Chapter Eight
"The Fire and The Flood"
'I was only walking through your neighborhood
Saw you out loud honey in the cold I stood
Anywhere I go there you are
Anywhere I go there you are
You're the fire and the flood
And I'll always feel you in my blood
Everything is fine
When your hand is resting next to mine
Next to mine
You're the fire and the flood
Since we met I feel a lightness in my step
You're miles away but I still feel you
Anywhere I go there you are
Anywhere I go there you are
"Okay, Blondie, I'm gonna help you find your Dad, but I don't know how long I'm sticking with you, so I'm also gonna try, emphasis on try and teach you how to make it on your own out in the Wasteland, if the need arises. So listen close."
Jude took long strides, covering as much ground as he could, and didn't have a problem overtaking random bits of rubble or boulders despite the rather enormous and heavy looking pack on his back. It was a little taxing for Posey to keep up. She'd never considered herself to be extremely small or petite, and she'd always considered herself one of the more physically fit members of the Vault what with being on the baseball team and her father's insistence of taking care of her body. She had been five foot six at her last check up and had a good time on the mile they'd had to run for P.E. but Jude towered over her and was just so big. His shoulders were broad and his biceps were as big as her head and nothing appeared to be slowing him down.
Okay, that's probably stretching it a bit. She thought, scrabbling over a broken bit of asphalt and nearly falling in her haste to catch up with her new guide, but only a bit. He just seemed so solid.
They'd made it out of the Metro again without too much trouble, and now were tromping across the Wasteland headed for Rivet City. They'd set out of G.N.R's Plaza at five in the morning, and now they were approaching nine o'clock, and Posey felt herself starting to lag a little.
"Blondie, did you catch any of that?"
"Huh?" Posey shaded her eyes from the Wasteland's unforgiving rays and looked up at him. He frowned down at her, then raised his eyebrows slightly, waiting for her response, which she hurried to deliver. "Yeah, yeah I listened. You're going to teach me the ways of the Wasteland."
"But did you actually listen to me telling you about how to survive?"
"Well, no, I didn't catch that bit," She said, feeling herself blush, "But it's not my fault! You need to slow down a bit, my legs aren't as long as yours."
Jude rolled his eyes and sighed. "Okay, rule number one. Out here," He gestured to the vast and derelict buildings around them. The route to Rivet City on this side of the Potomac river was surprisingly metropolitan. Or it would have been if the buildings hadn't been bombed out and condemned. "We are vulnerable. The Wasteland is dangerous. Especially in areas like this. You don't want to take a leisurely stroll out here, so you make good time or you die. The end."
"Okay, but if I pass out from exhaustion trying to keep up with your freakishly long strides you're going to have to carry me, or leave me to die. That's rule number two."
Jude looked down at the ground for several moments before cocking his head to the left and staring out over the Wasteland, his jaw clenched, in a classic, "What have I gotten myself into." look.
"Fine, I'll slow down a little, but you've got to start building up your endurance, Blondie."
"My name is Posey," She said a little shortly. "Po-zee." She said, exaggerating its pronunciation "Like posy, as in a small bunch of flowers. Or just a flower. It's really not that hard."
Jude ignored her but true to his word relaxed his strides slightly so the two of them were walking side by side.
"Rule number three," He said, hiking his bag higher up on his shoulder. "and this is an important rule, so listen close."
"You've said that already, aren't they all important?"
"Okay new rule number three and this is the MOST important one." He said shortly, looking down at her. "Stop interrupting me."
"Alright, alright. My lips are sealed. Carry on, master."
Jude rolled his eyes and let out a deep breath he'd been holding, then said, "Rule number four: Out here, in the wasteland, people are only looking out for one person, themselves. Everyone out here is a selfish bastard and the sooner you learn that the happier you'll be. So-"
"Everyone except you, you mean."
Jude looked down at her in surprise, he even stopped, mid stride. "Wh-what?" He stuttered. "What do you mean, except for me?"
"Well, you're helping me, aren't you? You don't have to, I don't know you from Adam and I can't pay you, at least not yet. So you're clearly not in this for yourself. You're not a selfish bastard."
Jude stared down at the girl from the vault, mouth open and gaping. "I.."
"So the question is," Said Posey slowly, stepping in front of him so his shadow fell across her, shielding her eyes from the harsh sun that was just starting its climb in the sky. "why are you helping me? What could you possibly get out of our bargain, Mr. Hiller?"
"I.." Jude cleared his throat and stepped past her, scrubbing the back of his head, "Rule number five..."
Posey smiled widely at the man's back and jogged forward to catch up.
He's not so big and scary. What a softie. She thought, jogging after him.
Most of Jude's rules were common sense based, but it was a line of thinking Posey wasn't used to. Things like cleaning your gun every chance you got so it wouldn't jam at a critical moment and cost you your life or keeping a careful eye on your water supply. Scavenging everything you came across, taking into account the weight and worth of each item that you found, which he taught her as well. Chems for instance (jet, psycho, med-x and the like) were virtually weightless and could fetch a high price to the right buyers, while extra guns were worth much, but also very heavy but were vital in the upkeep of your own weapons as repeats of the same model could be salvaged for parts.
