A/N: Where have I been? Finishing College, as well as rewriting this chapter almost 5 times. This is chapter has some of my favorite scenes that I have ever written, and does not have a story about James in it. So no flashbacks, but we do hear about his exploits despite the fact that there is no flashback. I am sorry for how late this is to everyone who has supported, and waited patiently for the new chapter of Megaton Stories. I feel like this chapter will in fact put a smile on many of your faces who have followed this story from the start. Remember to R&R, and as usual a large authors note will appear at the bottom.
Susie stood in shock and joy at the sight of James. She was so happy to see him alive, but also afraid as he seemed very on edge at the sight of the Brotherhood of steel. Susie watched as James lowered his weapon and glared in confusion at Sara. It was like he recognised the armour, but not the person inside of it.
"I see you're as pleasant as ever, Mr Cole. Or do you prefer the Lone Wanderer?" Sara asked, her arms still up in the air in surrender.
"Who the hell are you?" James asked, glaring at the woman.
"Sara Lyons? We have met on multiple occasions." Sara explained, a little insulted at the fact James did not remember her.
"Wait…Lyons…you're the asshole that leads the Lyons pride?" James asked a look of confusion on his face.
"Yes…Something wrong?" Sara asked, as confused as the man asking the question.
"No...I'm actually just surprised." James admitted.
"At what?" Sara asked, raising an eyebrow to James.
"I had no idea you were a woman." James confessed, smiling before chuckling softly in amusement at this fact.
"Well I am." Sara said, now offended at his comment.
"I can fucking see that! Now, get the fuck out of my house!" James barked, his tone returning to its previously aggressive state.
"We are not here for you, Wanderer." Sara explained, much to the confusion of James.
"Oh that's a surprise. I must have the wrong address then, because I was positive this was my house. However since you're not currently being attacked by my butler – PER HIS ORDERS- I guess this can't be my house." James spoke angrily and sarcastically, glaring at the brotherhood member.
"Sir, this is your home. You were not mistaken." Wadsworth intervened, his tone concerned.
"I KNOW WADSWORTH, I WAS BEING SARCASTIC!" James shouted, his anger causing Suzy to tremble in fear slightly.
"We are here for the other vault dwellers." Sara explained, now glaring at the man with the gun.
"What do you want them for?" James asked, raising an eyebrow to Sara and calming his tone.
"That's none of your business." Sara responded bluntly.
"I think it's very much my business, because I am sure you are just going to use them to get my dad's research." James said, his voice carrying a dark tone despite his calm voice.
"And? Do you really want to start a war with the Brotherhood just because you hate us?" Sara asked little fear in her eyes as she stared at him.
"A war? With me? I want you to think about something for a minute. See I know you keep files on everything of interest in the capital wasteland, so you know all I have done. Now let me ask you two questions:"
How many people have threatened to go to war with me?
How many of those people are still around?
The room grew deathly quiet when James finished asking his question. Susie wanted to know the answers, but at the same time feared what the answers would be. Susie wasn't sure she liked this image of James before her, and hoped to whatever god was out there listening that this was some sort of awful dream again. But it wasn't, it was reality.
"Going to war with me would be a big mistake. You understand me." James explained, glaring at the women before him.
"The wasteland is on the brink of all-out war, and you're just going sit back and watch it burn rather than help us?" Sara asked, taking a step away from the man before her.
"No. I am not just going to watch it burn. I might bring a couple of beers with me and have a nice cook out. Fuck this wasteland." James laughed, still showing contempt in his tone and eyes.
"The Brotherhood is not like any enemy you have ever faced before, Mr Cole." Sara argued, causing James's smile to drop to a frown.
"No… that's right, I haven't. Because you have to look like heroes in front of the people you pretend you protect. But here's the reality, Sara, I'm the lone wanderer, you're the brotherhood. I am the man who makes armies of fiends run away, and you're the shining hope of the Wasteland. But when it all comes down to it, I bet you have just as hard a time looking at yourself in the mirror as I do." James explained, a smile spreading around his face as he glared down at Sara.
"Commander!" came a voice from the door, as the two brotherhood members from outside had finally regained consciousness.
"Great, your cadets have woken up…I'm getting a drink." James said, as he passed Sara with Dogmeat following behind him.
Susie watched James as he moved into the kitchen, without another word spoken. She looked over at Wadsworth, who looked towards her. She wasn't sure why, but she knew he was ashamed of himself for disobeying his master. She was not the only one nervous around this aggressive James, and she could see that. To make matters even more unnerving for her, she now feared for what he would say to her once he found out she invited them over.
Pulling a beer out of the fridge, James walked over to a chair and sat down. He let out a groan of pleasurable discomfort, like a man who had not rested in two days who had finally gotten to sit down. Dogmeat lay down beside him, guarding him from any sudden attacks.
