{"sf1_id":2039571,"sf2_id":"ynZox351","title":"Love Me As If There Were No Tomorrow Chapter 14","author":"STRONG","words":3239,"posted_at":"2023-08-19T16:37:28.000Z","tags":["Fallout","Female","Human","Hybrid","Love","Nightstalker","Snekdog","Story Progression","fanfic"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/2039571-love-me-as-if-there-were-no-tomorrow-chapter-14","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/ynZox351","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/60/a8/60a842fd-20a8-4dec-bdb3-5c9b36cbc8b9","description":"Chapter 14!","content":"Chapter 14: Déjà vu\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\\\u003eThe back of your head hits the headrest of one the of chairs that the brotherhood has in its conference room.\n\n\\\u003eYou scowl to yourself and wonder WHY.\n\n\\\u003eWHY does this group need a fucking conference room.\n\n\\\u003eElder Macnemeria sits with Paladin Ramos, paladin...whatshisface;\u0026nbsp; and a few others you hadn't bothered learning the names of.\n\n\\\u003eYou sit around discussing your gun.\n\n\\\u003e\"I'm just saying that no other person has successfully melded an energy weapon with a kinetic weapon! and somehow a random scavenger did?\" one of the paladins you don't know the name of retorts, frowning and pointing at your gun.\n\n\\\u003eYou frown at him and correct him.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\\\u003e\"I'm not some random scavenger, I'm a Boomer; and I know more about guns than you do about your pecker\" you retort with an annoyed scowl; wishing you weren't part of this conference.\n\n\\\u003e\"Hey I-!\" He begins.\n\n\"Shut! up! Its not two guns melded of fused or whatever, its literally 2 guns built onto one frame\" you explain with fierce calmness.\n\n\\\u003eThe paladin goes silent and stares at the bastard; a look of realization on his face, while another paladin speaks up.\n\n\\\u003e\"Two guns built onto one frame...One trigger pull, 2 shots...And both guns need to be reloaded independently\" He says calmly, looking over your gun.\n\n\\\u003e\"Yea, it packs a punch but needs to be reloaded twice; if you only load one, it'll mangle the other due to heat, now can I go? I gave you the blueprints and shit\". you say with an annoyed sigh.\n\n\\\u003eThis meeting had gone on for far too long; a few hours of these BoS (More like PoS) people looking over the gun you made.\n\n\\\u003eYou just wanted to get back to Gracie and make dinner.\n\n\\\u003eShe is out hunting bark scorpions so you could make her favorite meal for her.\n\n\\\u003eAs long as she grabbed agave and some banana yucca at the same time, you could make a masterpiece of food for her.\n\n\\\u003e\"Look, I'm leaving this meeting; I'll give you two weeks to look over everything on my gun so you can maybe remake it or improve it\" you say as you stand up from your chair.\n\n\\\u003eWhere did they get comfy revolving chairs?\n\n\\\u003eYou shake that thought from your head.\n\n\\\u003e\"H-Hey! This meeting isn't been adjourned!\" interjects Paladin Ramos, attempting to rise from his seat.\n\n\\\u003e\"Fuck off Ramos, unless you want to explain your black eye\" you retort as you casually stride out of the conference room, flicking him the finger.\n\n\\\u003eYou're sure he hadn't told his superiors that you had given him the black eye from when you punched him.\n\n\\\u003eHe wasn't supposed to have his helmet off.\n\n\\\u003eAnd at the same time, you put your helmet back on.\n\n\\\u003eThe opaque visor of the Sierra Madre helmet made members of the brotherhood part before you like schools of fish avoiding a shark.\n\n\\\u003eBut at the same time, it hid your face, now deformed and missing an eye.\n\n\\\u003eThey didn't need to see you like this, especially now.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\\\u003eThe Brotherhood Of Steel is not a force to be taken lightly; even now in their huddled form they were a force that could challenge the Courier, and maybe even present a small challenge to him.\n\n\\\u003eWhich is not speaking ill of the brotherhood.\n\n\\\u003eYou saw no need to expose your weakness to them.\n\n\\\u003eThe courier was someone you knew NOT to cross.\n\n\\\u003ePip and Amber had some sort of alliance with him to use the lucky 38; and you were not going to allow the BoS to use you as ANY kind of leverage against any of them.