Vault 81. She had marked the coordinates in her pip-boy after she had been informed of it by the mercenary she had met at the Dugout Inn. She shook her head. She had already forgotten the man's name, she met so many people on her travels. Some of them were beginning to blend.
Her name was Charlotte. She was the sole survivor of Vault 111. 210 years had passed for her to wake up in this wasteland hell.
Charlotte eyed the opening in the rock before her. Fence surrounded it, makeshift shelters just within the fencing. She ran fingers through her mohawked auburn hair. Why would that be?
She approached the fence and could smell smoke. Silently, Charlotte crouched, signaling Piper to do the same. She wanted to be careful, in case they were heading into something. She approached the fence, as softly as she could, rounding the corner of one makeshift shelter.
Then she saw it: a caravan grouped around a campfire, cooking a meal for the night. Relaxing, Charlotte brought herself to her full height; a feat at 6 feet total. She was an amazon of a woman. The wasteland cowered before her.
Charlotte approached the caravan.
"Cricket?" She wondered, not sure if her green eyes were correct.
The caravaneer turned and looked at her.
"Hey Charlie." Charlotte huffed. She hated when the silly youth called her that.
"What are you doing here?" Charlotte asked the group.
Cricket grinned.
"Supplying vault dwellers." Simple reply. At least Charlotte could count on that.
Charlotte's scarred face turned puzzled.
"Vault dwellers?"
Cricket shrugged and nodded.
"Vault 81. They're all still alive." Was Cricket's excited reply. She was sometimes much too energetic for Charlotte.
"O-kay." Charlotte flicked her eyes to Piper. Piper gave her a raised brow, silently communicating, crazy.
"I'll take your word for it." Charlotte told the youth. She squared her shoulders beneath her combat armor and marched toward the opening of Vault 81.
Gaining entry into the Vault had not been a smooth talk of her way in like she would normally do. Charlotte? One hell of a smooth-talker. It seemed this Overseer and her security were still a bit untrusting of outsiders, even if they were open to trading with them.
Charlotte entered the vault with Piper at her back, taking the 5 cap tour from the boy, Austin. She rather enjoyed the experience. It made her think about what her boy, Shaun could have been like at his age.
Shaun. She had met him some time ago. She had also, betrayed him. Finding that her own son was not just fully grown, but also, physically, more mature than her had sent her spiraling. She hated the institute for what it had taken from her.
It was a lifetime she could have had with him. A lifetime his father was killed for and that she would never know because she had been frozen in time for all of it.
So she had taken her vengeance. Giving the Brotherhood control of the Commonwealth.
Charlotte, for her part, no longer wanted any part of these games for control. Not after what she had done. She was looking now, for somewhere, someplace to call her home. Maybe even someone. It was taking longer than she wished. The Minutemen kept her busy with their settlements, but she needed more.
Meeting the Overseer of Vault 81 had been something of a surprise for Charlotte. The woman had curves. Charlotte found herself eyeing the woman's figure over as she spoke to her, handing over the 3 fusion cores the woman wanted in exchange for her entry.
She had a hard time paying any attention to anything she was saying, and she sorely wished she could because she really wanted to spend more time getting to know her.
Piper had been the one to knock her back into her senses when she had spent a moment too long drooling after the woman as she walked away. Though she and Piper had a time when they had talked, briefly about getting more serious, they had merely done the one-time thing and decided to stick to their partnership for the time being. Charlotte's domineering, sometimes violent, usually helpful, but at other times morally grey personality could rub Piper the wrong way.
The Magnolia incident had not helped things along either. That was another story for another time.
Charlotte soon found herself tasked with everything people in the vault needed help with. Erin, Austin's best friend, her cat went missing, Charlotte, remembering a streak of grey as she entered the vault, retrieved the animal not far from the compound. Horatio needed new scissors. She also stood in for a class in the Vault 81 classroom and talked to the students about Deathclaws.
The overseer had been present for that one. She had remained fairly unimpressed by her story until Charlotte was asked about how she got the jagged set of scars that crossed her face. Charlotte had smiled.
"From a whole different Deathclaw." The students gasped at that. The overseers expression shifted, just enough to tell Charlotte that she just might be impressed.
Charlotte had been unable to return for a few days. A settlement needed her help fending off a raider attack.
Yet Charlotte found herself thinking of Vault 81 and the possibilities that she could find there. The life she never got to have when Vault 111 turned out to be such a farce.
