A/N: Felt inspired on my day off so chapter two came pretty quick and easy to my head. Wish they were all this easy to write. Anyways let me know what you think, hate it, love it, whatever…

. 2 .

Awakening at the first signs of light, Tanner tried to shake the grogginess of sleep from his head. As he wrestled to block out the images of the nightmare the night before, he realized they were all too real as he felt Brooke's hand still clutching his. He sat up and looked at her as she still slept in the early morning wasteland sun.

She was sixteen years old and he had always thought she was more beautiful than any girl he had ever seen. But she was young, and the mayor's daughter, so he had always forced any thought of intimacy from his mind. She was blonde with an angel's face and blue eyes that always seemed to shine with an inner fire. Her lips were soft and red, and when they parted they revealed a smile that could make the most battle hardened warrior stop in his tracks. Her skin was soft and lightly tanned, and her young well developed body looked good no matter what she wore. Tanner smiled at her sleeping there, her face caked with dirt and the trace marks of the tears she had cried endlessly the night before. He had been so focused on getting them out alive that he had never stopped to think about what it was he had been saving. Brooke was a true treasure amongst this waste land. She was like a spring flower, just beginning to blossom in this post apocalyptic hell.

Letting go of her hand for the first time since the night before; he crouched behind a rock and looked down at the smoldering remains of their town. The super mutants were gone now, but nothing remained of their home. Every building had been burned, or bombed, and the black smoking remains looked nothing like the place they had once lived. In the distance to the east he could see nothing but the ever continuing plains of what was once Wyoming. To the north and south stretched the entirety of the Rocky Mountains, and to the west he didn't know. In his life very little news ever came over the mountains.

Their lives had been pretty simple in the town below. They both knew very little of the outside world. Tanner knew that it was important to avoid the Cheyenne silo fields at all costs as it had been a haven for feral ghouls since only a few years after the Great War. Something to do with a malfunctioning Vault and nearby nuclear missile silos. There was Campus at Fort Collins a few weeks to the south. Traders had always talked about it being a safe place, but he could not remember seeing anyone from there in the last few months. The Democratic State of Boulder, a few days south west of Campus, was known for its safety despite its close proximity to the Mile High Ruins. There was a large town a couple weeks to the south between Rockshed and Campus by the name of Cuideste, but it was notorious for gamblers, bandits, and raiders.

"TANNER!"

Tanner jumped, startled by the sound of Brooke's cry. He spun around and quickly grabbed hold of her hand as she reached for him.

"It's ok Brooke, I'm here. I'm right here."

"It wasn't a dream was it?"

Tanner reached out and brushed the hair from her face. "No, it wasn't." He paused briefly. "I'm sorry."

Brooke swallowed hard and reached for the canteen lying near her. "Are those… those things still down there?"

"No, no it looks like they have gone." Tanner glanced over his shoulder as Brooke drank deeply from the canteen. "But there's nothing left. There's nothing there to go back too."

Wiping a hand across her mouth she pulled on his hand helping herself to stand. "I want to see it."

Tanner quickly spun her so her back was to their former town. "Are you sure? There's really nothing to prove by doing that."

Giving a small nod as she bit her lower lip Brooke turned around and gazed for the first time upon the remnants of her home. Tanner reached down and grabbed her hand in his as tears began to roll once more down her cheeks. They stood in silence for several minutes watching the acrid black smoke curl up into the sky, both lost in their own thoughts. The silence dragged on forever as both became lost in their own memories within those walls that had once seemed so safe.

"You said last night that my father sent you for me."

"Yes he did. It was his last wish. He told me to tell you he loves you."

"Those things didn't…" Brooke fought hard to choke back the sobs rising in her chest. "They didn't take him did they?"

Tanner pulled her so she was no longer looking at the town. "No. He fought them to give us every second he could so we could escape. His every last thought was of you, and your safety."

Brooke moved into Tanners arms and hugged him close. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

Tanner wrapped his arms around her neck and held her close, rubbing his hand up and down her back like his mother used to do to him when he was sad. "We should get moving. We need to find food, and water."