"Always pick up ammo." Said Jude, pausing and climbing up a particularly large chunk of rubble impeding their path. "Even if you don't have a gun that will take it yet, you might end up with one eventually, and if you have it, that means some other nut job doesn't. Which in turn means your not going to end up with a very violent case of lead poisoning. This all making sense?"
"Yeah." Said Posey, attempting to not sound so out of breath, and failing. Jude looked back down at her and reached out his hand, gripping her forearm and practically lifting her up onto the ledge he was on, and making sure she was steady before releasing her arm.
"Maybe we should take a break." He said, shifting his pack on his shoulders. "Can't have you fainting on me."
"I'm not going to faint." Said Posey, squinting up at him. Truly, this sun was getting annoying, and she could already feel her skin starting to burn. Jude looked at her critically, his eyes taking in the pink cheeks and nose, her skin still new to the UV radiation. He let out a sigh and motioned for her to follow him, where he lead the way to an overhang provided by a crumbling building. The structure looked far from secure but it created a decent amount of shade.
"We'll rest here for a bit." Said Jude, setting down his heavy pack and leaning back against the stone"You got any water in that Vault bag of yours?"
"A bit." Said Posey, joining him gladly, reveling in the shade that the building provided. She pulled out her last two bottles of water and handed one over to him.
"Damn, purified even." He said appreciatively, taking the clean bottle in his dusty hand.
"Of course it's purified. It's from the Vault."
"They had a working purifier?" Said Jude with wide eyes.
"Yeah, doesn't Megaton?"
"It has the Water Processing Plant." Said Jude, "It takes care of most major pathogens but it doesn't do squat for radiation. Did the Vault's purifier?"
"Yes, of course it did." Said Posey, dumbfounded. "You mean you've been drinking irradiated water your entire life?"
"Well, yeah."
"How are you still alive?" Demanded Posey, aghast.
"Sheer stubbornness at this point, I'm sure." Said Jude, closing his eyes and settling back against the structure and closing his eyes. His skin didn't seem to be suffering from the prolonged sun exposure, but it was already tanned so deeply that maybe didn't really matter anymore. He had a few days growth of stubble along his jaw, and a scar she'd never noticed following his temple, and over all, looked the sort of rugged and scruffy man that Posey was surprised she hadn't turn tail and ran by now. She felt sure that had she seen Jude last year, or even a month ago, he would have frightened her more than she cared to admit. Perhaps she was braver than she gave herself credit for. Or just desperate for help, no matter where it came from.
Probably the latter.
"So do you have any idea why your old man jumped ship?" Asked Jude, drawing Posey out of her thoughts.
"My guess is whatever this Project Purity is probably what drew him out." Said Posey, looking down and frowning at the cracked paving stones beneath her boots. "He was the Vault's doctor, but he knew a lot more than just medical science."
"So he was an egghead."
Posey shot him a half hearted glare, which he didn't see, as he busied himself with opening his water bottle and downing half of it.
"Yeah," she said dryly, "I guess he was. He was always looking at some kind of notes, always had his nose buried in paperwork. Well," She trailed off for a moment and thought of all the times her father had taken time to listen to her, and play a quick game of catch down on the reactor floor when Posey got a little too agitated over whatever drama she was forced to endure in her marriage counseling sessions. And when she was a child, he'd never refused her when she brought him the only three children's books she'd had. You're S.P.E.C.I.A.L, I am a Bunny, and The Jolly Barnyard. He read them all so many times, he had them memorized, and could even pronounce lines from them when she was grown, much to Posey's chagrin. "not always, I suppose." She finished slowly, following the path of a particularly large crack with the tip of her finger.
"He didn't leave you anything, no explanation at all?"
"He left me a note." Said Posey, looking down at her Pip-Boy.
"Well, let's hear it."
"What?" Posey unconsciously drew her Pip-Boy a little closer. Her last note from her father was...personal. She wasn't sure how she felt about rough and tumble "Colorado" listening in on what her father had thought was the last bit of corresponsive he and his daughter would share for a long while.
"It might have some clue about where he was heading. He might have said something you didn't catch. Let me see it." Jude sat up, finally opening his eyes and looking at her expectantly.
"It.. It's not that kind of note. It was a holotape. It's downloaded onto my Pip-Boy."
"That watch thing?" He said, glancing down at it. "Well then, play it." Said Jude with a shrug.
She looked at him, feeling oddly bashful. He stared back, raising his eyebrows slightly.
"Come on, Blondie, we don't have all day." He said a little snappily, and Posey reluctantly looked down to her Pip-Boy's screen and selected her holotape files. She waited, listening to her Pip-Boy's internal hard drive whir for a moment before her father's familiar voice began:
"Hold on Jonas, I need to record this first.
I... I don't really know how to tell you this. I hope you'll understand, but I know you might be angry. I thought about it for a long time, but in the end I decided it was best for you not to know. So many things could have gone wrong and there's really no telling how the overseer will react when he finds out. It's best if he can blame everything on me. Obviously you already know that I'm gone. It was something I needed to do. You're an adult now. You're ready to be on your own. Maybe someday things will change and we can see each other again. I can't tell you why I left or where I'm going. I don't want you to follow me. God knows life in the vault isn't perfect, but at least you'll be safe. Just knowing that will be enough to keep me going."
Posey bit her lip, fighting back tears that the first rendition of the note hadn't caused. She turned away slightly from Jude, but kept her Pip-Boy's speaker clear so the rest of the note would be audible.
