Hello everyone! Finally something new! This is my first Fallout fanfic and I'm quite pleased with it. I wrote it for my creative writing class last semester. It was supposed to be a "short story" but it ended up being 51 pages. Oops. So, anyways, this story is complete but I'll be posting it in chapters. Enjoy!
Arranged marriage. It was an idea that had been around for hundreds of years, even before the war. In Vault 101, arranged marriages were the only kind of marriages. It was based on genetics. Once a man and a woman reached the age of twenty, they were matched with another member of the vault based on their genetic compatibility and the genes they would pass on to a future generation. There was no marriage for love, only for the enhancement of the vault.
Ana Parker turned twenty years old just yesterday, July 13th, 2278. Her best friend, Amata, had just gotten married to their other friend, Freddie Gomez.
Ana's options for potential husbands was dwindling quickly.
"Ana, can we talk?" Ana's father, James, asked. James was the Vault Physician. One day, Ana would take over the clinic from him.
She knew what was coming. Her father was about to tell her whom she was destined to spend the rest of her life with.
She plopped down on the small couch in their apartment and looked at him expectantly.
"You're twenty now, you know what that means?" James asked.
"Of course, I do. I have to get married. Just tell me who it is so I can decide if I should kill myself now or later," Ana retorted. God, don't let it be Butch...anyone but him.
James sighed and looked at her, defeated.
"No. No, you're joking. Not him. Dad, please, anyone but him!" She knew it was Butch. There was really no one else.
"Ana, I'm sorry. Maybe...you can learn to love him."
"No one can learn to love him. He's the most obnoxious, self-indulging, little-"
"That's enough. The ceremony is tomorrow in the common hall."
And with that, James left her to herself. Ana sat on the couch, motionless. This isn't happening, she thought, I can't stand him. She stayed on the couch for another few minutes until the lumpiness of it got to her.
She needed Amata, and she needed her now.
Ana walked down the barren, metal hallway until she stood in front of the door to Amata and Freddie's apartment. She rang the buzzer and Amata answered almost immediately.
"Ana, what's wrong?" Amata asked as she saw Ana's distressed state.
"Can I come in?" Ana asked.
Amata grabbed her by the shoulders and ushered her into the newly furnished apartment. There was a picture on the coffee table of Amata and Freddie. They were in a white gown and tux, respectively. A wedding was the only time you were permitted to wear something other than the standard Vault 501 jumpsuit.
They looked so happy in the picture. Something I will never have, Ana thought.
Amata sat Ana down on the grey couch that was like all of the other couches throughout the vault.
"He told you, then," Amata guessed as she sat down next to her.
Ana nodded her head. The process of speaking about it just wouldn't come to her yet.
"Well? Who is it?" Amata pressed.
Ana just looked at her friend. That was all she needed to do.
"Oh, Ana...I'm so sorry. Isn't there anything you can do?"
"You know as much as I do that no, there's nothing. Tomorrow, I become Mrs. Butch DeLoria and I can't change it. Ever," Ana said as tears formed in the corners of her eyes.
Amata pulled her into a hug. That did it. The tears fell and soon Ana was sobbing. She cried until the tears just wouldn't come anymore. She pulled herself out of Amata's hold and tried to smile.
"I'll be okay, it's not like we have to sleep in the same bed or even kiss, except for the ceremony. I'll be fine. It's just forever, right?"
"Right...just forever."
Freddie came through the door at that moment. Amata smiled and welcomed him home. He kissed her. They were happy. Something I will never have...
Later that night, Ana sat with her father in the vault's diner. Butch and his alcoholic mother, Ellen, would be arriving shortly to join them. This dinner was meant to be a "celebration", but celebrating was the last thing on Ana's mind.
At precisely 7:15, Butch and Ellen walked through the door. Ellen was pretty and thin, but because of her alcoholism, her skin had turned a greyish-yellow color.
Butch looked stupid as always, with his greased up hair, combat boots, and his ridiculous leather jacket with the snakes on the back.
"Ellen, Butch, glad to see you. Please, sit," James said motioning towards towards the booth. Ellen and James cordially greeted each other as Butch slid onto the bench seat next to Ana. He didn't even say a word to her.
Ten minutes of awkward silence went by. Ana felt tense with Butch being in such close proximity. He smelled like pomade. That was not a pleasant smell.
"So...how are you both tonight?" James broke the silence. Bless him for trying to ease the tension.
