me, it seems. I do not regret what happened."
"But still, I knew the Enclave was evil... but to experiment on you like that..." Thoughts of Goris suddenly hit her, "So that is how Goris recognized you. You were a member of the Vault 13 pack."
"Yes, I was. But that is behind me now; I find it is not best to dwell on it. Life is hard enough as it is."
"Too true," Trill replied.
"Is that why you are afraid of having your child?"
“What!?”
He did not answer, and merely awaited her reply.
“How…how could you know that?”
“I can smell it,” he said simply. Trill just stared at him dumbly, and wondered if it had to do with her hormone levels…hadn’t Lenny said earlier that they were elevated?
“Oh,” she replied, quite oblivious in regards to replying to the creature.
“You didn’t answer my question,” he observed. He was neither pushy, not belligerent…he simply wished to know.
Trill was hesitant to speak, “Yes, I…am worried,” she finally admitted. He merely looked at her.
"Do you not wish to have a child?"
“That’s not it…it’s just,” she trailed off, hugging her knees to her chest, and eventually whispered, “I’m afraid.”
Suddenly, a deep, familiar voice spoke up behind them, “Trill?”
She whirled around, and saw Marcus standing in the doorway, a moderately confused look on his face.
“What are you two talking about? Why are you afraid?”
Trill stared up at him, her emotions almost tangible, and he returned her gaze with a concerned expression.
“Is there something you aren’t telling me?”
The tribal stood and nodded silently, heading for his room. Before he followed her, and chanced a glace at Rage. The creature merely motioned that he should follow her.
When he got to his room, Trill was sitting on the bed, her posture rigid and alert. He joined her, sitting across from her, near the foot of the bed, figuring she needed space. They sat in deafening silence as Trill wrestled with her doubts and fears.
“Marcus, I-“ she stopped again, looking away, as if she might find strength in the walls around her.
Meanwhile, the Sheriff’s mind was spinning. What was wrong? Had she been too late in treating her radiation? It was a sobering thought, and he tried not to think about what he would do if he lost her.
Trill turned back to him, her eyes imploring him to help her. He desperately wished he could help, but had no idea what she needed help with. She carefully reached a hand to him, and he did as well. Surprisingly, she took his hand and placed it over her belly.
“I’m pregnant,” she said, searching his face for a reaction. At first he didn’t, and merely stared at his hand as though it was a new limb.
“Pregnant?” he finally squeaked, feeling suddenly dizzy. Her words had seemed almost surreal. Hearing a super mutant squeak was something new to Trill, and she smiled in spite of herself. She nodded to him, placing another hand over his.
“I…you…wow,” he stuttered, putting his other hand on his head, flabbergasted, “So fast?” he finally managed.
She shrugged and smiled, finding his reaction more than a little amusing, “I guess you super mutants are super in more ways than one,” she winked.
They looked at each other for a few minutes, and then Marcus burst out into uproarious laughter, picking her up in a giant hug. She yelped in surprise, and then laughed as he gave her stomach an obnoxious kiss. Relief washed over her, and many of her concerns left her at that moment.
Their laughter abated for a moment, and they both collapsed on the bed in each other’s arms.
“When did you know?” he asked quietly.
“For sure? Today…I had suspected it a little earlier.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I wasn’t sure how you would react,” Trill said.
“Well I guess you know now, huh?”
“Yeah.”
Marcus and Trill talked long into the night.
*******
Trill stood at a window, waiting for the sunrise to shed its light over her new found home. She had not gotten any sleep that night, but she was not tired, she was hopeful. Hopeful for the future…a future that her child could live in.
Large hands embraced her from behind, in a warm, welcoming hug. "Good morning," Marcus whispered into her ear.
"Good morning," Trill said with a smile as she turned to him.
"You didn't sleep, did you?" Marcus frowned.
Trill smirked, "My mind was occupied. You certainly slept well," she said with a poke to his ribs.
"A guy's gotta have his beauty rest," Marcus joked with a lopsided grin.
"Well, put that rest to good use and get out there. The town needs to be repaired."
"I'll be going as soon as I have breakfast. Where are our visitors?"
"I don't know, they weren't here when I came out."
"Do you think they left?"
Trill shrugged, "You go eat your breakfast while I try to find out where they went."
Marcus headed for the kitchen, as Trill got dressed and went outside. The sun was shining brightly, bringing hope for a beautiful day.
******
Trill found Rage and Emony near the blast site of the rocket that had been fired at the town. Rage was helping the other citizens rebuild a small home, and Emony was struggling with a water bucket.
"What have you got there?" Trill asked as she approached Emony.
Emony looked up at her with a fierce smile, "I'm helping!" She continued her course with a waddle as she pondered along with the heavy bucket.
"Why don't you let me take care of that?"
Emony frowned in an expression that could only be described as annoyance, "But I wanna help!"
