With after everything I've been through, I was sincerely surprised that I didn't have this epiphany sooner. Every day I looked death in the eyes and put a bullet through its head. At the end of the day I took a shot of whiskey to take the edge off. I'd go to sleep and wake up ready to do it all over again. The reality is I'm not sure who would even care if I didn't make it one day. Loved ones going out and never coming back was not that unusual in the Commonwealth. There would be sadness but it would be accepted without much of a second thought. Anyways, I guess I just didn't want another day to go by without leaving some evidence of who I was in the world. Granted I should have started a long time ago but I'll start here. It was another day in the Wasteland…

The bullets were flying all over the place. Raiders had no real sense of aim. They stuck to the cowardly stance of holding their guns over their heads and spraying into the open space. This worked when enemies were charging at them. Anybody with any sense of strategic maneuvering would only have to take a few half assed shots to send their wrists flying through the air. It was an easy fight so not sure why Curie was bitching. Yes, we're fighting again. We're in a war zone. Personally, I loved it. After everything I went through to get her a body, she felt like she owed me something. It was good at first. Her innocence made me feel needed and gave me something to protect. She was easily impressed with me but it was to the point where it was boring now. I had finally made up my mind to ask Piper to travel with me again. Finally, we made it all the way back to Abernathy Farm. I told Curie it was next on my settlement checkup list. She didn't question it or probably even remember that this is where Piper was staying. I tried to look busy harvesting melons while I looked for her but she wasn't there. Only one other place where she would be. The place where we first met.

"Curie, we're going to Diamond City."

We were met with commotion as we entered the city. There were groups of people huddling around and discussing the central event. A wounded man was being tended to but it wasn't looking good. I didn't catch how he got hurt but he was struggling to say something.

"McDonough is a…synth."

"Are you sure" The bystanders gasped.

"Yes…I saw…him…with…"

"Shh, I'll take care of this. And Curie can help you with your wound." I motioned Curie to come over and administer her magic. She did have a way with medicine and for that I was grateful. He said something about needing to sit for a while but I was already sprinting in the other direction towards the Mayor's office. If this is where the drama was at, then there was a big chance that Piper might already be there.

My heart leaped as the lift approached the office. She was there and kicking at the office doors. I heard yelling from behind them and drew my weapon. He had a hostage. Probably his secretary. What a dick. Everything is a blur after that. I jumped out of the lift. Piper was shouting about needing to get in. I found the hidden button under the desk. Somehow, I persuaded the Mayor to let the hostage go and the shit hit the fan. He started shooting at us so we had no choice. Piper got the last bullet in. I had to see for myself so I went to check if he had a synth component. Yup. Now I felt bad for not believing in her from the beginning. But after what I had witnessed from being inside the Institute, I could say I was a different person now. We needed the time apart but now I was ready to change that.

"Hey Piper…"

"Hey Blue. Thanks for your help with the Mayor. What did I tell you, huh? Glad we could finally bring this to an end."

A moment of silence passed between us. I think she knew what I was going to say because her face grew tense.

"I'm going to need to stay here for a while. To help get everything back to normal."

"Yeah, of course."

"See you around Blue."

She turned around and left. That was it. She didn't even ask why I had been there. It obviously hadn't occurred that I would come back just for her. If it had, I just hoped it was because she wasn't ready and not because she didn't want to see me ever again. I still needed to come back and set up my newly purchased Home Plate. I had been avoiding it because I hoped I would have help in making it a home. I didn't want it turning into another bachelorette pad. I already had way too many across the Wasteland. The closest I had to a home with Curie was the space I made up over the Taffington Boathouse. It wasn't my best idea but she loved laying under the stars. It wasn't fair for her to give me all her affection while my heart belonged to someone else. I made up my mind to give her the place.

The common area of Diamond City was no longer filled with bystanders. I found Curie looking over some "collectible" baseball items.

"Hey."

"You got the Mayor? Everyone is talking about it. You were so brave to rush in there like that." Curie was beaming as I tried to avoid eye contact. It was hard because I wasn't sure of what reactions she was capable of but I was really hoping there was no built-in self-destruct button.

"Listen Curie…I'm going to stay here. Not sure how long but…you should go on back to the boathouse."

"I shall keep it in order until you arrive."

"Um, no. You don't have to do that. It's yours now."

"My own house?"

"If you want it."

"I've never had my own house. Your offer is very generous. But I am not sure…is this good-bye?"

"For now."

She nodded solemnly but didn't seem upset. "I will go then."

Without waiting for any response, Curie turned and walked away.

I eventually made my way to my unit. The only thing I had was a bed upstairs and some storage containers for all my crap. It was so dark and bare. At this point, I was feeling alone and a little hopeless. Piper was the reason I had come here and I didn't want her to be the reason I left. I dragged myself upstairs and fell belly first onto the bed. Sleep came only moments later.