"Fine, just fine. Aren't we, Butch?" Ellen answered.
Butch grunted in agreement. He still hadn't said a word. He hadn't even looked at Ana. The tension was suffocating her. It was like everyone was tip-toeing around each other. She had had enough.
"Okay, let's just get this over with. Tell us what you need to so we can get out of here," Ana said, looking at her dad and Ellen.
She saw Butch's stupid smirk grow on his face without even looking at him.
"Well...that was...forward," Ellen said under her breath. Before saying anything else, she motioned over the waitress and ordered a glass of scotch. Apparently, she needed to have booze in her system before she told them their death sentences.
"Alright, then. Tomorrow, you'll be married. The ceremony is set for four in the afternoon. Butch you'll need to pick someone to be your Best Man and pick out your most prized possession to give to Ana as a wedding present," James explained.
"Hold up, my most prized possession? You're jokin', right?" There's no chance in hell that I'm givin' her anything of mine," Butch finally spoke up. Of course, it had to be when the subject of him being generous was brought up.
"It's a rule, son. You don't have any choice in the matter. Ana will have to do the same," Ellen explained before looking at Ana, "You'll also need a Maid of Honor."
Ana nodded weakly. This was all too much.
"After the ceremony, your things will be moved into your new apartment, where you'll stay for the rest of the night," James continued.
No one said anything for awhile after that. Ana's mind was racing at the thought of them having to live together. How did anyone expect this to work? They hated each other. She'd be surprised if they didn't end up killing each other.
She looked around the table at everyone. Her dad was quietly eating his burger and fries. Ellen was downing her third scotch. It was then that she became subconsciously aware of Butch's arm draped over the booth behind her. Did he even realize that it was there?
They finished their meals before the parents excused themselves, leaving Ana and Butch alone. The diner was mostly empty except for themselves, two waitresses, and Andy, the robot that cleans up.
"So, Nosebleed, how excited are you to become Mrs. Butch DeLoria?" Butch asked, his voice dripping in sarcasm.
"Oh, yeah, super excited," Ana replied with just enough sarcasm.
"Bet you're even more excited to sleep next to me tomorrow night."
"Yeah, right. You can sleep on the couch. There's no way I will share a bed with you."
"I get the couch?! No way, Nosebleed! That thing is harder than the floor! You sleep on it!"
"You're impossible!"
"I'm done with this. See ya at the altar, fianceé," Butch said as he got out of the booth and left the diner.
Ana left shortly after and went back to her apartment she shared with her dad. James wasn't there. He was probably at the clinic finishing up his paperwork. Ana didn't mind. She wanted to be alone right now.
She slid open her bedroom door and sat down at her computer terminal. She emailed Amata and told her she wanted her to be the Maid of Honor. Amata didn't reply so she closed out of the terminal and tried to find something she could give to Butch as his wedding present. She didn't have anything of value, except for her BB gun she got from her dad and her first edition comic of Grognak the Barbarian she got from Amata. She didn't want to give up either of those, but if she had to, she'd give up the comic book. As least she could have the BB gun to shoot him if he ever made her mad enough.
She opened her wall safe and pulled out Grognak. She'd miss that comic. She set it on the end table before collapsing onto her lumpy bed.
Tomorrow was going to be hell.
Butch sat alone in his metal box of a bedroom. His mom was passed out on the couch, like always. It used to take only three glasses of scotch to do that. Now she needed at least six. She'll wake up eventually and won't remember he's getting married tomorrow. Oh well, he thought, I wish I could forget that, too.
Butch had asked his best friend, Wally Mack, to be his Best Man. Wally married Christine Kendall five months ago. He was lucky he got her, while Butch got stuck with Nosebleed.
Butch checked his watch. Almost midnight. He had thought about what his "special gift" for Ana should be, but nothing came to mind. He didn't have much to start with. He had Toothpick, his trusty switchblade, a pair of scissors because he was the apprentice barber (not hairdresser, hairdressers are girls), and he had his prized Tunnel Snakes jacket. It was old and the leather was worn down, but the snakes stitched onto the back were in perfect condition. The Tunnel Snakes were his gang, his pride and joy. At that moment, Butch knew nothing would be better than this, as much as he hated to part with it.
The clock now read midnight. Kicking off his boots, Butch crawled into bed and tried not to dream of Ana Parker in a wedding dress.
So, what'd you guys think? Reviews are always much appreciated! Thanks!