It was in returning to Vault 81 that Charlotte was summoned immediately to the Overseer. Charlotte had been quickly briefed about Austin being bitten by a mole rat and falling ill. He needed a cure and they needed her to find one.
Charlotte had no clue what good she could be. She was intelligent, but her medical knowledge was limited to stimpaks and a few chems. Perhaps retrieval? Whatever. She hurried to the med-bay to find out what Dr. Forsynthe knew only to run into Bobby and Dr. Penske.
Dr. Penske yelled at Dr. Forsynthe to save her boy and Bobby interrupted.
He had knowledge of what had happened to Austin.
That was how Charlotte found herself within the secret vault and exterminating mole rats, discovering Curie and saving Austin.
Charlotte plopped down at a table in the diner. To say she was exhausted was an understatement.
Someone tapped at her shoulder and Charlotte peered up at them from her crossed arms. She quickly straightened up, upon seeing Gwen, the overseer.
"I just wanted to thank you for what you did for Austin." The woman smiled. Charlotte turned to straddle the bench she was seated on, her eyes roved Gwen's figure rather involuntarily.
"It was the right thing to do." Charlotte shrugged.
Gwen nodded.
"I agree, it has also changed the minds of many of the people here that don't like outsiders." Gwen tapped Charlotte's chin.
"I'm up here, soldier." She gave the woman a sly grin.
Charlotte didn't even have the gumption to look even a little shamed for being caught. She smirked.
Gwen raised a brow and shook her head.
"I'm offering you a place among us. There is a room on the floor just above the diner across from the stairs leading to the Overseer's suite. I want you to have it."
Surprised, Charlotte gave a simple, "Oh." Then, "Thank you."
"Use it as you like." Gwen glanced over at Piper. Piper's expression turned puzzled.
"We're not together." Piper stated immediately.
Gwen grinned.
"Well, I shouldn't have assumed." She held Charlotte's gaze for a moment. "I suggest you check the room out. Goodnight."
She walked away. Charlotte noticed the extra sway to her hips and felt that monstrous need clawing its way up her insides.
She was either going to need to get away from this vault, or get into the overseer's vault suit.
Charlotte spent a week away after spending the night in the vault. The room had been nice, but almost too much. She had woken up the next day and hurried out of Vault 81 as if mole rats were still chasing her.
Something about the place clung to her. It had almost felt too comfortable. Too much like… a home.
She sighed as she chewed at the mutt chops she and Piper were indulging in. They had completed yet another mission for some wastelanders. A settler, kidnapped by raiders.
Making a decision, Charlotte led the way toward Diamond City. She bid a quiet farewell to Piper.
"Need a break. You take one as well." She told her companion dully before she turned west.
She arrived at Vault 81 by nightfall alone.
Charlotte entered the vault. She nodded to security. Most of the dwellers were sleeping by now. The passageways of the vault were peaceful.
The elevator ride was silent without Piper to chatter on about their latest bit of work. The doors opened to a rather welcomed sight.
Albeit, that welcomed sight looked rather pissed.
"Where have you been?" Gwen bit out.
Charlotte, taken aback at the woman's tone, stepped out of the elevator, minding the way she approached the redhead.
"Surfaced? Didn't know you cared." Charlotte shrugged.
Gwen huffed.
"I gave you a place here. I meant it. You are one of us now. That means I want to know when you leave. Maybe even for how long you plan on being gone." Gwen told her.
Charlotte raked fingers through her hair.
"I'll remember that next time." She promised.
"You had better." Gwen admonished. She turned away. Charlotte didn't know what came over her, but she latched onto Gwen's wrist as she began to walk away. She whirled the woman around to face her.
It was several long moments of ragged breathing before Charlotte drew Gwen in and seized her mouth in a long, harsh kiss.
Gwen, responded rather eagerly, a hand cupping the back of Charlotte's neck to deepen the action. She gave little pleased sounds as Charlotte, noting Gwen's enthusiasm, took the opportunity to slide an arm around her waist.
When the two women pulled away from one another, they were both breathless. Gwen's eyes roved Charlotte's face. She reached fingertips out to trace over the scars covering most of it.
"I always did find these fascinating." She breathed.
Charlotte felt her brows fly up.
"You should check out my other scars." She flirted.
Gwen rolled her eyes. She stepped out of Charlotte's arms.
"Get some rest. Tomorrow will be busy." Gwen told her. "I have plans for you."
Charlotte wondered at what those plans included as she found her room. She removed her armor and her clothing as she thought about the possibilities this place could have for her.
The possibilities of her new home.