Last chapter guys. Thank you for the reviews !
24th May 2279
Anna
As soon as we make it home and the door shuts I am affectionately assaulting Charon's face in quick kisses. He simply smiles slightly and leans against the wall.
"Why didn't you tell me ?"
"Tell you what ? That I met you 200 years before you were born when I was still serving in the Army. I'm sure you would have believed that."
I look at Charon sadly.
"But you had to wait so long!" I emphasise the last word. I do not know how Charon did it, I know I couldn't.
"It was worth it."
His hand strokes my cheek and I lean into it.
"I'm so sorry."
"Don't be, you gave me something to look forward to. Without you I probably wouldn't have survived the bombs and if I did I wouldn't have lasted in Azrukhals command for as long as you did."
"I don't understand."
"The contract goes into great detail about protecting my employers life, it says nothing about what I do with my own."
I have to think briefly. Trying to understand the meaning of his words. Then I realise, without me Charon would have committed suicide in underworld a long time ago. A small sob escapes my throat and I wrap my arms around him tightly.
"Oh Charon."
He shrugs and runs his hand along my back.
"I'm just glad we've got up to date now."
"Me too" I whisper.
I lead him to the bed with innocent intentions and simply curl into him with my head on his chest.
"You looked at me in Anchorage. You had no idea who I was, it was horrible."
"At least I didn't look up at you in genuine fear."
I laugh slightly "you are considerably more intimidating."
"Than a girl who appears out of no where ?"
I snort and simply enjoy the silence for a while and Charon's comforting body heat.
"I missed you" he murmurs into my hair.
"I love you and apparently I have for a very long time."
"Me too" he smiles and I am glad that I am finally here with Charon both of us finally on a straight timeline.
25th August 2279
Anna
The Brotherhood has sent out a request for us to join them at the Citadel. Usually we would go without hesitation especially considering that it involves the Enclave and a possible target on Underworld but Charon is proving considerably hostile.
"Anna we are not going."
"Why !?"
"You haven't been feeling great just relax and they will sort it. You don't have to help them with every mission."
"I'm feeling fine Charon. Don't you think that the Enclave going after Underworld seems a little too personal ?"
"No !"
"That's a lie ! How can you not ?!"
"We. Are. Not. Going."
I sit on the edge of the bed with folded arms. "What is wrong with you ?"
"Nothing !"
I know I am playing a childish game by turning my head but Charon is being extremely unreasonable. We have to help them. It is only when Charon turns and I see a glimpse of his shoulder that I gasp and realise what he's been doing.
"That tattoo ! That's tomorrow isn't it !"
Charon frowns and the sighs "yes, it's to remind us NOT to go."
"You said we could go before though when I first saw it."
"You would have asked more questions if I said no."
I can't argue back as his logic seems pretty legit.
"Why can't we go ? What happens ?"
Charon sits next to me on the bed and I rest my head on his shoulder.
"I don't exactly know but it is a lot safer if we don't go. What they are setting up is a trap."
"We need to tell them Charon ! We could save lives !"
I run up to the ham radio and enter the frequency that gets me in contact with The Citadel.
"Hello ?!" I speak into the receiver.
"Scribe Rothchild. Who is this ?"
Great. Out of all the people in the brotherhood that could have answered I get the one that hates me the most. Dick.
"Anna. I need to speak to Sarah."
"She is held up."
"It is very important."
I spend the next half hour trying to convince him to either believe this information or to pass it on to Sarah. Charon joins me and sits on the floor resting against my knee. When I eventually get cut off I nearly throw the radio out in frustration.
"Anna you've let them know. It's up to them to do something about it."
Charon is particularly fragile with me for the rest of the day and I just take it as fear for tomorrow. I trust his judgement and know that for once we don't have to help everyone. This time we will have to step back.
26th August 2279
Charon [5:00am]
I have hardly slept. Anna does not realise that somewhere in time today is the day she dies and I simply cannot let that happen. She sleeps peacefully beside me and I lightly trace the contours of her back.
