A/N: This is it—the final chapter! Seems like it had only just began...
50. It's a Wonderful Life
Beth POV
Jungle by Panama
It's Christmas Eve. Already. Seemed like it was just the other day that Vitya was born. I don't even cringe at my use of her father's nickname for her anymore. It's just who she is. Shoot—she responds more to it than she does her actual name nowadays. Might as well give in and use it, huh?
Speaking of which, we held a small birthday celebration for everyone's favourite now one-year-old girl. I'd made a plain cake—kind of resembling a sweetroll—with mutfruit dressing. She really enjoyed it, which made me happy. It doesn't appear like she'll be picky—and that's a blessing due to the restricted kinds of foods these days.
Also, in other exciting news, my deathclaw hatched! The egg that I'd picked up and brought home with us from Salem when we bought Beatrice—we decided to keep her name—ended up not being a dud after all. Odd thing, though, is that he's an albino. Nothing's wrong with him—he seems as healthy as creatures can be these days—just his skin, horns, and claws all have this sort of white-pink colour to them. And, if I'm being honest, I really like it. It makes him unique. I named him Buddy.
"Hey, babe?" Robert gets my attention. I realize I'd been spacing out while chopping carrots for a snack. Looking up from my knife to his face, he asks, "Do you know where Victoria's bear is? She's been whining for it all afternoon." He glances about the kitchen. "Ah, there it is." He picks it up off the counter. "How'd it get here?"
"Not sure. I guess one of the boys put it there earlier." I nibble on one of the pieces of orange vegetable.
"I guess. Weird." He also grabs a carrot stick, letting the teddy bear dangle from his hand. Calling into the living room, he says, "I found your teddy bear, Vitya!"
As we both chomp on the small afternoon snack, we hear a small noise coming from the living room—small but fast, and coming closer. Like little footsteps.
And soon enough, Victoria comes barreling around the corner—not crawling, and not even walking—but running!
She hasn't taken a single step in all her life. The only time she's ever moved of her own accord was when she moved from the couch to Robert's lap when he was reading Corduroy to her. All other times, she's relied on us to move her from room to room, and even from one side of the room to the other.
Once she's in the kitchen, she sees her teddy bear hanging from Robert's hand—now more from shock than lack of toy attention—and takes it from him, hugging it to her chest. "Teddy…" she says as she smiles, happy to see it. This is another revelation. She's only said two other words—"Daddy," and "no."
Content with her toy, it still in her arms, she calmly walks out of the room. Walks. Like she's been doing it for years.
"I'd say she was happy I found it," Robert says, staring after her with bewilderment still written on his face. I'm too speechless to say anything, so I just nod my head in agreement.
Instead of going to Diamond City for Christmas this year, we decided to stay at home and have a nice, family holiday. We don't have anything to give to one another, but is that what Christmas is all about? Answer: no.
Somehow, we'd laid hands on some holotapes with Christmas music on them. We'd been playing them all day today, and even most of yesterday. I'm currently listening to the smooth voice of Frank Sinatra singing Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas. I honestly love this time of year.
I hear Robert and company walking through the front door. He'd gone to get Danse, and as the latter comes into the kitchen where I'm preparing our Christmas dinner, he asks, "So, I missed it, huh? Her first word, her first steps. I'm starting to think she doesn't love me."
The dejection in his voice makes me chuckle as I lay the roast into the oven. "You know she does too love you."
"Where is the little monster anyway?" he asks.
"Out in the garden, doing her part of her chores with her brothers. I have a feeling it's gonna be hard to keep her from getting into stuff now that she runs everywhere." He chuckles as he walks out the back door.
Ever since Curie left, the garden had been left unattended. Robert and I spoke about it and we felt like the boys were finally old enough to take on some responsibility around the island. So, that is now their job—gardeners.
As I'm emptying the contents of a box of InstaMash into a saucepan, I hear Robert walk up behind me and feel his arms as they snake themselves around my waist, feel the small kiss he plants at the base of my exposed neck. "I'm trying to cook here, hon," I joke.
"Too late," he retorts. "I already found something to eat on." He gently bites the side of my neck, earning a squeak out of me.
I take the wooden spoon in my hand and smack his arm with it, splatting instant potatoes onto his skin. "You can tease all you want," I tell him, "but I know you're hungry." He proves me right as he lets me go and licks his arm where I'd left potatoes on him, grinning sheepishly. "I still have some silt beans to cook, so let me be, Dracula—you neck nibbler, you."
"I didn't bite that hard—so, I'm no Dracula," he says. "But there is a scrooge in the room." He feigns a frown and sits at the dining table.
"You didn't let me finish." He looks at me expectantly. "I was going to say that Dracula always attacks at night. You know, when the damsels aren't cooking. And the kids are asleep." I wiggle my eyebrows at him, making him smile.
"Okay. I'll be Dracula then. As long as you're not a scrooge then, too."
"I suggested it," I say.
"Touché."
"So, tonight went well," I say, a little out of breath, as I lie in bed next to my husband.
