Far out! This has taken like 930284309785092334 million years to write. I really hated this chapter because I had to do heaps from memory alone. It has been seven months since I have played Fallout 3. My brother returned back to the UK early then bragged about all the new mods that had come out. Burke companion Mod me wantie!!! At least I’m heading back next month.

Anyways, not too much to say apart from the fact that I death loath this chappie. Too many holes. Too many errors. Too many mess ups. I’ve attempted to clean up what I can but since it’s all done from memory, it’s been really tricky. My apologies if this chapter is not up to previous standards. Proofing as usual is done to my bestest ability but I still miss stuff out no matter what!

On a lighter note, Thank you all for the love and support that you’ve given me. Just yesterday, I received my 100th review for this baby! Thanks to all those who’ve read and an even bigger thanks to the following: Weretiger Marduk, NovemberRabbit, PixieButt, Reader :D, Iofiel, netbreaker0, Necromancer Staff, MysticGohan88,Mr Wang 330 and Shinsou808

Special shout out to Kimmae for all the encouragement and awesome reviews. “Fallout 3: I am Alpha and Omega” is so worth a read. It’s like 100000000X times than mine and deserves much more love and attention. OMG! The proofing is just great! Also, thanks for letting me fling in Ana as well. You’re awesome. Keep on rockin’

Oh also, as usual, be sure to check out these other fics: "Fallout: Red Sun" by Shinsou808, "Diamonds and Rust" by Agent Hellgirl, "Fallout 3: The Avenger" by Mr Wang 330, "The Ghoul, The Bad and The Ugly" by InRodWeTrust, "Excavation" by Kosmokomik and "The Lone Wanderer" by LovelyxxMelody! “Fallout 3: The Twilight Saint” by MysticGohan88.

Fallout 3: The Wayward Soldier

Today’s Chapter is Inspired By:
“All heads are bowed in silence
To remember her last sentence
She answered him knowing what would happen
Her last words still hanging in the air”
-Flyleaf, “Cassie”

Chapter Eleven: Revelations.

Pip-Boy Serial Number: ....
Current Time: ....
Current Date: ....
Current Location: .....

“Do you mind Colonel? I am trying to work here.”

“I need to speak to her.”

“Once I have woken her up properly, you can.”

Someone was toeing Alexandra Halsey in the gut. It could not have been Dogmeat, who pounced or Amata, who tapped. It certainly was not Burke who snuggled or there was more chance of hell freezing over before it was James. Alex scrunched her eyes shut even tighter just to spite whoever was disturbing her rest. Despite Alex’s pathetic attempts to plead ignorance, the jabbing against her stomach continued.

“Go away. I’m trying to sleep” Alex moaned, jerking her arms slightly to work out the kinks in her muscles and tendons. It was then that Alex felt the heavy weights upon her bony wrists.

“Get up girl. You’ve been sleepin’ long enough,” came the demand wrapped in a southern pitched parcel. Bloodshot jade hues snapped awake at the sudden intrusion of the voice and Alex found herself on metal tiled floor of Raven Rock, home to the Enclave.

A man and a woman stared at her; one hesitant and one impatient. Alex stared at them with bewilderment, wondering what on earth they were doing hanging upside down. It took a few moments for Alex to realise she was flat on her back, sprawled out inelegantly. She sat up quickly and immediately regretted it for the blood pulsed to her cranium so swiftly she feared her head would explode. Then, a rush of nausea kicked her in the stomach and she turned away just in time to empty the contents of her stomach onto the floor.

A hand found Alex’s back and rubbed gently.

“Don’t worry, that’s perfectly normal That’s it, get it all out.”

It took several moments for Alex to vomit up the lime favoured liquid from the depths of her stomach. The woman, a blonde-dyed doctor with pretty curls, rubbed her back the entire time with a familiarity that Alex found oddly disturbing. She reached up to wipe her mouth, only to find that her wrists were twice as heavy as they should have been. Heavy titanium handcuffs adorned her wrists like a set of oversized bracelets. It was then that she noticed her Pip-Boy was gone.

The Lone Wanderer looked around the holding cell. It was bleak and barren, roughly the same size as a Vault-Tec standard issue living room and devoid of any source of colour. A single bed was pushed the wall, a chair to the left and an empty desk to the right. Several large, rectangular cases were piled up next to a stray locker that looked frightfully out of place Near the door was a single, sphere-like shaped device mounted upon the wall that put Alex in mind of a security camera. The room itself smelled listless and sterile as if someone had died in there recently and they were still scrubbing out the scent of death. A plate of food sat a near her, steam still rising up from the mountain of sweet corn and potatoes; enough to drive off the notion of a hunger strike but the mere sight of it made Alex queasy again.

“Give us the room,” the man stated.

The doctor did not budge, seemingly afraid to leave the Colonel alone with the teenager.

Please, don’t leave me with this creep.

“Now Doctor,” he commanded firmly. The blonde woman released a sigh and gathered up her medical equipment in her arms. The woman cast one last hesitant glance at the girl before she exited the cell with a sliding hiss.

Though the infamous Colonel glared down at the dazed young woman, the thought of hating him just did not occur to Alex. In fact, she could not even remember who exactly he as his name eluded Alex in her bemused and drugged state. Her mind still swirled about like a leaf caught inside a hurricane.

“W-where am I?”

“You’re in Raven Rock,” answered the silver haired man.

Alex licked her dry, sandpaper-like lips. “W-What happened?” the girl asked her father’s killer.

“I’ll tell you what happened. You lost. The good guys won this one and now we’re just wrapping up loose ends. We’ve got the purifier, the G.E.C.K and now all we need is the code to start it. You’re going to give me that code now and save us all a whole lot of trouble. Maybe I’ll even let you go. So how about it?”

The mechanic blinked vacantly. It was clearly not the reaction or answer Colonel Autumn had been waiting for. “What code?”

Colonel Autumn frowned irritably. “The code to get Project Purity running again. Your father locked us out.”

“I don’t understand.”

He sighed. “I’ll be honest here, I’m growing tired of this and I’m not looking to play games with you little girl. I know who you are. I know you are James Halsey’s daughter. I know you were there, at Project Purity. I also know that you know exactly what I am talking about.” His curt, demanding words cut the bolt on the memories and events that were locked up within Alex’s churning, turbulent mind. Everything suddenly slotted back into place as easily as a jigsaw puzzle and Alex was not sure what emotion to feel first.

Then, she felt the all too familiar geyser of hate erupt in her chest

“I don’t know,” Alex breathed, inches away from embarking on a verbal rampage.

“Excuse me?”

