Chapter Text
Veronica couldn’t get used to the cold, McNamara had sent her and Rachel to the Capital Wasteland at Elder Lyons request. Once the agreement with the NCR had been broached and accepted the New Vegas Brotherhood came out of their shelter and were able to communicate with their counterparts over the ruins of America.
Lyons Brotherhood had been the only ones to respond. They had sent a contingent of Knights to assist due to the lack of numbers in Vegas, to which McNamara had sent Veronica and Rachel, he said it was a show of good faith sending two of his most trusted scribes. Veronica had laughed considering it was the first time she had heard Rachel referred to as anything but Outsider.
Naturally her Girlfriend had made some jokes that ended in them leaving sooner than they had planned.
Adams Air Force base was below, the Prydwen was steady at around eight hundred feet. She was stood on the flight deck, having acquired a bomber jacket to wear over her uniform, Rachel was currently manoeuvring a suit of Power Armor into position near the edge of one of the walkways, Veronica turned as a hiss signalled as the back opening up and her gaze fell to Rachels rear as her Girlfriend stepped out.
“Rach, I don’t think this is a good idea” Veronica said managing to move her gaze before Rachel turned to face her, Veronica supressed a shiver as the wind picked up.
“Come on Veronica!” Rachel said in an excited tone as she adjusted her ponytail “It was your idea”
“Yeah, but Danse has had more training than us”
“Danse is overrated!” Rachel said chuckling, Veronica knew that the Prydwen would soon be heading to Boston in response to the readings sent by Danses recon team so this was the only chance they would get until then.
“What if Ingram misses the suit”
“We’ll get it back to the bay before she knows its gone” Rachel said smiling that wonderful smile, Veronicas eyes landed on the scar on Rachels head and not for the first time she wondered if the bullet had done more damage to her brain than they had thought.
“Fine, I’ll take a Vertibird down and wave when ready” Rachel grabbed her into a hug, once free Veronica turned to the waiting Vertibird, as she neared it she heard the Power Armor close.
“Okay” Veronica said when she climbed aboard “Lets go down”
“I cant believe you convinced me to do this...” the pilot replied and started his engines.
When they landed Veronica looked up and saw Rachel stood on the edge waiting for Veronica to wave, signalling her into action. She now regretted telling Rachel that she saw Danse leap off the walls of the Citadel when mutants were attacking in order to lead the Knights below.
Veronica took a breath and waved, and her heart went to her mouth as Rachel took a step and gravity took hold.
Time seemed to slow for Veronica, it seemed as though for every second of Rachels fall time passed hours at a time.
There was an almighty thud as Rachel landed in a crouch, Veronica ran to her as she staggered to her feet the armor clunking, as she neared she saw the tarmac of the runway was more cracked that it had been, and seemingly indented with a small crater.
“Rach!” Veronica called as she closed in on her girlfriend “You okay?”
“That was awesome!” Rachel said laughing as she pulled off the helmet.
“Are. You. Okay” Veronica repeated emphasising each word.
“Yeah! You have to try it Ronnie” Rachel was smiling.
“Maybe later, you can tell me about it after we get that suit back to its bay”
Rachel nodded and walked past her and Veronica watched as the suit seemed to limp.
“Rachel I think you broke it” Veronica said chucking as she did a slight jog to catch up.
“Yeah, I’ll fix it, trust me babe” Veronica looked up at her when she spoke and got a wink.
The Vertibird took them back up to the Prydwen and they slowly made their way back to the Power Armor stations, Rachel exited the suit in its bay and crouched to access the toolbox next to it and began tinkering.
Veronica watched as Rachel pulled off the plating and messed with the innards, she would have offered help had it been anyone else working on the armor, but her girlfriend had an unnatural knack with machinery that she didn’t have when they first met.
“Rach, how did you get so good at this sort of stuff?” Veronica asked Rachel passing her a screwdriver at her request.
“Big MT” Rachel replied “Scientists there liked experimenting on me”
“Uhm” Veronica said “What?”
“That time I went missing for a few weeks, oh wait” Rachel tilted her head to the side stopping for a moment biting her bottom lip in thought “The second time” then she continued with her work unfazed.
“So you learned all this there?” Rachel nodded.
“Loads of science stuff there and these cool brains in jars that liked me doing experiments for them” Rachel chuckled “So I picked up loads of stuff and well my pipboy was full of logs and info from their computers, before I broke it that it, still miffed at that”
Veronica laughed as her girlfriend continued rambling as she worked not believing a word said but she had learned to never look a gift horse in the mouth (except if it was made of wood, but she didn’t understand that part of the phrase) and Rachels skills were useful. Veronica handed her tools when asked for them and assisting when she could, Rachel moved from piece to piece checking to make sure the damage was repaired, or at least repaired as best the former courier could manage.
“Okay that’s as good as its gonna get” Rachel rubbed her hands on a cloth she had taken from the toolbox and dropped it back in “Shall we have some fun?” Rachel winked and Veronica blushed.
When Veronica awoke the next morning she turned to her side and saw Rachel her head nestled in her hair like a bird in its nest, she smiled as she recalled the night before, she moved the blankets and tucked them around Rachel as she stood, she pulled on her trousers and basic brown shirt, she didn’t need to be in uniform until they left their room.
She booted up the terminal they kept in the corner and when she checked the messages she realised that the sounds were not the testing of engines, but that they had begun making their way to Boston.
She opened up a message sent to everyone aboard from Proctor Ingram:
Whoever broke the Power Armor in bay three, the attempted fix is appreciated but you fucked up an actuator. Leave it to the professionals.
On this note Teagan now has Power Armor requisition forms, since some of you cant be trusted.
Ingram.
P.S: If I find out who did it I wont be the only one with no legs. I only just got that suit in full working order.
Veronica clasped her hands over her mouth, as she laughed but it was too late not to wake Rachel who rolled over sleepily asking what was funny, Veronica pointed at the screen and Rachel as brazen as ever stood, yawned, stretched then just walked over nude leaning to look over the screen, Veronica supressing the urge to touch.
Rachel started laughing “Whoops”
“You did it on purpose!” Veronica said laughing recognising the mischievous look in her girlfriends eyes.
“No I didn’t” Rachel said in mock horror, her hand falling on her heart and Veronica bit her lip as she watched the gesture, Rachel smiled and leant in to steal a kiss.
At that point the door opened as a Deck Sergeant did a surprise inspection, Veronica gasped at the incredibly bad timing.
The Sergeant himself had his mouth open in shock, eyes wide. Veronica mentally likened him to a fish on dry land.
“See something you like?” Rachel said then she winked at Veronica and saluted the Sergeant and fell into a relaxed parade stance, he feet evenly spaced lining with her shoulders and her hands clasped behind her back, Rachel added a “Sir” the man blinked, went to say something and blinked again.
“Carry on scribes” he said and pulled the door shut Veronica saw his deep red cheeks. Rachel laughed and despite the situation so did Veronica, when she managed to get herself under control, Veronica folded her arms and looked at Rachel with an angry look.
“Aww come on Ronnie, you know I don’t like guys” she said saddened taking a step forward “Besides” she smiled “You’re the only one who gets to touch” Rachel pressed her lips to Veronicas and Veronica kissed back standing and grabbing her girlfriends hips pushing her back to their bunk.
That morning they were late. Not that Quinlan would do anything about it, he had stopped punishing them after his cat mysteriously ended up bald, Rachel still hadn’t told Veronica how she did it.