I knew I still shouldn't be mad at Holly. I wasn't even that upset anymore, just a bit annoyed with her, but I was still making an effort to avoid her, for right now at least. I think I needed to cool down, plus I can't even remember the last time I had a nice relaxing shower. Yeah, that should do the trick.

Holly and Mark's door was still closed, so either they were sleeping, or else they were… would they even leave without telling me? Come to think of it, what did they do before I dragged them into this? Part of me wanted to knock on the door, to see if they were even here, but I hesitated. No, not until after I get a bit more relaxed. I think I just needed some alone time right now.

I didn't have any cleaner clothing than what I was currently wearing, so I would have to work with what I had. I grabbed a towel, one of the few clean things I actually owned at the moment, and went towards the showers. Since the workshop was near the shower room I checked up on Nate. It didn't look like he'd moved an inch since I last saw him. I'll check on him again after I get clean.

The shower room had two doors leading into it. I guess I never noticed it before. There were two signs, one on each door. One said: 'Buck' while the other said: 'Doe'. If there were two rooms, why did Nate try to take a shower in the same one as me last time? Did he… have feelings for me then? I opened the door marked: 'Doe' and then I remembered the tarp. The dividing wall between the two rooms was missing, in its place a large opaque tarp that split the room in half. No wonder he came in on me before. He was probably used to showering with two others in the bunker.

I closed the door behind me and slipped out of my clothing, tossing them into a pile near the door. I turned around to check to see if there was a lock on the door, not wanting to be disturbed right now, and nearly jumped out of my own fur. At first I thought that Holly had somehow slipped into the room without me noticing, then I realized that it was simply a mirror. I should have known. My fur was a mostly auburn color, as opposed to her mostly tan. I'm actually surprised that they found an intact mirror like that.

Since it was there, I gave my body a good looking over. I don't know why but I half expected to find some dried filth stuck to my fur. Between the sanitation 'experiences' in the Burrow, falling into that cesspool of a pit, and then blowing up an entire sewage system, it was a wonder that I was clean at all. I didn't see anything out of the ordinary, but my eyes kept focusing on a single aspect of myself, the newest one as a matter of fact. My scar. It looked much bigger than I thought it was. The large oddly shaped oval went from the bottom of my left ear, almost touched my eye, and ended up around where my jaw connected. Just as Mark had told me, none of the fur had started to grow back. It was a cruel reminder that I nearly died, or at least was almost blinded. I ran my paw over it. It felt bumpy and foreign to me. I was told that I could easily have my skin grafted to allow for the fur to grow back, but to me, it's a mark. Sure I think it's ugly, but at the same time to bear a scar, either physically or mentally, reminds you of your own mortality. I needed that. I have friends who rely on me now, just as I rely on them. Hell, I even have a boyfriend, something I never imagined I would have. This scar reminds me of how frail life really is, especially my own. It reminds me that I can't be reckless anymore.

I was starting to depress myself with my thoughts, so returned them to the reason I was standing here naked in the first place. A nice shower. I stepped under one of the shower heads and turned on the water. I had forgotten there was no hot water so when the freezing cold liquid hit my body, I nearly tripped on my own feet trying to get out of it. It was fucking cold! I said I needed to cool off, but not this literal! Still wanting a shower, I slowly stepped in and out of the stream of water as my body adjusted to the temperature. I really need to do something about this temperature. I was kinda shocked that a genius like Nate hadn't already fixed it. Good thing there's another genius in the house. I added it to my ever growing mental checklist of stuff that I really needed to take care of. It might make a nice thank you gift as well. They've been very kind to not only allow me to stay here, but Drake and Blanche as well.

"H-hello?"

Was that… not again. What is it with that fox and wanting to sneak in on me while taking a shower? Of course, I really wouldn't call that sneaking.

"I thought I locked the door… guess I forgot."

"Oh, I can wait, if you don't want me here."

"No!" the words came out much more excitedly than I anticipated. "I mean… no, I didn't say that. You just surprised me is all. You can stay, but please lock the door. I just didn't want Holly to barge in on me. Not until I cooled down a bit more. Speaking of which, why hasn't anyone tried to get a hot water heater working here? I nearly became a bunny-cicle trying to take a shower."

"Sorry. I've been… well I've been a bit preoccupied as of late. I keep forgetting it, but it's not really a huge concern for us. We've gotten used to it."

"Well if you want to keep me around, I need some hot water now and then. How am I going to prepare my coffee without it?"

"Well… we do have a stove and can boil water… if you like coffee I can make you some too."

"Blah, no thanks. I actually don't like coffee. It was more of a joke, really."

"Oh, well it's not that bad if you sweeten it up a bit. I think we might have some coffee and sweetener in the storage…"

"You don't have to. Didn't you… um, wanna take a shower? I figured that's why you're here."

"Yeah, I kinda… I fixed the tarp earlier, so… I'll just stay on this side." Nate seemed a bit distracted. Was he still not comfortable seeing me naked, even after last night?

"What, I show you mine and you won't show me yours?"

"I-I… it's… I just…" I think I caught him a bit off guard there.

"It's okay, really. I was just teasing. You don't have to do anything that makes you uncomfortable. Plus, I've already kinda seen… you… naked."

"W-what? When? Did you… did I?"

"No silly. Remember the last time I was in these showers, when I kinda… slipped."

"Oh… Oh! Yeah. I'm sorry, I should've reinforced the tarp better."

"Don't apologize, although… we really should put up something a little more permanent. And get that damn hot water heater working."

"We… this wasn't supposed to be a permanent home, it just sorta happened. Not too many places take kindly to foxes they don't know."

I was almost going to ask 'what about Hope' but then I remember that even a place that says they accept anyone, there were still those who viewed foxes just as everyone else did. I really hope that Mayor Swift changes their minds. It'd be nice for all of us to have a place to call home permanently.

I heard the water turn on over on his side. I was starting to wonder if he simply wanted to be near me, and that was why he came into the showers. I love the fox but he can be a bit clingy at times. While it hasn't bothered me enough to push him away for a bit, some alone time would be nice here and there. Still, it was nice to have someone who cared.