The girl found her lost courage. “I don’t know shit! And even if I did, I wouldn’t tell you anything,” she spat at the Colonel. Just for good measure, she kicked a nearby food tray in the Colonel’s general direction. Mashed potatoes, sweet corn and strawberry jelly painted the floor and the nose of Autumn’s boot in a multicoloured mess. To her great dismay, Autumn merely cocked an eyebrow as if he had heard it all and more. As the commander of the Enclave armed forces, he probably had.

“Why do you insist on being so difficult?”

“I already told you! I don’t know anything!”

Autumn’s green eyes flashed. Never in his forty years in the Enclave Armed Forces was he ever required to raise his voice. The old Colonel considered it to be a counterproductive measure that very rarely worked. Now, he looked more stressed than ever before.

“I think you’re lying,”

Alex’s legs trembled inside her denim. “I think you’re a gelded pig,” she snarled, seemingly determined to make things worse for herself.

“Don’t get smart mouthed with me,” Colonel Autumn warned with his already short temper straining.

“You stole my parent’s project. Bragged about it on the radio. Followed me to Vault 87 then stole my hard work and effort. To top it all off, you killed my dad! I have every right to get smart mouthed at you!” the girl fumed, her breath escaping in short, sharp gasps.

Autumn’s hand twitched as if he longed to reach for a weapon. Or perhaps the pushy young mechanic. Most likely both. “Is that what you really think girl? That your father is dead?”

Jade orbs turned to nothing more than narrowed green slits, like the green eyes of a snake. “I know he is dead. You are the stupid son of a bitch that killed him.” Autumn snapped quicker than anyone could have guessed. He strode across the small room and hauled the teenager to her uneasy feet. Alex’s shaking legs nearly buckled under the weight and his grip dug sharply into her skin even though he was wearing gloves. “What the hell are you doing?” Alex demanded fiercely to mask the fear that crept into her voice.

“Come with me. I have someone who is dying to see you,” the Colonel stated, pushing the girl out of the room none too gently. Outside the cell, two Enclave officers dressed in the traditional tanned uniform and black caps were waiting for them. Both extremely tall and built like tanks, they easily dwarfed Alex and made the young woman feel rather small. The soldiers ushered her forward; sandwiching Alex between them so she had no chance to escape. The concept was laughable; there was no escape. She attempted to squish her fear and misgivings – a challenge and a half for the girl. She wished for her Pip-Boy, reluctant to go into the unknown alone. Never before had she felt so wrong and out of place and Alex would have certainly preferred to have someone to share her fears.

Had she not been so jittery and scared, Alex might have enjoyed wandering through the Fortified Enclave base. The Headquarters for America’s armed forces was everything the girl had expected it to be; advanced, tidy and orderly. Something about the place reminded her of Vault 101 in better and calmer days. The floor beneath her feet was made of metal grates, the support beams were of fortified titanium and thick tubes of glowing blue lights were mounted upon the walls every few feet between. Men and woman alike passed them, dressed in either metal cases of power armour or sand coloured uniforms that only made them seem more imposing. Alex followed the tanned back of Colonel Autumn as she could do nothing else.

The soldier beneath Alex noticed her tense shoulders and spoke up. “This is the prison level. We’re going up to the science wing,” he informed her. A tense moment passed before Alex spoke up.

“How big is this place?” The girl winced, barely able to recognise her own voice.

The kind officer answered as they went up a flight of stairs. “This base is divided into two different sections. This is the military compartment of the Enclave. The civilian deck is below us and has nearly four or five levels. That is where the non-commissioned officers and other civilians live.”

They went up elevators and along several corridors before Colonel Autumn halted the strange brigade. Alex peered around with interest, wishing she had several extra pairs of eyes. A brief glance around indicated that they were in the medical bay. The blonde doctor was patrolling around with a clip board, taking notes on the various tanks around X-Rays.

A team of scientists looked up at their commanding officer, their body posture sheepish and twitchy within their radiation suits. Clearly they had not been expecting a visit from the good Colonel that morning.

“Colonel Autumn. What brings you here sir?”

The silver haired colonel gestured to the teenager. “She’s here to see our guest.”

The bubble headed scientist nodded. “Come this way Miss Halsey.”

Unable to do anything but obey, Alex followed them; her stomach knotted together in anticipation. She wondered who on earth could have been down in the Enclave prison with her. Some part of the teenager wished it were Burke, another part wished to never have to see him again. Conflicting emotions slammed into the teenager, discomfort and betrayal clear as day on her face. Her Pip-Boy had been right all along and Alex could only imagine what he would say if he knew. Her gut clenched at the thought of how much he would berate her foolishness.

They stopped outside a small, single bedded ward that was filled to the brim with medical equipment. A pair of surgical gloves along with needles of every size lay on a tray near an infirmary bed. Mountains and bottles of medication were piled up on every surface. Disinfectant stung her like a slap to the face, the scent overpowering.

James Halsey lay on the cubical bed before her, looking haggard and somewhat thin but very much alive. His hair seemed greyer than usual and there was something defeated and sad about him. His shoulders slumped even more and he wore a mask of diluted anguish.

Alex took in a breath; sucking the cold air between her teeth.

It was not a dream.

“Dad?” she asked hesitantly as if she expected him to disappear any second.

James startled at the sound of her voice. “Alex sweetie? Is that you?”

The skinny, scrawny legs of Alexandra Halsey carried her forward before the thought reached her brain. Shackled and all, Alex practically jumped at her father. James coiled his arms around her like a comforting blanket, nuzzling into her brunette locks. “Oh god, they got you too,” James croaked into Alex’s nest of messy locks. A thousand emotions crashed against Alex like an angry wave against a sea wall. She bit back a sob but could not stop the tears from rolling down her suntanned cheeks. “I missed you so much,” Alex whispered against her father’s chest, the “tough girl visage” she had clung to erased completely.

“So did I honey. Are you okay? Have they harmed you?”

“Only my pride.”

The old doctor hugged her again, taking care not to pull out his I.V drips.

“I’m so glad you’re safe. I was so worried about you.”

“What about you? I thought you were dead.”

James wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. “I thought I was dead as well.”

Some part of Alex’s common sense spoke up and she pulled out of his hug. “But I saw you die. How on earth could you survive?”

The older man looked over his daughter towards Colonel Autumn – who had been watching the entire scene play out with obvious interest from the doorway. “I have the Colonel to thank for that. He saved me as well as himself.”

Autumn gave a smirk. “Yes I did. You think he would be a little more grateful.”

James fired Autumn a scowl that was unfamiliar even to his daughter. “You’re holding my daughter here as insurance. I’ll never be grateful for that.”

“The sooner you give us that code, the sooner you can both leave.”

