{"sf1_id":1501591,"sf2_id":"bebrPDae","title":"Love Me As Though There Were No Tomorrow (Chapter 4)","author":"STRONG","words":5633,"posted_at":"2019-10-17T22:53:00.000Z","tags":["Anthro","Fallout","Greentext","M/F","Snekdog","Violence"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1501591-love-me-as-though-there-were-no-tomorrow-chapter-4","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/bebrPDae","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/59/a1/59a1725a-435d-4b3f-b8dc-425496a4e8a0","description":"Chapter 4!","content":"Chapter 4: Give me your war\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\\\u003eLoud Music and the sound of stampeding feet jolt you from your sleep\n\n\\\u003eReveille, the sound of bugles calling people to wake up\n\n\\\u003eYou aren't surprised by it but Gracie is\n\n\\\u003eThe loud doots startled her so bad she's currently flopped on the floor playing dead\n\n\\\u003eTou leave her there on the floor while you stand up and stretch\n\n\\\u003e\"Get up\" you say to her bluntly\n\n\\\u003eHer eye peeks open\n\n\\\u003e\"Are we under attack? What's going on Anon!?\"\n\n\\\u003eYou supposed you should have expected this\n\n\\\u003eMilitary organization like the Brotherhood would stick to an old world military schedule\n\n\\\u003e\"They are all getting up, getting ready for their day Gracie, we're fine\"\n\n\\\u003eShe sits up and looks around, watching the Paladins and Initiates getting dressed quickly\n\n\\\u003eLooking at her, you have to admit that she looks cute in those pajamas\n\n\\\u003eShe didn't quite fill the front but more than made up for it everywhere else\n\n\\\u003eYou shake the thought from your head\n\n\\\u003eShe's just a travel companion, not even your friend\n\n\\\u003eJust a lost puppy that decided to follow you\n\n\\\u003eStill you had accepted to travel with her so it's best to be on good terms right?\n\n\\\u003eYou extend a hand to her and help her to her feet\n\n\\\u003e\"What now Anon?\" she says as the men and women in power armor dash out of the sleeping chambers\n\n\\\u003e\"We change and get going, we have to head north to Camp McCarran\"\n\n\\\u003eYou pull up a Map on your pip-boy and show her\n\n\\\u003e\"We are here, and we have to get wayyyyy up there\" you scroll up on the map as you speak\n\n\\\u003eLuckily there aren't many hill or obstacles on the way, just flat ground\n\n\\\u003eBut it was still quite a distance, a distance you wanted to cover before night fell\n\n\\\u003eGracie gawks at it\n\n\\\u003e\"We have to go ALL that way!?\"\n\n\\\u003eYou nod and pull your pajama shirt off\n\n\\\u003e\"Yea, we should at least get as close as we can, we don't want to run into any fiends\"\n\n\\\u003eAs you pull your leather armor over your head you see Gracie Starting to Shimmy out of her Nightgown\n\n\\\u003eInstantly you turn around from her, staring at the wall\n\n\\\u003e\"You should probably change in the Bathroom Gracie, Not right in front of me\"\n\n\\\u003eYou hear her laugh behind you\n\n\\\u003e\"What? Is the big bad boomer afraid of a little nudity?\"\n\n\\\u003eYou frown\n\n\\\u003e\"No, it's just considerate and we ARE in an open Area!\"\n\n\\\u003eYou hear a quick squeak in surprise and turn around\n\n\\\u003e\"I forgot there were other people...\"\n\n\\\u003eYou can barely see a ripple in the air\n\n\\\u003eShe did say she could turn invisible but didn't have time to study it last time\n\n\\\u003eAfter all that was when you first met her\n\n\\\u003eWhat actually amazes you is that her clothes also have gone invisible\n\n\\\u003eYou Stare, watching the air ripple and bend around where you think her head is\n\n\\\u003e\"How are your clothes invisible Gracie? how does that work?\"\n\n\\\u003eThe Nightstalkers you had seen, the normal ones anyway, could only make their bodies invisible\n\n\\\u003eBut then again you hadn't seen them wearing clothes\n\n\\\u003eThe image of a Feral Nightstalker wearing a t shirt and shorts pops into your head as she answers\n\n\\\u003e\"Uh, I don't know Anon, they just do\"\n\n\\\u003eYou watch in awe as her articles of clothing disappear, presumably onto her\n\n\\\u003eYou realize you're still sitting with your shirt off, staring at nothing, at least that's what it looks like to everyone else\n\n\\\u003eQuickly you put on your leather armor\n\n\\\u003eGracie had already seen you naked, so what do you care?