Epilogue: New Beginnings

Tears fell down Ariadne's cheeks as she stared down at the matching wooden crosses. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand when the tears blurred her vision.

A few days after they were paid by the mysterious woman, Ariadne had decided to find and bury her mother's body. Saoirse and Noelle had volunteered to help, but she'd refused. This was something she knew she needed to do alone. Fortunately, they hadn't come after her when she'd passed through the gates of Miami.

When she'd finally found her mother's body, it had been surrounded by bandits. When Ariadne had pretended her pockets were full of frag grenades ready to explode, the men had practically tripped over themselves to get away.

It'd taken some time, but Ariadne had shaped the crosses the way they were supposed to look. Or, so she thought.

She'd placed her father's cross beside her mother's and had even written their names on each. When Ari had first laid her mother to rest, she'd debated on whether to take her mother's dog tags. The weapons she knew she wanted, but the dog tags seemed more personal.

I can't take these; she'd thought as she held them in her hand. They belong to her.

But that's exactly why you should take them, a voice in her head added. So, you'll always have her.

In the end, she'd chosen to take the dog tags before burying the body. She grabbed the metal rectangles and brushed her thumb across the stenciled letters.

"I promise," she murmured as fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. "I won't let you down. Either of you."

As dark clouds appeared in the sky, Ariadne walked away. With her Shishkebab at the ready, she turned and walked away.

"Come on, McCoy, how about another round? For old times' sake?" asked Virgil as Milton downed another shot of bourbon. A half-finished bottle sat on the counter beside a shot glass.

After the caps they'd received last month, Milton had paid off his debt to the Vasquez Family. In fact, he'd had enough caps to move to Waterside if he wanted. But he'd grown up in a settlement like Stackton, and damned if he was going to abandon the place. Currently, he was drinking at the Shangri-La.

Milton snorted. "What old times? You mean when we were almost killed a month ago?"

Virgil rolled his eyes as he grabbed a nearby rag and glass. He began to clean the cup, before he put it on a tray behind the counter and grabbed another.

"Alright, alright, no need to get overdramatic on me," Virgil said with a huff. He put the glass beside the other one. "Oh hey, by the way, I almost forgot. I found this poster for a job; thought you might be interested." Virgil turned toward the back counter and handed Milton a crumpled yellow piece of paper.

Job Description: Gator Hunting. Only four or five hides are needed.

Requirements: Someone who's not afraid to get their hands dirty, with plenty of capital. Also, knows their way around a gun.

Reward: 950 caps when the job is done.

If you're interested, come to Tallassee. There's a little shack on the edge of town. Show them this flyer, and we'll get started.

Signed,

Jude McCoy

Milton's brows furrowed as he read the name. He recognized it from his childhood. Whenever his mother got drunk, which was often, she would talk about this no-good, low-life man she'd met named Jude McCoy. The same man whose name he shared.

This can't be a coincidence, he thought as he stroked his beard. But what is he doing in the Sunshine Wastes? Has he always been here?

Milton looked back up to see Virgil serve another customer. When he was done, Milton held up the paper.

"How'd you get this?" He asked.

The ghoul shrugged as he grabbed another cup.

"I have my sources," was all he said.

Milton looked to the paper again, before he stood up. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of caps.

"Keep the change," he said and walked away.

I have a lot of questions for you, Jude McCoy, he thought as he left the Shangri-La. And you're going to give me answers, one way or another.

"You guys get what you needed?" Zeke asked as Leon and Carlos joined him in front of Paulina's Provisions.

After almost being killed by the Big Three a month ago, Zeke had spent that time acquiring more caps and upgrading his weapons. All this was done in order to return to the Compound, learn what happened to Eleanor, and bring her back.

When he'd told Leon and Carlos his intentions, they'd been skeptical at first. But once he used his newfound fame to earn more caps, they'd hired as many able-bodied mercenaries as they could find.

"Yeah, we did," Carlos said.