I cannot let any danger come to her today. We will not leave Megaton. I don't even think I'll let her leave the house.
Today is the day everything changes and I am desperately trying to let nothing happen.
[10:00 am]
Anna and I sit horrified by the radio. The citadel was attacked within the last hour, many of the brotherhood and Sarah Lyons have perished. Anna sits sadly mourning her lost friend.
"If we didn't tell them. They wouldn't have been inside. They would survived."
"Anna if we didn't tell them they would have went to Underworld and died there. The Enclave moved to the Citadel when we didn't fall for the leaked information."
Anna sits thoughtfully and I wipe a tear from her face.
"So what ? We simply moved their deaths ?"
A sudden realisation hits me and I filled with dread. By changing the future we did not change the fates, we simply changed the location. Where there is death there has to be death. A life for a life.
I hold Anna close to me and simply will this day to be over.
[1:00pm]
A thunderous shake fills Megaton and the citizens spill out of their houses. Anna and I know what is coming from the first explosion. I am torn between telling Anna to stay inside or have her fight with me. If I leave her unprotected she may be killed and if I do no protect the town we are simply leading the Enclave to our door.
"Why are they attacking the towns ?" Anna screams as we raid our weaponry room. "Republic of Dave. Arefu, The citadel ?!"
"They lost a lot of power and land after Raven Rock. They could be trying to gain some of it back."
"We won't let them."
Anna smirks at me but I cannot return it. I am filled with fear and will do everything in my power to protect her.
"I love you Charon" she beams up at me as she loads her assault rifle with ammunition.
I kiss her forehead.
"I love you too Anna."
[1:10pm]
Those who could not fight are hidden at Gob's Saloon but Anna and I are joined with a surprising amount of Megatons citizens none of which have taken any significant damage. However these citizens were not meant to die today, we have unintentionally brought a fight to their door that was not theirs to fight. Anna roars beside me as her assault rifle rips through power armour. I am eliminating any Enclave that even come remotely close to us.
[1:40pm]
The Enclave have dwindled to their last soldiers and the town of Megaton makes quick work of them. I am washed over with relief as one by one they fall. Anna will not die today, I will not let him happen.
The last soldier fights and my senses are heightened as Anna steps closer to adjust her range. This captures the soldiers attention and he aims and fires. My ears ring and adrenalin fills me Anna will be hit before she has time to dive out of the way.
Without even thinking I do what I have to do and with all the possible force I can manage I push Anna clear out of the way. With a yell she falls to the ground but she is safe. A tremendous pain fills my chest and I look down to see the open wounds and a gathering pool of blood, I know the extent of my actions.
I sink to my knees.
A life for a life.
[1:42pm]
The fall to the ground has knocked Anna unconscious but to my immense relief she is still breathing.
However my breathing has become more laboured and agonising with every compression.
I am immensely surprised when a small hand grips mine, for a moment I think it is Anna but seeing her across from me I know it is not.
The girl has thick auburn hair and green eyes. Her face is delicate and she has a small bend in her nose, just like Anna.
"Not today. Please not today" She is whispering frantically. "I'm so sorry" she sobs.
The gleam on her wrist captures my attention, she wears a pip-boy. She notices my disorientated attention and gives another sob.
"I got it to do this. I wasn't meant to turn up here. Not this date." She is frantic and babbling away information.
I do not understand why this girl I do not know is crying over me nor do I understand her words till the word date rings in my head.
"Time travel ?" My words sound terrible to my ears. Hoarse and chocked on as I try to remove the blood from my throat with a cough.
She nods quickly "Yeah. Mom said I could do it when I was twenty, I didn't realise I'd turn up here."
"Mom ?"
I know that my strength is dwindling and I could gather more energy by not talking but for some reason I feel the need to question this girl.