"Commander, is this him?" One of the men asked Sara.
"Yes that's him." Sara answered, looking wearily over at James.
"I thought he'd be taller." He said, his bewildered tone gaining a snigger from Butch.
James sat down at the table, placing his beer to his left and a pistol to his right. Pulling out a pair of glasses, he put them on as he inspected his pistol. Pulling a cigarette out of his pocket and placing it into his mouth before lighting it, he began to smoke it. Susie actually didn't know he wore glasses, and had to admit that he looked much smarter with them on. It was at this moment that a brotherhood member, the one that asked about James a moment ago, moved closer to James. Raising his head, Dogmeat growled at the incoming Brotherhood member. Tapping his head, James silenced the dog before raising his own head towards the approaching figure.
"Um…sir…." He began, as James looked up towards him exhaling a cloud of smoke from his mouth towards the brotherhood member.
"What do you want?" James asked, his tone expressing nothing but contempt.
"I'm…um….I was wondering….is it true….the story about the behemoth and you using only one grenade to kill it." The man asked, stammering nervously.
"Are you a fucking stalker? Or a fan?" James asked, annoyed more than flattered.
"What…no sir…" He corrected, more nervous now than he was before.
"Don't call me sir…I'm 21. I am probably younger than you." James interrupted, taking another deep drag of his cigarette.
"Um…right…well I guess you can call me a fan then." He said, as James turned back towards his pistol and continued checking it.
"Then I hope you enjoyed getting the shit kicked out of you by someone you're a fan of." James said in a deadpan tone, pulling the cigarette from his mouth and flicking the ash into the ashtray.
"I am just happy to be alive, I have heard some people don't get that after taking you on….so is it true?" The soldier asked, not really wanting to leave without some form of answer.
"Yes. It's fucking true. The bastard had me in his big fucking hand, squeezing the life out of me, and was going to eat me. So I threw a grenade into his big mouth, and watched his head blow up." James snapped, slamming the pistol on the table and turning to face the soldier.
"That's incredible." He said in amazement, as James put out his cigarette in the ashtray.
"Thanks. Now fuck off out of my house." James barked, causing the soldier to step back away from James.
"Miss Mack, do you accept our request for assistance?" Sara asked, hoping that seeing James like this would influence her answer.
"No she doesn't!" James barked, springing up from his chair and looking towards the two women.
"James, I can make my own decision." Susie interrupted not wanting to be controlled by someone else again, like she was in the vault.
"No you can't. Not this time!" James argued, looking towards Susie with a dark look in his eyes.
"Mr Cole, we are not talking to you." Sara stated, pushing Susie out of the way and getting into James face.
"Well I want you out of my town, and out of my life!" James growled looking directly into her eyes.
"Well, if Miss Mack accepts our offer, we will never bother you again." Sara stated her point clear and rational to almost everyone in the room.
"Or you can leave now." James stated, a smirk passing his face.
"Not until we get an answer from Miss Mack, or Butch." Sara responded, causing James to roll his eyes before a smile crossed his face.
"You know what? How's this? Your best fighter in a fist fights against me. One on One. You win; you can stick around town, and try and convince her into going with you. You lose, you get the fuck out of my town and you never ever try to trick someone into helping you with project purity again." James said, pulling the glasses off his face and looking smirking directly at Sara Lyons.
"What could that accomplish?" Sara asked, raising an eyebrow to James.
"For one, I won't have to kill you right here and now where you stand." James started.
"Second, you're not going to get a better deal than this." James concluded, smirking at the military leader.
"Fine…I agree." Sara begrudgingly agreed.
"Great." James smiled.
"FUCK YEAH! We're gonna see a fight!" Butch said, reminding everyone in the room of his presence at last.
"Shut the fuck up Butch." James barked, looking over his shoulder at the Tunnel Snake.
"I fail to see the logic in this deal, sir." Wadsworth said, stating his opinion on his master's idea.
"I don't pay you to see the logic in my brilliance." James responded, making himself out to be more of a genius than he knew he was.
"I was not aware I was getting paid for my services." Wadsworth said in a deadpan tone.
"You're not." James responded, rubbing his eyes as he talked to the butler.
"Well then sir, I would like to renegotiate my contract then." Wadsworth responded, causing James to look at him in annoyance.
"Stop being a smart ass, Wadsworth." James ordered.
"Why don't I meet you half way, sir? I will continue to use my intellect, and you may have permission to act as much of a derriere as you care to." Wadsworth stated, causing James to chuckle to himself.
After a few minutes, Sara turned to James with a look of determination on her face as she approached him. James looked towards her, away from his butler. Looking down at him, she took a deep breath, but before she could utter a word James interrupted her.
"Made your decision?" James asked, smiling at Sara.
