We arrive at the Citadel Ruins by high noon. The sun is hot, and directly above us. Beads of sweat travel down the side of my face. I'm not use to the extra hot days in the desert. Usually, the shades of the buildings in Megaton would save me. But I am not in Megaton now. Instead, I am standing once again where both my father and myself come from. Where just beneath our feet, a nesting mound of angry Raiders resides. The only people not taking this matter seriously, are my mother and Dizzy. Although, my mother understands the severity of the situation, Dizzy does not.

"Dizzy! Where I can see you!"

My father calls, angrier than usual. He isn't angry at Dizzy, simply angry towards her. He wants to see her, to keep her safe. Any parent would also understand his situation. Mom stands closest to the ruins, looking at it as if it's a familiar friend. I wonder what's going through her mind right now. What is it, she's seeing? Memories of hers about this place, can they truly plague her like they plague my father?

As if she knows I'm thinking about her, my mother turns around and looks right into my eyes. I respect my mother, and at times like now, fear her. I swallow a hard lump in my throat.

"Charon?"

She says as her eyes drift away from me. Her hair blows in a cool breeze, and my father who is keeping a watchful eye on an overly-energetic Dizzy, slowly walks over to her.

"What is it?"

"…It's been seventeen years, since I've been here. Since…we've been here."

"It brings back memories."

"More for you, than for me I know."

My father nods slow, and solemn. I glance to my left at Dizzy, who picks up the energy of our parents like a dog. She stops her bouncing around and looks at them.

"I'm going to look like mom one day, aren't I? Covered in battle-scars, and toughened from the elements."

Dizzy says to me, in a serious tone she rarely ever uses. I see her in a different light right now. I can't quite explain it. I see her, standing there with a stern and focused look on her face. Inside, she's raging and turmoil bubbles. Adrenaline at the thought of the impending violence sends waves of twitching through her hands.

"If you survive, yeah."

I tell her. She narrows her eyes, and her eyebrows crinkle. The gears turn in her head, as she takes a step forward. Mom and dad glance back, and see us both moving towards them. Silently, the four of us walk across the ruined grounds of the Citadel Ruins.

"Mom?"

Dizzy calls, her tone now more childish. Mom looks back at her, and I glance over. Dizzy looks like a frightened child.

"There's going to be a lot of blood, isn't there?"

Mom nods, clutching her gun tightly.

"And there's a chance we'll get hurt?"

Again, our mother nods. Dizzy swallows hard, and I expect her to call for our father. I expect her, to run to his side and take his hand like she would as a child. I thought, she was going to ask him to protect her, to keep her safe with his precise training, and keen senses. But instead, I feel her hand slide into mine. I feel her fingers squeeze my palm, as she looks up at me.

"…Don't let me die in there, alright?"

Memories of our childhood run through my mind. It was my father, who finished the battles and fights she got into as a child. But, it was always me she ran to first. Me, she cried to. Me, she begged to make it all go away. In my father, she found a different protection, than she did in me. She knows he would lay his life down, for the safety of his little girl. And yet, she hasn't ever seen him do that. She's never been in that position with him. But with me, she has been. I squeeze her hand back.

"No one, is going to die, Dizzy. Especially you."

I tell her, leaving out the part that there may be grievous bodily harm. I think she knows this, though, because she's still nervous. Through that nervousness, she nods, as we walk through the doors to gain access to the lower entrances.

She doesn't let go of our hand, as our footsteps echo and bounce in the emptiness. Ahead of us, my father holds my mother's hand tightly. Dizzy steps closer to me as we walk, nearly on top of me. As we get closer and closer, my heart begins to beat faster and faster. I refrain from letting myself shake. I want to hide the fear, of knowing this will be my first confrontation of a large mass. It isn't even a large mass. It's nothing, compared to my parents, and what they did in their lives.

I feel a bit shamed, as my mother opens the lower door and we begin the descent. Dizzy's hand holds mine tightly, and I can sense the fear, the adrenaline. The two of us are frightful of this, when my parents, faced much larger and more severe opponents. How did they do it? How…were they able to face it?

