It was only a matter of time, Daniel mused, before life would inevitably punch him in the mouth.

Here they were, back in Project Purity, like nothing had changed. As if he hadn't left. 20 years had passed, and Daniel put it behind him, accepting that some dreams aren't meant to be. He had been there for Madison when she'd had her heart broken, offering her whatever comfort he could. He'd gone right back to work, doing research on mutated creatures in the area.

His mind wandered to that Doctor he met by Greyditch, what a strange man. Remarkably intelligent though, unfortunately no amount of pleading would get the man to accompany him back to Rivet City. He kept going on about 'important research', whatever that meant.

Regardless, he had moved on. To other things, to better things. He had just been on the verge of a breakthrough when he'd gotten a message from Madison. Urgently requesting he head to the Jefferson Memorial of all places. He had headed back faster than he would admit, eager to see what Madison needed him so urgently for. Making his way there, he had been worried at first that something was wrong.

That worry turned to pure terror when he saw a plethora of Super Mutant corpses around the memorial. He made his way through the memorial, finding even more bodies along the way, some Mutant, others seemed to belong to Talon Company. 'Did the Lyon's Pride sweep through here?' Daniel couldn't help but wonder, though he dismissed those thoughts quickly enough. Lyon's pride never strayed this far from the Maul. Maybe Harkness had helped them out? Maybe Madison hired some high-class mercenaries? Daniel couldn't be sure who did all this, though he knew he didn't want to get on their bad side.

Daniel heard voices down the corridor, and he began trekking that way. Simultaneously excited and anxious over what could necessitate coming back here, what got Madison so excited, and what crackpot team of Mercs did she convince to clean out this death trap?

That's when he saw him again.

There with everybody crowded around him in the ruins of the Jefferson Memorial, hanging on his every word like he was Jesus incarnate. Madison taking a front row seat, her eyes lit up and her mouth giving that little quirk when she wanted to smile but thought she had to maintain a decorum of professionalism. His mind flashed back to that first night, him holding her in his arms as she bawled her eyes out, 'how could she forget all that?'

Soon after everyone had dispersed, with James handing out orders like Elder Lyons himself. Everyone moving around like Brahmin with a head cut off, so excited and bushy-tailed to get back to work now that the Messiah was here. Daniel didn't really understand the point in all the hustle. After all, what was the point considering he was probably going to just leave again?

It was then that Daniel noticed James talking to a some merc by the basement door, probably the leader of the outfit that cleaned out this place. She certainly seemed dangerous enough to do it, that was for certain. She was wearing some sort of combat armor, despite the grime and blood stains even he could tell it was high quality, in good condition too.

Her armaments were nothing to sniff out either, he could see a modified Chinese assault rifle on her back, as well as a modified combat shotgun. Strapped to her right thigh was a scoped .44 Magnum, and he could see another sidearm strapped to her left. That one he couldn't place however, he surmised it was some sort of energy weapon. Though it looked like it better belonged in a comic book instead of strapped to a walking armory.

His thoughts were interrupted when Madison spotted him and made her way over, practically skipping. Or at least as close as Madison allowed herself to get to skipping, which was essentially a strange combination of a brisk walk and a high step.

"Daniel, he's back! James is Back! We can finally start Project Purity back up again; we can give pure water to the wasteland!" Madison said, the enthusiasm clear in her tone.

"For an encore, is he going to turn all that water into wine?"

Madison took a moment from her jubilation to look at Daniel, her lips turning to a frown. She took a moment to glance back at James and the mercenary, she turned back with a steeled expression.

"I know James didn't leave on the best of terms- "

"The Best of Terms- "

"But he's here now, and that's what counts. I'll admit I may have gotten a bit excited, but that doesn't mean I've fully forgiven James for all that's transpired. However, if it means giving this wasteland a future, a real future. Then I'm willing to put the past where it belongs, if only for now. I'm sure being a fellow professional, you agree?" she questioned, though her tone conveyed it was more rhetorical than anything.

"...Fine. I'll work with him, for now." Daniel said.

"That's all I ask. Come on, I'll set you up with Alex and you can get start- "

"Daniel! It's good to see you, God how long has it been?" Madison and Daniel turned to find James and the Merc walking up to them.