The lone wanderer frowned, feeling the conversation swell over her head. “That Code thing again. What is he talking about Dad?”

For the first time in nineteen years, James ignored his daughter. “And hand Project Purity over to the Enclave, never.” For a sick and frail looking man, James Halsey stilled carried every ounce of strength and integrity that could stand toe-to-toe with Colonel Autumn’s demanding and commanding mannerisms. “I’d like some time alone with my daughter if you don’t mind Autumn,” James addressed the Enclave Colonel in a manner that seemed almost personal, as if he had known the silver haired man for years.

“Alright, you get five minutes,” Autumn relented, clearly unhappy with the request. However, he stepped back out of the room and allowed the father and Daughter to catch up. Once the smooth and crisp hiss of the hydraulic door had passed, James grasped Alex’s small shoulders and stared straight into the teenager’s jade hues.

“Alex listen to me, I love you sweetie. You’re so important to me but, please, forgive me.”

The brunette clutched her father’s arm. His peculiar behaviour was troubling, even to his daughter. “For what? You’re acting weird.”

“I can’t give them the code for Project Purity honey, I couldn’t live with myself if I did.”

Alex’s heart plummeted deep within her chest. “What do you mean?”

“The Enclave have brought you here as leverage against me, to get me to give them the code to Project Purity.”

“And you won’t give it to them?”

“No honey.”

The teenager’s stare hardened, her eyes like a set of black stones. “Even if they threatened me? Kill me even?”

“Alex, Project Purity is bigger than us. It always has been. It’s your mother’s dream. Do you really want the Enclave to claim what your mother worked so hard on?”

Tears of rage and disbelief pricked at the corners of Alex’s eyes. “Of course I don’t, but I don’t think mum would have been stupid enough to be fine with her only kid being killed some daft principle,” Alex shot back, getting fired up again.

It seemed to have more often than not.

James’s usually warm eyes flashed with anger. “Alex! Show some respect for your mother!”

“She’s dead Dad. I doubt she minds,” the teenager pointed out.

“Oh my child, how can I make you understand?”

“I won’t ever understand that you could put this Project Purity ahead of me. You’re own flesh and blood.”

James looked torn between honour and survival, a guise that Alex was not accustomed to seeing written over her father’s face. “I gave up the Capital Wasteland for you once before, I can’t do it again.”

Alex gave a gesture of an exasperated shrug, fury fiercer than any storm gathered in her eyes.

He could not blame her.

“So that’s it is it? You’re gonna throw me to the wolves then? Let the Enclave slaughter me because you’re too caught up in honour?”

Brown eyes narrowed. “Has the Wasteland made you cruel as well? What happened to my daughter? She would have understood what we were trying to do. She would understand why the Enclave cannot be allowed this power.” Alex turned away from James, obviously hurt by his comment. Her jade orbs large and glistening and small teeth peeked out over her lip, biting bitter tears into submission. “Great, just great. First Amata, then Burke and now you! Is there anyone out there who is not trying to fuck me over?” Alex snarled, spitting poison from her voice. Before James could utter another word, the girl stepped backwards to the door and rapped the titanium door with her knuckles. Against the cold door, her fingers were that of ice.

A panicked gasp escaped James’s lungs and the old doctor felt even more helpless than before. “Sweetie, please. Listen to me.”

“No! You listen! I went after the G.E.C.K not for honour or for the Wasteland but for you! Because I thought you were dead! I did it to get back at them!”

When the door slid back open, Alex stared with resentful disbelief at the grey, frail looking man that was her father. A vast emptiness and darkness ripped open inside her that could never be filled, the pain of the betrayal immeasurable.

Before Alex could put a muzzle on her temper, she bared her teeth into a snarl. “You were better off dead to me!”

The brunette was unsure just how she managed to get back to the holding cell in the Enclave prison district. That much was a complete mystery to the teenager. Most likely the officers escorting her had ushered her back to the cold cubicle while Alex was in a daze.

Once she was standing back in the cell, the cold air nipping bitterly at her exposed skin, Alex threw herself onto the bed and wept until not one tear remained. She didn’t care if the security cameras recorded her moment of weakness. Life and dignity and honour swiftly became nothing but empty words to the teenager. Burke suddenly did not matter. Dogmeat suddenly did not matter. Even her Pip-Boy was shoved into the backseat of Alex’s mind. Alone in the Enclave Prison, Alex experienced the worst rage she had ever felt. She knew she had a temper problem but never had she felt so infuriated, so willing to kill over it. Alex ripped off the blankets from the hard steel bed and threw them onto the floor in a spasm of rage. The girl then started on the pillows. She burst open the lumpy cushions with a shred like a crack from a whip. The torn pillows joined and mingled with the blankets along with the inner sheet. When there was nothing else to rip and shred, Alex sat breathing heavily as if she had surfaced from drowning.

After the anger came the sorrow and betrayal. Alex felt so tightly wrapped in what had just occurred that her beat could barely beat.

“You poor girl. Seems life has dealt you a bum hand if you don’t mind me sayin’”

The teenager stilled at the intrusion of a friendly and smooth male voice, the kind that put her in mind of warm summer afternoons in American urban paradise. Alex looked around the room, blinking with confusion. When her ears met the roar of silence, Alex assumed she was going insane and the thought alone brought her more comfort that it should have.

“Great, now I’m hearing voices. Never had that one before.”

“You’re not hearing voices dear girl. I am most certainly here,” the voice spoke up again.

Alex stood up from the bed abruptly, the mess of sheets and fluff forgotten at her feet. “Who’s there?” she asked, feeling foolish.

The previously lifeless sphere-like security camera suddenly whirled to life. The metallic eyeball swivelled on the wall, the single glowing blue point focused on the stunned teenager then to the room behind her.

“I do apologise for your accommodations. Next time I have a free moment, I shall see to it that you are moved to a more comfortable location.” Nothing in his words indicated that he was lying.

For a moment, Alex forgot her avalanche of problems. “Thanks...uhm?”

“John Henry Eden. I assume that you have heard me on the Enclave radio station.”

Alex had heard very well. She had destroyed Burke’s radio after hearing the president spout his lies about Project Purity. “Once or twice. I broke a radio after hearing you brag about my parents Project Purity.”

The camera drooped slightly in its mounted slot. “I’m sorry about that. I had not meant it to come out sounding quite so one dimensional.”

“I’ll bet.”

An embarrassed cough escaped the device on the wall. “Anyway my young friend, I think it’s high time we met face to face. I’d like to invite you to my office. There is much we need to discuss.”

The girl held up her shackled hands. “I can’t go anywhere with these on.”

