{"sf1_id":1505037,"sf2_id":"Oe5wBL0n","title":"Love Me As Though There Were No Tomorrow (Chapter 5)","author":"STRONG","words":5215,"posted_at":"2019-10-26T04:14:59.000Z","tags":["Fallout","Greentext","Human","M/F","Nightstalker","Snekdog","Violence"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1505037-love-me-as-though-there-were-no-tomorrow-chapter-5","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/Oe5wBL0n","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/73/73/7373d678-509c-459a-8525-9f3402af78d7","description":"follow Gracie and boomer as they travel the Mojave, and meet anew potential threat","content":"Chapter 5: Give me your Truth\n\n\\\u003eYou wake up slowly and peacefully\n\n\\\u003eNo rattling of doors in caves or bugle music waking you\n\n\\\u003eThis time just quiet hissing from Gracie's snoring\n\n\\\u003eIt's actually quite nice and refreshing to not be woken up by loud noises or something trying to kill you\n\n\\\u003eYou try not to wake Gracie as you check the time on your Pip-boy\n\n\\\u003e9 am huh? Guess you needed the sleep\n\n\\\u003eLuckily you didn't have to travel as far today, you might actually be able to take your time\n\n\\\u003eYou check how much food you have left, after all you needed to eat\n\n\\\u003eA few banana yucca fruits, a little bit of the gecko\n\n\\\u003eYou frown, not much to eat\n\n\\\u003eLooks like you were going to have to hunt something while heading to McCarran\n\n\\\u003eHopefully it won't become an issue\n\n\\\u003eYour hand is still resting on Gracie's side so you gently shake her\n\n\\\u003e\"Wake up Gracie come on, let's go\" you say softly\n\n\\\u003eHer eyes slowly open and she lets out a yawn while sitting up\n\n\\\u003e\"Mornin' 'non, what time is it?\"\n\n\\\u003eYou stretch and stand up\n\n\\\u003e\"About 9ish\" you say with a slight yawn\n\n\\\u003e\"MMM I slept good 'non, you're a good pillow\" Gracie says and she leans forwards, stretching her back and tail\n\n\\\u003eThe feral nightstalkers you had seen all had rattles at the end of their tails, but it looks like Gracie doesn't\n\n\\\u003eMight be handy for her sneaking\n\n\\\u003eYou ignore the compliment, it's not one you really thought you should have\n\n\\\u003eWho wants to be a good pillow? That's a weird goal to have in life\n\n\\\u003eYou walk over to the stove and turn it on\n\n\\\u003eGecko kebabs sounds good so\u0026nbsp;you make them, minus the sticks\n\n\\\u003eYou toss the last of the gecko meat on the stove and set the rest of the banana yucca on the counter\n\n\\\u003e\"Gracie go check your clothes and if they are dry put them on, we have to get moving after we eat\"\n\n\\\u003eYou watch as she skips off to the bathroom\n\n\\\u003eHeh, she must be in a great mood to be skipping\n\n\\\u003eAfter a few minutes she emerges wearing her now clean clothes\n\n\\\u003eMaybe you can get a higher rolling bounty to get her some recon armor from Torres\n\n\\\u003eLight armor seems more her style\n\n\\\u003eYou tend to the food on the stove while Gracie grabs one of the Fruit and starts munching on it, watching you poke at the meat\n\n\\\u003e\"How much food do we have left 'non?\" she asks between mouthfuls\n\n\\\u003eYou motion to the food on the stove\n\n\\\u003e\"This is all we have left\"\n\n\\\u003eShe frowns at that\n\n\\\u003e\"Guess we're hunting today, that sucks\"\n\n\\\u003eYou nod\n\n\\\u003eIf you don't find anything both of you would have to tough out no food, at least for a bit\n\n\\\u003eOr at least no real meals, you're sure you could find bits of plant life to scavenge and eat\n\n\\\u003e\"Can I have the gecko meat? I like mine pretty rare\" Gracie asks eyeing the sizzling meat\n\n\\\u003eMedium rare? What a champ\n\n\\\u003eYou pull the meat off and she takes it into her paws and bites into it like finger food\n\n\\\u003eMight as well follow her lead\n\n\\\u003eYou turn off the stove and grab a piece of meat\n\n\\\u003ePretty good, although you wished you had some spices or something to liven it up\n\n\\\u003eMaybe get some gecko eggs next time too, make a big ass omelette\n\n\\\u003eThe thought of a gecko meat and jalapeno pepper omelette would make your mouth water if you weren't already eating\n\n\\\u003eIt doesn't take long for you and Gracie to finish the food\n\n\\\u003e\"Help me pack up and we can get going\" you say wiping your hands on your pants\n\n\\\u003eShe nods and helps you pack up the bedroll, pillows and pajamas\n\n\\\u003eOccasionally her tail whaps you as it wags furiously behind her\n\n\\\u003eSomeone is in a good mood\n\n\\\u003eAfter everything is packed up, you do a double check of the house\n\n\\\u003eAnything useful? Any food?