"It's…been a while." Daniel said, and James waited patiently for him to continue, though he offered nothing else.

The Merc for her part seemed to find it all so amusing. She didn't say anything, but that mirth in her eyes did all the talking for her. Daniel couldn't help but be a bit miffed by that, what did she know about all this? She probably considered this just another job, couldn't even fathom just what it was they were trying to accomplish here.

"I was just about to take Daniel over to Alex, get them started on the filtration units" Madison offered to fill the silence.

"If you don't mind, I was hoping to put Anna with Alex. Have her mentor him as it were," James said. "I was hoping Daniel that you'd be able to work with me in the rotunda. I'll need your engineering if we're to get this up and running again."

'And who's fault was that?' Daniel couldn't help but think. Who the hell does he think he is? Bossing him around like this? Telling him where to go, what to do? This was Madison's Project as far as he was concerned. Sure, James had the idea, but she's the one who initially brought them all into the fold. She's the one who got the brotherhood to protect them. She's the one who stayed while James just fucking left. He was about to give him a piece of his mind when he could feel a grip on his wrist. He turned to see Madison give him a hard look. He took a deep breath and then spoke.

"I go where Madison tells me to go," he said. In the corner of his eye, he could see the merc roll her eyes and it took his all not to mouth off to her. "She wants me with Dargon, I work with Dargon. Sorry" though his tone lacked anything apologetic.

James frowned at this and turned toward Madison for support. However, she refused to look his way, suddenly finding the ceiling tiles more interesting. He turned back towards Daniel, his mouth setting into a thin line.

"I know I betrayed your trust Daniel, and I'm sorry for that. I am. However, we must put the past behind us if we're going to work together on this. Please, just think of all the good we ca- "

"How about you think of all the good we could've done! If you hadn't left, we could've purified this river years ago. Think about all the people who have died since then. Men, Women, Children. Slowly dying of dehydration, delirious and alone. All because you couldn't keep your dick in your pants!"

Daniel released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. The hustle and bustle of the lab had slowed to a crawl as everyone paused to see what all the commotion was about. Madison for her part had stilled, her eyes wide at his outburst. He looked back towards James, who looked as if he had been slapped. His mouth opening and closing, but unable to produce any sound.

The quiet was broken up by the sound of a slow clap. Daniel looked towards the source, that damned mercenary seemed to be having a real hoot. Her mouth pulled into a smirk, her eyes lighting up, and a small chuckle escaped her.

"Ho-ly shit, been a while since I've seen the old man be rendered speechless. Got to admit Danny boy, you've got some brass on you." Her voice was higher pitched then he was expecting, a melodic quality to it. Quite a dichotomy considering her ragged appearance.

"Honey, please not now." James said. His voice was quiet, his shoulders slumped. He looked almost lost.

'Wait, honey' Daniel reassessed the mercenary standing by James' side. How could he have not seen it sooner? Same facial structure, same nose, even the eyes on closer inspection were similar. Though something seemed off about her eyes, they were…colder perhaps, calculating even.

"So, it's not enough that you walk back in after 20 years like nothing's the matter, you had to bring you snot-nosed brat along too? What, is it take your daughter to work day?" Daniel said

"Daniel please…" Madison begged, pulling at his sleeve.

"I'm sorry Danny, it sounded like you were talking about me." The merce- James' daughter spoke up. Daniel scoffed.

"What? You think you get a free pass because you think your daddy runs the place? Well, I've got news for y-" He was interrupted by the brat.

"My father's not in charge" she said coolly. This caused Daniel to stumble over his chastisement, so he decided to take a different approach.

"W-Well it's good that someone recognizes Dr. Li as the-" He was interrupted again.

"Dr. Li's not in charge either"

Daniel paused for a moment, now he was confused. Was there someone else here that he hadn't met yet? An even bigger fish in the pond? Pinkerton? That old man was up to who knows' what in the Stern. Could it be the Brotherhood? Elder Lyons finally got off his ass and decided to help?

Was it that crackpot from Greyditch?

However, those thoughts left his mind when he studied the brat's body language. The confidant gaze, the smirk, the hands on her hips…'No way'.

"You? You? What gives you the right-"

"The right of conquest. The only right that this wasteland acknowledges. You know all those Super Mutants you passed on the way in? They're my deed to the place."

