They approached the small farm shortly after noon. Joe spotted them coming and alerted Mattie, so they were waiting when the partners approached.
"Hey, Joe, Mattie.", Calli greeted.
"Hey, Hawk, Calli.", Joe responded. "Come on into the house. We haven't seen you for a while." Mattie added her greetings as they led the way to the house.
Joel and Lori bounced out to meet them.
"Mrs. Lelland! Hawk!", they squealed excitedly.
"Hey, kids.", Calli smiled. "We brought you something."
"Really?", Joel asked.
"Now, kids", Mattie said patiently. "Go on now. Mrs. Lelland will give it to you later. We want to talk first. Tell you what, you get your chores all done, and maybe Mrs. Lelland will have a story for you later."
"Will you tell us the one about how you met Hawk?", Lori asked with wide eyes.
"Maybe, if you like.", Calli smiled at the young girl. "Run on like your mother said. I'll see you later."
The kids hurried off to do their chores. Calli watched them, a strangely sad expression on her face.
"They're good kids, Mattie.", she said. "I'm so glad you took them in when I found them alone in the wasteland. You're doing a wonderful job raising them." Mattie was watching her.
"You didn't come just to visit, did you, Calli?", she asked astutely. "Come on inside. We'll have some tea."
Calli studied her cup, turning it slowly around and around. She scowled over at her helmet, sitting on the side table. Mattie and Joe patiently waited.
"How long have you been married now?", Calli finally asked.
"Well, I did marry very young, Joe was so irresistible." Mattie smiled lovingly at her husband. "I was only sixteen. Let's see, we've been married 8 years now."
"You haven't had any kids of your own.", Calli said.
"No, we haven't. Not because we haven't tried. Calli, what is this all about?", Joe asked, exchanging glances with Mattie. Calli raised her eyes to them.
"Would you like to take in another child? One that isn't even born yet?", she asked. "Before you answer, you have to know this may be a special child, not like other children. It's my child. I'm pregnant."
"Oh, Calli!", Mattie burst out. "Of course we would take your baby. But are you sure? I mean, to give up your baby like that." Tears formed in Calli's eyes and leaked out onto her cheeks.
"I have to, Mattie, you know what I am, what I do. I wouldn't be a good mother. I'm sure you've heard about the Tradewind. I'm afraid Jack's gone. What kind of life would a baby have with me?", she asked tearfully.
Mattie jerked her head at Hawk and Joe, who quietly rose and left the room. Calli burst into tears as Mattie came to her and put her arms around her.
"It'll be all right, Calli, really it will.", she said softly.
Calli wiped her eyes, straightening. "You know what I am, don't you Mattie?" It wasn't a question. Mattie and Joe were allowed to know the real Calli, without her disguises. They were good friends. "You know Jack mutated by the GECK too. I don't know what this child will be like. It could be normal human, but I doubt it. It could have GECK attributes. Or it could be something new altogether. There's just no way to know!"
"It doesn't matter Calli. If that's what you want, Joe and I will do our best to take care of your baby. You have a while to think about it."
"Not really. There's something else Hawk and I need to discuss with you and Joe. It's very important.", she said earnestly.
"Okay", Mattie said. "Let's go in the living room then." They went in to where the men were nervously waiting, desultorily discussing the farm. Calli nodded at Hawk. He looked from Joe to Mattie.
"Calli and I discovered a secret valley several years ago. It has a lot of potential. We're the only ones that know about it right now but we were discussing bringing in trusted people to develop the valley. To help with this we found a vault containing seeds of life from the before time." He nodded at Calli. She pulled out the rose and handed it to Mattie.
Mattie stared at the perfect, red flower then lifted it and sniffed. Her eyes lit up.
"It smells so nice. Where did it come from?", she asked.
"I took the seeds from the vault and grew it in the valley.", Calli said. "Joe, Mattie, we want you to come to the valley. Look what you've done here, in the wasteland. I know the farm wasn't doing so well after your father got so sick, and you're mother and sister died in the plague epidemic. You were so young, Joe, but you've really pulled this place together. Think what you could do in an empty, protected valley with the whole of the before life to choose from. There's no radiation in the valley and it's completely cut off from the wasteland. You would never have to worry about being attacked. We're just asking you to come see the valley and check out the vault and see what you think."
Mattie frowned. "You said we'd be completely cut off from the wasteland.", she said hesitantly.
"That's not quite true.", Calli said. "The way in is very dangerous so once there you wouldn't leave often, and probably wouldn't want to go out without Hawk or me to guard you. But, Mattie, you would have to do it to take my baby. I have so many enemies, if any one of them found out I had a child, it would place the baby and your family in grave danger. We wouldn't be able to guard you all the time. Just think about it. We're not asking you to pick up and move today, just see if you'll go with us to look at the valley. Will you think about it?", she asked anxiously.
Joe and Mattie looked at each other. Mattie nodded. "We couldn't have stayed here if you hadn't let us stay on after the payments got so far behind. We owe you a lot, Calli. We'll think about it.", Joe said.
Two days later the family made the day long trek to the valley, approaching the path as evening closed in. Hawk went ahead while Calli stood guard on the family. He cleared the path ahead, mezzing a Deathclaw that hadn't yet learned to avoid them. Calli escorted the family up the path, about the bush maze, and into the cave. The children were fascinated with the cave, with its amenities and the pool. They were especially interested in the motorcycles sitting in their marked off area, and the shuttle waiting in its bay.
"That's how we're going into the valley", Calli said quietly. She had already explained to Joe and Mattie about the Valley of Death. They had agreed to go in at night after keeping the children up late so the slow, gentle movements of the shuttle would put them to sleep. They didn't want to risk any exuberant behavior that might cause damage to the shuttle.
The large shuttle, meant to haul supplies as well as passengers, easily held all of them. Mattie and Joe settled the children on mats and took their seats with Hawk while Calli programmed the shuttle. She slipped in and pulled the door behind her, sealing it carefully. After a few minutes the shuttle moved slowly forward. The adults conversed quietly while the children slept as the shuttle crept slowly through the Valley of Death.
The sound of rain hitting the shuttle alerted them that the shuttle had left the valley and entered the tunnel. It was being washed clean. It took several minutes to creep through the tunnel and come to a stop in the bay. The door lock clicked open. Calli pushed open the door and stepped out, followed by Mattie and Joe.
They stopped and stared in wonder. The dawn was breaking over the high cliffs, setting the waterfall ablaze. The vast emptiness spread before them.
"What do you call this place?", Mattie asked.
"Oh,", Calli said. "We just call it our home. You can't see the house. It's that way. Come on, we can let the kids ride in the cart." she said, pointing to a small two wheeled cart sitting off to the side.
"You can ride too, if you want, Mattie. The robot's programmed to pull it so it won't go too fast.", she smiled.
The rising sun highlighted the stone house, glinting like gold, surrounded by the soft green lawn and bright red roses, sheltered by the tall, green trees. The gentle river ran in front of the home. Mattie stopped and stared at it.