Brooke sniffled hard, and wiped her eyes on Tanners shirt. "Ok. Where should we go?"

"Well there's Cuideste to the South. Should be about two weeks walking, but I've heard lot's of bad things about that place. It's notorious for bandits, and raiders."

"What about to the North?"

"Nobodies heard word from up there in months. I was actually going to head out with that caravan that had been in town today. We were going to go check on the settlements that way."

"If we go to Cuideste won't we be in danger of running into more of those mutants?"

"Maybe, we don't know where they came from, or where they went. But the Cheyenne silo fields are filled with Ghoul's not mutants." Tanner looked South East along the mountain range watching it fall away in the distance. "We could walk the old highway. We could travel faster that way, but we'd be a lot more vulnerable. And I hear it runs right into the silo fields."

"So we stick to the mountains?"

Tanner turned looking up the mountain slope reaching into the sky above them to the South. "From what I remember from looking at the caravan masters map yesterday, if we can cross over this ridge we can walk due south to Cuideste. Shouldn't be much living in the valley that runs South, and we can stick to the mountain sides for the most part to stay outta trouble."

"But that's a long way, what will we do for food and water?"

"We'll have to eat what we can hunt." Tanner nodded at his rifle leaning against a rock. "Water's gonna be a lot more difficult. Anything we find out here is going to be pretty dirty. We're going to have to drink and eat only what we really have too. Once we get there we'll get us a couple doses of Rad-Away." Tanner rifled through his pack pulling out a couple packages of pre-war doughnuts. He tossed one to the young girl as he tore his open with his teeth and sat down. "You think you're up for this?"

"Is there another option?" She asked before stuffing a doughnut in her mouth suddenly aware of just how hungry she was.

"No." Tanner said around a mouth full of the sugary food, white powder spraying into the air. This made Brooke shake her head slowly, too which he just smiled.

Brooke took a small drink from the canteen washing down the cakey substance in her mouth. "So we make it to this 'bandit' town and then what?" She pulled another doughnut from the package.

He swallowed hard, refusing his urge to drink from one of his canteens already thinking about their supply of water. "From the little I know about the waste land, I think we should get supplies. Then press on to Campus. Maybe if we are lucky we can hitch on with a caravan heading that way."

Brooke smiled, her teeth glistening in the morning sun. "Ok." She tossed the last of her doughnuts into her mouth.

Tanner slung on his pack, and grabbed the rifle in his hand. As they started to walk along the mountainside Brooke reached out and took his free hand in hers, holding tight to the last living memory of her past. They walked along the rocky hillside keeping an ever vigilant watch for the dangers that their new lives were sure to encounter.

***

Four days of hiking through the rugged terrain of the Rocky Mountains began to take its toll on the two weary survivors. The couple of rat's Tanner had been able to kill did very little to satiate the hunger from the endless walking. Water was even scarcer than food, and both were beginning to become severely dehydrated. They had enjoyed a good deal of safety however by sticking to the mountains. But both were beginning to think that perhaps the valley below them would be better. It would make for an easier walk south, and the hunting would most certainly prove more substantial. But after a brief discussion, agreed that safety was the most important thing for now. They crested the rim of a small side valley, just hours before sunset, and Brooke pulled hard on Tanner's hand, dragging him to a stop.

"What? What is it?"

"Look down there, near that group of rocks."

Tanner peered into the depths of the valley, and finally focused on a small flickering camp fire. Near the fire stood a pack Brahmin loaded with goods tethered to the blackened remains of a tree, and a large man sat cooking something. "Get down." Tanner whispered and the two knelt down and watched for several minutes as the man went about his activities.

"I think he's alone Tanner. Maybe he can give us some food?"

"Yeah, maybe he can." Tanner scanned the valley carefully. "We will watch him for awhile longer, make sure he's alone."

"Ohhhhh. I'm so hungry. And look…" Brooke pointed excitedly. "He's got water. He has to have twenty canteens on that Brahmin."

Tanner squinted at the lone figure and his animal. "How can you possibly see that from here?"

