A/N: Thank you for choosing my story! I really hope you like it. Just a side note or two; this story is based off of my current play through (obviously some things have been changed to fit into this story like i.e. This is not about a single SS.) This fanfiction is rated M for a reason folks. There will be cursing, drug/alcohol abuse, sexual content and obviously violence. So IF you don't like that kind of thing then I am sorry to say that you will not like this story. Also if anyone finds misspelled words or any grammar I messed up or missed please PM me! That way I can fix it and it will read more smoothly, there's only so much my own eyes and brain can see lol.

Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Fallout series the only thing I own is the OC I created for this fic.

Enjoy!

Chapter One: Leave

Traffic was terrible on the Mass Pike, of course this was nothing new. People weaved in and out and around each other at speeds that, if a police officer had been anywhere in sight, would have earned them a ticket or jail time in some cases. Addison's truck turned off the exit that would bring her through Concord and up to Sanctuary, where her older brother Nate and her sister-in-law lived with their new baby boy. Addison smiled and pushed her aviator sunglasses up the bridge of her nose. Wind from the open window whipped her raven colored hair around her heart shaped face. She still didn't know how she'd managed to get leave at a time like this. Washington was a bundle of nerves, and with the threat of nuclear apocalypse, no one could blame them. It felt like everyone was holding their breath while they smiled through gritted teeth pretending that nothing was wrong.

Pulling into the driveway of Nate and Nora's home, she parked behind the shiny new black car under the car port. Addison rolled her blue-green eyes and laughed to herself a little. 'This has my sister-in-law written all over it.' Nate had said in his letters that Nora had been trying to get rid of his truck as of late. "Looks like Nora strikes again." It wasn't that Addison and Nora didn't get along, that wasn't it at all. They liked each other very much, but sometimes her sister-in-law could be a bit much. She could be pushy when it came to her opinion and if yours and hers didn't match up she let you know she didn't agree. Sometimes it wasn't always in the...nicest way, and it had caused more than a few arguments between the two.

Grabbing her duffle from the bed of the truck, Addison slung it over her shoulder and walked up to the front door giving a hard knock. The door swung inward revealing her brother in his standard white tee and khakis. A huge grin spread rapidly across his face and he rushed his baby sister, gathering her into a big bear hug. Nate laughed and squeezed. "Addy! I'm so happy you're finally here!"

Addison laughed, her sunglasses toppling off her face as Nate spun her around in a circle. "It's good to see you too big brother, but I can't breathe...the U.S. Government will not be happy with you if you squeeze one of the Marine's sergeants to death." Nate set his sister down still grinning like a child and ruffled Addison's hair causing the high ponytail to fall slightly.

"Oh, is that why you haven't been home to even visit for the past three years?" Nate said sarcastically, moving aside and grabbing the duffle and sunglasses that had been dropped at their feet in all the excitement and ushered Addison into the house.

"No, I've been out east on vacation," Addison rolled her eyes, voice dripping with sarcasm, a smirk playing on her lips.

"Ah, Miss Addison! I am glad to see you well." Codsworth, the Mr. Handy bot that Nate and Nora had gotten to help around the house, greeted her carrying a few plates to the sink.

"Good to see you too, Codsworth."

"Is that my favorite sister?" Nora hollered from the hallway. Coming into view, Nora's face also adorned a grin. Addison gave the older woman a one-armed hug as not to squash the tiny boy swaddled in a white and blue blanket in Nora's arms.

"Hey, Nora. This must be the newest addition to the family. Hey, little man." Shaun giggled a cooed up at his aunt. "I'm your Auntie Addy, it's nice to finally meet you Shaun."


Sun streamed in through the windows of the living room, assaulting Addison's face and nearly blinding her as she awoke. "Ah shit." A chuckle sounded from the kitchen island less than ten feet from the couch where she'd been crashing. Flipping onto her face to hide from the bright light she held her middle finger up at her brother, which only caused him to laugh more.

"Morning, Sunshine."

"Fuck you, Nate." Addison grumbled. Sitting up and running a hand through her messy waist length hair, the smell of coffee wafted to her nose rousing her.