Trill smirked. "Well why don't you go help Marcus get you some breakfast, he needs somebody to keep him company."
Emony looked doubtful for a moment, and then smiled. She dropped her precious cargo onto the ground, spilling the water everywhere, and ran off to find the super mutant.
Trill heard a strange laugh come from behind her, and she spun around, not knowing what it was, only to find Rage standing behind her, with a broad grin on his face.
"Good morning Rage," she was shocked, it was the first time she had seen the former Deathclaw happy. It was odd, but refreshing, "You really love, her don't you?"
The grin left Rage's face in an instant, as he returned to his stoic demeanor, "Good morning to you also Trill. Please excuse me, I must get back to the work at hand," Rage turned and headed back to the construction site.
Trill joined the effort to rebuild the home for a while, until she saw Marcus approaching.
"Isn't Emony with you?"
Marcus laughed. "No, she ran off after Lenny, seems she finds him interesting."
Trill giggled, "She's a character."
Marcus grinned, "You got that right, she insisted in eating my oatmeal."
"Well, come on you big oaf, let's get to work."
Hours past until the town was finally back to normal, it had taken most of the day, but the work was complete.
Rage approached an exhausted Trill and Marcus with Emony in tow behind him, "We must be leaving now."
Marcus frowned, "It's almost night time, why not stay for a while longer?"
"Yes, please, stay for another night," Trill chimed in.
"I thank you for your offer, but it is better for us to travel at night, we will rest when we find a safe spot. We have to reach New Reno as soon as possible."
Marcus' frown did not fade, but he knew to argue with such a person would be useless, "We understand. Can we at least give you some supplies for your journey? Some food and some blankets to keep you warm?"
Rage knew better than to argue, "That would be appreciated. I do however, have one other request of you."
Marcus' frown faded into a smile, "Sure, what is it?"
"That mercenary that you have locked up, the female. I wish to take her with us."
Trill and Marcus were obviously shocked at such a request, "I’m sorry, but she’s a criminal, and she’ll have to be punished. I can’t allow that."
"Did she kill anybody?" Rage asked.
"Well, no, but she attacked the town."
"She did not harm anybody, but while she is here, she might end up harming someone. Please, let me take her, I need somebody who understands the darker side of humans on my journey."
"And what about Emony?" Marcus said with a grow,. "You’re going to take a dangerous mercenary along with you and a young child?"
"She is nothing I cannot handle. Emony is safer with me than she could be with anybody else. I think you know that."
Marcus did not doubt his words. He had seen how easy he had dispatched the mercenary who had nearly assassinated Trill, "I’ll have to discuss this with some people. Hold on."
An hour had passed before Marcus returned.
"What did they say?" Trill asked him in a whisper.
"Zaius just wants her gone from the city period. The others are not sure, but they feel obliged to return the favour that Rage has shown us, by rescuing you, and by helping rebuild the town. I don’t like it, but it’s been decided."
Marcus approached Rage, "She’s all yours."
Rage stepped up to the super mutant, and although he was much shorter than the large Sheriff, his presence alone was enough to make him tower over the super mutant. He reached out a clawed hand, and grasped Marcus' shoulder, "I thank you, for all the kindness you have shown to Emony and myself. I am in your debt."
Marcus knew that this was an outrageous amount of humility for such a person to show. He himself knew how hard it was to shake the stoic demeanor of a warrior, "No, thank you, for saving Trill, I don’t know what I would do if I lost her,” Marcus grasped Rage's hand in a gesture of friendship, "If you ever need any help, you can count on us."
Rage and Marcus stood apart from each other as Trill approached him, and embraced him in an awkward hug, "Take care, and make sure that little girl gets enough sleep on your journey."
Trill bent down in front of Emony and hugged her.
"Will I see you again?" Emony asked with a happy tear in her eye.
Trill smiled, "You bet, we'll see each other again one day. And we'll all have a great time."
"Will there be candy?"
Laughing, Trill nodded, "You betcha."
Emony looked into Trill's eyes with a piercing stare, "I love you Trill."
"I love you too Emony." Trill said, biting back tears of her own.
"Come Emony, we must gather our things, and then we will be leaving."
"I'll come with you, to get you those supplies, and the prisoner," Marcus said as he followed Rage and Emony.
Trill just stood there thinking of her future child, and how Emony had shown her how wonderful it would be. She eventually noticed Goris standing beside her, "You training in the ways of stealth Goris?"
"I know who he is," Goris simply stated as he watched Rage walk down the road.
"You do? I wasn't sure if you recognized him."
"There is no way to forget one such as him, my friend. He was the alpha male of our pack. He was revered in our society. Until he disappeared."
"What? I don't understand, I thought Gruthar was the alpha male."
Goris sighed, "He was, but Rage was our Alpha Male before him."