Zeke nodded and made his way through the busy streets of Little Plaza. "Good. And what about the others?"

In total, they'd hired 100 mercenaries. Zeke had instructed the others except Carlos and Leon to wait outside the northern gate.

"All ready to go," Leon replied.

"Good," said Zeke as they approached the Stackton gate.

It's been years in the making, but I will have the Compound under my heel, he thought. And I will get Eleanor back.

"Well, I think that's everything," said James as he stood by the door.

After the events of last month, James became a sought-out assassin in Miami. This was good because it gave him work and plenty of reward, but bad because it meant he had to leave. Fame and notoriety meant Svetlana could find him and if she did, well, he chose not to think about that possibility.

I can't let her find me, he thought as he searched his room one final time to ensure he had everything he needed. I just can't.

When he was done, he left his room and went to check out.

A few days ago, he'd set off from Miami and stayed at the Gator Inn in Orlando. He didn't know exactly where he was going, but he knew he couldn't stay in the Sunshine Wastes. Not anymore.

He slid his sunglasses onto his head as he stepped out into the cloudy, yet humid, mid-morning. As he weaved his way through the busy Orlando streets, he scanned the edges of sidewalks and street corners. It was a habit he picked up when he'd first left the Capital Wasteland, back when he'd met Svetlana all those years ago.

As he passed through the gates of Orlando, he let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding. Traveling with the group had helped him relax somewhat, but now that he was on his own again, he knew he had to keep moving. He didn't really have a destination in mind, so long as he was able to make a living and not get caught.

Maybe I can catch a ride with a caravan, he thought as his sandals flip-flopped on the broken asphalt. That would provide good protection, and I might be able to get some better weapons in return.

He mulled over the potential pros and cons as he entered the forest.

Virgil watched his friend leave as he collected the caps on the counter.

Happy hunting, buddy, he thought as he pocketed them.

He remembered Milton mentioning his father once during their travels together. It had been brief, and met with anger and resentment, but Virgil could still picture the mix of emotions on his face. As soon as he'd seen the flyer on one of the bulletins, he'd purposefully had it removed. He pushed those thoughts aside as one of his teenage servers approached the counter.

"Hey, boss," said Jose. "Your new lady friend is waiting for you in the back room."

Oh, she's early, thought Virgil.

One of the perks from his adventures last month included the ability to bone more women, and the occasional man. His current fling was with a ghoulette by the name of Grace. Like Virgil, she was not a Miami local but had moved there sometime after the war.

Virgil then looked to Jose and nodded.

"Thanks," he said. "Would you mind taking over from here?"

The teen nodded as Virgil flipped open the counter door. As Virgil left, Jose entered.

"I'll be back in one hour, two tops," said the ghoul.

Jose nodded again. "If you're not back before closing, I'll handle it," he said as he grabbed a washcloth.

I've trained him so well, thought Virgil with a grin.

"Good man," he said as he clapped a hand on Jose's shoulder.

Turning around, he then went to find Grace.

Noelle smiled and waved at people as she walked the streets of Waterside. Ever since she and the group had returned last month, folks in Miami had begun to notice her. Before last month, she'd practically had to beg to work. Now, though, she'd had so many job requests over the past few weeks that she couldn't take on any new clients for at least the rest of the year.

Our luck sure turned around fast, she thought and not for the first time. But it's a good thing.

Another benefit of her newfound fame was that she'd been able to afford a small place within Waterside. Fortunately, her home was close enough to Saoirse's house and their favorite bar, the Muddy Gator. Currently, she was on her way to the Muddy Gator to meet with Saoirse.

Noelle slid her off her face as clouds darkened the sky above. At the end of the street she could see a sign with the outline of a gator labeled 'The Muddy Gator'.

I hope she hasn't been waiting for me, she thought.

Ever since they'd returned to Miami, Noelle had hung out more with Saoirse and Ariadne in between jobs. Whenever she met with Saoirse, the other teen was always at least a few minutes early.

