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"You've been dragging us across this whole damn desert at a murderous pace just for these two? Some godforsaken drifter and a human bitch who you tell me was part of a bunch of crazies holed up at that fort who held morphs as slaves?" A big booming voice woke Jacob from his fitful sleep. He opened his eyes to find a large sandy brown cougar clad in a matching khaki uniform towering over a bristling Lieutenant Perez.

Perez, who only came up about to the cougar's shoulder, jabbed a finger at the big cat and growled, "If you want to let people die just so you can sit on your ass and take it easy, fine, but that is not how me and my Rangers operate."

"Our objective is to secure this highway for transport of supplies and communication, not go running through the desert chasing bands of raiders!" the cougar boomed.

"I'd say we secured it pretty well, what do you think, boys?" Perez sneered and glanced around at the Rangers around them, who all gave nods and whoops of agreement.

"You ran off without permission to engage an enemy nearly twice the size of your unit, after getting us into a firefight in the morning, Lieutenant!" the cougar spat.

"With all due respect, Captain, the army has no jurisdiction over my Rangers, and we are your forward scouts. We were doing our job."

"I was put in command of this operation!" Captain Harper roared.

Jacob had to admire how Perez stood his ground against the big cat. "An operation you have been dragging your heels on since we left the Hub!" the fox yelled back. The two stood staring at each other for several long moments, and just as Jacob was wondering if they were going to rip each other apart Perez turned to his men. "Rangers! Be ready to move out in ten!" he barked.

Jacob heard a sigh of relief next to him as Captain Harper stomped away, shouting similar orders to his own men. "I was worried he'd make us pay him back for saving our skins earlier than I had planned." Sarah said.

"Not today. Besides, I could take him." Perez said with a wry grin as he approached. He stuck out a paw and helped Jacob and then Sarah to their feet.

"How long until we reach the next civilization?" Jacob asked Perez as the fox stood with his paws on his hips disapprovingly, watching Harper's men slowly prepare to move out while the Rangers had been ready within five minutes.

"It'll be a couple more days until we reach Long 15. It's a small military base at the intersection with the highway running from Shady Sands, meant to protect the road from the raiders we made friends with." Perez said. "After that it'll be another day or two until the Mojave Outpost and then we'll be free of these lazy-asses." Perez scoffed and waved dismissively in the direction of the regulars before turning and ordering his Rangers to move out without waiting for Harper and his soldiers.

Jacob stuffed his rolled blanket into his pack before pulling it on and slinging his rifle across his back. He assumed that "Long 15" was the contemporary name for Baker, and was glad to learn that it was indeed inhabited. He was glad that his arduous trek through the wasteland was coming to an end, but at the same time he possessed growing apprehension at the thought of living in a city. Out in the wasteland he knew how to take care of himself, how to survive, even thrive. But the city... well, it had been a long time since he had been forced to play nice with others.

_____

"It's been a long time since I've seen that flag." Jacob said quietly, more to himself than Sarah, who was leaning against him to avoid putting weight on her injured leg. They and the Rangers had just crested a slight ridge in the road, revealing a clearing with various tents and buildings nestled into the surrounding cliffs and overshadowed by a tall overpass. Right in the middle of the camp stood a flagpole from which fluttered a worn red and white banner of the New California Republic, adorned with its iconic two-headed bear.

"All this time they were so scared of the NCR expanding out towards us, and they've already been out here all this time." Sarah said, taking in the camp like Jacob. To the right stood several buildings, interspersed among them were a number of tents and a rounded corrugated metal structure, shielded from the west by a concrete wall capped with a three-story tall guard-tower. To the left stood several more tents and on the other side of the tall overpass were two more buildings larger than the rest.

"Well I'll be damned!" someone called from the guard tower and Jacob looked up to find a fair-skinned human in power armor grinning down at them, a pair of binoculars held in his hands. "I was wondering if you boys would make it."

"A few raiders ain't gonna stop us!" Perez called back and saluted. "Colonel Royez?"

"The one and only!" he replied. "You boys must be tired, go ahead and get something to eat and get some rest. Lieutenant, come over here for a moment." Royez called down before turning and disappearing behind the far side of the concrete tower.

"He's human." Sarah said belatedly as the other Rangers walked off into the camp while Jacob steered them along with Perez.

"So?" Jacob grunted.

"I mean, there's not many of us left, I thought we were hated everywhere..."

"I'm sure there's plenty of people out there that hate humans a whole bunch, I was one of them, but officially the NCR doesn't give a damn whether you've got fur or not so long as you pay your taxes." Jacob explained.