\n\n\\\u003eQuickly you change from your pajamas into your armor\n\n\\\u003eAs flimsy as it, it was all you could afford right now\n\n\\\u003eThe Boomers back on Nellis never needed armor, they used Howitzers to kill anyone that wasn't allowed onto the base\n\n\\\u003eBecause of that they used regular clothing instead of armor\n\n\\\u003eThe Bullet wounds you suffered from being ill prepared taught you quickly that almost everyone wants to kill you out here\n\n\\\u003eAs such you got the best armor you could afford, occasionally augmented with bits of gecko skin leather to add to the thickness of the armor\n\n\\\u003eYou tighten the last strap of your armor and try to gauge where Gracie is\n\n\\\u003eIt's hard to judge where she is, even when she isn't moving\n\n\\\u003e\"Where are you? You still here Gracie?\"\n\n\\\u003eShe slowly uncloaks in front of you, standing and fully dressed, except she still doesn't have any shoes\n\n\\\u003e\"Right you still need shoes, sorry I forgot about those Gracie\"\n\n\\\u003eShe looks at you confused\n\n\\\u003e\"Shoes? You never mentioned anything about shoes Anon\"\n\n\\\u003eYou stash your bedroll and the pillows\n\n\\\u003eYou'll pay Torres a little extra for Gracie's pillow\n\n\\\u003eIt spares your legs and helps keep Gracie comfortable\n\n\\\u003e\"You'll need shoes where we're going Gracie, Trust me\"\n\n\\\u003eYou think of the broken glass, spent med-x needles and barbed wire scattered all around New Vegas\n\n\\\u003eHer footpaws would be torn to shreds\n\n\\\u003eThat would only slow you down, you assure yourself that's why you're concerned\n\n\\\u003eGracie attaches herself to your arm once more as you lead her through the bunker\n\n\\\u003eDown the stairs, to the Cage where Torres is waiting to serve anyone who needs new gear\n\n\\\u003e\"Hey Torres, Mind if I look around back there for boots\"\n\n\\\u003eTorres looks at your feet and gives you a confused look\n\n\\\u003e\"You have boots boomer, why do you need more?\"\n\n\\\u003eYou pull the arm Gracie is latched onto forward\n\n\\\u003e\"This little lady needs some, we're heading to New Vegas, don't want her feet getting torn up\"\n\n\\\u003eTorres looks Gracie up and down quickly and sighs\n\n\\\u003e\"I suppose it can't hurt to let you look around, we might have boots for anthros around here somewhere\"\n\n\\\u003eShe opens the cage for you, letting you and Gracie slip behind the cage\n\n\\\u003e\"I've got my eye on you Boomer, don't do anything stupid\" She warns\n\n\\\u003eYou nod and begin searching through Boxes and crates\n\n\\\u003eLots of random shit, recon armor, laser pistols\n\n\\\u003eYou open a box and dig through it only to have a rolled up piece of paper catch your eyes\n\n\\\u003eBlueprints for something\n\n\\\u003eUnrolling the paper, you study the paper quickly\n\n\\\u003eIts for an all terrain vehicle, a heavy duty transport made from things all over the wasteland\n\n\\\u003e\"Hey Torres, what's this?\" you call out to the Quartermaster\n\n\\\u003eYou hear her footsteps behind you until you can feel her leaning over your back, looking over your shoulder\n\n\\\u003e\"Oh hey you found the blueprint to the Treadnaugt\"\n\n\\\u003eYou stare at the blueprints, treads, BIG guns, and heavy armor\n\n\\\u003e\"Why haven't you guys Made this thing?!\" you ask incredulously\n\n\\\u003eThis vehicle is would be the next best thing to a tank, except for explosive turrets it had heavy Machine guns and it was much much faster\n\n\\\u003e\"It's Based on Tech found on a computer terminal in Helios one, stuff we haven't been able to reproduce\" Torres says dismissively\n\n\\\u003eYou gawk at it\n\n\\\u003eThis thing had to be built, you had to build it!\n\n\\\u003eImages of you rolling into Nellis with it float through your head\n\n\\\u003eHow could they Shun you if you rolled up in that?\n\n\\\u003e\"Can I have these blueprints? I might be able to build this up\"\n\n\\\u003eTorres shrugs \"Fine they were just gathering dust here\"\n\n\\\u003eYou sit and pour over the blueprints as Gracie continues rifling through boxes\n\n\\\u003e\"Found Boots Anon!\" She says excitedly after about 15 minutes\n\n\\\u003e\"Oh! Yea, uh huh, great Gracie\" you answer distractedly\n\n\\\u003eYou hear a loud \"Hmph\" before a boot hits the back of your head\n\n\\\u003e\"OW!!! What the FUCK?!