\n\n\\\u003eThe Courier was a predator, finding weaknesses and using them to exert power.\n\n\\\u003eThe BoS were Predators made prey, looking for a way back into the sunlight.\n\n\\\u003eYou were their path back into the sunlight.\n\n\\\u003eOf course, you are not a willing participant in this path but you could recognize it .\n\n\\\u003eThey get what you gather from places they failed at.\n\n\\\u003eTreads from a forgotten vault.\n\n\\\u003eA Forcefield generator in a dead city covered in a blood red cloud.\n\n\\\u003eAnd next a gun that can devastate in a nuclear wasteland.\n\n\\\u003eYou stride out through of the bunker, annoyed you had to sit through a stupid meeting like that.\n\n\\\u003eSure you left them your new gun, but they would need it to reproduce it; if they could.\n\n\\\u003eAs you emerge from the bunker into the sunlight, you take note of the suns position.\n\n\\\u003eBased on where it hangs in the sky, its maybe a little past 2; Gracie might be out for another hour or 2.\n\n\\\u003eYou head back to the bunker and begin preparations for her arrival.\n\n\\\u003eShe would have 3 or 4 bark scorpions and would expect you to cook them up for her.\n\n\\\u003eOr course. you don't mind because she would reward you with...well, she would reward you.\n\n\\\u003eIt only takes a moment for you to get everything together to make Gracie's favorite meal.\n\n\\\u003e\\\u003eNow it is just time to wait for her to come back.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\\\u003eAnnoyedly, you check your pip boy.\n\n\\\u003eIt's been 3 hours since you returned to the bunker; your preparations sitting out.\n\n\\\u003eYou fidget awkwardly with the strap of your shotgun, debating what to do.\n\n\\\u003eDid Gracie just have a slow day?\n\n\\\u003eShe might have gone after a bighorner or something to impress you...\n\n\\\u003eBut what if she was in trouble?\n\n\\\u003eBUT! If she wasn't in trouble and you searched her out she would be annoyed...\n\n\\\u003eYou frown and stand.\n\n\\\u003eScrew her annoyance, you are worried about her.\n\n\\\u003eKeeping your shotgun at low ready, you stride out of your home; ready for anything to leap out at you.\n\n\\\u003eNothing does and you begin to scour the desert.\n\n\\\u003eSure, the hidden valley is a big place, but you already knew your way around it; even in the sandstorms.\n\n\\\u003eThere is a notable lack of scorpions as you search the valley, maybe she went a little father than normal?\n\n\\\u003eAs you search a glint of light to your left catches your eye.\n\n\\\u003eCan't hurt to check it out right.\n\n\\\u003eMou march over, your shotgun at port-arms; ready to bring it to bear on any threat.\n\n\\\u003eInstead of a threat, you find 2 dead legionnaires, a few dozen spent casings, and blood.\n\n\\\u003eWhat happened here?\n\n\\\u003eYou recognize Gracie's boot prints in the fine sand.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\\\u003eFollowing the boot prints; you follow Where Gracie went.\n\n\\\u003eShe must have gone invisible and flanked them. only for a few of the legionnaires to break off and flank her..\n\n\\\u003eThere is no blood near her boot prints meaning...They got her, but there is no body...\n\n\\\u003eThose past legionnaires had called her an oracle...\n\n\\\u003eFuck..\n\n\\\u003eFUCK.\n\n\\\u003eYou should have never let her off on her own!\n\n\\\u003eNow...Now it looks like the legion had her captured!\n\n\\\u003eBut how could you have known...You think to yourself and you review the scene.\n\n\\\u003eHow could you save her?\n\n\\\u003eThe legion was based on the eastern shore of the Colorado river, a full encampment on fortification hill.\n\n\\\u003eThe Courier had let them stay there provided the didn't fuck around to much; and this wasn't really enough to get him involved.\n\n\\\u003eSo, now it was you against an army of legion soldiers.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\\\u003eYou would need an army for get her back.\n\n\\\u003eNo.\n\n\\\u003eNot an army.\n\n\\\u003eSomeone equivalent to an army.\n\n\\\u003eYour mind flashes back to a man with a hook and and a shotgun,fiercely protective of Gracie.\n\n\\\u003eYou need him.\n\n\\\u003eBut how to get to him? You din't even know his name.