Only the Good Die Young
Lucifer stared into his vodka, ignoring the ghouls moving around him. Tenpenny tower's bar was starting to fill up, something that did nothing to improve his mood. The robot who acted as the bar tender asked if he'd like a top off. Lou did, and he discreetly slid two caps to the machine.
Roy would be pissed if he found out Ginger had reprogrammed the robot to give her and Lou an executive discount. The thought of Ginger drove into his heart like a rusty spike. There last few days together had been business as usual.
If he'd know what was coming he would've done things differently. He should have fueled her anger against the brotherhood of steel or talked her into a long trip elsewhere. Florida maybe. He didn't know if Florida was still around but he'd risk it if it meant Ginger still walked by his side.
Lou gulped a mouthful of the alcohol in his glass, his mind drifting to the same place it always did. His last few weeks with The Lone Wanderer.
"Are you ready for this?" Lou asked, eyeing the mouth of the cave in front of them.
"They're kids Lou. Not Super Mutants. Why are you so nervous?" She demanded, turning to look at him with her hands on her hips.
"Ginger have you ever been to Little Lamp Light?" Lou asked.
"No," she told him, still confused. "So what?"
"I have traded with them before," Lou locked eyes with her. "These aren't like regular kids. They are one hundred percent survivors. They don't trust adults and it'll take some fast talking for them to even let us in."
Ginger shot Lou a look that told him she didn't believe him for a second. "Will you just come on!"
At the front gate they were met by two nine year olds armed with fully automatic weapons. Ginger did the talking and they were told to wait. A few minutes later a boy in dressed in army green appeared at the top of the wall.
"What the fuck do you want?" he demanded.
Ginger propped her fists on her hips. "I want to come the fuck in. Who's askin?"
"I'm McCreedy, Mayor of Little Lamp Light. What I say goes and I say No Mungos allowed. Now git before I shoot you myself." They were dismissed.
Ginger opened her mouth, furious. It had been a long time since she'd come up against anyone who didn't immediately recognize her title. Those people did whatever she wanted and the treatment had spoiled her a little. Before she could make thing worse by shooting the mini mayor another boy, one both she and Lou recognized appeared.
"Ah Mayor they're alright. She's the one that got us out of Paradise Falls."
McCreedy took his time looking them over for a second time. "Fine, but if they cause any trouble it's on you Squirrel."
They found themselves in the main cavern when curious little faces surround them. It was unsettling. Ginger took a half step closer to Lou, unnerved by the very adult looks in these kids eyes.
"Christ Lou, they're everywhere." She whispered.
"I thought you said they were just kids," he teased.
"They are. And we're the adults, they wouldn't dare- Lou they're looking at us like fresh meat!" She growled out of the corner of her mouth. She hadn't felt this nervous in a very long time, not since leaving vault 101.
"Just stay calm," Lou whispered back. "Kids can smell fear."
Ginger growled and took a couple deep breaths. Lucifer fought to keep from laughing at her. Some kids wandered away, others talked to them. This was the first time they'd seen Mungos inside Little Lamp Light.
None of them were bothered by Lou. He'd been there enough for most of the kids from the scouting teams to recognize him.
After some asking around they were shown the entrance to vault 86. Ginger hacked into the computer and got the doors opened up after a little technical effort on her part. Once they were inside the vault she locked the door again. She wasn't going to risk super mutants getting into Little Lamp Light.
They cleaned out the vault. Killed every mutant except one Ginger found locked up. It said its name was Fawkes. While Super Mutants are genderless and Fawkes didn't remember the life it had before becoming a mutant Ginger was still convinced it was a She.
Lou made peace with the fact that he'd probably never know why Ginger though Fawkes was a girl.
They found the G.E.C.K. with Fawks' help. She showed them the way before she took off. Lou made Ginger stay in the hallway while he went in to get the device. When he came back Ginger was standing just inside the door, letting the radiation sink into her battered skin.
It was on the way out that all hell broke loose. There was a flash grenade, Lou was thrown into the hallway. Through bleary eyes he saw men in Enclave armor take her away. He thought that that was going to be the worst day of her life.
Lou looked up when a hand touched his shoulder. Dashwood was there, pity in his kind eyes.
"You look like hell,"
Lucifer picked up his bottle, standing. "I feel like hell,"
"You know my boy," Dashwood said kindly. "It's not your fault."
"I should have been faster," Lou growled.
"Ginger…Ginger had made up her mind already." Dashwood told the ghoul solemnly before letting him go.
Lou left the bar without a word. He took the elevator up to his suite and locked the door behind him when he was inside. Dogmeat lifted his head. The dog was inside his doghouse, the canine had been depressed for two weeks.
