Disclaimer: I do not own Fallout or the Fallout universe. I do not own any of the characters associated with Fallout. I do not make any money from this.

A/N: So I decided to rewrite the story because I felt like it was way too by the book. And I just started writing this beginning and yeah. It got a little out of control lol. But at least now there's a detailed back story of my Sole Survivor. Also, I might delete the NSFW version and just make it one version where IT IS NSFW. Also, might write other pairings within the same universe.

*Daeda is pronounced like day-duh.

. . .

Preface/Prelude - Home

. . .

Daeda often wondered what happened to the world. The time after World War II was fruitful, almost peaceful in the wake of the advancement in science. Daeda remembered a childhood spent carefree and lively, and then the war happened. Daeda remembered very little about the shortages. She was a teenager in High School when workers were going on strike and images of starving children were on the news. Her parents were just making ends meet but she was mostly worried about what she was going to do next.

She attended her first year of Law School when the war started. The escalating tension and attacks by the Chinese only worsened her situation. She was already in debt because of her student loans and prejudice seemed to break out like an epidemic. She wasn't of Chinese descent, she was Native American but the similarity in features only made her the target of ridicule. No one in her classes wanted to partner with her on projects, and the instructors wouldn't work with her to remedy it.

So she finished her second semester and went home, home was worse though. Her mother had lost her job at the local elementary for the same reasons Daeda had left school. Her father only had his job because there weren't many others who were willing to work at the nuclear plants. His pay was decreased and her parents had no choice but to sell their home and settle for a smaller one. Daeda spent several months looking for any job so that she could help her parents.

She had managed a small paying job at a local supermarket but was quickly let go after complaints from other employees and customers were filed. Daeda got tired of constantly being rejected and discriminated against. It wasn't difficult to make the decision to join the military. She was out of options and she began to feel a need to prove herself. She made it through basic training with flying colors despite the jabs at the way she looked.

It was with some relief and contempt that she was selected for a particular program because of the way she looked. It was ironic that while everyone shunned her, the military needed her. She was dynamically trained to deceive and kill within a matter of months. She was told that if she wanted to be in the program she needed to give her all. So she did, like every other woman in the program they trained day and night to be the best. They passed all the tests given, written and physical, even an obstacle course and combat arena where they had to show off every style of combat they studied and mastered. They were given essential medical training, a few of them putting in extra time to be specialized in it, and essential survival skills that could be used in any situation and climate. They passed and were immediately put on assignment.

Smuggled behind enemy lines, her purpose was clear, espionage. She spent a year gathering intelligence for the American forces and assassinating anyone she was told to. Her pension and benefits were transferred to her parents per her request. She was finally able to do something without being held back.

She was given the orders to travel back to the west for a new assignment after she was wounded. She had been infiltrating a highly secured compound that specialized in "experimental warfare". The compound studied everything: from chemical warfare to how Russia used the cold to their advantage during WWII and if it could somehow be weaponized. She had been discovered when a security officer threw an odd looking grenade. Daeda had initially thought it would cause an explosion but instead a yellowish smoke erupted and Daeda was momentarily blinded. Her eyes stung and she was almost instantly incapacitated.

It was in that moment that Daeda was happy she wasn't alone. She had gone in first to recon the room but her fellow "teammates" were just outside waiting for her to give the all clear. They had heard the commotion and came in for her. That was one of their unofficial rules, don't leave anyone behind. She was roughly pulled out and propped against the outer wall. There were six of them in her team and Daeda could hear gun fire. Someone was trying to talk to her but Daeda was disoriented.

"I can't see," she had croaked, her throat suddenly tight and dry. She could hear a rustling of fabric and the light clink of metal against metal. She focused her hearing and figured that the team medic, Mercy as she was code named, was trying her best to patch her up. She felt two pinpricks of needles and figured she was given a stimpack and med-x. Later, Mercy would tell her that she had no idea what was in the grenade and what effects it would have so she had given Daeda what was generally used for every medical emergency. Daeda didn't argue and had to assure Mercy that she didn't blame her for her now shitty eye sight. After pictures were taken, information gathered, and the compound in flames they managed to escape.

