(5 minutes earlier)
Amata looked at her pip-boy: 10:32 PM. She was in her bedroom, doing some reading, utterly spent from the day's events. It had been a long, grueling process, which occasionally got heated, but an agreement had been reached. Titled the "Freeside Accords," the agreement spelled out how Freeside would be defended going forwards, how troublemakers would be dealt with, how food and water would be distributed, plus a few other minor points.
Both sides had to concede on a few things, but overall, everyone was pleased with the result. The agreement was currently only handwritten. It would need to be typed out, which she would take care of. Both the Kings and the NCR would get a copy, and one would be staying at the 38 as well. All parties would reconvene in two days for a ceremonial signing. Colonel Hsu had assured Amata that he had been granted the authority by President Kimball to sign on behalf of the NCR and would not need to consult Congress to get it approved.
The meeting had concluded about three hours prior, and after everyone had left, she and Cass went back up to the Presidential Suite to spend time with Abby before the young girl was put to bed. Looking back, she was happy with how she performed during the negotiations. Cass had been extremely helpful as well, pointing out a few things that Amata would not have considered. Cass had also failed in her quest to get Colonel Hsu drunk, although it wasn't from a lack of trying on her part. The man just would not drink anything except water.
She had checked in with Elliott a short while ago, and the report was that Mark, John, and Veronica had been the building that they were based out of for several hours. She really hoped that meant that he was getting his organs and spine put back in. She sighed. Only Mark could get into a predicament like that.
She marked the page in her book, put it on her nightstand, and rubbed her eyes. She was seriously considering going to sleep when her pip-boy beeped. "Amata, you there?" came Elliott's voice, sounding excited. "Elliott!" she hissed. "You need to be more careful! What happened to using the Securitrons like we discussed?" "Well, first of all, I checked in with Yes Man to make sure that you were alone. Secondly, even if I didn't, you're going to want to hear this."
"Alright, get on with it," she said, hoping that it had to do with Mark. "I just made contact with the Captain. Get to the roof of the 38. I sent a beacon down, and he'll be there in five minutes." Amata instantly became alert. "You're sure that's what he said, five minutes?" "Well, it's probably four minutes at this point, but-" "Thank you, Elliott. Goodbye." She cut him off, closing the connection. She then got hurriedly dressed, as she was only wearing a nightshirt and her underwear.
She dashed out of her room, and into the game room, where Cass and Christina were talking. "Cass! We need to get to the roof! Mark's coming home!" Before either one of them could respond, Amata ran down the hallway, knocking on Boone's door, before heading into Abby's room, which had ED-E in front of it, turning on the light as she did. That woke Abby up. "Mommy, what's going on?" Abby asked groggily as she sat up and rubbed her eyes. Amata came over and picked her up, her teddy bear firmly in her grasp.
"We're going to the roof, sweetheart. Daddy's coming home," Amata answered, barely able to contain her excitement. That woke Abby up. "He is? Really?" she asked, now fully awake. "Yeah, sweetheart. I just talked to Mr. Elliott. Your dad contacted him and then he just told me." Abby cheered.
Amata carried Abby out of the room and into the hallway, where the others were waiting near the elevator. "Amata, what's going on?" Christina asked, visibly confused. "Like I said, Mark's coming back," Amata said, pressing the button and getting on when it opened immediately. They all climbed on. "Yeah, I gathered that much, but where's he coming from, and why do we need to go to the roof to meet him?"
"It's a long story, Christina. I'll explain later," Amata answered. Christina nodded, mollified for now. As the elevator went up, Cass was a bundle of nerves. Per Amata's last report, her dad was still alive. She was about to see a man she hadn't seen in thirty years and had assumed was dead. Right now, she wasn't sure if she wanted to hug him or hit him. The elevator stopped and opened, so she took a deep breath, following the others up the stairs and onto the roof.
The area was illuminated by floodlights attached to the spire in the center. The satellite was gone, Amata having it moved to the ship the night before; a retrieval team had been sent under the cloak of darkness to collect it. The damage that the satellite had caused was gone as well. It was as if the satellite had never been there at all.
In the spot that the satellite had been was a homing beacon. "Amata, what's that?" Christina asked, getting more and more confused as to what was going on. "Mark's ride home," was all Amata said. Abby started getting fidgety, so Amata put her down. Everyone was focused on the beacon. 'Any second now,' Amata thought.
All of a sudden, there was a bright flash, causing everyone to shield their eyes. When they looked again, there were three people standing near the beacon. Amata and Abby were focused on the person in the middle. "Daddy!/Mark!" Abby and Amata yelled at the same time. They ran to him, and he dropped what he was carrying milliseconds before his girls got to him.
He scooped up Abby, and then Amata hugged both of them. Mark returned the hug in equal force. "God, I missed you guys so much," Mark said, giving each of them a kiss. "Oh, we missed you too, Mark," Amata said, crying happy tears. She then examined his head. While the scarring was light, it would never completely go away, and it would get covered up by his hair anyway. The auto-doc was able to stimulate his hair growth a bit so it would grow back faster than normal.