"Yeah." She points to Anna. Anna is her mom, a small part of me is glad that she moves on after my coming death to have a child. "She doesn't know she's pregnant yet."
"Now ?!" I cough with the exertion of my words. Anna can't be pregnant now. The girl nods still sobbing and I try to think over her words through a muddled brain. Anna is pregnant but I cannot have children. I almost give a painful laugh as I work it out. The dance. Anna left the past 3 months ago. The dance only happened to her and her body then. It seems so distant to me but for Anna it is a recent memory. Anna is pregnant with my child. Our daughter. Our daughter is beside me.
"You're my da..."
She sobs and wraps her arms around my sore neck. "Hi Dad" she whispers "I just wanted to see you. I didn't know I'd come here."
"I don't make it."
She shakes her head. I yearn to wipe a tear away from her but I am just too weak.
"And Anna ? What happens to your Mom ?"
"Megaton is home. She survives but she...she's sad. She misses you."
I try to control my own sob by saving Anna's life I have left her here alone. At the same time I have saved our daughters life too. A life for two doesn't seem like a bad deal to me.
I reach into my jacket pocket and pull out the aged photo.
"Give her this."
My daughter, a fact I still can't get over, looks at the photo warmly and smiles. "Okay."
"Hey, what did she name you ?"
"Charlotte."
"Pretty name." My breathing is becoming more laboured and I have to force every word that comes out. "Charlotte I'm glad I met you."
"Me too."
More tears fall from Charlottes green eyes, my eyes, and I feel a wetness spread down my own cheek. Charlotte begins to breath quickly and lift her hand. An action I recognise now as disappearing.
"Hey Charlotte. I love you both, okay ? I'm proud of you whatever you do."
My vision blurs as opening my eyes becomes too difficult.
"I love you Dad."
I hear the faint sound of someone being ripped from time.
I am alive long enough to hear Anna slip to consciousness and run towards me.
"Charon ! Charon !"
I try to speak but it is just too hard and the most I can do is squeeze her hand so familiar to our daughters that held mine moments ago.
"I love you ! Please don't go."
But I am gone.
June 29th 2278
Charlotte
Time travel is nauseating and I hold my chest as I wait for the feeling to finish. I just saw my Dad die. I sob and it echoes throughout the metallic halls I have appeared in. I am glad that he was not alone in his final moments but seeing him go is extremely painful. I find my way to my feet and try to orientate myself.
"Are you okay Miss ?"
I turn quickly to find Harkness looking at me concerned.
"Harkness ! Am I in Rivet City ?!"
"Yes" his hand twitches for his gun. Oh. Harkness doesn't know me yet. I am still in the past. "Did you get lost from the wedding ?"
I realise he thinks I am some drunk that has wandered off from whatever event Rivet City is holding tonight. I nod quickly and try to wipe the tears from my cheeks. I am probably blotchy, covered in blood and dirt and I just want to go home to Mom.
I am lead to the marketplace and find that it has been decorated nicely for the Wedding. I look around trying to see the bride and groom. Angela and Diego. They are still together when I left. Mark, their son, has just taken over the cafe his mom runs.
My stomach erupts in butterflies as I figure that Mom and Dad will be at this wedding. It is confirmed when I hear a familiar laugh.
"One dance Charon please !"
I sit on one of the placed chairs and watch my parents, who are obvious to me, with a smile.
Dad shakes his head and takes a swig of the beer he is holding. I now know why people tell me that he certainly had a presence, he is so intimidating, no wonder no one bothers my mom even now.
My mom persists on asking him to dance and I love seeing her so happy and young. The song changes to her favorite "if I didn't care."
Dad surprises her and actually dances. I hold in a laugh and watch them with a wide smile.
I can see now how much they loved each other. I am glad i finally got to see them like this. It is saddening to know how much mom misses him but at the same time they aren't truly apart. Even if they aren't together in the future they are here with each other, trapped in time.
-fin-