She began to slowly stalk around the room, her hand encircling her holster as she spoke again, this time to the room as a whole.

"Yeah, I'm James' kid. I'm the one who caused him to abandon you sorry sons of bitches in the first place. Though if it makes you feel better, he abandoned me to get all this started up again," She took a moment to glare at James, who seemed to shrink a bit under his daughter's cold gaze.

"I've fought through raiders, slavers, Super Mutants, feral ghouls, Behemonths, killer robots, and Giant fire-breathing ants to get here,"

"Fire-breathing Ants" Daniel couldn't help but mutter under his breath.

"I'm not saying this to brag or intimidate, that's what the guns are for. I'm saying this to let you know, whatever complaints you have. Whatever you gave up getting here, I don't care about any of it. I don't care about any of you. You're all only here because my dad says you're useful, so useful you will be. If you've got a problem with it, there's the door. Have fun making your way back to Rivet City, hope the Super Mutants don't cave in your skulls."

Daniel couldn't believe what he was hearing. Some stuck-up vault kid things she knows what it's like out here after just a few months? She could fight, Daniel would give her that, those mutants were proof enough. However, Daniel was born in these wastes, molded by them. He had seen his parents killed by raiders over a few caps, had seen people be crushed by Super Mutants, or torn apart by ghouls. Now he was supposed to just bow down to this kid? No way.

"Tough talk there brat, but you're just some punk from the vault-" Daniel paused his monologue when said brat pulled out the .44 and pointed it right at his face.

"It isn't just talk Danny, of that I can assure you." She boasted.

He looked into her eyes, and all that earlier mirth was gone. He had seen this look before, though only on the rare talon company mercs that make their way to the markets, or the even rarer sober raider that he encountered in the waste. The soulless gaze of a remorseless killer.

"Esther! What in God's name are you doing?" James shouted, the fear in his voice palpable.

Esther looks toward her father for a moment, and Daniel can tell there's some sort of communication there, something he's not privy too. She lowers the gun and, with a twirl, rebolsters it.

"Okay, you called my bluff," Esther says, as if she was playing poker, instead of threatening to murder somebody. She turned back to Daniel, her gaze hardening "Looks like Dad still needs you, so I guess you get to stick around. There's just one more think I want you to think about Danny boy"

"W-What's that" Daniel curses himself for stuttering, though he can't seem to quell the shaking of his hands either. Quicker than he'd like, Esther crosses the distance behind them, grabbing his head. He tries to pull away from her, but she holds firm. Her hands encircling him.

"Li and My Dad need that big, beautiful brain of yours, and they need those nimble fingers too it seems. But it seems like they don't need that smart mouth of yours. So, if I hear any more lips service from you, I'm going to cut your tongue out. Also, just to make sure you don't go nowhere, I'll break your goddamn legs with a claw hammer. Understood?" Esther says, her voice carrying that same melodic quality. It'd be almost calming if she wasn't threatening to brutalize him.

"Esther! Please." James begged. Daniel couldn't help but be unnerved by how little control it seemed James had over his own daughter. If not him, who was going to keep her in check? 'who was going to stop her from hurting me?' a small part of him thought.

"Are we understood?" Esther continues, pretending she hadn't heard her father. Daniel couldn't speak up fast enough.

"U-Understood. I'll get started right away!"

"Good. You go and do that" Esther gives him a gentle swaddle on the cheek and begins to walk in line with her father as they head back towards the entrance, their conversation was intensive and low, the only word he could make out was 'Gecko', or something similar.

Madison made her way back by his side, though she couldn't help but sneak a glance back toward the father-daughter duo.

"Are you alright, Daniel? Maybe you should sit down for a mo-"

"NO! Uh, I mean N-No. That's all right, Doctor Li. I-I think I'll head into the rotunda. Start working" Daniel said. He practically bolted towards the doors leading to the rotunda. The sooner he started, he figured, the sooner he could be done and get out of here.

Away from her.

A/N: I always found Daniel Agincourt a particularly frustrating interaction, especially in my evil playthroughs. Here I am, scourge of the wastes, and I'm just going to let some dude walk all over me like that? Man, screw that noise. So I wrote this little piece with what I thought a more amoral LW would do. Hope you guys like it! If not well, at least it' free, right? Ciao!