Queen's note: Hii, I'm back! and I think I finally bridge a few things to finally get into the well known, little vault soon n.n Was not intending it to take this bloody long when I started writing. Or this many chapters XD but, have some fun in school in the mean time!

Welcome to the Wasteland

Chapter Twenty Nine:

School Projects

"I like this place."

Preston could not help but smile as he looked over at the two voices. Watching as Sturges grinned and offered a closed fist to Lana. There was no hesitation from the slightly shorter woman to tap it with the back of her hand. The Minuteman glanced around the open cafeteria space, and the view of a semi covered inner courtyard-garden like space.

At some point in the last few centuries someone tried to start making it liveable. Barding up outer windows and covering them to block out any light from the inside. Not an uncommon tactic even today really. But also Preston saw how chairs and tables were folded or stacked away to one side of the large room that was a cafeteria. Some left out, making a smaller dining area near the kitchen. There were old veggies that had sprouted in places near the cracked open inner doors to the garden space. But no scent of decay from the kitchen.

Preston saw one of Winston's men carefully open fridge and freezer doors. As well as the cabinets in case of any other tiny lost ones.

He was not the only one who did not like thinking about how younger kids could turn. But the small bodies had been pulled out back. Every time the large group cleared a hallway or class room, they had taken the time to drag the bodies of ferals outside. Preston knew that Valory was pretty strict with burying bodies at least a good few feet down. He was not so sure if Moon Ridge was going to do that without Valory nearby or…

…snack?

The scary thing is that Preston knew that Lana could not tell either. Even if the feral ghouls, 'Lost Ones' had turned and…lost who and what made them human. They once were human, so seeing things eat them, even other ferals was…

Preston sighed, taking off his hat to itch at his scalp, glancing to the side as Clare came over. The tall woman bumping her shoulder against his in an unspoken greeting. "Is the last room clear in this section?"

"Yes, it looked like some sort of kitchen? Or multiple cooking stations." Clare stretched after making sure she had a full charge in her rifle. "Not sure why, but most of it looks useful. There were only a few cracked windows over all, and one broken. Not sure why there's bars on some of the outer windows of the building, away from the fields."

"Old security for the kids that once were here," Ron said coming after Clare, "Between them and the wood boarding, it's probably why so many windows survived despite the time. And kept the ferals inside."

"Mostly kept things cleaned too," Sturges noted, waving at an open room with toilets. "Other than a few spots but that looks old and dried out."

"Thank gods." Winston snorted coming up behind Lana, "Don't think these ferals had much fresh meat, so to say."

"The mummified look is surprisingly creepy." The shorter woman made a face, glancing at the last feral being dragged out of this wing of the school by one of Winston's guardsmen. "Is this what happens when the Lost Ones are sustained on just radiation and little water?"

"Yes and no." Winston slung his rifle up onto his shoulder. "In dry environments at least. You can see what ones had some access to outside."

"I'm kind of afraid to see what they would look like in a consistently 'wet' environment if this is considered dry." Lana frowned with a worried expression.

Clare made a face with Preston, "You don't want to see it. Trust me."

Preston seemed to finally show his age by making gag-like sounds to empathize, unable to help rub at the healing bite marks on his neck, "The smell alone is… no."

"Very much 'no' indeed." Ron agreed, coming over with his fellow watchmen and friend. As he bumped the other man's shoulder, getting a mock growl back. There was no heat from it though, just exasperation.

"Brat." Amir snorted, using a wrist to bonk the younger man in the back of the head. "You don't have to worry about them here, Miss Lana. Preston. We still need to check the basements, but I think it will just be old generators and equipment down there. The few doors I could get open to this section's building, I didn't see any signs of ferals or anything else."

"That's good," Preston smiled, looking around at the kitchen area, the marked doors that showed where their four teams had ended up clearing. "The main buildings have been cleared then? Just the outer…gyms, some rooms over there, and smaller buildings are left I think."

