Chapter One, The Lovers
Crazy Wolfgang will be arriving any moment now…..
An hour had passed, and the sun was coming up over Megaton. He said he'd be there, along with his Brahmin pack and his hired caravan guard. She stood there, nearly praying that nothing had happened along the way. He had such a dangerous job, this travelling salesman thing along the wastes. It would have been a safer world had it been Pre-War, just how she decorated her home in Megaton.
Her faithful hound, dogmeat sat by her, and Megaton's securitron was advertising to go to Moriarity's for a cool, refreshing drink. She had her other loyal companions, Sargeant whom she bought one thousand caps and being free of either really good or really evil, she remained neutral to most things. Charon was the only one she got by killing the poor lady ghoul back in the Museum of History, where ghouls lived safely behind a behemoth of packed super mutants and crazed Talon mercenaries, who would do anything for caps.
Another hour had passed and the coughing, homeless Nicky begged for more purified water. "I'm sorry, Nicky, I only have dirty water," she told him for the hundredth time. Her very own guard robot in her megaton home gave out five purified waters once a week and the week hasn't been up yet. She heaved another sigh, ready to go back in and make travel for the Republic of Dave. She promised Dave that she'd help him with votes. Not that he needed it really.
They called her the Lone Wanderer, though three-dog used to call her the Vault 101 crazy chick, then relegated her to that Lone name. Although for the life of her, she had three trusty companions, and Sydney who she picked up accidently on the way out of Rivet City. Said she was going to get a ton of caps for this document but she wanted to team up with me and my buddies. The caps would only go to me and her since my dog, the robot, and Charon were only with me for protection. She was probably tired to waiting back at my home, drinking coffee and resting up with a pre-war book on my pre-war sofa in the 2nd room she owned.
But Crazy was there. His tousled dark hair and the eye-glasses the wanderer gave him, made him look boyish. With his boyish grin, the leather armor fit well on him, his arms toned and brown from the day to day sun made his exposed skin look as leathery as his suit. She insisted the first time she met him at Agatha's house that he wear a hat, something to ward off the sun from his eyes, and Agatha insisted as well. He gave in, to one old lonely lady in the middle of nowhere and the female Lone wanderer who could never take sides. So, a pre-war hat and a pair of eye-glasses was what he dragged on him.
"Crazy Wolfgang, at your service, ma'am."
"I hate it when you call me ma'am." She said to him, not realizing her impish smile made him grin wider. Then she slapped him on the arm, playfully and a bit harder than she intended.
"Where the hell were you? I've been waiting! You said you'd be here over two hours ago."
"Raiders. Super Mutants, radscorpions, you name it." He shrugged, yet smiled, "But hey, care to make a trade?"
"Yes. Please. I've got lots to turn in. Raider suits, assault rifles, newly repaired just for you," she said with a smile, her green eyes twinkled in the sun. "Are you and your caravan guard going to sit out here for the next hour or so? Or are you going in for a drink inside Megaton?"
They usually stopped at a place for an hour and then moved on, and as dangerous as the wastes was, they had stealth boys to help them during the day and night when it got extremely hazardous out there – for example, their perception skills help them see Deathclaws from miles away. They manage to run the other way, making their path to the next destination quicker than usual. Thankfully deathclaws aren't as rampant on their routes as they're mostly far north in Old Olney, and the caravans only go as far as Temple of the Union where the escaped slaves hide out.
"Maybe." He said, "how have you been doing, Princess?" he called her that name because her name was the Princess of the Wastes. That's what Agatha called her and then dubbed her that on the radio when she recorded one of her violin pieces. All across the air waves, the Lone wanderer and the Princess of the Wastes. Crazy liked the latter and called her the royalty dub and perhaps he did it as a joke.
"Maybe?" She shook her head, "It's hot, and you look dusty and dirty and I've got an Iced cold Nuka Cola for you inside, Wolf."
"Um, are your companions going in?" He shifted his eyes towards the three standing there with her.
"Well, your caravan guard can have a drink over at Moriarity´s or sit and eat at the Brass Lantern if he so pleases, my treat.`
`I like how you think, Princess.`
This was how it was a few times a week, when they could manage, the few stolen moments between the Crazy Caravan guard who sold junk and called it high quality leftovers, and the Princess of the Wastes. She told Sydney to get lost for an hour, sent her over to the Brass lantern to chat up with Leo Stahl who was addicted to mentats and jet. And Sydney shook her head, whispered over to her, `Girl, you have got to stop picking up these guys, especially ones who sell junk and crap.` she rolled her eyes and lastly said, `I´ll be at the Brass when you need me. Come on, you three,` Sydney ordered the stiff necked ghoulish Charon, wearing his Power armour and power helmet proudly which covered up his rotting glesh, Sydney then snapped her fingers at Dogmeat who whined and whimpered over waiting for her master, and the highly weaponized robot who stood at attention.