"Remember your mother's favorite verse? Revelations 21:6. 'I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.' I can't tell you what it means, but please Posey, know that I'm doing this for you. And your mother. I owe it to you both."
She glanced over at Jude for a moment, to see his reaction, but he was listening hard, scanning the Wasteland's horizon, eyes narrowed and jaw set.
"Don't mean to rush you Doc, but I'd feel better if we got this over with."
Jonas' voice caused a lump to rise in her throat and she clenched her fists tight, feeling the familiar sting of her nails into her palms as she turned away again, looking up instead at the endless clouded sky above them beyond the edge of the overhang.
"Okay, go ahead Jonas. Goodbye, Posey, I love you. Never forget that."
"Well, I'm just taking a shot in the dark here." Said Jude dryly once the downloaded file finished playing. "But I'd say he didn't want you to follow him."
"I had to." Said Posey, proud at how steady her voice sounded, even though her eyes were prickling with unshed tears.
"Why? Why leave the cushy Vault life with purified water and working showers for this mess?"
"I would rather die out here than grow old down in that prison with The Overseer breathing down my neck." Said Posey throatily, her voice heavy with unshed tears. She cleared her throat and shook her head, "A-and anyway," She continued, her voice now bearing the faintest tremble. "The Overseer kind of tried to kill me, so I didn't have much of a choice." She finished, a little dryly, all previous hints at melodrama dissipated in the afternoon air of cynicism. "And the showers really weren't all that great. They were always really cold."
"Better than irradiated and communal." Said Jude just as cynically. "Believe you me, there are worse sights than Feral Ghouls out here. Lots of Megaton Settlers don't really care who sees what in the bathroom, and they're not all exactly in their prime."
Posey let out a slight laugh, quickly stifling it behind her palm. She glanced up at him, her bottom lip caught between her teeth to prevent a further slip up of mirth and he flashed her a slight smirk in return.
"Also, how come you get to be nosy?" She said, as he turned away rummaging in his pack for something. "If I ask you a question you get all snappy and tell me to shove off."
"I'm just trying to help you find your dad." He said without turning back to her. "My questions are actually pertinent."
"Not that last one." Said Posey mulishly. "I get to ask you a probing question now."
"Doesn't mean I have to answer."
"Well that's hardly fair." She said, crossing her arms and glaring at his back.
"Life's not fair, sweetheart. You should know that by now."
"Why did you go by Colorado if your name is Jude? Where did you come up with Colorado?"
"I saw it on an old license plate. And what I go by is my business, thank you very much."
Posey's scowl deepened. "Maybe you're not selfish, but you are a stubborn bastard." Muttered Posey grumpily.
"Yep." Said Jude, turning back to her, and simultaneously getting to his feet. "Now let's get a move on. We've been sitting too long, and we're almost there anyway."
Posey was still petulant as she scrambled to her feet, her muscles screaming in protest as she hauled her duffel bag back up onto her shoulders. She tried not to show the strain, but Jude watched her, his gaze unreadable as she hauled her Assault Rifle back up into her arms, looking out at the Wasteland almost bitterly, as if it were at fault for her aching feet.
"You look a little red, Blondie." He remarked, eyes sweeping over her sunburned nose and cheeks.
"Yeah well, nineteen years of no UV exposure then forty eight hours of nothing but will do that to a person." Said Posey, adjusting her Assault Rifle in her grip and shifting her weight from foot to foot. She'd never been this sore. Jude eyed her critically, then let out a sigh, crouching down and rifling through his pack. He straightened up and thrust something at her with a gruff,
"Here, it's better than nothing."
She looked at Jude, puzzled, then down to his hand, where he had clutched a faded and worn baseball cap. She let her eyes dart up to his again, a slight smile twisting her lips as she hesitantly reached out and accepted the small offering.
"Why do you-"
"Would you just take the damn hat so you don't burn to a crisp?" He said, shoving it into her hands. "And hurry it up, like I said, we're not that far away and I want to be out of here by the time it gets dark. Rule number one, Blondie."
"Make good time, or you're toast." Said Posey dutifully, pulling the baseball cap securely onto her head.
"Glad to see your dad wasn't the only egghead down in that Vault. Alright, let's go."
Jude
Jude, contrary to Posey's belief, did acknowledge the unfairness of the "Deep Probing Questions" front. He also acknowledged that he didn't care what she thought was fair. As far as he was concerned, all his questions had been perfectly reasonable. If there was some insidious reason as to why she'd left the vault, (What if they did have whacked out experimentation, or cannibals, or some kind of plague?) he had the right to know about it. He looked back over his shoulder and let out a slight snort. Posey was toddling after him, her ridiculous leather jacket tied around her waist, the hat he'd given her casting a shadow over her face and simultaneously making her look about twelve years old. She glanced up at him, and he reconsidered that thought. He didn't know many twelve year olds, but he was pretty sure they didn't have faces like that. She was something that Gob or Walter would have called a Doll. Cute? Yes. Insidious? Not in the slightest.
He turned back around, hiking his pack higher up on his shoulders and trudged on. He knew exactly where Rivet City was, it was just a matter of approaching the city from a different direction than he was use to that made him wary. Also the fact that had yet to run into any Raiders or Super Mutants. This close to ruins, they should have run into almost a dozen of each by now. But the way was completely and utterly, quiet.
