May 30th 2277

Charon

"Again" I call.

Anna runs towards me trying to grab the bandana that's tied loosely around a loop on my trousers. I grab her wrist as she moves too slow and with a tap from the back of my foot to her knees she buckles to the floor. She growls and her fist hits off the hard floor of her Megaton house.

"We can finish for today."

Anna's chest is heaving as she tries to catch her breath.

"No ! Again !"

I smirk as she gets back to her feet and steps back.

"I hate learning things your way."

"You ended up on the floor again you're clearly not learning at all."

Anna gives me a cocky grin which reminds me so much of the days from before. Anna had unknowingly allowed me freedom of speech a week ago demanding that "I can say whatever the hell I want". I enjoy the cheeky replies she has to my comments and relish actually having conversations with Anna. She is here with me now. I can wake up and she is there. Shout her name and have a reply. It has finally sunk in that my wait is over and there is no more Azrukhal only Anna.

She runs yet again almost mirroring her previous attack I lean to the left ready to grab her but then suddenly and surprisingly unexpectedly she slips back onto the floor sliding under between legs and grabs the banana before rolling into a crouch.

She gives a laugh of triumph and then taunts me as wiggles the red bandana. I now run towards her and instead of going for the bandana I grab her leg and pull it up holding her upside down, making sure she doesn't bang her head on the way up. Anna is now squealing and squirming in my arm and I give a small laugh at the sight.

I watch her as she scowls assessing the situation. Using her stomach muscles she sits up and grabs my arm and quickly using her free leg, she wraps it around my stomach and uses her weight to tip me back.

This time I fall to the floor and Anna sits over me grinning with her token of victory.

"Who's learning now big guy ?"


June 3rd 2277

Anna

I am slowly but surely getting the hang of things. I can now steadily hold my assault rifle and fire at a target instead of hoping for at least one bullet to hit.

I can feel changes to my body as the exercise takes it toll. My vault suit is less snug than what it used to be and my muscles are more firm.

I am on my way to becoming the person I need to be to survive out here. We are still in Megaton while i train and I make my way downstairs to find Charon already awake with an assortment of tools sitting in front of him.

"What are we learning today ?"

"Traps."

I sit cross legged on the floor across from him and take a moment to recognise the tools. I know the majority of them and have a notion that this lesson should be easier than most.

"You know much about mechanics ?"

I actually laugh at this and feel my confidence rising.

"I disarmed the bomb down the hill !"

Charon's eyebrows rise "how did you do that exactly ?"

"I spent a lot of time with one of the Vault engineers. I listen when people talk, I like to learn. He showed me how to do small things with wires and stuff. Paul was always good at stuff like that."

I wave my hand to emphasis that it's a boring story really.

"Paul ?"

I feel my face get slightly warm and realise I am blushing.

"Paul is my boyfriend. Well was, or maybe is if I get back in the vault."

There is a strange silence that follows and Charon stares at the tools with a frown. He sits up and points to the door "may I ?"

"Of course !"

The door slams as Charon leaves and I am left with the equipment. Apparently I am working this lesson out on my own.


Charon

In all my fixation with our past I forgot to even consider that it is in fact Anna's future. She has her own different past and present and apparently his name his Paul. I growl and my hold on the Megaton railings tighten.

"Excuse me Sir ?"

A posh voice far out of place here turns me around. The man, in a ridiculous hat, steps back with a sneer upon seeing my face.

"Ghoul ! Tell me where Anna lives !"

Oh for fuck sake. I growl at him with a intimidating look. He steps back further.

"I...I...demand to know !"

"What's your name ?"

"I am Mr Burke of Tenpenny Tower."

The name doesn't ring any bells.

"No."

He stands in silence awkwardly waiting "No...what ?"

"I'm not telling you."

There is a lot I can take in from a person in first meetings. Anna was the only one to genuinely confuse me. Assessing 'Mr Burke' I can see he is nothing but an arrogant fool who also has the potential to cause us some hassle.

"How dare you ! You will tell me now or I will send every Talon merc I have working for me to get the information."

"You send them, ill use them as target practice. You send them and Anna is there not only will I dispose of them I'll come to your precious Tenpenny Tower and we'll see how far your body lands."

Mr Burke's face rages and he charges almost identically to the routine Anna had been doing. I grab his wrist far more tighter than I would ever touch her as he tries to throw a punch.

"You don't know who you are dealing with" he spits.

"Clearly you don't either. Lucky for you I was already in a bad mood so you leaving here alive is only because you didn't put me in it."

I twist his wrist and I hear the reassuring crunch of a breakage.

"Go."

With a scream Burke backs off clutching his arm and heads out of Megaton. I need to calm down. I need to get out of here. I am starting to see red and I need to do something about it.

A small hand is placed on my forearm and I look down to see Anna with wide eyes. Suddenly the redness disappears and a strange sense of calm fills my chest.

"Thank you I heard it all. I really didn't like him. He tried to blow up this town he didn't think we were good enough for the Wasteland."