When they were alone, she grabbed him fiercely and roughly shoved his leather armour off of him. He laughed, and chuckled softly against her ears, `Hey, hey, these are priceless you know, you gave them to me,`
`Oh hush, she said to him huskily, `we´ve only got an hour, since you so insist on leaving and can´t push it to two.
`Ive got a deadline, Princess. But for you, anything….for this hour.` He told her, sinking his roughened hands in her long blonde tresses, his chapped lips kissing her soft skin, `god, this wasteland is full of crap, like the junk I carry, but you, god, you princess, you make it all worthwhile.`
She slammed the door shut to her room, just in case her maintenance robot decided to do a little peeking. And they rolled on the bed, her breasts cupped eagerly by his large hands, the bandages around his palm were splattered with dried blood, and his skin was dusty and dirty, but she didn't care. They didn't have time for a bath, and she noted he took the time to chew on sweetened gum drops and mints, his tongue pushed softly into her moaning mouth. Her arms went round his shoulders and neck, and her naked legs wrapped around his waist, shoving her hips forward. He grabbed hold of her hips to slow her down, `Easy, easy there, Princess he said, his voice so rough, she could barely recognize, and she was dazed with love for this caravan trader, who slipped inside her almost too roughly filling her until she moaned loudly, her head hung back as he rocked into her back and forth into the bed. `Oh yes, oh yes, I missed this so much, baby.` he told her over and over again, as he kissed her neck, her shoulders, her lips.
When they were done, she was heaving with exhaustion and he exhaled, `Damn, it´s so good everytime, baby, I wish I could just stay here with you in Megaton, all night, until the next day.`
`tease.` she said with a saddened note in her voice, `you know you won´t. You´ll be out there with your Brahmin heading out to Agatha´s house, or maybe visiting the escaped slaves at Temple of the Union, and stopping at Uncle Roe´s at Canterbury.`
`I have to, Princess, I made a deal with the devil of the wastes.`
`Oh….and who is that then…`
`No one in particular. Just a promise to myself to get my business going and a promise to all my customers.`
`Bullshit.`
`Now now, Princess, no need to get all angry.`
`All for caps right is that it, just caps and then what, you are going to be lying on some dirt ditch where Super mutants have laid your body to rest to eat at your brains or mutilated guts or worse, deathclaws ravaged you and your caravan guard, along with your precious Brahmin pack, and then i´ll never see you again.`
He shook his head, `You sure know how to make my future death so appealing,` He got up and picked up his clothes, `Listen, I don't want to fight, we do this all the time we get done doing the deed.`
`Oh I see. So it´s doing the deed!` She huffed, pulled her own mercenary charmer clothes over herself, over her naked breasts, buttoning her front, the light tresses falling over her shoulders and his hand stopped her, `Hush, I don't want to fight this time. You know how it is, I´ll be back again this week and we´ll be right here again.`
`What if we won´t, Wolf, then what happens to us…to …` her voice stopped, and he leaned over to kiss her.
`I have a little time to stop over at Doc Church´s to drop some supplies and then grab a quick snack at the Brass.` He pulled his worn out boots over his feet, tying the laces around his ankled pant hem. `I´ve got some motorcycle handbrakes and gastanks for your schematics, baby.`
`I´ve got enough, don't want it. Sell it to someone else.` She waved him away.
`Aww don't be like that, he said, but saw she was in no mood, except to be stubborn and surley so he quietly made his way down the stairs, heard him greet her maintenance robot and the door closed clicked as he went outside.
Sydney came back inside, knocked on the door to her bedroom, sat down at the desk, and ignored the ruffled bed, where the Wanderer had made some sheets for it, a couple of pillows and a teddy bear lying at the foot of the bed.
`Guess he´s off to god knows where again, huh….well, cheer up, we both need to stay focused, and after we make our caps, and get Abraham his documents, everything will be okay.`
`I guess so.`
Sydney huffed, `See, that is why I do NOT get involved with men and especially men whose business is in the caravan trading. They´ll leave you for a hundred caps.` Sydney then caressed the hand made weapon she carried, `This is my only sweetheart.`