They followed along the river, walking side by side on the decaying sidewalk when Jude spotted them. Super Mutants.
"Hey," He said, holding up a hand, his knuckles just brushing Posey's shoulder. "watch it, there's a couple of greenies up ahead."
"A couple of-"
"Super Mutants." Elaborated Jude, slowly taking his gun from its usual place in the harness on his back. "But they're a good ways off, look." He pointed across the river to a building surrounded by metal walkways. The building sat in the middle of the mess, its rounded roof distinct among the old high rises they'd seen thus far. "Huh, we're closer than I thought." He murmured, squinting off to the east. "You can see Rivet City from here, look." He pointed to where the outline of the carrier turned city was visible. Since their break, clouds had rolled over the sun, and nearly rendering the cap on Posey's head virtually pointless.
"Think we can sneak past those Mutants?" Asked Posey, her grip on her gun shifting and Jude felt her shrink a little closer to him, almost unconsciously.
"Easy." Said Jude, glaring over at the murky shapes of the Mutants. "We can be quick, stick to the buildings and they'll never even notice we're here. Come on."
Jude wasn't remotely worried about the Mutants, but saw Posey's eyes dart back to the hulking creatures every so often, and her knuckles were white on her rifle.
"They're not gonna see us, Blondie." He said quietly "Come on."
As they slunk past the mutants, Jude kept a close eye on both the mutants and Posey, keeping his gaze between the two of them. She was smart, and for the most part, careful and he doubted she could do anything to attract the Mutant's attention unless she started jumping up and down and waving her arms, but he was still wary. His skepticism had saved his life on more than one occasion and so until it failed him, the thought he'd keep at it. But, he had no need to be wary and they passed by the oddly shaped building with little incident.
Bringing Posey to Rivet City was worth it just to see how wide her eyes got as they made their way up the metal walk that Jude had climbed dozens of times before. Posey's enormous blue eyes swept across the beached hanger with interest mingled with amazement, looking much more appreciative than he had when he'd first laid eyes on the craft. He'd thought it looked like a dump. He passed his way up to the intercom without a pause, and pressed the button that initiated a buzz of static.
"Welcome to Rivet City, please wait for the bridge to extend."
"This is amazing." Said Posey, looking from Rivet City back to Jude. "There's a city in there! How many people?"
"I don't know. Never really bothered counting." He said as he stepped back, propping his gun up on his shoulder and watching with bemusement as Posey's eyes widened still as with a great screeching of rusty metal, the bridge to swung out to meet them.
"Don't leave your mouth hangin open like that, Blondie." Said Jude, stepping onto the bridge. "You don't know what's going to fly in there."
Posey clamped her jaw shut tight and hurried after him, jogging to keep up as they approached the doors to Rivet City. As they approached, Jude raised a hand in greeting to the familiar figure of Rivet City's head of security, Harkness, and was surprised when the man, who was usually, well, not exactly nice but at least not openly hostile towards him, held up his laser rifle threateningly and said gruffly: "Hold it right there."
Jude was almost offended. A lack of open hostility was about as close as Jude got to friendship, and this was certainly a new development.
"State your business in Rivet City." Said Harkness, and Jude noticed his rifle was trained, not on him, but on Posey.
"Hey, Harkness." He said, stepping forward, in front of Posey slightly "She's-"
"Quiet," snapped Harkness, glancing at Jude for a fraction of a second before pinning his eyes back on Posey, who had stiffened but to Jude's surprise, held her ground.
"I'm looking for Doctor Li." Said Posey evenly.
"Harkness, she's with me." Said Jude irritably. Harkness ignored Jude entirely.
"And let me guess," Continued Harkness, looking at Posey distrustfully. "She's not expecting you, but you need to see her right away."
"I-" Tried Posey but Harkness cut her off,
"Been a lot of that lately, and I've had just about enough of it. So you're going to have to do better than that."
"Did the part where I said 'She's with me' escape you entirely?" Said Jude angrily. "Come on, Harkness. I've never given you any trouble."
"She isn't you." Said Harkness, glaring at Jude.
"But-"
"I'm looking for my father." Interrupted Posey, her voice calm and clear. "And last I heard he was here, looking for Doctor Li."
"Oh yeah, and who told you that?" Demanded Harkness.
"Three Dog, from Galaxy News. Listen, sir. I'm not here to cause any trouble. All I need is to speak with Doctor Li and find my father."
Harkness looked from Posey to Jude and back again, glowering at the pair of them before finally, lowering his rifle.
"The two of you came from D.C?"
"Yes." Said Posey, her voice steady and gaze unwavering.
"You spoke to Three Dog?"
"I did. And after some, business dealings, he told me my father came here."
"Business, huh?"
"I can be quite the business women, if need be." Said Posey, raising an eyebrow and flashing a knowing little smile.
Jude had to admit, he was rather stunned at this turn. Posey had gone from awkward duckling, toddling along behind him, to a smooth talking and confident dame, despite her worn baseball cap and too big jacket. Now it was he who had to clap his jaw shut.
Harkness considered her for a moment, then holstered his rifle.
"Alright girlie." He said slowly, giving her a once over. "You can find Doctor Li in the Science Lab, just through that door. You listen here though, if I catch wind of any trouble, you're done. Clear?"
"Crystal." Said Posey emphatically, nodding.
