Separate Ways

a Fallout fanfiction

General disclaimer: I do not, in any way, profit from this story and all creative rights to the characters belong to their original creator(s).

Author's note: Please let me know if I should continue. This has been floating in my head for a while.

The Falcon was a seedy bar at the best of times and was characteristically both wonderfully dim and horribly loud with the boisterous crowd currently spread within its walls. Boone figured they could have found a better place to find a drink but Jack was adamant about stopping there and the sniper wasn't up to arguing. It had been a very long trek already and they still had miles to go before they made it to Shady Sands. One night spent on an actual bed and with real food to eat was a luxury the soldiers didn't often get.

They found a table and ordered as soon as a harried barmaid made it over to them. Boone sat back in his chair, cringing slightly as the muscles in his back cramped a little. Jack was practically gawking at the crowd and Boone smirked. Obviously Jack hadn't been out of the desert in a very long while.

They sat there for a while and Boone sipped his beer while Jack seemed to guzzle them one after the other. The sniper was about to suggest the younger man slow down a little when heard her voice. The very sound of it stopped his breath and he froze in place. In reality it had only been three years but it seemed like an eternity since he'd seen her last. Slowly, Boone turned in his seat and scanned the crowd.

She was standing near the back wall in the midst of a seemingly heavy conversation with some guy. Boone was up on his feet and moving towards her before he even realized it and he stopped a couple of paces away from her, hanging back until she was done.

His eyes scanned over her, admiring the view that hadn't changed much. Her auburn hair was much longer, even pulled back in a ponytail it curved down to the middle of her back. She'd always been slim and the low riding pants and form fitting sleeveless shirt she wore showed just how gorgeous and well-built she still was. He'd honestly never even considered checking her out when they'd first met but of course back then he'd been one step away from putting the barrel of his rifle in his mouth and ending it all.

She'd led him away from that precipice and had inevitably saved his life. They'd fought together for months and even though she'd managed to wrangle up a small posse of people willing to fight with them it had always been only him that she'd trusted implicitly and vice versa.

The heated conversation she had with the guy lasted another minute or so and Boone managed to catch a few choice phrases along the way. She was ready to leave Hub but couldn't because the man owed her money. By the end she'd given him two days to get it and the guy had quickly left the bar, no doubt in a rush to get her caps together. Boone's eyes flicked back to her just as she spun on her heels and almost plowed straight into him. She came up short and stared.

Their eyes met for an extended moment and he smirked when her stare widened in recognition. "Boone?" she whispered.

His smirk deepened.

"Boone!" she shouted, flinging herself against him and wrapping her arms around his neck. She pressed a firm closemouthed kiss to his lips then tucked her head against his shoulder, whispering softly, "I can't believe it's you."

He returned her embrace and smiled into her hair. "It's good to see you, Anna."

The former courier nodded against him and refused to let go. "What are you doing here?" she asked, finally leaning back far enough to look up at him.

"On our way to Shady Sands to see Kimball."

Her eyes passed over the red beret he still wore then down over his face and finally down to the uniform he wore. "You're still with First Recon then?"

Boone nodded. "Yes ma'am."

She smiled and hugged him again. "I can't believe you're here. It's so good to see you."

An hour later they were sitting at a table in the darkest corner of the bar with almost a dozen empty bottles between them. "So who's your partner, Boone?"

"Hmm?"

"First Recon works in pairs do they not?" she asked cheekily, obviously more than a little tipsy.

Boone grinned and nodded. "Usually."

"Are you Billy Badass now and don't need a partner, or what?"

"Gorobets retired."

She had her current bottle halfway to her mouth when his words settled and it was promptly smacked back to the table. "You were promoted."

It wasn't a question but Boone nodded anyway.

"You're in charge of First Recon now?"

"For over a year."

She shrieked his name again and reached over the table, knocking the bottles to the floor while she clung to him again. "That's great! You jerk! Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

It was well into the morning when the bar finally began to clear out and Boone found himself still seated at the table with a drunk ex-courier who was singing to herself while she picked the label off the bottle in her hands. They'd talked about everything it seemed. About the so-called 'good ol' days' back in the Mojave, about the old crew and about what each of them had been doing for the past three years. Anna was a funny drunk and Boone had ended up laughing more than he had in years.

He'd loosened up considerably in the time they'd been apart and Anna had almost fallen out of her chair the first time he'd cracked an honest to god smile. She'd opened her mouth to say something when a shadow fell across the table and she blinked up at the uniformed man standing over them. "I know you," she muttered, her face scrunching up as she tried to remember.

Boone looked up at his subordinate and immediately recognized the glazed expression and smell of whiskey. "Jack, this is Anna. Anna, Jack of Spades."

Her eyes opened wide. "Jack! You made it to Jack!"

The younger soldier smiled, "Yesss ma'am," he slurred. "Lieu-lieutennnant B-Boone p-p-promo-mo-moted me."

Anna smiled back. "Congratulations, Jack."

"Go find a bunk somewhere Jack. Sleep it off," Boone commanded albeit nicely.

Jack said his goodbyes, threw a sloppy drunken salute and stumbled away. Anna watched him go then turned back. "Where's the rest of your squad?"

Boone watched his soldier disappear out the door before he answered. "They're around. Jack wanted a drink and I thought it sounded like a good idea."

"Do you still have everyone?"

"Betsey and Bitter-Root are still around, yeah. Sterling's gone. He died in his sleep almost two years ago and you already know about Gorobets. He's living down around Baja. Have a couple of rookies too."

Anna grinned over at him and rested her chin in her hand. "I'm happy for you, I really am. You've done great things, Boone."

He stared across the tarnished table at her and stayed silent. Her eyes were what he'd remembered the most. Back then they'd been the bluest things around and they still were. Stunning cyan that shone brighter than the ocean waters. He'd found himself staring into them more than once.

"Boone?"

Blinking slowly his gaze shifted to her face and he saw her smiling at him. "Hmm?"

"You're staring."

"You're beautiful."

Anna honest-to-god blushed. "Thanks Boone."

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