She put her hands on his head, turning it left and right. "God, are you okay, Mark? You-you should go get some rest." "Believe me, I'm fine, babe. Besides, I brought some gifts, and I want to see your reactions. Look to your right." Both ladies did as he asked, seeing Skye, who was now standing in front of Veronica. "Daddy, is that a dog?" Abby asked excitedly. Mark grinned.
"It sure is, sweetheart. Her name is Skye...and she's ours," Mark answered. There was silence for a moment, before there were two ear-splitting feminine screams. Both ladies let go of Mark and started lavishing attention on Skye, who drank it all up. "Hey, don't I get some love?" Veronica asked, arms akimbo, a little miffed that they went for the dog first.
"Oh, sorry Veronica," Amata said as she got up and gave the former Scribe a hug. Abby paid Veronica no attention, as Skye was licking her face. "Thank you for everything, Veronica. I'm glad you're safe," Amata said. "Eh, no problem, and thank you. Hey, you might want to take a look at that," Veronica said, pointing to her right. Amata looked over.
While all of that had been happening, John and Cass had just been staring at each other from opposite sides of the helipad. Suddenly, as if there were some unseen force at work, the two of them walked slowly towards one another, both fighting tears. They came to a stop about a foot from one another.
"D-dad?" Cass choked out after a couple moments of silence. "Rosie," John responded, equally choked up. Cass then threw her arms around John and buried her face in his shoulder, tears now flowing freely. John hugged her tightly, also having lost the battle to keep his tears in.
At this point, all attention was on the two of them, not that either of them were paying attention. Mark pulled Amata close to him and gave her a kiss on the top of her head. Both Amata and Veronica were crying as well, seeing the touching reunion of Cass and her dad. Abby, with Skye next to her and ED-E above, smiled at seeing her Auntie Cass reunited with her daddy. It also made her a bit sad, remembering her birth parents, but then she smiled again, remembering what her new parents had told her.
Boone showed no outward emotions, but inside he was happy for Cass. Christina still had no idea as to what was going on but was smart enough to realize that a reunion was happening, a father and child if she heard correctly, so she remained quiet. After a minute or so the crying abated. John took a step back, keeping his hands on her shoulders.
"Rosie. Good god, you look just like your mother. Last time I saw you, you were barely up to my waist, and now look at you. All grown up, and I missed it. I'm so sorry, Rosie." Cass sniffled and wiped her eyes. "Dad, is it true? Were-were ya really frozen fer thirty years?" "Yeah, it-it's true, Rosie. I went looking for a cure for our heart condition. I wanted to make sure that we didn't have to worry about finding meds anymore."
He then grinned. "I found it, Rosie. I found a fix for it." "Ya-ya did?" Cass asked, a look of hope in her eyes, wanting to be free of that burden forever. "I did, and it's all thanks to that friend of yours. He found me, unfroze me, and brought me to where the cure was. You sure know how to pick your friends." Cass looked over at Mark, who smiled at her. "Thank ya, Mark. Ya brought ma dad back ta me. There's no way that I can possibly repay ya fer this." Mark shook his head. "Seeing you happy is thanks enough, Cass. You're family, and you should know by now that there isn't anything that I wouldn't do for family."
Cass gave a teary chuckle. "Ya know, goin' with ya an' 'Mata was tha best decision I've ever made in ma life. I just-" She wiped away some tears. "God, I'm usually not this emotional, excuse me." She then noticed that Abby had wandered over to her, so she scooped the young girl up and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
"Dad, I want ya ta meet someone very special ta me. This is ma niece, Abby. Rugrat, this is ma dad, John Cassidy." John smiled at the young girl. "Ah, so you're the famous Abby that I've heard so much about. It is a delight to finally meet you," he said, turning on the charm. Abby giggled. "It's nice to meet you too, Mr. Cassidy. What happened to your head?" "Abby! That's very rude!" Amata said, chastising the young girl.
"No, no, it's quite alright," John said in response, laughing a bit. "I can tell that she's an inquisitive sort, and someone was probably going to ask anyway, so might as well just get it out in the open." He held out his arms, indicating that he'd like to hold her. "May I?" he asked. Cass looked at Abby, who nodded, so Cass handed her over. "Firstly, sweetie, since my daughter is your aunt, you can call me Great Uncle John if you'd like, ok?" Abby nodded.
"Good. Secondly, I had a head injury a long, long time ago. Some shrapnel from a grenade grazed my head, and the plate was put in to replace the part of my skull that I lost. There was a brief adjustment period, but other than that, I've had no problems with it. You can touch it if you'd like." Abby hesitated for a moment, before reaching out and touching it.
She touched it for a couple seconds, and then removed her hand. She nodded and smiled. John smiled back, and for a moment, Abby transformed into his Rosie as a young girl. He came back to reality, however, when he remembered that thirty years had come and gone, and that his daughter was now a grown woman who was standing right in front of him. He still needed some time to adjust to that fact.
Amata, who had been watching this interaction happily, finally noticed the bags around them. "Mark, what's in those bags?" she asked. "Oh, right, forgot about those. Before I tell you, I just need to ask you a question. What's the one thing from the vault that you miss the most?" he asked, a grin on his face.
