-Notes-

This chapter does not have X6-88 in it. I realize that the dialogue is familiar to you, which can be boring, but I believe that character development is very important and I want to build up a sense of a realistic main character. This is the only time I am going to be talking about what happened before Sole met X6 however since this IS an X6 fanfiction (I am going to have the personality of all MCs be a little different depending on the character I am writing for).

Chapter 2: The Beginning

War. War never changes.

At least that is what Sole thought as she exited Vault 111 on that fateful day of November 5th, 2287. Everything felt so surreal as that elevator rose up to the surface. Remnants of the life she had once known lay in shambles. She stood staring out over the barren land that she had once called home. It all seemed so much bigger now. So vast.

Her ears rang, draining out all the noise of this new world. 'I have to get home,' Sole thought as she turned around and stumbled down the hill. Even her steps felt dream-like. On her right she saw militarily clothed skeletons; the men that had lowered her and Nate into the vault. Pushing open the gate out of the compound, she saw two more pre-war clothed skeletons; neighbors that did not make the list.

She took a deep breath as she continued walking towards home. Even the air smelled different: sort of stale, sort of dusty. She trudged across the dilapidated bridge, taking in the scorched trees and strange plants.

Sole was a surprised at how calm she was. It was like she had locked her emotions away. Nate had been shot right in front of her and Shaun had been taken. Now the life she knew was blown away, but she did not feel sorrow. She didn't really feel much of anything actually. Perhaps it was a defense mechanism or something and everything would hit her all at once, reducing her into a driveling mess. But for the moment, she just knew she had to get home. That is where she had to start.

As she walked into the clearing where her neighborhood used to be, she stopped and looked around. Had she really lived here? Was this really the street she drove up after a long day at the legal office? Was this really the block that Shaun was to grow up on?

"As I live and breathe…"

A voice snapped her out of her reverie. A very familiar voice. She whipped her head around to behold a dingy tin Mr. Handy robot. Her Mr. Handy robot, Codsworth.

"It's…It's REALLY you!" Codsworth enthused.

"Codsworth you, you're still here." She breathed.

"Of course the petunias have seemed a little worse for wear. But my you look distraught. Perhaps sir can offer one of those hugs you humans are so fond of? Speaking of which, where is your better half?"

Nate…Then it hit. His killers are still out there and they have Shaun. As long as she lives and breathes, she will find him. "They… They killed him. Men with guns and strange outfits came and took Shaun." She felt this knot of anxiety form in the pit of her stomach; the kind of anxiety that invigorates you to act.

"Mum… these things you're saying. These… terrible things… I… I believe you need a distraction. Yes! A distraction, to calm this dire mood." Codsworth piped. "It's been ages since we've had a proper family activity. Checkers. Or perhaps charades. Shaun does love that game. Is the lad… with you…?"

Somethings seemed… off about Codsworth. Did a bomb really go off? Why was he acting like this? Her legs suddenly felt the need to move, to look for Shaun. She needed to find him. There were bad men out there that had her baby, and she was going to get them.

"Shaun's been kidnapped. But I'm going to find him. I'm going to get my baby back." Sole's words held fire. She felt imbued with a purpose. Her legs suddenly felt the need to move, to look for Shaun. But where?

"It's worse than I thought. Hmm hmm. You're suffering from… hunger-induced paranoia. Not eating properly for 200 years will do that, I'm afraid." Codsworth offered as an explanation.

What?

"200 years?!" She yelled distraught.

"A bit over 210 actually, mum. Give or take a little for the Earth's rotation and some minor dings to the ole' chronometer." Codsworth's mechanicals pupils constricted and dilated. "That means you're two centuries late for dinner! Ha ha ha. Perhaps I can whip you up a snack? You must be famished."

"Codsworth, you're acting… a little bit weird. What's wrong?"