It was quiet for a short moment before Nate broke the silence. "T-there was something I w-was… something that I-I had been…"

"Just spit it out already."

"D-do you e-ever regret… l-leaving?"

Leaving? What did he… oh. "I don't. Yes, I admit I keep thinking about it, but the only thing I ever had there was my mom and without her… there was really no reason to stay, especially with how those rodents treated us… rabbits."

"W-what do you mean you… rabbits?"

"You see, in the… in that place where I used to call home, the rodent population had all the good stuff. They had the best jobs, the best food, even got the best pick of all the 'salvaged' goods from when people died. I never understood why, but they always looked down on us rabbits. Mouse, rat, vole, it didn't matter the species, if they were a rodent they felt… superior to us in every way. When my job placement exam told me I was 'destined' to be a Sanitation worker? I had it. I knew I had to leave. Even if it meant instant death, it was better than putting up with that shit… quite literally in that case."

"I-I'm glad you… left."

"Me too. After meeting all of you, I couldn't imagine myself anywhere else."

"T-there was something else I-I wanted to a-ask you. Something more… personal. Y-you… you l-like me… right?"

"Of course I do. If I didn't, would I have slept next to you… naked? Besides my mother and Onion, you're the only one I didn't feel completely… embarrassed to be naked around. Plus, I have a feeling you see me more than just some naked girl, don't you?"

"I-I… I do. I… I don't know why b-but I like you for w-who you are, n-not what you l-look like. Not s-saying you're not b-beautiful! I just… you're different from most of the p-prey I've met. I-I… when I found out Mark was d-dating a… rabbit, I w-wasn't sure why. W-what I went through… t-there… I wasn't s-sure if it was a t-trick… but now, Holly is like a sister to me. I-I never… I never thought I-I would ever m-meet someone who could… love a fox like that. Until I met you."

I think he was… crying. It was hard to tell, but even if he wasn't, I could tell his words held a lot of emotion to them. I tried to think of something to say, but I couldn't. There were some times that I simply had trouble forming the right things to say, and this was one of them. My mother told me that actions often spoke louder than words, and hearing him like this, after hearing what he had to say, there was only one thing I wanted to do.

I slipped under the tarp much to Nate's surprise. He was standing there completely naked. His russet fur was a much redder hue than my own, and his belly was a bit more creamier than my white fur. The one noticeable thing, however, was the fact that his tail had snapped right over his… lower extremities the moment he saw me. It was actually kinda cute.

"W-what are y-you…"

"Shh." I walked over and wrapped my arms around him. Both of our fur was soaking wet from the shower, but I didn't care. I admit that I wasn't very familiar with a male's… reproductive parts, aside from some of the medical books I read, and I had no idea how I would have responded if I saw or… felt it, but between his tail and his apparent bashfulness, I doubt I would have to worry about it just yet. I looked up at his face, not letting go. He was definitely very bashful. I could see the extra red hue in his face and ears. I probably was looking very similar. Last night it was much darker, but now? The lights were making everything easily visible.

I felt his arms slowly wrap around me, seeming a bit hesitant. I gave him a kiss and just placed my head against his chest. Before I had been a bit hesitant myself, simply resting my body against his, but never really getting to know it. Now, with us both wearing nothing but our fur, I felt closer to him than I ever had before. Keeping him against me with one arm, I slowly moved my other paw over his chest. It felt… bumpy? I got a much closer feel and found… scars. I felt his body quiver a bit as I looked up at him. He looked… concerned.

"These are from… what they did to you?"

He didn't respond instantly, he simply stared at me with his eyes as if I'd just found out something he never wanted anyone to know, and in a way, I had. "Y-yes."

I had to show him that it didn't bother me. Honestly, it made me a bit angry, that someone could hurt another like this, simply due to their species. I gently rubbed my paw over his scars, and lightly kissed them as I found them. He had too many, more than a single mammal should have to bear. "I can't change what happened in your past, no matter how much I want to, but I can promise you this, I will protect you from any harm in the future. I promise you."

"I-I… do you k-know what a m-marking is?"

"Marking? What do you mean?"

"I-it's a… a vow. A p-promise that a f-fox can make to… to someone l-like you…"

"Someone like me? You mean… like as your girlfriend?"

"Y-yes… it's… I want to p-protect you, to make s-sure that y-you know I will b-be there for you, no m-matter what. It's s-something that a fox does f-for their… life mate…"

Life mate? Does he mean… "Are you asking me to… marry you?"

"N-no! Well… It's… d-deeper than that, it's… you don't s-sound like y-you…"

"I didn't say that, it's just a bit… sudden, is all. I… I love you but I am not sure about that kind of commitment, not yet. Before you go acting all mopey, I am not saying no. I just… I need to think it over. That doesn't change this, that doesn't change us. Just give me… some time. Okay?"

"O-okay… but you s-still…"

I reached up and gave him a kiss. "Yes. I still love you. Now let's go dry off. I think my fur is a bit waterlogged, and I'm hungry."

I held him for a moment longer before releasing him and heading towards my clothing. He remained on the other side of the tarp as I got dressed. I hope he wasn't upset that I didn't say yes to whatever this 'marking' thing was. Was it a fox thing? I remember vaguely about my mother mentioning something about rabbits and marking, but I never really paid too much attention to it. Whenever she started with: 'If you ever meet a nice boy', I tuned her out. Sure, I knew about the basics, but until now, I had no interest in it. Boys didn't interest me at all, so I never imagined myself in the position to need to know those things. Maybe I should have listened to her more carefully, then I wouldn't be so… awkward around Nate when it came to things like that. Thankfully, he seemed to be just as awkward as I was. I'm not sure I could like a mammal who 'forced' themselves upon me. Especially not after…

"Hey Nate? I haven't seen Holly and Mark anywhere." I needed to get my mind off of… things. I'd rather risk a teasing from Holly than have these… thoughts.

"Probably visiting a trader? Yeah, I think I remember him mentioning needing more supplies." I think he was just as eager to get his mind off of things as I was.

