Chapter 2

Ginger swept a scrappy broom over the floor of the cabin for the second time. The amount of dust had been bad enough to warrant a double sweeping before she mopped. She'd already taken a rag… several rags… and wiped down everything above floor level. Under the dust she'd found lovely finished wooden walls and shelves.

As she'd worked it had gotten brighter in the cabin. Now that most of the dust was being swept outside the light could bounce off the honey colored wood, filling the space with a homey brightness.

Outside Lou was working just as hard to clean up the yard. He'd made piles of brush to be burned later and he'd raked up the decades of leaves that littered the ground. Now he was chopping stove length firewood. He'd taken his shirt off since the last time Ginger had looked out the window so she took a moment to drag her eyes over his lean muscled frame.

Dogmeat was all over the place.

The dog hadn't stopped moving since he'd gone out with Lou that morning. There were so many new smells and sounds that need inspecting. Ginger chuckled, he was going to sleep good tonight.

Lou glanced up and caught her watching him. The ghoul smiled at her. "When I get this done I'm going to take Dogmeat and do a sweep of the area."

"Do you want me to go with you?"

Lou shrugged. "If you want but I did a close one already and it doesn't look like anything sizable –human or otherwise- has been around here in years."

Ginger nodded with a smile still on her lips. Ever cautious she did have her pistols strapped to her hips and when she turned to go back into the camp Lou saw her beloved twin combat knives secured in an X pattern at the small of her back.

Ginger kept up her cleaning, eventually realizing that the sound of wood being chopped had stopped. If this place was as wonderful as it seemed she and Lou may very well settle down here. Make a home for the two of them. Raise crops and dogs.

A very small part of her almost dared imagine a child in their future but that was one fantasy that was destined to stay in her imagination. Thanks to the same experiment that made radiation a healing influence for her she was a sterile as Lucifer.

After a great deal of effort Ginger stood in the middle of the old camp, surveying her surroundings. The place was looking pretty good all things considered. She'd washed down everything, standing on a chair to get to the top of the walls. Now that the dirt and dust had been washed away and the windows had spent the day open to let the air move around the place was looking almost pre-war.

The sound of boots in the gravel outside and a low growl from Dogmeat had her flattened against the nearest wall almost instantly. Ginger plucked the 9mm pistol from her hip and moved stealthily towards the front door.

She peaked quickly around the doorframe before ducking back out of sight, Dogmeat was on the other side, crawling on his belly. There in the dooryard were three men in leather armor, all carrying rifles. Two were human and one was a ghoul.

"Fresh tracks in the dirt, woods been split and the windows are open." a rough voice was saying. It was the ghoul by the sound of him. "Spread out, someone has been here recently and it looks like they were planning on staying awhile."

Not wanting to be found with her back to a wall Ginger stood and stepped out onto the porch, pistol raised. "No need to spread out. We're right here." She told them in a clear voice, clicking her tongue. Dogmeat joined her, hackles up.

The men all had their guns up but the ghoul stepped forward slowly. "Easy now." He sounded like he was trying to sooth her and she almost laughed. He sounded like Lou did when he was trying to calm her down. "We don't mean ya' no harm, we just don't have many visitors here in the valley."

"Not looking to start any trouble myself," she told them although she didn't drop her aim just yet.

The ghoul gave his men a hand signal and they dropped their barrels towards the dirt. Ginger hesitated a moment and then she let her own aim drop slightly.

"Are you alone out here?" the ghouls asked, glancing around.

"No," she told him evenly, nodding towards Dogmeat.

"Ah, well welcome. Like I said we don't get many outsiders."

"Is this your cabin?" she asked, starting to relax. Her instincts told her there men weren't out to slit her throat or steal her blind.

"No, it's unoccupied." he told her. "Although I like to keep an eye on all the places in the valley. We have a small village on the far side of the lake. You'd be welcome if you wanted to stop in."

Behind the men Lou immerged from the undergrowth, gun up. "Nobody move." he growled surprising their guests. "You alright smoothskin?"

Ginger tucked her pistol back into her holster and nodded. "Yes, it's alright Lou. These are our neighbors, they seem friendly enough."

The men turned towards Lou slowly and the ghoul's eyebrows shot up. Lou cocked an eyebrow at him but he did let his gun drop.

"Please," the ghoul said, watching Lou. "Come join us for our evening meal tonight. We usually gather in the long house around six. We'd be happy to have some new faces."