Amata sighed. "Mark, I'm not in the mood for guessing games. Just tell me." "Come on, babe. Just answer the question, please," Mark replied. "Fine. The thing I miss most about the vault is being able to have a nice cup of coffee. Why is that relevant?" Mark grinned and picked up one of the duffel bags, marked with a "C", and held it in between them. "Open it."
Humoring him, she opened it and looked in. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw what was inside. "You didn't." "Oh, I did, babe." Amata took a big whiff of the coffee beans. The smell was even better than she remembered. "Mark, how did you do this?" she asked. "Seed cloning machine. Now, do you remember those vitamin supplements they had us take in the vault?" Mark asked. She nodded. "Do you remember what your favorite flavor was, and how you wished you could've had a real one of that flavor?" "Yeah, my favorite flavor was strawberry…" She trailed off as Mark pointed to a bag marked with an "S". She ran over and opened it. Seeing what was inside, she squealed and reached in, pulling out an actual strawberry.
Cass, Abby, Boone, and Christina came over to get a closer look. Amata took a bite, closing her eyes and smiling as she savored the taste. "Mommy, what are these?" Abby asked as she picked one up out of the bag. "They're called strawberries, sweetheart. They're food. Take a bite. You guys too, everyone take one."
Everyone except for Mark, Veronica, and John took one, as they already had some back at the Sink. "Mmmm, these are yummy, mommy," Abby said as she took a bite. She also gave one to Skye. "Wow, these are good. Why have I never heard of these before?" Christina asked. "Well, there's a good chance that they're extinct, so…" Mark said, trailing off. "So, I'm guessing they came from wherever you four just came from?" she said.
"Yep. There's a lot that I assume that you're going to need to be filled in on, and me too, mostly as to why you're here in the first place, but not tonight. I'm beat, and by the looks of things, you all are, too, so we'll pick things up in the morning. John, I'd like to offer you a room on the floor we're all on, but I'm guessing that Christina is occupying the last available bedroom."
"Look, I can-I can move to another floor, if you want, that is, uh, John, sir. You are Cass' father, and I assume that you'd like to be on the same floor as her," Christina said. John shook his head. "No, don't worry about it, uh, Christina. You were here first, and I wouldn't be much of a gentleman if I kicked a lady out of her room. I'll just sleep on a couch, or a cot, or something. Not a big deal to me."
"Well," Mark said, "now that that's all settled, why don't we all head in? It's getting a bit breezy." Mark picked up the bag with the coffee and strawberries, while John grabbed the third bag. "Oh, wait, Mark, what's in that third bag?" Amata asked. "Watermelons, but I think they need to be cut open first before we can eat them." Amata nodded, and the group headed for the elevator. That was, until Mark's pip-boy beeped.
Mark stopped. "Sir, incoming transmission. Shall I patch them through?" MARI said, startling everyone except for those who had already known about the AI. "Mark, who's that?" Amata asked, looking at him. "Oh yeah, sorry. That's MARI, the artificial intelligence for this suit. Uh, who's contacting me, MARI?" he asked.
"Someone named "Yes Man," sir." Mark nodded. "Yeah, patch him through, and in the future just let him through." "Of course, sir," MARI responded. "Mark, no-" Amata tried to stop him, but it was too late. He looked at her oddly before looking back at his pip-boy. "Sir?" Yes Man said, his visage now on the screen. "What is it, Yes Man?" "Sir, radar has detected three vertibirds approximately five miles out and closing. Based on their current trajectory, it is ninety-eight percent likely that New Vegas is their destination." "Are you sure that it's not NCR heading for McCarran?" Mark asked.
"Unlikely, sir. Per the New Vegas Treaty, all NCR vertibirds that come within a five-mile radius of the city are required to carry an IFF Transponder so they can be properly identified as friendlies. The vertibirds I am detecting do not carry these. Also, they are heading westwards, not eastwards." "What's an "IFF Transponder," Yes Man?" Mark asked. "An Identification Friend or Foe Transponder, or IFF for short, is a device that enables interrogation systems to identify aircrafts as friendly."
"And because these vertibirds don't carry them, they are to be considered foes until we find out otherwise. Yes Man, get all aerial defenses ready, and then patch me through. Amata, take everyone near the beacon. Be ready to go if there's an attack," Mark directed. "Mark-" "No, no arguments, Amata. I am not jeopardizing everyone's safety by having you stay here in case of an attack. You wanted me to run the city? Running it includes protecting it. This suit is a battlesuit, and I can get to the ship in a hurry if I need to."
Amata sighed, gave him a kiss, and the ushered everyone else over to the beacon. While that was happening, the four balls that were on the arms that extended out from underneath the Cocktail Lounge opened. Four large lasers came out, one from each ball, pointing eastward. They were cylindrical in shape, with glowing metal rings running the length of the body. At the front of them was a short rod with a glowing red ball at the end.
"Done, sir. Patching through now," Yes Man informed him. Mark nodded and cleared his throat. "Attention unknown vertibirds: you are entering restricted New Vegas airspace. Identify immediately!" There was no response. "Attention unknown vertibirds: identify yourselves or you will be blown out of the sky with extreme prejudice! This is your final warning!"
A feminine voice came through. "Jeez, calm down. You threaten to blow up all your friends, Mark?" Mark's eyes narrowed. "Who is this? How do you know my name?" The woman laughed. "Oh, come on, Mark. Don't tell me that you've forgotten me already. It's Sarah, Sarah Lyons."