They had retreated to their "headquarters" and that's where they laid low for several weeks until Daeda got clearance from their division director to be transferred to a medical facility somewhere in Western Europe. It wasn't difficult for Daeda to get clearance from the Chinese government to leave the country. She was after all technically a citizen. She had managed to "befriend" a top general and it just took some "convincing" for her to get a travel visa. She was pretty much okay but her vision had blurred and Mercy was afraid of residual side effects. They didn't have any idea of what the grenade was. They had acquired schematics and chemical formulas but none of them gave any clue to the chemical weapon.

Daeda wished she could say she enjoyed getting some R&R but she didn't. She grew restless and impatient. The other occupants of the medical facility were soldiers wounded in battle. They did not appreciate having a seemingly "oriental" woman in their midst. She didn't even try to justify their taunts and insults with an explanation or remark. She kept quiet. The few that tried to assault her were unnervingly surprised when she defended herself. She had them on the ground in a matter of seconds. A loud and obnoxious soldier had decided one day that he was going to "get a piece of the quiet bitch". Daeda had twisted his arm and only stopped when she heard a sharp crack. The man yelled out in pain and that's when Daeda pinned him to the floor. She spoke out loud for the first time for everyone to hear.

"Touch me again asshole and I'll kill you," Daeda had him in a headlock with her legs, her arm still holding him down. She gritted her teeth in anger, everyone near them backed up as if suddenly afraid of the angry woman. They were surprised to hear that she had a very clear American accent. "I've done more for our country than your worthless ass!" She looked up at all the other patients watching them with what looked like trepidation flickering across their faces. "Touch me, and I'll kill you." She aimed her words at all of them. They seemed to shuffle their feet nervously as if unsure what to do. It was only when the guy she had pinned to the ground began to look blue did she release her grip. The man instantly started coughing, groaning because of the broken arm lying rigidly at his side. Daeda looked at him one more time and then punched him in the face. His nose immediately began to bleed. She stood and waited for security to finally show up and take her to her room. She was confined there for the rest of the day.

She got a slap on the wrist when a commanding officer finally showed up. The footage and witness testimony all showed that what she did was in self-defense albeit a little excessive. Several days later she was brought to her doctor's office.

"From what we've been able to uncover about the chemical weapon that you were exposed to and your current condition, it seems that the exposure to your eyes has caused you to develop astigmatism. We aren't sure how this is possible as your past test results showed that you had perfect eye sight. This explains the blurriness you have been experiencing. There are some signs that the chemical may have affected your lungs, we'll need to run further tests to determine if this is true. In the mean time we will have our resident optometrist get your eye prescription and we'll have some glasses made for you. The director of your division is coming in tomorrow to talk to you about release and assignment," the doctor carefully informed her. Daeda heavily sighed, unsure of how to react to the fact that she now had to wear glasses in a job where they would just get in the way. She nodded stiffly and left the office to go back to her room.

. . .

Daeda was doing her regular workout, pull-ups and boxing when Director Royles walked into the hospital gym. She watched Daeda for several moments before she cleared her throat and made her presence known. Daeda stopped her movements and turned to look at the woman standing in the doorway to the gym. She sighed and began pulling off the tape on her hands and wrists.

"The girls have been asking about your condition and whether or not you'll be going back soon," Royles seemed to offer as an ice-breaker. Daeda couldn't help but smile to herself, missing her team, but then she frowned at the question left unanswered.

"Will I be going back?" Daeda asked in a hushed voice. Royles frowned at her heels and tried not to seem upset.

"No," she replied looking up at the upset form of one of her best soldiers. Daeda let in a harsh breath and tried not to collapse. She had dedicated over a year to the team and the thought of no longer being a part of it was devastating. She roughly pulled off the rest of the tape on her hands and finally collapsed on a worn bench. She picked up her tattered bag and fished out her new glasses. She put them on, the weight of them like a pressure pushing down on her spirit.

"What now?" Daeda finally asked. Royles sighed and sat next to Daeda. She put her hands on her knees.

"Well, the division has decided that it's too risky for you to go back to your old assignment. So, we're giving you a new one. You've managed to not only do your job in enemy territory but you also managed to get your second year done for your Law degree, is that correct?" Daeda nodded her head and tried to figure out where this was going. "We're offering you an opportunity to finish your education. We want to station you at one of our primary bases where you can learn everything you want for you to rise in ranks and we are offering to pay for any education you wish to take. You did a lot for your country and we want to show our gratitude. Your parents will still get your pension and benefits back on the main land. You don't have to worry about this affecting them. We firmly believe that you are too valuable to simply let go and we want to thank you," Royles finished her offer and waited for Daeda to answer. Daeda was reeling from the offer. It was incredibly generous, not only would she be able to finish her degree but she would also be able to keep up with her training. It wasn't exactly what she wanted, what she wanted was to be there for her teammates. She knew though that in her present condition she'd be more of a liability than an asset. It didn't take her long to decide that this was the best offer she was going to get.