"Uh… Come on, let's go." Brooke pulled on Tanner's hand and began leading them down the hillside into the valley floor.

Before they made it to with in a stone's throw from the man he stood up with a pistol in hand and fired a shot in their direction. "Now you hold it right there damn it!" The man squinted hard in their direction through his thick round glasses.

"Sir, sir we don't want any trouble." Tanner raised his rifle above his head and slowly walked forward. "Our town was destroyed by mutants, and we've been hiking through the mountains for days now, and we are just hungry and thirsty."

The fat balding man pushed his glasses back up his nose as he peered out at the hillside. "You come here nice and slow. The boff of you, and you set that there rifle upside that rock, and maybe we can talk."

Tanner and Brooke walked slowly into the man's camp. Tanner placed his rifle against the boulder as he was instructed, then stood arms raised as the fat man looked them over. Brooke stood slightly behind Tanner repulsed at the over powering smell of filth and sweat coming from the large man, or the Brahmin, or both. After adjusting his glasses once more and waiving his pistol at the two he mumbled something to himself then snorted loudly, and spit something green and slimy into the fire.

"Well airight, you seem harmless 'nough. Go on ahead and have a sit down."

Tanner unstrapped his pack and let it fall to the ground with a heavy thud. Thankful to be free of the burden he sat down, and massaged the back of his neck. Brooke sat close to Tanner, trying to keep as much of him between her and the large sweaty man.

"Now wha' dis bout ya'lls town bein destroyed?" The man spoke slow and thick, as if he were wrestling the words to come off of his fat tongue.

Tanner rubbed his aching forehead. "Can we get some water?"

"Well sure thang youngin. You jes' help ya little self. Don't ya worry, Bruno der don't bite. Much! Hahahaha." The man's laughter was like the gurgle of some dying abomination, and spittle flung from his mouth, and down his chin. Brooke walked to the Brahmin and removed one of the canteens, noticing that as the man wiped saliva from his chin, he never took his eyes off her. "Now yous was sayin youngin?"

"We are from Rockshed. Small ranching town –"

"I knows it I knows it." The man interrupted gesturing with his hand for tanner to hurry along.

Tanner took a long drink from the canteen offered to him by Brooke, and felt a wave of refreshment wash over his body. The water was hot, and dirty, probably highly irradiated, but at this point he no longer cared. "About a week ago, our town was attacked by an army of super mutants. They killed, or took everyone. As far as we know, we are the only two survivors."

"Uh-huh, uh-huh. And now's ya'lls done gone and gitten yourselves lost in da mountains."

"We're trying to make it to Cuideste. Or Campus would be even better."

The man stirred the pot of bubbling goo that sat over the fire. Tanner noticed that the pistol never left his hand, and that his finger never left the trigger. The man was a grotesque figure of fat and skin. A stark contrast to the mountainous slabs of muscle and power of those super mutants only nights before. But Tanner was starting to feel uneasy, he was beginning to feel the same kind of raw hate, and disregard for anything or anyone else within this man. He cursed himself for sitting so far from his rifle. He had not been thinking clearly, tired and thirsty, willing to trust some stranger, who now it appeared had them at his mercy.

"Well I s'posse old merchant man Tom could help a couple a youngins like yourselve's out." The man left his cooking and lumbered to the side of his pack Brahmin. "Now I's don't got a whole lot o' merchandise wif me at dis here moment, but I's do got a few thang's might be able to helps ya'lls out."

The large blob of a man fumbled through a few saddle bags on the back of his pack Brahmin, and eventually returned to the fire side with a sack that he lay out on the ground, its contents spilling on the dirt. Tanner recognized a few of the things immediately, normal things he had seen in the town everyday. But mixed in the smelly traders wares were a few very interesting items.

"Now you go on; take ye'selves a nice long looksy. See what's a' there that migh' be o' interest to ya. And I, gonna go on, and get dis' here grub ready to's eat." With that the trader removed the pot from the fire and walked back to his Brahmin.

"Tanner, do you have any caps?" Brooke whispered, keeping an eye on Tom.