\" you snarl as you stand up\n\n\\\u003eGracie stands with one boot in her paw\n\n\\\u003e\"We came here to get me boots anon! Not to fulfill your wet dreams\"\n\n\\\u003eYou frown and roll up the blueprint\n\n\\\u003e\"With this we could be safe wherever we went\"\n\n\\\u003eShe Huffs at you with a small hiss, which you ignore\n\n\\\u003eWho is she to tell you what to do?\n\n\\\u003eShe followed you and demands a gun, then demands your attention?\n\n\\\u003eSo what if you want something? If she has a problem with it she can go back to her cave for all you care\n\n\\\u003eBut you weren't about to drive her away, not yet at least\n\n\\\u003e\"Whatever Gracie, grab your shit and let me Pay for it\" you say turning from her\n\n\\\u003e\"Hey, No! Anon wait!\" she calls after you as you leave the cage\n\n\\\u003eYou ignore her pleas and start talking to Knight Torres\n\n\\\u003e\"How much for her boots and the blueprints, plus a pillow?\" you ask, ignoring the forming headache from the boot and the Snakedog hurrying to get out of the cage\n\n\\\u003e\"For you Boomer? Let's just go with 50 caps, however if you trade the weird Plasma gun I'll give you 100 caps and everything else free\" Torres says flatly\n\n\\\u003eWhat did you need a plasma gun for anyway? Yea, you had the idea to mix a regular gun with a Energy gun for something but you had no clue how plasma weapons worked\n\n\\\u003e\"Fine, but we also want breakfast before we head out\"\n\n\\\u003e\"Deal\"\n\n\\\u003eYou hand over the Q-35 matter modulator, it was cool to have but you didn't exactly trust plasma weapons\n\n\\\u003eThe thought of it exploding and turning you into a pile of green goo kept you from using it\n\n\\\u003eYou leave the Quartermaster to marvel at the gun as you head to the chow hall with the rolled up blueprints in your armpit\n\n\\\u003eGracie follows you, trying to grab your arm for comfort, which you keep pulling away from her grabby paws\n\n\\\u003eShe hit you with a fucking boot, she obviously doesn't need your comfort\n\n\\\u003eIf anything she's an annoyance, but one you'll put up with\n\n\\\u003e\"Come on Snekderp, let's eat and get going\"\n\n\\\u003eThe chow hall is just what it sounds like\n\n\\\u003eA large room with a bunch of long table in rows that people are sitting at\n\n\\\u003eA group of Mr.Handy robots hover behind a counter, piling some kind of food meal onto trays for the Brotherhood members\n\n\\\u003eYou Grab and empty tray and motion for Gracie to grab one as well\n\n\\\u003eSlowly you shuffle down the line waiting for your meal, the blueprints tucked under your arm\n\n\\\u003eEventually it's your turn and the Mr. handy piles a puddle of something onto your plate\n\n\\\u003eLooking like a mixture of Oatmeal and cram, the meal doesn't look appetizing in the least\n\n\\\u003eHell the gecko you had yesterday looked better\n\n\\\u003eBut in the wasteland beggars can't be choosers\n\n\\\u003eYou carry your tray of slop to a table, fully aware of the stares you and Gracie were earning\n\n\\\u003eHow can you blame them? A stranger shows up in a seemingly secret bunker with an unusual anthro\n\n\\\u003eBut you ignore them regardless\n\n\\\u003eAs you sit you unroll the blueprints once more\n\n\\\u003ePowered by 8 fusion cores, 10 mm Cannons, treads....\n\n\\\u003eYou eat the slop, which tastes like a mix of bland chicken and stale bread\n\n\\\u003eUgh how these guys ate this everyday\n\n\\\u003eYou look around calmly and watch them happily eat the slop\n\n\\\u003eGross, they must be used to it\n\n\\\u003eIgnoring everyone else you study the blueprints\n\n\\\u003eTreads from a robobrain, Force Field generators, parts from a place called \"Hopeville\"\n\n\\\u003eThis thing was a Madman's dream\n\n\\\u003eAnd you guess you were mad enough to try it\n\n\\\u003e\"Hello there Boomer, what's that you've got?\"\n\n\\\u003eElder McNamara takes a seat across from you, looking at the blueprints\n\n\\\u003eYou take a few spoonfuls of the slop and Gracie uses her tongue to lap it up\n\n\\\u003e\"The Treadnaut? I haven't seen those blueprints since Father Elijah was around\"\n\n\\\u003eA hush falls over the crowd and you feel more eyes on you\n\n\\\u003eYou shrug them off\n\n\\\u003eWhat do you care about the sins of someone else?\n\n\\\u003e\"I want to build this thing, and I'm sure with the brotherhoods help I could\" you say straight faced\n\n\\\u003eElder McNamara looks you up and down a few times, gauging you\n\n\\\u003e\"I haven't seen such foolish determination since Father Elijah\"\n\n\\\u003eYou don't know what that means, but you also don't care\n\n\\\u003e\"Will you help me or not?