"Yes. And I have decided that I will be your opponent." Sara responded, her face completely emotionless with determination.
The room went silent, as James looked over his opponent. A smile crossed his face, as lowered the pistol to the surface of the table. Standing up and stretching his body out, he looked towards the challenger before him.
"Come on then." James said, as he walked towards the front door.
"We aren't fighting here?" Sara asked, having assumed that they were going to fight inside his house.
"I don't want you to mess my place up." James answered, looking back towards the other occupants in his house.
"You do a bloody good job of doing that yourself, sir." Wadsworth said in a snide manner.
Accompanied by their associates the two combatants left the home of the lone wanderer, and walked towards the centre of town. James removed the armour that he wore on his chest, and stood before his opponent bare chested. Smiling at Sara, he was surprised she wasn't getting back into her power armour.
"Coming out of your shell to fight?" James said his tone more of condescension than anything else. A crowd was now gathering around them, as they stood opposite to each other.
"Continue to joke, Mr Cole. Remember, he who laughs last, laughs loudest." Sara responded, raising her fists towards James.
"Oh I plan to laugh my ass off when I knock you out." James reacted, smiling at her while mimicking her actions.
Rushing towards her, James swung his fist at her with great speed. However, Sara was unlike any raider he had ever beaten down before. She was skilled in hand to hand combat. Ducking his attack, she raised her elbow and rammed it in his jaw sending him back a few steps. Rushing towards him, she connected with a gut punch, before she felt his hand on her head gripping her hair. Swinging his head back, he rammed his skull forward into her face, sending her back in pain. Both of them were dazed by this attack, however, James was the one snapped out of it first. Running towards her James raised his leg; James rammed his boot heel into her stomach. Grunting, Sara had to fight through the pain if she had any hope of winning this fight. The one thing she had to make sure to avoid was his robotic arm. If she was to take one shot from that metallic fist, she would need more than a few seconds to recover. In fact, were she to take a hard enough hit, it would be fatal. James roared as he drove his fist towards Sara, with the intent of finishing the fight now. Cramming the arm between her own and armpit, Sara jabbed James in the jaw hard before delivering three consecutive kicks to his abdomen. Then spinning him around, pushed him away and onto the countertop of the Brass Lantern. Bowels and bottles scattered and shattered to the ground, as James hit the counter. He groaned in pain, as he slowly pushed himself up from the counter. This wasn't going to be an easy fight to win, but he loved a challenge. Before he could even turn around, he felt fist after fist being delivered to his kidneys. Swinging around fast, he just missed her with his forearm as she ducked. Using the countertop as leverage James raised his feet fast, slamming his toe into Sara's jaw sending her falling backwards to the ground. James took the moment he could spare to draw breath, as Sara got up slowly to her feet. The crowd cheered for both fighters, some wanting to see the Lone Wanderer get the crap kicked out of him. Others wanting to see James win for whatever reasons were their own. One thing was clear however, James had drawn first blood. This time, James was the slower to react, as Sara used the momentum she received from pushing against the ground into a run to her advantage. Raising her leg as she charged, with the intent of knocking the wind out of him, she was surprised when the man she was sure was exhausted grabbed the leg. It still hurt, unless the expression on his face was wrong, but he now held the advantage. Squeezing it tight in his mechanical hand, raised his free arm and slammed it down on her leg. It didn't break it, but he knew he bruised it just enough to make it hurt. Pushing her away from him, he got back into his stance. Rushing towards her again, she grabbed his punch and flipped him to the ground into an arm bar. He screamed, as she held the hold tight.
"Give up, James! Even if you win, they'll just send someone else after you." Sara stated the belief of her victory certain in her mind.
Hearing these words, James swung his mechanical arm towards her leg that was currently wrapped around his only flesh arm and gripped it tightly. The mechanical vice gripped her leg so tight that her grip loosened on his arm, allowing him to free it almost instantly. James saw the opportunity to pin her down, and took it. Climbing on top of her and pinning her shoulders down, James gripped her throat and glared into her eyes.
"If there was someone else they could send, then they wouldn't have sent you." James stated, as he looked down at her.
Sara knew she only had one move to incapacitate him, and get out of this hold. Using all her now fading strength, Sara drove her knee into his groin.
"FUCK!" James groaned, as he griped his testicles and fell over and cupped his groin. This was the perfect opportunity for Sara to collect herself, and regain the advantage. Scuttling back away from James, she got to her feet just in time to see him stagger to his.