"Yes," Winston nodded, looking quite pleased with the situation overall. Taking the lead to go back into the cafeteria, heading to the tables still left sitting up. Testing a few chairs to make sure they would not give out right away under armor and adult bodies.

Winston glanced at those that followed him, offering chairs to Lana, Clare and Preston as they were closest. "Everyone still have water?"

"Yes," Preston sat, finding himself suddenly grateful. He might have still kept on clearing the school, but now that he was just sitting… The young commander was relieved to be able to sit and recover. Sipping from a canteen and daring to take a bit of jerky out.

Winston and his men (or was it Deegan's men?) were clearly used to working with normal humans. Not just ghouls and humans, as this team was clearly mixed, but those who were not used to active combat, as they were going slow. Not to mention everyone seemed happy to be taking a rest. Ron was offering Lana one of the cups that had a plant trying to grow inside, as Clare was talking to Winston.

"There's definitely space to grow things inside, and several things are already doing it," Lana was saying to the former watchmen as they too settled. Two jerky packs passed around so everyone had at least one piece, mostly the talk was about the school. The potential inside and outside, how the classrooms could easily be altered to apartments, with some as bunk-living rooms to start with.

"A nice stove could work to keep the smaller rooms warm," Clare offered as she stretched, standing back to get her jacket off and work out a few kinks in muscle before checking over her laser rifle. "Like the ones you have at the Co-op Lana."

"We can make a pot belly like them," Lana agreed, looking up from the little plant in a cup. Pretty sure it was some sort of pea, or a younger split bean?. "Those ones are more scaled to the smaller cabins. Maybe we can get some clean barrels and modify them to a bigger stove?"

"That would work, at least keep things from freezing and the room filling with smoke if you figure out how to vent it out." Ron was pointedly not staring at the scary amazon like woman as she came over to see what her friend was doing.

"That would be Jacky and Jake's expertise right?" Clare asked, getting a not from LAna.

"They, and Deegan have mentioned masons too? Anyone with some sort of construction experience should be able to help make a chimney or vent." Lana snorted and grinned, "Hell, I helped Jake with Frederick installing ours at the cabins… could be better but we're safe from burning down or suffocating at night."

Ron cursed softly from where he was sitting with the ghoul watchmen, they started laughing as he looked up. Looking a mix of guilty and somewhat impressed.

Winston glanced over, arching an eye ridge as he tried not to smile, "Did he remember he's bad at gambling?"

"Sure did!" One of the men laughed, clapping the scared Ron on the shoulder.

"I owe Lana my whole bonus." Ron groaned, having only a few caps set aside from the bag he just counted out.

"Keep it," Lana laughed, shaking her head as the bag was held up in an offer to toss it over. "Just help me with making a mushroom shed instead. And, or, help me find some real bourbon that's safe."

"...Oh hell yes, that's a deal!"

"Getting off easy eeeh?" The third former watchmen snickered, rubbing at the back of his head with a damp cloth.

"Have you ever made a shed? Fuck that's easy."

"He's right, Mic, got to use more muscles then what's in your arms to lift a gun."

Winston snorted as he turned away from his men, glancing at the youngest five. Not missing a few smaller amounts of caps being exchanged around in general. "Once we're all rested we can work on that last part of the school."

"Several doors seemed to have been left open inside." Preston hummed thoughtfully as he looked at the set of doors on the other side of the cafeteria. "I'm guessing most inside the halls and open ways migrated to where we've been clearing."

"I noticed that too." Winston nodded, taking a deeper breath and leaning back as far as he dared to in the old chair. "Sad, with the littles, but it seemed to match up with the cars outside. The other section might have less, but also might be the ferals are just trapped in rooms."

"Still take it carefully and check all containers in a room." Clare spoke up, summarizing what had been done so far. Checking over Sturges bandages after he had made her sit to check the woman's own. Making sure the older woulds or infection spots had not been stressed. Only two bandages had to be changed between them.