\"\n\n\\\u003eThe elder looks at you, then the blueprints\n\n\\\u003e\"IF! IF you bring the parts, we can build it, and replicate it for ourselves\"\n\n\\\u003eHe looks at the staring Brotherhood soldiers\n\n\\\u003e\"Yes, we'll help you build it, but only if you can find the parts\"\n\n\\\u003eScore\n\n\\\u003eYou get a fucking tank and all you had to do was kill some shit?\n\n\\\u003eGG EZ, in the words of the ancients\n\n\\\u003eYou smile and extend a hand to him\n\n\\\u003e\"Does that mean I can use one of the abandoned bunkers outside too? I need to have a base close by if I'm working with you\"\n\n\\\u003eElder McNamara Nods and shakes you hand, \"Fine, but it's on you to find everything\"\n\n\\\u003eJust find the parts? That's it? Plus you get a base and get to use a free shower every now and then?\n\n\\\u003eScore plus one\n\n\\\u003eYou look over the blueprints and shovel the Meat slurry into your mouth as fast as you can\n\n\\\u003eBetter to just eat it and not think about it\n\n\\\u003eWhere is Hopeville? What's the Sierra Madre?\n\n\\\u003eThese Blueprints had notes covering the margins\n\n\\\u003eThose were the things you recognized most\n\n\\\u003eScrawlings of a man obsessed with something\n\n\\\u003eYou eat silently, studying the blueprints while Gracie laps up her meal\n\n\\\u003eSato sits across from you, holding a mug of something\n\n\\\u003e\"AAAAAYEE AnNNOon! WWWhat's that ya gott!?\" he speaks with a slurred voice\n\n\\\u003eYou guess whatever he has in that mug is alcoholic\n\n\\\u003eHis breath tells you it is anyway\n\n\\\u003eYou shield the Paper from him while showing it to him\n\n\\\u003e\"OOOhhhhhhh that thing, we tried to build it, found where all that parts are an Eeeeerrryyythin, but after a few paladins ad knights died it wasss scrappped\"\n\n\\\u003eHe sloshes a bit of his drink on the table as he talks\n\n\\\u003eThis piques your interest\n\n\\\u003e\"Where?\" you ask as he gets up and saunters off, spilling more of his drink\n\n\\\u003e\"Vault 11\" Elder McNamara answers for him\n\n\\\u003eYou look at him, quietly judging him\n\n\"Why didn't you tell me this right away?\"\n\n\\\u003eHe sighs and drains how bowl of slop\n\n\\\u003e\"Elder Elijah sent 3 teams there. None of them returned. I don't feel like sending someone to his tomb\"\n\n\\\u003eVault 11? you hard heard whispers about it\n\n\\\u003e\"Thanks but I'll be fine\"\n\n\\\u003eYou shudder as you down the rest of your meal\n\n\\\u003eHopefully you never have to eat here again, the food is terrible\n\n\\\u003eThe showers weren't bad though\n\n\\\u003eYou roll up the papers and stash them away\n\n\\\u003eAs much fun as looking over those was it was time to get going, you had a bounty to secure and caps to make\n\n\\\u003eGracie is licking her tray clean when you look over at her\n\n\\\u003e\"Seriously? No account for manners I see\" you say\n\n\\\u003eYeah you're a hypocrite, discarding manners entirely yet holding Gracie to those same standards\n\n\\\u003eShe looks down at her clean tray\n\n\\\u003e\"I was hungry, we only ate once yesterday\" she mopes, not making eye contact with you\n\n\\\u003eA Twinge of guilt hits you\n\n\\\u003eYou were so determined to get here you ate only once yesterday\n\n\\\u003eGuess you should think of her health, as well as your own\n\n\\\u003eLegumes might have been the main protein source of your diet prior to leaving Nellis, but Meat was a rare commodity\n\n\\\u003eAt least it was if you weren't ballsy enough to hunt it down yourself\n\n\\\u003eAnd everything in the wasteland was edible to you\n\n\\\u003eWell besides humans and ghouls\n\n\\\u003eScorpions? Cazadores? Nightstalkers? Lakelurks?\n\n\\\u003eWhatever! You would eat them\n\n\\\u003eBut looking at Gracie reminded you that you were nearly starved\n\n\\\u003eSure there were plants that you could eat but those weren't enough\n\n\\\u003eThose were thoughts for another day however\n\n\\\u003eYou motion for her to follow you\n\n\\\u003eQuickly you leave the chow hall and retrace your footsteps to the entrance and exit of the bunker\n\n\\\u003e\"Elder McNamara said you are allowed to come and go as you please, against my judgement, mind you. Don't do anything stupid boomer,\n\nor do; then I get to shoot you\" Ramos says as you walk by him\n\n\\\u003eA new person who wants you dead, what a surprise\n\n\\\u003eYou don't even acknowledge him as you leave the bunker\n\n\\\u003eStepping into the light from the rising sun, you breathe in deep\n\n\\\u003eIt's surprising how good the air feels compared to the recycled air of the bunker\n\n\\\u003eYou didn't even notice it until you were back in the fresh air\n\n\\\u003eGracie stands next to you, scanning the ground\n\n\\\u003e\"Looking for more scorpions Gracie?