“Of course, I’ll unlock your restraints. Oh and all your equipment is in that locker over there. Please, don’t tarry.” The vivid blue point in the camera dulled and it became lifeless once again. Curious still, Alex approached the mechanical sphere and reached up her heavy hands to touch it. Without warning, the titanium shackles on her wrist slid from her wrist so suddenly and silently that Alex jumped when they hit the ground with a thump.

An investigation in the steel cabinet provided Alex with all of her confiscated equipment. Even the gear and supplies from Burke’s tan jeep was carefully folded or slid into the locker. She discarded the grey Enclave jumpsuit, trading it in for her tough denim and sturdy overcoat. Alex looked and felt as if she were going to war. Frag grenades were clipped to her belt, ammo belts slung over her shoulder, handful of microfusion cells stuffed into every spare pocket, a combat knife slid onto her boot and two glowing green plasma bombs were just some of the many weapons hidden inside and outside of Alex’s coat.

Once she felt ready to face the world, Alex left with holding cell feeling positive and strong again. A coat-full of weapons would do wonders to ones diminished confidence. From the second that Alex stepped out of the prison cell, the voice sounded out overhead from more of the small, spherical cameras on the walls and ceilings.

“Attention all Raven Rock Personnel. This is your president. I’ve asked our young friend from Vault 101 up to my office. Do not impede her progress. Thank you.”

The mere irony of the situation left Alex feeling uneasy. While Colonel Autumn had been rude and demanding, treating the girl as if she were a raider criminal, the president of the Enclave acted as if she were sort of honoured guest. It was not the type of behaviour Alex was used to nor would she expect from the president of the Enclave.

Navigating through the blue lit corridors of the Enclave’s base command was surprisingly easy for the young teenager from Vault 101. Some part of her instincts had not been lost from wandering through the Capital wasteland. Walking through corridors, catwalks and passageways were second nature to Alex and for once in her life, she was grateful she had been brought up in a vault. A mere Wastelander would have been lost forever in the endlessly barren corridors of Raven Rock.

Alex had only reached the third level of Raven Rock when the overhead speakers sounded off again. Instead of the dapper, warm voice of the president pulsing through Alex’s eardrums, the harsh tones of her least favourite of the Enclave’s members pierced her skull.

“Attention all Raven Rock Personnel. This is Colonel Autumn. You are hereby ordered to ignore the president’s last directive. The prisoner from Vault 101 is to be shot on sight. I repeat: Shot on sight.”

A set of burly soldiers in the tanned uniform had only been seconds passing Alex. She froze when the announcement cut off for they turned around to face her. Alex felt as if someone had cracked an egg on her head. The ghastly feeling of a well executed trap slid down her spine and instincts drove the teenager to strike first before they did. She spun around and using the momentum from her waist, Alex hit the first officer squarely in the jaw. He stumbled backwards; stunned that such a small person could pack so much strength into a single punch. Alex was startled as well, she had not known her own strength.

The second officer froze like a deer caught in headlights, clearly shocked that his companion had been toppled so quickly. An opportunist at heart, Alex was not one to pass up an advantage. She reached out and grasped the second officer by his shoulders and embedded her knee into his gut. When he fell to the ground, clearly winded, Alex reached to her belt for a spare pistol so not to waste Rifle ammo. A shot from her hand gun silenced them both for good. Five months ago, such an act of violence would have pulled and tugged at Alex’s conscience. Now, she could easily kill another without batting an eyelid.

After all, they would have had no problem doing the same.

When the corridor was empty and lifeless, the girl dropped the pistol and fed a cell into the chamber of her Plasma Rifle. The gun spun to life in her gloved hands, the green glow reflecting off every surface. It was impossible to be stealthy with the Plasma Rifle. “Geez, it just never ends,” Alex hissed, still half expecting an answer from her Pip-Boy. She looked down the corridor again, her eyes narrowed and calculating.

Déjà Vu struck Alex like the punch to the face. Darkened corridors beckoned her forward, sirens screaming overhead and every officer baying for her blood seemed all too sickeningly familiar to the young woman. Blurred memories from the escape from Vault 101 reared its ugly head like a bad nightmare, forcing a shiver down Alex’s back and a chill in her stomach. Back then, everything seemed so very easy. She had been a different person. Spoiled maybe, immature yes. Her objective was clear. Her path was open. As much as she hated to admit it, The Capital Wasteland had changed her for the better.

She continued down another foyer, meeting more stiff resistance along the way. Alex had expected nothing less. After all, she was parading around Raven Rock, home to the Enclave. She would have been extremely disappointed had she not met some kind of opposition.

Alex stepped around yet another corner, both her rifle and spirits high. She had only two levels to go before she reached the president’s office.

There was only one problem in her way.

Someone was standing directly in front of Alex, the nose of his gun quite at home against the swell of her chest.

Only one other person could have been possibly that bold.

It was Burke, looking just as surprised to see her as she did him.

“Alex,” he breathed and lowered the stolen laser rifle, unable to sound any more relived even if he had tried.

“Burke,” she whispered, intense relief flooding her features for the briefest of seconds.

Then his betrayal flared up like a thousand wounds. She was angry at him for keeping information from her. Angry at her father for choosing the Wasteland over her. Angry at the world for shouldering her with so much burden and bad luck. “Let’s get something straight Burke. I don’t ever want to see you, speak to you or even breathe the same air as you again! Got it!?”

“Alex, you must listen -”

The teenager cut Burke off before he cut any deeper. “Don’t you ‘Alex’ me! I thought I could trust you! I thought we were friends! In fact, I thought we were more than that! How could you keep such a massive secret from me?!”

Burke took a step towards her. Alex stepped back, plasma rifle raised dangerously. “I had meant to tell you but I never had the chance,” Burke insisted.

Alex narrowed her eyes. “Yeah right. Never once did you even hint that you had been part of this.”

A dry laugh escaped Burke’s chest. “It is hardly conversation one can strike up over coffee.”

“Whatever Burke. I can’t be bothered dealing with your secrets and lies anymore. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m late for a meeting with the president,” Alex said furiously before starting to walk past if as if they had simply stopped in the corridor for a quick chat. Seconds later, Burke’s hand coiled around her wrist with enough force to snap apart the bones beneath her skin. This time there was no Pip-Boy to rescue her. “What have I told you about walking away when we are trying to have a conversation?”

Furious still, Alex wretched her arm back from grip. He hung tight. “I’m warning you Burke. Let me go,” she hissed. It was as if they had both forgotten that they were standing in the middle of an Enclave corridor with every man, woman and robot looking for the stroppy teenager.

“Not until you listen.”

She tugged again, eyes prickling with tears. “No, get off!”

