Chapter 7

We'll Meet Again

Lucy stepped down onto the bottom floor of the Think Tank, smiling brightly as the various monitors and eyes flicked to look at her. It was clear they hadn't expected to see her moving around so soon, and it was also clear they didn't believe she was ready to be.

"I thought the Auto-Doc told you to rest." Veronica stepped over. "It's been one day, that's not enough time to heal."

Lucy nodded. "I know, but I'm not trying to go run a marathon or anything."

"Just travel halfway across the country?" Veronica asked, an utterly unimpressed look on her face as Lucy's smile brightened.

"It's not that far." Lucy shook her head. "We are flying there, not walking. I'm not even taking the teleporter." She held up the small gun that served as her link to the network. "See? I'm being reasonable."

"Th-" Veronica cut off as Christine set a hand down on her arm.

"Are you sure you're up to it?" Christine asked gently. "I know you're eager, but we wouldn't want something to go wrong so far from the Auto-Doc."

Lucy continued smiling. "I feel fine, honestly. Probably because of all of the medication, but still, I feel fine."

It was clear they weren't convinced. They cared about her, and she couldn't be mad about that. That being said, she also couldn't sit back and do nothing now that she knew where her parents were. That determination must have been clear, because Christine sighed.

"I'll get the Vertibird spun up." Christine said. "Veronica, can you gather some supplies? Food, medicine, ammo."

"The usual," Veronica nodded. "I've got it."

"I can help." Lucy offered.

"Like hell you will!" Veronica snapped, glaring at her. "You'll take that elevator back up to your room and take a nap, or so help me I will carry you up there myself!"

Lucy chuckled softly, feeling her face heat up as she nodded meekly. "Okay."

Veronica nodded once, before gesturing back towards the elevator. Lucy walked back, turning to see Veronica and Christine split up to start preparing for their flight. As the elevator door closed, Lucy finally allowed her mask to crack.

Her chest heaved, her breathing feeling heavy and difficult. The headache that she had been hiding had only been made worse by the bright lights on the ground floor. As the elevator finally reached their room, she slowly made her way back to her bed. She felt sluggish and she more so collapsed onto her bed rather than fell. Laying there, face down, hurt as the pressure on her chest made it harder to breathe. Turning over to lay on her back didn't make it much better. She didn't suffocate though, so she was grateful for that much at least. Despite all the pain, her smile was an honest one. She couldn't work up the energy to be upset at how her body felt, her emotions being far too high with her reunification with her parents on the horizon.

Were it any other time, she would have used the Auto-Doc, but now that she knew it would send out reports to Veronica and Christine, she didn't risk it. The last thing she wanted was to push the trip back any more than it had already been delayed. She hadn't gone through all of the pain just to stand by and waste time sleeping.

The worst part was that her body was actively working against her. She didn't know exactly when she fell asleep, but before she knew it there was a soft knocking on her door. Slowly, she sat up and took a deep breath.

"Come in." She hoped she didn't sound too lost for breath, not after having done what amounted to one sit up.

The door opened, revealing Veronica standing there with a backpack on. "Christine says the Vertibird is ready."

How long had she been out? The whole process usually took an hour, or perhaps a little bit longer if Christine felt the urge to double check the systems, but it had only felt like a matter of seconds. She didn't complain, however, standing quickly before hiding the dizzy spell that struck her by bending back down to grab her weapon.

"No action, remember?" Veronica insisted, moving over to pull the Medicine Stick from her hands.

"I can't go in defenseless, can I?" Lucy asked with a smile.

Veronica handed her a small handgun that was still in its holster. "Leave anything bigger to me."

Maria's holster clipped easily on her belt, and Lucy nodded. It was far from the usual armament she had, but in truth, she had struggled to even hold her rifle.

The walk down to the Vertibird was harder than she would have liked, and as she climbed the steps into the craft she was left out of breath and sweaty. Veronica and Christine noticed, it would have been impossible not to, but neither said anything. Lucy didn't for a second think it was because she was hiding her pain well, rather, they probably knew she was too stubborn to talk down. They weren't wrong, and it would have taken a small war breaking out to stop her from going on this flight.