\"\n\n\\\u003eShe nods, still looking around\n\n\\\u003e\"Yea! Plus I guess I have to remind you to eat, so we should have things TO eat first\"\n\n\\\u003eA quick check through you pip-boy lets you know you still have gecko, some bark scorpion and various plants to eat\n\n\\\u003eStill more wouldn't hurt\n\n\\\u003eYou pull out a Banana yucca fruit and toss it to Gracie, that grab one for yourself\n\n\\\u003e\"Lets go\" you as before biting into the fruit\n\n\\\u003eShe follows you as you navigate out of the valley's fenced in area\n\n\\\u003eLuckily there weren't to many things in the way to get to McCarran\n\n\\\u003eIt was mostly modestly flat ground, a few small hills\n\n\\\u003eThere was that one building you found that had the Q-35 Matter Modulator\n\n\\\u003eStill getting there should be easy\n\n\\\u003eFor the better part of 3 hours you walk with Gracie,occasionally telling her about things\n\n\\\u003eThe past mostly\n\n\\\u003eThe great war, the NCR, the Brotherhood of steel, The Legion and their remnants\n\n\\\u003eAfter that Courier shower up and devastated the Legion, most of the legion fell apart\n\n\\\u003eA Small faction remains from what you gathered\n\n\\\u003eGracie's questions about everything was actually quite cute, and you enjoyed having someone to talk to\n\n\\\u003eNormally you just wandered around alone\n\n\\\u003e\"Hey Anon I know we have places to go but can we eat again? I'm getting hungry\"\n\n\\\u003eyou stop and look at you pip-boy\n\n\\\u003eSo far you're making good time so it can't hurt to stop and relax a bit\n\n\\\u003eHell there's even the remains of a road nearby that go all the way north to McCarran\n\n\\\u003e\"Let's get to the road nearby and then we can set up a fire\" you say pointing in the direction of the road\n\n\\\u003eYyou look at her and see a toothy smile\n\n\\\u003e\"OK anon! Race you there!\"\n\n\\\u003eBefore you can even say anything she runs off in the direction you pointed\n\n\\\u003eFuck that you aren't running in this heat\n\n\\\u003eYou follow her at a decent walking pace, eventually catching up\n\n\\\u003eShe stands with her paws on her knees, panting slightly\n\n\\\u003e\"Why didn't you race me Anon! That's not fun!\"\n\n\\\u003e\"It's hot and we still have a way to go before we reach Camp McCarran\" you answer as you survey the area\n\n\\\u003ea few wrecks on the side of the road\n\n\\\u003e\"You're just afraid you're gonna lose\" Gracie huffs at you with a small hiss\n\n\\\u003e\"Whatever Snekderp, what do you want to eat?\" you ask as you walk towards a burned out car\n\n\\\u003e\"Uh can you cook up those Bark scorpion claws?\"\n\n\\\u003eYou nod and gather bits of plant debris from around the area\n\n\\\u003eBefore long you have a fire going next to the car\n\n\\\u003eUsing some stones and a flat piece of metal pried from the car, you make a semi viable stove\n\n\\\u003eIt's not pretty but it'll work\n\n\\\u003eYou set the claws and a few slabs of gecko meat on the metal piece and let them cook before sitting down with your back resting on the side of the car\n\n\\\u003e\"Have you had bark scorpion before Anon?\" Gracie asks sitting\n\n\\\u003eYou nod as you poke the claws with the hunting knife\n\n\\\u003e\"Yea, they taste ok, a bit like Lakelurk, pretty good with agave\"\n\n\\\u003eRecalling that you have Jalapeno peppers, you set them on the stove as well\n\n\\\u003eGecko steak with roasted peppers sounds pretty good\n\n\\\u003eYou sit back against the car, relaxing a bit\n\n\\\u003eGracie slides next to you, close enough her wide hips are pressed to yours\n\n\\\u003e\"Do you think My appearance will creep people out wherever we are going?\" Gracie asks, pulling her coyote hood down\n\n\\\u003eyou frown slightly\n\n\\\u003e\"Maybe, keep that hood up when we're there and our sleeve down to hide your arm scales just to be safe though\"\n\n\\\u003eYou pull the metal sheet off from above the fire and set it on the road next to you\n\n\\\u003eGotta let the food cool\n\n\\\u003eAs you turn back to Gracie you notice your pip-boy\n\n\\\u003eAnd the red markers on it\n\n\\\u003eImmediately you draw your Gobi scout rifle\n\n\\\u003e\"Gracie get ready! we've got company\" you whisper firmly\n\n\\\u003eHer eyes widen at you as you get into a kneeling position and aim down the scope\n\n\\\u003e\"What is it Anon? Who's trying to kill us?