Hello, all! This is my very first Fallout story, and it's basically a retelling of the story from Fallout 4, but with my own twist. Some of the dialogue will remain the same or be very familiar, but this won't be for the whole thing. My character is called Veronica and the pairing will be OCxMacCready. I really hope you enjoy this! Please feel free to suggest anything if you feel like I'm not doing this justice - I take on board all construction criticism. Thanks!

Rating will be M for some swearing, bloody violence and mature scenes in older chapters. Chapters will alternative POV's between characters as marked in bold.

VERONICA

Tell me, why does my heart go on beating?
And why do these eyes of mine cry?
Don't they know it's the end of the world?
It ended when we said goodbye
Why?
It ended when we said goodbye.

As the last bars of the song echoed, three crows burst from their hiding spot in a dead tree and screeched past my head, barely skimming my auburn hair. The radio signal on my Pip Boy had been incredibly strong the further I'd slunk through the city centre, and now I stood before the source of its power. I scoffed as I took in the sight before me; Fenway Park – with its sturdy walls and large capacity – had been utilised as some kind of base of operations. Once upon a time, I'd had my first date with Nate here. I sighed at the memories of hotdogs and kisses. My mind then flashed forward, to a scene I'd had to witness not even a day ago… Nate clutching at Shaun, yelling at them to stop… that scarred, ugly man, raising his gun and shooting Nate directly in the forehead as those kidnapping sons-of-bitches took my baby away… all that blood…

I shook my head. This was not the time. I had to think of Shaun, and besides, it was no longer the baseball stadium it had once been. Now it was known as the Great Green Jewel of the Commonwealth – Diamond City, even. I'd been told this was the best place to start my search. With a flutter of hope in my heavy heart, I made a move towards the entrance.

Hearing another voice cut through the eerie atmosphere of post-apocalyptic dusk, I stopped short and quickly clicked the radio off from my Pip Boy. A woman was stood by the gate, yelling into the intercom and throwing her fits in the air. I noted the tatty red leather jacket that came past her knees and the flat newsboy type cap cover her short black hair – she looked in need of help.

"Come on, you've got to let me in!" She was pleading now. "I live here, you know that!"

The intercom choked to life and an unsure voice coughed out, "I'm sorry Piper, but I've told you, the Mayor told me not to let you in. It was a direct order."

Clearly frustrated, she grunted and kicked the green wall, wincing as she did so. I started to walk towards her, now that I was sure she wasn't going to hurt me. I'd ran into enough people wanting to kill me at this point that I was pretty sure she wasn't one of them. I must've made a noise underfoot, because she suddenly whirled round on me. A smile crept on her face, and she crossed her arms, nodding at the gate. "You want in too, yeah?"

"I want in," I agreed. She scrunched up her face in delight and pressed the intercom again.

"Piper, I've told you-"

"Wait, wait, wait!" She cut the voice off. "There's a trader out here. Are you really going to turn away trade? I wonder what Mayor McDonough would think?"

The intercom was quiet for a moment. Then there was a long, angry sigh. "FINE. Fine, I'll open the gate."

And with that, a low grumble began and the large, garage-door like gate began to rise. Piper looked utterly gleeful, clapping her hands and grinning at me madly. I'd only just met the woman and she looked ready to clutch me into a bear hug! I edged away from her a little, giving a small smile, and followed behind her as she walked through into the stadium.

Just like everything else in the Commonwealth, the inside of Fenway Park was dilapidated. Dust reigned supreme and metal objects rusted to the point of being unrecognisable. Another security guard, like the ones lining the streets outside, stood in what would have been the concession stand, shaking his head. He held a rifle and wore armour made from baseball uniform with patches of leather stitched in prestigious points around the body – I had laughed when I first saw a Diamond City guard wearing a baseball helmet, but apparently, they didn't 'get it'.

"You're not a trader, are you?" He frowned at me before gritting his teeth at Piper. "Oh, for the love of… Look, Piper, I'm going to get into so much shit for this."

"Who let her in? Sullivan, I told you to keep her out!" A booming voice caught our attention, and I heard Piper mutter under her breath. The guard, presumably Sullivan, raised his hands in an 'I-told-you-so' fashion and backed away from us, returning to his position behind the stand.

A short but round man was pacing our way, wearing a suspiciously well-kept brown suit and hat combo. He stopped a couple of feet away from us, stroked his moustache nervously and then pointed an accusing finger at Piper.

"You devious, rabble-rousing slanderer!" He scowled at her. "The level of dishonesty in that paper of yours! I'll have that printer scrapped for parts."

"Oooh!" Piper mocked being frightened, wiggling her fingers. "Is that an official statement? I can see the headlines now - 'Mayor McDonough shuts down the press!'"

She whacked me on the arm suddenly. "What about the newcomer? Do you support the news? Because the Mayor is threatening to throw free speech in the dumpster."