Lucy moved to take the co-pilot's chair, only for Veronica to redirect her to a seat in the back.

"I've got it." Veronica nodded. "Christine and I can fly; you just try to get some more rest. You've already given her the coordinates, right?" She waited for Lucy to nod before continuing. "Then let us handle it."

Despite how she wanted to argue, Lucy remained silent. That wasn't an argument she wanted to have, and after a few seconds Veronica nodded again and stepped over to her usual chair, leaving Lucy sat alone. As the engines increased their force, the slight conversation Veronica and Christine were having about the flight was cut off by the noise. That worked both ways however, and she groaned as she leaned back into her chair.

The seats were hardly comfortable at the best of times, but with how sore her body was it was only made all the worse. Closing her eyes, she doubted she would be able to fall asleep like this.

It came as something of a surprise then, when she slowly felt herself slip into unconsciousness. Unlike all the times since her fateful run in with Benny however, it was not a dreamless sleep. Though the details were vague, as if shrouded or obscured, she could still imagine the feeling of her parents hugging her.

The vertibird shook suddenly, waking Lucy from her sleep just in time to hear the landing gear begin to open.

"We will be landing in a few minutes." Christine reported over the intercom. "But stay buckled in, the winds here are a little bit stronger than what I am used to."

Lucy smiled. The mountains had always been like that, and while that was inconvenient for a pilot, that wasn't what she focused on. She could remember the winds. She could remember the feeling of it on her skin, and the breeze through her hair. They were small, but they were still memories, and it was something she couldn't explain. Those few minutes it took to land felt like an eternity, but eventually, the sound of the engines powering down was heard and Lucy rushed over to the door as it unsealed.

They weren't next to the house, instead being a little farther down the mountain in a small clearing. She didn't remember it per say, but there was an unmistakable sense of familiarity to it. She had been there before. The air was fresh and cool, the warmth from the sun above not beating down on them the same as it had in the Mojave.

Veronica and Christine stepped out behind her, their feet landing softly on the grass behind her.

"You think you can make the climb up?" Veronica sounded worried.

The path up was an easy walk, a small incline that usually wouldn't have been an obstacle at all. Lucy's breathing was still heavy however, and her legs were already sore from having stood for so long. With a determined nod, she started up the hill.

They only made it about five minutes before she was forced to stop and rest. Christine and Veronica didn't seem frustrated by the pause, not that she expected them to be. They just sat beside her, offering small distractions as they tried to help her resist the urge to rush off up the hill.

"It's pretty cold up here." Veronica said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I mean, there is snow over there." Christine pointed up the hill towards the mountains in the distance. True to her words, they were covered in snow. "And we are in the mountains, what did you expect?"

"I knew it would be cold." Veronica slapped her hand against Christine's shoulder.

"It's not all that cold." Lucy said, taking a deep breath. She had always hated how hot it was in the Mojave, even after getting her implants. She preferred the cold, even if she couldn't remember the last time she had truly been cold. Here though, she realized that she liked it.

"I'm from the desert," Veronica shrugged. "Honestly, I don't know how I would put up with this."

"I don't know." Christine smirked, leaning over to put some of her weight on Veronica's shoulder. "Just think about it. Cold nights next to the fire. Holding each other close for warmth-"

"I think I'm good enough to continue." Lucy stood suddenly, face red as she tried to ignore the amused look on Christine's face, as well as the expression that said Veronica wasn't against the idea she had been running with. Not at all.

Christine chuckled, standing and following a few steps behind. They didn't have too much farther to go, and the hill slowly started to flatten out as they reached the top. The hill crested, opening up into the small valley that held the town she had grown up in.

The buildings were abandoned, the only sound filling the air being the wind as Lucy looked out over the empty shops. She took off into a sprint before Christine and Veronica could reach her, and she ignored their cries for her to stop as she made her way down onto the road that ran through the small collection of buildings. She didn't stop to investigate them however, they weren't what she cared about.