"I have a couple hundred. We will just get what we need, and then be on our way." Tanner knelt down next to the pile of goods.

"Good, cause this guy is really giving me the creeps."

Tanner sifted through the merchandise. Two stimpacks, would have been great to have, but out here would cost more than he had. He sat aside a couple bags of Brahmin jerky, and three canteens of water. There were some small fusion cells for some type of energy weapon, a few frag grenades he knew they couldn't' afford, but he was able to find a box of 7.76mm ammo for his hunting rifle that he placed with the jerky and water.

"Brooke you see anything we may need?"

Staring at the pile Brooke removed a metal tube about as long ass her forearm, it opened and closed like some kind of metal clam. On one side was a screen with a few buttons and dials. "What is this thing?"

"I have no clue, never seen one before."

"Ah, no that dere, is a B-E-A-utiful little gizmo righ'dar. It's a pre-war artifact, from one 'o dem big underground vaults. It's damn near priceless." The sweaty man handed bowls to his guests filled with the weird bubbling goo, then sat down with his own bowl and began slurping heavily at the concoction. "Now whatcha all think you gonna need?" Tanner pointed with his spoon at the small pile of goods he had set aside. "That's whatcha need eh?" The fat man rubbed a large plump hand across his greasy forehead. "Well din that gonna run ya 'bout one hundred fity caps. Plus da grub ya's eatin now, and da water ya already drank, I say we make it an even five hundred."

"We don't have that much money. So I guess we'll just be on our way." Tanner sat down his bowl, grabbed Brooke by the hand and stood up.

The man moved to his feet and raised the pistol still clutched in his meaty paw with a speed the belied his massive bulk. "Now you's two's just hold on a sec. Nobody, gonna come in'da my camp, except my humble hospitality and then jus' think they gonna walk on out." The man took a few steps towards the two, never lowering his aim from Tanner's head. "Now, da ways I see's it, you need's my help, more than I need's to not kill ya boy." Tom snorted, and spit again into the fire causing it to hiss and pop. "So here's whatcha gonna do fer me. You gonna sit back down, and finish your meal, while me and you's little lady frien' here gonna go have us some quality time."

Tanner glanced at his rifle, cursing again; it was too far for him to make a leap for it. "Sir we don't want any trouble. We'll give you what caps we do have, just let us be on our way."

"Hehehe, I reckon you's don't want no trouble. But that's what we got here now ain't it. You go on lookin at that thar rifle 'o your's again, and I gonna put a bullet through that young dumb head 'o yours. Now we's can do 'dis here thang the easy way, or da hard way. You gets to make that there decision." Tanner stood glaring at the man, his jaw set and tight, trying desperately to think of anyway out of this. "Tell ya what youngin, things round in here gone and gotten pretty tense, so why don't we just cool down a little bit. Take that there vault thingy and try it on, it's actually a splendid little toy."

Brooke handed the device to Tanner who took it never taking his eyes off the large slobbering man. Opening it up he placed his left forearm inside and closed it shut. The device latched onto his arm with a solid bite causing him to wince in pain. The black screen on top flickered to life but showed nothing but green static. Tanner tried a few of the buttons and knobs but too no avail, the screen remained nothing but static.

"Yeah, great gadget, it doesn't do shit. Now how do I get it off?"

"Hahahaha." The man sprayed spit in their direction as he let loose another of his guttural laughs that made his body jiggle. "That there's da beuty 'o it. It don't come off. Not till who ever be wearin it is dead. Hahahaha."

Tanner tried desperately to unclasp the device but it's vice like grip on his forearm held true.

"Now, now boy. Way I see's it is that now you's be wearing an expensive piece 'o my merchandise, and you got no other means ta pay 'ol Tom here, we's gonna be doin things my way."

Brooke, gripped Tanners hand tightly, and moved back behind him.

"Now, come on pretty girl, don't ya be's 'fraid of 'ol Tom. I promise, it gonna be real gentle like."