Rushing over to him, she punched him hard across the face, sending him back. He was now in a daze. That last punch had done more damage than she had expected it to, and from the looks of it, had broken his nose. Sara punched him in the nose once again, causing even more pain to flow through his body. Sara was ready to throw a hard right hook, when he caught it in his mechanical hand and gripped it tight. Sara could feel the bones in her hand being crushed in his mechanical grip, before he pulled her forward and into his knee. He let go of her hand and took hold of her hair, smashing his forearm into her jaw, as she dug her fist into his stomach. He let go of her hair and both of them pushed the other back. Sweat pumping from their bodies, as they stared at each other in exhaustion. A gunshot fired into the air, stopping the fight from going any further.
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Lucas Simms barked, holding his machine gun out. The disappointment of the crowd echoed in the streets, before he fired another shot to shut them all up.
"Shut the hell up." He shouted as the crowd began to disperse.
James marched his way through the crowd, stopping only to glare at Simms. A winner had not been decided.
"That was fucking intense!" Butch said, feeling pumped after watching that fight.
"Wadsworth?" Susie asked, looking towards the robot butler.
"Yes, Miss Susie?" Wadsworth asked, turning to Susie in the now shrinking crowd.
"Why did you think that this is a bad idea?" Susie asked, looking towards the two wounded and exhausted fighters. James was talking to Billy Creel and Lucy West, who both seemed happy to see him.
"As soon as the master stepped into this house, I scanned his body to see if he needed medical treatment. My results were that he has not slept in some time, and currently has two cracked ribs and three new stab wounds. My conclusion was that he was unfit to participate in this fight." Wadsworth explained, as James approached the three.
"James, Are you-"
"Who the fuck, do you think you are?!" James barked at Susie, interrupting her mid-sentence.
"What do mean?" Susie asked, now sounding more frightened than she had before.
"You're asking around town about me, and then decide to invite brotherhood into my house. MY fucking house!" James barked, glaring at Susie and Butch now.
"I'm…I'm sorry." Susie stammered, taking a step back from James.
"Oh you're sorry? I guess that makes everything all better doesn't it?" James said in condescension, still clearly angry at them both.
"James, you don't have to be such an asshole." Butch stated, before James turned to him.
"Butch, I will break your fucking arm off, you don't shut up." James threatened, his tone becoming more and more like an animals.
"To make matters worse, I bet you were considering going with those assholes. You were, weren't you? Let me guess. They offered you safety or some shit like that. Well, here's my last little bit of advice for you two. You join those assholes; I never want to see your faces again. Now why don't you get into practice at leaving, and get out of my fucking face." James said, hate and rage in his voice. Susie could feel her eyes well up with tears, as he spoke words that felt like a twisting knife in her stomach.
"I'm sorry" Susie said, tears rolling down her face as she looked at the angry man before her.
"Oh god damn it, if you're going to cry, I am going home! Wadsworth! Let's go!" James barked, turning away from them and walking home.
"Um…yes sir." Wadsworth hesitated, as he followed his master back to the house.
Later, after the crowd had dissolved, the sun had set, and the tears had stopped, Susie found herself sitting between the railings of the same balcony she stood her first night in Megaton. The night was cold, but clear. Houses grew dim, with the sound of people falling gently to sleep. While the bar behind her, grew more and more rowdy with each and every new patron. But here Susie was, sitting outside, with a single beer dangling between her finger tips over a long drop. She felt horrible. Her eyes were still puffy from all the crying she had done, after James had spoken to her so harshly. She felt like she had betrayed James, but also felt like she wanted to punch him in his face for how he spoke to her. It wasn't like she knew he hated the Brotherhood so much. She had seen a side to him today she never wanted to see again. What did she even see in him? Did she expect him to be some kind of white knight to whisk her away to a happily ever after? Was she that naïve? Maybe she was, but she still wasn't going to take being talked to in such a way. That spineless girl was left in the Vault with her father, and this was a new start for her. She was going to stand up to that asshole and tell him where to shove his advice. It was at this moment; Susie heard the sound of approaching footsteps behind her and turned around. James stood there, his nose bandaged, his eye bruised, and a look of pure guilt on his face.
"Hey…" He said apologetically, Susie turning away from him.
"I deserve the silent treatment…I know." He said, sitting down next to her. He was now wearing a black t-shirt that hugged his body, and a pair of jeans that he must have bought new or seldom wore.
"Look…I know I can't expect you to forgive me for the way I talked to you and Butch back there, but I want you to know I am sorry." James apologised, Susie turning her head away from him. Not even looking at him as he spoke.
"I understand if you hate me. I completely overreacted to you, but you have to know that they just want to use you for to unlock the research notes my father left." James continued, looking out into the night sky.
Her silence was perhaps more hard for him than any amount of hate filled responses she could give. He understood how she must have felt, though. If someone had spoken to him, like he had to her, they would either be dead or in a whole lot of pain right now, but he had to make sure she was okay. He didn't know why, but he was more concerned for her safety than he was for Butchs. Besides, Butch was a big boy, he could handle himself. Susie felt herself getting more and angrier as James went on. Did he think that this half-hearted apology was good enough for how he spoke to her?