Her legs burned, and she wasn't able to breath, yet she pushed herself on still. Christine and Veronica had no chance of catching up, her cybernetic upgrades kicking in to drive her faster than they could ever manage. She made her way up the hill, cutting through the brush before sprinting out onto the gravel driveway that led to her home. The path was familiar, something she had known like the back of her hand once, yet she couldn't remember it. She knew her way despite that, and quickly found herself standing in between the house and her father's barn.

The paint had long since peeled, the windows and doors were closed, and it was clear they hadn't been opened in a long time. There was moss growing on some of the steps, something that her father never would have let happen. She knew that.

Lucy collapsed, her legs giving out as she tried desperately to catch her breath. Her chest heaved and she felt something burn in her eyes.

Christine and Veronica eventually found their way to her, both coming to a stop a few feet behind her. There was a pause as they took it all in, before she felt a pair of arms wrap around her.

"I'm sorry, Luce'. I'm so sorry." Veronica whispered.

Lucy didn't respond, she wasn't able to. Her chest felt like it was on fire, and what little air she could get was wracked between sobs as she shook in her friend's arms. She held her there for what felt like hours, it might have been, she had lost track of time. Eventually however, her tears ran dry, and her attempts to breath camp a little bit easier.

That didn't mean she felt better however, far from it. The sense of defeat had finally settled in.

"It's not fair." Lucy whispered; Veronica was close enough that she heard it however. Her arms tightened around her, but she didn't say anything. "I finally made it home… why aren't they here?"

They said they would wait for her, they had promised. Her parents weren't liars.

"I'm sure they wanted to be." Christine stepped over finally, kneeling down to place a hand on Lucy's shoulder. "Life just… it gets complicated."

Wasn't that the biggest understatement of Lucy's life? Everything in her life was one battle after another, every day since she left home a struggle of some kind. She knew that was part of growing up, that there would be challenges and troubles to overcome. She had left home specifically in search of adventure.

She hadn't known what she had truly been giving up in the process. Now, she wanted nothing more than to turn back the clock.

"Maybe they left a note…" Christine didn't sound like she believed it, but the possibility was there.

Lucy didn't want to stand and, judging by how tightly Veronica was holding her, she didn't want to let go. Christine had a point though, and it wasn't one Lucy was willing to ignore. Every scrap of evidence and clue as to where they went would be important. If she could find some trace…

Shifting, Veronica's grip slowly loosened, and Lucy stood. It took more effort than she liked to climb the few steps that lead to their front door. It was locked of course, reaching into her pocket, Lucy prepared to pull out a bobby pin, only to pause and look to her right. There was a small window next to the door, the lip of it curving outwards. Running her hand along the bottom, she found what she was looking for.

The hidden key was a little dirty, not to mention a little rusted, but it worked well enough to get the door open. Stepping through was like walking into a dream, and it threatened to force her emotions back over the brink once more.

Despite the time that had passed, the house was cleaner than she expected. There were sheets over the furniture and counter tops to keep them clean. Stepping through into the kitchen, she closed her eyes. She could almost hear it, the sound of her mom and dad making dinner while she sat in the next room tinkering with her terminal or the radio. She could remember watching her mom make cookies for her in the cold of winter, or lemonade in the summer.

Had that been a memory from the lounger?

"Lucy, are you-" Veronica called out, snapping her from her memories.

"I'm fine." Lucy rubbed at her eyes, taking a deep breath, and stepping deeper into the house. The house wasn't as big as she remembered it. There wasn't a set dining room, rather it was just a corner of the living room that had sat closest to the kitchen with a table and some upturned chairs. There was one thing that looked out of place, however.

The terminal her father had helped her build sat on a desk in the opposite corner. She had left it behind when she left, obviously not able to carry it around on her motorcycle. She had left it in her room upstairs however, not here. The terminal was dead of course, no electricity running through the house now that no one was living there, but, to her surprise, there was a holotape in it. Placing it in her pip-boy, she hit play.