"Mom? Dad?"

Dizzy says, suddenly. Her voice echoes down the stainless steel hall, and our parents turn to look at her. She's visibly shaken, and a bit green in the face.

"How'd…how'd you do it? How'd you walk into things like this all the time?"

Sometimes I seriously wonder if Dizzy is telepathic with me. Or instead, if she can simply sense the things I cannot say. My father looks at my mother, letting her answer. Half of me expects mom to smile. To you know, give us a hopeful look. But, she doesn't. Instead, mom closes her eyes for a quick minute. The three scars across her face, give her look a more serious tone. I hold my breath.

"…I don't know, really, sweet heart. We…just did. We…"

"We knew the price, if we ran."

My father finishes her sentence, as my mother loses her words to caution. She looks up at my father, and nods her head. There's a smile, hidden beneath her tough exterior. Dizzy holds my hand a bit tighter.

"Your father is right. We knew the consequences for us, and for the people of the Capital Wasteland, would be dire if we ran."

"And didn't you fight them? In the Pitt? The Raiders?"

My mother frowns, as we stand in the middle of the narrow corridor. I can tell my father is listening intently, because of the way he looks around.

"Dizzy, those Raiders were very different. They weren't the ones you're familiar with. They were warriors, hardened, and sober with a clean shot. The ones we're fighting today, are child's play. I understand you two must be nervous, but you're wasting your time. This, is more of a fun game, of cat and mouse."

Mom stops for a minute, and thinks about something. Then, she turns to our father.

"Say, Charon, you never told me what a cat or a mouse was anyways…"

Dad looks at mom with comedic disbelief, as a smile spreads wide over her face. Dizzy chuckles, and I do as well. Because neither one of us, know what a cat or mouse is, either. Three of us look at my father, as he sighs in frustration.

"A cat was a furry thing, like a dog. Only much more of an annoyance and hardly beneficial. A mouse was like a Molerat, but can fit in the palm of your hand, and covered in fur."

"Was everything covered in fur back then?"

My mother asks, a childish undertone in her voice. Dad looks at her, and shakes his head. The two of them begin to lead Dizzy and myself down into the underbelly of the Citadel Ruins. Down, to where just not too long ago, I was held captive. To where Dizzy somehow fixed a complete mess. One, might I add, she created.

As we reach the lower chambers, Dizzy's breathing softens. I look at her, as she echoes in the silence. It's not the kind of breath you get, when you're scared. There's something in her eyes. Adrenaline, nerves, fear? I don't know. Silently, without moving her head, her eyes fall on me. Although she's much smaller than me, and hardly a threat to myself, I find that I'm a bit scared of her.

"Diz?"

I whisper as we walk through the dirtied steel corridor, the silence eerie. Dizzy says nothing, but looks away, her gun clutched in her hands tightly. Worried, I wrap my hand around her wrist and pull.

"Don't you dare do anything stupid, ya hear?"

I hiss at her, more fierce and serious than I've ever been with her before. She blinks at me, but behind that fake bravery I can see the cowering child she still is.

"Cain."

My father calls me, his voice gravelly, deep, and bellowing. I let go of Dizzy's wrist and join my father at his side, as we come to the Vault's entrance. My mother falls back with my sister. Dad hesitates on opening the door, and looks at me.

"You keep her safe, Cain. Keep her safe."

My father hasn't ever been emotionally there. There's rare moments, where he's laughed and smiled and other such things, but only enough to where I can count them all on one hand. But, as I look into his eyes, the same eyes that I have, the same that Dizzy has, I can see he's worried. For the first time, his family is in danger. Dad knows that he and mom can do just fine, but he doesn't know about Dizzy, or myself. Despite all he's taught me, he worries. I glance back quickly at my mother, and see that she has the same look on her face. Neither one of them, wanted Dizzy or I, to see the horror they did. I wish I would have realized that point a lot sooner.

"I will, dad. I will."