"Well then… you mind getting some food for us? Especially Drake. I'm not sure when the last time he ate was. Hell, I don't know when the last time I ate was."

"What are you going to do?"

"I have so little clothing, and most of it is so dirty I may as well place a bio-hazard sign on them. I'm gonna raid Holly's wardrobe for something. I doubt she'll mind, and if she does, I'll just tell her it's her payment for those 'pictures'."

"Pictures?"

"It's… never mind, long story. Suffice it to say, she owes me something. Is it okay if you get the food?"

"Y-yeah. I'll get right on it."

I didn't see any movement, so I figured he was waiting for me to leave before he got dressed. Come to think of it, I didn't see any extra clothing in here. Did he… no, he's not the type. Knowing that Holly and Mark weren't here, I just wrapped myself with my towel and grabbed my clothing. Onion has seen me naked, so I wasn't worried about running into him. I had a feeling Drake wouldn't care at all, especially since deathwings usually didn't wear clothing, and Blanche… well besides being another female, she didn't seem like the one to care about such things.

I left the showers and first hit Nate and my room to toss these clothes aside. I did my best to dry off before wrapping a dry towel around my body before moving next door to Holly and Mark's room. Despite him telling me that they weren't here, I lightly knocked at the door. For all I knew they had come back while we were cleaning off. There was no answer so I carefully turned the handle.

"Hello?" I had opened the door slightly before quietly speaking. When there was no response I opened it fully. There was a small light on over in a corner near a small chair but otherwise the room was empty of anyone, so I started to look around. It took me a few minutes but I finally found where Holly kept her clothing. Her fashion sense was very similar to mine it seemed. Simple clothing that wasn't too over exaggerated. I've seen some pictures of pre-war clothing for woman that made me wonder what purpose they even had. Not that raider 'fashion' was any better, but at least it offered protection. A short top and an even shorter skirt made no logical sense to me.

I found two articles of clothing that piqued my interest. One was a forest green button up shirt that complimented my fur very well. The other thing was something that I never owned before, a simple pair of shorts. They were black and had two large side pockets. Seriously, did everything here have extra pockets? Still, I was so used to wearing pants that these might feel a bit better. Now for one last… here we go. I saw a couple pairs of purple panties. I gave them a quick sniff to make sure that they were clean, and when I was happy with it, I threw on the clothing. If she said anything about me taking her clothing, then I'll simply have to remind her of the countless times she utterly embarrassed me with her teasing.

Once I was properly dressed, I went to go check to see if Nate had gotten any food when I saw the light from the small lamp start to flicker. I was hungry, but the urge to fix it was taking over. One small distraction shouldn't hurt. It's not like I'm going to starve, although try telling my stomach that. Plus, the flickering was starting to bother me.

I turned off the lamp and tried to remove the bulb and only after touching it did I remember that active bulbs were typically hot. Fuck! I didn't hold it long enough to get burnt, but it still really hurt. Once it had cooled down enough I tried again. There was still smaller lights in the room's ceiling, so I held up the bulb to check the filaments. They looked intact, so the bulb must be good. The housing where it screwed in was also looking okay so after screwing it back in, I checked the wire leading into the power source. A small spark of electricity showed me what was wrong. The cable had been starting to fray. I unplugged it as to not start a fire and left the room to go get some tape from the workshop.

That's when I heard some kind of commotion. It was coming from the garage. Blanche better not be trying to do something to get her eaten again. I rushed over to the garage to find the door ajar. I heard the sound of Blanche yelling.

"I fucking told you, ass-twat, she gave it to me! Did you just…"

I slammed the door open, causing Blanche to stumble a bit. I was about to ask what the hell was going on when I saw Nate, backed up against a wall, fear dripping from his face. Blanche was looking pissed and started to shout expletives at Nate causing him to cringe. What the fuck had just happened?

"What the fuck is going on?!"

"That ass-twat said I stole that booze! I kept trying to tell him that you gave it to me, but he fucking wouldn't listen!"

"Put the swords away Blanche. Now."

"He bared his teeth at me!"

"NOW!"

I slowly moved over to Nate and gently grabbed his arm. He was shaking like crazy. I didn't see any signs of wounds, so knew that Blanche didn't hurt him, although I was honestly not sure if she would have actually, but I didn't want to take any chances.

"Nate, it's okay, I'm here. What happened?"

"I-I c-came to b-bring food a-and saw h-her drinking m-my w-whiskey. I-I didn't w-want to rile h-her up, b-but I h-have been c-collecting it f-for years, I-I thought s-she s-stole it."

"Oh, I am so sorry Nate. I… I needed a favor from her and I saw you had so much of it I didn't think you'd notice one bottle missing."

"Y-you g-gave it to h-her?"

"Yes. I wanted to ask you, but you were asleep, and earlier in the shower, well I guess it slipped my mind. You're not mad at me, are you?"

"I… n-no. I c-couldn't get mad at… you."

I gave him a quick kiss to see if that would help calm him down. Plus what he said was kinda sweet.

"What the heck is going on here? We leave for a couple hours and it looks like everyone is at each other's throats!" Holly's voice startled me.

"Holly, Mark, you're back. Well, I think it was a bit of a misunderstanding. Could you two take Nate and help calm him down a bit? I need to have a little… chat with Blanche."

I took Nate by his paw and guided him to the others, keeping me in between him and Blanche. After Holly and Mark took him and lead him out of the garage, I shut the door and turned to face Blanche. I don't know what she was expecting, but I couldn't tell if she wanted to attack, or run.

"Okay, look." I started calmly, as to not agitate her any further. "I'm sorry that I never told Nate. I honestly figured it wouldn't be a big deal, but what happened to put him in that state?"

"I was in here minding my own business getting good and drunk when he comes in here and the second he sees me, he starts yelling at me about stealing his stuff."

"Okay, first of all, we both know that Nate doesn't yell, at least not for something like this."