"I accept the offer," she answered. Royles almost sighed in relief but was just able to hold it back. If Daeda had declined the offer, she would either be stuck in the medical facility indefinitely or she would be put under observation in a very different facility until the government could be absolutely sure that she wouldn't reveal government secrets or turn against them. Royles gave her a folder with her transfer orders, new status, and any other information needed for the transfer.

"We leave in two hours." The director smiled at Daeda and stood to leave the room. Daeda almost jumped in joy, she was happy to finally get out of there. She cleaned the equipment she used and rushed to her room to pack her stuff.

. . .

Daeda felt like her education was on fast forward. She was going through classes faster than usual because of all her free time. She didn't have a particular job or duty on the military base so she wasn't required to do all the day-to-day stuff. When she needed a break from her studies she was in the Engineering department. She had made friends with the workers there. They were happy to find out that she wanted to learn everything they were willing to teach her. So Daeda was in there a lot, she tinkered with some of the Power Armor and observed the engineers as they tested new weapons and modifications. She even helped out with that.

Life on the base was surprisingly peaceful. There was some ridicule and discrimination when she first got there but when it became clear that no one was going to get a rise out of her, they stopped. It also helped that several months after she first got there some of her team got leave and decided they wanted to visit her. The vast amount of men on the base was surprised to see a small group of foreign looking woman. They didn't know what to make of it at first.

Daeda's team strode in, in uniform, and sneered at anyone who looked at them funny. Even the small amount of women on the base were curious as to who these women were. It was very entertaining to watch everyone's reactions when the women broke out in shrieks, shouts, and hugs as they saw Daeda. They teased her on her glasses and gave her all the updates on the rest of the team. Mercy was there looking somewhat guilty and hesitant. Daeda chastised her and pulled her into a big hug.

That evening at dinner, the commanding officer on site stood to introduce Daeda's team. Everyone was given a brief description of what they did and everyone applauded politely, not quite believing that that was what Daeda used to do. Daeda's team left the next day, wanting to get some time on the main land before they had to go back on duty. She missed them almost immediately after they left. No one said anything remotely rude to her after that.

. . .

Daeda met Nate one afternoon in Engineering while she was working on a broken T-60 Power Armor. He had walked into the warehouse wearing his own Power Armor. He talked to a nearby technician about a glitch in his HUD. The technician asked him to step out of his armor so he could run diagnostics. He told him that there would be a wait but Nate just shrugged and said he would just hang out in there until they figured out what was wrong.

Daeda watched as he wandered around the warehouse watching what everyone was doing and picking up stuff to look at. On more than one occasion an engineer or technician shooed him off and Nate only grinned and moved to a different part of the warehouse. It was only after he had basically seen every inch of the place did he eye Daeda at her work station. She could feel his gaze on her and it made her uncomfortable. She was trying to repair the Power Armor helmet, her hands stained with grease and oil, when she felt someone standing right behind her watching her movements. She pulled away from the helmet to glare at him. He put his hands up as if in surrender and moved to lean against her table. He continued to watch her and she ignored him.

"You're Daeda, right?" he finally asked. Daeda sighed in annoyance and nodded her head stiffly. "I'm Nate." Daeda just looked at him while she removed a cracked actuator. He grinned at her like he had nothing better to do than just watch her work. "So you're a part of F.I.R.S.T?" Daeda frowned at him.

"F.I.R.S.T.?" she said in confusion.

"Yeah. Y'know the Female Intelligence Reconnaissance Strategic Team?" he said a mouthful and Daeda scoffed.

"Is that what they're calling it now?" she asked continuing with her work.

"What was it before?" he asked.

"A. V. O. I. D." Nate snorted.

"What did that stand for?" he asked.

"The Asian Voluntary Offensive Infiltration Division," she said drily while she replaced the cracked actuator. Nate watched her work.

"That sounds a little offensive," he remarked. Daeda snorted.