\n\n\\\u003eUnsurprisingly you find nothing\n\n\\\u003eThis place has been abandoned for a while, you don't know why nor do you care\n\n\\\u003eBut you know it was useful last night\n\n\\\u003e\"Let's get going\" you say to Gracie as you walk to the door\n\n\\\u003eShe appears from the bathroom with a smile on her face\n\n\\\u003e\"Why are you so happy?\" you say and you open the door and hold it open for her\n\n\\\u003e\"I get to use my gun again today! I'm excited about it that's all!\"\n\n\\\u003eWell you can't disparage her wanting to shoot her gun\n\n\\\u003eThe sun is steadily rising as you step out into the wasteland\n\n\\\u003eAnother day in paradise\n\n\\\u003eYou pull up your pip-boy and plot a course\n\n\\\u003eNorth and a little westward\n\n\\\u003eShould be an easy day! There are even paved roads heading that way\n\n\\\u003eGranted they weren't maintained roads, but roads nonetheless\n\n\\\u003eYou start walking with Gracie\n\n\\\u003eNo need to hurry today, even if you couldn't find something to kill and eat McCarran would have food\n\n\\\u003e\"Anon do you think we can find one of those things that make guns quieter for my SNG?\"\n\n\\\u003e\"SMG Gracie, the part is called a silencer\" you correct her \"And I'm pretty sure we can, I know some guys that would have one, or be able to make one for you\"\n\n\\\u003eThe Gun Runners were a close ally of the Boomers\n\n\\\u003eHaving a gun crazed society as a client was great for them\n\n\\\u003eThe Boomers on Nellis traded Almost exclusively with The Gun Runners\n\n\\\u003eThe rest were with the Brotherhood, and very shaky trading with the NCR\n\n\\\u003eAfter the NCR tried to force the Boomers out by shutting off the water flow to Nellis, the boomers responded with heavy shelling; times with the NCR had been shaky ever since\n\n\\\u003eAnd while they didn't trade with him, The courier was a strong ally of the boomer\n\n\\\u003eHe was the only man to get past the howitzer shells\n\n\\\u003eHe Controlled the strip after the battle for hoover dam\n\n\\\u003eYou tell all this to Gracie as you both walk\n\n\\\u003eShe tells you about Big MT\n\n\\\u003eThere were Robo-scorpions that wandered around\n\n\\\u003eHow the \"Think Tank\" would catch people who wandered in and remove their brains, leaving their bodies as husks that wandered and attacked anyone\n\n\\\u003eThat there was a former concentration camp from the great war full of ghouls\n\n\\\u003eSome of the things she tells you defy belief\n\n\\\u003eSkeletons walking around in suits, metal that can cut through steel\n\n\\\u003eIts amazing and terrifying to think she escaped that place\n\n\\\u003eEvery once in a while you feel her tail wiggling against you\n\n\\\u003eIt's definitely not like a normal wolves tail\n\n\\\u003eMaybe it's more prehensile? More vertebra? Whatever the case she has a lot of control over it\n\n\\\u003eYou check your pip-boy for the time and to see where you are\n\n\\\u003e11am? Time has flown by during your talks with Gracie\n\n\\\u003ePlus you\"re almost a third of the way there\n\n\\\u003eRed markers on the bottom of the screen give you pause\n\n\\\u003eIf another Legion assassin squad was after you, there was no cover to get behind\n\n\\\u003eyou stop walking and grab Gracie's sleeve, stopping her as well\n\n\\\u003e\"We got company, Cloak and get your gun ready\"\n\n\\\u003eHer eyes widen and you can feel her tremble slightly\n\n\\\u003e\"O-ok anon, I'll try not to get hit this time\"\n\n\\\u003eYou nod and kneel as she disappears like magic\n\n\\\u003eQuickly you pull out your Gobi scout rifle and aim down the scope\n\n\\\u003e\"Anything Anon?