Part 2

She arrives at the canyon wreckage two days later. "You can go home courier" still remain scratched on the barricade and she thinks.

"Where is home?"

It feels as though she's been punched in the stomach. The wind is knocked out of her. This is what she was looking for. This is the question that needed answering.

Where is home?

She is filled with dread for reasons she can't explain. It feels like suddenly remembering something very important that you have forgotten. She has forgotten for so long.

She can't make it to the mouth of the Hopeville missile silo before spotting a tent perched on the cliff where she last saw him.

Ulysses.

She is filled with angst. She knows he does not appreciate her presence, and though much was resolved during her tour, some topics remain untouched. Maybe for better, but not for long.

Yeonmi does not like feeling so many terrible emotions. She wants to go back to the Lucky 38, curl up next to Rex, and forget any of this ever happened.

Dread is not pretty on her. Veronica once said it makes her look and act like a 'Deathclaw that woke up on the wrong side of the bed', then started speculating on Deathclaw living habits.

Yeonmi tries to laugh at the memory.

She approaches the tent and peers in, finding it vacant. She sighs and looks over the bluff.

The devastation she unintentionally caused makes her shiver every time she even imagines it.

Ulysses said she built this community effortlessly and destroyed it just as easily.

She thinks she is not capable.

She does not dwell.

Before she can set out to track down Ulysses, he finds her. Yeonmi hears him approach from the direction of the missile silo. She attempts to look as calm as she can, remembering irritable deathclaws.

She thinks she should have thought of what to say.

"I need to go home." She finds the direct approach is always the best way to deal with these things.

He is silent. She does not look at him.

"I know this seems out of place for me to ask, but it seems like you're the only one who at least knew of me before all of this." She looks down again, completely ashamed she would even consider asking him. She wants to curl up in the 38 again.

"Define home." His voice shakes her.

"I've dealt with Hoover dam. NCR. Legion. I should be content now, everything can work itself out now, except." She turns to him. "I feel like I'm missing something. Something big. Specifically, the first 35 years of my life."

The wind picks up. Yeonmi can feel a thousand dead souls screaming at her. This is not her home. Far from it. He knows it too.

"I don't know so much about you."

She is disappointed, but remains composed.

"I do know where you came from. Not why." Ulysses would be lying if he said he wasn't interested himself in why she came here. Why their paths crossed.

Hope swells in Yeonmi's stomach.

"But would you take me there? Could you put up with me for that long?"

"Your home is very far north. Probably 500 miles."

500 miles was conceivable. She fought the urge to smile like an idiot.

"You still didn't answer my question."

He approached her. Stood next to her and looked down towards the Divide. She looked back too.

"This can hardly be a home for anyone now. Where you're from though… I'm unsure of why you left. Maybe looking for bigger things. Trouble, maybe."

She listened silently.

"I can take you."

She looks at him, hiding shock. He looks ahead, emotionless as ever.

He removes his mask and for the first time she can remember, she sees his full face.

"I won't be needing this out there." He goes to his tent and starts packing things. When he leaves, Yeonmi fights the urge to laugh. She's impressed herself, but also shocked herself all the same. Convincing him was unbelievably easy. She thinks maybe he doesn't have much else to do.

Thanks to her, she guesses.


"I don't know when I'll be back. I'll send letters as much as I can, but after I get so far out, I might not send so many. Very few postal services would carry a letter 500 miles. I won't die, so don't get all worked up thinking you'll never see me again. I promise I'll come back. With presents. Any of you are welcome to stay at the 38 whenever you want. Veronica, you can order all the room service you want. No parties without me.

Arcade: Thank you for helping out Veronica. You're definitely my favourite.

Veronica: Thank you for not being a pain in Arcade's ass.

Boone: Please be careful. I'm thinking about you. Don't hurt Rex.

Rex: I love you. Be good for Boone.

Yeonmi"

"Don't read it until you're all together."

He nods.

"And don't feel like you just need to sit around."

He nods.

"You can get a job. Maybe merc work would suit you."

He nods.

"I'm sorry, I'm doing it again aren't I?"

He nods again, with the ghost of a smile on his face.

"You know how I worry…" She sounds like a mother sending her kid off to their first day of first grade.

"I'm an adult, I can handle myself, I promise."

She looks at him. Eyes piercing through his, and she can tell he means it. She quickly hugs him.

"I'll see you later, then." She smiles a concerned smile.

"See you." He replies, and they're off.

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