"I still don’t understand, Goris."
"Neither do I Trill. Rage disappeared from our pack over thirty years ago, when I was just nine years old."
"But that's not possible, Rage told me that he left the pack when Vault 13 was attacked."
Goris looked to Trill with a shocked expression, "That cannot be, I remember him clearly, and he was not with us when Vault 13 was destroyed. He must be lying."
Trill watched the street that Rage had gone down in confusion, "He wouldn’t lie. I’m sure of that."
"But what other explanation could there be?" Goris asked.
"Maybe that is what he is searching for, his past," Trill replied.
"I have a feeling we will see him again," Goris said as he lost view of the form of Rage.
"So do I. Come, let's go visit Lenny…I have something to tell him."
Trill and Goris headed for Lenny's as the sun approached the horizon. Darkness followed soon after.
The end...of this collaboration! Of course, our stories will continue.
-SlinkyAvenger and Dom Devore
ICQ# 42929444
SlinkyAvenger@yahoo.com
http://slinkyavenger.iwarp.com
This is a combination of Last of his kind and Aftermath, so if you haven't read them, get to it now, cus you'll get lost. Welp, that's about it. Enjoy : )Slinkster: Heya gang! Yeah, me and Dom are still alive…like the man says, if you haven’t read either of our stories, do so, lest yee be confused. This story is more a less a continuation of both our stories, so consider it as such! I hope ya like it! (cause I sure do!!)
Reunion.
Meeting for the first time.
By John Davies and Kelly Mitchell
Final work done on 11/24/2000
Duegar barely had time to react as Sheia leveled a rocket launcher at the town. He charged her, and barreled her over…not before she had time to fire. His assault knocked her aim off course, and the rocket exploded on an empty patch of concrete, near a well.
On top of her, Duegar grabbed her shirt collar and shook her, “What the hell are you doing!?”
“Getting this job over with!” she yelled back, kicking him off of her. She rolled away and stood quickly, eyeing her leader suspiciously.
“This was not the plan, Sheia,” he said flatly, his voice devoid of emotion. His eyes betrayed his thoughts, however, and the female mercenary did her best to meet his gaze.
“You know as well as I do that you have a different ‘plan’ than just ‘stake out’,” Sheia challenged. He did not answer, and merely turned towards Broken Hills, raising his binoculars.
The small town had reacted quickly, and intelligently. No one was outside, panicking… but he could see the glint of weapons in almost every window, as they waited for the perpetrator to reveal themselves. Duegar cursed loudly, and spat on the ground.
“Well, I guess we do it your way,” he snarled, “Don’t kill her right away…I want to talk to her first.”
Gordon, who had been witness to the scuffle, shook his head, and ran for his gear. As they suited off, they failed to notice Marcus dart to his house, where most of his heavy artillery was stored.
The three mercenaries looked at each other, and Duegar nodded. Before they could charge in, however, Gordon pushed his comrades down. Duegar was about to scold him when a rocket sailed through the spot they had been standing, and detonated on one of their tents, sending flaming debris everywhere.
Springing quickly to his feet, Duegar looked towards the source - a super mutant, who looked less than pleased.
“Now or never!” shouted Duegar, charging towards the town as fast as he could. He could already see that the Sheriff’s shot had stirred the other residents into action, and he tried not to think about it. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Shiea bring her combat shotgun to bear, while Gordon hastily loaded his plasma pistol. Duegar knew he wouldn’t be able to draw his mini gun fast enough, and slapped on a power fist. He searched desperately for Trill, knowing that the sooner he got hold of her, the sooner combat would stop.
Something whizzed past the lead mercenary’s ear, and he heard Gordon cry out in pain. Shiea shrieked his name, but continued on. Instead of turning to see his comrade, he opted to find where the shot came from.
Hanging out one of the window’s was a woman in a slightly worn Vault suit holding a gauss rifle. Their eyes met, and Duegar felt a tinge of doubt creep into his mind. The rifle swung into a direct line with him, and Trill closed one eye to aim.
Suddenly, Sheia pushed him out of the way as a large mass hurtled by them. Abandoning his weapon for a power fist of his own, the super mutant barely missed the both of them, shattering the pavement. Sheia turned to face the Sheriff, while Deugar pressed on towards his target. As he did so, more residents poured onto the streets, weapons blazing. Trill, observing his approach, frowned and retreated into her home.
“Fire in the hole!” he heard the tribal yell. Those nearby quickly retreated to their homes as a grenade bounced out of her window and towards Duegar. Barely able to reverse his momentum, he threw himself away from the grenade, just reaching cover as it detonated.
Sheia did her best to avoid the Sheriff’s enraged swings, and hoped for an opening. As it was, every time she brought the shotgun up to fire, she would have to move, or risk being pulped by his power fist.