"Sure glad to finally be here, Colonel, it's been one hell of a trip." Perez said after they reached the far side of the tower to find Royez jump to the ground from a couple feet up the ladder. The man had a thin face capped with a beret, and Jacob found that what he had initially thought to be some kind of cloak hanging over one shoulder was in reality a taxidermied bear's head, clasped onto his armor with a large golden star medallion over his left breast.

"I'm sure it has, the raiders in the area all disappeared about a month or two ago, figured it might have something to do with your mission. You can tell me all about it so I can send a report back to Shady Sands." Royez said and then paused when his eyes fell on Jacob and Sarah. "And who are these two?"

"A couple drifters. We saved them from a band of raiders that were trying to run them down, the girl's wounded but our medic fixed her up pretty good." Perez explained, looking back at the two of them over his shoulder.

"Had some fun with the raiders I take it." Royez said with a grin before turning to Jacob. "You two can stay in one of those tents over there." he pointed to the small group of tents on the other side of the highway. "We can't give you any supplies, especially with a whole company of new mouths to feed, but you can buy some over there." this time he pointed to the largest building on the other side of the overpass. "Now come on, I want to hear all about your trip." Royez said to Perez, clasping him by the shoulder.

"I'll catch up with you later." Perez said quickly to Jacob before following Royez along the wall towards the furthest building from the road.

Jacob turned them around and helped Sarah across the road and into the nearest tent, which was rather small and made of a dirty but heavy khaki material like the rest. Inside it was mostly empty save for a couple cots and a small table towards the back upon which sat an oil lamp. Jacob was relieved to finally set Sarah down on the cot after half-carrying her along since before first light.

"I guess we finally made it." Sarah said as Jacob unshouldered his pack and set it down on the other cot.

Jacob only grunted, he didn't know what to say really. Made it to civilization they had, but he still couldn't quite believe it, and his whole body and psyche remained under tension as if he were still fleeing the raiders. He was relieved that, after digging to the very bottom of his pack, he found his bag of caps wrapped in a blanket to prevent any potentially dangerous clinking noises. "I'm going to go get us some supplies." he said as he stuffed the bag of caps, his entire life savings, into one of his large duster pockets and left the tent with a nod of acknowledgment from Sarah.

Jacob strode to the building that Royez had indicated, eyeing the large decaying overpass uncomfortably as he passed under it. Inside he found a bored looking weasel at the front desk and after some considerable bartering he managed to secure some food and water and ammunition for all their weapons for a somewhat acceptable amount. He returned to the tent with a bag full of the supplies and upon pushing the flap back and entering dropped the several G3 magazines and box of .38 rounds into her lap. "Managed to get us enough food and water for several days." he said as he began to pack the goods into his own pack.

"Thank you." Sarah said in a bewildered sort of way and Jacob turned and gave her a questioning look. "I'm surprised you got me all this..."

Again the image of her pouring out his water on the parched earth all those weeks ago flashed before his eyes, and somehow he knew she was thinking the same thing. "Having you around with a gun and ammo has come in pretty handy." he said with a small smile.

"Yeah." she said. "We've come a long way."

Jacob sat down on the cot and sat looking at her and she stared right back. Her face was smudged and her blonde hair dirty, her tanktop frayed and cap filthy, her trousers bloodstained in places, but Jacob didn't need a mirror to know he looked the same. Grit penetrated deep into his fur, his duster faded in some spots and frayed at the edges with holes dotting it in places. Jacob was silent and so was Sarah, but he knew she was thinking the same thing: they'd been through hell together and seen each other at their best and worst, and had reached redemption in each other's eyes.

"How's that leg doing? You walked pretty far for getting shot." Perez's voice came from the entryway to the tent.

"It'll heal." Sarah said.

Perez nodded and sat down next to her. "I thought I should ask where you two are headed exactly, you might be able to travel with us depending on where you are going." he said as he withdrew a folded piece of paper from a pocket. He unfolded it to reveal a map and Jacob got up from his cot and stood to Perez's side and found that it was a map of the New Vegas valley. "We'll be passing through the Mojave Outpost in a couple days and heading east along this road." The fox said as he drew a clawed finger along a line that ran through a town labeled "Nipton". "And instead of going to the dam we got new orders radioed in to head to this town, Nelson, and help establish a base there."

Sarah pulled the map towards her slightly and her smudged finger came to rest under the dot labeled "Nelson". Both Jacob and Perez eyed her as she sat quiet for a few minutes. "I'm coming with you." She said in a wavery voice.

"You'll be coming with us?" Perez said, looking up at Jacob.

Jacob's eyes moved from the map to Sarah, who was staring at him with a strangely expectant look. He remembered everything they had been through, escaping the fort, losing Joshua, their flight and battle with the raiders... they had made a pretty good team. "No." Jacob said quietly after a while and Sarah's shoulders slumped slightly. "Can I keep this map?" He asked Perez.