"And if she causes any trouble." Said Harkness, shooting a hard look at Jude. "I'm holding you responsible, Colorado."
"I wouldn't expect anything less of you, Harkness." Said Jude, shaking himself out of his stunned silence.
"Right then. Carry on." He said stiffly, stepping aside and allowing the two of them to pass by him and into the city.
"Where the hell did that come from, Blondie?" Demanded Jude once they were inside the ship. Posey was taking in the cramped, metal hallways with interest, and didn't bother looking at him as she replied,
"I'm not sure. I'm just getting better at telling people what they need to hear I guess."
"Need to hear?"
"Back at the G.N.R. building, before you showed up, I sort of blew up at Three Dog when he asked for my help. If I'd been a little more careful, spoken a little smoother, I might not have had to risk my neck getting that broadcast rely. So, I'm trying to be a little more-"
"Sneaky? Conniving?" Asked Jude, stepping over a mess of hoses and pipes crossing the floor but keeping his gaze trained on her, waiting for her response.
"Calculating." Said Posey giving him a withering look. "Thinking before I speak."
"Is that so?" He said, raising his eyebrows. "I hope you stick to it."
"You and me both." Said Posey, looking away from him and examining the signs bolted onto the metal walls at the end of the hall. Jude's gaze couldn't help but fall on the motorcycle propped against the wall, and he let out a soft sigh as he took in the sleek lines of its aerodynamic frame. Something like that shouldn't be kept in a rusted bucket of bolts like this place, even if it wouldn't ever move again.
"The Science Lab is this way." Said Posey, pointing down to her right and stepping around him to continue down the hall. "Come on," She said, looking at him over her shoulder with raised eyebrows. "Get the lead out, Carolina."
"I don't even know where that is." Complained Jude, following after her. Posey shot him a grin before turning back to the door before her.
"Find me a map of U.S.A and maybe if you ask real nice, I'll show you."
She opened the door before he could respond and disappeared into the Lab. By the time he'd caught up with her, she was already at the bottom of the stairs, her eyes sweeping over the people clustered into little groups in the large room. There were tables around the place, littered with all sorts of beakers and clipboards, and people in lab coats milled about, looking at him in their stuck up, egghead way. Jude scowled, and straightened his leather armor subconsciously. He hated places like this.
"He's not here." Said Posey quietly, a frown tugging on the corners of her lips. "He can't have beat me again."
"Well, let's find this Li, and ask her if he's still around here somewhere or if she knows where he went." Said Jude, joining her in scanning the room.
"Which one do you suppose is Doctor Li?" Asked Posey, looking about. There was one scientist who looked particularly fed up, her arms crossed and glowering at a man in a suit who seemed to be having a pretty heated argument and two more stood at tables, tabulating and calculating something or other. Jude shook his head.
"Hell if I know, find the bossiest looking one. It's probably her."
"That really doesn't help." Said Posey with a slight frown. She took a deep breath and brushed her jacket down before stepping up to a woman with greying hair, swept back into an elegant bun. The woman was scowling down at a clipboard and looking from it to a table where, to Jude's amazement, fresh vegetables and fruits were resting.
"Excuse me," Said Posey politely, "are you Doctor Li?"
"This is a restricted area," snapped the woman, not looking up from her clipboard, "and I am tired of telling you people! I-" She looked up and her voice died in her throat upon seeing Posey, standing with her hat in her hands, and blonde hair fuzzy and coming free from its braid.
"It's you.." Said the woman, her voice weak. "My heavens, you... you look so much like him."
Jude stepped forward, standing a few paces behind Posey and folding his arms across his chest and glowering. The sooner this lady spilled on where the old man was, the sooner they could get out of there.
"You're James' daughter, aren't you? What're you doing here?"
"You know my father?" Said Posey eagerly, all composure immediately lost at the mention of her dad. "Have you seen him? He's not still here is he?"
"Well of course I know your father. Don't you know who I am? I suppose James never mentioned me," The woman snorted. "Typical."
Jude raised an eyebrow. He was no expert, but he sensed some history there, not to mention a fair amount of bitterness. He knew a scorned woman when he saw one.
"I'm Doctor Madison Li." Said the woman primly, smoothing down the front of her labcoat and extending her hand to Posey, who shook it politely saying
"Pleasure to meet you, I'm Posey Bennett."
"I remember. I was there when Catherine decided upon that, unique, name."
Posey frowned slightly and Jude smirked. At least he wasn't the only one who thought it was odd.
" I worked with your father, many years ago." continued Doctor Li. "Your mother too, in fact." Doctor Li's voice was strained and her gaze hard, but she took a shuddering breath and said in a softer voice. "You'll have to forgive me. It's been rather, stressful around here. What with your father coming back after all this time and that idiot Doctor Zimmer breathing down our necks every chance he gets. You have to understand, Project Purity was a long time ago. Me and my team have put all of it, our work, our notes, anything to do with Project Purity behind us. Even if your father hasn't."
"I need to find him." Said Posey fervently, "Have you seen him?"
"You mean you haven't? I assumed he sent you here. For that matter," Said Doctor Li, narrowing her eyes shrewdly, "Aren't you supposed to be in a Vault? James said he left you in Vault 101."
"I left the Vault, to look for him."
