Hawk scanned the horizon for any sign of Calli and Jack. His monster's face betrayed no sign of emotion. Only Aileen could tell how worried he was as she had known the big mutant for many years now.

"I'm sure they'll be coming soon, Hawk" she said, leaning on the rail of the Tradewind ll. He didn't look at her, only grunted. He had no illusions that someday she wouldn't return. The Wasteland was vast and dangerous, she had many enemies, and this time she had walked into the midst of them. It had been 2 days since she had left.

"Three days, Hawk" she had said. Three days. If she didn't return he was to take Aileen and the boys and get them safely to Arhome. He wasn't to go looking for her. He would honor her wishes, but then nothing would stop him from looking for her. She was what he cared about most in this vast, wasted world.

Aileen sighed and turned away. She was just as worried, not just for Calli, but even more so for her husband. She wasn't jealous that Jack had loved Calli first, that she was second wife; she knew he loved her too.

Calli struggled to maintain her pace but it was becoming more and more difficult. The suit was badly damaged and was no longer recharging. She was out of meds and she didn't even have to check her Pip-boy to know her radiation level had fallen to zero. She was no longer healing at a rate that would outpace the damage she had sustained. It was late afternoon now and the sun was brutal. She came to a halt by a large stack of boulders. Slowly she lowered her pack. The suit had given out, and she could no longer carry the weight without its assistance. She removed the helmet and shoved it into a space in the boulders, followed by the rest of the suit, even the gloves and boots.

She was now clad only in the camisole she always wore to keep the suit from chafing. She dug in the pack and pulled out the Disciples gown and a pair of sandals. These would be far lighter. She snapped on a small gun belt with her .45, the only gun she had left with ammo, though it was only 3 shells. She then added her knife and money bag. You should never be without money, she thought wryly, it's a great motivator. The pack followed the rest into the crack. Nothing must be evident to show where she had gone. Swallowing the last bottle of irradiated water, she heaved herself to her feet. It wasn't much, but maybe it would be enough to get her to help.

xx

The third day dawned bright and clear. Hawk scanned the horizon once again. It had been a restless night but he was used to such nights. His attention was caught by a disturbance on the dock. A kid was trying to board the Tradewind.

"'But I have to " he shouted. "The Disciple said I had to give him a message. I'm only to give it to the mutant." Disciple? Hawk leaped over the rail to land beside the boy, shaking the dock dangerously with his weight.

"What Disciple, boy?" he growled, glaring at the guards restraining the boy. The boy quaked as he looked up at the hideous face of the big monster.

Bravely he said, "She told me to tell you to follow me home".

"Stay here" Hawk bellowed and dashed up the gangplank. Rushing to his room he quickly shouldered the pack with his wasteland supplies and hurried back to the boy.

" I will carry you", he stated flatly. "We can move more quickly". The boy gasped and let out a whimper as the big mutant lifted him and set him on top of the pack. He looked at Aaron.

"If I'm not back in 2 days take Aileen and the boys to Arhome. Mattie'll take care of them. Which way boy?" The boy pointed and Hawk took off at a fast trot. Even though most of the residents knew of the big mutant they were surprised and shocked to see him fleeing the town with a human boy.

"He has a child" someone shouted. A shot whizzed past. Hawk never faltered, weaving and breaking into a run.

"Hang on boy" he growled, leaping over some debris.

The trip back to the boy's home took far less time than it had taken him to get to the dock. He clung desperately to the jogging mutant, afraid of falling off. He would surely die if he did!

"There" he shouted. "Over there. That's my cabin". Hawk leapt to the decrepit building, lowering the boy quickly to the ground. He rushed into the building. A still body lay on the filthy bed, the Disciple's gown stiff with old blood, wet red blotches testifying the bleeding had not stopped. The hood still covered the head, hiding the body's features. He knelt beside the body.

"Get out" he growled at the boy, who had entered and stood enthralled by the bloody sight. He quickly scurried out. There was no way he was arguing with that creature.

Hawk dumped his pack and took out his knife. He quickly cut the gown down the middle and pulled it back revealing the tiny figure, covered in wounds and blood, the belt around her waist still holding the .45 and knife. He unlatched it and dropped it to the ground. He quickly checked the wounds looking for the ones that still bled. He doused the wounds with irradiated water and cleaned them with clean cloths from his pack. Then he packed the larger wounds with a medicine to help clotting, administered several stimpacks and wrapped the figure in a clean blanket.

A small groan escaped the cracked lips. Her eyes fluttered part way open and she seemed almost to focus on him.

"I cou..couldn't make.. it. I.. can't..do.. this…" she whispered.

"I'm here. I have you. Just hold on, Calli" he said gruffly. Leaving everything behind, he lifted her into his strong arms and cradled her against his chest. He had done everything he could now; he had to get her back to the Citadel to her doctor. Ignoring the boy he took off at a fast trot toward the river.

The boy watched the mutant run off, carrying his burden. He crept into the hovel and looked around. The bed was ruined with blood, but he could replace the straw easily enough. The beast's pack lay on the floor, and beside it a small gun belt with a .45, knife, ammo, and a money pouch. Wow. He dug in the pack and found several weapons, medicines and foods. He was sure the monster would come back for these things. He'd better keep them safe. Still, they surely wouldn't begrudge him a meal, he thought, hungrily digging into some dried mantis steak.