Lou dropped a large amount of chopped meat in the dogs dish before wandering over to the sofa. He had to push the empty bottles onto the floor to make room for himself but he was used to that.
He'd gotten to Raven Rock with Fawks' assistance just in time to see the place go up in flames. Ginger burst out of a pair of big doors, soot streaked and bloody but alive.
Lou yelled for her and she froze in place. Ginger's eyes searched the smoky grounds around the stronghold and when she spotted him she dropped her knives. That had spooked Lou more than anything he'd seen her do so far. The woman loved those knives more that her own life.
Ginger ran to him, throwing her arms around his neck as soon as she was in range. The girl kissed him desperately among the raining fire and debris.
"It's good to see you too smoothskin," he panted when she released his lips.
Ginger blushed for maybe the fourth time in her life. "They told me you were dead."
"And you believed them?"
They hot footed it back to the Brotherhood. Lyons wasted no time in mobilizing their army to take back Project Purity. Lou noticed how very very polite the elder was when talking to them and the old ghoul smirked to himself. Ginger had left an impression the last time she'd tangled with the old man.
Lou stuck close to Ginger during the battle…until the rotunda. Lou looked around and she was gone from his sight. He caught a glimpse of her boot disappearing through the closing rotunda door. He wanted the chase after her but Enclave soldiers had him pinned down.
Maybe five minutes passed while Lou took care of the men shooting at him. He went for the door and ran smack into Sarah Lyons.
"Where's Ginger?" Lou yelled over the fighting.
Sarah was pale. "Starting the machine. The containments shields are broken…" She whispered with real sadness in her eyes before she bellowed. "Evacuate! Everyone out!"
Lou swore and pushed past her. Sarah called after him, he could feel her hand on his arm, trying to tug him back towards safety but her shook her off. He saw Ginger up there in the glass room. He could feel the radiation buzzing in the air that meant the containment units were indeed damaged.
"Ginger!" He yelled, already knowing he was too late. Ginger hit the enter button and turned to look at him. Tears were streaked down her dirty cheeks. She gave him a sad two finger salute and then there was a flash of light and heat...
Lou jerked awake with his heart pounding against her ribs. He had that dream every time he fell asleep. Dogmeat picked his head up, looking at the ghoul. Lou noticed the dog hadn't touched his food. Lou didn't blame him.
Lou glanced at the clock and sighed. It was two in the morning.
He sat there on the couch with the aftermath of that day haunting his thoughts. He'd woken a few hours later with two of Lyon's pride shaking him. He'd jumped to his feet, franticly asking if anyone had found Ginger.
They'd both said no. They hadn't been able to get through the residual radiation to search the rotunda yet. Lou was off like a shoot, radiation wasn't a concern to him. In fact at the moment he felt better physically than he had in years.
He found Ginger quickly enough. The blast had thrown her several yards but he found her. She was sprawled on the floor, peppered with bit of soot and concrete. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth and she wasn't breathing.
Lou couldn't find a pulse either. She was gone, the wasteland had accepted her, loved her but human war hadn't. War had killed her in the end. She'd saved humanity in the Capitol wasteland but he wished she hadn't. If Ginger had never forgiven the brotherhood for her father's death…if he'd gotten her away. If he'd taken her to Florida to grieve for James she wouldn't have lost her life today.
Lucifer sat heavily, pulling her broken body into his arms. He held her for a long time, long enough for it to get dark. Finally Lou scooped the Lone Wanderer into his arms, intending to take her away from here. He'd take her someplace quiet and bury her where nobody would bother her.
When he stepped out into the cold night air one of Lyon's Pride approached him.
"Lucifer-"
"We're leaving," he growled.
"You're exhausted. You're hurt Lou. Let us take care of both of you." The man in power armor coaxed.
Lou wanted to argue but the way he'd said you both…like she was still alive…Lou nodded and handed her over. The Lyon's pride man took them both to the infirmary. Lou slept in the bed next to Ginger.
He woke early. After a long look at her Lou kissed her forehead and left. He told the scribe in charge of the dead that he was going to find a suitable place to bury Ginger. He told the woman he'd be back in a few days to collect her body.
When he'd returned however the woman he'd talked too had been reassigned elsewhere. The intern he asked said no bodies had been saved. She told Lou everyone who'd died in the fight had been buried with full honors.
He wanted to be angry but instead he was empty. He left without a word, Dogmeat slinking after him. He ended up in Tenpenny Tower. Roy heard what happened on the Radio. He handed Lou a bottle of vodka and waved him towards the elevator.