Burke increased the pressure on her wrist. “When you listen to what I have to say, I will.”

“I don’t want to hear it!”

He caught the second one and jerked Alex forward. “You will listen to what I have to say or by god I will make things difficult for you,” Mister Burke hissed, every polite visage drained away completely. Alex felt a sudden thrill of fear canter down her spine. Never had she seen in act in such a way, or pour such fire onto his words. It both excited and terrified her at the same time. “I never betrayed you Alex. Yes, I can admit fully that I was an Enclave officer but it has been many years since I was in their service. I fled long ago to the Commonwealth,” he explained with genuine honestly written across his face. Alex, however, was more than cautious. Burke was an accomplished liar and more than capable of spinning such a tale to cover his tracks.

“Why?” she asked, her anger fleeing despite her best efforts. She wanted to be mad at him damnit!

“For my own reasons of course.” Something about his tone warned Alex off the subject.

“Then how the hell did they find us?”

“They have been tracking, you, us since October.”

“How can I be sure that you didn’t help them?”

“Because the Colonel told me that they have been following us Tenpenny Tower. I intend to go back and worm out the traitor.

Alex scratched her head with a gloved hand. “Shit, they didn’t waste any time.”

Mister Burke nodded. “Indeed. I have little inkling just how they managed to track us down. The good colonel kept that to himself.”

“Well, if you’re here and I’m here, then where is Dogmeat and Fawkes?”

“After you lost consciousness, your dog escaped and fled deep back into the Vault. I can only assume he went looking for that Super Mutant.”

“I hope they’re safe.”

“As I am sure they are. I heard that the Enclave President wants to speak to you.”

Alex managed a smile despite herself. “Yeah. Tough being this popular. Want to come?”

Burke grinned as if Alex had asked him to dinner. “I thought you would never ask.”

“I almost didn’t,” she remarked as they started down the corridor. The suited man shot Alex a glance.

“The colonel told me about your father. I am sorry Alex.”

The teenager grimaced, still unable to shake the look of disappointment and sorrow from her father. “Not as sorry as I am.”

“I would not blame your father Alex. He had little choice.”

“I’m his daughter! He thought he was supposed to put me first,” she stated and slammed another cell into the Plasma rifle with more force than was necessary. Burke was sure that he heard the gun crunch in protest.

The man sighed. “He put you first once before. I suppose he could not do it again.”

“How did you know about that?” Alex asked, rounding back onto him.

An eyebrow arched on Burke’s forehead. “I was a member of the Enclave Alex. There is very little I do not know about the Capital Wasteland.”

“I’ll bet. How the fuck did you escape anyway?”

“I was born in this facility Alex. I know exactly how it works. And how the security system ticks.”

“Well Mister Know-it-all, where is the President’s office?”

“Come right this way my dear girl. Please reframe from using flash cameras during your visit. Authentic pictures can be bought from the gift shop on the way out.”

“Very funny Burke.”

Alex walked into the office of the Enclave president expecting to see a desk, a chair and possibly a withered old man. What Alex had certainly not been expecting was to enter a sky high room with nothing in it expect from hundreds of caches and databanks. The room seemed to stretch for miles upwards and when Alex looked up, she saw nothing but a climbing tower of staircases. A pulsing throb thrummed against her eardrums loud enough to make her teeth feel as if they were about to rattle right out of her gums.

“Ah, here you are little Halsey. Do come up,” The control room echoed to her.

Alex dithered at the bottom of the stairs. She briefly entertained the idea of turning on her heel and running but thought better of it. Enclave soldiers were still milling around the entire base looking for the little convict and her friend.

So the girl started to climb the staircase, her hands clinging to the handlebars as if she expected to steps to disappear right out from underneath her booted feet. The higher she climbed, the more her expectations of the president plummeted. Alex wondered briefly what on earth the president of the Enclave was doing at the top of such a huge tower. She snorted to herself, imagining the president to be a tiny man with an even bigger Napoleon complex than herself.

It would certainly add up.

Alex could not have been farther from the truth.

Once at the top of the tower, Alex peeked around the corner gingerly. There was nothing at the top of the staircase skyscraper. Nothing at all apart from a large computer screen attached to a few databanks and a faded green vase sporting several yellow flowers that Alex supposed were daffodils. “Eh, Hello?” Alex called out, feeling stupid and foolish for the second time that day.

The large monitor suddenly lit up at the sound of her voice. “Welcome Miss Halsey. I was beginning to think you got lost.”

Alex looked around the pseudo office curiously. “Where are you?”

A thin line flickered across the screen in front of her. “Right here.”

An eyebrow arched on her forehead. “Is this some kind of joke?”

The monitor fizzled again. “No, it’s not. I am the computer you see before you. Well, that and several thousand Databanks beneath this room. The AI that makes me up is no different from your Pip-Boy”

She glanced at the empty gap on her wrist and felt the pang of loss again. “My Pip-Boy? Are you like his dad or something?”

A chuckle that sounded so real that it could have fooled anyone escaped the massive super computer. “Well, I wouldn’t put it quite like that but in a sense you’re correct. Our AIs were developed by the same company. While Vault-Tec owned the rights to your Pip-Boy, mine was bought by the military.”

Alex could do nothing but stare with open mouthed shock, her expectations of the president of the Enclave completely blown out of the water.

The machine buzzed again. “You’re speechless I know but you should feel privileged. Colonel Autumn is the only other human allowed in this room. You are now privy to one of the few secrets our governments harbours. Do keep it to yourself please.”

“Guess that explains why no one has ever seen you before,” Alex mused, mostly to herself.

“Very astute! Many people are content with an reassuring voice of authority and never question the lack of public appearance. You, however, are not many people. You are unique. That is why I have asked you here. There is some things we must discuss.”

Alex folded her arms defiantly. “There isn’t a hell of a lot I want to talk to you about. In all honesty, you’ve got some real nerve asking me here.”

“Oh but we do! Don’t you see? You wouldn’t be here if you weren’t important. Your country needs you.”

A snort escaped Alex’s chest. “What country? Look around. Everything is destroyed.”

President Eden let out a huff through the complex and advanced speakers attached to his monitor. “That’s a bit of a bleak outlook don’t you think? Yes, the United States has fallen on some hard times indeed.”

“The USA hasn’t fallen on hard times. It’s fallen on a hard place, been smashed with a rock then nuked for good measure,” Alex stated with a sour scowl.

“Well, all the more for us to try and do something right? America has fallen on hard times yes, but it can be healed. You have that power to heal within you if you’ll allow yourself. What I ask you of little Halsey needs explanation so you understand why it must be done. Perhaps it will stir you to act.”