\n\n\\\u003eAgain in desperation you mind flashes to what he said.\n\n\\\u003e\"Slavers ain't friends\"\n\n\\\u003eYou frown and sweep the area one last time.\n\n\\\u003eGracie trying to sneak around...\n\n\\\u003eA few of them getting hit with a bullet spray of her gun.\n\n\\\u003eAnd a convergence; then heavy foot prints toward cottonwood cove.\n\n\\\u003eHatred fills you as you look at the boot prints trailing away from you.\n\n\\\u003eThey ambushed her, knocked her out, and carried her away.\n\n\\\u003eThose fucking legionnaire BASTARDS.\n\n\\\u003eCowards to attack her while she was alone.\n\n\\\u003eNo.\n\n\\\u003eLucky that they found her alone without you.\n\n\\\u003eAgain the words echo in your head.\n\n\\\u003e\"Slavers ain't friends\"\n\n\\\u003eWhoever he was, He cared about nightstalkers.\n\n\\\u003eYou grimace and head toward Freeside, adopting the pace you had before you met Gracie.\n\n\\\u003eQuick, almost a jog.\n\n\\\u003eNo time to waste.\n\n\\\u003eAfter an hour you reach Freeside and look around.\n\n\\\u003eThis place is what you had always observed from Nellis.\n\n\\\u003eA Fucking ghetto.\n\n\\\u003eBut a ghetto you could pass information through.\n\n\\\u003e\"HEY KID! Come 'ere\" you call to a small child, who was running after another kid.\n\n\\\u003e\"What'cha want mister?\" he says, clearly reluctant to cease his chase of his friend.\n\n\\\u003eYou pull out a bag Gracie had made of gecko skin leather.\n\n\\\u003eInside is 500 caps.\n\n\\\u003eYou open it to the child and smile at him, rattling the bottle caps for emphasis.\n\n\\\u003e\"These are yours; all you have to do it tell EVERYONE in freeside that someone is buying Nightstalkers in Broc flower cave\" you say with a smile hold the bag out to him.\n\n\\\u003eHe looks from you to the sack and nods with a smile.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\\\u003e\"That's all I gotta do?!\" he exclaims happily as he takes the bag then runs to the nearest adult.\n\n\\\u003eYou give a pained smile as he runs off.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\\\u003eWould the giant listen? Would he respond? All you knew is he hated slavers.\n\n\\\u003eHopefully this is enough to reach him.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\\\u003eIt's been a week.\n\n\\\u003eYou've sat in Broc flower cave; the place you met Gracie, for a week now.\n\n\\\u003eYou don't mind though.\n\n\\\u003eHe will be coming, you're sure of it.\n\n\\\u003eYou're loading legion coins into shells for your riot shotgun when you hear a pained squeal from a giant rat.\n\n\\\u003eSetting aside your guns, you wait.\n\n\\\u003eIt doesn't take long for him to appear before you.\n\n\\\u003eAll 7 foot something on him iin riot control gear and his engraved lever action shotgun.\n\n\\\u003eAs he strides into the cave, you raise you hands in surrender.\n\n\\\u003e\"I am not your enemy\"\u0026nbsp; you say as he raises that engraved shotgun right in your face.\n\n\\\u003e\"Anyone show sells noodles is an enemy\" he growls in his gruff voice.\n\n\\\u003e\"I'm not selling anyone, I need your help\" you reply, slowly pulling your helmet off.\n\n\\\u003eAs you pull off your helmet and show the man you face, his eyes widen for just a moment, then his grip tightens on his gun as his eyes focus further on you.\n\n\\\u003eIn that moment, you know recognizes you.\n\n\\\u003e\"Where's the lady who called you her friend?\" He asks peering around quickly, his finger on the trigger of his shotgun, ready to pull if you answered wrong.\n\n\\\u003eYou stare at him unafraid.\n\n\\\u003e\"The Legion; they took her while I was busy, they called her an oracle' You respond, showing him your hands, outstretched in front you of with the palms up.\n\n\\\u003eA sign of surrender.\n\n\\\u003eIf you meant him any ill will, you would have such a hard time taking him down with your palms outstretched in front of you.\n\n\\\u003eHe lowers his shotgun, his hook making a slight hissing sound as it slides down the barrel of his gun.\n\n\\\u003e\"What do you want\" he rasps, holding his gun at the low ready position.\n\n\\\u003e\"I want help\" You explain \"No, I NEED your help, the Legion took Gracie and I don't know why, fuck I don't even care why; I just want her safe\"\n\n\\\u003ethe man looks you over for a moment, his grey eyes looking you over.