Sorry it took a few days. Got sick this week and didn't have much time to work on the story because of classes. Also, just wanted to tell you guys, this story is a work-in-progress, meaning that I haven't quite figured out all the odds and ends to this story. It might take me awhile to upload new chapters because I might need to think about what's going to happen beforehand.

Sorry if this upsets anyone...

Also, beginning with this chapter, I'm going to add a characteristic of mine to this story: switching perspectives. From now on, whenever the story is read in the first person, that particular section of the story is being told by the Lone Wanderer. Any other characters' perspectives will be told in the third person. I'll make sure to distinguish the switch with a giant line, like the one below.

Hope you enjoy :)


I spent all night watching her, afraid that she would wake up and run off, or worse, steal my weapons and use them to kill me. I also stayed up to make sure that she didn't die in the middle of the night. I just stared at her, waiting for her to stir or to say something.

She never woke up. Given, her heart was beating and she was breathing, but she never opened her eyes. She just laid lifeless on the small mattress, breathing and beating...

I kept waiting, knowing somewhere inside that she would wake any moment. And, once she did (as long as she was sane enough) I could question her more, get to know her.

I watched her become steadily healthier as she slept. Her skin was no longer that bright, burnt red, but a healthier (yet still burnt) light pink. Her face filled out slightly, looking less sleep deprived and malnourished as the night went on. I didn't let this fool me, however. She still needed medical attention, and not just from some traveler who happened to have some slight training on the subject.

The horizon started getting brighter, and I realized that time was running out. If sunrise came and she still hadn't woken up, I had two options; one, leave her here and go back to Megaton, sending help for her as soon as I got there or; two, find a way to take her with me.

Of course I knew that, to me, only one of those two options was possible for me.

When the sun rose, I strapped on my pack, holstering my 10mm on my hip and sliding on a near-broken pair of spiked knuckles. I then grabbed the still-unconscious girl and threw her over my shoulder so that her head was hanging upside down behind me, surprised and yet not at how light she was.

I was only a short distance away from Grayditch, which meant that I was getting closer to Megaton. If I trekked hard, even with the girl over my shoulder, I could make it before nightfall...as long as I didn't run into any raiders or other nuisances on the way.

I stuck to the road, my free hand on my hip, ready to shoot down any unlucky bastards that came along the way. I also kept my pace brisk, leaning slightly forward so that the girl's weight was pushing me forward faster. I took short, effective breaths, running like a marathon champion.

When I reached Grayditch, I took the opportunity to stop and stretch the muscles in my back and legs that had been extremely strained. I didn't stop for long, however, since the sun had reached its peak height.

I started running again, passing the Super-Duper Mart within the next half-hour. I didn't even bother stopping, since the place had been taken over by a couple of travelers and they would have most likely taken whatever I hadn't when I had looted the place for Moira.

I ran across a harmless Bloatfly and a couple of Mole Rats when I neared Megaton, but none of them posed much of a threat against my 10mm. I left the meat behind, leaving it for the next traveler to find on their way passed.

By the time the sun was setting, almost every single muscle in my body was screaming at me. My legs were cramped, my left arm locked because of how long I had been holding onto the girl's limp body. I felt like I would be a permanent hunch-back by the time I got to Megaton as well.

Finally, after what seemed an eternity, I saw the familiar metal walls of the small settlement town. I forced my legs to take longer strides, pushing myself faster. My haggard breathing quickened and shook as I pushed myself to my limits.

I slowed once I saw the sentry robot outside the main gate.

I made it. That was the only thought running through my head as I approached the gate. A giant roar broke through the Wasteland silence as the gates groaned and slid up, opening the way so that I could get into the town.

At the sound of the roar, the girl stirred.

I didn't halt. At this point, my mission was to get her to the local doctor before she fully awakened and tried to hurt someone.

I stumbled through the gate and looked upon a very familiar sight; one I had missed for almost three months.

The town was completely built around a large crater which, at the bottom, was home to a (now) dead nuclear bomb. Because the town was almost entirely built on the sides of the crater, some of the houses and buildings of the small town leaned toward the center of the crater slightly. Strong wooden beams held the buildings in place as best as they could.

I ignored the various settlers that had begun to know me as the Lone Wanderer, a name given to me by the ever-popular Three Dog over his radio broadcasts. Three Dog had recently become one of my biggest fans, so news of my actions around the D.C. Wastelands were often broadcasted over Galaxy News Radio, which had many followers of its own across the Wasteland. Why Three Dog continued to snoop around and find out what I had recently done was beyond my knowledge and, honestly, I didn't want to know how he found out what he did.

I walked straight down the path in front of me, a path that led straight down to the center of the crater. Once I reached the bottom, I opened the door of the only building on my right.

Doc Church was waiting at his desk, his usual spot.

"What the hell do you-oh!" He said, his tone annoyed and angry until he had looked up to see that I wasn't alone. "Who is this I see?"

At the sound of Doc's voice, the girl perked up her head and stared at the dark-skinned man. Her eyes went wide and I felt her arms wrap around my waist as she kicked her legs around in the air.

"Hey, calm down!" I yelled, leaning forward and pushing her weight over my shoulder so that her feet touched the ground. "He's a doctor!"

The girl was clumsy on her feet, and she wobbled around slightly as I helped her gain some balance.

"What's her name?" Doc asked. I merely shrugged.

"Hasn't told me."

At that, the girl looked up at me, grabbing my shoulder to steady herself. Her browns furrowed together as she studied my face.

"Hope."

She collapsed.