Noelle smiled as she entered the Muddy Gator, which was as busy as usual during that time of day. Frankie Laine crooned from the Jukebox as waitresses and waiters flitted between customers. The scent of cooking meat made Noelle's stomach grumble as she scanned the crowd. Eventually, she caught sight of Saoirse waving at her from their usual table in the back.

"Hey, glad you could make it," said Saoirse as Noelle sat down.

"Thanks for inviting me," Noelle said. "I'm sorry if I kept you waiting."

Saoirse shook her head. "It's really not a big deal. My dad's taking a job in Tallassee, and since I'm at home by myself, I have a lot of free time."

Ever since they'd returned to Miami last month, her dad had insisted they could take jobs without one another. You're strong enough to start earning money by yourself, he'd told her. Saoirse pushed the thought aside as a blonde waitress approached their table.

"What would you like to drink?" She asked.

"I'll take a Nuka Cherry," Noelle answered.

The waitress nodded and looked to Saoirse.

"I'll take a Nuka Grape," Saoirse replied.

"Very good," said the waitress.

As she walked away, Noelle looked to Saoirse.

"So, how was that Gecko job you were talking about last week?" Noelle asked.

"It went about as well as I could have expected," Saoirse answered with a shrug. "I was able to trap the smaller ones and one almost cornered me. I was lucky Ari was there to help."

"Well, it sounds like it all worked out," Noelle said.

Saoirse nodded. "Yeah, it did."

Both teenagers turned to the same blonde waitress as she gave them their drinks.

"Thanks," both adolescents said with a nod.

"You're welcome," the waitress said with a smile. "Can I get you two ladies anything to eat?"

"I'll take a Gator burger with Potato Crisps on the side," Saoirse replied.

"And I'll have the Sunshine Rattler Stew," Noelle said.

The waitress nodded. "I'll be right back with your orders."

When the waitress left again, Saoirse turned to her friend.

"So, I have this idea I've been thinking about lately," Saoirse began as Noelle popped the top off her Nuka Cola and took a swig. "I talked with Ari about it, but I wanted to discuss it with you, too."

Liar, a voice in her head said. Saoirse most definitely had not spoken to Ari about it, but Ari was in Orlando burying her mother. That, and she figured of the two, Noelle would be the easiest to convince. If Noelle was on board, Ariadne would follow suit if only to show up Noelle.

Noelle raised a brow as Saoirse removed the top of her Nuka Cola and took a drink.

"Have I heard about this idea before?" Noelle asked.

"No, you haven't," Saoirse replied. "Since you, Ari, and I work so well together, I've been thinking we should start a business together."

Noelle raised a brow as she leaned back in her seat. "Isn't it usually not advisable to go into business with friends?"

"Hear me out," said Saoirse, and Noelle leaned forward in her chair. "You, Ari, and I have worked together before. We have enough money and experience that with the three of us, we could take a lot of jobs and make a lot more caps. What do you say?"

Noelle tapped her fingers on the mahogany table for a while as she stared at Saoirse. Saoirse kept her blue eyes firmly on her friend as she took another drink.

"How much would we charge for our services?" Noelle asked.

"Well, that would depend on what the job entailed," Saoirse replied. "It would obviously cost more if we have to travel a long way, or if we're sent to kill, say, a Gatorclaw."

Noelle nodded as she resumed tapping her fingers.

"So, is that a yes?" Saoirse asked as she held her friend's gaze.

Noelle sighed and rolled her eyes. "Yes."

A grin slowly appeared on Saoirse's face. "Perfect." She held up her bottle of Nuka Cola. "To our budding business."

"To our company," Noelle said as she clinked bottles with her friend. Both took a drink before Noelle added, "So, what's the name of our company?"

"I was thinking: the Miami Freelancers," Saoirse answered. "Has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

Travis aimed his rifle at the nearest Gatorclaw. He fired two shots, with both bullets hitting their marks. The creature cried out as two red circles blossomed from its leg and charged at him.

