Sorry it took longer than normal to update. I was on vacation :) I thought i would write some but that just didn't happen.

Chapter Nine: Home Again

On her last day, outside her quarters, the guard handed Jolene her Pip-Boy. She was staring at it when the door burst open and her father and Jonas greeted her with enthusiastic hugs and kisses.

"We wanted to throw you a party but the Overseer wouldn't allow it, something about 'no celebrations for criminals'. Anyway everyone is happy to have you back sweet heart." Her father hugged her again. Noticing that his daughter wasn't in the moment he asked, "Honey are you alright."

"Oh sure dad, I'm just tired. I bet there are plenty of messages I need to catch up on. It's so weird, I haven't worn this thing in six months. I'm just gonna hit it and see you two in the morning, 'Kay?"

"That's fine dear." He squeezed her close once again before she walked off to her room. "You can sleep in tomorrow before you get back to work in the clinic." He called jokingly to her before she closed her door.

"Gee thanks dad." she said before the door closed.

Alone in her room she strapped on her Pip-Boy. It hummed to life making bips and boops as it downloaded all the new information it had missed while lying dormant. While everything downloaded she flipped through some screens and stopped at the map of Vault 101. From this map she could easily find anyone in the Vault wearing a Pip-Boy. There was her dad already back in his study, Amata and the Overseer in their quarters, Mrs. Horowitz in Hydroponics, no one in the Diner. She scrolled deeper, the Core was dark, blacked out. She wondered if she could see the supervisors during the day. She knew you couldn't see the guards, she assumed their trackers were never installed or turned on or off, or something. She moved to Butch's room. His mom was on the map but he was missing even though he was most likely in his quarters. She touched the screen thinking of him, three months. Her father would never allow her to date him. What had she been thinking?

Jonas stood outside her door. He placed his forehead against the cold surface, with his palms on either side. He could hear noises from her Pip-Boy. He imagined her lying on her bed. He wanted to go in and tell her how happy he was to have her back. How much he had worried about her every day, how much he ached to hold her in his arms. James was back in his study, it would be so easy to slip inside...

She was about to change modes when she noticed Jonas outside her door. What was he doing there? Maybe the reason she was so caught up with Butch was because he was her first. What if she slept with someone else, would she still feel the same for Butch? She got up off her bed. Did she dare open the door and let him in? Then what? Would she sleep with him? What if her feelings for Butch didn't change? Jonas wouldn't just go away when Butch got out. She sat back down. No, she wasn't ready to go there. A few seconds later she watched his blip leave the clinic and head to his place.

~~oOo~~

She went back to work in the clinic at full speed. She dived into all the reports catching up on personal medical records and jumped to assist every patient that walked through their doors.

Jonas was thrilled to have her back. "Be careful you don't burn yourself out."

"I'm just happy to be using my mind again. All those monotonous hours doing physical labor drags on the brain."

Jonas had noticed her svelteness when he hugged her two nights ago. She had toned up nicely. "Still, we missed you while you were gone but I don't expect you to catch up on all of it at once."

"I know. I just missed it and I'm excited to be back." She hadn't realized how much she enjoyed this work. Sure she still missed Butch and their time in the Core but this was different. This engaged her intellect, not her loins and her loins were on hold for now.

~~oOo~~

Burying herself in her work kept her mind off Butch; Butch and his strong hands and warm tongue, working hard in the Core and sleeping alone in his bed at night. Then she found she was drawn to her work and thinking about it more; 'How can we quiet little Sally's cough without steroids?' 'How did she get this cough and is it contagious?' 'What can we do to prevent an outbrake?' 'Is she allergic to something in the food?' 'What was going in the food?' The questions could go on, but when she was alone in her bed at night she still thought of him. He was in this vault too. Sleeping just like she was in a very similar bed, she missed him.