Caught off guard by the inquiry, I stumbled to think of words. I just wanted to get into Diamond City, not take part in some firing match between a reporter and her mayor. "This really isn't any of my business."

"Oh, I didn't mean to bring you into this argument, ma'am!" McDonough wheezed. I could feel Piper's eyes boring into the side of my face, but I didn't look at her. "No, no, no… you look like Diamond City material!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" I questioned, but he was already in full greeting mode.

"Welcome to the Great Green Jewel of the Commonwealth! Safe. Happy! A fine place to come to spend your caps and settle down." He suddenly gestured towards Piper, disgust clearly painted on his face. "Don't let this muckraker tell you otherwise."

"You're full of it," I muttered. I'd met enough sleezy salesman in my time to understand that he was obviously overselling the quality of this so-called jewel city. Sensing my clear impatience with this god-awful welcome party, McDonough shifted uncomfortably on his feet.

He cleared his throat, "What brings you to this fine city, anyway?"

I didn't want to answer that question. I clenched my left fist around the strap of my holster, as if clinging to it would take me away from here. Piper was looking at me now, really looking at me. I could sense concern in her eyes, which made me feel a little better. For some reason, through all this insane bull-crap, I knew that she was someone I could trust. I mean, why not trust the loud-mouth reporter whom of which was currently being accused of slander? My eyes met hers, and she gave a small nod. Did she already know what I was going to say?

"I, um…" I took a deep breath. I didn't have to tell them the whole truth, right? "I'm looking for someone."

"Who?" McDonough didn't even flinch. I hated him in that moment.

"If you must know…" Fighting back tears, I gulped. "My baby boy. Shaun. He's less than a year old."

"Wait, your son is missing?" Piper's voice was raised more so than it had been in the past few minutes. "You hearing this, McDonough? This isn't the first missing persons report to come through here. What are Diamond City Security going to do to help this poor woman?"

"Oh, ha, well," The Mayor rocked on his feet. "You know that we can't help every poor soul that comes wandering through here. But I am certain that you can find something that can help during your stay."

"My stay?" I frowned as he began pulling me towards the ballpark entrance.

"This is ridiculous!" Piper freed my arm and blocked us both off from our route. "Diamond City can't spare one miserable guard? I want the truth! What's the real reason why we never investigate any kidnappings?"

"There is no conspiracy!" McDonough stomped his foot. "I've had quite enough of this, Piper. From now on, consider you and that little sister of yours on notice."

"Yeah, yeah," She muttered, linking her arm through mine. We were finally getting into the city.

"What did you print to make him so angry?" I whispered.

"Oh, nothing but the truth," She smirked. "He's a synth."

I wanted to ask what a synth was, when suddenly we were in the ballpark – okay, no longer the ballpark! The entire stadium had been converted into a giant market place, with paths marked out leading to makeshift huts. It was just teeming with life! Since waking up in the vault, I hadn't seen so much life. There were stands circling the centre, one selling meat, one selling clothes and another selling weapons, plus so much more. A food bar of some kind was planted in the middle, with what looked like a Protectron serving noodles. Protectrons were robots creating by RobCo as low-level security for use in public buildings. Or at least, they were used in that fashion before the war. Now, here one was, a kitchen lady. I had to laugh.

"What's wrong?" Piper was smiling, her arms folded.

"I just…" I couldn't find the words.

Suddenly, a small child came bounding up to us, hair flying and lips pulled back into a toothy grin. "Piper!"

"Hey, Nat," Piper waved before being practically tackled. I guessed this was the little sister McDonough had threatened. "Calm down, little one. How's the paper selling?"

Nat finished embracing her older sister and shrugged, looking at the floor. "Not so good."

"Don't worry about it, I've got an idea," Piper glanced at me. "Hey, could you come in for a second and answer a couple of questions?"

She pointed at a shack a few feet away. I could see a printing press by the door, rusted and wonky but apparently still functional. Above the door, a piece of metal hung at an angle, 'Public Occurrences' scratched into the paint. Home, sweet home, I mused.

"I didn't agree to an interview, Piper," I shook my head. "I need to find someone who can help me."

She shrugged. "It's nearly quittin' time. Stalls are closing up, you're better off resting for the night and going out in the morning. Besides, I know exactly who you need to speak to. If I was feeling generous, say, because I'd just taken the greatest most anticipated interview in the whole world… I might be willing to point you in the right direction. What do you say, Blue?"

"Blue?" I looked at her quizzically. "And what makes my interview so renowned?"

"Yeesh, the eye-piercingly blue jumpsuit!" She giggled. "It's a dead giveaway. You're a Vault Dweller!"

I looked down at myself. I was still wearing the jumpsuit that Vaultec had given me when I'd first entered all that time ago. It was faded, but still pretty bright. I guess I really stuck out amongst the sea of browns and greys. I shifted the holster around my waist – I had a pistol that I stole from the Vault during my escape – and laughed a little. "Okay, a few questions. Then you tell me where I need to go."

"Step into my office. We're going to print the story of the century!"