Mark was silent for a couple moments. "Bullshit." "Mark, language!" Amata said. Mark ignored her. "No, Mark, seriously, it is me," supposedly-Sarah said. "Fine. If you really are Sarah Lyons, then I'm going to ask a question that you should know the answer to. Be warned, if you answer incorrectly, you will be blown up. Where did we first meet, where was I heading at the time, and why was I heading there?"
"Well, that's technically three questions, but whatever. We met in Chevy Chase. You were heading to Galaxy News Radio to see Three Dog because you were pretty sure he had information on where your dad was. I can still see the behemoth with that crater in its chest from that mini nuke that you launched at it. I'm still shocked that you figured out how to use that Fat Man so quickly."
Mark stared at his pip-boy, equal parts happy and confused. Happy that he would be able to see his friend (friends, most likely, seeing as there were three vertibirds) again, and confused as to what exactly she was doing back out here. "Sarah, why-why are you back out here?" Mark asked. "Uh, I think that that explanation would best be given face-to-face. So, where can we land out here, exactly?" Sarah asked.
"Uh, head for the city. Look for the tallest building with arms sticking out. There's a helipad that I'm currently standing on. Use three of the marked spaces and be careful when you land. There are other people up here." "Roger that, Mark. See you in a few. Sarah out." The transmission then cut out.
"Huh. I wonder what Sarah's doing out here," Amata said. Mark shrugged. "Guess we'll find out in a few minutes, I suppose." He then went to his pip-boy. "Yes Man, retract the lasers, and it looks like we'll be having guests, so get some rooms prepared. Get a dozen ready for now, and if there are more people than that, prepare more. Oh, and send a couple of Securitrons up to take care of these bags, please." "Yes sir," the AI responded.
"Daddy, was that a friend of yours?" Abby asked. "Yeah, sweetheart, she's a friend, and likely bringing more friends." "Ok, are things always this weird around here, or is this just a one-off kind of thing?" Christina asked, looking more confused than ever, if that was possible. "Nah, this is just par fer tha course 'round here. Ya get used ta it after a while," Cass answered, grinning at the former soldier.
While they waited, the bags were taken, Mark sent the beacon back to the ship, and Amata told Christina about House being dead and Mark running the city. She apologized for the deception, which Christina accepted, with the caveat that she got the full story of what was going on at some point.
A few minutes later they could see blinking lights in the distance, and as they got closer, the group could see the vertibirds more clearly. As the vertibirds got closer the group, which was in the center of the roof near the spire, had to shield their faces, as the propellors were making it windy, as well as kicking up dirt.
Mark couldn't help but wonder what the reaction was like on the Strip, as well as what the reaction from the NCR would be. No doubt he would be hearing from them again in the near future. But that was a problem for another day, as the vertibirds landed. Sure enough, they were emblazoned with the Brotherhood logo. The engines cut out, and the propellors began to spin slower and slower. Mark took a couple steps toward the one directly in front of the group, motioning for the rest of them to stay back.
The door slid open, and the first thing that Mark saw was the mounted minigun. He then saw movement, and the first person to step off was a woman with blonde hair that Mark recognized instantly. Sarah Lyons, outfitted in power armor, sans the helmet, approached him, looking like she was trying to figure out if it was really him. He couldn't blame her, as he was basically bald right now, not to mention the suit that he was wearing.
Mark saluted her. "Steel be with you, Sentinel Lyons." After a moment of shock, she finally realized that it was indeed him and returned the salute. "Steel be with you, Paladin Franklin," she replied. They then both grinned and started laughing, embracing one another. "It's good to see you again, Sarah," Mark said after taking a step back. "You too, Mark. Jesus, what happened to your head? And what's up with that suit?"
"Both are long stories, although they are tangentially related," he replied. "Hey, Marky-boy, did you miss me, too?" came a voice to his left. If he was shocked to see the DC Brotherhood here, he was even more shocked to see Reilly and her Rangers. "Reilly? You're here too?" "Of course I am! You think that I'd pass up the opportunity to see my favorite vault dweller?" She gave him a hug, and then let go and stood next to Sarah. "Well, seeing as I'm probably the only vault dweller that you know, that'd make me your least favorite as well," Mark quipped.
Reilly laughed. "Hah! I missed that sense of humor of yours. It really is good to see you again, Mark." Mark smiled. "Yeah, I missed you too, Reilly," he said. He then took a look around to see who else had come. There were the rest of the Rangers, of course. There was the rest of the Pride, including Paladin Tristan. He saw Star Paladin Cross as well, super sledge hefted over her right shoulder. There were also two Scribes present, denoted by their robes. One was Scribe Yearling, whom he had last seen at Arlington Library. The other was a man of African American descent with short black hair. Mark vaguely remembered seeing him around the Citadel but could not recall a name.
"Been busy making friends, Mark?" Reilly said, indicating the group behind him. "Yeah, you know me. I'm a real people person. Uh, I should probably introduce everyone." He walked back to Amata, who was now holding Abby, and put an arm around her waist. "Everyone, this is the love of my life, my wife Amata Franklin." "Nice to see you again, Sarah, and nice to meet you Reilly. Oh, and everyone else as well," Amata said.