"Definitely check containers." One of the ghoul men spoke up as he stood up after wrapping his left ankle. It took Clare a moment to come up with the name she only heard in the halls, Nicholas. He was not from Goodnaighbor, but one of Deegan's long term men. "The turned….little ones, are weirdly mean to just everyone. Don't need my other ankle bitten."

"That was odd to see." Lana frowned a moment, glancing around. "Is that common in this area?"

"I think it has to do with the environment," Preston said unexpectedly as he finished checking over his own laser rifle., "Or how hostile they see people outside? This isn't the first time Clare and I have seen turned… little ones."

The young man looked up to his friend, "Before last fall…last…spring. Remember helping that harbor up far north. Just before those big docs and the settlements on the ships?"

There was a pause and then Clare clicked her fingers, "That's right, there was an old store, we found those little…little lost ones. They weren't really like the big ones, or the ones here. I remember one just held onto Rich's jacket, poor thing just stared off into space, like they were trying to talk but couldn't remember how. I don't think the captains back then couldn't not cry."

Winston winced, "I know what you mean, just enough like kids, but not enough…left inside to be really living."

"Ooph," Lana winced, looking down, "I've not met little lost ones like that. But I had seen a few adults like that coming across the country. Valory couldn't tell if they had lost themselves a long time ago or recently. I don't know if my uncle has or not… that will be an odd question to ask him."

There was a rumbling that had several looking at the nearest window, to the sport yards and such behind the school. Moon Ridge was walking through the field, finding some tall grass and starting to settle down into a loosely curled circle to nap. Likely to wait for the odd humans inside.

"So far no…uh, snacking right?" Amir asked one of the men that were the last to come over.

"So far," He gave a thumbs up, glancing over to where Lana was, "No offense but I really didn't want to stay out there alone with that big guy. I closed the back doors."

"No, no, that's perfectly fine," Lana shook her head and smiled as she got up, her recovered arrows now all wiped down with some of the moonshine first, then a thicker radaway solution that could not be used for IV line. Tucking them all away in the quiver as she stood back up. "Moon Ridge might show restraint, but we and he aren't known to each other. It's healthy to have a respectful distance from him when alone I think. Buck's okay though?"

"If anything that hell moose was bullying the deathclaw." The guardsman snorted and shook his head.

"All heads accounted for," Winston confirmed as he stretched carefully and stood as his chair gave a bit of protest with his armor. No need to push his luck with that and land on his back or ass. "You guys got here last, take another bit to rest and drink some water, that way everyone's had at least a good twenty minutes rest. Take longer if you need unless I call over the radio."

Winston turned, surprised to find that Lana, Preston and Clare were already across the cafeteria walking, with an amused Ron and Amir ambling behind them while talking with Sturges. The scared gave a smile, at least grateful the retired Watchmen liked the 'kids' enough to keep an eye on them.

"Likely most ferals had migrated." Nicholas said getting up, ambling over to his once commanding officer before the war. Now they were more like friends than just a boss or an officer. "Come on Boss, let's go watch the kids. At least Amir's with them."

Winston huffed as they walked after, knowing his men would stay in pairs or in sets of three. As well as would be coming after them once finishing getting a drink and the treat of spicy jerky. Thankfully he and Nicholas could see the guards coming up in the group ahead of them. Weapons triple checked before the doors were unlocked and they stepped into the hallway.

Lana was one of the first, after Amir with his rifle. Preston holding his position with Clare at the door until Winston and Nicholas passed.

"Miss, can you hit that trashcan down the hall, but to make nose?" Amir asked once sure no ferals were in the hall.

Lana paused, relaxing her arms and putting her arrow in her mouth to reach back, feeling the feathered ends of what was in the quiver. She pulled an arrow with no head and took aim down the hall. There was a creek of the bow the others were getting used too, and after a few moments the arrow hit the requested can. Not as much power was used like in the last hours to pierce the can but hit it and lid off.