"Yeah, yeah. He didn't yell, more like stuttered an accusation. I tried to tell him that you gave it to be, but I don't think he believed me. He tried to take it back from me, but I refused. I ain't giving back a gift as delicious as this. That cowardly cur doesn't deserve something as…"

"What did you call him?"

"What the fuck! Let me go!"

Let her go… what she called Nate got me so angry at her, I didn't even realize that I had scooped her up and was now gripping the small mouse in my paw. Of course right now, I didn't care. I had her here, and she will listen to what I have to say on the matter.

"You do NOT call him that. You don't get to, NO ONE gets to. You got that?"

"I… You… are… can't… breathe…"

I loosened my grip enough until I heard her gasping to fill her lungs back up, but I wasn't done yet. "I don't know what you have been through, and right now I don't care. You said you don't like inflicting pain on others, but you just did it to Nate. Did you see his face? How terrified he was?"

"He… he bared his fangs at me!"

"He's a fucking fox you bitch! They do that when they're wincing from a threat. I'm from a fucking Burrow and even I know that! You wanna know why he's like that? Do you? He got fucking tortured where he came from! His mother was raped and killed. Yours just fucking abandoned you! I can't imagine what he goes through, how he can even function with all that in him, and to me, that makes him a hundred times stronger than you will EVER be. So don't. Ever. Call. Him. That. AGAIN. You got it?"

"I… I…"

"YOU GOT IT!?"

"Yes…" Her voice sounded very… weak.

I went to let her go and then remembered something. "You better not tell them that I told you about Nate and his mother, or else I will be the one slicing your throat. Got it?"

She simply nodded before I finally let her go and she scurried away from me. As I calmed down a little, I kinda felt bad about going off on Blanche, but at the same time… it kinda felt nice to get that off my chest. Although I'm wondering if and how that may change Blanche's relationship with us. I don't want to lose her, something tells me we'll need all the help we can get once we find those Legionary bastards.

Blanche had run over to where Drake was. He was just staring at me. Shit, did he hear everything? Blanche and him were getting close, I really don't want him to take her side on this. I heard Blanche's voice start to echo through the garage.

"You big lug, why didn't you try to help me? I almost died in her death grip!"

"Mouse. Dumb. Olivia. Fierce. Bunny."

"Gee, thanks for the support you dumb lug."

Fierce? Me? Did he really think that? I can understand if Blanche was a bit unnerved by me yelling at her, but to hear Drake say that to her? He… he wasn't ever intimidated by me… was he? No. That can't be. A deathwing is the most fierce thing out there that I know of. I don't think a mammal, let alone a rabbit could overtake that from his kind. Maybe he was teasing Blanche. Now Holly's influencing a deathwing? That I can believe. Holly's teasing is notoriously contagious it seems.

I heard the door to the garage open up and I turned to see Mark poking his head in.

"Olivia? Um… you have a… guest."

A guest? Who the hell even knows we're here? Was it one of the Guardians? Do they even know where we are? "Who is it?"

"It's… North West."

North?! How the hell did he find us here? Why was he even here? "Let's go see what he wants."

It was just Mark in the hallway, Holly must have been with Nate. Once I see what North is up to, I'll have to do what I can to apologize to Nate. If I had simply asked him in the first place, none of this would have happened. The front entrance was a short walk from where the garage was. I went to open the main door but Mark stopped me with his paw.

"What if it's some kind of trap? You said it yourself, he wasn't the most trustworthy mammal out there. He was also dealing chems with the slavers, for all we know the Slave Prince is trying to get back at you for basically bringing an army to his doorstep."

"That's… a very valid argument, but I don't think he's that kind of guy. Sure he's shifty, sure he's a low life criminal…"

"You're not helping your case any Olivia."

"But I don't think he's a bad guy. He was the one who told you how to find me, right? I think he deserves a chance to at least explain himself."

Mark hesitated but eventually took his paw off of my arm. I opened the door to see North standing there, dressed in his usual torn button up shirt, ragged pants and torn tie. Since his face looked like a burn victim's worst nightmare, it was very hard to tell what type of expression he had, but somehow I knew it wasn't one of malice.

"North West. What brings you here?"

"I… I have a present. For you. For… all of you."

I was about to ask what it was when Mark nervously butted in.

"Present? What kind of present? And how did you find this place exactly?"

"Well I kinda followed you. I wasn't stalking you or anything! I tried to get your attention, but you must have not heard me, so I followed you here. As for the presents, well, take a look for yourself."

We both stepped out of the bunker's entrance and I think my jaw dropped when I saw the giant wagon filled to the brim with crates. A large robot was attached to it, one that I had never seen before. Unlike Onion's levitator, this robot had two large treads that supported an even larger body. It had no arms, but had a very large flat, round head, and every inch of it was covered in transparent material.

"What is all that?"

"I'm a trader, but I've always done business for the sake of money, not caring about who it helps, or who it hurts. For the past two centuries, ever since I can remember that is how I worked. Hustling one mammal out of their money just to turn around and use it to hustle another, and I never once felt ashamed for what I did. After seeing you carr… Olivia, I felt… I honestly don't know what I felt. There was something… different about you. Don't take it too deeply! I'm not coming on to you or anything. You're a bit too… young for me. Even after I… stole those coins, I felt bad about it. I've never felt bad about anything. Getting your friend, Nate was it? Getting him hurt, I never cared about it, or about him, but when I found out he was with you? A fox… and a rabbit… I don't know what it was. Maybe I'm getting old, maybe my brain is finally about to finish rotting away, but when I found out you had been brought to Wild Times, something in me… snapped. I had to find your friends. I left in such a hurry I didn't even get my payment, and I always get my payment. I just… money wasn't important to me. Not when you were in trouble." He seemed… I don't know if it was possible for a ghoul to cry, but it sounded like he wanted to. He was being truthful to his words.

"That's… I'm sorry too."

"For what?" North seemed genuinely confused when I told him I was sorry.

"I thought you were just some lowlife, a simple criminal out to make a pocket full of caps. You seemed… arrogant every time I met you. So full of yourself that I'm surprised you're not as big as an elephant."

"Ouch. Here I open up my heart to you and that's how you respond?"

