James grunted as he on the line to start the industrial water purifier he had rigged for the community. There were six extra people living in Sanctuary and his supply of water bottles were not going to cut it.

He tugged the line again and the engine sputtered weakly. He cursed the time spent searching for it and looting parts from nearby garages and homes. He tugged it one more time and like a chainsaw it whirred to life. James began to hear the sound of water whoosh up the pipes and through the system. James turned a valve and had to wait a few seconds before a trickle of water gurgled into an empty bucket he placed there. He sighed. His work was complete. He picked up his toolbox and began to walk home.

"Hey, James." Sturges waved from a nearby house he was fixing up. James smiled and waved back. He walked onto the pavement and let the cool fall breeze pass him by. He sighed and felt content. Nowhere in the Capital Wasteland was it ever so peaceful. James began to walk again. He passed Marie drawing figures on the ground.

"Hey there, Squirt." James said as he passed.

"Hi, Uncle James!" Marie said without looking up from what she saw as a work of art. James plopped the toolbox by the workbench, which contained numerous gadgets and tools that he was working on with Sturges in their free time. James walked into his house and saw the red couch to his right. He fell into the couch and felt himself sink into the piece of furniture that he had made himself. Why do I have to make so many things? Can't I just buy them and have it shipped here instead? James wondered. He stared up at the ceiling.

James closed his eyes and listened to the calm sounds of the leaves blowing in the wind. Birds making noises and people chatting as they worked. It's All Over by the Ink Spots crooning on the radio. James began to drift off into a sleep. Then he heard it. The sound of laughter. Her laughter. James opened his eyes immediately. He sat up and looked out the window.

Preston and Katherine were chatting away like there was no tomorrow. They had really hit it off in the past two days. Two days after she and James saved Preston's group and invited them to Sanctuary and all he did was ask him to do stuff that he already knew. James plopped back onto the couch.

Why am I so jealous of this dude? James wondered. He's just talking to her. James placed his hands behind his head and closed his eyes once more. I'm just gonna take a nap and hope it's all over when I wake up.

"Am I interrupting?" Preston's baritone voice broke James's trance. Speak of the devil. James cursed.

"Yeah." James murmured, eyes still closed. "Sleeping."

"Then I'll make this quick." James grunted in acknowledgement. "You're a guy who knows things."

"Yeah, so?"

"Like I mean, how to fight and stuff." James opened his eyes and stared up at the ceiling. "How to lead."

"Where are you going with this?"

"Well, the Minutemen are citizen soldiers and people constantly are asking for help."

"You're asking me to go help out a settlement?"

"Yeah."

"Of strangers?"

"I guess."

"Like people I don't know."

"Sure."

"For free?"

"Well, yeah. Pretty much." James groaned and sat up.

"Alright, I'll do it. Needed to look for a circuit board for the last turret anyways."

"Thanks, man. You're a lifesaver." Preston commented and then promptly left. James stood up and stretched. He slumped over to the kitchen and opened the fridge. He pulled out a bottle of Nuka Cola and twisted off the cap. He began to take sips of it as he went through the house gathering his belongings.

He went into his room and opened a dresser he'd repaired. Inside was his Vault 101 jumpsuit and armor pieces that Moira from Craterside Supply fashioned. He smiled slightly at the memory of his first time leaving the vault and into the wasteland. I wonder if that's how Kat felt when she first saw the wasteland? James closed the drawer. In new land and territory, no one cares about Vault 101. James walked to a closet and dug out his reinforced armor from the Capital Wasteland. From what he observed wandering the area in the past two weeks, nobody had anything like it. He was going cherish it and show it off.

James threw off his white T-shirt to change and heard a slight yelp. He turned to the doorway and saw Katherine standing there. Her face was red and she was covering her eyes.

"Enjoy the view?" James smirked. "How long you been standing there?"

"Um… Just got here. Actually. Wanted to give you fresh mutfruit. Um. Here." Katherine said. She held out the bright orange fruit in one hand while the other covered her eyes. James took it and placed on his night stand.

"You could've just left it on the table." James commented. He threw on a grey t shirt and leather jacket.

"Oh yeah." Katherine said. She looked down. "I'll uh. Go now."

"Hey." James stopped her. She turned back. "Thanks." She nodded and shot out of the house. James began to put on the leather armor pieces. He walked out and grabbed his hunting rifle, he slung to his back and began to pack rounds into different magazines.

He finished packing his ammo bag in about an hour. It was close to six pm and the sun was starting to set. James yawned and turned on a lantern, the yellow orange glow lit up the living room. He hadn't connected the power to his house yet. He focused on Katherine and the other settlers having electricity before he bothered with his own house. Marie was still playing with Dogmeat outside.