Piper's home was as depressing as everywhere else I'd visited in the Commonwealth. Two limp mattresses in one corner, an antique dresser deteriorated by woodlice in the other, and a tattered couch that looked like it was pulled from the ocean. She grabbed a can of Pork 'N' Beans from a fridge – a fridge with no power and no door – and plonked herself heavily on the couch. Nat ran past us happily, sitting on her mattress and picking up an old bear that had clearly seen better days. I felt like I was at a homeless shelter, but something told me this was one of the more upscale living spaces these days.

I moved to sit next to Piper but felt like I couldn't make myself at home. I felt so out of place wherever I went now. I stood awkwardly, towering over her. She frowned but was smiling at the same time, as if I amused her.

"So, the first question is a two-for," She pulled a pencil from her ear and a small notepad from her breast pocket. Where had she got such luxuries, I wondered. "What's your name, and what is it like living in a Vault?"

My mind flitted with memories.

The alarm had been raised. Soldiers lined my street, waving their arms, forcing us to run like sheep in a pen. Nate had Shaun in his arms, kept telling me he loved me. I never replied. The platform down into the Vault began to descend, but not before we saw the first bomb hit, a mushroom cloud darkening the skies.

We had made it. We were down in the Vault. We got changed into jumpsuits, advertising Vault 111 on our backs. They took us to the decompressing room. We had to be cleaned & primed, ready for our new home. But they weren't decompression chambers. They were cryogenic booths.

"Ver-Veronica. And… I didn't really live there," Was all that I actually said. I fell to the couch, my knees crumpling beneath me. "We made it before the bombs destroyed the city, but it turned out to be another form of hell. They froze us."

"Froze… you?" Piper looked as confused as I felt. "Wait, you were alive before the war?"

"Yeah." I swallowed.

"Oh, man," She breathed, before beaming at the notes she was making. "The woman out of time! What a headline! So, how did you get out?"

"I have no idea," I answered truthfully. "The door to my chamber just, sort of, opened. Everyone else was dead. Their bodies didn't survive the process." I was getting angry now. "I hacked into a computer. We were all just some sick experiment to them."

"What have you done since emerging from your underground prison? Wandering out here all by yourself?"

Now I gave a small chuckle and shook my head. "I actually haven't been alone since I woke up. My old house-robot, Cogsworth, was still hanging around my street. He pointed me in the direction of some insane group of inbred savages, thinking they'd help me out."

"Raiders," Piper groaned. "But surely, they had guns. How did you escape?"

"It was a shootout. I'd already got this," I pointed at my gun. "So… I did what I had to. There were some others, a group calling themselves The Minutemen."

Piper laughed now, and loud. She whacked her leg and wiped a tear from her eye, before looking at me again and raising her eyebrows. "Oh, you're serious?"

"Yeah!" I couldn't help but laugh back. "Or should I say, the last of The Minutemen and his followers. They actually ended up setting up camp on my old street. Sanctuary Hills?"

"You might have to take me some time," Piper looked down at her notes, but I could tell she was blushing. "Anyway, we're losing track. So, this Preston guy tells you to come here, I'm guessing, and this is where you start your search for baby. Shaun, was it? Which leads me to my next question. What do you tell our readers who might be looking for their own person? There are a lot of kidnappings out in the Commonwealth these days. What do you say to them?"

I knew she'd eventually bring everything back to that. I breathed heavily, playing with my holster again, and closed my eyes. "Just take each day as it comes. That's all any of us can do."

#####

MACCREADY

"Take each day as it comes," I breathed, holding my hands over my face as I laid on the bed of my rented room. It was dusk already, but I couldn't sleep. I'd only scored 350 caps today and that wasn't enough. Sighing, I pulled my hands down my face until I was clutching my shirt collar, then jumped up to sit on the edge of the bed. I had to think of him, it was the only way I could get through each day.

My coat was strewn on the floor, so I reached into the pocket and pulled out the note I kept with me at all times. His handwriting was something to be desired, but it gave me hope. See you real soon, dad! Love, Duncan.

He'd drawn me, but with much bigger muscles, posing like I'd just won a championship. It made me smile to know that I was his hero right up until the moment I left. But how many weeks ago had that been now? How many months? I was losing track. I was still no closer to my goal. I couldn't go back empty handed.

My head fell into my hands; I was barely able to keep it up by myself. Okay, so I'd been drinking again, so what? The warm, sticky beer served down at The Third Rail wasn't the best tasting brew I'd tried, but it was enough to numb me on days when I really didn't want to feel at all.

Tomorrow, I would wait in that dank, dusty bar. There was always a weak, fragile idiot in need of a bodyguard, and that bodyguard would be me. I was going to double my prices too. Come on, I was worth it! There weren't many snipers out here in the Wastes. A gun-for-hire was all I was worth. Lucy would be turning in her grave.

I thought of home now. One day, I'd be back. I just… I just had to take it one day at a time.