As a friendly notice, my story photo is a representation of Juliet, not my Lone Wanderer

James was starting to miss having only two legs and less hair. Betty, or really Dr. Braun would send a snicker his way every once in a while, and not in his pretty little girl voice either.

Confined to the playground thanks to Braun, James wasted time by using his front paws to dig by the tree. Maybe the insanity of being a dog would make him think he could dig his way out of Tranquility Lane.

When he couldn't dig any further, James whined and sat down in front of his fail-hole. Moving his animal eyes over, James saw Betty send him another evil chuckle and then continued to water the flowers by the slide.

James responded with a low growl, wishing he could use his new ferocious teeth to rip Braun a new one.

"Hi, Doc."

James turned his head to see little Timmy Neusbaum, a nervous smile on his face. Why Braun picked on the boy, James didn't know. He wagged his tail forcefully as Timmy pat his head. "Want some lemonade, Doc? No one's bought any from my stand..." He placed the full pitcher of lemonade down in front of James.

For the sake of the boy James lowered his head to lap the drink. It didn't even have a taste. It wasn't good, it wasn't bad, it wasn't plain. It was... nothing. As if he'd drank air instead.

"Good boy, Doc!" Timmy said, patting James again. "Maybe the others will see you liking it, and they'll wanna get some too!" He theorized. He grabbed the pitcher and took off running back to his stand.

James barked once, wishing Timmy had stayed for just another moment. Though he was a boy, Timmy's eagerness reminded James of his daughter. God... he missed her so much. But he knew she was in the Vault, safe. She was an adult now. She didn't need her dad anymore. Big girls could take care of themselves.

Now he imagined how she reacted when she found out that he'd left the Vault. Was she mad? Glad? Sad? Oh, James hoped she wasn't sad. She didn't need him anymore.

Betty started to whistle, which annoyed James even more than the secret laughs. James started to walk back to his hole by the tree when he heard Timmy's dad George, speak from across the street.

"Hey there, sport! Beautiful day isn't it?" He chimed. "You should go talk to Betty," he suggested. "She's over at the playground! Have fun, sport!"

James paused. Why on Earth would George send his son over to Betty? Timmy was terrified of Betty.

Something was wrong.

James twitched his pointy ears to hear footsteps approaching closer. He turned around and saw a little girl in a dress running over. All of a sudden his small animal heart seemed to stop. Was this Braun playing tricks on him? This was impossible. Impossible in every way. Braun had to have done something.

Either way James' daughter was running towards him right now. It was really her. Sylvia! But how? Why was she a little girl here?

Braun must have done something. If this was some kind of joke, James would flip some shit. And he wasn't saying that in the literal sense or be the type to swear.

It was definitely Sylvia. Her blue eyes, her obnoxious curly blonde hair with single vague strands of black. James never could figure out where it came from. Sylvia entered the playground. James approached her but she ran right past him, oblivious to him maybe. "Wait!" He yelped, but it only came out as a bark... as usual.

Damn Braun.

As Sylvia approached Betty, James watched with caution. He sat down by his hole, ears fixated and eyes large. The animal sense of hearing was amazing to him, hearing even his daughter's quiet breathing from across the playground.

"Oh, someone new to play with!" Betty chimed with sarcasm. "What good luck I have lately! I was starting to get bored. We're gonna have so much fun!"

"Who are you?" Sylvia demanded. Her tone sounded like she had meant business.

"I'm Betty, I live here on Tranquility Lane," Betty introduced. "Want to play a game?" She asked.

"No," Sylvia said quickly.

Betty laughed. "You don't get to say no," she announced. "If I want to play a game, you'll play too. I want to." She explained.

Sylvia was quiet. "Fine." She said.

"I knew you would!" Betty cheered. "All you have to do is make Timmy Neusbaum cry." She instructed.

"Who?" Sylvia asked.

"He's the other kid who lives here besides you," Betty told her. "He's such a crybaby, you'll see."