\n\n\\\u003e\"You've been to the sierra madre? You wear the armor of the security there\" he asks as if he wasn't ready to blow your head off.\n\n\\\u003eYou look down at your armor. It DOES say sierra madre all over it.\n\n\\\u003e\"We were there together along with another nightstalker and human, they helped us\"\n\n\\\u003e\"Another...\" the man says absentmindedly, looking away from you.\n\n\\\u003eHe snaps back to you in a second, a neutral look on his face.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\\\u003e\"What have you been doing this whole time she was gone\" he asks, frowning at you.\n\n\\\u003eYou motion your arm around you.\n\n\\\u003e\"Preparing\"\n\n\\\u003eFor the last week, you had been stuffing Legion coins into shotgun shells.\n\n\\\u003eYou have dozens of rounds ready\n\n\\\u003eThe man looks at the stockpile, one of the corners of his mouth ticked up.\n\n\\\u003e\"What's the plan which these?\" he asks as he tucks he shotgun away under his coat.\n\n\\\u003e\"They took Gracie, I'm gonna buy he back with these\" you answer gently tossing a shell full of legion coins to him.\n\n\\\u003eHe catches the shell and looks it over, nods; then tucks it into a pocket of his NCR ranger jacket.\n\n\\\u003e\"The legion think nightstalkers gals are oracles, the \"shamans\" of the legion smoke their venom with tobacco\" the giant rumbles.\n\n\\\u003e\"Gracie said she has z12 vemon and that it is deadly, why would the legion smoke it?\" you ask as you stand and begin putting the prepared shells into you pack.\n\n\\\u003eyou don't object as the giant packs away a few for himself.\n\n\\\u003e\"It wouldn't kill them but would give them one hell of a trip; They think it gives them future sight, that they can use different nightstalkers to predict the future\" he grumbles.\n\n\\\u003eThinking about it made you scowl.\n\n\\\u003eA group of legion fucks, forcing Gracie to give them venom.\n\n\\\u003eYou don't know how it works; but it makes your furious regardless.\n\n\\\u003e\"What should I call you, I cant just keep calling you \"you\"\"\" you ask the giant, loading coin filled shells into your riot shotgun as you follow him.\n\n\\\u003e\"Hm?...Oh...I suppose you can call me Ray\" he answers as the two of you leave Broc Flower cave.\n\n\\\u003eYou picked this place specifically because if is close to cottonwood cove.\n\n\\\u003e\"And what do I call you, \"friend\"? Ray asks with a bit of annoyance in his voice.\n\n\\\u003eJust from his emphasis on the word friend, you knew he preferred to work alone.\n\n\\\u003eYou had been there before.\n\n\\\u003eBefore Gracie.\n\n\\\u003e\"Boomer, you can call me boomer\" you answer as you jog slightly to keep up with him.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\\\u003eGod is this what Gracie felt when she was with you?\"\n\n\\\u003eYou owe her an apology.\n\n\\\u003e\"Boomer? like those hermits on Nellis?\" Comes a surprised Rasp\n\n\\\u003eYou nod.\n\n\\\u003e\"I'm from there. Why? Did you trade with them?\"\n\n\\\u003eRay stays quiet for a moment, a moment where you aren't sure he would answer your question.\n\n\\\u003e\"I didn't trade with them; but I respected them for their absolute control and mastery of weapons\" he responds, giving to a side eye looks of re evaluation.\n\n\\\u003eYou silently nod at him then pull out your Gobi scout rifle, loading it and checking the sight.\n\n\\\u003e\"Cottonwood cove has some serious baddies, maybe I should handle it\" Ray says calmly, as he scans the terrain.\n\n\\\u003eYou chamber a .308 round into the scout rifle.\n\n\\\u003e\"I took care of most of the \"baddies\" a few weeks ago, the NCR has kept the Legion at bay\" you respond casually, adjusting the sight of your rifle.\n\n\\\u003eOnly a slight uptick of the corner of his mouth betrays his reaction.\n\n\\\u003e\"Nice job then, they probably will only have a few legionaries guarding the dock\" he rasps as you both make it to the crest of the hill.\n\n\\\u003eYou can see the building and the dock the Legion has been using as a waypoint from their camp to the rest of the Mojave.\n\n\\\u003e\"Probably\" you answer as you take a knee and aim down the sight of your rifle.\n\n\\\u003eRay waits patiently as you scan the area.