"Susie, please say something. I am really sorry." He said, looking back towards her.
"Oh you're sorry? I guess that makes everything better than, doesn't it?" Susie said, paraphrasing what James had said to her earlier.
"I deserve that. Hell, I deserve worse. It's my fault your out here. It's my fault you're in this mess. And it's my fault your feeling as shitty as you do right now." James lamented, looking down at the bomb below. Susie was having none of his self-pity shit.
"Why are you apologising?" Susie asked, glaring over at him.
"You know, Wadsworth doesn't like just anybody right?" James started, looking out into nothing again. Susie just looked at him disbelief.
"I am not just saying this; he actually doesn't like many of the people I bring into my house." He continued, as looking back towards her.
"Shocker." Susie responded, taking a swig from her beer.
"Yeah, I know. But here's the thing, after the fight I went home to get some sleep, and he woke me up two hours later. He said someone was outside, and needed to talk to me." James explained, smiling to himself.
"Is this where I ask who was it?" Susie asked sarcastically.
"Actually, it was nobody. The second I left the house, Wadsworth slammed and locked the door behind me." James said, rubbing his head as Susie smirked a disobedient smirk at him.
"He said something like "Do not come back until you have apologised to that wonderful young lady", or something like that." James said, as he sighed to himself in defeat.
"So you're only apologising because you were told to, not because you want to?" Susie asked, feeling ready to punch him in his face.
"Do the two have to be mutually exclusive?" James asked, smiling at her.
"You're a fucking asshole, do you know that?" Susie said, pushing him away from her but to no avail.
"That's what people keep telling me. I think I need to get it printed on business cards, or something." James said, smiling to himself.
"What?" Susie asked, looking towards him.
"You know, give people a business card when I meet them. Maybe have something like 'James Cole Jr. The Professional Asshole' written on it." James explained, giving a sad smile towards her as he spoke.
"You can be so full of shit sometimes." Susie said, rolling her eyes at his comment.
Both of them remained silent for a moment, as the realisation of what was just said came over them.
"Oh my God. Did I just say that?" Susie asked in disbelief, putting her hand over her mouth and her eyes springing wide at the realisation.
"Yes you did." James said, as both of them began to laugh.
The laughter didn't last long, but it did grant them both a feeling of comfort as the two stared out into the night together in silence.
"I am sorry." He said a serious tone now in his voice.
"I know. You've said it a lot." Susie said, a smile creeping onto her face. Susie took another swig from her beer bottle, looking over at James.
"Do want some?" She offered, passing the half drank bottle of beer to him.
"Thanks." James said, accepting the beer and taking a small sip of it before handing it back.
"Look, if there's anything I can do to make up for the way I acted, just say." James stated, looking at her.
It was at this moment, that Susie remembered Gobs story which informed her of the fact that James could sing and play a song on the guitar. Smiling to herself, she knew exactly what she wanted him to do for her.
"Anything?" She asked, leaning closer to him, causing him to move away a little.
"Um…sure..." James said, raising an eyebrow to Susie.
"Well, Gob told me about this time when you sang a song for the bar." Susie started looking towards James.
"Oh Jesus Christ…" James said, looking up to the sky and chuckling to himself.
"You know what I am going to ask, don't you." Susie said, smiling at him.
"You want to hear me sing the song?" James responded, rubbing his temple as a big smile crossed his face.
"Bingo." Susie responded, as James pulled the beer from her hand and drank the rest of it all in one gulp.
"HEY!" She shouted, as she watched him drink the entire bottle.
"Let's go." James said, as he got to his feet.
Following James back to his house, Susie was excited to hear him sing. It wasn't like she had fully forgiven him yet, but if it meant she could hear him sing it was worth it. Knocking on the door, James waited for his butler to answer the door.
"Sir, I will not open the door until I can verify that you have apologised to Miss Susie." Wadsworth said from behind the door.
"What about that whole, unable to register my commands shit?" James asked, still ramming his fist against the door.
"Was a harmless joke, sir." Wadsworth explained, clearly lying.
"Whatever, Susie's here now. We have made up." James said through the door, still very annoyed.
"I would need confirmation." Wadsworth said behind that door.
"He's still a jerk Wadsworth, but he apologised." Susie said, smirking at James as the door was unlocked.
"Oh sir, it appears the door is locked. I have taken the liberty of unlocking it for you. You must be more careful." Wadsworth said, as he opened the door.
"I hate him sometimes." James grumbled as he entered into his home.
