Okee, so I took down my first chapter, edited it, talked with the author of the story I was accused of plagiarizing from, got their approval, and now brought this one up. We were both happy and so I decided to put it up.

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Fallout 3 or anything belonging to Bethesda...but it would be cool to own Gob...^^ And now onto teh story!

Offer

Lylia walked out of her Megaton home to walk to the front gates. They opened slowly with a cloud of dust and the screeching noise of rusted metal on metal which made her cringe. When she opened her eyes, Lylia found herself looking out into the Wasteland with two dark figures blotted onto the otherwise bright landscape. She walked out to see Deputy Weld and Billy Creel. He turned around and smiled at her as Weld continued spewing out programmed messages in his robotic cowboy-accented voice.

"Hey there doll," said Billy.

"Hey Billy, where's Maggie?" she answered.

"Somewhere playin' with Harden, I guess. What about you? I haven't seen you out that much. Even Maggie's askin' 'bout you."

"Yeah, just...hit a rough patch," Lylia said sheepishly. Billy scrutinized her with his eye and Lylia looked away.

"Ly, you can always talk to either me or Andy. We would understand," he said consolingly. "Hell, you could even talk to Moira, but she'd probably take notes on your every word."

"No Billy. I...I'm okay," Lylia answered firmly.

"You can't keep hiding these things Ly, you'll explode."

"Well, until that happens, I'll be fine," Lylia said coolly.

Billy was referring to the images she had in her mind that would NOT go away no matter how much she drank or got high or slept. She wanted to forget everything she had ever seen; the Raiders torturing a helpless Wastelander she couldn't save; the bodies of people burning as she bathed them in flames from her flamethrower; Super Mutants ripping the Brotherhood Knight she was partnered with in half. They were all horrible memories, but the worst was the look on her father's face the moment he died. It was a look full of hope and love and passion for his project and daughter that was forever burned into her memory. Now, as Lylia looked back on herself, she felt as if she had let him down. If he was willing to become a martyr for his cause, why couldn't she? As she drowned herself in alcohol, she tried to answer this question, but always came up blank.

These days of self-loathing and pity weren't as common four years ago, but now that Lylia had run out of things to do around Megaton, she found these times coming around every few weeks and staying longer. This last one had come a week after her last episode and had stayed for two. In the earlier years, the people she had allowed into her life: Andy Stahl and Billy had tried to "snap her out of it", but they always failed until they actually stopped trying, though Billy, her brother-figure, and Andy, her apparent "boyfriend", had always continued suggesting help. With all their "help", Lylia only sank into more episodes, which caused her to lock herself in her room with Dogmeat, inhalers of Jet and syringes of Psycho and a bottle of scotch, much to the irritation of Billy and Andy. She began pacing besides Billy as they waited.

"Where are they?"

"Dunno. Never been this late before," replied Billy.

"D'you think they got attacked?"

"Let's hope not."

They waited for a few minutes until the gates opened again and Andy Stahl walked out.

"Hey, Ly; Billy," he greeted them.

They both smiled at him a little and Andy walked over to Lylia, who was still pacing, and caught her around the waist. "What's wrong?"

"Caravan isn't here yet," she answered. She looked to her left and saw a small group of people walking towards them. She squinted even more and thought she saw the small, dark shape of a Brahmin. "There they are."

The men turned and saw the small body of people coming closer.

"Damn, what took them so long?" asked Andy.

"Dunno. But I think that's Doc Hoff," answered Billy as he shaded his eyes from the sun with his hand.

"But we don't need meds, just some ammo and stuff."

Lylia said nothing as she watched them come closer. As they watched, Ly noticed something.

"There's someone else with Hoff."

"Who?" asked Billy.

"Dunno. Just someone..."

"Shit. It's Burke," said Andy with a sour face.

"What?" exclaimed both Billy and Ly.

"Burke."