"The little tyke that she's holding is our adopted daughter, Abigail Celeste Fields-Franklin, aka Abby. Again, long story." Abby shyly waved. "Next is Rose of Sharon Cassidy-" "Ya can just call me Cass," the woman in question said. "Next to her is her dad, John Cassidy." John nodded. "Then we have Craig Boone, Christina Morales, the flying robot is ED-E, and before you ask, yes, he is an Enclave eyebot, but he's harmless. Finally, the robot dog is Skye, and on the end is Veronica Santangelo. There's also another member of our group who is currently away on personal business."
Sarah looked at Veronica curiously. "Wait a minute, aren't you that Scribe that kept asking me about him a while back?" she asked, pointing to Mark. "Wait, Mark, do they know about…" Mark nodded. "Everyone except Christina and John know about my history," he said. "Oh, ok, good," Sarah said. "To answer your question, Sentinel," Veronica said, "yes, I was that Scribe. However, I am no longer a Scribe, as I decided to leave the Brotherhood due to disagreements about the path that they are on."
Sarah nodded. "Interesting that you just happen to meet the very guy that you were asking about. Then again, interesting things always seem to happen when he's around." That got a few laughs from the assembled group. "Yeah, I can say that without a doubt that things definitely do get interesting around him," Veronica replied.
"Sarah, Reilly, why don't you introduce your teams to my friends," Mark said. "Right, I'll go first," Reilly said. "Hello, everyone. My name is Reilly Finnegan, founder and leader of the mercenary group "Reilly's Rangers." Now, I'm guessing that you might have some preconceived notions about mercenary groups, but we're not like the most of them. We only take out bad people, and we don't steal from anyone except the bad people." Mark nodded, confirming what she said.
"Rangers! Roll Call!" Reilly then barked out. First to speak was the other female in the group, a Hispanic woman with short light brown hair. "Maria Gutierrez, but everyone calls me Brick, heavy weapons specialist." Next was a Caucasian male wearing a helmet. "Michael Donovan, technical specialist." Finally, there was another Caucasian male with short dark brown hair. "Carl Freeman, also known as Butcher, team medic." "Don't get freaked out about Butcher's name. He's actually a fairly decent medic," Reilly said, grinning. Butcher rolled his eyes but smiled.
Once Reilly was done, Sarah spoke. "As you've probably heard, I am Sentinel Sarah Lyons, DC chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel, and head of the special ops group the "Lyons Pride." Everyone, introduce yourselves," she ordered her team. First up was an older bald Caucasian man. "Paladin John Tristan, Lyons Pride, Operations Specialist." Next was a sandy-haired Caucasian man. "Knight-Captain Steve Colvin, Lyons Pride, sniper."
Next was a woman of African American descent with short grey hair. "Greetings all. Star Paladin Elena Cross, advisor to our chapter's Elder, Owyn Lyons," she said. "Knight-Captain Danielle Dusk, Lyons Pride, sniper," said the next person in line, a woman of Asian descent with short black hair. Next was the male Scribe. "Scribe Jedediah Bowditch, Proctor, Order of the Quill." Next to him was the other Scribe, a woman with shoulder-length brown hair, who was also holding a file folder. "Scribe Jean Yearling, Order of the Quill," she said.
Next was another man of African American descent, who had black hair and a black mustache. "Knight-Captain Irving Gallows, Lyons Pride, scouting and stealth specialist, as well as team medic." "Paladin Alex Glade, Lyons Pride, heavy weapons," a Caucasian man with short brown hair said. Next was another African American man with short black hair. "Paladin Greg Bear, but you can call me Kodiak. Lyons Pride, close combat." Lastly was a Hispanic man with short brown hair. "Paladin Eric Vargas, Lyons Pride. I do whatever's needed," he said.
"Ok, well, now that introductions are done, I think it's time that someone explains why you're here, and how you knew where I was in the first place," Mark said. "Right," Sarah said, holding out her left hand and snapping her fingers. "Yearling, file." Yearling quickly handed the file to Sarah, who handed it to Mark.
"Apparently you made quite an impression on Elder McNamara, according to my father. I'm guessing that he realized that you're in the center of whatever's going on out here and thought that you could use the help," Sarah said. Honestly, Mark was a bit shocked. He didn't think that he made any impression on Elder McNamara.
"Ok, well that explains why you, the Pride, the Scribes, and Cross are here, but that doesn't explain the Rangers being here," Mark said, looking at Reilly. The Ranger leader grinned. "Well, I just happen to be chatting with the Sentinel here, about a very interesting subject, I might add (Sarah blushed a bit at that, Mark noticed), when Elder Lyons stopped us and told us about this. He gave us the chance to help, and since you're one of us as far as I'm concerned, I offered our assistance. Once I told my team, they were in as well."
"Same with us, Mark," Sarah said. "You are one of us as well, and we help our own. We would've come even if my father didn't order us to." Mark was silent, choked up a bit at how lucky he was to call these people his friends. "Thank you," he eventually got out. He then examined the file.
It had basic information on the NCR and Legion, their histories, and their interactions, including the Battle of Hoover Dam. There was also information on the city, the fact that he was living at the 38, a list of who he was living with, the fact that House was dead, info about Yes Man, and that he was now running the city. There was also the factoid that he was now called "The Courier."