“You think I’m going to help you! After detaining my father, capturing me and stealing my parents Project. Let’s not forget the G.E.C.K! All my hard work! Ruined!” Alex exploded, cheeks flared bright as berries.

Throughout Alex’s outburst, the president made no attempt to interfere. As Alex was left breathing heavily, Eden attempted to smooth out her anger. “Come now Miss Halsey, all I am asking of you is to listen. Is that really so hard?”

“I’m never good at listening.”

“That I don’t doubt. Maybe I could teach you.” He did not wait for an answer before continuing “Our country is hampered at every turn by a world gone wrong. So called ‘Super Mutants’, Ghouls and other horrific creatures. The mutations outside these walls must be cleansed before we can begin anew. Mutations must be eradicated. I believe your father’s work can do that more quickly than ever before.”

The teenager frowned with confusion. “My dad’s work? How is this relevant?”

“The purifier that your father helped create –“

Alex swallowed the lump the size of a boulder in her throat. “Hang on a minute. The purifier that my father ‘did’ create.”

Eden buzzed with mock surprise. “Why Miss Halsey, I didn’t think you still cared about your father.”

“You saw that argument we had?” the girl asked, visibly shocked that he knew.

“Heard it too. I cannot blame you for acting the way you did. I would have done the same.”

Jade hues shrunk into slits. “What do you mean?”

“Your father would sooner let you die than let us work together for the betterment of mankind. Hardly the kind of man you’d want as your father. He doesn’t deserve your loyalty.”

Alex shifted on one foot, visibly distressed. She had not expected such a comment from the Enclave president. It confused her. And when something confused Alex, everyone else around her knew about it. “What do you want from me?”

“I’m glad you asked. I simply want your help to make this country a better place, free it from all manner of mutations. You’re father’s work can help achieve this.”

“How?” the teenager asked, genuinely intrigued. It almost sounded too good to be true.

The compartment in front of her suddenly opened up and a drawer ejected out with a small hiss. A small cylinder jutted out at Alex, green liquid swirling around inside the glass chamber. Alex bent into a crouch to examine it. “In that vial in front of you is a modified version of the FEV virus. Based on the schematics of the purifiers controls, it can be inserted directly into the console. Then enter the code to start the purifier and the automated systems will take care of the rest. “

An image of the creature in Vault 87’s medical bay floated to Alex’s brain. She shuddered and tried desperately to move on. She wanted to ignore that chapter, to put it out of her mind entirely.

She did not succeed.

“Why not just get Colonel Autumn to do this for you.”

The president cleared his throat. “Ah yes, Colonel Autumn. My trusted subordinate. As I’m sure you’ve noticed, the colonel and I do not see eye-to-eye these days, figuratively speaking of course. The good colonel and I disagree on how best to approach the problem of the Wasteland. He feels my methods are too extreme.”

“How so?”

“The details are not important.”

Alex’s skinny arms folded across her chest. “Well they are to me. I just want to know why Colonel Pompous would suddenly change his tune.”

“My my, such cynical wit. Very well. Colonel Autumn has allowed his humanity to cloud his judgement. And now that he is publicly countermanding my orders, I can no longer rely on him.”

“Is that why all the soldiers have been attacking me?”

“Yes, I do apologise for that. While I am direct control over Raven Rock technology, he has control over the human soldiers.”

“So hard to find good help these days.”

Eden let out a laugh through his speakers, a slight buzz lining his chuckle. “Indeed it is. I must say Miss Halsey, I expected you to be much more...unaccommodating. Colonel Autumn painted you as unreasonable.”

“He’s the one who is unreasonable.”

“So Alex, if I may call you that, will you help us rebuild our great nation?”

“Have you spoke to my dad about this?”

“Your father made it perfectly clear that he didn’t want anything do with the Enclave, unfortunately.”

“Maybe if you released him back into the capital Wasteland, he would be more inclined to help.”

“I’m not sure that’s possible.”

Alex mounted her hands on her hips. “Alright then, fine. I can play hard ball too. I’ll help you only if you release me and my father back into the Wasteland.”

“That sounds like a fair enough deal but how can I be certain that you’ll honour the agreement? “

The teenager frowned. “You don’t. You’re just going to have to trust me.”

“Well, let’s see then. Perhaps we can work something out...Yes, I’ll free both you and your father in return for you co-operation.”

Alex reached down and picked up the vial of liquid and slid it into her jacket. It was still warm to the touch and heated the lining of her pocket. The console suddenly buzzed again. “Oh and before you go, I believe this belongs to you.” The girl looked up questionably, only to have another compartment ping out at her. Sitting inside the empty storage slot was her Pip-Boy, looking as new and shiny as it did when she first got it nine years previously. Alex opened and closed her mouth several times before she could eventually manage coherent sentences. “What? How?”

The screen lit up. “When we were detaining you, one of our scientists noticed that your Pip-Boy was damaged. I had it repaired for you should you agree to assist us.”

Alex’s face turned several different colours. She reached out and secured the Pip-Boy around her wrist. She tapped master reset button upon the device. The logo of Vault-Tec lit up on the screen, bathing Alex in a familiar bright green. Records and data scrolled across the screen as it spooled up and data packages were loaded into his hard drive. Alex stood trembling, waiting for her Pip-Boy to speak again.

At last, the device spoke, still as Scottish as the day she got him. “Ach, remind me never ta do ‘hat again’”

“I won’t let you do that again,” Alex said with a laugh.

The Pip-Boy flashed a bright green. “Alex lass! Yeh be really here! I thought I be just dreamin’.”

“But you don’t dream. You’re a computer program.”

“Same old Alex. Least I know it’s really you.”

She touched the screen gently. “It is me. We’re back together again. As it should be.”

“Where be us?”

“Raven Rock.”

The little screen flashed orange in warning. “The Enclave! Lass! Are yeh sure that’s safe?”

Alex looked to the president – who she was sure was smirking away behind the monitor. “We don’t exactly have much of a choice really. They fixed you.”

Topaz dulled into emerald. “Yeh be pulling my leg.” The girl ignored him and turned back to the monitor whom had been waiting patiently. “And my dad?”

“Several soldiers still loyal to me are assisting his departure as we speak.”

“Well, I guess I should be thanking you then.”

“No no Miss Halsey, I thank you. With your help, America will become great again.”

The Pip-Boy flashed. “Help? What help? What’s going on Lass?”

Alex glanced down at her wrist, a frown on her lips. “I’ll explain later. We need to leave here. Now.” She turned back to Eden’s monitor. “Can you help us?”