"I won't let you touch her, you fat fuck." Tanner let go of Brooke's hand and took a step towards the fat merchant. The man reacted quickly, lowering his pistol and firing a shot into Tanner's leg. Tanner fell to the ground clutching at his thigh as it oozed blood onto the parched earth. The man once again aimed the gun at the young man's head, as Brooke knelt down next to him.

"Listen here you two's little brat's. I'm getting real tired of trying to be nice, does ya understand. I will kill you boy, with no regrets, and as for you blondie, make no mistake that while I's would prefer's not's to kill ya. I got no problem raping a dead girl, so again, I's be letting you make the choice one's more time. We gonna be doin's this da easy way, or da hard way."

The three stared at each other in silence; only the crackle of the campfire offering up it's suggestions on the situation. Tom pushed his glasses back up his sweaty nose, and stared hard at Brooke as he cocked back the hammer to his pistol still aimed steadily at tanner's head.

"Ok, ok. Just don't hurt him."

"No Brooke, you can't do this. Run, run away, leave me here and run." Tanner did his best to stand, but the pain in his leg shot lightning bolts through him and defeated his efforts each time.

"Brooke, no dat dar be a right pretty name. But me's be thinking I's jes' gonna call ya bitch. No let's get goin. I gonna show ya's how we have fun time back in tha den." The large man watched with crazy lust filled eyes as Brooke moved between him and Tanner. His heart beat faster as he watched the curves of her body sway beneath the soft fabric of the short dress she was wearing. "No boy you 'jes keep sittin thar trying not to bleed to's death, and finish your fuckin grub, like a good little guest. And don'tcha goes worryin 'bout your little friend. She's gonna learn the first rule 'bout being out here in tha wastes. You gotta do whatever it takes to get ya'self something ta eat's." With that the large man pushed Brook down the valley floor towards a large group of standing boulder's.

Tanner watched in horror as the two disappeared behind the boulders, and in Brookes last glance back at him he could see the desperation in her eyes. He tried to stand again, tried to will the pain from his mind, fought with clinched teeth, but the pain was too much. He screamed and kick at the items in front of him with his good leg. Then he stopped, he was focused, he had a plan, he was going to make that fat bastard pay.

***

Brooke felt, dizzy, sick, tired, repulsed. She wanted so much to be anywhere else but walking towards those rocks with this grotesque mountain of a man pushing her along. She hadn't known what to do. She couldn't let Tanner die, not after all he did for her back at Rockshed. In the back of her mind she knew that this horrible man was probably going to kill him anyways, and keep her for himself. She shuddered at the thought. She had done this because she knew Tanner would do something. He had to, he couldn't, wouldn't let this happen to her. As they walked behind the line of rocks she stole a glance back, her eyes burning as they silently pleaded with Tanner to come help her. Then he was gone.

She was alone now with the mountain of a man, the stench of his body only out done by the vomitous smell of his breath escaping heavily from his lungs, and over his fat slimy tongue. He reached out a large chubby hand and grabbed Brooke by the back of the head pulling her to him, he tried to kiss her, tried to force his tongue inside her mouth, but when she fought him he slapped her hard, then grabbed her by the shoulder and flung her against a boulder.

She landed in the dirt her head spinning from the slap and the boulder; she could feel a trickle of blood stream down her cheek. She wanted to cry, the tears were right there, sitting at the corners of her eyes just waiting to burst forth like a thunderstorm of rain, but she fought them. Somewhere inside of her she knew that she could never give this man the satisfaction of seeing her cry. Just as she knew that pleading with him because she was a virgin would only excite him more. No. Tonight she had to grow up. Tonight she would learn the meaning of strength.

"On you's feet my little bitch." Tom grabbed her by the hair and pulled hard as he lifted her to her feet. She wanted to scream out but she dare not. The man once again pulled her close to him, and again tried to force his tongue inside her mouth, but again she fought. This time the man did not slap her; he shoved her against the boulder, and held her pressed between his weight and the rock. He tried continuously and eventually succeeded in forcing his fat slimy tongue inside her mouth.