The lookout on the edge of the city spotted the big mutant heading in, carrying a body in his arms. He sent word to the Citadel and a contingent of guards formed along his route, protecting him from any dangers wandering the streets as he sped in. He was exhausted from his long run and even though she was tiny, the weight had begun to wear on him, but he would let no one touch her but the doctor.

"Open the gates" a guard shouted as he approached. Already alerted Dr. Bening came rushing out. He strode beside Calli, doing a quick perusal of his patient as best he could without uncovering her. He was well aware of the taboo against Calli being seen. Only a select few had been allowed to look upon her without her armor for several years now. They rushed into the already prepared surgery and shut the door behind them. Tired as he was, only Hawk would be allowed to assist. Dr. Bening shook his head as he started work. There was definitely a bleeder somewhere and she had already lost too much blood. She couldn't regenerate without sufficient blood and radiation. It was going to be touch and go this time.

"Will she make it?" Hawk asked worriedly. Dr. Bening shook his head slowly as he closed the last wound.

"I don't know. I've never seen her this bad. I've closed all the bleeders I found. Her organs are a mess, but that isn't unusual. Her breathing and heartbeat are rapid, so she's sending oxygen and materials to her organs to repair them, but she's really bad. The extra blood will help, and it's properly irradiated to keep her levels up. We just have to wait now." He sighed, washing his hands in the purified water in the sink. He had used only irradiated water on Calli to raise her level.

She used the energy to regenerate, but he had to be careful to watch her levels on her Pip-Boy. Too much could be fatal. Hawk lifted the small body and carried her to the adjoining room, placing her gently on the small bed. He sat on the large bed beside it and took her hand in his. The doctor checked her blood bag and radiation levels.

"You need to rest" he said quietly. "It could be several hours before we know. Her breathing and heart rate are down a little now." The mutant just grunted without looking at him. The doctor took up his station in a large chair and prepared to watch his patient.

"Doctor" the deep voice was low but urgent. "Her breathing is too slow." The doctor shook himself awake. He quickly checked her breathing and heart rate. They had dropped below normal. He checked her radiation guage and found it was still only half used. This wasn't good.

"She's stopped regenerating, Hawk", he said. " I can try more stimulants, but I don't think it's going to work. I think she's given up. She doesn't want to fight anymore. We're losing her."

Hawk stared at him for a long minute. "Get out" he growled.

The doctor started. "But.."

"Get out now" Hawk growled, and the doctor shrugged.

"All right, there isn't anything I can do for her anyway.", he said, frightened by the ferocity in the mutant's voice, and stalked from the room. Hawk looked at the quiet figure for a long time.

Then he said in a cold hard voice "You want to go to him? Who do you want to go to? Look at yourself. You are old and scarred. David was shallow, he wouldn't love you now. Jack doesn't need you. He couldn't even keep himself only to you and he has Aileen. You want to die for them, but they don't need you. The children, they need you. What will happen to Jack's children if you leave them? What will happen to me without you? Who will keep me from the rage? If you want to go to him, then I can't stop you, but I can't do this. I can't sit here and watch you die. I'm leaving." He gently laid her hand onto the bed, turned his back and lay down on his bed.

Calli felt pain washing over her. She was losing someone. Who was she losing? It hurt. She just wanted it to stop hurting. No, if it stopped hurting she would lose him. She couldn't lose him. She had to find him. Her breathing and heart rate accelerated as she struggled to get to him. The radiation level began to drop rapidly. She had to get back, she had to or he would be gone. She gasped a deep breath. "David", she whimpered and opened her eyes. She slowly focused on the familiar room.

She had made it then, she was in her room in the Citadel. By the One, how she hurt. She turned her head to look at the bed next to hers. 'Hawk?' she whispered. He sat up with his back to her and rose from the bed. He started to leave the room, but she cried out "Where are you going? Don't leave me. Please don't leave me." The tiny figure clutched the sheet in tight fists, gasping with deep sobs. "Please don't leave me too.", she barley whispered.

Hawk turned and sat on the edge of his huge bed, reaching over to gather her into his arms, the sheet wound around her tiny figure. She curled into a tight agonized ball, her small fists beating against the hard wall of his chest.

"I couldn't save him" she wailed. " What they did to him. They tortured him! Every bone in his hands was broken. They beat him. Why did they have to do that? He was so broken! His face! You couldn't even tell who he was."

Her voice had dropped to an agonized whisper. "It's my fault," she sobbed. "They wouldn't have hurt him like that if they hadn't wanted to get to me. They knew I loved him." He held her tightly, as if she was a small hurt child. As her sobbing eased he stroked the pink blonde hair gently.

As she slowly quieted he said softly "If they aren't all dead they soon will be. They will pay for what they did to Jack. He was my friend too. But now we have to take care of his family, Calli. He needs us."

Calli went very still in his arms, then seemed to rouse. Pushing gently against him she freed herself from his embrace and slipped to the floor, the sheet falling in soft folds around her feet. Her naked form was covered in slowly healing cuts and bruises. She straightened to stand tall. Lifting one arm she straightened it out and inspected the deep cuts. Then she straightened the other. Her head lifted and she seemed to grow taller as the warrior slipped into place, hiding the pain filled girl inside.

"Yes" her voice was cold as the grave. "I'm alive. I'll recover. Thank you, Hawk, for taking care of me. I don't think I could survive without you. Now let's go take care of Jack's family."

She turned and strode over to the closet to take out a new camisole and towel. She tossed a towel to Hawk.

"I think we both need a shower first" she said, wrinkling her nose. He just grunted, picking up the towel and taking a fresh uniform from his closet. The warrior was back, it was time to work.