\"\n\n\\\u003eYou frown as you spot the offenders\n\n\\\u003eSix Legion assassins\n\n\\\u003e\"CAESAR HAS MARKED YOU FOR DEATH, AND THE LEGION OBEYS! PREPA-\"\n\n\\\u003eThe one who was shouting got a mysterious case of bullet to the fucking head\n\n\\\u003eFuck them for ruining your meal\n\n\\\u003eYou smirk as the rest of the squad dives for cover\n\n\\\u003e\"Gobi rifle? More Like Gucci rifle!\" you say with a smirk as you shoot at another Legionary, hitting him square in the chest\n\n\\\u003e\"That's really Dumb Anon\" Gracie laughs from her hiding spot behind the car\n\n\\\u003e\"Yea that was a bad one!\" you hear one of the Legionaries call out\n\n\\\u003e\"SHUT UP!\"\n\n\\\u003eThe offending legionary has his head turn into red mist as a Hollow point .308 round collides with his face\n\n\\\u003e\"And you could help you know!\" you call to Gracie as a bullet ricochets off the car behind you\n\n\\\u003eYou rush behind it and crouch down,\n\n\\\u003eEnough of this, you stash the scout rifle and pull out your LMG\n\n\\\u003e\"I'm Scared Anon! I don't know if I can!\" she calls from her prone position\n\n\\\u003eYou grab her and pull her up to a crouch\n\n\\\u003e\"Go invisible and get behind them! I'll keep them occupied\"\n\n\\\u003eYou look into her eyes to the sound of bullets hitting the side of the car\n\n\\\u003eShe trembles and looks up at you\n\n\\\u003e\"O-Ok Anon, I'll do it\"\n\n\\\u003eYou Nod and stand, placing the LMG on the roof of the car\n\n\\\u003eOne of these bullets has their names on it\n\n\\\u003eAnd you're gonna keep firing until you figure out which one it is\n\n\\\u003eYou open fire at the closet figure, shredding him in a hail of bullets\n\n\\\u003eTwo left\n\n\\\u003eYou hear full auto gunfire from behind their cover\n\n\\\u003eThen a sharp scream\n\n\\\u003eYou heart falls and you run around the car towards the scream\n\n\\\u003eIs Gracie hurt? Did she just scream from the sight of blood or the thought of killing a man?\n\n\\\u003eYou look the where the scream came from\n\n\\\u003eThe Legionary Stands over a fallen over Gracie\n\n\\\u003eYou hope she's just playing dead this time\n\n\\\u003e\"I've found one Legate, an Oracle!, I've wounded her but she's ali-\" you fire a round straight into the back of his head\n\n\\\u003eYou run over to Gracie and kneel next to her\n\n\\\u003e\"Please be ok, please be ok\" you repeat as you set down you LMG and scoop up her body\n\n\\\u003eYou feel wetness on your arm as you Cradle her head\n\n\\\u003e\"Gracie come on, talk to me!\"\n\n\\\u003eYou shake her gently and look over her body but see no wounds\n\n\\\u003e\"Gracie you better not be playing dead!\"\n\n\\\u003eHer blue eye peeks open and she smirks at you\n\n\\\u003e\"Awww you were concerned about me!\"\n\n\\\u003eYou frown and drop her\n\n\\\u003e\"Fucking hell Gracie, don't fucking do that! I thought you were hurt!\"\n\n\\\u003eShe rubs her ass where you dropped her\n\n\\\u003e\"I'm ok but uh...I wet myself though...\"\n\n\\\u003eTHAT was the wetness on your arm!?\n\n\\\u003eYou frown and shake your arm out trying to shake away the feeling\n\n\\\u003e\"Why did you do That?\" you ask as you walk to the body of the Legionary\n\n\\\u003e\"It's not like I wanted too! He scared me and hit me with one of those Poles!\"\n\n\\\u003eHe did have throwing spears on him, he must've whacked her with one\n\n\\\u003eYou search the bodies of the fallen, stripping away their weapons, ammo, caps and Legion denarius and aureus\n\n\\\u003eThe Legions money is useless but you can stuff it into shotgun shells which in turn shred anything\n\n\\\u003eYou also find a Busted radio on the one that knocked over Gracie\n\n\\\u003eHe had called her a Oracle or something like that and spoke to a legate?\n\n\\\u003eWhat could that all mean?\n\n\\\u003eYou look over to Gracie and see her Huddled by the fire pit you had made\n\n\\\u003e\"You Ok Gracie?\" you ask as you walk up to her\n\n\\\u003eShe looks up at you with tears in her eyes\n\n\\\u003e\"I'm Sorry I'm such a coward Anon! I got scared and I'm sorry! I'm Not a soldier like you are!