"I… I…" Codsworth's sobbed, "Oh mum, it's been just horrible! Two centuries with no one to talk to, with no one to serve. I spent the first ten years trying to keep the floors waxed, but nothing gets out nuclear fallout from vinyl wood. Nothing!"

Sole shifted closer to Codsworth as a gesture of sympathy. She couldn't even imagine being alive for 200 years without any interaction. Everything happened within hours for her.

"And don't get me started about the futility of dusting a collapsed house. And the car! The car! How do you polish rust?" Codsworth screamed in futility, motors whirring loudly.

"Stay with me pal. Focus."

Codsworth's mechanical arms dropped sadly. "I'm afraid I don't know anything, mum. The bombs came, and all of you left in such a hurry. I thought for certain you and your family were… dead." Then his eyes perked up and his body spun around, reaching into his metal storage compartment as if he remembered something. "I did find this holotape. I believe sir was going to present it to you as, as a surprise. But then, well… everything 'happened'."

"Thank you Codsworth." Sole breathed. Now she had two things to remember him by. She shoved the holotape into her vault suit pocket. She felt guilty for leaving Codsworth alone, even though it was out of her control. He needed this interaction.

*sniff* "Thank you, mum." Codsworth mimicked wiping an arm beneath his eye like there were tears. "Now! Enough feeling sorry for myself. Shall we search the neighborhood together? Sir and young Shaun may turn up yet."

"All right. Lead the way…" Sole trailed off. She knew it was futile. Whoever took Shaun had got to be far away by now. But… Codsworth… He needed to do this more than she did.

"Proud to serve, mum!" Codsworth proudly announced. He was so happy to have human interaction again. Sole gave a faint smile. Well at least she had one part of her past still around.

The sun began to set. After hours of searching houses, killing giant roaches and grotesquely large flies (which she later learned to be radroaches and bloatflies), and the two finally gave up looking. They found nothing of interest aside from a terminal in one neighbor's house with a watch log of the other neighbors. Creepy. Codsworth seemed evidently more upset by this than she was, but she already knew they would not find anything. She thanked him anyway and told him she would return when she found more clues about Shaun. She knew this area pretty well, how hard could this be?

Sole stopped at the edge of Sanctuary Hills and looked out across the half-destroyed bridge. Well, there was a Red Rocket truck stop just down the street. If anything, she could maybe find some supplies to help her carry out her journey.

Well this is where it all begins. She took a deep breath as the wooden boards creaked under her weight. Passing a rotting carcass of….whatever animal that was, she continued on her way. She breathed a sigh of relief once the familiar rounded rocket came into view. Phew. Well not everything had blasted away thankfully.

Her relief was short lived as a large, furry animal dashed out from her peripheral vision and tackled her, knocking her back. Sole yelped in surprise. The animal was actually a dog; a German Shephard specifically. After assessing that it didn't want to eat her for dinner, she played with him a bit.

"Hey boy! What are you doing out here all by yourself?" Sole cooed. Something about dogs always made her revert to baby talk. The dog jumped back on his haunches and waggled his tail playfully.

"You lose your owner buddy?" Sole knelt down and scratched the dog behind his ear, which he seemed to greatly appreciate. As she stood up, the dog felt the need to imitate her and jumped up on her torso.

"Ooof! Okay well let's stick together then! But no more of that okay?" The dog panted playfully. "Um I think I'm going to call you…. Dog for right now. Until I think of a better name. Do you like that huh? Yes you do. Yes you do! Who's a good boy?" Okay okay, maybe she had a weakness for dogs.

Time to see if he knew any tricks. "Hey boy! Know any tricks?"

Dog sat down immediately. Wow okay. Smart dog.

"How about shake?" Sole lowered her hand.

Dog obediently put his paw in her hand.

"Good boy! What about spin?"

Dog spun in a circle.

"Such a smart boy! How about, go find Shaun?"

Dog tilted his head in confusion.

"Yeah, I didn't think that was going to work."