There was only one person outside of the group that knew the stuff that wasn't general knowledge. He supposed that he shouldn't be surprised that Christine told them all of that. "Well, this explains how you knew where I was, among other things," he said. He then turned around. "Veronica, did Christine mention anything about telling McNamara about House when you went back?"
"I did ask her, Mark. She said that she didn't, but I could tell that she was lying. I don't think that she told them about the you-know-what, however," she said, her eyes darting upwards, indicating that she was talking about the ship. "Although this does explain something. When I went back for, well, you know, McNamara said that allowing me to talk to her was part of a gift, and that we would find out the other part soon. I'm guessing that this," she said, sweeping an arm to indicate the Brotherhood and Rangers, "was the other part."
"Who's Christine?" Sarah asked. Mark shook his head. "She's…not important, Sarah," Mark answered, not wanting to get back into that whole fiasco. "Mommy, I'm tired," came Abby's voice from behind him. He turned to see the girl with her head on Amata's shoulder, eyes drooping, teddy bear hanging in her hand. Amata gave her a kiss on the top of her head. "I know, sweetheart. It's time that we got you back to bed anyway. I think that we've had enough excitement for one day."
Mark went over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Yeah, I think that your mom's right, Abby. Can I get a kiss goodnight?" Mark leaned down, and Abby gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Goodnight, Abby. Love you," Mark said. "Night, daddy. Love you too. Goodnight, new people," she said before she finally succumbed to sleep. Mark then addressed the rest of the Mojave group. "Why don't you all head down? I need to have a few more words with our guests."
The group slowly headed towards the hatch, but before Amata could get far, he pulled her aside and whispered a few things in her ear. She nodded and followed everyone else. He watched his girls go, a smile on his face. Once all of them were gone, he looked back at the others and saw Reilly grinning at him. "What?" he asked.
She chuckled. "It's just…interesting, I guess, to see how you've changed since you left a few months ago. Seeing the same guy that was killing muties and raiders like it was going out of style acting all caring and loving like that, it was, well…well, like I said, interesting." Mark chuckled. "Well, I won't lie, having a kid has definitely changed some things about me. Then again, so did having to leave the vault, but at my core I'm still the same person I've always been. Amata can vouch for that."
He shook his head. "Alright, well, let me be the first to officially welcome you to the city of New Vegas. It really is nice to see everyone again. Surprising, but nice nonetheless." "Yeah, well, you weren't the only one who was surprised by this," Tristan said. "We were surprised as well when the Sentinel told us where we were actually heading."
(Yesterday, noon, just outside the Citadel)
The three vertibirds had just taken off from the Citadel, heading northeast. Sarah sat in the pilot's seat in the lead one, while the other two followed, flying side-by-side. They had collected quite a haul of vertibirds from their campaign against the Enclave, with the largest batch coming from Adams Air Force Base, which most of their fleet was held, with a few being kept at the Citadel.
It turned out that underneath Adams were facilities that allowed them to make more vertibirds, along with large stockpiles of materials. Once they figured out how the vertibirds were constructed, they began churning them out in earnest. There were also flight simulators, so they could learn how to fly them before actually getting in the air. They had significantly increased the Brotherhood's ability to respond to any reported problems.
Plus, to Sarah's unending glee, they now had access to things that the Outcasts didn't. In her opinion, that served them right for leaving. She would love to see the looks on their faces if they knew what the Brotherhood now had in their possession.
"Brotherhood Two to Brotherhood One, this is Vargas, over," came a voice over her headset. "This is Brotherhood One. Go ahead, Vargas," Sarah replied. "Sentinel, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that we're heading the wrong way," he said. She grinned. It was now time to reveal where they were really going. "Something that you're not telling us, Sentinel?" said her co-pilot, Tristan.
"Brotherhood Two and Brotherhood Three, make sure everyone aboard can hear me. I have an announcement to make," she ordered. Once she got confirmation, she spoke. "Ok, everyone listen up. Despite what you were told, we are not heading to Chicago to search for the missing chapter out there. That was just a cover story for the official records. We are actually heading to the Mojave, more specifically New Vegas, to help out an old friend."
"I am assuming that you mean the Wanderer, Sentinel?" Dusk, who was the pilot for Brotherhood Three, said. "I do, Knight-Captain. The Elder of the Mojave chapter contacted us yesterday and requested assistance for Paladin Franklin, and Elder Lyons granted his request. As far as I am aware, Paladin Franklin does not know that we are heading his way."
"As to why the assistance was requested, I do have a file on it, but basically there is a conflict brewing between two powerful entities that he is caught up in. Both their Elder and Elder Lyons believe that he could use our help. He is one of our own, and we help our own." "Ok, that's all well and good, Sentinel, but if that's the case then we are definitely heading the wrong way," Vargas said.
"No, we're heading the right way. We need to make a pit stop in Seward Square to pick up the Rangers. Elder Lyons personally requested their assistance, and they accepted. That's why we needed three vertibirds. I know that some of you aren't fans of mercs in general, but they fought beside us, and they are friends of Paladin Franklin just like we are, so you will play nice. If you don't, so help me, there will be consequences. You're all members of the Brotherhood, and I expect you to act like it. Brotherhood One out."
