Returning Home
A/N: Quick rundown, good karma ending, all dlc's completed.
August 9th, 2283
It had been going on six years since he's last been home, since he's last seen her. Yet it feels like only yesterday to him. Only reason he's going back is because Susie Mack delivered a letter yesterday afternoon which was from Amata asking him to stop by when he could and she had signed it with the imprint of her lipstick at the bottom of it, the piece of paper itself smelled like flowers which is her favorite perfume to wear. Grabbing his white t-shirt from the drawer, Beau pulled it over himself, covering the tattoos on his torso. One of the tattoos was his mothers favorite passage from the Bible which was on the left side of his ribcage and the other two were his parents names across his heart. Aside from the tattoos on his torso, his left arm is like a documentation of his life through hieroglyphics starting from Vault 101 all the way up to where he is currently, with room to add more to his arm.
Pushing his long, fine, dark blonde hair his ears he grabbed the baseball hat he's had since he was kid and put it on. Due to all the times he waded through irradiated places, his hair was starting to recede but he didn't mind as getting older and changing is a part of life he'd probably end up donating it anyways when it starts to get bad. Rubbing his greenish-blue eyes, Beau grabbed his backpack which had a baseball bat and prybar attached on the left side and his hunting rifle on the right.
"Mr. Delpy might I offer you a cold bottle of water? it is awfully hot out there." Wadsworth asked.
Beau nodded as he continued getting ready "That'd be great Wadsworth thank you."
"Certainly sir here you are." Wadsworth inner compartment opened and he grabbed the bottle before holding it out and offering it to Beau who grabbed it and opened it up, taking a sip of it. He hadn't realized how thirsty he was because that one sip ended up becoming the entire bottle. It was such a sweet relief from the summer heat. Wiping his mouth, Wadsworth took the bottle from him and disposed of it. Heading over to his Nuka-Cola vending machine, he grabbed an ice cold cherry Nuka-Cola and put it in his pack.
Wiping the sweat on off his face with his shirt, Beau stretched his limbs before heading downstairs and out the door into the blistering heat. Tuning into GNR on his pip-boy he listened to Three Dog make the morning announcements which talked about how things seemed to be settling down in the wasteland despite a few hiccups here and there, things have gone quiet. He also talked about how the temperature would be a little over 100 degrees (39c) with clear skies and sunny weather for the next week.
Making his way through the front gate, Beau turned left and headed past Deputy Weld. In the past six years the wasteland had transformed from a grey baron landscape to a sea of green, a few trees had popped up here and there along with a handful of plants and bushes yet the majority of it was just fields of grass. Adjusting the tongue on his shoes, Beau bent down and as he did he heard a gun fire and a bullet whiz by his head, almost grazing his ear. Quickly ducking behind a huge boulder. He undid his hunting rifle from his pack and pulled the lever back, chambering a bullet.
He wasn't that far out from Megaton but enough to where whoever was in the snipers nest couldn't get a clear shot from their position and Deputy Weld's targeting parameters wouldn't register the shot unless it were to fly by him within a certain amount of feet. Waiting to hear for the sound of possible reloading, the silence was quickly evaporated by the sound of "Wild Thing" by The Troggs filled the dead air. Balancing the rifle on the top of the boulder, Beau looked down the scope and tried to figure out where the shot came from.
A cloud of dust obscured his view for a moment but he thought he could make out a figure. If he had Dogmeat still with him he could probably have him sneak around and attack whoever was shooting, unfortunately that wasn't possible as Dogmeat had died peacefully in his sleep back in the spring with no indications of illness or injury. As the dust cleared he saw who had fired the shot. It was a raider.
Aiming down the scope and lining up his shot, Beau took a deep breath in and held it before firing the rifle, following the bullet with the scope. It hit the raiders hand causing him to drop his gun and fall to the ground writhing in pain while clutching his hand. Exhaling, Beau quickly secured his rifle to his pack and slung it back over his shoulders as he pulled out the switchblade Butch had given him some years back and starting running towards the raider. It was strange, he wasn't that far from Vault 101 and part of Beau wondered if this is the reason for the letter to come back. He knew the vault was open during the daytime and sealed at night, but was the vault having a raider problem?