A low rumble interrupted them and Dog immediately jumped up in all fours, in a warning stance. Sole grabbed her 10mm pistol she picked up in the vault, which by the way had no idea how to use. Growing up in a liberal state where no one she knew owned a gun did not do her well in preparation for the apocalypse. I guess no one thought it was going to be necessary.

Five grossly pink and veiny mole…rat…thingies popped up from the dirt and began attacking them. Dog immediately lunched at the closest molerat's throat.

"Aaah! Dog why are they attacking us? Why are they so big?!" Sole panicked, running for cover. One molerat bumbled after her.

Okay, okay, she could do this. She watched movies. Magazine in. Safety off. Barrel cocked. Sole flipped around to face the creature, finding out there was a greater distance between them than she had thought. She quickly tabulated how much she would have to compensate for recoil. She pointed the gun a little down and pulled the trigger.

The bullet hit the ground. Nice.

The second one however landed right between the molerat's eye and ear, eliciting an ear-piercing squeal, and paused to paw at its face.

The third, miss.

The fourth, its paw.

Fifth and six were all misses.

Seven and eight however landed right in the head, probably because she was walking towards it now to improve her chances. That seemed to kill it. She emptied her magazine and reloaded it before snapping her head up and feeling dread.

"Oh crap! Dog!" Sole ran over back to where she had last found him to find that he had already killed the other four. She lost to a dog.

Dog ran up to her panting playfully, not even minding the blood and gore smothering his mouth and paws.

"Err that's okay bud, maybe next time. Let's just find a place to camp for the night."

Sole and Dog swept the truck stop. They found some peculiar glowing mushrooms, some flowers, and some brain fungus. Eventually she overcame her squeamishness of gutting an animal and managed to cut some molerat meat off their kills. Man the world really adapted in 200 years. She now has to.

The sky was dark now and the temperature was dropping. Sole was fortunate enough to have watched enough National Geographic's back in her prime to know how to start a fire. Thankfully, there was also a pit with tinder all ready for her. She set up a spit and began cooking the food she had scavenged, making sure there was enough for dog too.

Then she remembered the holotape. She put down her cooked molerat meat and fished the object out of her pocket. It was titled 'Hi Honey!' Might as well watch it now. Sole popped the holotape in and hit play.

Feedback. Then she heard the sound of Shaun fussing. Then…she heard Nate. He talked about how great of a mother Sole was. How kind and loving she was. He was talking about the last year they had and how proud he was of Sole's accomplishments as a lawyer.

That's when it hit her. Her vision blurred up and her throat caught. Tears began streaming down her face as the piece of meat she had in her mouth lost its flavor. This isn't the life she wanted. She grew up wanting to be a lawyer like her mom. She fought her way through law school and got a job at a firm. She had a child and was starting to put away money for when he went to college. She had friends. She had family. Now… she would never see any of that again. She would never go eat lunch with Jessica on Saturdays again. She would never write down lists to go to the grocery store and bring back. She would never get to have her nails done before some big military banquet Nate would have. She would never get to call in sick really because she had planned a vacation at Disneyworld with Nate and Shaun instead. All of her life she had been accustomed to, that she had planned for, would now have to be forgotten. Now she had a new life with no direction. What were her goals now? Where would she go? Everything was gone!

Sole cried and cried into the night. She cried until she couldn't cry anymore and a feeling of catharsis swept her into a deep sleep on the dingy mattress she found in the storage shed.

Sole awoke as sunshine danced on her now dry lashes. Dog jumped to his feet when Sole lifted herself up and attacked her face with a barrage of kisses. She chuckled, which surprised her, and scratched Dog on his neck. She was already attached to this dog. She remembered Codsworth, how he was left alone for 200 years and how he cried when he found what he was looking for. This was no time to feel sorry for herself. She had a mission. One night of crying is all she would allow herself for she needed to be strong for what was to come. She motioned to Dog to come with her as she began to walk toward Concord. She focused her eyes toward the decrepit down.

"I need to get my baby back"

(edited)