"It did," he responds, even more breathless than me.
"I mean, the boys didn't seem upset we had no gifts for them. And Danse had a good time with Tori." I remember the one gift that was given. "I thought it was nice of Shaun—giving his Giddyup Buttercup to his sister." The horse toy we'd given him last year—to tinker around with, since he likes working with his hands—made a nice re-gift for Vitya. He said he didn't need it anymore, and now with the toddler of the house on the move, he said she'd enjoy it more.
"Mhmm." Robert scoots closer to me, lying his head on my stomach.
After a few minutes of silence—enough time for our breath to catch up—he asks, "What're you thinking about?"
"Life," I simply tell him.
"What of it?" he asks, leaning up onto his elbow to see my face better.
"Well… Two years ago, I had barely gotten brave enough to leave the vicinity of Sanctuary Hills. I met you—started my new life. I admit, it's been a bumpy ride. But I don't think I'd do it any different if I had the option to. I have the perfect family now. Comrade turned brother. Two handsome boys, a beautiful daughter. You. I'm an incredibly lucky woman with how it all turned out. I'm just happy life decided to give me a second chance after all."
"You're not the only lucky one," Robert says, bringing me out of my reverie. "You think I don't feel lucky being able to call you mine? You, a smoothskin Pre-War," he chuckles. "You're beautiful, kind, an amazing mother, a fantastic wife. I honestly don't know what I've done to deserve you."
I lay my hand on his cheek and smile. "If only you could see yourself the way I do—you'd understand just how." He smiles back at me and leans into my touch.
We both stand and take a shower, put on our pajamas before we get any more tired. And I'm glad we did. Because sometime halfway through the night, after Robert is long asleep, I'm woken up by a small hand on my arm. "Mom?"
I turn toward my name and open my eyes to see Duncan. "What is it, baby?" I whisper.
"I had a bad dream, and I can't sleep. Can I sleep with you and Dad?"
"Of course, sweetie." I bend the covers back, letting him crawl over me and settle between his father and I. He snuggles into me more, resting his head on my arm. And within minutes, he's passed out cold—and making a rather close impression—just a younger version—of his dad's snoring.
I look at two of my five-member family, and count my blessings. "Merry Christmas," I whisper to everyone.
It is now April of 2297.
I know. Time has flown by.
I'm now 35 years old, Robert is 31. Shaun and Duncan have grown to be exceptional young men, at 19 and 14, respectively. And Vitya is now 8. A bit rambunctious, and sassy as hell. But she's a big tomboy—loves to play with her brothers, with whatever they're doing at the moment.
Her hair ended up swinging more toward the strawberry than blonde—by a lot. One might say her hair looks like fire—bright red, very wavy, and wild. But it goes along with her personality. We still don't know where it came from—since my and Robert's hair are nowhere near the shade—but we chalk it up to being from a gene somewhere down the line.
Danse did settle down finally. Haylen retired from the BOS and moved onto the island with us. So, it can be guessed who he settled down with.
Turns out, her name was actually "Hayley," not "Haylen." When she first met Danse—who was also her mentor, like he was mine—she was so shy that she hadn't spoken loud enough for him to hear her. So, he thought she'd told him her name was Haylen. She didn't correct him, and soon, everyone had gotten to know her by the misheard name. She just rolled with it until she moved back to the Commonwealth. Needless to say, we were all surprised. However, Danse could only remember that being his only name, so he kept it—becoming the one-name man of the island.
"Come on! We need to get going soon!" Robert yells through the front door.
"It's been there for over two centuries!" I call back at him. "It's not like it's going anywhere."
"We told the DeLorias that we'd meet them there next Wednesday, not next year," he continues to rush me.
The kids are outside—probably on the boat already—but I can't stop myself from the Pre-War habit of checking everything in the house before a trip.
Robert walks back in the door, sees me checking the oven to make sure it's off. "Babe. Danse and Hayley are still going to be here. They're already taking care of Dogmeat, Buddy, and Beatrice. So, they'll be checking on the house, too, I'm sure. You worry too much."
"Can't help it," I tell him, finally satisfied enough with the state of the house to leave it alone.
As we're walking to the boathouse, he intertwines our fingers. "Finally. A family vacation."
"Going to Diamond City isn't enough anymore, eh?" I tease, looking up at him with a grin.
"It won't be after this—I guarantee it."
We step foot on the boat and Robert heads straight into the cabin, to the driver's position. I see that Shaun is doing something with the cargo onboard as Duncan and Victoria sit quietly, playing some kind of card game.
"You guys ready?" Robert asks, to which he receives a collective yes.
"Alright," I say. "Nuka-World, here we come!"
A/N: That's all, folks!
I truly appreciate all my readers! And, if you've made it this far—as I'd said all the way back in the introduction—you're my favourite person in the whole wide world. :)
I have ideas for some other fics, but have no clue when I'll be starting—nonetheless uploading them. One idea may contain Nuka-World. As probably assumed.
Anyway, thank you for the read—again. I really do appreciate you! :)
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