Lylia watched as the caravan continued walking closer and she spotted the familiar pale suit and the dark hat. She didn't see the glare off of the turtle shell glasses, but Lylia was sure they were on his face. Anger suddenly splashed through Ly's body; what the hell was HE doing here? She glowered at him as they grew closer and heard faint laughter, which surprised her; she didn't think a person that evil could be happy or even laugh. They finally were face to face with the three, but continued their conversation.

'There are those damned glasses,' thought Lylia.

"It was good talking with you, my friend," said Burke in his low voice.

"Likewise Mister Burke," answered Hoff as he shook his hand; Lylia wondered why he didn't cringe.

Burke turned to the three and his expression sobered. "Well, well, well...the Savior of the Wasteland, Megaton's very own celebrity, has come out to greet me."

"Shut up Burke," said Andy. Lylia saw Billy slide over to Hoff and start bargain.

"And the boy...I remember you."

"Shut up Burke," said Lylia. "What the hell are you doing here anyways?"

"Just passing through," he answered casually.

"You've never just 'passed through'. You were always somewhere for a reason."

"True. I have some work for you," he replied.

"Sorry. I'm retired," said Lylia shortly.

"Shame...You could've had what you've always wanted since you came to this dump: Adventure."

Andy scowled at him and Lylia was stone-faced. "No thanks Burke. I'm okay here."

"Yes, you are, but you could be great," insisted Burke. "Even better than how that loud-mouth Three Dog portrays you."

Lylia stared at him and his eyes swept from Lylia to Andy. "Well, I guess your little boy toy hasn't told you about all the times he came to me with information about the bomb."

Ly felt Andy stiffen behind her and she felt dread fill her stomach. Slowly, she turned to him and saw his tanned face was pale with fear and surprise. Lylia knew not to trust Burke, but the look on Andy's face confirmed her fears.

"You did what?" she asked slowly.

"I-I-I-..." he sputtered and fell silent. He looked down and mumbled, "You were never supposed to know."

"You did?"

"Yes."

"Why?" cried Lylia. "I trusted you!"

"It was before we ever got together," he said as he looked up.

"Oh, and that changes everything!" snorted Lylia. "Why, Andy? Why?"

"Because I wanted to get my family somewhere safer and more profitable!" he cried in return. "Is that so bad?"

"No, it isn't, but blowing up the town isn't the right way to do it! What if Burke made the town blow up while you were still in it?"

Andy fell silent and looked away as Lylia scoffed. "Unbelievable."

"Well, if you're interested after sorting things out, I'll be in my house that I had long ago," said Burke as he walked past them.

Lylia scowled at Andy and slowly closed her eyes. "I-I need to go."

She walked past him and ignored his calls for her to return as she walked past the open gates and into the plaza where the undetonated bomb lay. Cromwell wasn't preaching for a rare moment and it was unusually quiet, save for whispers behind hands and Lylia immediately knew what they were talking about: Burke. Ignoring them, she waded into the pool of water around the bomb and felt a tingling sensation, alerting her to the radiation. A giant mass shifted behind the bomb and the head of a Yao Guai - the most feared animal in the Capital Wasteland - popped out.

"Here Hume," Lylia almost cooed. The mutated bear lumbered towards her slowly and pressed his head into her side and nearly made her fall over. "Let's go home."

She walked out of the pool of water with her hand on his head. She walked past the Brass Lantern without a glance up to her house, where she opened the door and found a medium-sized blob of fur jumping at her. Dogmeat's forepaws pushed against her chest as he made a wild attempt to lick her face. Lylia laughed as she pushed him down and closed the door behind her and Hume. She finally pushed Dogmeat down and ruffled his fur and he followed her closely as she opened the refrigerator and pulled a Brahmin steak out. Ly tossed it at Dogmeat, who promptly caught it and began tearing it apart. Hume moaned in expectation and Lylia led him up to the second floor. Wadsworth hovered out of her room and waited for a moment.

"Good afternoon madam, I trust you had a pleasant outing?" he said politely.