Lou glanced at Ginger who shrugged and then nodded. "Alright," he said, slinging his rifle over his shoulder and sticking out his hand. "Name's Lucifer."

"A pleasure, I'm Wyatt. I'm the all father here." He looked over his shoulder and Ginger grinned.

"Ginger," she introduced herself.

The men left with Wyatt as quickly as they appeared. Lou crossed the dirt when he was sure they were gone. He kissed her, his hands settling on her hips. "Are you really okay?"

Gingers laughed, "Yes Lou. I only have my pride hurt. They were in the yard before I noticed them." She told him. "What do you think? The neighbors invited us to dinner. Should we go?"

"Might be a trap," He said and she nodded. "But my instincts tell me it's not."

"Mine too, and it wouldn't hurt to learn a little about the locals if we want to stay here."

Ginger and Lou made their way along the edge of the lake that afternoon. Ginger grinned at everything, tipping her head back and watching little colored birds flutter from one thick leafy branch to another. The bright afternoon sun streamed gold through the emerald leaves. It was otherworldly.

"This place is beautiful." She said, "I could really see us settling down here."

Lou took her hand in the midsts of the tall hardwood trees and pulled her against his chest. Birds were chirping, the sun warmed the air around them and he smiled down at her. "Anna…" he breathed, placing his forehead against hers. "Will you marry me?"

She paused like she always did when he asked her to marry him. His little vault crawler turned hero had commitment issues.

Ginger leaned in, pressing her lips against his softly and breathed. "Yes."

Lou stiffened, his hands tightening against her back. "What was that?"

Ginger grinned at him, her words barely above a whisper. "I said yes."

Lou's chest swelled and he picked her with his arms wrapped tightly around her hips, swinging her around. He'd asked her to marry him dozens of time in their years together and she'd never agreed. Of course there was always some big heavy responsibility on the horizon and neither of them had been sure they'd survive the Enclave.

That was all over with now. He realized that simple fact with Ginger locked safely in his arms. They were both free to be regular people making a life in the wasteland.

"Say it again," he asked and grinned up at her.

Ginger laughed loudly. "Yes!"

"I love you," Lou dropped her to her feet and caught her lips with his. "More so every day."

"I love you too, how'd I get so lucky?"

"I might ask you the same thing smoothskin." He took her hand, reaching into an inner pocket of his armor. He slipped the ring he'd been carrying around with him for well over a year onto his fiancés finger. "I've been saving this for you."

"Lou it's beautiful!" she had a swallow a small lump in her throat as she gazed down at the simple gold band now decorating her left hand.

Lucifer kissed her fingers. "Come on," he smiled at her like she held the sun and the moon just for him. "Let go have dinner with our new neighbors."

The village that they found looked like it may have once been an old hunting or summer camp. There was a large lodge at the top of the hill and a handful for smaller cabins scattered down the sloping lawn to the water's edge.

A handful of people milled around and when the closest guard spotted them he raised his rifle but he nodded in greeting. "Hello, we've been expecting company. I'll just need to hear your names."

Lou nodded his approval of the security measures. "I'm Lucifer and this is Ginger. We've been cleaning up one of the camps at the far end of the lake."

The man lowered his weapon, waving them into the town. "I'm Gavin. Welcome to White Stag."

"It's lovely." Ginger grinned.

"Thanks," he smiled with true appreciation for the compliment. "We've worked hard. This way, I'll take you to Wyatt."

He lead them through the village and up the embankment to the lodge. The people they passed looked on curiously but didn't approach. The lodge itself was beautifully made of logs and it had been well maintained over the years since the war.

They were brought up the steps and onto a wraparound porch. Wyatt was reclined in a rocking chair made of tree branches, smoking a long carved pipe.

"You came!" he grinned, gesturing to two more chairs that had been place so he could entertain his guests. "I was hoping you would. Thank you for bringing them up Gavin, return to your post and I'll have one of the girls bring you down something to tide you over until your shift change."

Gavin nodded, all good nature and easy personality. "Thanks Wyatt. Do me an extra kindness and send Inga."

Wyatt chuckled. "Of course."

Gavin left with a little extra bounce in his step.

Wyatt shook his head, puffing his pipe. "If that boy doesn't have her living in his house and a babe in her belly by winter I'd be shocked and amazed." He told them. "Inga already finds whatever excuse she can to spend time with him and they're both good people, it's a smart match."