\" Gracie asks apprehensively\n\n\\\u003e\"One sec\" you respond as you turn towards the red markers\n\n\\\u003eA small group of Large red ants meander around looking for an easy meal\n\n\\\u003eSeveral worker ants and three soldier ants as protection\n\n\\\u003e\"We're ok Gracie, uncloak\" you say, keeping your scope trained on the ants\n\n\\\u003eYou assume Gracie uncloaks behind you\n\n\\\u003e\"What are THOSE Anon?\" she mutters, resting her chin on your shoulder\n\n\\\u003e\"Lunch, dinner and then some\" you answer \"Cover your ears\"\n\n\\\u003e3 shots ring out and the three soldier ants go down, leaving the workers scrambling\n\n\\\u003eHa stupid bugs\n\n\\\u003e\"Those are red ants Gracie, they like to swarm and the soldiers are big,and some can breath fire\"\n\n\\\u003eYou fire two more shots and down two more ants before the worker ants can scramble into their holes\n\n\\\u003eNot a bad haul at all, those soldier ants have a lot of meat\n\n\\\u003eYou put away your rifle and draw out your LMG\n\n\\\u003e\"Come on, lets get that meat Gracie\"\n\n\\\u003eYou walk slowly towards the bodies of the ants\n\n\\\u003eThese things were big as hell when you get up close\n\n\\\u003eYou put down your LMG\n\n\\\u003e\"Watch my back while I get this meat\" you say as you pull out your machete\n\n\\\u003eYou got this Machete from a legionary, it was easy enough to kill the idiot who charged you while wearing sports equipment\n\n\\\u003eBut you weren't very good with hand to hand combat, nor melee weapons\n\n\\\u003eYou could swing them around like an idiot, but why do that when you could blow a hole through someone's chest with a shotgun?\n\n\\\u003eIt was more of a tool for cooking with and carving bodies of animals you killed for food than a weapon\n\n\\\u003eYou take the legs of the ants plus the abdomens, storing it all in your devil magic wristband\n\n\\\u003eA sudden burst of gunfire behind you causes you to drop your machete and grab your LMG\n\n\\\u003eYou turn around and see Gracie holding her SMG with a smoking barrel, pointed at another dead Ant\n\n\\\u003e\"I GOT ONE!\" She cries joyously\n\n\\\u003eYou set back down the LMG and pick back up the Machete, wiping dirt off it with your pants\n\n\\\u003e\"You did get one, good job. Just warn me next time you see something, ok?\"\n\n\\\u003e\"Ok Anon, sorry I just got startled\"\n\n\\\u003eYou carve up the body and stash the meat away\n\n\\\u003e\"It's fine, you're still learning this stuff; I just want to know if you see a threat before you shoot at them\"\n\n\\\u003eYou stand up and look at her while putting your Machete away\n\n\\\u003eGracie is standing in front of you, doing a silly dance\n\n\\\u003eIt's actually kinda cute\n\n\\\u003e\"You got us some extra food Gracie, But let's get out of here before reinforcements show up\"\n\n\\\u003eShe stops her dance and looks at you \"reinforcements?\"\n\n\\\u003eYou motion to the hole the ant Gracie shot came out of\n\n\\\u003e\"There's probably a whole colony down there, we don't want to be around if they swarm\"\n\n\\\u003eShe stares down the hole like she's going to see an army of ants swarm out\n\n\\\u003eYou pick up your LMG then put a hand on her shoulder, getting a startled squeak\n\n\\\u003e\"Come on snekderp, we're almost there\"\n\n\\\u003eYou lead her by her shoulder gently to follow you\n\n\\\u003eHer tail wags furiously as you do so\n\n\\\u003e\"I didn't even Play dead! Even though I got scared of the ant!\" she says happily as she grabs your arm\n\n\\\u003e\"Did I do good Anon?\"\n\n\\\u003eYou nod and smile\n\n\\\u003e\"Yes Gracie, you did well, good job\"\n\n\\\u003eYou can feel her tail whipping against you harder as you walk\n\n\\\u003eIt's slow going because she's hanging onto you happily\n\n\\\u003eBut it's only about 1pm and you can see the walls of Camp McCarran\n\n\\\u003eAs you walk Gracie recounts how she killed the Ant over and over, with so much excitement and enthusiasm that it's contagious\n\n\\\u003eShe did what you told her to when you needed her to watch your back\n\n\\\u003e1 hour later you're at the doors to Camp McCarran\n\n\\\u003eAs you walk up one of the Guards wave you down\n\n\\\u003e\"Hey Boomer! My rifle is acting up again, can you look at it real quick?