"I don't live..." James could almost feel his daughter tense up now. Maybe dogs really could sense people's feelings. "Okay." She said, turning to leave.

"See ya!" Betty said, her watering can somehow returning to her hand.

Sylvia turned and looked around, spotting the boy seated at the lemonade stand. As she walked her way over, James approached her wagging his tail.

She stared at him.

James whined. Was she afraid of dogs? Had she seen one out in the Wastes yet? He didn't want to frighten her. Her being here was his only chance of escaping.

"Good doggie," Sylvia said, patting his head. James had managed to lick her hand before she stepped back. He'd wanted to at least touch her again in case it would be the last time. "Stay." She said, leaving the playground.

Unable to leave anyway, James could only whine. He sat down, watching her walk up to Timmy.

"Hi there," he greeted. Sylvia obviously hesitated. James knew she wasn't the violent type. Even growing up provoked by Butch DeLoria did she not once ever raise a hand at the boy.

"Have you seen my dad?" She asked.

James literally jumped up. She'd come here to find him! But... how did she know where he was? Did she find Madison? She made it all the way to Rivet City from the Vault? And then all the way here?

"Your dad?" Timmy repeated. "Nope, sorry. Is he lost?" He asked.

James noticed that Sylvia's hands were shaking. Oh no... he whined as Sylvia for the first time swing her hand up and hit the boy with all she had.

"Ow!" He cried, immediately having tears roll down his face. As he started to sob, he got up and fled from Sylvia.

"Oh, sweetie," James said sadly, translating into whines. "You didn't have to do that." More whines.

"Shut up, Doc." Braun said from afar.

James sent another growl just as Sylvia reentered the playground, strolling over to Betty.

"Wow, you sure showed him, huh?" She asked. "I suppose it wasn't the most..." James could feel Sylvia's confusion as Betty revealed her true voice. Braun's voice. "...most cerebral way to deal with that. But consider the game done. I'll give you a prize: you can ask one question, which I will answer the best I can." He offered.

Sylvia didn't waste time. "Where's my father?" She demanded.

"Your father?" Betty asked.

James wanted to bark, but he found himself suddenly mute. Damn Braun! "He's a scientist," Sylvia told him. "He's looking for Dr. Braun."

"Oh my, what a pleasant turn of events. I had no idea you two were related!" Braun said. "I've seen your father, but he's unavailable at the moment." He admitted.

"What do I have to do to see him?" Sylvia asked.

James growled angrily as Sylvia went into house after house, obviously ignoring Betty's orders. Break up the Rockwells' marriage... ha! James knew his daughter wasn't dumb.

Watching her run around the lane, James found himself remembering her tenth birthday party. She'd been so happy that day. Getting her Pip-Boy, praise from everyone, her cake destroyed by Andy, and getting picked on by Butch as per usual.

After Jonas took their picture with Sylvia's new BB gun, she'd been eager to say how much fun her party was. James was glad nothing really bothered her then.

Thoughts aside, when some Chinese soldiers suddenly appeared in the lane shouting out in their native language, James whined from fear when they started to exterminate everyone.

When he saw Sylvia emerge from the abandoned house with yet a grin on her face, James realized she was saving everyone here by having them shot.

When a soldier approached him, he whined, backing away. A door appeared near Betty, and Sylvia disappeared. James didn't want her to see him get shot, whether he was a mutt or not. Moments later he saw Sylvia reappear and was running towards the door, nearly dragging with her a very confused looking teenage girl and her mother. There was no way they were going to make it - if they were part of the original group who were in the Tranquility pods, there was no way... why was Sylvia still trying to save them?

Regardless, James ran away. He'd just managed to finally escape the playground premises when a sharp bullet pierced his side. Now he could feel this, unlike that lemonade. He didn't give up though, he wasn't going to die like this. He used all four legs to turn around and dash toward the doorway. As soon as he leaped through, everything went white.