"You'd think after having to get before the ass crack of dawn nearly every day in the Marines, you'd have turned into a morning person. Or at least a semi-pleasant one." Nate quipped as Codsworth set down his sister's coffee in front of her as she sat at the small island bar. Addison hummed in appreciation as the bitter liquid coated her tongue and slid down her throat. She glared at Nate over her mug as Nora walked out of the bathroom.

"You ready for tonight, hun?" Nora asked her husband. Nate heaved a heavy sigh looking slightly nervous.

"Tonight?" Addison asked looking between her siblings.

"The speech at the Veteran's Hall is tonight. I was asked to speak at it. I thought I told you?"

"Oh! Right, yes I remember now. Don't worry Nate you'll do fine." Standing from her bar stool Addison patted her brother on the shoulder and headed towards the bathroom to shower and get ready for the day.

The hot water had felt amazing on Addison's skin. She had taken her time in the shower. Being overseas didn't really afford for much in the way of actual showers that you could just stand in for more than fifteen minutes tops before someone was yelling at you to get out and back on duty. Stepping out of the shower, Addison threw on her black cargo pants, heather gray ribbed tank top and her combat boots. Glancing in the mirror really quick she grabbed a hair tie and through her long black tresses into a messy bun atop her head.

Hearing Nate and Nora in Shaun's room she made her way back to the couch, plopping down to watch the TV. The program that had been playing cut to the Boston news anchor reading out an urgent message. Addison jumped to her feet and jogged quickly down the hallway. "Nate, Nora! You need to get out here. Something is going down."

A confused look spread across the married couples faces. Nora bent into the blue crib and grabbed Shaun quickly following her husband to the living room. "What is he saying?"

"There are, yes, confirmed reports of nuclear detonation in New York and Pennsylvania...My god..." The report went out and the three shared a panicked look.

"We need to get to the vault, now. You too Addison, let's go!" Nate grabbed his sister's arm and dragged her through the door at break neck speed, Nora hot on their heels with the baby.

"What? Don't you need to be signed up to get into one of the vaults?"

"A rep came by when you were in the shower, we signed you up just in case. You're fine Addy, now go!" Addison nodded and followed. At the top of the hill, a crowd had gathered. Soldiers had barred the way to anyone who was not on the ever important list. Some guys in power armor holding mini guns stood just beyond the chain link fence to deter anyone from trying to run through the line of soldiers in panic.

"What do you mean I'm not on the list? I AM Vault-Tec!" The Vault-Tec rep from earlier was being turned away as the four approached. He ran past them as Nate gave the soldier with the list their names.

"Go ahead." He moved aside and let them past.

"What's going to happen to all those people at the gate?" Nora asked.

"We're doing the best we can ma'am! I need you all to step onto the platform so we can send you down into the vault." Their feet touched the platform just as a nuke hit. "SEND THEM DOWN NOW!" The same soldier screamed as the hurricane force nuclear wind came hurtling toward the hill. It passed over head just as the metal doors sealed them off from the world above.

Addison stood with her head bowed, fists clenched, eyes wide, and trembling as the platform came to a grinding halt. "All those people..." She heard someone to her right say as they were ushered up metal stairs to get checked in. She felt her stomach churn and she threw herself against the railing, grasping the cold steel bars as she bent over it and emptied her gut onto the cold cement of the vault. Nate was there rubbing Addison's back as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

"All those people, Nathan. They all died because...oh my god...all those soldiers. What the f-"

"I know Addy...I know." Guiding her back towards where his wife and son were waiting for them. He wrapped his arms around all of them in an effort to comfort them as well as himself. "It'll all be okay. Come on, let's get this over with." They were checked in and getting their vault-suits on and stepping into their decontamination pods soon after.

Addison looked diagonally across from her at Nora and Shaun. She watched as Nora waved nervously to her husband before she closed her eyes and laid her head back for a second to collect herself. Addison's teal eyes snapped open when she realized how cold it had gotten all of a sudden. Looking around the pod she looked for a release of some kind, anything that would let her out of the damned thing. There was nothing, and with each passing moment her eyelids grew heavier and heavier until sleep took her.