\"\n\n\\\u003eYou pull your arm from Gracie and take the rifle and inspect it\n\n\\\u003e\"You haven't cleaned it, there is sand and carbon build-up. That's what's causing it to jam\" you say as you hand it back\n\n\\\u003eThe guard looks at you sheepishly \"Right, I'll get on that\"\n\n\\\u003eOne of the other guards looks Gracie up and down\n\n\\\u003e\"Who's your friend Boomer? Never seen you travel with anyone before\"\n\n\\\u003eGracie hides behind you\n\n\\\u003e\"This is Gracie; she's shy, don't take it personally\"\n\n\\\u003eThe guard laughs a bit\n\n\\\u003e\"None taken, the major is probably waiting for you\"\n\n\\\u003eYou nod and enter the camp with Gracie latched onto your arm, pulling it behind you as she also tries to hide from the soldiers gazes\n\n\\\u003e\"Gracie that hurts, stop\" you say pulling her forward so she's next to you\n\n\\\u003e\"There are so many people anon! You didn't say there would be so many people! They're all staring!\" she whimpers to you\n\n\\\u003eShe tries to pull herself back behind you, still wrapped around your arm\n\n\\\u003e\"Stop it\" you hiss, pulling her back forward \"They aren't staring\"\n\n\\\u003eThere were a few staring at her, but mainly because she was trying to hide behind you\n\n\\\u003eYou pull her into one of the tents and meet a bearded middle aged man with tanned skin\n\n\\\u003e\"Major Dhatri, I fulfilled that bounty with the super mutant\" you say pulling your right arm out of Gracie's clutches to shake his hand\n\n\\\u003eHe shakes your hand firmly\n\n\\\u003e\"That's good to hear Boomer, I assume you have proof?\"\n\n\\\u003eYou nod and hand him the super mutants hands\n\n\\\u003eHe sets them on a table nearby then grabs a sack of caps\n\n\\\u003e\"Thanks Boomer, we were getting reports from Goodsprings and New Nipton of that Super mutant terrorizing people, here's 500 caps; you can count them if you want\"\n\n\\\u003eYou take the sack and stash it away \"I trust you Major, got anymore bounties for me?\n\n\\\u003eHe nods solemnly\n\n\\\u003e\"I think you can handle this next one, and it's a biggie\"\n\n\\\u003eHe hands you a holotape which you pop into you pip-boy\n\n\\\u003e\"we'll handle it\"\n\n\\\u003eHe shakes your hand again and you turn to leave\n\n\\\u003eAs you walk to the camp door, you read over what was on the holotape, Gracie behind you trying to read what's on the screen\n\n\\\u003eLeaving Camp MCcarran, you wonder why the NCR ever let this kind of trash live near their only real fort in the wasteland\n\n\\\u003eyou scroll through the bounty on your pip boy ,frowning\n\n\\\u003e500 caps dead, 3000 alive huh?\n\n\\\u003eGracie follows closely behind you\n\n\\\u003e\"What's wrong Anon? Didn't get paid enough? They didn't let you have their big guns?\" She teases\n\n\\\u003eYour frown deepens as you read about the man you're about to kill\n\n\\\u003e\"Cook-cook\"\n\n\\\u003eDumb name but that's not what was your problem was\n\n\\\u003eThe man was a psychopathic Pyromaniac rapist\n\n\\\u003eAccording to Major Dhatri's holotape, he even raped one of their Snipers\n\n\\\u003eAnd he was literally less than 5 miles from their gates\n\n\\\u003eGranted The Raider gang known as the Fiends had placed mines around, but who could miss them? They have a red light on them\n\n\\\u003eyou're able to disarm them easy enough before Gracie can stumble on any\n\n\\\u003e\"I got paid fine Gracie, but they asked me to hunt someone real nasty\" you say as you disarm a mine\n\n\\\u003e\"ohh is the big bad Mutant killer Scawed?\"\n\n\\\u003eyou frown\n\n\\\u003e\"He's a rapist Gracie, seems he like to catch people, rape them and then light them on fire\"\n\n\\\u003eHer teasing tone immediately goes away\n\n\\\u003e\"People out here really are terrible huh?