“Certainly. Let me just see what I can do for you. We’ll just change this..And that...disable a few security camera here and there...And reprogram a sentry bots. There we go. You might encounter some more resistance but for the most part, things should run smoothly.”

“Well, goodbye then Mister President.”

“Good luck Miss Halsey. Though I highly doubt you need it.” Alex turned on her heel and proceeded to leave the building, fully aware of the cameras watching her departure with interest. Outside the doors, Burke was waiting for her; leaning casually against the wall near the two sentry bots. “All done?” He looked odd without his trade-mark managed a nod and held up her wrist.

“Look what they fixed.”

Burke peered at the device then frowned. “Welcome back.”

The Pip-Boy buzzed, vibrating against Alex’s denim-clad wrist. “Drop dead.”

An eyebrow hitched up Burke’s forehead. “He seems in perfect working order.”

“And they gave him a clean too. He hasn’t looked this good since...well, forever.”

“Shall we depart?”

Alex nodded and looked around the lobby. “I just want out oh here. I’d had enough of trolling through corridors.”

“As have I. Your father?”

“Eden said he would have him transported out of here.”

Burke opened his mouth to say something else when the sudden appearance of an Enclave soldier made him re-shuffle his priorities. Before either Alex or Burke could raise their weapons, the armour clad soldier raised their hands in a peace offering. “Hold your fire, I’m an ally” The voice behind the helmet was clearly female. Alex raised an eyebrow. “How do we know that?”

The soldier in question reached up to her helmet and started undoing the clasps and clips. With a hiss, the Enclave helmet eased off to reveal a woman not too much older than Alex. She was pretty with large thoughtful eyes and black hair cut short. “You don’t. You just have to trust me. I’m Ana. I’m with the Brotherhood of Steel.”

“Who?” The soldier stiffened slightly and frowned at the teenager.

“Knight Ana of the Brotherhood of Steel. Second Echo division. Undercover in the Enclave.”

“Alright, you’ve made your point. What are you doing here?”

“Elder Lyons had me contacted when you left to find the G.E.C.K. Naturally, he wanted me to keep an eye on you and make sure you didn’t get into any trouble.”

Alex gestured to the walls around them with a gloved hand. “Well, doesn’t look like you did a very good job.”

“Alex,” Burke warned. Apparently, Alex had a wax build-up in her eardrums for she just carried ignoring him. The soldier known as Ana rolled her eyes. “I don’t have time for this. Are you coming or not?”

“Where?”

“Out of here of course. I’ve got a Vertibird on the surface waiting for us. It’s got your dad in it.”

“Eden mentioned that some of his loyal soldiers were helping my dad. You one of them?”

Ana tossed her head to the side, a grin on her lips. “Ha, in his perfect world maybe. But no, my loyalties lie with the Brotherhood of Steel. Me and a few other agents jumped them when they started shifting your dad.”

“I see.”

The soldier jerked a thumb backwards. “Come on. Let’s go. I don’t want the guard dogs springing us while we escape.”

Alex and Burke looked at each other then joined her side. Clearly both were more than willing to leave Raven Rock. “Guard dogs?” Alex asked as they started back through the hazardous corridors.

Ana frowned and reached for the Laser rifle mounted upon her back. “The Tachikomas. Dangerous little creatures. They answer to the Colonel only. Even Eden has no control over them.” It seemed that the technology of Raven Rock had completely revolted. Sentry Bots rounded onto Enclave soldiers, the defence barriers cut off escapes for Enclave and the security system had gone completely AWOL. Vertibirds were being risen up from the depths of the base. Civilians were being moved elsewhere. According to Ana, Even a Deathclaw was running around the lower floors of the military base. Alerts sounded so loudly off the walls that Alex was sure that someone must have heard it above. Fire exploded all around them but the group kept moving forwards. Doors that had been locked beforehand opened automatically for the strange group.

Can we really trust her? Alex’s Pip-Boy piped up, the cold gasp of ice a welcoming sensation on the nape of her neck. It felt so good to have him back.

Don’t look it we’ve got much of a choice.

Well at least yeh can find out who be comin’ with us.

“Who is coming with us?” the brunette asked, voicing both her and the Pip-Boy’s concern.

Ana looked around a corner cautiously, rifle raised before she answered. “Well, us obviously, a few of the other agents, your dad and Doctor Autumn.”

“Autumn? Relation of the Colonel?”

“His wife from what I’ve heard.” Ana pulled a face. “Can’t imagine why she would marry a pig like that. I would say he is at least fifteen years older than her.”

“How can we trust her then? She could be working with the Colonel.”

Ana waved a hand. “No, I don’t think so. They haven’t been on good terms these days. I think she’s helping us to jab him in the eye.”

Alex nearly laughed. That was just how relaxed the Brotherhood member left her feeling. Ana lead them through the corridors as if she were giving them a guided tour of the place. Apart from the occasional stray soldier fleeing the rebelling base, the trip to the surface was far easier than Alex had envisioned.

It felt like it had been an age since Alex had been on the surface when in reality, it had only been twenty fours or so. They emerged one cold, Wasteland morning to find that nothing much had changed. Snow still coated the ground, clouds still gathered overhead and the air still only registered at one or two degrees. What was indeed different was that several Vertibirds were attempting to take off a hundred or so yard away. Overhead, the sky was simply buzzing with activity right down to the particles in the air. Many Vertibirds were already in the distance, carrying the great crates that housed the Tachikomas.

“Running won’t help. I’ll just shoot you in your asses,” Alex growled, mostly to herself. Burke heard the comment and gave her a tiny, tired smile.

Not too far away, a very familiar Super Mutant downing a Vertibird with a sort of Laser Gatling Gun. It didn’t seem as if he had noticed them for once the aircraft was down, he proceeded to pull the pilot right out through the cockpit. Off to the left, another Vertibird was prepped and ready for take-off. A few titanium clad soldiers were filling about it, checking the aircraft before take-off. The boarding flap was down, allowing Alex a crystal clear view of the interior. James was there, along with the blonde doctor whom she had seen earlier. They seemed to be sitting a little too close for Alex’s liking. She felt a thrill of what she could only guess was jealousy, perhaps even resentment towards the blonde woman. Not only was she the wife of the Colonel but now she was attempting to shack up with James.

However, Alex’s Pip-Boy interrupted her chain of thoughts before the green eyed woman stormed over and caused a riot.

Lass! Look at that! Is dat who I think it is?

Yeah, I think it is.

Leaving Ana and Burke in the dust, Alex ran out to meet the Super Mutant whom had been providing cover fire for the grounded Vertibird.