"Oh! No! I didn't mean it that way, I just… I never expected to hear words like that come from someone like you. I… I'm ever thankful to you. I think we all are, even if they don't show it. If it wasn't for you I would…"

I felt Mark's paw on my shoulder as he took over. "You said you had a present? What exactly did you bring us?"

"Food. Supplies. Medicine. I even rented a Carry-All Bot to help transport it. I wanted to say… I'm sorry. Sorry for hurting Nate, sorry for being such a 'lowlife criminal', and sorry that I couldn't have gotten to you earlier. I heard what he… did to you. That… no one should experience something like that, and coming from me, I'm sure that's a lot."

"But how did you afford all of this?"

"Traded, mostly. I also have a large amount of caps that I keep hidden away, hoping to one day be able to move from this shit stain on the map and find someplace better."

"Is there even such a place?"

"I… I don't know. There are so many places in this city that I can't ever go to, and I don't even know why. There are places that just fill me with… sorrow. I figured anyplace would be better than here, but is it really worth leaving when this is the only place I've ever called… home?"

"Yes, it is. I know this, they know this. If someplace is truly horrible, than the best thing to do is leave. It may be hard, but in the long run, it might be the best thing you've ever done, but you'll never know unless you try."

"I… let me get these crates down."

"Here, I'll help." Mark went to go grab a few crates.

"I'm sure Drake can help, Holly too. Let me go get them."

It took us nearly twenty minutes to unload everything and bring them to the storage area. Holly and Drake agreed to help, but Nate seemed very hesitant when I mentioned it was North. I figured he was still trying to recover from his run in with Blanche, so I told him to just rest. I gave him a nice long kiss to help, and that seemed to relax him, at least a little bit.

There were at least thirty crates. When the last one had been unloaded, he gave an order to the bot to return to its owner. I had asked what would happen if someone tried to steal it, but he assured me it wasn't a harmless robot. North gave us a rundown on what each crate contained. Rather than being marked 'food' or 'medicine' it was marked in identification numbers. He said that many traders had their own form of identifiers in order to prevent someone from 'tagging' a more valuable trader for a potential robbery. It was actually a very smart move, and I was surprised at how organized North was as well. Each crate was filled so efficiently that I don't think we could ever replace it in the same manner.

"I should be going now."

"No, wait. You don't have to leave, at least not yet. You went through all this effort to bring this to us, can't you stick around to maybe enjoy it?"

"Ghouls don't eat, at least most of them don't. I knew a ghoul once named Amethyst who loved gorging herself, but I never knew why, especially since most of us don't have taste buds, or even stomachs, to enjoy it."

"Still, would it hurt to stick around, even for a little bit? You saved my life, I want to make sure that you know how grateful we are."

"I… Well I didn't have any plans, so, why not?"

"Good, it's settled. Mark, you mind getting some of the food out and preparing it? After everything we've been through, I think a fest is in order."

"A… feast?"

"Yeah. A feast. Now don't go overboard, this stuff can last us a very long time, but I think we'll all be much happier with a full stomach."

"A-alright. It's been a while since we had some real food. I'll get Holly to help us. Nate's a bit helpless in the kitchen. You know he once burned a salad?"

"A… salad? How is that even… you know what, I don't want to know. Speaking of Nate, I'm gonna go check up on him."

North was telling Mark how his identification system worked as they started to tear open crates. Holly was starting to carry stuff to the kitchen area in their room as I left to go find Nate. I assumed that he was in our room, and I had guessed correctly when I entered. He was sitting there on the bed just staring out into nothingness it seemed.

"Nate?"

He looked at me, his face still showing a nervous tension. "I-I'm s-sorry."

"For what?" I moved over and sat next to him.

"I-I shouldn't have r-reacted that way. I j-just…"

"No, I'm the one who should be sorry. I never meant to hurt you like that. I didn't realize that you were collecting that stuff. It was mostly the same brand, so I figured you found some production plant and took it all from there. I promise, it won't happen again. Are you… if you're upset at me, it's okay to tell me, I deserve it."

I felt his tail slowly wrap around me. "N-No, I'm n-not upset, not at y-you. I was just… I shouldn't h-have confronted h-her. I s-should have…"

I kissed him before he said something that he would probably regret later. "It's okay. I promise. I also had a little… talk with Blanche. I doubt she'll try to say anything to you about it. She's actually harmless. I… I promised her that I wouldn't tell anyone, but after recent… events, I think it's best to tell you. Promise me you won't tell her, please?"

"I-I… I promise."

"I know she seems like a small ball of vicious rage, and it's mostly true, but there was one thing she told me. One thing that I think might help you feel more at ease around her. Despite her aggression, both physically and verbally, she told me that she hates pain." Nate suddenly looked surprised when I said that. "She said she hates for her enemies to feel pain, so she basically severs their nerves when she kills them, making it so that they die a painless death. That… that actually made me respect her a bit. Sure her words can hurt, but she's not trying to cause anyone any real pain. She may not be harmless, but she does care, in her own disturbed little way."

"I… I didn't k-know."

"I promise I won't let her have any more of your alcohol. She says that drinking is the only way to forget what ever happened in her past, but if it comes to it, I'll simply buy her some."

"N-no, if s-she wants some, s-she can h-have a l-little. I just l-like to keep t-track of what I-I have."

"You're so sweet. You feeling any better now?"

"A l-little. I think."

"Well, we have a surprise visitor, remember North West? He brought us a ton of food and supplies." I felt him get tense again. "Are you okay?"

"H-he… he traded chems w-with those bastards… he was t-there!"

"He also saved my life. He told us that he was trading with the slavers, and while I don't agree with that, if he hadn't been, I wouldn't… be…"

I felt his tail tighten around my waist. He wrapped an arm around me as he gently pulled me closer. "I-I… I don't know w-what to think right now. H-he is responsible for giving the d-drugs to them that they… used on y-you. But he was t-the reason we s-saved you. I just d-don't know how to feel."