Addison gasped for air as the pod released her. Strong arms caught her as she flung herself towards the open air. A male voice tried to sooth her as she drew in ragged breath after raggedly panicked breath. "Addy! Calm down, I need you to breathe..." Addison's eyes snapped to her brother's face, the world finally coming into focus.

"Nathan?" He nodded giving her a tearful, half-hearted smile. Her brow crinkled. "Nate, what's wrong?" Fresh tears began to flow down and over his stubble covered cheeks. Drawing his baby sister in close and burying his face in her shoulder, Nate cried. Patting his shoulder, Addison's confusion began to build until she looked at the gory mess behind him. "Oh my god..."

"I couldn't stop it Addy. I couldn't get out to save them..."

"Them?" Addison's eyes refocused on Nora's open pod. Traveling over her sister-in-law's vacant face and limp body, another panic attack began when she finally realized what was missing. Shoving her brother back to arm's length. She gripped his arms. "Where's Shaun?" Nate's tears began anew, this time with more vigor. "Nate! Where is my nephew?"

"They took him..." He managed to choke out.

"Who? Who is they?!" Nathan shook his head.

"I don't know, but they took my son, and shot Nora... Addy...What am I supposed to do without them?" Switching into soldier mode, Addison's face became a mask void of emotion. Only allowing rational thought and logic to enter her brain. She'd had to learn how to do this early, otherwise she would have gone mad long ago. Standing, the raven haired woman hauled her nearly immobile brother to his feet. Grabbing his face, she forced their teal eyes to meet. "I'll tell you what you're going to do. You're going to help me get the fuck out of this vault, you're going to stay strong for Nora and Shaun, and you're going to help me find the sons of bitch's who took him and killed your wife." Sniffling, Nate wiped his eyes and nodded.

"Alright. Let's get our asses of here."

Thankfully Addison didn't have to carry Nate out of the vault. He managed to hold it together enough to at least walk on his own. The grief of losing his wife and his son had broken him. Unable to push it away longer than a few seconds, all the training he'd done in the Army had basically been thrown out the window and could barely function at all. 'Thank God there were only giant bugs to contend with and not something worse.' Addison thought to herself.

Finally exiting into the room where the families had initially checked in, Addison did a small sweep with the 10mm she'd found in the Overseer's office. Nothing but more cockroaches and more skeletons. Dispatching the large insects, they walked over to the platform where one of the scientists lay. A small smirk played on Addison's lips when her eyes fell on the Pip-boy, wrapped around the wrist bones of the once live person. She picked it up and strapped it to her own flesh covered wrist and switched it on.

The whole thing was covered in a thick layer of dust and grime. Addison used her thumb to wipe away what was on the screen as Nate came to stand beside her holding a box of 10mm rounds he'd found. He handed her the box and nodded to the mobile computer. "That thing still work?" Addison nodded her head in thanks as she took the box of bullets.

"Yep, and she's our ticket out of this tin can." Addison patted around her body looking for a place to put the ammo. Giving up she settled for keeping a hold of them as she prepared to open the enormous vault door. "You know; jump suits really are very inconvenient. They don't even have any damn pockets, and I'm not about to shove the box down between my boobs." Despite himself, Nate chuckled at his baby sister, and tugged on her hair as she punched the button. The florescent lights above them went off and the lights above the door flashed bright orange as the computer told them to stand back.

The vault door screamed in protest as the large drill like mechanism pulled it from its spot in the metal wall. The flood light blinded them once the steel had been moved aside, and Addison practically sprinted towards the descending platform. Her breathing began to quicken again and she grabbed for her brother's hand, clasping onto it as though she were about to fall through the floor. Nate looked at the woman he'd grown up with and looked after his whole life and gave her hand a gentle squeeze when the metal cage opened and waited for the siblings to step beyond it.

"What do you think it's like up there now? Think there's still too much radiation?" Addison asked as they began their ascent to the surface. Nate stared at the approaching ceiling door.

"I don't know Addy. I don't even know how long we were actually down there for." Addison nodded and trained her eyes above her, shielding them as the door to the surface began to open and bright light poured through and bathed them in crisp New England air.