Stepping inside of the house, James walked over to a safe he had in the floor, hidden under a rug. Pulling out three large bottles of whiskey, and putting them on the table, he ordered Wadsworth to bring him two glasses. He then told Wadsworth once he got the glasses, to erase the data of the location of this safe from his memory core. Telling Susie to grab a seat, he walked up the stairs and minutes later came back down with an old guitar.
"Wow. Your actually going to do this, aren't you?" Susie said, smiling as James poured whiskey into both glasses.
"Is it too late to back out?" James asked, handing her one.
"Yup." She said with a grin, sipping on the whiskey she was given.
"Oh, is sir going to entertain us with a song?" Wadsworth asked, joy in his tone.
"Wadsworth, go into shut down mode." James responded, drinking down his whiskey and pouring himself another glass.
"Right away sir. Perhaps I will dream of cybernetic barnyard animals." Wadsworth said, as he floated to the ground before going completely limp.
"Whatever." James said, analysing his guitar.
Downing a glass of whiskey, James proceeded to check the strings on his guitar. Susie nursed her whiskey, enjoying the smell but not the taste. Then again, she was new to drinking alcohol. That being said, she could still feel the effects of the booze on her. Taking another sip, she smiled at the man before her. She was of course; still pretty upset with him, but at the same time was excited to be sitting before James about to hear him sing.
"So…why do we need the whiskey?" Susie asked, looking over the very strong alcohol in her hand.
"Because, I am not going to sing unless I have a drink first." James said, as he took another drink of from his glass.
"It's the good stuff too. So be careful not to drink it all in one go." James said, as Susie watched him tune his guitar.
"Ready?" James asked, taking a deep breath and looking at Susie.
"Yes, go." Susie said, smiling a little drunkenly at James.
He began strumming the guitar strings slowly, but gradually picked up the pace. The melody was soothing and calm, as James opened his mouth to sing.
There are loved ones in the glory
Whose dear forms you often miss.
When you close your earthly story,
Will you join them in their bliss?
Will the circle be unbroken
By and by, by and by?
Is a better home awaiting
In the sky, in the sky?
Susie was amazed at the sound of his voice. It was just like Gob described it in his story, a voice that didn't seem like it belonged to James and yet was his. She drank down her whiskey, and poured herself another glass, as she listened.
In the joyous days of childhood
Oft they told of wondrous love
Pointed to the dying Saviour;
Now they dwell with Him above.
Will the circle be unbroken
By and by, by and by?
Is a better home awaiting
In the sky, in the sky?
James felt oddly calm as he sang the song, a feeling he had not felt for some time now. It was as if singing this song for someone else granted him a bit of closure. Or the whiskey was taking affect and he was just drunk. Either way, he was enjoying himself.
You remember songs of heaven
Which you sang with childish voice.
Do you love the hymns they taught you,
Or are songs of earth your choice?
Will the circle be unbroken
By and by, by and by?
Is a better home awaiting
In the sky, in the sky?
Susie would never had believed that James was capable of this kind of performance, had she not seen it with her own eyes. James had clearly practiced this song a lot, and Susie felt a warmth flow over her as she listened to him play.
You can picture happy gath'rings
Round the fireside long ago,
And you think of tearful partings
When they left you here below.
Will the circle be unbroken
By and by, by and by?
Is a better home awaiting
In the sky, in the sky?
James smiled at Susie as he continued to play the song. He would admit he was a little embarrassed at singing, having never had much confidence in his own voice. No matter what other people told him, he never really felt like he was as good as some people wanted him to believe. He began to grow very sad in his tone, as he sang the last verse.
One by one their seats were emptied.
One by one they went away.
Now the family is parted.
Will it be complete one day?
Will the circle be unbroken
By and by, by and by?
Is a better home awaiting
In the sky, in the sky?
Susie sat in astonishment, as she looked at him feeling something she had never felt before. James took a deep sigh, and picked up his glass to finish off his drink. Susie blushed as she stared at him, unsure of what to do now. She decided to finish her drink off as well, as James put down his guitar.
"Thank you. You have been a wonderful audience." James said pouring himself a new drink. Turning his attention to Susie, when he realised she had got to her feet.
"James…" Susie started, feeling a surge of confidence rushing over her as she stood before him. She didn't know what it was, but something was telling her to act now and to hell with the consequences. Something that warned her that if she didn't act now, she would lose her shot with him.
"Yeah?" James asked smiling, before Susie took the glass from his hand and downed it.
"HEY!" James started before Susie pressed her lips against his.