"I'm not even Asian," she supplied. He looked at her. She had honey-colored skin and curves, her looks alone looked foreign. Her hair was black and shouldered length but swept back in a messy bun, she had neatly trimmed bangs that framed her black-rimmed glasses. She had high cheekbones that sort of gave her away. She had these plump small lips that seemed to always be in a frown or pursed in disapproval. Nate couldn't remember ever seeing her smile. Daeda looked at him and realized he was appraising her. It made her feel on edge.

"You're not?" he asked, it sounded like he didn't quite believe her.

"I'm Native American," she finally stated. Nate was taken aback for a moment. He could see it now, the slight differences that suddenly made sense. She wasn't of Asian descent and yet she was often talked about like she was a traitor. Nate felt bad for the woman. The discrimination she must have received on a regular basis completely unnecessary because the woman wasn't even what everyone claimed her to be. Nate's features softened.

"I'm sorry," he offered. Daeda looked at him and frowned.

"Don't do that," she said. Nate straightened.

"Do what?" he asked. She rolled her eyes and seemed to finish up with her work.

"Feel sorry for me." She cleared her work station and swept past him in rigid strides.

. . .

Nate continued to bother her weeks after they formally met. He would sit with her at meals, or join her in her tinkering. He always spoke at her, Daeda refused to join him in conversation. He wasn't unpleasant company and certainly didn't force his presence on her. If she told him to leave, he did. He never asked why or tried to dissuade her and that was something she appreciated.

She was actually warming up to him despite her lack of response. He told her so many stories, or even imparted some of his knowledge on the war and some of the newer weapons he had the privilege to test. Sometimes he made her want to smile, just small quirks of her lips that made him grin like an idiot. He seemed to be unendingly interested in her and she couldn't understand why.

In the beginning it peeved her because she believed he just felt bad for her. But the more he kept at it the more that seemed to be untrue. Soon enough she looked forward to his company. He was humorous and witty. He was clever and good. Daeda was falling for him before she even knew it.

"What did you say?" Daeda turned around in the sparsely crowded cafeteria. She had been reading a novel her mother sent her when she heard the start of rising voices. She swung around in her seat to see that it was Nate. He was in the face of another soldier who never had anything nice to say to anyone. The tension in the room grew as everyone stopped to watch the exchange.

The man stepped closer to Nate and spoke in low tones. Daeda couldn't hear what he said but in an instant Nate's face was red and he took a swing at the soldier. Daeda rushed over as the man dodged the hit and swung at Nate in the ribs. Nate stumbled back a step to catch his breath. He was just about to swing back when Daeda maneuvered between them and pushed on Nate's chest. He looked down at her in surprise.

"Stop it," she hissed at him.

"But he – "

"I don't care. Stop. It." She gritted her teeth and Nate took one look at her face and nodded. His stance relaxed in defeat.

"You're going to take orders from a tiny little bitch? You really are weak," the soldier taunted. Daeda looked at the soldier and in a moment he was clutching his nose and groaning. She had punched him in the face. Blood was coating his hands and he stumbled back.

"Who are you calling tiny?" she stood in front of him ready to take him down but then a hand on her shoulder pulled her back.

"Stop it," Nate copied her words. Daeda made a growling noise in the back of her throat, shaking her shoulders to get rid of the tension. Nate stepped up to the groaning soldier and kneed him in the groin.

"She's more of a soldier than you'll ever be," Nate whispered harshly in his ear. The man fell onto his knees, forgetting his nose to protect his aching groin. Nate turned around to see Daeda grab her food tray and walk off. He grinned to himself and followed after her.

"What the hell happened?" she muttered roughly as he followed her down a corridor.

"He said…some things about you and me," Nate confessed. Daeda turned around in her anger. Her tray dumped in a nearby trash can.

"I don't need you to defend me," she grit out. Nate couldn't help but smile at that.

"I didn't do it to defend your honor or anything. I did it because what he said was wrong and insulting. Not just to you but to me. I know you can take care of yourself. I know that you are more than capable of handling things on your own. I've seen you repair an entire Power Armor without much help and you just started learning about engineering and stuff months ago. I didn't do it because I feel like I need to defend you. And I don't feel sorry for you. I just care, and I know that must seem like some kind of weakness or pity to you but it's not. I like you. I think it'd be obvious by now but I honestly have no idea what else to do to get your attention," he let out in a rush. Daeda went from angry and peeved to interested and curious. The corners of her mouth weren't cooperating and were quirking up in a small smile. Nate stopped his rant in surprise. He couldn't help but grin.