"You don't have to be friends with him, you don't even have to talk to him. Just… just be thankful for what he did, not hate him for who he is. I asked him to stay, at least for the feast. He… he spent nearly all of his own money to buy this for us, so please, just show him a little gratitude, that's all I ask."

"I… I will. I don't know if I-I can be near him, b-but I won't try to p-push him away either."

"Thank you. Now, let's go see what's cooking. I'm starving."

They decided to set up the food in the garage so that there was plenty of room for this giant table that I had no idea where it came from. Nate told me that they use it here and there, but it's usually stowed away in the storage area. On the table was a veritable buffet lined with all sorts of food. There were vegetables, fresh vegetables, fruits, meats for the those who ate it. There were things I'd never even seen before. I grabbed some steamed carrots, blueberries, some wiggling substance that looked very bizarre but smelled delicious, along with a few other items that I wasn't familiar with. At this point, I didn't care. It was fresh and that's all that mattered.

"Hey Drake! We even got something for you."

Holly wheeled in a large crate that was partially opened. She took a large crowbar and finished prying off the top. I was curious as to what it was so walked over and took a small peak. Was that… oh that's nasty. Drake seemed to like it however. He flew over to it and impaled its contents, two very large, and thankfully very dead spiders and lifted them up onto the rafters and started to dig into them.

"Drake! Not over the APC! I just cleaned it!"

Nate seemed in a better mood, at least when it came to certain things. I didn't think he was over everything however. Every time Blanche came to get something, Nate seemed to distance himself from her. Hell, I think Blanche was trying to distance herself from me as well. Not once did we find ourselves in the same place, and every time I tried to make eye contact, she just moved out of range of my sight. It's probably a good thing that she agreed to do some scouting with Drake. Some distance can help to alleviate these feelings between some of us.

There was something else I noticed. North spent most of his time far away from everyone else. He was acting like Nate almost, trying to keep himself apart. I didn't want him to feel uncomfortable here, especially since he said he can't eat. I finished my food and grabbed a paw-full of those blueberries and placed them in a pocket. These things were amazing.

I walked over to North and pulled a couple blueberries out of my pocket and offered him some. "Blueberry?"

"Pass."

"So you really can't eat anything?"

"Technically we can, but it won't taste like anything and won't provide us any nutrition."

"So, how do you get your energy? Drinking?"

"We don't need water either. Ghouls, well, we're 'created' by exposure to radiation, so the only thing that really helps us is more radiation."

"So, wait, you eat radiation?"

"Technically, yes. We can get rads from eating or drinking contaminated items, but it also can simply be absorbed through our skin. Or what's left of it."

"So, do you remember anything from your past? From before you became a ghoul?"

"No. Well, not really. I often have these flashes. Not images, but feelings, as if my body remembers something. I haven't had them for a long time and honestly had forgotten about them. Until…"

"You met me?"

"Yeah."

"What's so special about me? I've actually heard that a lot."

"How should I know? You're not from my past, unless you're really two hundred years old and discovered some fountain of youth or something."

"Afraid not. I'm only twenty."

"Wait, your TWENTY? How the hell have you survived so well out here being that young? I figured you were at least in your thirties, old enough to at least know better. Shit, you're still a kid."

"I'm not a kid! I'm just… well I'm a fast learner. So, what are your plans?"

"I don't think I follow."

"You said you spent your savings on this? Without that, where are you going to go? What are you going to do?"

"I'm not sure. Like I said, I think I'm getting too old for this. Ghouls may live much longer, but they aren't immortal. Eventually the rot catches up with us and we either die or go… savage."

"I never understood, why is it most of the ghouls I have met are savage, but others, like yourself, think and talk just like another mammal?"

"No one really knows. Some say it's how quick our brains degrade, but others say that ghouls like myself keep a hold of a thought, or a feeling, and that's what keeps their mammality intact."

"Do you have anything you're holding?"

"Hell if I know. There's nothing in my life that I can remember that would let me go on living. The only things I cared about was hustling, and even that seems to be falling apart."

"Aren't you ever afraid you'll… turn savage?"

"Every waking moment. There's not a day that goes by where I wonder who will wake up in the morning."

"Stay here."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Stay here North, with us. You… you're not the 'low life' I thought you were. You don't deserve to live your life in fear of who you'll become. If it's true that a simple thought can keep you in your own mind, then let us be that thought that lets you cling on to your mammality."

"I'm no fighter. I use deception and tricks to survive. How will that help you?"

"Well, you said you know everyone, right?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Sometimes knowledge is more powerful than any weapon. We could use that."

"What about your friends?"

"If I can get them to be friends with a deathwing, a harmless ghoul such as yourself will be a piece of cake."

"Oh, speaking of cake… I'll be right back."

Well, he didn't say no, so that was a start. I went over to where Nate, Mark and Holly were. I saw Onion zipping between everyone attempting to clean up any spilled food or drinks.

"Hey Onion, you're not our bus-bot, you don't have to clean up after us."

"Someone has to Miss. Plus, it's not like I can partake in the festivities."

"Well suit yourself. Hey guys, I kinda have some… news."

"We know." Holly's quick response startled me a bit.

"You… know?"

Holly moved her eyes upward as she rotated her ears. "Rabbit, remember? Or have you forgotten?"

"No, it's just… so you heard what I asked North?"

"Yeah. Nate isn't too keen on the idea, but he did bring us this food. And if he's telling the truth, and he spent all his money on us, well…" Mark didn't sound like he was certain of his own words.

"W-we can't just throw him out."

"Nate, are you sure? I mean, of all of us, you don't seem the happiest with him being here."

"H-he… he saved you. I may not agree w-with what he was doing there, but if he wasn't… I w-wouldn't be comfortable just k-kicking him to the curb like that."

"If none of you mind. Now, I wasn't planning on him simply crashing here forever. I figured that since he knows people, he can be our eyes and ears out there, especially in the more… unkempt places that we might not be welcomed at. Word of our doings seem to be spreading. Nate, you think we have the parts to make him a communicator that can send and receive encrypted messages?"

"Y-yeah, I should have the parts to do that."