\"\n\n\\\u003eYou nod as you draw out your light Machine gun\n\n\\\u003eThe 200 round magazine isn't just for show, this was going to get loud and this was going to get messy\n\n\\\u003eStealth can sometimes work but you doubt it would this time\n\n\\\u003eBut as you slowly approach the ruins something feels off\n\n\\\u003eThere isn't any banter or voices from within the Hideout\n\n\\\u003eYou carefully push through the rubble attempting not to make a noise\n\n\\\u003eGod dammit Gracie made this shit look easy\n\n\\\u003eStill no voices, did Dhatri give you bad info?\n\n\\\u003eA sickening smell hits you as you push through a door\n\n\\\u003eBurning flesh, hair, B.O. and overcooked chems waft through\n\n\\\u003eBodies lay before you, torn apart from shotgun fire\n\n\\\u003eYou move through the sea of dead bodies, Machine gun raised and ready\n\n\\\u003eNo one in the Mojave could have done this besides your people, or the Brotherhood of Steel\n\n\\\u003eToo precise, too on point for some NCR rangers\n\n\\\u003eA brahmin mooes in the background as you round a final corner to a man\n\n\\\u003eA man Standing over Cook-cook, who has\u0026nbsp;pieces of rebar through his hands and feet, pinning him to a concrete slab\n\n\\\u003eGodammit! That was YOUR bounty!\n\n\\\u003eYou can barely hear Cook-cook's whimpering pleas for mercy over the crackle of a fire\n\n\\\u003eStudying the man\u0026nbsp;quietly, you try to figure out what faction he is with\n\n\\\u003eHe has to be at least a foot taller than you and wears old riot gear\n\n\\\u003eSteel grey hair covered his unprotected head\n\n\\\u003eWell at least you know where to aim if he isn't friendly, and judging from the body count, he isn't\n\n\\\u003eThe Man talks quietly, so soft you can't quite hear what's being said to cook-cook\n\n\\\u003eBut it's enough to cause the raider to whimper for mercy\n\n\\\u003e\"Anon, look next to the fire! His gun!\" Gracie whispers to you\n\n\\\u003eYour eyes flick from the man to the 12 gauge lever action shotgun and back again\n\n\\\u003eA Gadsden Flag engraving with a clutch of eggs in the center of the snake's coiled body breaks the smooth steel of the receiver\n\n\\\u003eWriting? Is that American cursive? You had never seen it before but you were American enough to know what it said\n\n\\\u003eAs nice as the Shotgun was you didn't have time to stare\n\n\\\u003eYou needed this bounty, needed the caps\n\n\\\u003eGranted you could collect all these raiders weapons and sell them to the gun runners but still the extra 500 would be great\n\n\\\u003e\"Anon, I'm gonna grab his gun\" Gracie whispers\n\n\\\u003eBefore you can stop her she's cloaked and moved away from you\n\n\\\u003eGoddammit you aren't used to picking up her shimmers yet\n\n\\\u003e\"Gracie you fuckwit! Get back here!\" you Whisper Yell to the air\n\n\\\u003eYou groan to yourself and move to a better vantage point behind the man\n\n\\\u003eThe Shotgun lifts off the ground and within a moment disappears into Gracie's stealth field\n\n\\\u003eThe man doesn't react, still speaking to cook-cook before looking up and staring into space\n\n\\\u003eYou watch him as his head moves a bit but then he goes back to stabbing a new piece of rebar through the fiends forearm\n\n\\\u003eA slight shimmer tells you where Gracie is\n\n\\\u003eGod damn, she actually pulled it off and got his gun\n\n\\\u003eYou're about to beckon her closer to you when you see the man carrying a rebar club, usually wielded by super mutants, in just one hand\n\n\\\u003eHis other hand has been replaced by a large hook\n\n\\\u003eHe walks slowly towards the shimmer that you assume is Gracie\n\n\\\u003e\"It isn't polite to take another man's Property\"\n\n\\\u003eCold, deliberate words\n\n\\\u003eYou watch as Gracie uncloaks shivering in fear, holding the shotgun out to the man\n\n\\\u003eYou frown and act\n\n\\\u003eGod dammit! Gracie might be clingy as all hell but she's your only real friend out here and this man would probably shoot her\n\n\\\u003eYou move from your concealment, training your LMG on him\n\n\\\u003eWho gives a fuck if he took out all these fiends, you weren't going to let him hurt Gracie\n\n\\\u003eTo your surprise, he takes the shotgun quickly and points it at you in an instant, moving in between you and her\n\n\\\u003eYou slowly sidestep keeping your gun trained on him, and him keeping his Shotgun trained on you\n\n\\\u003e\"Get away from her you freak\" you call out\n\n\\\u003eHe smirks at you\n\n\\\u003e\"Not gonna happen Scum\"\n\n\\\u003eYou frown as you keep sidestepping, moving partially behind the slab on concrete Cook-cook is pinned to\n\n\\\u003e\"Please don't hurt my friend\" you hear Gracie beg as she tries to pull him away\n\n\\\u003e\"Slavers ain't friends little lady\" he says gruffly, pushing her off him with a shoulder\n\n\\\u003eWhy does him pushing her make you so mad?