James opened a can of Cram and plopped the meat onto an aluminum pan. He then plopped on top of the cooking stove in the kitchen. He walked out into the living and across the road through his window, he could see Katherine cooking dinner in her own kitchen. Marie was sitting on the floor ruffling through Dogmeat's fur while Codsworth watched over all of them. James smiled. He wanted to have a life like that. It'd be nice to settle down one day. James finished cooking the meat and began to cut it into cubes with a knife, the way he liked to eat it.

He began to snack on the meat and walked out into the living room. The view was the same only now Katherine sat alone at the island counter eating dinner and Preston sat next to her drinking what looked like a beer. James sighed. For whatever reason, that image saddened him. He shook the image out of his mind and checked his pip-boy clock. It was 7:30 pm. He plopped down onto the couch and decided to take a nap. He closed his eyes and the world went dark.

"Hey." A voice called out to James in the dark.

"What the hell?!" James asked, sitting up immediately hand on his pistol.

"You ready to go?" he recognized the voice.

"Kat?" he whispered. "What are you talking about?"

"I know that Preston asked you to go help out some settlement. I want to go with you."

"No." James responded, standing up and rubbing his eyes. It was so dark he could hardly see anything in the living room. The lantern must've gone out. "Uh, no. I need someone I trust to watch Marie."

"Codsworth can and I asked Marcy to check in."

"Marcy?" James asked incredulously. "Of all people, her?"

"She needs release, James. She lost a child."

"Yeah, but she's so mean!"

"Who cares if she's mean to you? She's not mean to Marie!" James paused and thought about it. He checked his Pip-Boy clock. It was 4:00 AM. Longer nap than he wanted.

"Fine. Let's go."

"Okay." James shook his head and turned on his Pip-Boy light. He spotted his hunting rifle and Charon's shotgun. He thought back to his old friend as he looked at it. "You got a weapon or do you need one?" James asked he turned back and saw Katherine standing clad in a red flannel shirt and jeans. Her hair tied in a bun. She was breathtaking. She had a laser musket slung behind her back and what looked like a 10mm pistol holstered in a leather holster she fashioned.

"Preston gave me more MC cells for the musket. I've got plenty."

"Cool. You need rounds for the 10mm?"

"Sure." James nodded, even thought it was too dark to see, he grabbed an ammo box and placed it on the table. Katherine opened it and began to fish through rounds that James collected while scavenging.

"How'd you manage to find all these from garages and dumps?"

"I'm good this. And I'm lucky."

"You sure are."

"I'll wait outside."

"Sure." James stumbled outside and looked up at the night stars. The only beautiful thing left in a terrible world, James thought. Except for the aliens. James shivered as he thought of his time aboard Mothership Zeta. He still hated to go up there every once in a while to check on the crew and hired scientists that were up there to study the ship in his place. He heard footsteps and turned.

"I'm ready to go now."

"Good, let's go."

James put down his Pip-Boy.

"Are we close?" Katherine asked.

"No. Bout halfway so we're making good time."

"Okay." The two continued to walk in silence, the darkness surrounding them only cut by two swaths of pale green light.

"So…" James began.

"What?"

"You and Preston?"

"Oh yeah, he's really cool."

"Sure."

"Anything else?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know…"

"What?"

"Like other stuff."

"What other stuff?" James stopped walking and turned back at Katherine.

"You know what I mean." Katherine frowned and cocked her head to a side.

"No. I don't." James sighed and turned around again.

"Whatever."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"James, I'm your friend. You can tell me anything." Why are you putting me in this postion?

"Sure."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Liar."

"Sure."

"Ugh!" Katherine groaned. James smirked. That's how many of their conversations went. They continued walking in silence for a few more minutes. The moonlight barely enough to highlight the horizons while their Pip-Boys shined the way.

"I never thanked you for saving me from that deathclaw." James commented.

"Hmm?"

"That deathclaw. I'm pretty sure I would've died if you didn't do whatever you did."

"I know."

"Sheesh." James rolled his eyes. "Well… Thanks anyways."

"I just followed my instincts."

"But you realize your instincts told you to run straight up to one of the most dangerous creatures in the wasteland right?"

"…Yes?"

"Oh my God, you didn't even twice about it?!"

"Well, I mean, you were in trouble."

"It's a deathclaw!"

"How was I supposed to know it'd be so dangerous?"

"It's almost twice my height when I'm wearing power armor! It totaled that suit of power armor like it was cheese!" Katherine laughed. James smiled and his heart skipped a beat. He loved to hear that sound.

"Well, the important part is that you're safe now."

"Sure."

"Okay then." They had another long pause as they walked. "I never thanked you for saving me from the Vault."

"Well you don't need to."

"But it's nice to, right?"

"No, like you don't need to thank me. I didn't even know you were in there. I just heard there was some good loot there is all."

"Oh."

"I mean, I just didn't go into the vault expecting to find a lot of people."

"Okay."

"Hey." James stopped and turned to face her. Katherine looked up at him. Their eyes connected. James blinked, his heart began to pound. "uh." He turned around again. They walked again like in silence some more.

"This is gonna be a long walk." Katherine whispered aloud.