"Good. Once we're done relaxing, I want us to work on that. Holly, you think you and Nate can work on getting those guns installed on the APC? I have the feeling our next encounter with the Legionaries will make good use of them."

"Yeah. We can work on it later tonight."

"Good. Now, I asked… well bribed, Blanche to go with Drake and do some scouting for Legionary activities first thing tomorrow. Nate and I already got them geared up with a way to communicate with us. Now as for…" I was interrupted when North came back into the room holding two large boxes.

"What are those North?"

"There are some things that are very difficult to get in the wasteland. These two are no exception." He placed the boxes on the table. North then began to undo the knot from the twine that held the boxes together. Once he was done he lifted them both. "I wasn't sure what anyone would like, so I got both of them. This is a carrot cake, and this is a double chocolate."

"You mean…" I didn't even get a chance to ask what I wanted to before Holly shoved me aside.

"Cake? CAKE! Oh, sweet cheese and crackers, it's been forever."

'Sweet cheese and crackers'? What the hell kind of expression is that?

"I take it you like it?" North seemed just as surprised as I was by Holly's reaction.

"If I knew any other ghoul, you would be my favorite right now. Where did you get them?"

"It was from one of my regulars. He was a great baker, but a bit crazy. He kept on trying to sell me a book that doesn't even exist."

"What do you mean North?" I think the word 'book' got Mark's attention.

"Apparently he thought that Random Den, the pre-war company that published the Jack Savage books, was about to release a seventh book in the series before the war started. He kept telling me he had a copy, but he refused to show me unless I paid him an exorbitant amount of caps. I'm smart enough to not buy something I can't see."

"Wait, wait, wait. Are you saying that there might be another, never before released book in the series?" Mark was getting a bit excited. Honestly, I was too, although I still have yet to finish reading the ones I borrowed from him.

"Yeah. There's a branch of the publisher near the Hill Street Station, bordering the Rainforest District. I've been meaning to check it out for myself, but I never really cared enough to. Never liked those books, but I know it would fetch at least a few hundred caps if I found any of them."

"Hey Holly, how long would it take to install those guns?"

"Well 'livi, Nate has most of the preliminary work done, so a day or two perhaps. Why?"

"Well, I don't want to bring the fight to the Legionaries until we have those installed, and it'll probably be a little bit for Drake to finish scouting the area once they leave. Plus I'm feeling a bit cooped up here right now. How about Mark, Nate and I take a little field trip?"

"I don't feel comfortable letting the three of you go out there alone 'livi."

"It will be the three of us, we'll have each other. Plus, the three of us worked pretty well together when we went to rescue you Holly. So I think we can manage."

"As long as you don't decide to blow up any more sewer systems."

"No promises Mark. What about you Nate, you up for a small trip?"

"As long a-as we stick near e-each other."

"Alright, it's settled. One more night to sleep off all this food, and we all head out first thing in the morning."

I was feeling a bit happier. So far everything that's happened has been one death trap after another. It'll be nice to actually have a calmer mission to keep our minds sharp but our nerves loose. Plus it might be a good time to talk with Mark about something.

"Oh, 'livi?"

"Yeah Holly?"

"I'm… sorry. I didn't mean to tease you with the camera, it was… I just can't help it sometimes. Here, I got you a gift."

Holly handed me a small box. "A gift? What is it?"

"Just open it. I hope you like it."

I opened the box. Inside was a… it was a… "You didn't have to."

"I felt bad ripping your other one."

"No, I mean you didn't have to. Where the hell is the fabric?" I held up the 'nightgown' she got me. Unlike the other one what was made of a solid opaque material, this one was made of lace, very thin lace that held very little to the imagination.

"That… is not what I bought. I thought I got a green one like the one I… wait a second, is that my favorite shirt? It IS! Why are you wearing my favorite… Marki! She's wearing the shirt when we…"

"Holly, calm down! Just… just let it go. It's just a shirt."

"Just a shirt? That's the shirt I wore when we first… You know what? It's fine."

"Sorry Holly, I didn't think…"

"No, it's fine! You never had a lot of clothes. And it… looks good on you. But is… are those my…" She quickly grabbed me and drew my shorts back. "My panties?! You…"

I pushed her away and tried to fix my shorts before she tore those off too. "I haven't worn clean clothes in weeks, and I couldn't go around naked, so I kinda borrowed some stuff while you were away."

"I… You're right. I'm not mad, it was just… well a bit unexpected is all. I knew that shirt looked familiar." Holly quickly turned and grabbed a slice of cake. "Marki, you, me, and this cake. Bedroom. Now."

Before Mark could object, Holly grabbed him by his tail and dragged him behind her out of the garage. I couldn't help but smile. I got her at her own game, didn't I? Okay Holly, we're even now. I decided to grab a slice of the carrot cake, something I haven't had in a very long time.

"Well North, thanks again for the food and make yourself comfortable. As for me, I think I'll take their cue and have some dessert with my own foxy pillow. Come on Nate."

Nate and I left the garage, mostly because I could still sense his nervousness being in the same room as both Blanche and North, but also all this food was making me a bit tired, and despite all the rest I've had the past day or two, I had the feeling that if we didn't get our fill of it now, we may not get the luxury to for a while. I really hope that wasn't the case, but I wanted to savor every moment of it, and savor it I will.

Fallout: Zootopia After Show

Featuring:

'Stripes in the Morning'

[Max]

"What the hell are you doing here Stripes? And why do you have a… Oh… Oh HELL NO! You are NOT ruining this day for us!"

[Stripes]

"Good morning Zootopian wasteland! This is Stripes with Stripes in the Morning coming to you from the Grand Sandstone Tavern located within Sahara Square, and dangerously within Red-Neck territory!"

[Max]

"I'm asking again, what the hell are you doing here?! And why do you sound so hyper? You… Oh you had better not be riding high on stims again… "

[Stripes]

"Well Max, old pal, there are still a few who were curious about your little blind date with this lovely otter here but for some reason I slept right through your first date, so to make sure that didn't happen again, I never went to bed! I grabbed a few of my triple strength espresso shots added it to my boldest coffee and here I am, fueled almost entirely by caffeine and ready to bring the readers a very exclusive interview! So, Celeste is it? What do you think about Max here?

