AN/

This story is based on a rumor from a dialogue Piper had, something about her "Uncle James down in the DC area" of course I twitched the contents a bit!

Hey guys, this will be my first "Long Story" hopefully. I'm kind of a newbie on this writting thing, sepcially after a very VERY long hiatus. If you like my story don't hesitate to leave a review :) Any comments, suggestions, tips will be more than welcome. If you want me to continue this series just let me know :D

"Dad!" He yelled as he pounded the thick glass that kept the radiation inside the chamber of the purifier. James used his remaining strength to shout one last word to his son and his companions.

"Run!" and moments later, he collapsed, dead. He was pulled by Sarah Lyons and as he struggled to fight her grasp he couldn't break free watching the corpse of his father laying there in the irradiated chamber.

He woke up with a jolt and covered in sweat, looking around in a panic attack with a combat knife on his hand. Once he realized that no one was there to murder him on his sleep, he sighed and sat. He was inside the old rusted carcass of a corvega while he spent the night. Morning was rising at the distance and there was enough light for him to see.

He took the picture he had carried ever since he returned to Vault 101 to take some of his belongings back. He stared at his fathers picture for a while letting out a sigh again he tucked it away and watched the sunrise, one of the most beautiful sunrises he had ever seen among this irradiated wasteland.

"Son, there is something else you must know..." Said James as he was sitting beside his son watching the Potomac. Albert looked at him "Yeah?" Albert was old enough now to understand hopefully, he was an adult and he had the right to know.

"You have a sister" said James, he was always direct, no bullshit, right into it. Albert took the information and tried to process it, and once he did his eyes went wide with surprise.

"Really? Where is she? Is she alive?" James nodded "Yes, she is. We've been in touch ever since I left. It's hard to keep in touch with family these days, but a bit of elbow grease and ingenuity everything is possible" Albert smiled at his father comment.

"Show off" he said gently pushing him, making James laugh. He was surprised that his son took the news of having a sister so good, maybe he shouldn't be, Albert had a good heart much like his mother, it wasn't on his nature to hate.

"So, about your sister. If ever something happens-" Albert shook his head and put his arm around his shoulder

"Save it Dad, nothing will happen. After Project purity is up and running. You'll take me to her" James smiled and decided to keep quiet, he had a feeling on his gut that soon something was about to happen, something bad.

"We'll see. But still, you know where to go if something happens. Go north, to the commonwealth" Albert nodded and returned to look at the water. Somehow he felt it too, he felt that something bad was going to happen. And it wasn't to turn out for the better.

"How is she? Does she looks like you?" James smiled and shook his head. "No, she looks like your mother, but her passion for what she does is much like mine and yours. When your mother got pregnant the first time we were so happy and nervous at the same time. But, sadly the trip to DC was too dangerous for a baby like her, thankfully my brother decided to take her under his wing. I still miss her Albert, and she is eager to meet you someday" Albert smiled and kept looking at the water.

"Do you know her name?" He asked, James slowly nodded. "Well...she changed it a while back, after my brother died she decided to move on with Nat your cousin, they might be sisters since they grew up together. She changed her name to-"

And that's when he was snapped back to reality to the sounds of Vertibirds.

Was that the Brotherhood? His fists clenched in a silent fury when he saw it. The Prydwen, Arthur's favorite toy. The audacity he has to travel on the Prydwen towards the commonwealth posing as a war hero instead of the dirty traitor that he is.

But his goal wasn't to pack a punch at that Brat's face. He was on his way to find his family, and without wasting time he went in the direction of the Blimp and the Vertibirds escorts. During his travels, he wondered how his sister would react. Will she be happy when she meets him? Will she be mad at him? Indifferent? He didn't have anybody else in the world, he was now truly the Lone Wanderer.

Weeks after walking and walking, he noticed the landscape of Boston, as hellish as any other town or prewar remnants of civilization he walked by. From a sudden, he saw a blinding flash, and then the familiar sound of a nuclear bomb exploding.

Covering his eyes as quickly as possible he felt the distant thunder and heat coming from the atomic fire, soon after, the shock wave gently pushed him back a little bit, making his trench coat wave like crazy. With a short panic attack and a growing concern over his sister he make haste to reach Boston as soon as possible.

-=0=-

He passed by some ruins as he made his way into the remains of Boston, during his trek around the city, always being careful of raiders or ghouls. Albert carried his trusty hunting rifle with him, he heard people talking not too far so he quickly decided to hide behind the remains of a collapsed building.

From what he could see, they were two people. The man was dressed in green fatigues with pieces of armor made of leather and metal, what pinched his attention thought was the Pip-Boy on his hand. He missed his own Pip-Boy, a loyal companion that after a violent death claw encounter died defending it's owner.