For the second time, Susie had gotten the jump on him. Wrapping her arms around his neck, Susie straddled James. His beard pricked her face a little, and the crevices formed by the scars he had on his body were hard to miss, but she didn't care. She felt comfortable and sexy doing this. She was doing something she never thought she would have been able to do before, and feeling things she didn't know she could before tonight. Feelings she would be far too embarrassed to mention to anyone else, but herself. She and James were alone together, and she was ready to thank him for everything he had done for her. Letting her stay with him, apologising, and even introducing her to all the amazing people she had met over the last couple of days. Susie felt like she was in power, and yet vulnerable at the same time. Parting her lips from his, she rested her forehead onto his own and looked down towards him. Her red hair, which had always been tied back, was now loose and hanging by the side of her face. James looked up at her in silent awe, as he was at a loss for words. Susie knew that he had enjoyed this kiss, despite his lack of reactions. It was a feeling, she had.
"James…" she said in her best attempt at sounding sultry.
"I…I…"She stammered, as James continued to look up at her in a daze.
She ran her hands down his chest, across his toned chest and back up his broad shoulders. Both of them looking into the other's eyes. Two different shades of green looking back at each other. She began unbuttoning the top she had put on earlier that day. She was about to undo the third button, when two hands gripped her wrists to stop her.
"What are you doing?" Susie asked James, as he looked down towards his lap.
"You don't want this." James said, looking away from her.
"Yes. I do." Susie argued, not wanting to lose out on her opportunity.
"You're drunk." James stated, trying not to look up at Susie.
"So are you!" Susie responded.
"Not the point." James said, looking up at her.
"So what if I am? I want you, and I know you want me." She said an angry expression on her face.
"This would be a mistake." James argued, wishing his body hadn't betrayed him like it did.
"I don't care." Susie stated, tears flowing in her eyes clearly upset at the possibility of rejection.
"Okay…go upstairs and wait for me. I promise I will be up in a few minutes." James said, as Susie got up from his lap. She then ran up the stairs, into her room.
Susie waited in her room on the bed, nervous but ready. Even if she was drunk, she was positive she wanted this. She knew she wasn't his first, but damn it she was going to give it her awkward all. Her mind drifted away, with thoughts of the inappropriate events to come bouncing around her mind causing her to blush heavily. It was at this moment, that she noticed James in the doorway. Trying to look like one of the women from those old Holo-vids, and positioned herself in a more seductive way.
"Excuse me ma'am?" Wadsworth said from the doorway.
"Wadsworth!" Susie said, blushing in what she believed was the height of her embarrassment.
"Yes Miss Susie. I am so sorry to interrupt, but I am sorry to inform you the master has fallen asleep." Wadsworth explained melancholic in his tone.
"What?" Susie asked.
Susie drunkenly got off her bed and clumsily descended the stairs. It was true; laying in the same spot as he had been moments ago was James. His eyes closed, and his head hanging. Susie had to admit he looked kinda cute when he was sleeping, but she was still filled with disappointment at the fact he had done so. Walking over to him, she kissed him on the forehead and took the bottle of whiskey and what remained in it to her room. She had not said a single word, whether it was fear of waking James or just lack of words was unknown. As soon as the door to her room was closed, James opened her eyes. He didn't say a word for a moment, just to make sure she wasn't going to poke her head out.
"Thanks Wadsworth." James whispered, as he remained sitting for a moment. Running a hand over his temple where she had kissed him.
"You're welcome, sir. If I may, might I ask why you did not participate in coital relations with Miss Susie." Wadsworth asked, causing James to look at him with a form of bewilderment.
"First off, that's none of your business. Second, she's drunk. She doesn't really want me, she just thinks she does." James explained quietly, trying his hardest not alert Susie of his deception.
"I don't believe that to be true, sir. According to my scans, your heartbeat increased just as fast as hers did during that exchange of breath commonly referred to as kissing." Wadsworth explained, causing a hint of blush to return to James's face.
"Even if it isn't, I can't let her be with someone like me." James argued, trying to be as silent as he could be.
"Why is that sir?" Wadsworth asked, suppressing his volume level as best he could.
"Wadsworth, no matter how loyal you are to me, don't treat me like an idiot. I know what I am, and what I am is a killer." James explained, looking down into his hands at the invisible blood he knew was there.
"I think she deserves better." James said, raising his head towards his butler.
"I think she would disagree with you, sir." Wadsworth said, as James leaned back and looked to the ceiling.
"Well, she's stubborn that way I guess." James said, smiling to himself.
"Then that is a trait you too share in abundance." Wadsworth replied.
"Look, tomorrow I'm gonna act like I was too drunk to remember this happened tonight? It will save her some embarrassment." James explained, getting to his feet and silent stepping towards the stairs.
"Sir, I do not believe you are the monster you paint yourself to be at times." Wadsworth stated sadness in his tone for his master's despair.
"That makes one of us buddy." James said, smiling as he looked back towards Wadsworth.
A/N2: Well there you have a long chapter with a lot of things happening in it. So allow me to fill in a couple of holes.
1. I have said that James had no idea who Sara was because she never took off her power armour. He also never knew she was a woman.
