(I'm back! been a while since I've released a chapter. I'm sorry this is a short chapter, but I hope to keep making the chapters longer after this. I will be adding more. I have already got done reediting the first nine chapters and cant wait to get back in the swing of things. Its going to be slow and I don't have my source material anymore since it was all burned in a house fire last month in march. Family made it out but we lost two dogs. Enough blabbering and on to the story!)

Kali woke up laying on a sleeping bag in what looked like a parking garage. There were cars all around her. Kali quickly sat up and looked around for Danse. "Danse?" She whispered quietly not sure of what had happened since she fell asleep. Kali looked around and listened to the dead quietness. "Danse?" she whispered louder, but silence was her only response.

(Hello, your awake. Good)

Kali jumped at the sound of the voice and stood up as fast as she could. The voice was loud enough that whoever spoke had to be standing next to her. Kali looked for the source of the voice but only saw empty sleeping bags and… she noticed all the cars were in perfect condition. The parking garage looked as if it had just been built. Kali rubbed her eyes, maybe it was a trick of the light. She took a few steps towards a car with red paint then heard the voice again.

(Yes, follow my voice, come to me, I want to see you…Kaliene)

Kali recognized the voice. It was the same one she heard back when she had been stung by the Radscorpion but it was louder now.

Kali looked around as she followed the Voice. She walked between cars and down the ramp, but no one was in sight. She worried about Danse and where he might be.

(He's ok. Ill take you to him just come to me Kaliene)

Kali saw some cars parked in the lower parking spots that were odd and unfamiliar. She didn't recognize them. Maybe they were some new kind of smart cars. Kali made her way out of the parking garage and to a door with an exit sign lit up above it.

When Kali walked through she had to blink with the sun light being so bright. She looked around and saw she was by a large building with a neon Hospital sign glowing above it. Cars were driving up and down the streets and people were walking on the sidewalks. The women were wearing pastel colored dress suits and the men were all wearing dark business suits.

(Ignore them and come to me, you can feel me Kali, I know you can)

Kali looked down at the ground and closed her eyes. She was surprised that she could sense a strong presence in one direction and followed it. As she walked everyone ignored her. No one looked at her or spoke to her. Kali looked at all the buildings and saw people moving about inside of them living there day to day lives.

(This is how it was before the bombs fell, I was the CEO of a business that built apartments.)

Kali saw some kids laughing as they chased a can kicking it down the sidewalk. She smiled at a woman pushing a baby in a bright red carriage with a cooing baby in it.

(I was visiting when the bombs fell, the bomb shelters that I cut corners on worked good enough to keep some of us alive…)

Kali came to a set of what looked like apartments and felt the presence was in them.

(but it didn't keep the radiation out.)

Kali noticed the closer she got the more people looked at her and started to notice her. Kali stopped to look at a woman with beautiful black hair and sad sapphire blue eyes. The woman turned from Kali and walked away. Kali looked ahead and saw a man wearing a detailed dark blue suit was sitting on a park bench. He was motioning for kali to come.

(We all turned into ghouls, some lost there minds, others died. My mind was enhanced and I saw potential to survive and become strong.)

Kali walked over to him, he reached his hand out and looked up at Kali with a smile.

"My name is Andrew, glad to finally meet you. I felt your presence when you came to be one of us a while back." His Voice was smooth and had a pleasant almost British accent.

Kali shook his hand and looked at him with all kinds of questions burning through her mind. "Felt my presence?"

He nodded as he motioned for Kali to sit. "Yes, when you awoke as a ghoul I could feel you, I knew right away you were going to be a special ghoul and I wanted you in my collection right away."

Kali tilted her head and took a step back. "Collection?"

He laughed and nodded. "I collect other ghouls and keep them here with me to feed off their energy, and you Kali have some energy unlike any I have ever felt before. Your going to be a very strong and powerful ghoul, well at least you were."

Kali shook her head. She turned to run but saw she was facing Andrew again. "What! HOW?!" Kali cried out as she tried to run in another direction only to be blocked by Andrew.

"You're here with me now, No more Danse, No more anything, which is kind of sad really. You were going to be the one who got to choose the fate of the common wealth…No, I take it back, the whole world for that matter. I could see your future and," he laughed a wicked laugh "Your future was going to be very bright." He reached out and placed his hand on Kali's forehead. She felt suddenly drained and week.

Andrew smiled and pulled his hand back. "You were blessed twice, so very rare. Don't worry Kaliene ill let you live with a little energy, someone as rare as you must be treasured. Your energy tastes exquisite." Andrew closed his eyes and smiled.

Kali was panicking, not caring what Andrew had to say. She couldn't bare the thought of having Danse taken from her. "Please, just let me go" she begged as he stood there smiling at her.

"Let you go? Oh No, I don't think so. Your apart of my collection now…" Andrew blinked and his face changed to a confused look as he turned suddenly and looked at the empty space behind him. "No, it cant be…" Andrews voice sounded angry and terrified. The world Kali was in shifted for a brief moment. She saw Andrew for who he really was and screamed in pure terror.