As she tried not to choke on his vile tongue penetrating her mouth, she was attempting to fight his hands away from her breasts and ass as he groped at her. But he was large, and stronger than she was. He eventually tore the dress from her body, leaving her naked before him. He smiled at her naked body glowing in the moonlight. She shivered at the coolness of the gun still clutched in his hand as it brushed her bare ass. The mans putrid breath poured over her body like a vomitous blanket, as he kissed her neck and shoulders, then worked his way down to her breasts, taking her nipple in his mouth. She wanted to fight him, but she was tired, and weak. She could not defeat this man.

Soon the man tired of kissing her naked body, and forced her to her knees, as he undid the belt holding his pants up. She pushed herself away as the man tried to force his erection into her mouth. Again he slapped her and this time held the pistol to her head. She looked down at the ground desperately trying to find the courage and strength to fight this mountain of a man. As the man guided her gaze back up to his erection with the barrel of his pistol, she wanted so much to be home, safe and sound. She tried desperately to find the resolve to just get this over with so she could leave

"Now come's on my little slut. Show 'ol Tom just how much you love him. Hahahaha" Brooke reached up with her shaking hand; unsure of what exactly to do, but knowing she had to try. She had to try if she wanted to live.

KAKOOOCH! The shot echoed inside the circle of rocks, and along the valley floor like a cannon blast splitting the night air open. The fat man screamed in agony as he stumbled out of the circle into the valley lit by the campfire. Brooke saw as he backed toward the fire that the hand in which he had been clutching his pistol was now reduced to a mangled mess of dangling fingers and spurting blood. From the hillside she saw Tanner limp down into the valley, never taking his steely gaze from the man. Brooke's mind seemed to snap to a new state of consciousness. She felt in the dark and found the man's pistol, she gripped it tightly, ignoring the warmth of his blood still on the handle.

Brooke emerged from behind the rocks completely naked. Her dress had been torn and was no longer wearable, but she didn't care, because now, now it was she that was in charge. She would show this grotesque pig of a man just how strong she could be. Tanner fired a shot near the man's head, and the man stopped, raising his arms in the air.

"Ok……ok's you's all win, take what's ever you want."

Tanner knelt down so he was looking Tom in the eyes. "I am going to take whatever I want. I'm going to take whatever I want because I'm learning the first rule of life out here in the wastes, do whatever it takes to get food." Tanner spit in the man's face, and then smiled at him, and spoke in a voice mocking the old fat man. "Now don't's youse go on worrying thar 'ol Tom, I's not gonna kills ya." Tanner laughed to himself, and then looked at Brooke standing naked in the firelight, her long blonde hair blowing in the breeze. "But I bet she sure might do it."

Tanner stood and began loading up his pack with all the supplies that seemed useable from the fat merchants pack Brahmin. He fashioned another pack out of a couple saddle bags for Brooke to wear, and found her some of his old Brahmin skin clothes to wear. He tossed the clothes to Brooke, and as she got dressed, he filled her pack with more supplies, and things they may be able to sell in town.

"Where are your bottle caps you old fuck?"

"Thar…thar tied 'round tha neck 'o me Brahmin."

"Thank you very much." Tanner removed the satchel of caps and tied them to his pack. "Hey Brooke, You gonna shoot him, or just stare at him all night?"

"This piece of shit doesn't deserve to live." She raised the man's pistol, aiming at his head. "But I'm not the kind of person to kill someone." Lowering the pistol to her side, she strolled purposefully towards Tanner, but as she passed Tom she fired a shot into the fat man's genitals, rendering them useless and unrecognizable.

"What was that?" Tanner asked a crooked smile on his face.

"It went off on its own." She smiled, as she slung the pack on her back, and tucked the pistol into her belt.

The two began hiking back into the mountains, leaving the fat trader Tom screaming in agony, and bleeding out onto the wasteland floor. Tanner's leg was walk able now thanks to the two stimpacks the fat man had carelessly left within his reach, and Brooke seemed to walk with a bit more confidence. She had fought off the man just long enough to let Tanner get to her. Next time she would defeat her enemy herself. As they crested the small hillside leading South out of the valley, Brooke took Tanners hand again, and they set off in the direction of Cuideste.