When his eyes opened again he saw himself back in the Tranquility Lounger, hearing it pop open. Was he really free? As the capsule opened he actually groaned as he sat up in his chair. Now he felt old after walking around as a dog for what seemed like forever... Sylvia. She was here. James climbed out of the lounger and slowly walked over towards the only other lounger that had opened.

And there she was. Sylvia. Not a child anymore... an adult. James would never accept that she'd grown up. She'd always be his little girl, even if she didn't need him anymore...

Now wait. As happy as he was to see her here, was she feeling the same? She came all the way here to find him... what if she was angry at him for leaving her in the Vault?

Only one way to find out.

"You saved me," he said sincerely. "I thought I was trapped there forever..." He trailed. Sylvia didn't look happy yet.

Not good.

"It's so good to see you," he continued. "But... what are you doing here?" He asked her.

"I came to find you," Sylvia finally said.

James crossed his arms. "I'm glad you did. I wasn't expecting this when I found Braun..."

"Good thing I came and saved you." She still didn't sound pleased. Was that sarcasm he heard?

"Yes, thank you honey," he said. "I'm so glad you did." He found himself repeating. Maybe he really was getting old.

"Can we get out of here now?" James noticed that she seemed... different. Tougher. Stronger.

"Yes, absolutely!" He said. "We need to get to Rivet City and tell Madison I have it... after all these years, we can finally restart Project Purity." He explained.

Now Sylvia looked confused. "What am I supposed to do?" She asked.

"Yes... the fact that you got out of the Vault..." James pondered. "I don't even want to know how you did it..."

James now scolded her because he could. She needed it. She wasn't supposed to leave the Vault. She was supposed to stay and build a life for herself there underground.

Now he knew she was angry. "You left without telling me! What I was supposed to do?" She shrieked.

James reminded her that she should have stayed; promising to have had a good life, but now it was past that. There was no going back ever. So he decided that she should accompany him back to Rivet City.

"Fine," Sylvia scowled. "But, Dad?"

"Yes?" He said, noticing how her tone softened.

"Can we just talk for a minute?" She begged.

Wasn't that what they were doing now? James shrugged it off and said, "Of course, honey. What is it?"

He could see that she wanted to cry, but tried to prove she wouldn't by taking a deep breath. "How could you leave me like that?" She demanded, her tone rising again. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"I didn't want you to come out here... to the outside world," James told her in response. "I didn't tell you anything, because I didn't want you to follow me." He admitted.

"Why would you risk yourself like this?" She demanded next. "You want yourself a death wish?" Her tone was failing again.

"What?" James asked. "No, no, of course not!" He denied. "Just... this is important work... clean water could help restore the world. It's worth the risk to help, Sylvia." He explained.

"Help?" She repeated. "What about helping your own kid?" She reminded.

"I know that you're angry. You have a right to be." James assured.

"Damn right." Sylvia spat at him.

That took him off guard a little. "I just thought I did what was best for you."

"So abandoning me is what you thought was best?" Sylvia summed up.

"For twenty years I've done everything I could to give you the best life. In the Vault, not in the Wastes. I wouldn't say it as abandoning, just... moving on. Knowing you'd be safe." He tried to explain.

Sylvia examined her Pip-Boy, checking the time maybe. "Okay..." She finally said. "Can we just... go? Please?" She asked.

"Yes," James hesitated, but then half eagerly, half forced himself to wrap his arms around his daughter. "I'm sorry for all of this." He whispered.

"It's okay," she always was forgiving, despite the circumstance. James felt himself smile, just as he heard some of the other Loungers open. "Wait, Dad..." Sylvia stopped. "We…"

Charon was standing by a Lounger. Well, by standing by a Lounger he was actually hiding from it. "Charon, what are you doing?" Sylvia questioned.

"You befriended a ghoul?" James spat out of pure shock.

"And a dog but he's outside," Sylvia added. "Charon, what is it?"

The Lounger opened so Sylvia and James approached it. "Wait, is that…" Sylvia realized. "The name Charon saw from one of the computers…"

"Which name?" James asked.

Sylvia looked at Charon nervously but also in confusion. "Juliet-?"