\n\n\\\u003eYou want to pull the trigger, you want to unload all 200 rounds of your LMG into this man that would push her\n\n\\\u003eWhy?\n\n\\\u003eYou frown to yourself, He's in front of her, if you fire at him you risk over-penetration\n\n\\\u003eThe bullets would rip through him and into her\n\n\\\u003eYou barely catch what Gracie murmurs\n\n\\\u003e\"Why do you smell so familiar?\"\n\n\\\u003eHer attempting to push past him and having him shove her back snap you back\n\n\\\u003e\"You should know the difference between a Slave and a friend!\" she yelps as he pushes her back again\n\n\\\u003eAnger\n\n\\\u003eFury\n\n\\\u003eWhy? She's just a clingy Snakedog! Why do you care?\n\n\\\u003eYou train your sights between his eyes, one round would take his head off\n\n\\\u003eBut the man looks away from you, eyes now focused on Gracie\n\n\\\u003eBig mistake\n\n\\\u003eYou sidestep swiftly to get a new position\n\n\\\u003eTo your dismay his shotgun sights follow you\n\n\\\u003eHe puts his hook onto Gracie's shoulder delicately\n\n\\\u003e\"What is this man to you Little stalker? I promise not to hurt him if you tell the truth\"\n\n\\\u003eYou can see Gracie shivering, the telltale signs show she's about to play dead\n\n\\\u003eBut she keeps it together for once\n\n\\\u003e\"H-he's my friend\"\n\n\\\u003eYour gun is trained on his head, a scowl painting your face\n\n\\\u003eGodammit if he wasn't right in front of Gracie you would have fired already\n\n\\\u003eBut you don't have to it seems\n\n\\\u003eHe lowers his shotgun and holsters it, totally ignoring you\n\n\\\u003eYou lower your gun but stay vigilant, ready to raise your it and fire if needed\n\n\\\u003e\"Tell me what he is to you\" the man says in surprisingly compassionate tone\n\n\\\u003eIts weird to hear such a voice from a man so scarred and muscular\n\n\\\u003eGracie stands up straighter and looks into his eyes\n\n\\\u003e\"He's my friend!\" She says Much more deliberately and confidently\n\n\\\u003eThe man Nods calmly\n\n\\\u003e\"Ok then\"\n\n\\\u003eHe looks to you\n\n\\\u003e\"Move away from that raider scum, I have business to attend to with him\"\n\n\\\u003eYou hesitate and frown\n\n\\\u003e\"Fine, but I need his head in tact at least\" you say shaking your machine gun slightly, causing the bullets to rattle\n\n\\\u003eHe ignores you, walking slowly to Cook-cook\n\n\\\u003e\"Last warning Scum, Tell me where they are\"\n\n\\\u003eThey? Who is he talking about?\n\n\\\u003eYou can see the panic in Cook-cook's eyes as the man slowly approaches\n\n\\\u003ePanic you've seen before, the kind of panic a person has when he knows he's going to die\n\n\\\u003eA panic you had caused in many many people\n\n\\\u003e\"VAULT 20, VAULT 20! JUST LET ME LIVE!\" Cook-cook screams out\n\n\\\u003eThe man smiles and Nods\n\n\\\u003e\"Thank you, I'll let you live\"\n\n\\\u003eCook-cook sighs in relief, well as much as one can while pinned to a concrete slab\n\n\\\u003e\"But I don't think these two will\"\n\n\\\u003eHe nods to you and you crack the butt of your LMG against the raiders temple, knocking him out cold\n\n\\\u003eFuck rapist scum and fuck raiders\n\n\\\u003eWith that the man turns from you and waves to Gracie before disappearing into the ruins\n\n\\\u003eGracie bounds over to you and grabs you into a hug\n\n\\\u003eYou wrap your left arm around her, holding your LMG with one hand\n\n\\\u003e\"Anon Did you see?! I didn't play dead! I was able to help you!