Travis quickly reloaded his weapon and aimed at the creature once more. As he pulled the trigger, he saw gunfire in the corner of his eye. He almost expected Saoirse to pop out of the clearing, until he saw Caleb instead.

You're strong enough to start earning money by yourself, he'd told her when he said he was taking this job without her. He'd been right, of course, as Saoirse had become quite successful on her own. Even though he missed having her help on jobs, he knew it had been the right decision.

Travis lowered his Overseer's Guardian as the Gatorclaw fell to the ground with a thud.

"Is that the last one?" asked Caleb as he scratched his head. "Or are there more?"

Travis shook his head as he holstered his rifle. "No, Hugo said there were only twelve."

"Alright, then," said Caleb as he placed his rifle back in its holster. "So, what proof do we need for that Hugo fella?"

"Said he wants the tails," Travis replied as he grabbed his Shishkebab.

Caleb grunted as they approached the newly fallen Gatorclaw.

"Is that normal?" The older man asked.

"Not usually," Travis said as he shook his head. "But if Hugo wants the tails, that means he plans on doing something with them."

Caleb moved the Gatorclaw onto its stomach and put a foot on its lower body.

"Do people like him do anything with the bodies?" He asked.

"Sometimes," Travis answered as he chopped off the tail. He grabbed it and picked it up. "One down, nineteen more to go."

Travis and Caleb spent the next few minutes making sure the Gatorclaws were dead, before removing their tails and stacking them in a pile near the barn behind the house. As the Gatorclaw tails were quite large, only two to three could be carried at a time.

"Last batch," said Caleb as he picked the last tail off the ground.

"Thanks again for your help," said Travis.

They turned away from the Gatorclaw corpses and began the trek to Hugo's small property.

"Not a problem," Caleb replied. "So, what are we doing for Saoirse's birthday?" He asked as he looked sideways at Travis.

Crap, I almost forgot, thought Travis as he walked up and over a small hill. Her birthday's next week.

"I'll be honest, with everything that's happened this past month, I almost forgot," Travis answered. "But I know she'll want to spend some time with Noelle and Ariadne."

Up ahead, Travis could see smoke rising from a small wooden cabin. A distance behind the cabin was a faded red barn. The remains of a white picket fence surrounded the property where a bald cypress stood in one corner, providing shade to a doghouse.

"Of course, she will," Caleb said. "But I had another idea I wanted your help with."

"What kind of idea?" asked Travis as he gently opened the gate with his boot.

"Well, I was thinking something along the lines of a surprise party," Caleb replied. "This will be her sweet sixteen, and I think it should be something special."

Travis nodded as they stepped through the gate.

"What did you have in mind?" He asked.

Greetings loyal readers! I wanted to start off by saying I didn't realize the epilogue and first chapter had similar headings until I'd already written the epilogue. Lol, go figure.

Now, onto the important stuff. I know most of the audience are probably asking the big question: When is the sequel coming? The answer to that is, it's not. Before you collect your torches and pitchforks, allow me to explain. Starting this upcoming semester, I will be going to school full time and working part time, in addition to other things. This means I won't have time to work on a sequel, which would require hours of planning, writing, rewriting, and editing on my end.

At this moment, I would like to acknowledge (again) all of those who made this story possible. First off, I want to thank Symmetrymaster, Colstrent, Malachi288, Ethereal City, and bagsey00 for allowing me use of their characters. You trusted me with your OCs and I'm so grateful we finally get to see this thing finished!

Another shoutout goes to my betas, my sister and The Solar Surfer. This story would be a lot messier without you guys, so thank you!

Lastly, I would like to thank my audience members. I know there was an awkward year long delay between updates, but I greatly appreciate you guys for sticking through until the end. You guys rock!

With that being said, I've enjoyed writing this story and I hope you guys have enjoyed writing it. If you feel so inclined, feel free to leave your thoughts in a review! Your constructive feedback is the best paycheck I have!