Like women have their secret language, men also have one. In a silent understanding, my father nods his head, and hits the key on the terminal. The loud noise of the gear door prying itself open echoes mercilessly throughout the underground corridors. I feel my mother and Dizzy getting closer behind me, and soon enough my mother takes her rightful place beside my father. Both of them have their guns drawn, ready. I look over my shoulder, and see Dizzy trying so hard to be brave. But, the gun in her hand shakes, and slaps against her thighs.

We walk into an eerie silence. Our footsteps echo, and lights all around flicker on and off. As if without Scab, this place has all but gone to hell.

"We're not alone."

My father says, glancing, looking, listening. He cocks his gun, as shadows move. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up, as I ready my own weapon.

"How do you know?"

I ask him, speaking in hardly a whisper.

"Listen."

We all listen, and sure enough, moving shadows and slight noises give way to people. We just can't see them. Raiders. It's my father who takes the first thundering steps. Leading the way over the creaking catwalks, suspended by unmaintained wire.

"Alpha, and Omega…"

My mother says an old prayer she's always recited. I don't know if it's from fear, or out of comfort. I let my guard down, I suppose, because the echoing sound of my father's gun going off scares me. A dead Raider falls from somewhere I didn't see. Blood pours and pools around him, as his eyes dart in one last ounce of life.

"Perhaps, this is not something for you two to see."

My father says, seeing Dizzy's paling face against the flashing lights.

"I can do it, dad!"

Dizzy yells in protest. My heart jumps to my throat, and instinctively, I pull her close to me. Mom sighs loudly, her trigger finger twitching.

"We're outnumbered, Charon."

My mother says, and Dizzy squeezes my duster jacket.

"We've been outnumbered before. This is nothing for us, but for them…"

"They're going to see death one way or another, be it here, or out in the Wastes."

"I did not want them to see it here. I do not want them to see that their parents...are killers."

"They already know, Charon."
"Seeing is different than knowing."

"Stop talking like we aren't here!"

Dizzy yells, her voice bouncing an echoing. There's a maniacal laughter somewhere in the bowels of this place, and it takes us by surprise. But once it passes, all attention is on Dizzy. There's fresh tears in her eyes.

"Stop…talking about us like we're still kids. We know this world is bad, and dangerous, okay? We know. And…it's better we see it with you than alone. That way…that way we can learn, and you can protect us. Dad…I…"

Turning into a small child, tears fall from the corners of Dizzy's eyes. My father, in the heat of the moment, turns soft. His expression goes light, and he walks over to his only biological daughter. His fingers, run through her short hair, as he wraps a protective arm around her.

"Hush, Dizzy. Hush…"

Comfort at a time like this probably isn't wise. But, dad has always had a soft spot for Dizzy. Often forgetting more pressing matters, like the one we're in, to comfort her or help her. Against all odds, somehow, the moment seems still. My mother has a wry look on her face, and I realize…she's sad.

She looks at me, and Dizzy, with sadness in her eyes. As if, she never…never wanted us to see what's about to happen. For some reason, I feel responsible, and I look down. Guilt is written on my face, and peering up, I see my father giving my mother a stern look, as Dizzy collects herself and steps away from him.

"Mom, dad…"

I begin, words catching in my throat. The three of them look at me. I feel right now, as I stand before them, holding my gun, that perhaps now…is my time to show them…I'm no longer a child.

"It's alright. We can do this."

"I have no doubt in your abilities, Cain. It's that I didn't want you to see this."

My mother tells me, and somewhere in the distance, a gun is fired. It works as an alarm, for all of us. Waking the four of us, there's no hesitation when we raise our weapons, in four different directions. Stealing a quick glance at Dizzy as I search the dim and destroyed underground bunker for life, I see…something, someone, entirely different.

The scared child is gone. Her face is hardened, and shows no signs of foolishness.

"Dad…"

She says, finger itching to squeeze the trigger. We all look to where her gun is pointed, and sure enough, a Raider.

"It's about damned time the fun began."

It's the last thing I hear my mother say, before I'm deafened by the sounds of bullets littering the air.