"You are such an idiot," she let out. Giggles were rising and she couldn't help but double over in laughter. Nate watched, his ego a little wounded, but he'd never seen her like this and he wasn't about to ruin it.

"Well, I try," he replied to her, he couldn't help but smile. Daeda finally stopped long enough to look at him. She laughed a couple of more times and then she grabbed him by the neck and brought him down to kiss him. They crashed in a tumble of lips and teeth. Nate had never been kissed so roughly but he didn't mind, as long as she kept holding onto him.

. . .

When Daeda finally got her Law degree she had been dating Nate for six months. It wasn't technically allowed but no one said anything. Once Daeda got her degree she was given the offer to go home. Director Royles seemed to pull some strings so that Daeda could go home in peace and well looked after. Daeda was reluctant to accept it. She wanted to go home but she also didn't want to leave Nate. They danced around the topic for weeks until Nate had to go into battle.

His squad was being sent into a warzone. Daeda worked on his Power Armor for days making sure it had the latest updates and mods to maximize his chances of survival. Nate told her it wasn't necessary but Daeda didn't listen and just continued her work.

The morning of the battle they lied in bed together. Nate needed to get up and get ready but he couldn't will himself to leave her arms. Finally, he couldn't hold it off any longer. He moved to get up but she pulled him back down. She kissed him like it might be their last. She pulled way and looked him in his eyes.

"Go home with me," she whispered to him. He just kissed her and got up. It was all that was on his mind the rest of the day and night. He fought with a new purpose, a new drive. He needed to win, to survive, and to go back to her. The Chinese were falling back and their victory was inevitable but then a stray bullet lodged itself into the actuator of Nate's left leg and his armor buckled. The circuits in his leg started sparking and something came loose. A piece of the metal in the leg seemed to have been dislodged by the bullet and it was digging into his real leg. He screamed in pain as the tissue was sliced into.

One of the nearby soldiers rushed towards him to help him out of the suit. A medic rushed over to tie a tourniquet for his leg. He was bleeding fast. The ground under him soaked in his blood. The sky began to blur and the pain was fading. Nate closed his eyes.

. . .

When Nate opened his eyes Daeda was sitting at his bedside, holding his hand. He smiled instantly and she smiled back. Tears were in her eyes and Nate wanted to brush them away.

"Let's go home," he whispered to her. His voice hoarse and his throat dry. Daeda laughed in tears and kissed him.

. . .

Nate made the decision to leave the military when he realized how much he was afraid of losing Daeda. He couldn't bear the thought of never seeing her again. His superiors didn't really put up a fight. After his injury, they thought he deserved to go home. When they arrived stateside, they stayed with Daeda's parents. They took a liking to him almost immediately which surprised Nate but from what he understood later, they were just glad to see their daughter happy. Nate didn't have any family; he grew up in the foster care system and went from house to house. He didn't know how much he was missing until those days staying with Daeda and her parents.

They married several months after settling, it was a small ceremony. They both didn't see the point in making a show of it. They loved each other, they wanted to be together, and that was that. Daeda's parents were ecstatic. They were even more so when a couple of months later they found out Daeda was 9 weeks pregnant.

Daeda's pensions and benefits seemed to have helped her parents greatly. They were able to live much better than they were before she left and they had saved quite a lot of what they didn't use. Her father even went so far as to invest some of the money into stocks, mostly in Nuka-Cola and General Atomics. They were coming out good and Daeda no longer had to worry about them.

Nate found a job relatively easy with his veteran status. They purchased a home in a newly built neighborhood called "Sanctuary Hills". It was the perfect slice of suburbia to raise their child in. They were coming out good as well and Nate was more than happy to provide for the both of them. He didn't like the idea of her looking for work. There was still too much prejudice out there and he didn't want to see her hope swindle because people were stupid. But gladly, Daeda had made the decision to stay at home at least until the baby was born.

When Shaun was born, it was like everything was perfect. Nate thought it would be hard, hard to settle down and start a family when there was still so much trauma from the war. But with Daeda, it came naturally.

. . .

A/N: Kind of rushed it towards the end because I was creeping up on 4,000 words and I was like "whoa there" lol. Hope this is a good or at least interesting beginning. Look out for more (: