Well it's been quite some time since I've posted anything, but I've finally had time to get back into writing. It feels good and I'm doing my best to get back into the swing of it. This story will be my first Fallout 3 fanfic and it does follow the main quest line of the game for the most part. I hope that you like it and feel free to let me know your thoughts. Enjoy!

Rated T for violence and light swears.

(The Title for this story is a WIP and may change at a later date)

Chapter 1:

Escape

August 16th, 2277...

"Serah, sweetie, can you come out here please?" the girl heard her Father call from the sitting room. Begrudgingly, the nineteen year old put down her book that she was reading and left her room. Her blue eyes took in her gray haired Fathers figure as she sat on their slightly dilapidated sofa. His face was in his hands, elbows on his knees.

The way he looked concerned her greatly. He had been working so hard the past few months and it looked to have caught up with him. Serah herself had been doing her best to stay out of trouble, only hanging out with Amata or practicing with her BB gun. Though it seemed childish, it helped to pass the time.

"Hey," she started out as she sat next to him, placing a hand on his back. "Dad, are you alright? You look tired." He sat up straighter and stared at her for several minutes without saying a word. Serah waved one of her hands in front of his face. "Hello in there..." This seemed to bring him out of his stupor and he smiled.

"Sorry, I just...You've grown up so much and I can scarcely believe it..." he pauses. "You do know that I love you, Don't you?" the girl was taken aback. Sure they told one another daily that they loved each other...But this...It seemed so different.

"Yeah, but Dad, where's this coming from? Are you sure you're alright?" She placed a hand on his forehead. He smiled at the gesture, noticing she was more like her mother than ever before. James gently took her hand off his forehead and took both her hands tightly in his. Her blue eyes looked at him head on, worry forming in the depths of her irises.

"Look it's just...You need to know these things..."

"I do know...I love you too Dad." She smiled, slight dimples forming on her cheeks. He nodded and looked down at their hands, studying them. Sadness welled up in his chest. This could be the last time he held her hands in his own...The last time to see her smile...Words left his lips before he could stop them.

"...I'm not going to be around to hold your hand forever..." James whispered.

"What was that?" Serah asked, not having heard her father clearly. He cleared his throat and looked back up at her and shook his head.

"Nothing...It's nothing...You should probably get to bed. Tomorrow's your first day of training as a programmer with Stanley."

"You're right. He's a stickler too for being on time and well rested." They both stood and before she returned to her room, Serah hugged her Father tightly. He placed a kiss on her temple.

"I love you Dad."

"I love you too Sweetie." He watched her walk back into her room, shutting the door behind her. James sighed, the goodbye was over, it was now or never...

August 17th, 2277

"...Wake up...Come on...Wake up!" the brunette slowly stirred as she felt someone shaking her. Alarm sounds slowly filtered into her hearing. Her eyes opened slowly as she yawned, a blurry figure appeared in her vision. The girl couldn't place the persons face, but whatever it was they wanted, it could certainly wait. Serah turned to go back to sleep, but before she could, a pair of warm hands pulled her up from the bed.

"Come on you've got to wake up!" It finally registered to the girl who was speaking to her. Amata stood before her, worry swirling about in her hazel eyes. Her hair was in a frazzled state, Vault suit wrinkled. Serah shivered and hugged herself as she stood only in her gray tank top and shorts, feet cramping from the cold metal.

"...Huh?...What's wrong, Amata?" Amata put her hands on Serah's shoulders, voice cracking with fear.

"Serah, You've got to get out of here!" Serah raised an eyebrow as she pulled Amata's hands off her.

"Why? I-I don't-"

"Your dad's gone and my father's men are looking for you!"

The world and its sounds slowed to a grinding halt. Serah's chest tightened and she couldn't breathe. The girl struggled to keep her shaking limbs steady and her hands found their way to her temples. Her face burned with fear. 'Dad's gone?' She shook her head and quickly made her way to her father's room and found it barren. The blankets were wrinkled and his lockers were empty, desk in disarray.

"...No...No...No..." She stomped back to her room, trying to find clothes, but nothing was where it should be. Amata noticed that her friend was panicking, her breaths short and quick. She made her way over, helping Serah find her Vault suit and fresh clothes. Though Serah saw that her friend wasn't lying, the words just tumbled from her lips as she began to change. "What do you mean my Dad is gone?"

"He's left the Vault...I don't know how, but he's gone..." Amata paused, shaking her head. Serah began pulling on the sleeves of her Vault suit. "...My father...he's kind of gone crazy."

"...He couldn't have gone..." the brunette said, but there was no denying the proof. He wasn't here and it was his day off from the clinic today. She zipped up the front of her suit and then quickly pulled on her dark brown boots. Then as quick as a flash, she pulled on a back holster she had fashioned for her bb gun a few short years ago, slipping the gun inside it soon after, extra bb's in her pocket. The girl grabbed her bat and shoved on her baseball cap.

"...I didn't believe it either, but now Jonas is dead and they're looking for you..." Amata jumped when Serah turned to face her again, her friends eyes filled with sadness and a coldness like no other. The amount of grief that was upon her face demonstrated how Amata herself felt inside.

"...Jonas didn't deserve that...This is so messed up...I don't understand..." Tears stung the girls eyes and nose. Swallowing felt near impossible.

"I don't understand it either, but before it happens again or more importantly to you, you need to get out of here alive..." Serah nodded, reaching for a leg holster from the bottom of her locker. She had taken it from her Dad's office a few months ago without him noticing. The girl quickly slipped it onto her right leg.

"You're right...As far as I know, Dad didn't tell me anything about where he was going or what he was doing...Although, he was acting like he would never see me again last night. I suppose that part makes sense now..." Amata's heart broke at the words her friend said. No one should ever be left behind without a goodbye, like how it had been with her own mother when she died.

"...I'm sorry..." she said in a loving whisper. "Maybe Jonas was supposed to help or something..." Serah smiled meekly in thanks. "I'll help you as best as I can...I have a plan, there's a secret tunnel, if I can get you to my Dad's office, you can unlock it from there." Amata rummaged in her left pocket and held out a few bobby pins, which Serah promptly took.

"The only thing that would be better is if you had a-"

"Gun?" Amata smirked as she pulled a pistol from her other pocket. "I stole it from my dad. It's better if it's in your hands and not his." Serah took it and slid it into the holster on her right leg.

"Thanks...I'll use it as a last resort...We should go. We've been here too long." Amata nodded in agreement.

"I'll meet you at the exit, be careful." The pair hugged and went their separate ways.

To say the halls of the vault were chaotic would be an understatement with alarms seeming to blare louder and louder each moment. Radroaches were almost at every turn and Amata had in fact told the truth that the guards were looking for her. Even Officer Kendall had tried to kill her at some point, but for Serah, all the events were merging together. She had no time at all to process anything. After a moment, she stepped out of her hiding spot only to be startled by Butch.

"You gotta help me!" Serah's fist snapped backward in surprise. Butch hadn't expected it and his eyes watered slightly at the pain, but he dismissed it. He figured he had startled the pip-squeak in front of him. She turned around and stared hard at him with her piercing blue eyes. "You gotta help my mom! She's trapped with the Radroaches and you know I-I c-can't..."

The girl knew all too well that Butch was terrified of Radroaches...After all, it had been her and Amata that caused such a fear from a prank that they had played on him and the rest of the Tunnel Snakes. She shook her head and began moving towards Butch's home. If she spent too much time in her head, it would be too late for Mrs. DeLoria. The girl would be damned if anyone else lost their parents today, not if she could help it...Even if it was someone who had teased and tormented her for most of her life.

The wooden bat felt right in her hands as she quickly aimed and smashed the Radroaches in her path. Soon, she was in Mrs. DeLoria's room after hearing her screams and cries for help. The roaches were picking at her and the woman was balled up in the floor. One by one they fell and soon, it was silent save the alarms. Butch came running in, surveying the situation, happy tears soon flooding to his eyes.

"You-you did it...My mom's gonna be okay...You're the best friend I've ever had man!" A smile sprang to his face. "I swear!" Serah rolled her eyes.

"You sure have a funny way of showing it..." She shook her head and went to leave. Butch place a hand softly on her shoulder. Why was everyone touching her today? Although, the girl had to admit, there was some comfort in it. "What?" She turned to him and watched as Butch shrugged off his leather jacket, holding it out to her.

"Here...I want you to have it...I know it's not much..." Serah found her fingers hovered over the hunk of leather before taking it. She adjusted the bb gun on her back after she shrugged it on. A small smile appeared on her face and Butch felt a twinge in his heart. He could have had her if he hadn't been so stupid all the time...But it wasn't meant to be.

"Thanks Butch." She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. "See you around, Tunnel Snake." And just like that, she continued on her way, leaving him with a small smile on his face.

Sweat rolled down her forehead as she crouched by a door, listening to the conversation within. Officer Mack and the Overseer were questioning Amata...about her. Serah's eyes scrunched shut as she tried to focus, she had to wait for the right moment before interrupting. Her mind swam with pictures of Jonas' dead body and her father's note. She didn't long to see it again, only having turned back when she heard voices nearby.