Meanwhile, Gordon clung to life a few feet away, the wound in his shoulder bleeding profusely. The gauss rifle slug had ripped through his combat armor, him, and out through the back, leaving a gaping, un-patchable hole. As he slipped into unconsciousness, he saw the grey Deathclaw leave the Sheriff’s home and charge towards where Duegar had run.
Trill exited her house soon after the grenade exploded, hoping to catch the assailants off guard. She was confused by the attack, and more than a little irritated by their timing. A part of her was glad for the distraction, but on the whole, she was very, very angry. Her eyes watered at the smoke from the fire caused by the grenade, and she searched for a target. Her target found her, and she felt a powerful hand twist her arm high on her back. She arched her back and fell to her knees in response to the pain.
Goris knew he would not be able to reach Trill in time to save her. Time was his enemy. "No!" he screamed, reaching a claw to her in desperation.
Duegar leaned his face down to Trill's, as she struggled to escape the powerful grasp he had on her.
However hard she tried, she could not break his hold on her. She began to panic as he lowered his face down to hers, bringing with it the foul stench of an unwashed man.
Marcus, who had been backing up the red haired woman towards the jail, got a clear shot of what was unfolding, and felt his heart leap into his throat.
"Your friend Lynette sends her regards." He whispered with a grin as he placed a Desert Eagle to her temple.
Trill screamed in defiance and fear as she heard the hammer click, ready to end her life.
Blood emptied onto the ground as the gunshot sang through the air.
The people of Broken Hills froze in their places, watching the scene before them unfold with a mix of horror and awe.
` The blood continued to form into a pool surrounding Trill, as she collapsed on the ground.
Duegar gasped, and fell to his knees, as the hole in his torso allowed the last bit of his lifeblood to leak away onto the pavement.
Trill looked up in a foggy haze to see a large figure standing over her. "Gor...Goris?" she asked in a wavering tone.
"No," a voice replied, as the figure held out a clawed hand to Trill.
She took a hold of it, and used its strength to pull herself up, only to be confronted by a creature she had never seen before. "Who are you?"
"My name is Rage."
Trill stared at the strange person, not quite sure what to make of him.
“I’m…Trill,” she said, returning the introduction. He nodded knowingly, and cocked his head at her.
“Are you well?”
The tribal nodded at him, trying form some sort of recognition in her mind of him, and failed. What was he?
She heard someone shout her name, but found she couldn’t tear her eyes away from her rescuer. His eyes were incredibly intense, and had the tell-tale glint of intelligence. Large hands touched her shoulders and turned her around.
“Trill? Are you all right?” Marcus asked, breathing heavily, glancing warily at Rage. Goris approached her as well, but found that he too could not help but stare at him. There was something familiar about him, but he couldn’t place it.
Trill looked up into Marcus’ concerned face, and rewarded him with a faint smile, “I’m OK.”
“Thank God,” he said, looking at Rage again, “Thank you…for saving her.”
"Thanks are not required. Is the town secure?"
"Yeah," Marcus grunted, looking towards the jail and watching two of the mutant citizens dragging the woman he had been fighting to the jailhouse.
Rage turned to Marcus. "I need a place to stay for a while, could you tell me if there is some place I could rest?"
Marcus smiled, and nodded in the direction of his home, "You are more than welcome to stay with me for however long you need, after what you’ve done here. I have a small cot that I can pull out for you," he said, drawing Trill into his arms as he spoke.
"That will be fine. I must leave for an hour, but I will return soon," Rage turned, and began a quick paced walk down the road, and into the wasteland.
They watched him go, as quickly and mysteriously as he had come.
“There’s something you don’t see everyday,” Marcus observed, turning towards the jailhouse. Trill and Goris agreed, following the super mutant.
The Sheriff greeted the guards, and they motioned him in. They had put the woman in her own cell, and she was now sulking moodily near the back. Marcus tapped on the bars.
“Hey,” he said, getting her attention. She glared back, but said nothing.
“I think you owe us an explanation,” he said, returning her scowl.
She spat defiantly at him, and continued to stare balefully. Her actions did not spark the reaction she had desired, however. Marcus chuckled at her.
“Not in the mood, huh? We’ll see how you feel after a few days, then.”
“It doesn’t matter, Marcus. I know what they were here for,” Trill said, touching his arm. He looked down at her with curiosity.
“Yeah? How do you know?”
“The man that Rage killed…he said, in so many words, that they were sent by Lynette to kill me.”
If the woman was surprised by her knowledge, she didn’t show it.
“Lynette,” Marcus said simply, his inquisitive expression twisting into one of hatred. He turned his gaze to the red haired woman, who flinched slightly.
“Do you have anything to say for yourself?” he asked grimly.
“No,” she finally said, standing and facing them, “I’m ready for whatever punishment is necessary.”