As he got within a few feet of the raider, the man scrambled to reach for his rifle but Beau stomped on his hand that was shot causing him to retract in pain. Hitting the button on the switchblade as the blade extended itself, Beau got down beside the raider who looked up at him with watery eyes.
"I could've killed you, but what's the point you don't learn anything. Are you causing problems for the people at Vault 101?" Beau asked the man.
The man tried to spit on him but ended up just spitting in the grass "FUCK YOU!" He shouted at him. They were at least the length of a football field away from the entrance to the cave to get into the vault.
"Wrong answer." Beau replied as he walked over to the other side of the man and grabbed his arm, holding it still before he drove his switchblade into the only good hand the man had left. The man cried out in pain again and Beau began twisting the switchblade around as the man cried out in agony.
"I can make this all go away if you promise not to mess with these folks." Beau said as he emptied out the ammunition from the mans rifle and took it for himself, leaving only one bullet for the man.
"OKAY, OKAY I"ll TELL THE OTHER'S BUT THEY WON'T LISTEN TO ME!" He was practically pleading and Beau knew that.
Beau opened his pack and pulled out the cherry cola and set it beside him as he also pulled out a roll of bandages and a bottle of alcohol. "Then make them listen." Beau replied.
Breaking the cap off the bottle of Nuka-Cola, Beau grabbed the back of the mans head and held him up letting him get a good sip of the soda before setting it beside him. Pulling the switchblade out of the mans hand who let out another howl of pain. He retracted the blade and put the switchblade back in his pocket. Opening the bottle of alcohol, he looked at the man who had tears running down his face.
Taking off his hat Beau held it in front of the man "Open your mouth and bite onto the brim, this alcohol is going to sting like a bitch but I need to clean your wounds otherwise you risk infection and possibly death."
The man did as he said and Beau place the brim in his mouth as the man bit down and Beau got to work cleaning the mans wounds. He had grown tired of killing as he had spilled enough blood to fill the ocean, at least he thought so anyways. He didn't like killing people but it was a necessary evil. Three Dog came back on the radio and began announcing a repeat of the latest news he had gotten before playing the next song which was "Desperation" by Steppenwolf. After wrapping the hand he had stabbed in bandages, Beau got to work on the other hand. Checking for an entry and exit point which he found.
"Bullet went clean right through your hand, I'll clean it up and use a Stimpak on you and that should just about keep your hand working. If not and your nerves are damaged I run a clinic in Megaton free of charge, just stop by and I'll see what I can do."
The man seemed to be a bit confused if anything "Why are you helping me?"
Beau chuckled "I'm tired of killing, instead of taking life I want to give life. Besides you need to tell the other's not to mess with these people."
"But you don't know me." The man retorted.
"My name is Beau Delpy, et toi?"
The man knew the last two words Beau said weren't English but the way it sounded he knew he was asking his name "John Tyler."
Beau smiled "Nice to meet you John, and now this is personal because we know each other now." Beau injected the stimpak into John's hand before wrapping it up and helping the man to his feet.
Beau handed John the bottle of Nuka-Cola and a sandwich from his pack as Beau put the rest of his supplies back in his backpack. John gave Beau his hat back. He could only see part of John's face through his helmet and goggles but the man had greying hair and a thin beard as his face was covered in dust so Beau figured the man had to be in his late 40's or somewhere around there.
Putting his hat back on, the two men bid farewell as they went their separate ways. Turning off the radio on his pip-boy, Beau continued heading up the trail towards the vault. Now drenched in sweat, he'd need a cold drink and a bath tonight.
Once he reached the cave entrance, he opened the rickety door and entered the dimly lit cool cave which was a reprieve from the heat. Shutting the door behind him, he passed by Susie, giving her wave as he made his way towards the officer waiting at the vault entrance with an assault rifle. Beau scratched his chin. It felt weird being back here, after Amata had told him to leave he doubted he'd ever be back here.
"Stop right there and state your business." The officer commanded.