Fawkes’s face lit up when the teenager approached. In fact, the Meta-human placed his weapon down on the ground and pulled the teenager into a fierce hug. The soldiers around the Vertibird rounded onto him, weapons raised. Ana cut them off with a hand signal. “My friend! You are alive!”

“Takes more than the Enclave to put me down. But, what the hell are you doing here?”

The super mutant released her. “I saw your capture and a little cleverness allowed me to follow them. With some help from your furry friend of course.”

“Where is Dogmeat anyway?”

From the open Vertibird, the husky dog barked happily and scrambled down the open ramp towards her. Alex met him halfway and coiled her arms around his fluffy neck. Dogmeat licked her eagerly, soaking her cheeks in drool. It was a rather odd day for Alex to the say the least. She had gone from being completely alone to having her entire family back again under one...roof.

Ana joined the teenager’s side, eyes trained upon the Super Mutant as if she considered him a threat. Alex guessed that the soldier inside the woman would never unwind. “That’s our ride. Where are we dropping you off? Citadel?”

The teenager looked to Burke. “Well?”

He gave a very uncharacteristic shrug. “If you would rather go with your father, I understand completely. I however must return to Tenpenny Tower.”

Alex nodded. Though she didn’t feel like confronting her father, she didn’t want to feel like a coward. “I’m going to the Citadel. He’s going to Tenpenny’s place. But what about Fawkes?”

“I’m not sure if he we could get him onto the Vertibird. And I doubt the others would be too happy having him about,” Ana said tactfully.

“He’s with me. If he doesn’t go then I don’t either.” Her tone was firm and a frown equally as stubborn adorned her face.

“I can simply walk my friend,” Fawkes attempted to intervene. The two women ignored him.

“The Vertibird is overcrowded as it is,” Ana pointed out.

Alex looked towards the aircraft. Perhaps it were best if she walked. Alex was not entirely sure she could be in the same area as her father without trying to wring his neck.

The temptation would be far too great.

“Fine. Me, Fawkes and Dogmeat will walk. I’ll meet you at the Citadel.” Fawkes’s jaw dropped open.

This time, it was Burke’s turn to frown. “Not acceptable. We are some distance away.”

“Think about it Burke. There is not enough room on the Vertibird for all of us and I won’t leave Fawkes out here alone. I released him, he’s my responsibility now.” The super mutant’s small eyes brightened again but he remained silent. It was just better that way. “So you go in the Vertibird.”

“If you insist on walking then I shall come with you.”

“No! I’ll be fine. I survived the Wasteland without your help once before, I can do it again.” Alex snapped Burke in silence. His mouth shut and he turned away, clearly offended that the teenager did not want his company. Alex ignored him. She did not want to be trapped inside a Vertibird. It was far too closed quarters for her liking, despite her love for most technology. Alex turned back to Ana, pretending rather unsuccessfully to ignore Burke’s bitter scowl. “Well, if that all, you should probably get going then.”

“What about your father Alex?”

“Get him to the Citadel. I’ll catch up later.” Dogmeat trotted over and sat down in the dust and dirt by her heels. A warm tongue darted out and licked Alex’s gloved clad hand, attempting to comfort her. She looked at him and he stared back with his mismatched eyes. He wore a look that just seemed to scream: Don’t worry. I’m here now. We’ll be okay.

She wished she could have believed him.

So the matter was decided. Alex, Fawkes and Dogmeat would walk back to the city while the rest would go on the Vertibird. Burke pulled her aside before the Vertibird took off. “I know that you are unhappy with your father but I am not entirely sure this is the way to go.”

Nearby, Fawkes was perched on a large boulder with Dogmeat sitting in front him. A green hand was patting the furry head of the husky dog gently. Despite not wearing much clothing, the Super mutant did not seem the least bit bothered by the cold. “There is no other way. There is not enough ammo or supplies for the both of us. The Enclave confiscated heaps of stuff.”

“If that Super Mutant were not here, would you have gone in the Vertibird?” Burke asked, his voice holding an edge to it that Alex could not place.

“Listen, I just don’t want to face my dad right now. I need some time to figure out what to do. I grieved for him because I thought he was dead. For weeks I had believed that he was gone and I had moved on but now I find out that he’s alive and kicking.”

“If this is what you desire, I shall not attempt to stop you. Let me just warn you that the weather is rather unprediactable.”

“Besides, I don’t know if the Enclave are going to come after me again. It’s better if you’re not about. I couldn’t forgive myself if you got dragged into this as well.”

Burke straightened up at her steely words. “I became part of this from the moment I met you. Remember that.”

“Great, mushy romance. Just what I need.”

Two hands suddenly placed themselves on her shoulder. “I am deathly serious Alex. Please be careful.”

Alex forced herself to stare him straight in the eye. It was not often that she heard such a heartfelt plead, yet alone coming from the “I’ll be fine. I have Fawkes and Dogmeat with me.” She wrapped her heavy coat pockets. “And I have enough supplies to last a good few days.”

“If you should need me, you know exactly where I am.”

“Thanks. You’re not so bad sometimes.” Though he was clearly not happy with the arrangement, Burke released Alex once he realised she was not going to budge. For a second, he leaned forward as if he were going to kiss her but suddenly thought better of it. With Alex’s father looking out from a Vertibird a few yards away, it was not surprising. She guessed he did not want to make waves by doing something obscene in plain sight of all.

It was not long before Vertibird took to the winter skies with all the grace and elegance of an eagle. Fawkes and Dogmeat stood by her side, watching the Vertibird go. Alex stared up as it came nothing more than a speckle of black against a background of grey and white. For a quite some time, not one word was exchanged between the Mutant and the human. They simply stared after the Vertibird in complete silence.

Eventually, Fawkes cleared his throat. “I appreciate what you did for me my friend. Truly.”

Alex turned to face him. “No one was looking out for me when I first came out here. We don’t want it to happen to someone else. Do we boy?” Alex looked to the husky dog to the left. Dogmeat barked happily and pranced about on the spot, apparently happy with this new arrangement.

At least someone was.

“Thank you.”

“Well, better get going. We’ve got a long walk ahead of us.”

“Never fear my friend. I have been confined for many years so I do not mind in the slightest.”

“You won’t be saying that when I start demanding a piggy-back,” the teenager remarked with a small grin.

“For what you have done for me, I would give you a hundred ‘piggy-backs’”

“I’ll hold you to that Fawkes,” she joked before turning her jade eyed gaze back to the horizon of the Capital Wasteland. Somewhere in her chest, her heart tightened against the vial of the FEV. Was this what the Wasteland would see in the coming days? Secrets and Lies? Vertibirds in the air? Soldiers feuding? War tearing at the already frayed landscape? What had she just done by agreeing to help the President?

Was this the shape of things to come?