Marcus looked at her in surprise, and then nodded, “Well, I’m not quite sure what to do with you,” he shrugged, “I’ll decide tomorrow.”
With that, he turned and left, Trill and Goris in tow.
Sheia stared after the odd trio, and wondered what she had gotten herself into.
**
“So what do you make of him?” Marcus asked Goris. Marcus and Trill, as usual, reclined on the couch while Goris sat on his haunches on the floor. Goris frowned, and shook his head.
“I’m not sure,” he said uncertainly. Something about the creature had struck Goris as very familiar, mainly the way he carried himself and spoke. Nevertheless, he couldn’t place him in his memory.
“Me either,” sighed the super mutant. Marcus was grateful that Rage had saved Trill, but he couldn’t help be put off by his appearance. At that thought, he smirked to himself; he was the last person to be questioning another’s looks.
Trill said nothing, and only half listened to their discussion about Rage. She really hadn’t been to bothered by the mercenary attack, seeing as they had been very direct, and no one was injured. The Chosen One wasn’t even fazed by the appearance of Rage. She had other things to worry about…namely, how was she going to tell Marcus about her pregnancy? Before the attack, she had been ready too…but that moment had past, and she didn’t know how to bring it up again.
“Hey, you awake?” asked Marcus, shaking her a little. Snapped from her introverted thoughts, she looked up at him.
“What? Yes! I’m awake.”
He smiled, “You zoned out for a minute, there.”
“Sorry.”
“No problem.”
“Do you think he’ll be back?” wondered Goris, obviously eager for Rage’s return.
Marcus shrugged, “He said he would. Guess we’ll have to go on that.”
Goris nodded in agreement, looking out the window.
Standing and stretching, the super mutant headed for the kitchen, “May as well kill some time. Want a beer, Trill?”
Trill started to reply with yes, but caught herself, “No thanks.”
Her statement was met with an arched brow from Marcus, but he didn’t comment, and disappeared into the kitchen. Goris too gave her an odd, but somewhat knowing look.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
Trill held his gaze for a moment, until Marcus returned, beer in hand. He sat down next to her and put an arm around her waist, drawing her closer. The three companions sat in silence for some time, awaiting the mysterious strangers return.
The sky was turning dark as a knock came on Marcus' door.
Trill looked over to Marcus. "Must be him"
Marcus walked over to the door and opened it. On the doorstop stood the strange creature that had saved Trill, and a small girl.
"I am sorry for my lateness. I had to make sure the way back was safe."
"It's no problem," Marcus said hesitantly, trying to figure out what a small child would be doing with such a strange creature, "Please, come in."
Marcus stepped aside as Rage and the small girl walked into the room. Rage noticed the woman he had saved, and the Deathclaw that was apparently her friend. He nodded to Trill, "I am glad to see that you are safe."
Smiling as she stood, Trill nodded back at him, "My arm is a little sore, but I'll be ok."
Trill studied the young girl that was standing beside Rage, she seemed to be about six years old, with blonde hair, and bright blue eyes, and was smiling as if she was completely content with the world, "Who is this young lady?" she asked, leaning down to greet the little girl.
"I'm Emony," The small girl said with a bright smile, "You're real pretty."
The tribal laughed at her statement, “Well thanks! You’re quite the looker yourself,” Trill winked, causing the little girl to blush slightly. Goris greeted them, more reserved than usual. Trill made a mental note to ask him later. Marcus motioned for Rage and Emony to take a seat on the couch. Emony gladly bounded over to it, while Rage merely stood to the side of her.
Marcus leaned on a wall, near Goris, and Trill sat by the energetic child.
“So, eh, Rage,” Marcus began awkwardly, “What brings you to Broken Hills?”
“I’m on my way to New Reno.”
“New Reno, huh? Not the best place for kids,” the super mutant said with a half smile, hoping the creature wouldn’t be offended. He had a feeling that whatever Rage was, he wasn’t to be trifled with.
“True,” Rage said simply, somehow ending the short conversation, “Why were those mercenaries attacking?”
“They were after me,” Trill said grimly, “The First Citizen of Vault City and I…aren’t good friends.”
Rage nodded at her statement, and turned his eyes to Emony for a moment. She was exploring the deeper recesses of the couch cushions. Her face brightened, and she withdrew something, clenched in her fist.
“I found treasure!”
Trill suppressed a laugh, and leaned close to the little girl, “Oh? What did you find?”
Emony opened her hand, revealing a shiny bottle cap. Trill groaned and fell back, while Marcus and Goris laughed vigorously. Confused by the reaction, Emony gave them all a strange look.
“Will I never escape the caps?” lamented Trill, putting and arm over her face dramatically. Emony tapped her arm, and held the cap to her.
“You don’t like them?”