The fox nodded and handed it to him. "We'll be staying here for a couple days to rest and resupply before we move out again, and thank god we won't have to wait for Captain Harper taking his sweet time." Just as he said this a great commotion could be heard a number of yards away, the sound of many packs rustling and boots on the ground. "Speak of the devil." Perez said and stood, handing the map to Jacob. "Time for my usual shouting match." the fox grinned wryly and Jacob could see him digging into a pocket for his cigarettes as he left the tent.

Jacob sat down on his cot and studied the map in his paws. It seemed like the best route into the city would be to continue following I-15 through Primm and Sloan and then east after passing McCarran airport and up into the city. It would be several days' journey upon entering the valley to get to the city.

"What are you looking for in New Vegas?" Sarah asked suddenly.

Jacob looked up from the map and studied her. "What are you looking for in Nelson?"

She opened her mouth to say something but stopped, but he knew what she was about to say because it was what he was thinking too: "I don't know". Perhaps the best answer was to find a new life, but he didn't think he needed to say that either. "After so long, splitting up..." Sarah shrugged, apparently unable to find the right words. "You're all I got left from my old life." she said with a small laugh.

"Old life" Jacob thought. Here he was, trapped between the pain and horror of his old life, and an uncertain future in a city he didn't know. The idea of living among the bright lights made him anxious; he'd grown accustomed to the wastes, for as dangerous as they were, he always knew what needed doing and what direction to take.

He began to disassemble his carbine for cleaning once more to avoid his unexpected apprehension at the thought of leaving the Long 15.

_____

The next several days seemed to pass in a flash for Jacob. He was glad to have gotten a chance to clean the dirt out of his fur and properly clean his gear, but it also felt like he was trying to put off the future ahead. But it didn't wait, and before he fully realized it he was back on the road with Sarah and the Rangers.

"What's that?" Sarah asked, pointing into the distance ahead with her free arm, the other holding onto the crutch she leaned against.

In the distance on top of a small rise between the mountains Jacob was able to make out two impossibly large figures. As they got closer Jacob was able to make out a pair of buildings also standing on the hill and the figures came into clearer view. They were humongous, a pair of statues several stories tall made of sheets of thin metal, one of an NCR Ranger, and the other of some masked man in a duster and helmet. They were patchworked together with many gaps in places, but were still impressive because of their sheer size.

Perez disappeared inside one of the buildings for about ten minutes, giving Jacob an opportunity to admire the prodigious statues up close, where he noticed a plaque at their feet which he read:

"In the year 2271, the Desert Rangers of Nevada and rangers of the New California Republic met at this spot to sign the Ranger Unification Treaty. Under this treaty, the Desert Rangers agreed to be absorbed into the NCR in exchange for NCR's protection of Hoover Dam, New Vegas, and southern Nevada against the forces of Caesar's Legion."

Jacob looked up at the man in the duster, obviously a canine morph judging by the long muzzle, and he wondered if it was a wolf under the mask. 2271, six years ago, about the time he had first heard of New Vegas and made up his mind to leave his home in Junktown. Six years too late.

When Perez reappeared he led them east down the road. Jacob was silent as they passed many rusted hulks of pre-War vehicles with the knowledge that his journey with Sarah was over, and it was time for them to part and begin their new lives. Before long they reached the fork in the road where the Long 15 continued northward and the road to Nipton stretched east through a dry lakebed, and Perez was amicable enough to halt so they could say goodbye.

Jacob stood alone, facing Sarah, who had traded her worn clothes for a khaki outfit not unlike that of an NCR uniform. Beside her stood Perez with the other Rangers behind them, most looking back at him as well. "I don't want to think this is the last time we'll see each other." she said as the wind off the dry lakebed tossed her blonde hair about and kicked up Jacob's duster.

"The world's a big place." Jacob said somberly, his voice gravelly with disuse. "But we ran into each other before." he added with a small smile that Sarah returned.

Sarah stuck out her hand to him and he took it slowly and gripped firmly as she did, and shook. "Good luck in New Vegas." she said.

"Good luck in Nelson." Jacob replied and then shook Perez's offered paw. "Thank you." he said to the fox.

Perez wore his characteristic grin with his cigarette hanging loosely from between his lips. "Godspeed." he said simply.

And with that Jacob resettled his pack on his bag and turned and started to head down the Long 15. "Jacob!" he heard Sarah call from behind and he stopped and looked over his shoulder at her. "I hope you find what you're looking for." she said.

Jacob peered back at Sarah for several long moments before nodding slowly. He turned and began his walk to the end of his journey without looking back.