\"\n\n\\\u003eYou wouldn't exactly call her running off to grab a gun helping, but she did help defuse the situation\n\n\\\u003e\"Also I don't think that man is a bad man, he wanted to protect me\"\n\n\\\u003eThat bit disturbs you a bit\n\n\\\u003eNot only was he able to track Gracie when she was invisible, he wasn't even bothered by it\n\n\\\u003eStill he just handed you a huge payday\n\n\\\u003eAll these raiders guns you could sell, ammo you could use, and supplies that would be useful\n\n\\\u003eYou let go of her and push a hand under her hood and give her a few head scratches as she beams up at you\n\n\\\u003eHer tail swishes furiously and her arms are still locked around you\n\n\\\u003e\"Come on, let's gather up these guns and stuff and get this fucker back to McCarran\"\n\n\\\u003eMoving Cook-cook was going to be difficult, you hadn't planned on keeping him alive\n\n\\\u003eStill from the looks of it, that man made the raiders arms just about useless\n\n\\\u003eSeveral pieces of rebar are stuck through his arms and and legs\n\n\\\u003eYou break Gracies Death grip hug and put away your LMG\n\n\\\u003e\"Gracie, start gathering up these raiders weapons and ammo, plus anything you might want\"\n\n\\\u003e\"Ok!\" she runs off to the nearest body and collects weapons\n\n\\\u003eYou turn to Cook-cook and grab one of the pieces of Rebar and attempt to pull it out\n\n\\\u003eNone of them even budge when you pull on them\n\n\\\u003eYou aren't weak by any standard but these pieces pierced the concrete like it was made of foam\n\n\\\u003ehow strong was that man to do this?!\n\n\\\u003eLooks like you're doing this the hard way\n\n\\\u003eYou begin grabbing each limb and pulling them away from the slab of concrete, sliding the rebar spikes through the holes in his flesh\n\n\\\u003eUgh, he smells awful\n\n\\\u003eWhen you finally get him off, you turn and see Gracie in front of a pile of guns\n\n\\\u003e\"Look! I got a bunch of ammo too!\"\n\n\\\u003eShe must have found a bag of some sort because in the bag are all kinds of bullets\n\n\\\u003e9MM, 10MM, 12 gauge shells 5.56mm rounds\n\n\\\u003eAll useful and valuable\n\n\\\u003e\"Good Job Gracie, did you find any rope while searching?\"\n\n\\\u003eShe puts a padded finger to her chin and looks up in thought\n\n\\\u003e\"Ummmm YEA! One sec!\" she says before rushing off\n\n\\\u003eAfter a moment she comes back to you with a rawhide rope\n\n\\\u003eYou take it and Cook-cook around the wrists\n\n\\\u003e\"Where was this rope Gracie?\" you ask as you finish up\n\n\\\u003eShe's looking at the knot you tied up\n\n\\\u003e\"It was holding one of those Cow things\" she says pointing absentmindedly in the direction she ran off in\n\n\\\u003e\"Brahmin\" you correct as you gather all the weapons into your devil magic wristband\n\n\\\u003eYou look around, looking for anything to use to move him\n\n\\\u003eunfortunately there isn't, looks like you're gonna have to drag him\n\n\\\u003eYou grab the rope and begin to drag the raider behind you\n\n\\\u003e\"Gracie, Grab your Gun and stay ready, I need you to cover me while we drag this asshole\"\n\n\\\u003eShe draws her SMG and holds it close\n\n\\\u003e\"Why? what's wrong Anon?\"\n\n\\\u003eUgh he's heavier than he looks\n\n\\\u003e\"I would rather not get caught with our pants down\"\n\n\\\u003eThat elicits a giggle from Gracie \"I caught you with your pants down at the bunker\"\n\n\\\u003e\"Shut up Snekderp!\" you say with a laugh\n\n\\\u003eYou had to admit she's grown on you in the short time you've known her\n\n\\\u003eShe's good company and great to talk to\n\n\\\u003eYou think back to when the man had pushed her back\n\n\\\u003eYou had called her your friend, your only real friend\n\n\\\u003eWho would have thought you would be glad to have her follow you that day\n\n\\\u003eFor the better part of 3 hours she walks ahead of you, SMG drawn\n\n\\\u003eAlong the way you had to gag Cook-cook, didn't want his screams of pain drawing any unwanted attention\n\n\\\u003eEventually you're at the gates of McCarran, the guards dumbfounded at the sight of you dragging a Fiend leader to the gate\n\n\\\u003eMajor Dhatri has about the same reaction when you drag the struggling raider into his tent\n\n\\\u003e\"You actually got him alive?! I was expecting a bullet riddled body not this!