"Did you?" Li raised her eyebrows in surprise. "I was under the impression that's exactly the opposite of what he wanted for you. Your safety has always been his top concern."
"Well then," Said Posey dryly, "he should be happy I did leave. I was forced out of the Vault by The Overseer. Or, more accurately, smuggled out by his daughter so that The Overseer didn't kill me."
"Dear me," Said Doctor Li cooly, "and here I thought the Wasteland was full of savages."
Jude thought he saw her gaze flit up to him, but it happened so fast it might have been his imagination. Either way, his scowl deepened.
"'Savage' is a pretty relative term," Said Posey, almost coldly. Maybe she'd seen the flit too. "Now, if you'd please Doctor Li, if you have any information as to where my dad is at the moment, I'd be very grateful."
"Your father isn't here any longer, he's come and gone already."
"Do you have any idea where he went?"
Doctor Li let out a sigh and turned back to her clipboard, shaking her head as she looked through the data she'd collected.
"Your father insisted we return to work on Project Purity." She said, flipping a few of the papers on her board up and scanning over the pages underneath. "I tried telling him that too much time has passed; there's no way it could work. Predictably," She said sardonically, "He refused to listen to me. He says he can prove it will work, and headed off to our old lab. I'm sorry, I don't know what else to tell you."
"Well for starters," Said Posey a little irritably "where is this old lab of yours?"
"You probably passed it on your way here actually. It's in the old Jefferson Memorial building, just northwest of here."
Doctor Li finally looked up from her paperwork, her steady gaze fixed on Posey,
"Please don't go after him." She said sincerely. "It was incredibly foolish of him to go there alone."
"Thank you Doctor Li, for the information. I have to go now."
"Miss Bennett, please-"
But Posey had already turned to face him again, and he saw the glint in her eye. Utter defiance and determination and he stepped aside, allowing her to lead the way up and out of the lab. Just when he thought he had this girl figured out...
"Jefferson Memorial building." Said Posey once they were free of the lab and making their way back through the twisting hallways of Rivet City. "That wouldn't happen to be the building with the funny roof surrounded by Super Mutants, would it?"
"That's the only one I can think of." Said Jude, placing a hand on Posey's shoulder and guiding her over to the wall so a security guard could pass. "We'll take it just like we took the Metro. Quick and quiet. You snipe as many as you can. In fact..." He said slowly, glancing around the hallway. "What time is it?"
Posey checked her Pip-Boy. "2:17. Why?"
"We're going to make a quick stop into the Marketplace before we head out. We're going to get a new toy."
"What are you talking about?" Said Posey, frowning slightly, but Jude was already wrenching open the door to the midship and stepping out onto the platform, giving Harkness a nod before turning the handle to the Marketplace.
"We don't have time for any 'toys'." Said Posey irritably, stepping after him. "You saw how many Super Mutants where at that place! If my dad-"
"This isn't going to take long, Blondie." Said Jude, scanning the Marketplace before spotting just what he was looking for and heading off towards it with a smile. "And trust me, this is going to be worth it."
He made a beeline for Flak 'N Shrapnel and called, "Hey, Flak. I've got some caps for you, if you've got me a gun."
"Who do you think you're talking to. Of course I've got you a gun." Said Flak gruffly, looking up from the Assault Rifle he'd been tinkering with and giving Jude a glare.
"Good. Because I need one. I need a sniper rifle. Good condition too, and a decent ammount of ammo."
Flak raised his eyebrows. "Didn't think you were much of a sniper kind of man, with that shotgun of yours." He said, nodding at Jude's Combat Shotgun.
"It's not for me." Said Jude, and Flak's eyes fell on Posey.
"Well," Said Flak with a grin. "you sure know how to treat a lady, Colorado. A Sniper, huh? She's a bit small for a Sniper, ain't she?"
"I handled a Fat Man pretty well in D.C." said Posey, crossing her arms over her chest. "I don't suppose a Sniper could be much trouble, after that."
Both Flak and Jude couldn't help but stare, until Flak's lips twisted up in a grudging smile. "Well I'll be damned. Where'd you find this little lady, Colorado? I don't suppose you've got a sister, do you honey?"
"Only child, I'm afraid." Said Posey, not returning his smile.
"Well, I've got one Sniper." Said Flak slowly, "But it's taken me a while to get a hold of it. It's gonna cost you a pretty penny."
"Let's see the Rifle first." Said Jude. He was use to bartering and he knew how long it could potentially take. He also knew Posey wasn't going to be up for a long haggling session. "We've got places to be though, Flak. So let's make it snappy."
As Flak went around to the back of his shop to fetch the Sniper from a locker, Jude turned to Posey and said, "How many caps did you salvage back at the Metro?"
"I'm up to seventy caps." She said, twisting her fingers in the strap of duffel nervously. "How much is a Sniper Rifle going to cost?"
"A lot more than seventy." Said Jude, glancing back at Flak. "But that should be more than enough for ammo, give me thirty of them."
Posey reached into her duffel and began counting out the caps just as Flak said,
"Here you are, Colorado. One Sniper Rifle for one lucky lady. Check it out."
Jude turned and swept his gaze over the Sniper in Flak's hands. It did appear to be in excellent condition, though as Jude knew already, Sniper Rifles were large, and from what he knew of Posey's endurance, not to mention her obvious disadvantage of size, it would be impractical for her to carry around all the time.