The can fell with a distant crash and the clanking of glass bottles spilling out. There were no open doors for the lost ones to come out of. However, farther down to the end of the hall was what seemed to be the school offices was movement behind closed doors.

"So far no one's coming out, I think those doors are locked." Clare judged, listening intently, she motioned to the first door to their left. "Should be safe to start one room at a time?"

Nicholas nodded, shifting to stay in the middle of the wide halfway with Winston. "Go ahead and start, we'll keep an eye on them "

Amir hesitated a moment to be sure the distant sounds settled before moving with Preston and Clare. Letting them get the door open with as little damage as possible, mostly with the taller woman picking the lock. Ron was behind him to help watch for any delayed movement.

The door opened there was a pause and then Amir stepped in, sweeping for dangers before what he was seeing on the ground hit him. The ghoul managed to pale three shades down as he froze, his rough voice sounded almost strangled. "Oh….shit. There it is."

Ron's head jerked around at his friend's voice before having to hurriedly step out of the way as Amir quickly backed up and away from the room. "Brother?"

"I…" Amir looked at Winston then to Lana leaning around the door fram, and back to Ron. Shaking his head. "I can't do that room Boss. Sorry, I just can't."

"What is it?" Lana worried, at first not able to see around Clare from her spot.

"Remember Patricia in the old ranger cabin?" Preston said as he stepped back out of the room.

"Yes," Lana started and then sucked in her breath, and then nodded, "Oh. Yes. I get it."

Winston clasped Amir's shoulder, giving a squeeze to be reassuring. "You don't have to go in there."

"Patricia?" Nicholas asked as Preston came back out, lowering his voice.

"She was a pre-war girl, we found her remains." The Minuteman replied, tone matching, and then tilted his head back to the room, "Kids… remains."

The older gould sighed, and then nodded. Nicholas understood there was only one thing that shook the watchman like that, and it was things that dealt with kids.

"We'll take care of this room," Clare announced after her and Lana had a quiet whisper as they looked inside it, "Any anything else like it. Most of the rooms here seemed to be locked."

"After, we'll make sure to make something nice for them." Lana added, putting up her bow and arrow. Taking out her side arm from it's holster.

"Thank you." Amir said, hocking an arm around Ron to give the shorter man a half hug as if to reassure that he was fine. "Sorry miss-"

"Don't be," Lana shook her head, and smiled with reassurance as she shifted to motion up at Clare. "We got you, and Clare can save us if need be."

"Always," The minuteman woman straightened up and nodded.

Sturges moved over, "I'll stay with you two, not the best at fighting but I'm a good look out if something happens."

"Go ahead," Preston did not mind, and was happy to have his friend out of the main line of… fire? Biting?

Winston lingered a moment, getting a glimpse of several bundles of blankets on the floor. From his angle it reminded him of seeing his family's kids once in a nap time in their kindergarten. He looked at the younger humans, not for the first time feeling old, but also impressed. How Ron was willing to give reassurance to his adoptive family member. The way Sturges and Preston were sliding to help, even the honest expression from the young women. Determined but kind enough to take on a whole other level of a difficult task.

It was not an easy kindness to offer, as Winston saw Lana kneel to touch one of the bundles before he left.

"I think he tried to save the kids," Clare said once the others left to check other rooms. She nodded to the larger skeleton that was curled loosely around a bag. The taller woman moved to the left where a closet-like space as well as the storage cubes, chests. Clare was careful, opening the door or a lid of anything that might hold a surprise. All the while standing to one side to let Lana have a clear shot.

Clare liked the slightly younger woman, she was easy to move with in this project. Just skilled enough to be useful, or stay out of the way when needed, not unlike Sturges at the moment.

Reviews!

Justsomerandombastard:

TALKING Deathclaws? WEeeeeeeEEEeellll...

I will confirm there will be an interaction with one of the older matriarchs xD You'll have to wait to see what shows up (coughgrandsireCOUGH)

.