\n\n\\\u003e\"They've only got 4 guards down there, but the might be a centurion inside though\" you report as you begin picking the guards off.\n\n\\\u003eYour rifle isn't silenced, but you are far enough away to just hear the shoots echoing.\n\n\\\u003e\"Nice shooting, leave one alive\" Ray grunts.\n\n\\\u003eAn armored centurion runs out of the second floor of the building and is about to run down the stairs as you shoot his right knee.\n\n\\\u003eHe falls over, writhing in pain and probably screaming, but you're too far away to hear it.\n\n\\\u003eYou smile as you lower the rifle, then stand up calmly \"Lets go see whats been going on with the legion\"\n\n\\\u003eRay nods and being trekking down the slope towards cottonwood cove, with you following along behind him, keeping your rifle at port arms.\n\n\\\u003eAfter about 100 meters you begin to hear the centurions pained grunts.\n\n\\\u003eFucking legion idiots don't use stimpaks still? He must have used healing powder or something because he should be screaming.\n\n\\\u003eIn another 200 meters you and Ray making it to the building and follow the groans of pain up the stairs to the downed centurion.\n\n\\\u003e\"I'll handle this one\" Ray growls, looking in disgust at the downed legionnaire.\n\n\\\u003eYou shrug and step back as Ray grabs the \"collar\" of his arm and lifts him bodily with just one hand.\n\n\\\u003eThe centurion struggles against Rays grasp, attempting to pry his hand off at first, then resorts to trying to hit Ray.\n\n\\\u003eIn a flash of metal Ray's hook lashes out, swiping through armor and flesh like they were butter.\n\n\\\u003eThe centurions gives out pained cry before Ray shakes him hard.\n\n\\\u003e\"Did a Nightstalker come through here?\" Ray snarls, shaking the helpless man like he was a ragdoll.\n\n\\\u003e\"S-screw you Seeker! That oracle belong to legate Nero!\" he groans out between the shakes.\n\n\\\u003eRay stops for a moment.\n\n\\\u003e\"So one did come through then\" he replies with satisfaction.\n\n\\\u003eWith how pale the guys face was, you were certain no more blood could have drained from it.\n\n\\\u003eBut when he realized what he had said it did.\n\n\\\u003e\"WAS SHE HURT?\" you interject, stepping toward Ray; who extends his clawed arm to you to stop.\n\n\\\u003e\"I will handle this\" he says calmly and slowly.\n\n\\\u003eyou nod slightly and step back.\n\n\\\u003e\"But a good question none the less\" he rasps softly, focusing back on the still struggling man.\n\n\\\u003e\"Was your \"oracle\" hurt?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\\\u003eThe now soft tone he was using is off putting to say the least.\n\n\\\u003eIt was like a deathclaw having human hands, its just...odd.\n\n\\\u003e\"S-seeker, you will not intimidate me! I am Centurion De-\"\n\n\\\u003eRay interrupts him by digging the point of his hook into the gunshot wound you made with your rifle.\n\n\\\u003e\"Was. She. HURT!?\" Ray all but screams the last word and you swear for a moment his eyes turned Red.\n\n\\\u003eThe false bravado falls apart in the centurion and he slumps.\n\n\\\u003e\"S-she was unharmed, legate Nero decreed they must not be harmed\"\n\n\\\u003e\"Good\" Ray says before tossing him off the second story.\n\n\\\u003eYou eye him curiously.\n\n\\\u003e\"Seeker?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\\\u003e\"They take nightstalkers as slaves, I take them back\" he says simply.\n\n\\\u003eWhy does he have such an interest in Nightstalkers? a question for later perhaps.\n\n\\\u003eYou head to the dock with Ray in tow, walking casually past the centurion.\n\n\\\u003e\"Letting him live?\" you ask as you pull out your shotgun and check the drum to make sure its loaded.\n\n\\\u003e\"He was of use to us and he will tell others\" Ray responds.\n\n\\\u003eMakes sense you guess.\n\n\\\u003eRegardless, you don't push the issue and get intro the boat that will take you and Ray to Fortification Hill.\n\n\\\u003eRay gets in and shoves off, taking you one step closer to saving Gracie.\n\n\\\u003eCloser to Saving your mate.","series":{"name":"Love Me As Though There Were No Tomorrow","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1703199-love-me-as-if-there-were-no-tomorrow-chapter-13.json","next":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/2039579-love-me-as-if-there-were-no-tomorrow-chapter-15.json"}}