“Eek!” Trill mock-screamed, shying away from the cap as if it terrified her. Amused by the adult’s reaction, she held it closer to her. Trill fell off the couch, making a choking noise, as if the cap repelled her. Emony giggled, and waved the cap around, eliciting cries of “Ahh! Stop! No!” from Trill.
The other’s watched their antics with amusement, glad for the distraction. Even Rage seemed somewhat entertained by the two, although one would be hard pressed to tell.
Finally, Trill let out a dramatic death cry, and help her arms and legs in the air, her tongue lolling out of her mouth. Emony could hardly contain her amusement, and giggled uncontrollably, dropping the cap. Suddenly, Trill surged to her feet, as though the cap held no more sway over her, scooping Emony up her arms. Squealing in delight, the child squirmed and the tribal began to tickle her mercilessly.
“Where’s your cap now? Huh?” teased Trill, a broad smile on her face, finally relenting. Emony gasped for air, still giggling, and threw her arms around the tribal’s neck.
“You’re nice!” she exclaimed. Trill felt a strange feeling come over her, and she hugged the little girl back. Was this what it was like, to be a mother?
Across the room, Marcus’ thoughts paralleled his lover’s, smiling at the scene. He hoped that someday, they might be able to have children. He also thought of Ella for a moment, robbed of the innocence Emony possessed before her time. Wherever, or whatever she was, he hoped she was doing well.
The small girl suppressed a yawn, and rubbed her clear blue eyes. Rage gave the girl a small smile, and put a hand on her head, “Time for bed.”
“But I’m not tired,” she protested, yawning again, unable to stifle it.
“I’ll get the cot, unless you’d rather use the couch,” offered Marcus, heading for his room.
“I believe the couch will be sufficient,” replied Rage. Marcus nodded to him, and went to get blankets for them. Trill stood, and yawned herself - it had been a long day.
The Sheriff returned with some blankets, and Rage tucked Emony in. As soon as the lights clicked off, she fell fast asleep. Goris, not wanting to disrupt their privacy, removed himself to the kitchen. He laid a blanket on the ground and curled up on it, trying to ignore the millions of questions he wanted to ask Rage. There was always tomorrow.
Rage himself watched Emony sleep, determined to maintain a constant vigil over his tiny charge. Hours passed, and heard the door to Marcus’ room open quietly. He turned to look, and Trill tiptoed out, still in her Vault suit. She carefully closed the door, being mindful not to make a sound. When she turned to head for the door, she jumped, noticing Rage watching her intently.
“Can’t sleep either?” Trill whispered, heading for the porch. He nodded to her, and joined her outside. The night air was refreshingly cool, and the two beings sat in silence for some time.
"Nights like these are what makes living worthwhile," Trill sighed as she looked up at the stars.
"May I ask a question of you?" Rage ventured, after a few moments of silence.
Trill looked over at Rage with a smile, "Sure, ask away."
"How did you manage to do it?"
"Do what?"
"You took on the Enclave, and won. How did you survive?"
` The shocked look on Trill's face made Rage regret his question, "I am sorry. Please forget that I asked."
Trill sat in silence for quite a while, regarding the strange creature, "How... how did you know?"
"I was there," he replied with a cool tone.
Trill's face took on a shocked expression again, "How... what... you were there?"
Rage sighed, "I was stowed away on the tanker when you made your escape. If it wasn't for you causing such chaos on the oil rig, I would not have been able to make my own escape."
"You are one surprising person, Rage. How was it that you ended up on the oil rig?"
Rage continued to look at the sky for quite a while.
"Don’t want to talk, huh? I understand, you don't have to answer."
"No, no it's not that. I should talk about it. It is a part of me."
Rage proceeded to tell her of the last year of his life. As he finished, Trill felt a newfound respect for the strange being before her.
"I am truly sorry for what they did to you Rage."
"It is what fate has chosen for me, it seems. I do not regret what happened."
"But still, I knew the Enclave was evil... but to experiment on you like that..." Thoughts of Goris suddenly hit her, "So that is how Goris recognized you. You were a member of the Vault 13 pack."
"Yes, I was. But that is behind me now; I find it is not best to dwell on it. Life is hard enough as it is."
"Too true," Trill replied.
"Is that why you are afraid of having your child?"
“What!?”
He did not answer, and merely awaited her reply.
“How…how could you know that?”
“I can smell it,” he said simply. Trill just stared at him dumbly, and wondered if it had to do with her hormone levels…hadn’t Lenny said earlier that they were elevated?
“Oh,” she replied, quite oblivious in regards to replying to the creature.
“You didn’t answer my question,” he observed. He was neither pushy, not belligerent…he simply wished to know.
Trill was hesitant to speak, “Yes, I…am worried,” she finally admitted. He merely looked at her.
"Do you not wish to have a child?"
“That’s not it…it’s just,” she trailed off, hugging her knees to her chest, and eventually whispered, “I’m afraid.”