The next thing I know, someone is running their fingers through my hair. I jolt back to wakefulness and reflexively reach for my gun which wasn't there.

"Whoa there. Sorry to wake you."

Piper was looking at me with a soft smile on her face. I calmed down and sat up straighter.

"How did you get in here?"

"I learned from the best."

"I thought you hated it when I broke in to places."

"Doesn't mean I wasn't watching."

A moment of silence passed as she dropped her hands in her lap.

"Nat told me she saw Curie leave so I figured you must still be here. Listen Blue…I told you I needed to stay here but I should have asked if you wanted to stay here with me. It's not that I don't want…"

"Piper, you don't have to justify anything."

"I know but I just didn't feel like I could ask you to stay. I was surprised to even see you here."

"Do you know why I would be here?"

"I had my hopes but I guess I was afraid of being wrong."

"Since when are you ever wrong?"

We both smiled and then she threw her arms around me.

"I've missed you so much Blue."

The embrace grew tighter as I wrapped my arms around her. I wanted to melt into the warmth of her skin. When she pulled away, I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. She would always be the most beautiful woman in the world to me and I couldn't remember why we had ever split paths.

"Piper, I want to be with you. Always. I know things aren't the most stable right now but I would like to live here. At the end of every journey, I want to find myself back here. With you."

"I mean, this is a really comfy bed."

"Well that's one perk of being with me."

She leaned in closer until I could smell her hair. My eyes went to her lips and the anticipation grew within me. Her smile relaxed into warm, wet kiss that sent shivers through my body. I leaned in for more, harder. Her hands cupped the side of my face and I pulled her closer until I was laying back against the pillows. The weight of her felt so good. She was grinding against my lower half as we continued to kiss passionately. I moaned into her mouth each time she hit a good spot with her hip movements. We finally had to pull apart for air, gasping.

"I'm sure you haven't forgot the perks of being with me."

She said with a smirk as she leaned back to pull off her shirt. Her nipples were visibly hard and I couldn't help but to reach out with both hands. She caught me by the wrists and we locked eyes for a moment. Then she jerked my hands so they crashed into her chest and I heard her inhale sharply at the contact.

"No, I've dreamt of this every night."

I pulled her down gently, but firmly. One hand slid up the side of her neck to bring our lips into contact again. The other hand held onto her breast with my thumb rubbing her erect nipple. There was an urgency in our kisses now. It was happening so fast that I didn't even notice her unbuttoning my shirt until the cool air hit my skin. Her warm mouth enclosed over my breast, sucking, and licking then moving over to the other. I was squirming beneath her. The heat between my legs was growing stronger as her mouth ventured lower down my body. I felt her fingertips slipping under the waistband of my pants so I raised my hips slightly so her gentle tugging was able to pull them down. Two fingers dipped into my wetness and her lips were pressed into mine once more, stifling my gasp of pleasure. She dragged her fingers up over my throbbing clit while kissing and licking down my neck and collarbone. My hips begin to rise to meet her movements. The higher they moved, the harder she would press into me. The worries of the world had completely evaporated from my mind at this point. In this moment, it was just us fucking like we were teenagers. Everything she was doing felt so good to my body and I held onto her tightly as she continued to savagely pleasure me. My cries for release grew louder until the climax washed over me like a final wave. I couldn't tell whose juices were all over my thighs because she was absolutely dripping when I slipped my hand up between her legs. Her gasp in my ear turned into heavy breathing as I began to play with her pussy, drawing small circles with two fingers around her clit then rubbing from the tip all the way back her entrance. Teasingly pushing against her as she continued to grind against my hand, I slid lower so I could lick her nipples as I was under her and my fingers worked to draw ecstatic moans from her.

"Fuck…Blue…I need you…"

"Need me to what, baby…"

Her rocking had reach a hard rhythm and her arms were starting to shake. I was trying hard not to lose control and keep my rhythm going into larger circles. She was pressing against me so tightly that my hand was starting to numb. Suddenly her arm muscles collapsed as she hit climax and our bodies melted together as my furious rubbing elicited spasms and screams from her. We lay there in the dark with the sound of heavy breathing becoming more apparent. I kissed her on the forehead and smiled. She lifted herself and kissed me on the lips. The warm wetness of it sent tingles down my spine.

"That…is what I needed," she said softly with that smirk on her face.

The next morning, I woke up in my lover's embrace. Her sleeping expression made her look so calm and unlike the mischievous, trouble-inducing Piper that everyone knew. I swore in that moment that I would never leave her side again. Seldom second chances come along and this time…I wasn't going to do it wrong.

The End