"Not as fine as I would've liked," she answered as she opened the door to the second room. She had expanded it to accommodate Hume when she brought him home. Inside was a metal tub of water and the complete, rotting side of a Brahmin. Lylia nearly gagged at the stench and closed the door immediately after Hume walked in. She wondered why she had it in there, but Wadsworth broke her thoughts.

"Ma'am, would you like me to clean the spare room?"

"Err...no. Hume still needs to finish his 'food'," Ly answered.

"As you wish," he answered with just a hint of exasperation in his voice.

Lylia went to the refrigerator and pulled out a false bottom and found herself looking at a pile of Jet, Ultrajet, and Psycho. She pulled out a Jet inhaler and walked downstairs to find Dogmeat still wrestling with the steak, growling ferociously and jerking his head back. She smiled a little and sat down at the small table near her weapons locker and chewed her lip as she began thinking about what Andy did and what Burke wanted of her.

He had offered her a job. A job outside the walls of Megaton and the safety they provided. A job far away from anything, yet closer to everything she had ever wanted in four years. She wondered why he had asked her when she imagined he could've done herself. Curiosity had never been able to leave her alone, even when it would place her in danger out in the Wasteland. Just as she was about to spray the chem into her mouth, there was a knock at the door and both Lylia and Dogmeat looked up at it at the same time. A knock sounded again and Lylia slowly got up and opened the door a crack and saw Burke's face illuminated by the light emanating from her home.

"What do you want Burke?" she snapped.

"My, my, my, what manners the Hero has," he tsked. "I came to discuss my business offer."

"I'm not interested."

"Oh I don't believe that."

"Well you should, 'cause I am."

"Fine then, will you at least entertain me with a conversation?" he asked with a falsely defeated voice. Lylia's eyes slitted and she glared at his face, trying to find a shred of a lie, but not finding anything.

"Fine. Just for a moment," she said with a sigh and opened the door wider, pocketing the Jet. Burke stepped in and Dogmeat growled a bit before finishing the steak and padding over to Lylia. "Sit at the table. Want anything?"

"I am fine," replied Burke as he took a seat.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" asked Lylia as she walked up to the Nuka-Cola machine and pulled out an Ice Cold Nuka-Cola out before sitting down across from him.

"Your contract," he said as-a-matter-of-factly.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! I said I didn't want to work for you!" she said abruptly.

"I know, but I'm counting on your curiosity to persuade you to listen to the details," he purred.

They sat in silence for a long time with Ly glaring at Burke and him watching her amusedly. Dogmeat whined and sat down next to Lylia and eventually laid down. After a minute, Ly sighed in frustration and dropped her fist on the tabletop.

"Goddamnit, fine, tell me about the job details," she groaned. Burke leaned forward and a smile creeped over his face, making him look somewhat demented.

"I believe you're acquainted with the Talon Company."

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Andy stepped out of the Brass Lantern to get some air. He was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that Lylia knew about him talking to Burke and still trying to figure out what he could say to her to make her forgive him. Jenny looked over at her youngest brother and frowned.

"Andy? What's wrong?"

"Nuthin'," he answered shortly. He had never told anyone about his talks with Burke because when Lylia disarmed the bomb and when he saw everyone was so goddamned relieved, shame and self-loathing sank in. He saw their faces free of stress and the happiness in their eyes made him rethink the choice to leave. Out of instinct, Andy looked up at Lylia's house and frowned when he saw Burke walking up to it. He walked over to a place underneath her house and watched through the mesh of metal as the door opened and illuminating Burke's face. Andy watched as Lylia and Burke talked and silently prayed to whatever god there was that she wouldn't let him in.

But whatever god heard him must've deemed him not important enough to be granted a wish because Ly opened the door wider and Burke stepped in. The door closed shortly after as did the hope in Andy's mind.

"Goddamnit Ly, no," he whispered to himself.

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A/N: Soooo? How was it? Reviews welcome but not necessary.