Author's Note: Nothing really to talk about this time. As always, please enjoy, and review.
(3 weeks later)
Mark was sitting at the table of their home. It was close to 1 PM, and Amata was on patrol. He had his and Amata's pip-boys sitting in front of him. He had been modifying them with identical frequencies and an on-screen keyboard so that they could talk or send messages to each other from about twenty to twenty-five miles away. It wasn't that difficult for him, really. He had always had a knack for modifying electronics. Plus, there were still satellites up in orbit around the earth, even if no one had used them in two-hundred plus years. He doubted anyone would mind him using a couple of them. For easy identification, the frequency on his would read 'Amata,' and Amata's would read 'Mark.'
As he put the casings back on, he thought about what had transpired in the past couple of months. He had saved the vault, subsequently got kicked out of the vault by the girl of his dreams, who then traveled halfway across the Capital to catch him before he left for good. Then they reconciled emotionally a few minutes before the vertibirds were due to take off, and now they were living together in the Mojave. He put the last screws in, and turned them back on to make sure they were still working properly. After running a few tests, he was satisfied that they were still in proper working order. He would have to test the long-range capabilities with Amata later.
He leaned back in his chair, ran his right hand through his hair, and started to think about his dad. Mostly, he wondered if his dad would be proud of what he had done. Nearly dying finishing the work on Project Purity that his mother and father had started before he was born. Then his thoughts drifted to the mother that he never knew, whom he had only seen in a picture. He remembered what his father had told him about her: "…she was so eager to meet you, to make a place for you in the world. If nothing else, please believe that she loved you very much."
Mark had been so lost in thought that he didn't notice that Amata had come in and had sat down across from him. "Something on your mind?" she asked. He looked at her and smiled. "Yeah," he said, "I was just thinking about if my dad would be proud of me, with everything that I've done." Amata reached across the table, and took his hands in hers. "Mark, I knew your dad as long as you did. You helped out so many people in the wastes. You were ready to sacrifice yourself so that the rest of the wasteland could have clean water. You killed the man who was responsible for your dad's death, and you destroyed an organization that wanted to use the water to control people. You are a hero. There is no way that your dad wouldn't be proud of you."
She then gave him a coy smile. "Plus, I don't wanna brag, but you got the most beautiful woman in DC to fall in love with you. I mean, how many other girls can say they got with the famous 'Lone Wanderer?'" "Well," Mark said with a grin, "there was that one time with Christine Kendall…" Amata shot him a dirty look. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding. I'm just glad we decided to leave the legend of the Lone Wanderer in DC. All I want to be now is just plain old Mark Franklin, courier, and the man in love with Amata Almodovar." She got up, walked around the table, and kissed him. "It'll always be a part of you, Mark, but I didn't fall in love with the 'Lone Wanderer.' I fell in love with 'plain old Mark Franklin', because you were a hero to me long before you ever became one in the wastes."
(1 week later)
It was about 1:30 pm, and Mark had just returned from the Mojave Express outpost in Primm with a new delivery order. It was to be delivered to New Vegas, and the order said that it was an 'oversized poker chip, composed of platinum.' Mark had heard tales of New Vegas since he had been out here. It was the pre-war city of Las Vegas that had been miraculously spared from the bombs that destroyed the world, although no one knew exactly how that had happened. There was gambling, prostitutes, and everything else that you would expect from a city of sin. It also happened to be run by a Mr. House, although no one had ever met him face-to-face.
He looked around the house to tell Amata, but he couldn't find her. 'She must be on patrol. I'll go find her and tell her,' he thought. He set down the chip and delivery order on the table, and went outside to go find her. He saw Sunny near the saloon and went over to talk to her. "Hey Sunny, where's Amata? Don't you two usually patrol together?" "Normally," she said, "but she said she was having stomach pain and went to see Doc Mitchell. She's probably still up there." "Thanks, Sunny," he said, beginning the short walk to the Doc's house.
He was about to reach for the door handle when the door opened and Amata appeared in the doorway. She was a bit surprised. She put her right hand on her chest. "Jesus, Mark, you scared me." "Sorry. So what's this about you having stomach pains? Are you all right? What did the Doc say?" "It's- it's nothing. Don't worry about it." Mark wasn't buying it. "Amata, I can tell when you're lying. Plus, your left eye's twitching. What is going on?" he asked, stressing each word. "Damn, I hoped you didn't notice that. You know how I've been feeling a bit weird lately?" "And wouldn't see Doc Mitchell, even though I insisted? Yes, I know," Mark replied. "Well, it turns out that...". She took his hands in hers, looked into his eyes, and gave him a nervous smile. "Mark, I'm pregnant."
Hope you all enjoyed the chapter. I know it's a little shorter than the rest, but I couldn't find any good way to stretch it out any further. How's that for a cliffhanger, though? Until next time, and as always, reviews are welcomed.