A/N: I decided to use a lot of artistic license with this character, I hope you don't mind. I decided to use the female Sole Survivor, first and foremost, but change the character that Bethesda put in place for the female spouse/Nora. Her name is no longer Nora, she looks completely different (obviously), but I also changed some of her backstory as well. She does still have her law degree, but she was in the army with Nate before going back to law school. They served in the 108th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion together. Now, they're both in the civilian life and they have a little baby boy to raise. Let's go.
Prologue
"War. War never changes.
"In the year 1945, my great great grandfather, serving in the army, wondered when he'd get to go home to his wife and the son he'd never seen. He got his wish when the U.S. ended World War II by dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The world awaited armageddon. Instead, something miraculous happened. We began to use atomic energy not as a weapon, but as a nearly limitless source of power. People enjoyed luxuries once thought in the realm of science fiction: domestic robots, fusion-powered cars, portable computers. But then, in the 21st century, people awoke from the american dream. Years of consumption lead to shortages of every major resource. The entire world unraveled. Peace became a distant memory.
"It is now the year 2077. We stand on the brink of total war. And I am afraid. For myself, for my wife, for my infant son. Because if my time in the army taught me one thing, it's that war… war never changes."
His voice cracks in the last sentence, and I hear the click of the holotape recorder as he finishes. I glance over to Shaun's crib. Baby is fast asleep. I slowly, and silently, stand from the chair in Shaun's room, and tiptoe back into the bedroom.
Nate sits in bed, his face in his hands. The recording equipment is strewn across the bed, over the blankets.
"I don't know if I can do this tomorrow," he says.
"You can," I sit on my side of the bed, "I know you can."
He packs up the recorder and places it on his bedside table.
"Still recording diaries?" I ask, snuggling up to him, "Maybe one day you can compile them all and publish a book, hmm?"
"Right," his panicked face breaks, and he smiles down at me, "I love you."
"I love you, too," I say, squeezing him tighter in the snuggle, "Now, come down here and cuddle with your wife. God knows we'll only have a few hours until Shaun wakes us up."
"Yes, ma'am," he says, scooting into a lay-down position and nuzzling the back of my neck, burying his face in my hair.
"Goodnight," I say, "Try not to worry so much. Get some sleep."
"Goodnight, honey," he echoes through a yawn, "Goodnight."