Hello ya’ll, this is my first ever attempt at writing a Fallout story. I have only played Fallout 3 so far but I was very impressed and decided to write my own fanfiction with the lovely Mister Burke as the star. Everyone who has taken the Black Widow perk and seduced Burke will have been disappointment when you find out he doesn’t come back for ya. I know I did. So, here is a little fic for the stud muffin Mister Burke and his recollection of his relationship with the female Vault Dweller after she died from the “Good Ending” of FO3. Since we don’t know where Burke actually buggers off to when he gets seduced, I kinda had to leave that bit out. However, at the end of this fic, he is back working for Tenpenny again. I didn’t name the girl or give a physical description of her for that is up to you my lovely readers. Hopefully I managed to keep Burke in character but I kinda suck at writing evil characters. Oh hum.

Edit: I changed the ending actually. The more I thought about it overnight, the more it bugged me (Yeah, I'm that paranoid) Big thanks to kosmokomik for helping me out here! Thanks doll! :)

Bird Of Paradise

He sat alone with a whisky bottle as his only companion. The skeletons of empty bottles were carelessly strewn about the table but he did not have the heart to care anymore. A single sheet of paper, pristine like it had been coated in glass, sat in front of him with the black ink glittering faintly in the dim lighting of his penthouse bedroom. It was the only letter she had written to him during their obscure charade of love, lust and longing. He often read it over and over again; picturing her face expressions while she wrote it but it brought him more contempt than comfort. The man known only as Mister Burke had not eaten and slept very little since the wind carried word of heruntimely demise for the betterment of mankind. Bah, he almost snorted at the thought and took a swig of his amber coloured poison. Out of the entire Wasteland, Burke was sure he was the only one who mourned rather than celebrated. Fresh, clean water of all of the capital wasteland in exchanged for one life would have been an acceptable sacrifice for some.

But not for him.

Never for him.

Even now, almost a week since the purifier had been activated and his love put to rest, he still could not accept the fact that she was gone; torn from his existence once and for all.

Never to mock or infuriate or scream obscenities at him again.

He felt empty, cold and suffered from a constant longing within his chest that she had kept filled since the day he had met her; just over two years ago now if his dates were correct. He remembered the first time he ever laid eyes on her, inside that dark hole some had the nerve to call a saloon. At first, he had believed her to be meek and scared; completely unaware of the cruel hardship she would endure over the coming weeks. One could only imagine his shock when the girl, nay the young woman, pulled a fast one on him and made him flutter in a way he had never left before.

That was not supposed to happen.

Ever.

Burke was certain now that if she had survived, he would have been the only person to a bullet in her head. If she were to die, he was sure it would be at his hands.

The man prided himself on being the seducer, not the seduced. Countless women had fallen to his words and whims. But no, not his siren. Never her. She was in a league of her own and if he wanted to play with her, then it would by her rules. When her own “proposal” spilled off her tongue like hot honey, the gentleman suddenly felt like a fish on a hook.

Completely at her mercy.

He remembered the fire that she lit within his gut and the flashing of her stunning eyes made him quiver in a sort of vulgar, primal urge that he considered below him. She was a drug and he had become addicted to her so very quickly. She clouded his judgement to a point where he disobeyed his employer’s wishes, simply because she liked the bucket of bolts known as Megaton. Burke now laughed at the absurdity of it all and often wondered what on earth had possessed him to change his mind.

His songbird had been beautiful beyond belief, not just physically but possessing a spirit and fire honed from two year’s worth of combat experience and survival skills. Every spar and scrap she managed win left its mark upon her flesh in more ways than one. Her name was on the tip of his tongue but he could not even bring himself to utter her name for it caused phantom wounds to flare up inside of him. Oddly enough, he was quite sure he never wanted them to heal.

Every now and then, when he wasn’t carrying out orders via Tenpenny, Burke would find himself thinking back on the few times he had encountered her over the two year. Their encounters were fleeting and almost never nice. Somehow, nearly ten months previously, his songbird had tracked him down like a bloodhound and turned up at his facility where he was toiling away. She was a real wolf in sheep’s clothing and he had absolutely no problem telling her so when she showed up. But it turned out that her father had died and she needed support that only he could possibly provide for her. Like the gentleman he prided himself in being, he let her make the first move and was not disappointed. The little song wanted to forget and he wanted her so he considered it a fair trade.

And he kept his word. To a certain degree. He was a perfect gentleman until he decided not to be. Burke was man enough to admit that he had been foolish. Neither of them had been entirely prepared for the fire that spiked within them both. They were a perfect match for each other. Like someone had injected Psycho directly into their veins, Burke had lost whatever sanity he still possessed that night and his lover had lost something a bit more valuable. However ill prepared they were, Burke certainly never regretted their exchange and he was sure she didn’t either. The glow about her in the aftermath said more than enough.

Then just like that, she was gone again; vanished while he had slept. For almost a full year, the young woman had dropped off the map completely. Burke recalled almost going completely insane with worry and then, she suddenly appeared in a broadcast. From then on, he followed her whereabouts and activates through the radio. From Megaton to Rivet City and Girdershade to The Enclave’s fortified base, his little dove flew to every part of the Wasteland and her deeds echoed in her wake. Be they good or evil, Burke never did care. He took solace from hearing the king of fools spout out tales of the “lone wanderer’s” adventures. Burke knew a lie when he heard one. She was never alone because she always had him.

“In that book which is my memory. On the first page which is the chapter when I first met you appear the words: Here begins a new life.”

Fly away my little songbird.....

Quote from La Vita Nuova-Dante Alighieri