\"\n\n\\\u003eYou sigh and sit down next to her, looking into the fire\n\n\\\u003e\"It's a hell of a thing, killing a man. You take away all he's got and all he's ever gonna have\"\n\n\\\u003eShe looks at you, confused\n\n\\\u003e\"What does that mean Anon? What are you talking about?\"\n\n\\\u003eYou begin packing up the food and whatever gear you dropped before the gunfight\n\n\\\u003e\"It's never easy to kill someone Gracie, it's ok to be scared, but out here, in the wasteland; almost everyone wants to kill you, just about every living thing that crawls, flies or squats in the mud wants to kill you and eat you\"\n\n\\\u003eYou extend a hand to her\n\n\\\u003eShe takes it and you pull her to her feet\n\n\\\u003e\"You might be scared, and the world doesn't care. But I do, as much as I might not look or act it. I'll help you learn to keep that fear in check\"\n\n\\\u003eYou look at your pip-boy and take a location nearby. It should have running water or at least a well\n\n\\\u003e\"I'm not like you though Anon! You have no fear at all! You killed a super mutant! You stared down the barrel of a Laser rifle! You shot and killed those men!\"\n\n\\\u003eYou sigh as you start walking\n\n\\\u003e\"I was scared the entire time I did all that Gracie. If you ain't scared when 6 men shoot at you, or when a super mutant tries to kill or you when a gun is pointed right at your face, somethings wrong with you\" you say as you scan the horizon\n\n\\\u003eThe building you're headed to isn't too far away\n\n\\\u003e\"But you seemed so calm Anon\"\n\n\\\u003e\"If I don't stay calm even when I'm scared I might as well be dead; while playing dead might have worked before Gracie we need to get that habit out of you, because things out here don't care if you're dead. They will still try to eat you\"\n\n\\\u003eYou spot where you're headed, an old abandoned farmhouse\n\n\\\u003eGracie is silent as she digests what you've said\n\n\\\u003e\"So it's ok to be Scared Anon?\" she finally asks\n\n\\\u003eYou nod\n\n\\\u003e\"Just use that fear, it's fight or die out here in the wasteland. To tell the truth, I'm more scared of dying than I am of anything out here\"\n\n\\\u003eGracie is silent as you walk to the abandoned house\n\n\\\u003eYou push open the door and look around, a thick layer of dust covers everything\n\n\\\u003eThis place has been empty for a while\n\n\\\u003eBut you had seen a water pump outside\n\n\\\u003e\"Get out of those clothes Gracie, lets clean them up and you as well, then we'll eat and I'll teach you about your gun a bit more\"\n\n\\\u003eYou turn and leave the house while she strips\n\n\\\u003eLuckily this place had a pump that directly into a boiler\n\n\\\u003eGranted you were going to have to light it so there was warm water but it was better than nothing\n\n\\\u003eYou begin pumping the water, it's a long process but one that would benefit you both\n\n\\\u003eWarm water for you both to get clean with, plus clean any urine out of her clothes\n\n\\\u003eThe thought of watersports makes you shudder in disgust\n\n\\\u003eHow people liked that kinda stuff was beyond you\n\n\\\u003eYou aren't one to kink-shame but seriously its biological waste; key word being WASTE\n\n\\\u003eYou pump water for a good 30 minutes, getting one hell of an arm workout\n\n\\\u003eWhen you finally re enter the house you find Gracie wrapped in a blanket\n\n\\\u003e\"This was in the bedroom, I didn't wanna get pee on my PJ's\" she explains when you give her a questioning look\n\n\\\u003eA quick search around reveals a boiler,which you quickly ignite the pilot light of\n\n\\\u003eThis house must be pre-war, the gas lines work still and the water seemed rad-free\n\n\\\u003eYou mark it's location on your pip-boy, might be useful later\n\n\\\u003eYou find the stove and light it up, at least it still worked\n\n\\\u003eYou throw the food on it while Gracie watches over your shoulder, pressed against you\n\n\\\u003eWhile you know it's just innocent curiosity, only a thin piece of fabric between her and you gets you a bit riled up\n\n\\\u003eBut she's not human, and you barely know her\n\n\\\u003eBefore long you pull the food off the burners\n\n\\\u003eNo pans in sight so the food was directly on the metal brackets\n\n\\\u003eStill it cooked the food up good\n\n\\\u003eA quick check of the water from the kitchen faucet tells you it's warm enough\n\n\\\u003e\"Ok Gracie, go clean up\"\n\n\\\u003eShe nods and heads into the bathroom\n\n\\\u003eYou snoop around the house until you find some old moth eaten towels, a box of Abraxo cleaner