"So, why is it that you three are on your own?" Mac cready asked.

Rachel, ivy and Karis had discussed this before and decided that it would be best to tell about a fake back ground. They were in a small settlement together when their families got killed by a deathclaw when they were very young. Ivy and Karis's mother escaped with them, but was very ill, and died soon after. This was the story Ivy told Mac cready when Rachel and Karis went to cut some bits of wood into a splint for mac creadys leg.

"Man, I'm sorry that happened."

"It... it was a long time ago." Ivy shrugged, "but...thanks."

Rachel and Karis came in, with some bits of wood for the splint and more for the fire later on. Rachel was getting some strips of duct tape and karis was placing the wood around his leg. "So, you're a doctor?" Mac cready asked Karis.

"No, not exactly, but I know how to make a splint and bandage a cut." Karis smiled, and after a few minutes the splint was done. "So this should heal in about maybe a month." Karis shrugged her shoulder, "If it's not a bad break."

Rachel snapped her fingers as if she had an idea and went somewhere. She came back with what appeared to be a syringe with a ---Candy thermometer?? --- gauge on top. She went to mac cready and very simply slammed it into his leg – he yelped. Karis just stared at Rachel; "What is that?" she exclaimed

"It's a stimpack – it helps healing." Mac cready explained, standing up perfectly fine and no longer having a broken leg. Karis raised her eyebrows. Mac cready looked to Rachel, "Uh, so...thanks..."

Rachel simply nodded. There was a silence.

---

They were just about to move on to a new location. Ivy had packet their things, Karis collected the useful items. A moment later, Maccready went up to karis, "Listen," She turned her attention to him, "You three helped me out – for... whatever reason, and I feel i should pay you back."

"Oh, really, there's no –"What is it you have in mind?" Rachel interrupted Karis before she could decline anything. "I'm a mercenary, A gun for hire ,and I normally charge around 2 hundred caps. My last employer just died a while ago. I'm willing to take off 100 caps for you three. As a thanks for helping me out."

Karis and Rachel looked at each other, Then they turned to ivy, "Ivy, give our caps to maccready."

"What? All of them?"

"Just one hundred of them."

Ivy made these grumbling noises as she counted one hundred bottlecaps. She gave them to Maccready, then looked at the few bottle caps they had left. Rachel put a hand on her shoulder, "Look, We're gonna be a lot safer with this guy around," She looked at mac cready from the corner of her eye, "If he can do his job," He obviously heard that because he gave her a small glare, "Then it is worth giving him this money. We're getting half price here, it's a good deal!"

"Okay, Okay, I believe you." Ivy sighed. "Let's get going."

"Where to, Boss...es...?" mac cready asked, making karis giggle.

----
Good grief this chapter took longer than it should have, and it's not even that long! sorry about that.
XxCiaoxX