"...Focus..." she whispered to herself. The young woman carefully finagled her bat to fit in the back holster with the BB gun and she quietly drew the 10mm pistol and checked the bullets, full to the brim. She hadn't had too much interaction with guns and Serah had hoped she wouldn't have to. However, life's funny that way. That's when it hit her, a plan to keep herself alive and Amata safe. Her ears tuned back into the conversation and it seemed to be the right moment to put it into motion.

"...Why must you be so stubborn? The last thing I want is to see you hurt..." Serah moved swiftly, holding the pistol as though it were a club. She quickly hit Officer Mack on the back of the head and then moved behind Amata, pointing the gun at her.

"...If you don't want to see her hurt, then I suggest you let us leave with no issues." Amata sat still in the chair, wide eyed, hoping her father didn't say anything stupid. His lips pursed as he said nothing, swallowing hard. "Amata, lets go before Officer Mack wakes up. I don't suspect he'll be too happy with that headache when he does."

Amata quickly fled the room and Serah followed close behind, holstering the pistol. The pair moved quickly towards the Overseer's office. Soon, they had approached Jonas' body and they both averted their eyes, the sight too painful. Once they reached the door, Serah went to work at picking the lock while Amata stood watch.

"Hurry up Serah."

"Amata, I swear if you tell me that again..." the brunette replied through gritted teeth as her fingers slipped for the hundredth time. "Got it!" she cried as she heard the click.

They passed through the door and while Serah went straight to the terminal, Amata worked on making sure the door was locked again to buy them time. She then moved over to her friend, now watching over her shoulder as she worked. Serah quickly booted up the terminal and watched as the screen began to glow a bright green. The cursor flashed in and out until words began to appear.

"Welcome to Robco Industries (TM) Termlink..." Amata couldn't believe how fast Serah's fingers moved when it came to typing in the inquiry data. The code seemed foreign but she realized that was one of the few times she saw her friend pay attention in class. Come to think of it, if anyone had any questions about computers, they always went to Serah...

"Crap..." Amata jumped as she was brought back by the raspy sound of Serah's voice. "...The password..."

"You didn't-"

"I didn't think to ask when I was going to "shoot" you." Serah made air quotes with her fingers and promptly went back to work.

"About that...I didn't much care for it."

"I wasn't going to do it...I saw Officer Mack raise his baton and I had to help you...I wouldn't kill your dad either. No one deserves that...though I'm not sure what the outside world holds..." Amata relaxed and they both watched as a bunch of words now popped up on the screen.

"You're going to have to teach me how to do that." Serah looked back at Amata, a devilish smile now upon her face, a twinkle in her eye.

"How about a rain check?" Her friend nodded. Serah's eyes quickly sifted through the words that had appeared. Her mind moved a million miles a second. "If I were the Overseer, what would I have-" It was then she found it, Amata's name among the script. She quickly typed it in and hit enter. The pair of friends held their breath and exhaled when the most glorious thing happened. The screen read:

" Exact match! Please wait while system is accessed!" Serah then finished the input and entered the password. Once it was entered, behind them came a hissing sound, revealing a set of stairs.

They were almost out and soon, there would be no way back.

The pair of friends now stood in front of an access panel. After they had made their ways through the halls, the entrance revealed itself to them, larger than what they had thought it would be. Serah's hand hovered over the pull switch. She was about to leave her home, the only place she had ever known. Everyone she loved, she was leaving them behind.

"Together?" Amata asked her friend, seeing the struggle. Serah nodded, feeling Amata place her hand atop hers and as one, they both grabbed the switch and pulled down. A warbling alarm sounded and the door screeched and scratched as it made its way to them. Amata chuckled and shook her head.

"What is it?"

"I almost didn't believe it was possible is all..." she paused. "You did it..."

"We did it...I couldn't have done it without you, you know..." Serah's eyes filled with tears again. This goodbye would be bittersweet. Amata's eyes mirrored hers and soon, she grabbed her friend, pulling her into a hug.

"You'll survive out there, better than anyone else here. I just know it." Her voice cracked with sadness. Serah spoke into Amata's shoulder, her breath felt hot.

"You could come with me..." They parted from the hug and Amata held her friend at arms length.

"I can't...My place is here...I have to try to talk with my father." Serah was quiet, her thoughts slowing. Her adrenaline was wearing off, body becoming sore. She looked up once Amata began talking again. "Hey, if you find your dad, tell him I'm sorry, for everything...for Jonas." Amata watched as a sad smile appeared on her friends face before they hugged once more.

"Goodbye Amata, thanks for being a good friend."

"You too Serah. Goodbye."

And with that, they parted ways and Serah began to make her way out of the Vault, turning back to wave briefly at Amata before stepping through the door and out into the world beyond.