Lou reached out and squeezed Gingers fingers, he was still elated that she'd finally agreed to be his wife and he wished Gavin the best of luck with Inga.

Wyatt grinned at them. "I am very excited to have you both here but especially you sir. I've never met another person like myself. I've heard from other travels that have stumbled into the valley that there are many and that the people call us ghouls but that's all I've been able to find out. I've never dared leave my people to find out more elsewhere."

Lou's eyebrows shot up and he leaned back in his chair. "You've never been outside this valley?"

"Not since the bombs first fell. I was on my way here when they went off. Thought for sure the radiation would kill me but here I still am. "

Lou nodded. "What do you want to know?"

"How long will we live?" Wyatt asked.

"Indefinitely." Lou told him. "We ghouls are resistant to illness and healed by radiation. We can turn feral, that's when our minds rot away and only a starved animal is left behind. It's not a good way to go but that tends to only happen when a ghoul become depressed and malnourished."

Wyatt nodded and a pretty young woman in a maroon halter dress stepped out of the lodge with a tray in her hands. A pitcher and three glasses were balanced on it. Her brunette hair was pinned up in a bun and the smile she gave reached her dark green eyes. "Here, I thought it would be nice to bring you some sweet tea while you have your visit."

Wyatt smiled and she placed the tray on the little table next to his chair. "Thank you Inga. Would you perhaps have time to put together a basket for Gavin on the western guard post? He's doing a double shift to cover for Travis."

Inga brightened visibly and nodded. "Oh yes, right away."

She left in a hurry and Ginger laughed softly. "She's lovely. I hope things work out between her and Gavin."

Wyatt nodded. "I think they will and their blood lines are unattached so they'll produce strong children."

"How do you keep such a small and isolated community from becoming inbred?" Ginger asked curiously.

"With a lot of effort and a little luck." Wyatt told her. "We have people wander into the valley two or three time a year. When they do we watch them to make sure they aren't a threat and then we invite them here. The women always give new men all the attention they want, many of them with the hopes of becoming pregnant. Nobody is forced into it but shall we say…promiscuity with our outside guest is encouraged. That's how we've survived all these years. With that in mind I'd like to apologize in advance. We've never had a couple wander in, You both will very likely receive advancements."

Ginger grinned and Lou laughed. "Ginger can take care of herself and I would be a waste of time."

"Oh?" Wyatt asked and Lou's face fell.

"Oh, I suppose you wouldn't know. Ghouls are sterile."

Wyatt frowned but he nodded after a minute's consideration. "I have suspected that for years. I do appreciate knowing for certain."

"I'm sorry," Lou told the older ghoul.

Wyatt waved him off. "It's alright, I am an old man and even if none of my bloodline is left here I do view all my people as my children, or grandchildren, as the case may be." He chuckled, watching a couple boys kicking a ball between the buildings. "Now tell me, with you working as hard to clean up that camp how long do you intend to stay?"

"As long as there are no objections Lou and I have been talking about maybe settling here permanently. A kind of retirement for us."

Wyatt nodded. "I don't think that would be a problem as long as you don't mean us any harm." He puffed his pipe, leaning back comfortably in his rocker. "Although I might suggest you pick a spot closer to the village. It would be hard to offer assistance if you ever needed it."

"What kind of dangerous things live in the area?" Lou asked.

A shadow flickered in the old ghouls eyes. "Used to be nothing especially dangerous. An occasional bear but those are far and few between."

"And now?" Ginger asked.

Wyatt sighed. "Now there is something…something new. At first I thought perhaps too many ghost stories were being told at night. Over the last several months our scouts have been finding strange things in the woods. Large footprints in the dirt. Scorched earth. Broken limbs of large branches. I thought surly there was a logical explanation even as my children name the thing a demon."

Ginger leaned forward, her mind running through all the creature she'd seen in the wasteland that might be able to cause damage like that. Fire breathing deathclaw? She sure as hell hoped not.

"Has anyone seen it?"

Wyatt tapped the ash from his pipe into a tray he'd blanched on his knee. "Young Travis stumbled into came a week ago covered in burns. He was babbling about a monster, completely black in color. Said he fire at it and the bullet glanced off it's hide. The creature threw fire at him, it looked like a man but wrong. Bigger. I don't know what to make of it."

Cold washed over Gingers back and Lou reached over to squeeze her knee. "I have an Idea." She said. "Hellfire armor. It's the Enclave. They're here."