I thank you Guest and The95will for reviewing. Chapters do get longer, I just didn't know where else to go here.


He found her near the chained and barred gate of Haven, staring down at the three guards patrolling that gate. She was on one of the balconnies strung overhead, wearing low swung jeans and a stained...that could have been blue once, flannel. Her blonde hair was combed back in a messy bun, a red bandana keeping her bangs offnher face.

"Hey beautiful," he smiled.

She jumped and looked over at him, a wide smile on her face. "Jackson," her voice was a breath as she jogged towards him, wrapping her arms around him.

He chuckled into her hair, letting her go after basking in her warmth long enough to not creep her out. "You left early from work," he pushed a free strand of hair back into her bandana. "I didn't see you at lunch."

She gave him a small smile and pulled away. "Yeah, sorry about that. I just...had to get out of there for awhile. Guess the time just got away from me."

"And you ended up here," he leaned back on the railing to his left. "You always end up here."

Marie shrugged and leaned beside him. "I was born in there...my parents died in there. I can't help but come back...even if I can't get in."

Jackson quirked his lips in the corner. "There's a reason you can't get in. The only ones allowed in were Midea and Werhner. Since then they claim in a Trog breeding ground. Just let it go Marie," he smiled and bumped her shoulder with his. "We have bigger things to worry about..."

Marie smiled and looked down, imagining a beautiful diamond ring on her finger where there never would be. They were supposed to be married in three weeks, Marie had been bleaching fabric to make a dress, knowing it would never be an actual wedding dress. Her smile faltered when she remembered her work and his hope were wasted on her plans. She couldn't look him in the eye, and it wasn't because of cold feet.

"I know," she whispered and pushed away from the railing. "Guess we should get to our house, I have to cook before Jenna gets in from work."

"Mind if I swing by," Jackson hummed. "I'm out of steak..."

Marie hissed between her teeth as they slipped through one of many doors leading to Downtown; the door led down to a large staircase that dropped out in their apartment complex. "Sorry, I only have two steaks and a box of mac 'n cheese."

He chuckled at her heart broken look and waved a hand as their work boots made contact with moldy carpet. "Is okay, sweet heart, really," he leaned in and pecked her on the cheek. "I'll see you in the morning."

Her smile faltered but he didn't seem to notice. "Yeah...see you."

He smiled again and turned on his heel, walking down the hallway to his apartment. Marie waited to wave before he walked into his apartment. Once the door snapped shut to his apartment, Marie dropped her smile and bustled to her apartment.

She had an hour to pack, cook and get to the rail yard before Jenna got home.

As she stuffed things - including her journal - into her pack, she thought of Riley, the head of the scaving teams in the Pitt. She was going to be taking her to the Capitol Wasteland and they had to do this fast. Once the Cure was proved missing, the whole place would lock down. Gates would close, guards would swarm the streets and there would be no escaping.

"I have to get out of here," she whispered. "I just have to..."


The kid has a death wish for sure.

No sane person wants to go to the Capitol Wasteland, unless you were a savenger but the Brotherhood seemed to have already picked the place clean of anything valuable. Riley didn't really know why she agreed to ferry the little twerp all that way, not like Marie had anything to pay her with. Maybe it was just boredom talking but Riley found the idea a mix between insane and logical. So the kid was tired of being a test subject, understandable, but why not trek all the way to the Mojave or even further North where new settlements were popping up day after day.

Stable settlements.

"Got your shit," Riley mumbled, adjusting her gloves.

When Marie didn't answer, Riley went to snap at her but only saw the back of her head. She was watching the emergency lights wave through the sky, listening to the old disaster alarm blare; wonder if that same siren went off two hundred years ago?

"Marie," Riley growled. "We gotta go - now!"

The blonde shook her head and her shoulders shrugged with a heavy breath. "Right," when she turned around, Riley saw that journal in her hands. "Lets go."

As she jumped onto the service car, Riley plunged the handle down and the cart began to move. Marie let her legs dangle off the platform, feet swinging childishly until Riley couldn't see her anymore, and maybe even afterwards.

"Riley?"

The dark skinned woman grunted and let go of the handle, sighing in relief when it continued to coast. "What," she muttered gruffly, lighting a cigarette and plunking down beside Marie.

The teenager looked at the end of Riley's cigarette, sighing. "Think this is a good idea?"

"Personally," Riley breathed out a trail of smoke. "No. But you never know what decision will be the right one until you actually take a chance. Who knows, maybe this will be your destiny."

Marie smiled a little. "Yeah...destiny..."


Ya know, I hadn't even thought about where I would take Marie - I mean, of course I did but it was terribly bland - but now with some extra thought, Marie has a serious destiny towards the end. This will most definitely be a two part story and I hope you all stick for that.

Hint: Marie will end up in the Mojave.