2. James is so enraged, because as stated before he really hates the Brotherhood, granted not as much as the Enclave, but still pretty close. Basically anyone with Power Armour. Want to know why? Read the last chapter.
3. The "war with me" speech is a speech I have had in the works for a while. James's reputation for creating carnage and taking down entire groups of mercs is a well documented are a lot of groups out there, that James is not on good terms with. Even the ones he is on good terms with dont like him very much.
4. James's Glasses have been mentioned before in the story "Settlement of Ants", he doesnt really need them for anything but feels they make him look smarter.
5. James's fan's story is one of those moments James barely cheated death. In fact, as stated in Homeward Bound, James has a history of Fluke like luck where he either almost dies or is almost killed as a result of a fluke or mistake. In Game, James's luck would be a solid 5. While he has cheated death so many times, he has also lost his arm been shot, and tortured on his journey. Plus the grenade in the mouth of the behemoth felt right.
6. The reason Sara doesnt fight in her power armour is hinted at in the last chapter, when we hear about James fighting off members of the Lyons Pride bare handed. If you have played Fallout 4, you also know that movement in power armour is rather slow. So, rather than give james any more of an advantage than he already had (metal arm), she decided to fight him without it. Which brings me to my next point.
7. This is one of the most difficult fight scenes I have ever written, and yet I am very proud of it. I had to keep in mind that these were two very different fighters, facing off against each other. The two different fighters coming to blows was a lot of fun to write, but also very difficult. I had to keep asking myself, is this what James/Sara would do in a fight considering their background in combat. Which is much easier said than done. However, I felt I described them in a way that showed they were both evenly matched. Which brings me to my next point.
8. Wadsworths point about James's condition explains his mood, and some of his anger. However, this doesnt mean that he would have beaten Sara in their fight. A rule(in my books) of the wasteland is that on your worst day, if you pick a fight, you better be ready to win or lose. Would it have made a difference if he was 100%, probably. But if he decided to face off against a group of raiders on a day where he was sick as a dog, would the fact he was sick change the fact he was killed by raiders? James made proposed the fight, and knew there was a possibility he would win or lose. Like he does with every day he goes into the wasteland. He was ready to live with the consequences.
9. James's outburst is his reaction to not only finding out Susie invited the Brotherhood into his house, but was digging up his skeletons. His reaction is rather extreme yes, but keep in mind, while it makes for good story telling it is an invasion into his personal life. Plus having just gotten his nose broken and kicked in the nuts probably didnt help his mood.
10. Sara sitting in the same spot she stood her first night in megaton was something I always had planned. Mostly because I always liked the view from outside the bar. Its also in a way similar to that night, as Susie has been crying and someone comes up to try and comfort her (First chapter it was Nova, this chapter its James.)
11. The "Your full of shit" comment was actually a happy accident I came across when reading over it. And rather than change it, I decided to make it part of the conversation. Why did I do this? Well to be perfectly honest, I found the comment to be so funny (I know real mature) that I couldnt bare to get rid of it. Also, I wanted to write a reaction to both James and Susie realising what had just been said.
12. The Wadsworth locking James out scene was supposed to be included in this story, but I didnt like how it came out. It was sloppy, and rather annoying when I read over it. It would have required a half asleep James to recall word for word what was said to him. Which I just found unrealistic.
13. The Secret Stash is found, and why Wadsworth doesnt know where it is is explained. Yippie for secret booze.
14. The song he sings is "Will the Circle be Unbroken". While writing chapter 9 i researched songs from before the 1950s, most notably anything related to Christianity. When I found the lyrics to this song, I was so happy at the amount of connections I made from the lyrics to the story I am writing. Most of the lyrics can in fact reflect James's own experience with his loved ones (his father). The song itself perfectly captures the Lone Wanderers journey in Fallout 3 in my own opinion. But maybe I am looking too much into it.
15. The Kiss thats been coming for a long ass time. I hope it was well worth the wait.
16. Susie being drunk was literally the only way I saw to allow her to act on her desires this early in the stage (or this late in some cases). She is something of a Wallflower at this stage and lacks the confidence to act on her emotions.
17. James's view on himself is something negative as a result of all he has done. In fact, during the Kiss scene, James is torn between wanting to continue where this is heading and stopping Susie from making a mistake that he believes will ultimately hurt her or worse. James doesnt believe he deserves happiness. If you look back during the stories, you will find that James is good at antagonizing people, and fighting (or killing).
So thanks to everyone who read my story and showed interest, as always PM me with any questions you have about the story and remember to review so I know you enjoyed the story. Right now, I am modding my Fallout Games (One mod I intend to make is to bring James to the game as a playable race Robotic hand, scars and all, but lets see how that goes before I release any images). So busy time ahead of me. Yay. See you guys in the next chapter.