"What if I just wanted to borrow it for awhile. I'll pay you a security deposit, and a rental fee. And of course, I'll buy all the ammo myself."
"Of course." Said Flak raising his eyebrows. "Never rented anything out before, I don't know, Colorado. How do I know you won't just take off with it?"
"That's what the deposit is for. I pay you, let's say, three hundred caps? I bring back this Sniper, in the exact condition I take it in, you give me back two fifty. I take off, you keep all my caps and I keep your gun. Simple as that."
Flak thought, scratching his stubbly cheek for a moment while Posey huffed impatiently behind him.
"And we'll take thirty caps worth of ammo, if you please." Said Jude, and Posey dropped her handful of caps on the counter in front of Flak.
"I dunno, three hundred seems a little light for a beauty like this." He said. Posey stiffened beside Jude and said, her voice tight.
"Mr. Flak, we're in a bit of a rush so if you could-"
"Three fifty then. You still give me back two hundred when I return the gun." Interrupted Jude, placing down a pouch of caps on the counter and staring directly at Flak. "One hundred and fifty for a few hours, and I'll bring it back in the condition it leaves in or you keep it all. Final offer."
"Fine." Said Flak, "But this comes back in the exact condition it leaves or they'll be hell to pay, Colorado."
"Wouldn't doubt it Flak. And besides," He said, flinging the gun over his shoulder. "you know me. I'm a man of my word."
Flak snorted and Jude grinned before turning away and jerking his head towards the Marketplace door. "Moving right along, Blondie. Right on schedule." Jude turned away but still caught Posey's look of exasperation, and for some reason, it put a spring in his step as he pushed his way out into Wasteland.
"Why did you buy this thing there is no way I can use this!"
Posey hissed, eyeing the Sniper Rifle Jude had set up on a surprisingly smooth piece of pavement. It was close enough to the Memorial building, but far enough away that the Mutants still hadn't spotted them.
"You're the one who said you could handle it, Miss 'I nuked a Behemoth with a Fat-Man.'" Whispered Jude furiously. "Now get down here before they spot you!"
Posey laboriously laid down behind the Sniper, her movements as wary as if it were a coiled snake ready to strike.
"Now just take it easy and line up your shots. There's no rush on your first one." Said Jude, keeping his voice low. "You take out the two within range and then we'll run up and take out the next two from the top of the railing. You took out those ghouls in D.C. no problem. This isn't that different. This'll be easy as pie."
"How would you know if making pie is easy?" Demanded Posey, squinting one eye shut and leaning into the scope of the rifle.
"Hell Blondie, I don't even know what pie is it's just a thing that people say now would you please just take the shot?"
Before he had even finished his sentence, there was a short blast, followed almost immediately by a second bang and two Mutants dropped. Jude gaped, open mouthed at the fallen Mutants, then back to Posey, a grin slowly forming on his face.
"Well I'll be damned Blondie, you've got eyes like a hawke in the dark!"
"I don't think that's a good thing." She said with a slight frown but Jude was already getting to his feet and skulking up the ramp of the building, motioning for her to follow. She did so, and this time, set up the rifle on her own and without any direction from him, downed the remaining Mutants before they could even lift their guns in response.
"Holy shit, Blondie!" Crowed Jude, looking down at her with an almost manic grin. "You've been holding out on me! This was the easiest raid I've ever been on!"
Posey blushed and but looked pleased, shyly pulling her borrowed cap more snuggly down onto her head to busy her hands.
"The scope makes a difference." She said, getting to her feet while Jude followed suit. "It's really not all that much skill involved."
"If you say so." Said Jude, leading the way across the ramp and stooping down to search the Super Mutant for ammo "What did you DO in that Vault all day?"
"Well, when you're a kid you go to school, until you're sixteen and you take the General Occupation Aptitude Test and they assign you a career based off that." Said Posey, shifting the awkwardly long and heavy sniper against her shoulder and following after him. "You train for that job until you're eighteen and then you start working, basically full time after you graduate."
"So you had a job down there." Said Jude, straightening up and looking at her with raised eyebrows.
"Yes, everyone did." Said Posey with a slight frown. "It was a big part of Vault protocal.'Happy work is Hard work'. That sort of a thing."
"What did you do?" He asked, cocking his head to the side. "Were you a doc, like your dad? Something smart I'm sure." For some reason, the idea of her having a job both amused and intrigued him. What could she have done? A doll like her who could stitch up a wound and take hundred yard head shots down in a Vault?
Posey blushed and looked away, stepping past him and continuing down the ramp at a quick pace. "It's not important what I did down there. That was a long time ago."
"That was like two weeks ago, Blondie."
"Yeah well it might as well have been two years. It doesn't matter any more."
"Why the sudden rush? You were bursting at the seams with Vault knowledge just a second ago."
"I said it's not important." She repeated, frowning up at him. "Besides, you'll only laugh at me."
"What if I promise not to?" Asked Jude, grinning down at her. This was something new. She really was bothered about this, her cheeks pink, and lips turned down in a frown. Jude had never considered himself a tease before but he couldn't help himself.
"You'll still laugh."
"Nah, you heard what I told Flak. I'm a man of my word, Blondie! Come on. What did you do?"
She sighed and stopped walking, turning to face him at the end of the metal walk way with her arms folded across her chest.