Doc managed to grab her before she hit the ground. He then gently picked her up and carried her toward the back room. "Managed to find a stray out there, did you?" He asked. "Pft! Mongrels, they are! Taking up beds that should be used for people I actually care about!"

I rolled my eyes, used to the behavior. "You'll be good to her, right Doc?"

"Of course I will! Long as you give me a good sum of caps for the ordeal, that is..."

I growled as I reached into my pack and pulled out a small pouch. "Is 300 good enough for you?"

Doc, after laying Hope down on a nearby stretcher, walked over and picked up the pouch. He then examined it, measuring its weight and bulk as best as he could with his eyes.

"I guess," He muttered, pocketing the pouch. "Now get out of here! I'll send her your way when she's in tip-top shape, alright?"

I nodded and left.

My house in Megaton was actually not far from Doc Church's place, so I reached it within the minute after closing the door behind me.

"Sir!" A deep, robotic voice said, almost as soon as I had opened the door. "I'm so glad to see that you're safe! I was beginning to worry! Three months and absolutely no contact? I'm sorry sir, but that is just poor ownership!" I blinked, and then he was there: my Mister Handy robot butler, which had come with the house when I had obtained ownership of it. His three arms coiled out and up from his round, floating body. Three sensors at the top of his "body" were pointed at me, the middle of them extended out to get a closer look.

"I'm sorry, Wadsworth. I would've contacted you if I'd had the chance, you know that."

"Well, frankly sir-" His oddly human-like voice was cut off by a stampede. Next thing I knew, a giant black and white dog jumped up at me so that its paws were on my shoulders.

"Hey, boy!" I said, being careful to move my face away from the dog as it licked my face. "How've you been?"

"Well, he's a mongrel, that I can tell you!" Wadsworth said as he turned away from me and started cleaning the room. "All he does is sit and whine, and eat when he gets hungry! Ate all of your meat within a week!" Wadsworth huffed as he went quiet.

"Thanks, Wadsworth, for taking care of Dogmeat while I was gone. If you don't mind, I'm going to head up to my room and get some much needed sleep."


She groaned as she opened her eyes. She was laying on an uncomfortable bed, staring up at a ceiling that looked like it had been built with halfway deteriorated metal.

She turned her head, realizing that someone was sitting beside her.

The man's face was dirtier than her "hero's," so covered that his skin looked the color of dark chocolate.

"You're awake," He said, leaning onto one arm as he looked at her. "How do you feel?"

She said nothing. She was too confused. Where was she? What was she doing here? Where was the hero, Mason? Why wasn't he here?

The man smiled and shook his head. She sat up as she realized that the man was staring at her with a strange sense of awe. Why was he staring at her like that?

"Bet you're wondering where you are, right?" She nodded. "Well, Hope, why don't you lay back down and I can explain."

She did as the dirty man said, even though she didn't let her eyes leave the man.

"Now, first of all, how old are you?"

She went to speak, but her throat burned from a lack of hydration. She coughed instead.

The man laughed, and handed her a strange bottle of clear water, which said "Aqua Pura" on the side of it. "Drink. I've managed to rehydrate you with some fluids I injected, but your throat wouldn't have seen the effects."

She took the water and drank the water eagerly. It felt great, soothing her long-dry throat.

By the time she had had her fill, the bottle had been drained.

Almost the moment the cap was back on the bottle, she smiled. "Seventeen."

The man smiled back, taking the empty container from her.

"Where is that man? The one who saved me?"

"First, let me explain. When he brought you to me, you were extremely dehydrated and malnourished, close to death. I was actually surprised that you were able to say your name when you were first dropped off. You've been under intensive watch since you were brought in three days ago."

"Three days?"

"Yes. You've been asleep the entire time."

"But, where is Mason?"

"Right now? Pft! Not sure. Probably at his house. He was here about an hour ago; stopped by to make sure that I hadn't thrown you out the door or anything."

"But, why would you throw me out?"

The man laughed. "I don't exactly like taking in strangers who are in such a need for treatment. I usually leave what supplies I have for the people I care about."

She frowned. "Then, why did you take care of me?"

"Not afraid to ask questions, are you?" He laughed, a sound that was throaty and deep. "Well, I couldn't bring myself to leave you to your death, not after cleaning you up and all..."

Her brows furrowed together. What was he talking about?

"Well, can I leave, then?"

The man sighed. "Of course. You're in much better shape than you were just a few days ago. You'll also be happy to see that your sunburn is completely gone, and that your skin is healthy and wasn't damaged because of the exposure."

She looked down at her arm. Sure enough, her pale-alabaster skin was no longer red and inflamed, although why this man was concerned about the condition of her skin was beyond her comprehension. Everyone she knew had skin like hers, so why would that matter?

She heard the man chuckle. "You're skin has obviously never seen sunlight before and, with it being so light, that severe of a sunburn could have permanently damaged your skin."

"Oh," She said, more confused than ever. What did he mean by "light?" Wasn't everyone's skin this color? Everyone she had seen out here had just looked really dirty, like this man here. Wasn't his skin the same as hers underneath the dirt?

"Listen, your friend will be wanting to see you," The man said as he stood up and held out his hand. "Let me lead you to his house, okay?"

She nodded, taking his hand with care, prepared to claw out his eyes if he tried to hurt her.

He led her out of the small room they were in, and then opened a door. Light poured through, blinding her so that she had to hold up her arm to protect her eyes.

"My name is Doc, by the way. Doc Church. Welcome to Megaton."


I'm leaving for a writer's conference, so I might not update for awhile. Hope you guys enjoyed :) If you want to read some more of my work, please look into my story called The Fourth Goddess. It's a Zelda fanfic that I've worked on since I was nine. Please review :D