\" he exclaims as he looks at the raider\n\n\\\u003e\"Still a bounty is a bounty!, one sec\"\n\n\\\u003eHe walks off into the main building and is gone for about 10 minutes before reappearing and walking back to you\n\n\\\u003e\"3000 Caps for one very alive Raider, kudos for maiming him though\"\n\n\\\u003eHe hand you a sack of caps, which you stash away\n\n\\\u003eThis was a major payday, you could get Gracie and yourself anything you needed\n\n\\\u003e\"Anywhere we can shack up for the night? Or at least somewhere we can set up camp and make dinner?\" you ask, noting the setting sun\n\n\\\u003ethe Major Motions all around the camp\n\n\\\u003e\"Find a spot, set up and you can stay there, you've done a great service for us here, we aren't gonna turn our backs on you\"\n\n\\\u003eYou nod and lead Gracie out of the tent\n\n\\\u003e\"Gracie, if I give you our bed stuff can you set it up near a wall? you know how I sleep\"\n\n\\\u003eShe nods \"Yea! I can do that, but what are you gonna do?\"\n\n\\\u003eYou smile and point to one of the fires with a grill set up over it\n\n\\\u003e\"I'm gonna make us dinner!\" you say with a smile\n\n\\\u003eHer eyes light up as you hand her your bedroll and the pillows\n\n\\\u003e\"MMM YOU GOT IT!\"\n\n\\\u003eShe rushes off to a far away corner of the camp while you set the legs of the ants over the fire\n\n\\\u003eGrilled ant legs, a bit like crab legs of old but with more meat!\n\n\\\u003ePlus a few of the NCR troopers trade spices for 9mm ammo\n\n\\\u003eyou don't use 9mm ammo ,too tiny for your guns\n\n\\\u003eso you got some nice flavored ant legs to bring to Gracie\n\n\\\u003esalt, jalapeno, barrel cactus and some brahmin butter\n\n\\\u003ePlus you has some spices to spare for later!\n\n\\\u003eyou might be a gun nut but you like good food\n\n\\\u003eWhen the food is done cooking you gather it all up and thank the troopers, then find Gracie already in her Pajamas\n\n\\\u003e\"Ohhhhh, that smells good Anon! gimme gimme\" she says with outstretched grabby paws\n\n\\\u003eyou smile and waft some of the smell towards her\n\n\\\u003e\"it's gonna be good! ant legs with spices!\"\n\n\\\u003eYou sit on the bed roll and eat in silence, watching Gracie chew hardily on the exoskeletons and using her long forked tongue to get the last bits of meat\n\n\\\u003e\"Don't eat the exoskeleton\" you warn as she attempts to chew it to pieces\n\n\\\u003eShe spit out the chucks of ridged chitin\n\n\\\u003e\"Now you tell me\"\n\n\\\u003eYou pull out your LMG and set it besides you as you settle onto the bedroll\n\n\\\u003e\"Not gonna change Anon? and still with the gun?\" Gracie asks looking over your tattered armor\n\n\\\u003e\"I don't trust most people Gracie, here we might not have to deal with creatures, but people are worse\" you say motioning to the few troopers looking your way\n\n\\\u003eYou had heard of Legion troops infiltrating the NCR and you weren't going to risk it\n\n\\\u003eGracie gets into the bedroll and cuddles up, resting her head on your legs\n\n\\\u003eWith a small content sigh she whispers \"Goodnight Anon\"\n\n\\\u003eYou rub her ears gently\n\n\\\u003e\"Goodnight Gracie\"\n\n\\\u003eShe falls asleep quickly, her hissing snores sending vibrations through you\n\n\\\u003eyou watch the troopers all go to their tents before you even try sleeping\n\n\\\u003eGracie's snores lull you to sleep as you sing to her softly\n\n\\\u003eyou're not much of a singer but she won't ever her this in the waking world\n\n\\\u003e\"Sleep on me, feel the rhythm in my chest, just breathe\"\n\n\\\u003e\"I will stay\"\n\n\\\u003e\"so the lantern in your heart won't.....fade\"\n\n\\\u003eThe world goes dark as you fall asleep, gently petting her smooth fur and scales\n\n\u0026nbsp;","series":{"name":"Love Me As Though There Were No Tomorrow","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1501591-love-me-as-though-there-were-no-tomorrow-chapter-4.json","next":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1509825-love-me-as-though-there-were-no-tomorrow-chapter-6.json"}}