(Present)
Mark nodded. "Sarah, has everyone had a chance to look at this?" he asked, holding up the file. Sarah nodded. "When we stopped for rest, I gave everyone the chance to look it over." "Ok. Well, this gives a basic understanding of what's going on out here, but it's not the whole story. We'll need to have a briefing to go over everything that you need to know since you'll be staying here. That being said, there is no chance in hell of that happening tonight. I am way too tired."
He rubbed his eyes. "While you are here, you will be afforded every courtesy. I'm having rooms prepared for you all, and you'll have full access to the hotel and its facilities. There's a very large gym on the third floor that you can use for training. Trust me, it is impressive."
He paused. "You know what, there are a few things that I need to tell you now. First of all, Amata's pregnant, so you need to be careful with what you say around her. Her hormones are all out of whack, so the slightest thing could set her off. You also need to be careful around her with any weapons you're carrying. Are we clear?" After getting affirmations, he moved on.
"Next is Abby. Watch your language around her, please, and do not ask her why she is living here. I will explain that tomorrow, and even after that, do not ask her or talk to her about it unless she herself brings it up." "Was it that bad, Mark?" Sarah asked sympathetically. Mark nodded. "Yeah, it was, Sarah," he answered sadly.
"As for my friends, they're all good people, and I trust all of them, so please be respectful of one another. Oh, and just as a warning, Boone doesn't talk much, so don't be offended if you talk to him and he doesn't respond." "Well, if you trust them, Mark, I think that we can be courteous. Right, Rangers?" Reilly said. "Yes, ma'am," the other Rangers said in unison. "As will we, Mark," Sarah added. "Oh, and congrats on the baby, by the way."
Mark smiled. "Thank you. Um, you're going to be seeing robots that are kind of box-shaped that roll around on one wheel. Those are the Securitrons. They are my army, and they protect the Strip. They're not going to hurt you. Finally, please do not leave the building until after the briefing tomorrow. There are things that you need to know before you do, ok?" After he got nods, his pip-boy beeped.
"Ok," he said after looking at it, "the rooms are ready. They're on floors thirty-three and thirty-two, right below the Presidential Suite, which is where my friends and I are staying. There's a door that leads to the stairs right next to the elevator down that hatch over there. While you're in your power armor, please use that. I don't want to take any chances with the elevator. Um, I'll make sure that there's a Securitron on each floor. If you need anything, food, water, directions, what have you, just ask. I think that's it. Any questions?"
He got none. "Good. I'll let you know when the briefing is tomorrow. I'm tired, so I will bid you all goodnight, and once again, welcome to New Vegas." He got multiple good nights as he walked away. Everyone else gathered their belongings and went down the hatch, finding the stairs that Mark had described.
Mark stepped off the elevator and into the Presidential Suite. It was quiet, and besides the hallway light, the only other light on was in the game room. "Welcome home, MARI," Mark said. "Thank you, sir. It looks very nice. Much nicer than the Sink, I might add. Far more homely, if you ask me," the AI responded. "Well, I think that has more to do with the people here than how it looks, although that doesn't hurt."
He went down the hallway and stood in the doorway to the game room, seeing Cass and John at the bar, both drinking whiskey if the half-empty bottle near them was any indication. He also saw a pillow and blanket laid out on the couch, likely where John would be sleeping. "Hey there, Captain," Cass said when she spotted him. "Cass, John. Uh, John, I'm having a briefing tomorrow for my recently-arrived friends, and since you've been gone I think it might be beneficial for you to attend, just to get you up to speed on what's going on." John nodded. "I'll be there, kid," John responded. Mark nodded. "Alright. Night you two," Mark said. "Goodnight, kid/Night, Captain," John and Cass said at the same time. Mark then left the room.
"So, uh, pretty nice setup you've got here," John said, trying to get a conversation started. "Yeah, it is nice. Makes everywhere else I've stayed look like a piece a sh-well, they were nowhere as nice," Cass said. "Rosie, you, can swear. Nothing I haven't heard before." Cass refilled her glass. "I know, it's just that Mark and 'Mata don't want us swearin' in front a tha rugrat. Been tryin' ta censor myself."
John nodded, and then an awkward silence followed, both of them lost in thought. John eventually broke the silence. "Rosie, could you, um, could you tell me what happened after I left?" Cass tensed up, but then relaxed again. "Does it matter? Far as I'm concerned, it's ancient history," she said.
"It matters to me, Rosie. I know for you it's been thirty years, but to me it's only been a few months." He sighed. "Look, you have every reason to tell me to go fuck off-" "Language," Cass said. "Fer tha love a-now 'Mata's got me doin' it." She rubbed her eyes. "Look, I'll tell ya, but I can't do it tonight. I've had a long day, and I'm still tryin' ta process everythin'. Seein' yer picture is one thing, but seein' ya in tha flesh after thirty years is another. I'm gonna go ta bed, an' we'll see how I feel in tha mornin'."