The man was clearly in pain, not physical pain. But the one that you feel after a loved one is gone. He remembered those feelings quite well, he decided to keep low and listen to their conversation.

"That's it..." said the man in a sign of defeat "Shaun is gone...all this trouble for nothing, those bastards...so many years stolen from me" he said slowly starting to sob. The woman held him close

"Don't say that Blue, We rescued Shaun remember? And with Nat we will be a family again" That made him blink in surprise, Nat? Wasn't that the name of his sister's cousin?. From a sudden they heard the sound of rubble moving and muffled groans, ghouls.

Albert looked to his front and he saw a pack of ghouls running towards him, he didn't care if he didn't want to be seen he hated ferals with so much passion. "Aw, Fuck!" he shouted crawling on his back as he shot his hunting rifle. The man and the woman were too busy fighting the others while Albert was already overrun by the bastards.

He fought furiously against the ghouls in a desperate attempt to survive, once he managed to break free and get on his feet. He shot with deadly accuracy killing the ghouls and fighting hand in hand those who got too close, after the whole ordeal came to an end. A straggler ran towards the man and the woman, before they could react the ghoul started to run slower and slower until it collapsed at their feet with a gunshot on the back of it's head.

The three stood there for a moment not knowing what to do. Then Albert spoke. "You two alright?" he asked at the couple. Who simply nodded, the woman though looked at Albert in a funny way. "Thanks for the help stranger, what's your name?" Albert put his rifle on his shoulder and approached them. "Albert Wright" he said extending a hand to them, the man nodded thankfully and shook Albert's hand.

"I'm Nathan Owens. And this is-" Then the woman interrupted nodding at him, still with a confused face. Her whole reaction made Albert put 2 and 2 together. But this wasn't the right moment.

"Piper, nice to meet you Albert" she said. Albert smiled at Piper and nodded back, then she asked. "Albert, if you don't mind me asking. Does the name James sound familiar?" Apparently the truth didn't have to wait. Nathan looked at Piper confused and asked.

"You know him?" Piper didn't respond, she was too focused on waiting Albert's reply. He looked at her and put his hand inside his jacket which made Nathan and Piper step back a bit but then, Albert took a photograph out of his pocket.

"I do" the picture was of a man smiling beside a kid, probably Albert. Both wearing a vault suit, she took the picture and then looked up at Albert. It was him, her little brother. At the time she wasn't sure why her Dad wasn't there with him.

Piper smiled gently and then looked at her brother, she was already fearing the worst of why their father wasn't there with him. Her eyes became fearful as she swallowed hard to try and make the question she was fearing the most.

"Where is Dad? I haven't heard of him for ten years. Last time, he sent me a message about activating his purifier" She said. Albert looked at Nate

"Excuse me Nate, I need to speak something with Piper in private" He nodded and told them that he was going to stay on watch in case something happened. Albert took Piper's hands as he sat with her on the sidewalk.

"How do I explain..." he sighed "Ten years ago, Dad left the vault in order to re-activate a project he once worked on. I thought that Dad and I were born on that vault until that day when I realized that he had abandoned me and the vault. I spent months looking for him, and once I found him" he explained gently rubbing his sister's hands "he explained me the whole scheme, his plan of giving free and pure water to the Capital Wasteland. We started working together and, well then came the Enclave" He said looking down in sadness.

"The Enclave?" asked Piper "Weren't those psychos some the supposed US Government?" she asked, Albert nodded

"Yes, but they were far from being the Old US Government, they wanted to seize the purifier in order to contaminate the water with the FEV virus, killing anything and anyone that wasn't completely pure."

Albert sighed yet again and continued "I fought with the Brotherhood of Steel...back when they were truly the Brotherhood, to re-take the purifier from the Enclave's hands. That was when...that was when I saw Dad for the last time" Piper knew what Albert was going to say, and she didn't like it one bit.

"Please don't tell me..." she said fighting the tears that started to sprung from her face, Albert simply held her close to him and comforted her

"He died on that battle Piper, shortly after he sent you that last message apparently. Our father sacrificed himself to save the Capital Wasteland" Piper closed her eyes, and let the tears run through the cheeks, she was so eager to finally meet him and her little brother, ever since he left he told her that one day he will return with her baby brother. Sadly, only her brother came back.

"I'm just Glad that you're safe" finally said Piper, holding her brother's face smiling at him with teary eyes "You look so much like him" she said, and pulling Albert into an embrace she said "You're home" Albert smiled gently closing his eyes too and hugging Piper "I'm home-" he trailed off as both hug there for some time.