Suddenly, a deep, familiar voice spoke up behind them, “Trill?”
She whirled around, and saw Marcus standing in the doorway, a moderately confused look on his face.
“What are you two talking about? Why are you afraid?”
Trill stared up at him, her emotions almost tangible, and he returned her gaze with a concerned expression.
“Is there something you aren’t telling me?”
The tribal stood and nodded silently, heading for his room. Before he followed her, and chanced a glace at Rage. The creature merely motioned that he should follow her.
When he got to his room, Trill was sitting on the bed, her posture rigid and alert. He joined her, sitting across from her, near the foot of the bed, figuring she needed space. They sat in deafening silence as Trill wrestled with her doubts and fears.
“Marcus, I-“ she stopped again, looking away, as if she might find strength in the walls around her.
Meanwhile, the Sheriff’s mind was spinning. What was wrong? Had she been too late in treating her radiation? It was a sobering thought, and he tried not to think about what he would do if he lost her.
Trill turned back to him, her eyes imploring him to help her. He desperately wished he could help, but had no idea what she needed help with. She carefully reached a hand to him, and he did as well. Surprisingly, she took his hand and placed it over her belly.
“I’m pregnant,” she said, searching his face for a reaction. At first he didn’t, and merely stared at his hand as though it was a new limb.
“Pregnant?” he finally squeaked, feeling suddenly dizzy. Her words had seemed almost surreal. Hearing a super mutant squeak was something new to Trill, and she smiled in spite of herself. She nodded to him, placing another hand over his.
“I…you…wow,” he stuttered, putting his other hand on his head, flabbergasted, “So fast?” he finally managed.
She shrugged and smiled, finding his reaction more than a little amusing, “I guess you super mutants are super in more ways than one,” she winked.
They looked at each other for a few minutes, and then Marcus burst out into uproarious laughter, picking her up in a giant hug. She yelped in surprise, and then laughed as he gave her stomach an obnoxious kiss. Relief washed over her, and many of her concerns left her at that moment.
Their laughter abated for a moment, and they both collapsed on the bed in each other’s arms.
“When did you know?” he asked quietly.
“For sure? Today…I had suspected it a little earlier.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I wasn’t sure how you would react,” Trill said.
“Well I guess you know now, huh?”
“Yeah.”
Marcus and Trill talked long into the night.
*******
Trill stood at a window, waiting for the sunrise to shed its light over her new found home. She had not gotten any sleep that night, but she was not tired, she was hopeful. Hopeful for the future…a future that her child could live in.
Large hands embraced her from behind, in a warm, welcoming hug. "Good morning," Marcus whispered into her ear.
"Good morning," Trill said with a smile as she turned to him.
"You didn't sleep, did you?" Marcus frowned.
Trill smirked, "My mind was occupied. You certainly slept well," she said with a poke to his ribs.
"A guy's gotta have his beauty rest," Marcus joked with a lopsided grin.
"Well, put that rest to good use and get out there. The town needs to be repaired."
"I'll be going as soon as I have breakfast. Where are our visitors?"
"I don't know, they weren't here when I came out."
"Do you think they left?"
Trill shrugged, "You go eat your breakfast while I try to find out where they went."
Marcus headed for the kitchen, as Trill got dressed and went outside. The sun was shining brightly, bringing hope for a beautiful day.
******
Trill found Rage and Emony near the blast site of the rocket that had been fired at the town. Rage was helping the other citizens rebuild a small home, and Emony was struggling with a water bucket.
"What have you got there?" Trill asked as she approached Emony.
Emony looked up at her with a fierce smile, "I'm helping!" She continued her course with a waddle as she pondered along with the heavy bucket.
"Why don't you let me take care of that?"
Emony frowned in an expression that could only be described as annoyance, "But I wanna help!"
Trill smirked. "Well why don't you go help Marcus get you some breakfast, he needs somebody to keep him company."
Emony looked doubtful for a moment, and then smiled. She dropped her precious cargo onto the ground, spilling the water everywhere, and ran off to find the super mutant.
Trill heard a strange laugh come from behind her, and she spun around, not knowing what it was, only to find Rage standing behind her, with a broad grin on his face.
"Good morning Rage," she was shocked, it was the first time she had seen the former Deathclaw happy. It was odd, but refreshing, "You really love, her don't you?"
The grin left Rage's face in an instant, as he returned to his stoic demeanor, "Good morning to you also Trill. Please excuse me, I must get back to the work at hand," Rage turned and headed back to the construction site.
Trill joined the effort to rebuild the home for a while, until she saw Marcus approaching.
"Isn't Emony with you?"
Marcus laughed. "No, she ran off after Lenny, seems she finds him interesting."
Trill giggled, "She's a character."
Marcus grinned, "You got that right, she insisted in eating my oatmeal."