Our eyes follow Burke's figure as he increases the distance between us and Anna's hand still remains comforting on my arm.

"I think we should visit Tenpenny one day. Let them know what happens when they treat people like dirt." It's barely a whisper but the look of power on her face emphasises that she means every word. I am suddenly taken back to our conversation on the hotel floor where she told me "when we meet we kick some serious ass."

I smirk as she squeezes my arm "I think we should pay them a visit too."


October 10th 2277

Anna

I am back to back with Charon as we make quick work of the super mutants. As I step forward he steps back in perfect synchronisation. The sound of his shotgun is reassuring as it echoes through the halls.

"Grenade !" He screams and I dive forward and feel Charon land on top of me. There is a blast of heat and I realise just how close the grenade was.

"You okay Princess ?" I call to the weight on top of me. He doesn't reply "Charon ? Are you burnt ?"

I hear a groan by my neck which creates goosebumps "medium rare" he moans.

I snort as he rolls off of me and I reach for the stimpacks in my side pocket and toss them to him.

"How many are left ?" He asks.

"My pipboy says there isn't any more but we will do a quick run through just in case."


Charon

I pause as we enter the Rotunda. Anna quite happily checks the room giving the dead bodies a once over. She is unaware of the future this place holds as am I but I know the man we are about to let in, her father, dies here.

"Lets get the scientists " Anna calls. I follow her to the entrance of the memorial and know that a important part of her life is about to begin.


October 12th 2277

Charon

I am in a dreamless sleep when the slight shake wakes me. Cold hands grab my arms and pull the comforting sheet away from me.

"Move over Charon."

I groan but comply as Anna's shape fits into mine.

"Nightmare ?"

She nods as she nestles her head onto my chest and I place my arm over her shoulders. Anna has gotten into the habit of sharing my bed after nightmares. The act entirely innocent to Anna drives me crazy. I cannot caress or kiss her as I wish to. I can not share her bed with her in the way we did before she travelled back. This on her behalf of course would be 'cheating'. However I don't know how her 'boyfriend' would react to the news of her sharing a bed with a ghoul who is probably twice his size. The heat of another person is comforting however and having Anna near me is... nice.

We have been working together to help her father rebuild project purity. Her father is a man that is too good for this world. He belongs to a time of technology and cleanliness. He is something out of religious textbooks or pre war television. It saddens me to know his death is coming soon but as far as I know time cannot be changed and so what happens must happen.


October 18th 2277

James

I watch as my daughter leaves for the tunnels with her bodyguard Charon. Madison looks at their companionship with disgust but there is something there I can't quite put my finger on. She trusts him entirely I can see that. The smiles she gives him I have seen only shared with myself or Amata. However he looks at her in such a way. Not disgust or boredom, there is something, like he needs her. His eyes only become animated when he looks at her and for a man of few words I know he has a lot to say.

Madison does not understand how I can continue to allow her to travel with him. Regardless of the fact she is a grown woman and can make her own choices I cannot help but feel reassured that Charon will keep her safe and protected and as her father I can only thank him for that.

"James do you hear that ?"

My thoughts are distracted by Madison and I walk to her position to listen to the noise. It is almost like a humming. Glasses of Nuka Cola shake and tip over as the noise gets closer and more intense.

"Vertibirds."


Charon

Anna is a machine. She is almost identical to herself fighting in Anchorage but their is no joy or laughter in her face. She attacks the Enclave soldiers with anger and vengeance. My heart is in my throat as I have to work double time to keep up with actions. In her grief she is thinking carelessly and making mistakes which I have to rectify before it costs her life.

When we make it to the Citadel and there is no one left to kill Anna stands almost confused with wet eyes. She wipes her cheek and looks at the tear in her hand with a frown.

"He's gone" she whispers.

Then Anna buckles and her knees hit the floor as she sobs into her hands. I grab and carry her away from the staring eyes into a empty room. I cannot barricade the door as Anna will literally not let go of me. Her small hands cling to my shirt and as a response I hold her closer, my neck is wet from her tears and my ears ring from her loud sobs. I fall to the floor against the wall and let her continue. I cannot do anything to help this kind of pain. After a while her tears become silent apart from the occasional hiccup.

"Don't leave me" she speaks into my ear.

I give her waist a squeeze and stroke her hair "I won't."

She sits back slightly to look at my face. Anna's cheeks are red and blotchy, there is blood streaked on her damp forehead from earlier and her eyes are bloodshot and wet but yet I have still never seen anything more beautiful and I tighten my hold on the back of her head. She looks at me with parted lips, I want to take her and kiss her more than anything but I hold back leaving Anna alone with her grief.

She places her head again on my shoulder and runs her finger along the exposed muscle on my forearm.

"I don't know what I'd do without you."

Her breathing changes eventually to deep evenly spaced breaths and I conclude that she has fallen asleep on me. I hold her tight against me and murmur into her hair.

"I love you Anna."

I don't know if she hears me.