Lou reached for the nearest bottle, grumbling when he found it was empty. After searching through the apartment he found he was out of booze. Swearing under his breath he headed down to the bar. He had no desire to leave his room but Roy had yet to install an intercom system so Lou could have his needs delivered.
The bar was dimly lit and only a few patrons huddled in corners dealing with demons of their own.
He found the bar's atmosphere better than the loneliness upstairs so he stayed, nursing his drink. He must have dozed off again because the next thing he knew the robotic bar tender was talking at him.
"Sir…sir…sir…"
"What?" Lou groaned, wishing the damn thing had left him alone.
"A message for you sir." It announced, holding out a folded piece of paper. Lou blinked in the brighter lights. It must have been daylight because the robot liked to keep the lights in time with the solar cycles.
Lou took the paper and the Robot left him.
Lou unfolded the paper and blinked. Slow to understand what he was looking at.
Hey beautiful,
I'm finally back. You owe me a drink you prick. I can't believe you ditched me. I'll let you in on a secret. Can you guess what it is? No? I could tell you.
-Turn Around-
Lou read it twice, then slowly swiveled on his barstool.
There she was with her hair braided and clean, wearing her mercenary adventurer armor and looking at him with a sweat smile she saved just for him.
"Anna?" Lou asked, wondering if he'd maybe died during the night.
"Lou," she replied like she hadn't just risen from the dead.
"You're dead, am I dead?" He asked, afraid to move and wake himself up from the best dream he'd ever had.
Ginger shook her head. "No, and I was only mostly dead. I'm told you tried to retrieve my body but that silly intern didn't know my name so when you asked for Ginger she didn't know who you meant."
"You were dead," Lou insisted, eyes getting watery.
"Only for a minute. I'm half ghoul…the radiation kept me alive." She moved to him and took his face in her hands. "You look like hell."
Lou grabbed her, pulling her against him with a death grip. She was warm and solid and real. Ginger let him hold onto her until the need for air became pressing. She pulled back looking into his eyes.
"I'm so sorry," Lou breathed. "I thought you were gone. I never would have left you if I'd even suspected-"
Ginger cut him off with a finger on his lips. "I know. You are forgiven. Now what are you going to do?"
Lou scooped her up leaving his bottle behind. "Show you how much I missed you."
Ghouls starred at them as Lou carried her through the lobby, his eye never leaving her. They took the elevator up to the top floor but he didn't make it to their apartment. He couldn't wait; he pressed her against the wall next to the front door and kissed her with enough force to steal her breath.
He might have taken her right then and there if barking hadn't intruded them. Ginger grinned and Lou put her on her feet.
"Brace yourself. He missed you almost as much as I did."
Dogmeat exploded from the doorway, taking Ginger down in seconds. It took a long time to calm him enough for her to get up. When she had thoroughly greeted him she brought her boys into the apartment, closing the door behind them.
"I'm going to run us a bath Lou, bring the wine and turn on the radio. We are having a day in."
By the time he found two clean glasses and a bottle of wine that had been stashed in the cupboard Ginger was waiting for in the steaming bubble filled tub.
Lou stripped, feeling a low hum of radiation when he stepped into the water. The empty water bottles on the floor told him she'd added the radiation herself.
Lou handed her a glass when he was settled and she took it before moving to sit in his lap, her back resting comfortably against his chest.
Ginger tipped her head back and kissed his chin.
"Did you guess the secret?" She asked as the radio played something slow and sweet.
"You're alive?" Lou asked, his arms wrapped securely around her. He'd left his wine glass on the floor next to the tub.
"No,"
"I really have died and somehow we both made it to paradise?" that seemed more probable to his way of thinking.
"No," Ginger laughed. "I promise we are both still alive."
"I give up," he smiled against her cheek. "You said if I couldn't guess you'd tell me."
She nodded, her hair tickling his neck. "I did, and I will. Lucifer… I love you."
Lou's throat closed, he was speechless. He'd never thought he'd hear those words fall from her lips. Not just directed at him either. To anyone, he'd thought life had been too cruel too early. He'd of bet everything he had against her ever telling anyone she loved them.
Lou held her tighter in the hot water, laying kisses on her neck. "That's not the radiation talking is it?"
She laughed, sliding a petit foot along his ankle. "No, I love you Lucifer. I don't ever want to leave your side."
"Will you marry me?" he asked in her ear and then added with a smile. "We've been engaged since we met."
Ginger turned herself enough to plant a hot kiss on his throat. "No. Not today."
"Tomorrow?" he asked, teasing her now.
Ginger grinned at him. "Maybe, ask me tomorrow. We'll see."