"Hey Luce'." Her fathers voice came from the speaker. "If you're getting this, you finally made it back home. I'm sorry we aren't there waiting for you but, well, we worry." There was a rustling from the other side of the recording, before the sound of the mic being slid into its stand. "Your mother and I have decided to go after you. I know, we're probably worrying about nothing, but hey, I don't think you'll complain about us loving you too much. The town is pretty much deserted anyways, we're the last ones who stayed." They stayed waiting for her.

Lucy felt her eyes burn again, though there didn't seem to be any more tears to fall.

"We are heading west, the same path we plotted together all those years ago." Her father continued. "Think we'll stop off at Shady Sands, I hear the government there has people for this sort of thing. Not sure how I feel about paying for it, but if we get to see you again… well, it would be worth it."

How long ago had that been? Lucy checked the time stamp on the holotape, seeing that it was well before her rise to fame within the NCR. They wouldn't have had any idea who she was, nor where she could be found. Not at that point at least.

"Your mom and I spent a few months thinking about this, and if I'm being honest, I don't like the idea of leaving." He sighed heavily into the mike. "I just know that the moment we leave, here you'll come riding up that road. That would be just our luck, wouldn't it?"

It would have been, had she not run into Benny and forgotten about it. Sadly, her luck had turned sour, much as Benny had once told her himself.

"But if that's the case, that means you're alive." Her father sounded relieved, as if he doubted the certainty of the idea. "And it means that we can see each other again. we'll find you sweetie, I promise. No matter how far we have to go. Until then, know that your mom and dad love you."

"I love you too dad." Lucy sobbed, as the tape finished.

A pair of hands settled on her shoulder, but neither Veronica nor Christine knew what to say.

"I'm sorry," Lucy apologized, rubbing at her eyes as she tried to regain control of herself. "I thought I was done crying."

"Don't ever apologize for being human." Veronica looked over to the terminal. "We have a few spare batteries in the Vertibird that could probably keep that terminal charged for a little while."

Lucy shook her head. "What for?" They had left the holotape as a message. She doubted they would have left two messages.

"You can record your own message." Veronica answered, pulling away before Lucy could even say anything. "I'll be right back."

Record her own message? Lucy hadn't ever considered the idea. The odds of them coming back here were low, but then again, what were the odds she would eventually find her way home as well? It was worth a shot, and as Veronica returned to hook up the battery to the Terminal, she inserted a blank holotape.

Her thumb hovered over the record button for a moment as she thought of what she wanted to say.

"Hi mom, dad." Lucy smiled softly as she pictured their faces. "I made it back." A soft laugh made its way from her throat, it didn't last long, and it was half filled with choked sobs, but she could picture her dad doing the same. "I'm sorry it took so long. I… I ran into some trouble." And wasn't that just another understatement? She had gone from one war to the next with hardly a break in-between. "I think I've got a few stories to tell you now. You-" Her voice cracked. "You'd be proud." She didn't doubt that for a second, and it was a comforting feeling to know that for certain. "I've missed you guys, and I can't wait to see you again. Don't keep me waiting as long as I kept you though. It's your turn to find me." Lucy smiled, even as the tears ran down her face. "I love you." She ended the recording before she started crying.

Veronica moved over to pull her up into another hug. Lucy returned it, wrapping her arms around her friend's back and wiping her eyes on her shirt. She didn't complain.

Eventually, as the sun began to set and the real cold began to creep in, they stepped back outside. Locking the door behind her, Lucy slid the key back into its hiding place. The walk back to the Vertibird was done in silence, and before long they were back in the air, flying back to Big Mountain.

She hadn't found what she wanted; despite everything she had gone through. Her parents were alive though, she refused to even consider the alternative. They had gone to look for her, just as she had eventually searched for them. It was only a matter of time before they found each other. Her failure didn't make it all useless however, as she had learned one undeniable truth.

Her parents loved her, knowing that… She wouldn't say that alone was enough, but it would have to be for now. Until then, she had a family to help her all the way. Veronica and Christine had, despite their valid concerns for her safety, helped her.

Lucy couldn't wait for the day she could introduce her families to each other.

End