"Well, come on you big oaf, let's get to work."
Hours past until the town was finally back to normal, it had taken most of the day, but the work was complete.
Rage approached an exhausted Trill and Marcus with Emony in tow behind him, "We must be leaving now."
Marcus frowned, "It's almost night time, why not stay for a while longer?"
"Yes, please, stay for another night," Trill chimed in.
"I thank you for your offer, but it is better for us to travel at night, we will rest when we find a safe spot. We have to reach New Reno as soon as possible."
Marcus' frown did not fade, but he knew to argue with such a person would be useless, "We understand. Can we at least give you some supplies for your journey? Some food and some blankets to keep you warm?"
Rage knew better than to argue, "That would be appreciated. I do however, have one other request of you."
Marcus' frown faded into a smile, "Sure, what is it?"
"That mercenary that you have locked up, the female. I wish to take her with us."
Trill and Marcus were obviously shocked at such a request, "I’m sorry, but she’s a criminal, and she’ll have to be punished. I can’t allow that."
"Did she kill anybody?" Rage asked.
"Well, no, but she attacked the town."
"She did not harm anybody, but while she is here, she might end up harming someone. Please, let me take her, I need somebody who understands the darker side of humans on my journey."
"And what about Emony?" Marcus said with a grow,. "You’re going to take a dangerous mercenary along with you and a young child?"
"She is nothing I cannot handle. Emony is safer with me than she could be with anybody else. I think you know that."
Marcus did not doubt his words. He had seen how easy he had dispatched the mercenary who had nearly assassinated Trill, "I’ll have to discuss this with some people. Hold on."
An hour had passed before Marcus returned.
"What did they say?" Trill asked him in a whisper.
"Zaius just wants her gone from the city period. The others are not sure, but they feel obliged to return the favour that Rage has shown us, by rescuing you, and by helping rebuild the town. I don’t like it, but it’s been decided."
Marcus approached Rage, "She’s all yours."
Rage stepped up to the super mutant, and although he was much shorter than the large Sheriff, his presence alone was enough to make him tower over the super mutant. He reached out a clawed hand, and grasped Marcus' shoulder, "I thank you, for all the kindness you have shown to Emony and myself. I am in your debt."
Marcus knew that this was an outrageous amount of humility for such a person to show. He himself knew how hard it was to shake the stoic demeanor of a warrior, "No, thank you, for saving Trill, I don’t know what I would do if I lost her,” Marcus grasped Rage's hand in a gesture of friendship, "If you ever need any help, you can count on us."
Rage and Marcus stood apart from each other as Trill approached him, and embraced him in an awkward hug, "Take care, and make sure that little girl gets enough sleep on your journey."
Trill bent down in front of Emony and hugged her.
"Will I see you again?" Emony asked with a happy tear in her eye.
Trill smiled, "You bet, we'll see each other again one day. And we'll all have a great time."
"Will there be candy?"
Laughing, Trill nodded, "You betcha."
Emony looked into Trill's eyes with a piercing stare, "I love you Trill."
"I love you too Emony." Trill said, biting back tears of her own.
"Come Emony, we must gather our things, and then we will be leaving."
"I'll come with you, to get you those supplies, and the prisoner," Marcus said as he followed Rage and Emony.
Trill just stood there thinking of her future child, and how Emony had shown her how wonderful it would be. She eventually noticed Goris standing beside her, "You training in the ways of stealth Goris?"
"I know who he is," Goris simply stated as he watched Rage walk down the road.
"You do? I wasn't sure if you recognized him."
"There is no way to forget one such as him, my friend. He was the alpha male of our pack. He was revered in our society. Until he disappeared."
"What? I don't understand, I thought Gruthar was the alpha male."
Goris sighed, "He was, but Rage was our Alpha Male before him."
"I still don’t understand, Goris."
"Neither do I Trill. Rage disappeared from our pack over thirty years ago, when I was just nine years old."
"But that's not possible, Rage told me that he left the pack when Vault 13 was attacked."
Goris looked to Trill with a shocked expression, "That cannot be, I remember him clearly, and he was not with us when Vault 13 was destroyed. He must be lying."
Trill watched the street that Rage had gone down in confusion, "He wouldn’t lie. I’m sure of that."
"But what other explanation could there be?" Goris asked.
"Maybe that is what he is searching for, his past," Trill replied.
"I have a feeling we will see him again," Goris said as he lost view of the form of Rage.
"So do I. Come, let's go visit Lenny…I have something to tell him."
Trill and Goris headed for Lenny's as the sun approached the horizon. Darkness followed soon after.
The end...of this collaboration! Of course, our stories will continue.
-SlinkyAvenger and Dom Devore
ICQ# 42929444
SlinkyAvenger@yahoo.com
http://slinkyavenger.iwarp.com