He recognized that voice, he'd recognize it from anywhere "Officer Gomez!" Beau exclaimed. The officer looked at him with a quizzical look before his eyes lit up "Beau, Beau Delpy!" Officer Gomez smiled as the two men gave each other a hug. Herman was always good to him despite working security in the vault.
The two men pulled apart. "Let me look at you!" Herman said as he looked Beau up and down "You had a left a child and a man now stand in your place, look at you kid! What have you been eating out there, I wanna get big like you!" Officer Gomez let out a chuckle. Beau stood at 6'1 and weighed 217lbs, while he's not a complete meathead like some man working out everyday on psycho. He's filled out and has definition and a bit of muscle mass due to surviving out in the wasteland, yet he's still lean for the most part.
In a way it's touching and beautiful that despite the years that have gone by since they last saw each other, Officer Gomez still treats Beau as if he's a kid. "I started working out and running when I wasn't surviving for my life out there. Things have calmed down though which I'm glad. You haven't changed a bit Officer Gomez." Beau said as he looked up at Herman. Maybe he had a few more grey hairs than he remembered but all in all still the same.
"So what brings you back here?" Officer Gomez asked, crossing his arms.
Beau pulled the letter out from his back pocket "Amata wrote me a letter asking me to come back."
"Yea..yea I remember her mentioning something along those lines, I'll have to ask you to check your weapons at the door and after that I'll give you the tour and rundown of things." Herman said as Beau began taking of his backpack.
"Sure I'd like that."
Herman talked his ear off the whole way around the vault about his life and things that have changed and how things have settled down. Beau had dropped his things off in his old home and took a quick shower before he changed into a clean pair of clothes which consisted of a plain white t-shirt, jeans and his black shoes all while Herman took a break and read the newest edition of the Wasteland Survival Guide. As Beau exited his room, Herman looked up and closed the guide.
"Ready to go see the Overseer?" Herman asked as he let out a yawn.
Beau nodded "I am, lead the way Officer Gomez."
Officer Gomez climbed up to his feet as the two men exited Beau's quarters and headed down the fluorescent, cool hallway. He had forgotten how the temperature was always just slightly less than desirable as the metallic vault was always slightly cold in the hallways. Herman glanced at Beau's left arm and noticed all the tattoos.
"I don't remember you having those tattoos the last time I saw you."
Beau giggled "Last time you saw me was six years ago, Butch did all the tattoo work, aside from cutting hair he makes a good tattoo artist."
"Never would've thunk it. Hope he's doing good."
"Great actually." Beau interjected "Butch has a barber and tattoo shop in Rivet City, makes a good living there and I think he's getting married soon. Last letter he wrote me, he said he had found a girl."
Officer Gomez held up the Wasteland Survival Guide and glanced over it "I still can't believe you and Moira are still making these, I've kept up with them and it documented your travels and things you've done and how to do stuff, kid you've been all over the United States it's just incredible how you get around."
Smiling at the praise, Beau shrugged "I've got a motorcycle to get me around, favorite place was New Orleans, Louisiana. I helped secure trade routes there to here to Boston and back. New Orleans is where my family is from before they came up the coast thanks to a riverboat. Surprisingly the bombs didn't damage the city like it did here and much of the city is still intact including the French Quarter. I miss the food from down there though, and the drinks are one and done, you'll be out after 2 or 3 drinks if you can pack it in."
"Sounds like a hell of a place."
"Absolutely, the heat here is nothing like compared to down there." Beau said as they rounded the corner and up the stairs to the second level. Once they made it to the second level walkway, he saw a figure looking out from the Overseer's big office window. He hoped he looked okay and he wondered how she would look, would she be the same as he remembered or something completely different altogether. Only one way to find out.
Officer Gomez stopped in front of the door to the Overseer's office. "She doesn't like to be kept waiting, I trust you can find your way around the vault?"
Beau nodded "Sure can, thank you for escort and conversation Officer Gomez, it's good seeing you again."
"You too kid, take care of yourself." Officer Gomez patted him on the shoulder before walking away to return to his post.
Tucking his hair behind his ears, Beau sighed and pushed the button to open the door. He was surprisingly nervous to see his old friend again but he was also excited at the same time.
A/N: That was the first chapter, let me know what you guys think. Feedback is appreciated.