[Celeste]

"Oh, I take it you must be Max's co-host. I've heard a lot of… things about you."

[Stripes]

"Co-host? You must be mistaken ma'am. He's the co-host, I mean it is called Stripes in the Morning after all."

[Celeste]

"From what Maxy says, it sounds like he does most of the work while your off getting sloshed."

[Stripes]

"That is most certainly NOT true. Plus, it's coffee before work, cider after work thank you very much. Anyways, can we get back to the show? So Celeste, tell me a little about yourself."

[Max]

"As much as I'm going to regret saying this… It's best to just answer his questions, unless they're too invasive, or else he'll never leave us alone."

[Celeste]

"If you insist. My parents are both traders, so I guess that makes me a trader too, although I'd much rather be enjoying the sights than off bartering some junk that was dug up on the side of the road."

[Stripes]

"Not much sight-seeing to be had around here."

[Celeste]

"You feeling okay? You're starting to not look too hot."

[Stripes]

"Just a little headache coming on. Nothing much, but why is the world suddenly spinning? Right. So, as I was saying, how can you enjoy the sights around here, when most of it looks bleak and dismal?"

[Celeste]

"You gotta learn to look past the ugly to find the real beauty. Someone might see a crumbling building, but I see a metaphor about how no matter how much you get built up, all it takes is time to tear you down. That radioactive water around here? At night, during the calm before a major radiation storm, it starts to glow, making it look almost alive as the water ripples throughout."

[Stripes]

"It's nice to hear someone say there's still beauty left in the world. So, back to the first question, what you think of… oh, my. I'm feeling a bit…" Loud noise. Feedback.

[Max]

"WELL! That was thankfully shortli-… Oh, oh please tell me he isn't… " Sounds of rustling and a disgruntled groan. "You ass… You unbelievable ass. You're broadcasting live to all and sundry, in the one place I find a measure of peace. Just… Ya just had ta ruin it didn't you. I'm sorry Celeste, didn't even think he'd know about my little salvation here. I'll just turn this off…"

[Celeste]

"Oooh I don't know… I actually thought it was kinda fun! You know, aside from the sleep deprived lump of pain now sprawled on the floor. And aren't you interested in hearing my answer, Maxy?"

[Max]

"Erm… W-well… E-equal parts yes and no? Eheh, oooh why do I have a feeling you're enjoying my discomfort far more than I'm picking up on?"

[Celeste]

"Maaybe because I am? Let's face it Maxy, you foxes are just adorable when you're all flustered and uncertain. Just watching you on our first date was enough to convince me not to letcha go. I can't even begin to tell you how much I love it when your tail puffs up just. Like. That!"

[Max]

"You're doing this… Now. On live radio. Right then! Just so we're sure my mortification on air is complete. Let's get this done with so we can get back to a hopefully pleasant evening! We'll just pick up right from where Stripes left off and let you answer what you think about me so far."

[Celeste]

"Hmm, well I'll certainly say you have some… Understandable anger issues when it comes to your job. After witnessing the issue first paw I can certainly understand it. But what do I really think about you? I think you're a shy little puppy hidden under a gruff exterior. Just waiting for the right scavenger to come by and clean you up!"

[Max]

"Are you… You can't be… You're not serious are you?!"

[Celeste]

"HAH! Ooh I wish all you out there listening in could see my poor Maxy's face! Awww Max don't look at me like that! You know those puppy eyes of yours are lethal weapons with me. Hehehe! Oooh you're just too much fun! Honestly now though, you're a wonderful guy when not near your job and despite my quiet little nudges you refuse to bring it up much. Gives you that mysterious stranger vibe and I love it. Though now I think I can understand why you don't enjoy thinking about it. Ever think of an occupation change?"

[Max]

"Hey I thought I was asking the questions here. But well… Sometimes this pain in the tail makes me question whether or not I should've chosen a different profession. Like a bomb disposal expert. Better pay and fewer headaches all around. Siiince that's out of the way though, why don't you tell us a little bit about the trading life? I know it can be dangerous out there and hopefully it's not all there is."

[Celeste]

"Is trading a dangerous profession? Yes, yes it is. Would I trade it for being a house wife or some stuffy unappreciated secretarial position at a radio station? Not on your life… Well, not unless a certain Fox plays his cards right at least. But no, my parents mostly like to stick to the safer trade routes. Even ran up to the Meadowlands a few times. Though that's all but dried up no thanks to the Council. Otherwise it's a pretty boring nomadic lifestyle. Interspersed with moments of sheer terror and gunshots at random hours of the day and night. Remember folks it's always safer to travel in large caravans! I'm not joking. Raiders hate, absolutely hate large groups of armed mammals. Max… Sweetheart you might wanna wipe that dopey smile off your muzzle before someone thinks there's something wrong with ya."

[Max]

"… I… Um… Right! Right… Sorry, just. Don't quite know what got me there."

[Celeste]

"I do! She's sitting to your left and grinning at you right now as you try to come back from day dreaming about her."

[Max]

"… Out of my head mammal… Anyhow folks I'm sorry to say but it appears the battery is getting low on this transceiver and I fear to even THINK of what Stripes was doing with this thing on the entire time it took him to get here. So for now we're going to have to bid you farewell. Catch us next week where I'm sure our producer will be out to chew our tails off if we don't find another mammal to interview. So as always send us a message of who you want to hear from! Really, Gary is getting desperate in hunting down new interviewees, and I'm worried my poor lil buddy is gonna work himself into a heart attack if you don't let us know who you all wanna hear from!"

[Celeste]

"Bye folks! Don't worry, I'll take good care of Maxy here and I might even let him come back! Maybe… If I can actually get enough of hugging his puffy tail. Which won't happen. Sorry folks this fox is mine now! By the way, who's Gary?"

[Max]

"Probably the only other mammal with a sane head on his shoulders at the Daily Caller, sets-"

-Transmission Cut by remote battery indicator.-