He was a disfigured ghoul, but was glowing bright and had skin bulging out all over his body. His hair was wispy white and was only in a small patches on his head. His teeth were jagged and missing in some places and his bottom jaw was missing. She saw in that brief glimmer she was standing on a piece of wood in a pool of green glowing sludge. With a shiver she realized the people that were walking about was other ghouls and each one was just as terrifying as the last.

Kali blinked and she was back in the park. Andrew and the other people…no ghouls, were back to normal. Kali looked at Andrew with terror and saw he was glaring at something behind her. "She's MINE!" She heard him scream. Suddenly his head exploded and everything disappeared. She felt her head throb with pain like it was her head that had just exploded.

Kali was shaking when she looked around saw the other ghouls shrieking and falling to there knees. She watched as the glowing ghoul that had called its self Andrew slump to the ground in a heep, its head gone and glowing blood was oozing from it. Kali stared at it confused and scared.

"Kali?"

Kali turned to the familiar voice and looked at Hancock. He moved slow as he looked at her in the eyes and held his hand out to her.

Kali blinked and shook her head. "What just happened?"

Hancock smiled and relaxed at the sound of her voice. He spoke softly and quietly as he put his gun away. "You were lured here by a glowing ghoul. When we couldn't find you. I had a feeling you were lured to this place. Lets get you out of here and back to Danse, he's kind of going nuts knowing he cant get down here to help you."

Kali shook her head as she looked around. She looked down at the green glowing water and the destroyed buildings around her. She then saw Danse was standing at the edge waving at her to come to him. "Why cant he come down here?" Kali asked Hancock.

Hancock motioned at the ghouls around them. "These are feral ghouls, they would try to rip him to shreds, and this water is full of radiation. That's why you need to get moving and try not to touch any more of it, Or you'll end up like him." Hancock pointed at the headless glowing ghoul.

Hancock was right, Kali could feel herself become intoxicated by the overwhelming feeling of pure energy the water was giving off. She walked by a few feral ghouls and saw they paid no attention to her. "What's wrong with them?"

Hancock looked at one and shook his head. "They are gone, brains rotted beyond saving, some were turned into ferals by that glowing ghoul. They are alive, but the brain is mostly dead. They survive purely on instinct anymore… you better get going ill follow you out in a moment I just need to see something."

Kali walked slowly and carefully in the direction that led her to Danse.

((()))

Hancock watched Kali leave then he looked at a black haired feral ghoul and sighed. "Nicky, it's been awhile love, you should see our daughter, she's grown into quite the woman. I'm sorry I couldn't save you back then, but its time we both moved on and…" Hancock looked at the ghoul and shook his head with tears in his eyes. "I'm sorry love, I should have done this long ago to end both of our suffering." Hancock pointed his shotgun and pulled the trigger.

((()))

Kali jumped and looked back at Hancock and saw he was on his knees holding a ghoul. She could hear him as he cried out. Danse pulled Kali close and pulled her away as he picked her up. He carried her away and sat her down next to a car. "Kali… I…" Danse had tears in his eyes as he looked her over to see if she was hurt. "Don't ever disappear on me like that again!" He nearly yelled at her as he helped her stand up.

Kali nodded her head and looked down at her feet her legs were shaking. "I'm sorry Danse, I didn't even know I had wondered away from you…A voice was calling me and I thought something had happened to you when I couldn't find you." Kali was crying as she leaned onto Danse. Whatever Andrew did to her left her week and emotional.

Danse sighed and looked down at the top of her bald head. "I was laying right next to you..." They heard footsteps approach and they both saw it was Hancock with his hands on his gun looking around. "Not a good place to have a reunion, lets get back to the parking garage and you two can continue your chat there." Hancock had tear spots on his coat and his voice was cracking. "An I'm out of jet and I need a hit now more then ever!"

Danse helped steady Kali on her feet. She turned and tried to smile at Hancock. "Lead the way."

Kali fallowed Hancock with Danse following close behind her. Kali was amazed at all the destruction around her. She recognized buildings that were alive to her just hours ago. She looked at the spot where she had seen the kids and saw only rubble and blown up cars. Kali gasped when she saw a destroyed red baby carriage.

Kali followed Hancock closely as they quietly made it through an ally way and saw a woman standing in there way. She was mostly bald and had crude leather armor barely covering her body. She laughed and aimed a gun at Hancock.

"Well, if it isn't Mayor fucking Hancock!"

Kali heard more laughing as more leather clad people came out of the darkness and surrounded them. A man stood next to the woman and grabbed her ass as he kissed her before turning to face Hancock.

"Kill the two men and bring me the ghoul bitch…I've been needing a new toy to replace the last one we destroyed!" He laughed as Kali glared at him and took a few steps back bumping into Danse.