and a bar of soap\n\n\\\u003eThe bath is already running when you find it though\n\n\\\u003eYou knock on the bathroom door and wait before you hear a muffled \"Come in\"\n\n\\\u003eWith your eyes closed you enter and set the towels and soap on the floor\n\n\\\u003e\"Here Gracie, get cleaned up and dry\"\n\n\\\u003eYou back out of the room quickly and head to the kitchen\n\n\\\u003eThose gecko steaks and grilled peppers are calling your name\n\n\\\u003eNothing like killing Legion assholes to get your appetite up\n\n\\\u003eYou eat quietly\n\n\\\u003eThey called her a Oracle, and whatever that meant you're sure that can't be good\n\n\\\u003eYou're almost positive they were going to send more of those legion fucks after you\n\n\\\u003eAll the more reason to get the treadnaut built AND get one of those bunkers ready for living in\n\n\\\u003eYou place more meat on the stove, and let it cook\n\n\\\u003eIt's only about 3 pm and you doubt you're going to move from here tonight\n\n\\\u003eGracie was too freaked out and her clothes would still be soaked\n\n\\\u003e\"I'm done! That food smells good!\"\n\n\\\u003eGracie emerges from the bathroom, still slightly wet and with a holey towel wrapped around herself\n\n\\\u003eWhile you had seen her in nothing but rags seeing her in a towel was interesting\n\n\\\u003eYou shake your head and look away from her\n\n\\\u003e\"I'm gonna get clean too then we can wash your clothes, change into those PJ's you got earlier\"\n\n\\\u003eQuickly you rush into the bathroom and shut the door behind you\n\n\\\u003eGod dammit get a hold of yourself\n\n\\\u003eYou quickly strip and run the bath\n\n\\\u003eThe process for getting clean takes maybe 10 minutes tops\n\n\\\u003eThere is a certain art to getting clean quickly\n\n\\\u003eWhen you step out of the bathroom with your own Pajamas on Gracie is sitting at a table, picking bits of meat out of the Scorpion claws\n\n\\\u003e\"Ooooh Anon this is SO good! We need to hunt more of these next time!\"\n\n\\\u003eYou smile as you look at her\n\n\\\u003eShes cute, sitting comfortably with her tail pushing the skirt of the PJs up a bit, while wagging non stop\n\n\\\u003eLucky she had Underwear on\n\n\\\u003eOr is it unlucky?\n\n\\\u003eYou don't know right now, nor do you care\n\n\\\u003e\"Where are your clothes? We need to wash them\"\n\n\\\u003eShe points them out to you, so you grab them and take them to the bathroom\n\n\\\u003eAnother hot water bath, some Abraxo Cleaner, a little elbow grease and they are all clean, hanging from a curtain rod in the bathroom to dry\n\n\\\u003eGracie watched over your shoulder as you cleaned them\n\n\\\u003eYou doubt she has ever even seen someone clean clothes\n\n\\\u003eHell when you met her it was like she had never even worn clothes prior\n\n\\\u003eMaybe her seeing Raiders wear them made her wear them?\n\n\\\u003eA question for another night\n\n\\\u003e\"Alright Gracie grab your gun, we're gonna take it apart and put it back together a few times and clean up our guns\"\n\n\\\u003eShe fetches it from on top of her folded jacket and helmet\n\n\\\u003eYou spend the rest of the evening cleaning your guns, teaching her how to take hers apart and put it back together\n\n\\\u003eIts nearly 9 pm when you eat again and unroll your bedroll\n\n\\\u003e\"Don't you wanna use the bed Anon? There's a mattress and everything!\" Gracie motions to the bedroom\n\n\\\u003eYou shake your head\n\n\\\u003e\"Don't know who or what has done what on that thing, cleaner and safer here\" you say as you set your LMG beside you\n\n\\\u003eGracie looks back and forth between you and the bedroom\n\n\\\u003e\"That actually Makes sense Anon, that thing had stains on it anyway\"\n\n\\\u003eYou sit with your back against the wall, a pillow supporting your neck and head\n\n\\\u003eGracie crawls over and fluffs her own pillow, then set it on your thighs\n\n\\\u003e\"Goodnight Anon, thank you for everything\" she murmurs\n\n\\\u003eYou place a hand on her side and yawn\n\n\\\u003e\"It's no problem Gracie, goodnight\"\n\n\\\u003eYou fall asleep with the feeling of warm scales and fur under your fingers\n\n  \n\n  \n  \n\n","series":{"name":"Love Me As Though There Were No Tomorrow","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1499219-love-me-as-though-there-were-no-tomorrow-chapter-3.json","next":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1505037-love-me-as-though-there-were-no-tomorrow-chapter-5.json"}}