The endless trek. No tangible thought, no known goal. Always the next step, the next hill, the next tree. On and on into the setting sun, their only guide through this poisoned land. The wind whispered of the long dead, a reminder perhaps of what will one day come? It didn't matter, nothing mattered except the next step, the next hill, the next tree.

Every day bled into the next, always the same but always changing. Sometimes they stayed in an abandoned house, sometimes under a blackened tree but every day it was still the same routine. Wake, eat, walk, rest, eat, drink, walk, walk, walk, darkness, sleep. The travellers spoke little during their time together. Every spoken word was a wasted breath from their lungs. When walking was a way of life, every breath was precious.

When food was low; they hunted. When the water was gone; they scavenged. The water wasn't always clean but they had no choice. More than once Perry fell ill to radiation sickness. When he couldn't walk, Fawkes would carry him until they flushed it from his system or simply recovered on his own. Perry was no fool; if he had attempted this journey a year ago he would already be dead.

Days turned to weeks and always Perry thought of what he left behind. What of his vault, his friends? But he would push them from his mind, the vault banished him and so he had moved on from them. His friends? They would hear of his departure and would hopefully understand. But no matter how many times he told himself to keep going, the memories slithered through his thoughts a thousand times a day. Moira was right; he couldn't escape himself.

But it was too late to go back; by now the FEV virus was flooding Washington, it was a miracle Fawkes and Perry had managed to leave in time. But why did he go through all this effort for Fawkes? Why travel with him at all? He thought to himself that maybe it wasn't so much for Fawkes as for himself. Fawkes was simply the excuse he needed.

Or maybe he did care for Fawkes? He had spent decades, perhaps longer by himself in a single room. That was isolation so horrifying it would make Perry shiver just contemplating it. Whatever loneliness Perry felt, Fawkes has known worse. Much, much worse. So Perry enjoyed his company, maybe to feel better about himself, or maybe because he felt a kinship with the isolated giant. Could be both, or neither; he couldn't tell anymore.

At long last, a landmark appeared. As the companions drew closer they could read the rotten sign say Welcome to Illinois!

Perry brought up his pipboy and zoomed out to a full view of the United States, they had travelled surprisingly far. But still they had found no signs of any civilization. Maybe he was wrong, maybe there was less life out West than he thought.

"Feeling lost kid?"

Perry immediately brought up Blackhawk and looked around for the source of the voice. But there was no one. He spun around and aimed behind him. Nothing. He turned back and there stood a man.

The figure was dressed in a light brown trench coat and seemingly appeared from nowhere. Perry didn't move, but he kept his sights on the man's head all the same. Fawkes growled at the figure but he simply chuckled.

"Okay kid, put your hairless poodle on a leash if you want to hear what I have to say. Besides, you wouldn't want to shoot an old friend would you?"

Perry raised an eyebrow. "Have we met?" he asked sceptically.

"Not in the traditional sense, no. But I've pulled your butt out of the fire so many times the least you could do is put that gun away. You dig?"

Something clicked inside Perry's mind.

A Super Mutant stood over him, about to bring a death crashing down. A shot is fired. The giant falls back, Perry looked over his shoulders and catches a glimpse of a man disappearing behind a building. He gets up, chases him, but as he turns the corner the alley is empty.

Perry ducks behind cover, the raider with the missile launcher is making the attack difficult. He was on a balcony somewhere. Perry slowly looks up in time for an explosion to blind him. He screams and falls to the ground. A shot is fired. As his vision slowly clears, he can see the raider falling from the balcony. He looks around and a trench coat figure is seen running behind a broken truck.

"It's you…"

"Now you're getting the picture." He said with a smile.

Perry lowers Blackhawk and motions for Fawkes to relax. He backs off but it's difficult for a Super Mutant to not appear threatening to some degree.

"Who are you?"

The man pulls a cigarette out from his coat pocket and lights it up. Taking a deep drag he says, "Not important."

Irritated, Perry responds, "Then what are you doing here? As a matter of fact, why have you been helping me?"

The stranger blows a cloud of smoke seemingly taking his time. "You ask a lot of pointless questions you know that? Who is another word for what, and what I am is a man in a trench coat. Any more is not your concern."

"Then whose concern is it?"

The stranger smiled. "Now you're catching on. Let's just say my employer is heavily invested in your safety," The stranger took another drag from his cigarette. "At least for now…"

Perry was getting annoyed with his impenetrable answers. He raised Blackhawk again. "Start making sense before I loose my temper."

The Stranger simply chuckled. "Kid, I know you're a big shot where you come from but that doesn't mean you can order everyone around. I've only come to do what I've always done; to help you."

"Get on with it then." Perry still had Blackhawk aimed on the Stranger. He didn't feel threatened by this man he just felt… unnerved.

"You're lost kid, have been for a while actually but that's a whole 'nother topic. I know you want to quit but just keep on trekking. You'll find a community that grew out of a vault about three days walk from here. But only stay for as long it takes for you to resupply and recover then keep going West."

Perry could hear the genuine concern in the Stranger's voice but still wasn't convinced. "Why should I keep going West?"

The Stranger dropped his cigarette and crushed it with his shoe. "There's a friend I want you to meet. I won't spoil the surprise but let's just say I have a feeling you'll get along just fine."

"Start making sense!" Perry shouted as the nervous tension built inside him.

"That's all kid, do with it what you will." The Stranger then took a step and was strolling to the back of the welcome sign. Perry had enough; he took aim at the Strangers leg and fired.

Nothing.

Did he miss? He fired again; he could see the impact of the bullet into the dirt directly behind the man's legs. He simply continued walking like nothing had happened. As he turned to walk behind the sign, he gave Perry a goodbye tap of his hat and disappeared from view. Perry ran around but of course, like so many times before, nothing was there.

He just continued to stare into the emptiness trying to figure out what happened. Fawkes slowly approached him.

Looking up at Fawkes Perry asked, "You saw him right?"

Fawkes nodded. "That I did, his presence made me… uneasy."

Perry turned back to the empty expanse. He had no real reason to not trust the Stranger; after all he had saved his life a dozen times over. But it's difficult to trust a man who never shows himself. In any case, Perry decided to follow the Strangers advice.

The companions continued west, but always wherever they travelled, whenever they rested, they were being watched by the guardian in a trench coat.

A/N: Apologies for the short chapter, but hopefully it won't be too shitty eh? If you have any suggestions for how I can improve my writing or any ideas you'd like to share please don't hesitate to hit me up. I always appreciate feedback.