"If you laugh, I'll hit you. I swear I will." She threatened, scowling at him. Jude smirked and raised two fingers.
"Scouts honor, I won't laugh. Promise."
"You're not a boy scout."
"How would you know? Cross my heart and hope to die, I won't laugh."
Posey looked up at him, before letting out a sigh and dropping her arms in defeat. "I was the Vault's...marriage counselor."She muttered.
Jude stared at her, eyebrows raised and mouth hanging open, before letting out a loud and completely unintentional guffaw.
"You promised you wouldn't laugh!" Said Posey angrily, swatting him in the arm.
"I-I'm sorry," He said, covering his mouth to hold back a chuckle. "it's just... A marriage counselor? Really! You?!"
"Yes, me." Said Posey shortly, glowering up at him. "Why's that so hard to believe?"
"Nothing, just...you don't seem exactly experienced in that field." He said, lips twitching in an effort to hold back a smile.
"What's that suppose to mean!"
"It means you're nineteen and from what I gather, clearly unmarried. What a worthless position, anyway. With your aim they should have had you on guard duty."
"Don't try and flatter me and make me forget I'm mad at you." Said Posey, holding up a threatening finger. "A man is only as good as his word, Mr. Colorado and you," She prodded him hard in the chest. "have gone back on yours!"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He said pushing away her hand with a smile. "It just caught me unawares is all. I'm done laughing. Promise."
"You better be." Said Posey warningly, stomping over to a doorway with a rusted metal sign that read 'GIFT SHOP' and placing her hand on the handle.
"One last question." Said Jude, unable to keep the smirk on his face.
"Again with the unfair questioning!" She cried, throwing her hands up in exasperation. "This is going to be a serious problem, if you don't ease up." She growled, turning to face him with a frown.
"It's an innocent one, I swear." He replied, grinning down at her. "Where did a marriage counselor, learn to shoot like that?"
Posey let out a sigh, and leaned back against the door, folding her arms again and looking up at him with a scowl. "You realize I now have two questions in my question bank that I can spend at any time."
"Noted." Said Jude, leaning next to her, with his shoulder propped up on the wall. Posey sighed, as if already regretting answering his question but continued:
"Well, when it came to free time, we didn't have a lot of extracurricular stuff around but we made due with what we had. There was a baseball team, I had quite a few books and we hosted dances every so often, and for my tenth birthday, my dad built me a shooting range down on the reactor floor, and gave me a BB gun to use and..Jude?"
Jude, who had been listening with a slight smile on his face had stumbled suddenly, eyes wide at this new bit of information and his shoulder sliding down off the rough brick. He stared down at Posey and unbidden, an image he'd been repressing for years flashed before his eyes.
Bright white sheets, flapping in the breeze, splattered scarlet.
"Jude? Are you okay? You're white as a sheet."
Jude flinched and shook his head, and thankfully when he opened his eyes all he could see was Posey, looking up at him, worry etched into every line of her face. Worried about him. Worried for him. How long had it been since someone had worried about him?
"I'm fine." He said mechanically. "It's just..."
Did he dare tell her? Unbidden, the words rose to his lips before he could stop them. "My dad got me a BB gun, too. Tenth birthday, even." He said, his voice hollow. He took an ungainly step forward and seized the door handle. He shook his head, trying desperately to clear it. The euphoria at the easy approach, the mirth from teasing Posey had died, replaced by a dizzying peak of something not unlike panic building between his ears.
"Really?" She asked quietly, and he looked down at her, his hand clenching the door knob to prevent his hand from shaking. There was that look again, deep in those improbably blue eyes. Concern. Worry.
He couldn't decide if he liked the slight twitch in his chest as she looked at him, or despised it.
"Yeah." He said, clearing his throat and tearing his gaze away from hers and looking down at the handle in his vice like grip. "Yeah. I hated the damn thing." He ran his thumb over the curve of the knob, following a line of tarnish and trying desperately to keep himself steady. Posey's hand hesitantly covered his on the knob and he resisted the urge to jerk back. He didn't look at her though, as she turned the handle and pushed the door open, dank, cool air washing over the pair of them and making goosebumps rise on his flesh as they both dropped their hands, staring down into the musty darkness.
"Well," She said quietly, looking up at him as he hesitantly met her gaze. Thankfully, her look of concern had faded, and a different sort of spark jumped in her eye. "Shall we?" She asked, raising an eyebrow and shooting up an almost mischievous grin.
Jude decided suddenly that maybe that slight twitch wasn't so bad after all.
An: Okay this chapter has gone through some serious troubles as you can probably tell. Frankly it almost killed me. It got deleted several times (I cried the third time, I'm not ashamed to admit), scrapped once and cursed at often. So you guys are just lucky it's out! Because this one for some reason wasn't easy! It's just I've got so much interesting stuff planned and written out and I can't wait to get to it but I have to actually, you know, get there... but get there we shall! I promise!
Special shout out toLatisha McPeanuts and Tirechanclas for their reviews and support! You guys make staying up til one thirty on a school night worth it!
As always, Thank you so much for reading and please review! And if you've got a suggestion for a song for this chapter please PLEASE let me know! I fixed it but tell me if you think it fits? It's The Fire and The Flood by Vance Joy. I just wanted to get it out and I didn't really think about the song much. As always song suggestions are always appreciated!
Farewell lovlies!