She then paused. "Yer-yer still gonna be here in tha mornin', right? 'Cause tha last time…" She trailed off, looking pensive. John put a hand over one of hers. "Rosie, you have my word. I ain't leaving you again. And my word-" "-is yer bond," Cass finished. "I remember ya always used ta tell me that. That's, uh, kinda how I've lived ma life as well." Cass smiled, which John returned.
Cass then stood up, John following. "Well, um, night…dad." It had been so long since she last said that. It felt so weird to say it, but also good at the same time. John pulled her in for a hug, holding it for a few seconds, then letting go. "Goodnight, Rosie. See you in the morning," he said. Cass nodded, and headed towards the doorway. Once in the doorway, she stopped and looked over her shoulder at him, and then headed into the hallway towards her room.
(Next morning, 7:30 AM)
Amata was in the kitchen, having eggs with a side of strawberries and a cup of coffee, enjoying the silence that she knew would not last long. She loved having everyone around, but occasionally she needed some time to herself. She took a sip of her coffee, savoring the taste. It had been far too long since she had a cup, and it tasted much better than the pre-packaged stuff that they had in the vault.
She and Mark had a talk the previous evening about him not listening to her. She had to remind him that once upon a time he had promised that he would stop taking unnecessary risks, which he had done with both the radio signal that took him to the Sierra Madre, as well as with the satellite. She didn't include the inevitable battle that was going to happen between the NCR and the Legion. She knew that he was going to be involved in that whether she wanted him to or not. The arrival of his friends from DC the previous evening had pretty much confirmed that fact. In the end, she had made him promise that he would listen to her more.
"Morning." Amata looked over to see John entering the kitchen. "Good morning, John. How'd you sleep?" she asked him. "Well enough, I suppose. What smells so good? Is that that coffee stuff that the kid was telling me about?" "Yep," Amata said, lifting her cup slightly. "Have a cup. The coffeemaker is on the counter over there, and the cups are in the cabinet above it. Just be careful, it's hot."
John nodded and went over and poured himself a cup, then taking a sip. His eyes widened. "Holy hell that's good! Wait, why do I fell alert all of a sudden?" Amata finished off her eggs. "That's the caffeine, John. Gives you a nice kick and wakes you right up," she said. "I really missed this stuff from the vault." John sat down across from her. "Yeah, I heard the kid mention being from a vault last night. Both of you from a vault, then?"
Amata nodded. "Yeah, Vault 101 in Washington, DC. I was born there, while Mark was brought in there as a baby. Why he was brought in is a long story that I will fill you in on. Christina, too. Just so you're all caught up with the rest of us." She took another sip of her coffee. "So, how are things with you and Cass?" He sighed.
"We're okay, I guess. It's probably going to be weird for a little while. I mean, she spent thirty years believing that I was dead, and the last time I saw her before last night, she was seven," he said. "Well, she's still your daughter regardless of her age, and if last night was any indication, she still seems to love you, so I think that you'll be fine. Just remember that she is a grown woman, not a child, so don't try to control her life," Amata said.
"Don't worry about that. I lost any right to tell her what to do after being gone for so long. I'll give her advice on something if she wants it, but that'll be it." Amata, nodded, got up, and put her dish and silverware in the sink. "Well, if you just keep that in mind, you'll be good. If you'll excuse me, I need to go see if Abby is awake yet. Help yourself to some food if you're hungry," she said as she walked out of the room.
John stayed at the table, lost in thought, when he saw motion out of the corner of his eye. He looked and saw Cass. "Morning, Rosie," he said. "Mornin', dad. What's that smell?" Cass said. "Coffee. We brought back the stuff you need to make it last night. Go on, give it a try. It's really good, and it'll wake you right up," John answered.
Cass poured herself a cup and took a sip, finding that she liked it. "Wow! Yer right, that did wake me right up. I could get used ta this," she said, now fully awake. John chuckled, but then his face took on a more serious look. "Rosie, could we talk about, um, you-know-what now, if you don't mind?" Cass pursed her lips, drumming her fingers on the counter with one hand while holding the coffee cup in the other. John watched her, waiting for an answer. After what felt like forever, she spoke.
"Yeah, I guess so. Let's go ta ma room so we can get some privacy." She walked out, John following her. They entered her room, John closing the door behind him. Cass walked over to the window, looking outside while John waited near the door. The room was silent, and as such, they could hear Amata talking to Veronica, who had apparently just gotten up, as well as Abby laughing and Skye barking.
"I still have it, ya know. The note that ya wrote. Kept it ta remind me a you. Keep it in tha linin' a ma hat." She put down her coffee on the desk, then picked up her hat, which had been on the desk. She tossed it across the room to John, who plucked it out of the air. He looked inside, seeing a slight bulge in the lining. Reaching in, he pulled out a small sealed plastic bag with a piece of yellowed paper in it.
Putting the hat down on a couch, he opened the bag and took out the note. Hands shaking, he opened it. Some of the ink had faded, but it was still legible. He recognized the words that, to him, had been written only a few months ago.
Mikaela,
This is the hardest thing that I've ever had to do. I need to leave for a while, can't say for sure how long. I know that you told me that Rosie inheriting my heart condition isn't my fault, but I can't help but feel guilty. Over the years, I've heard rumors of a place that may be able to help, so I'm going to go find it. If you and Rosie end up hating me for leaving, I understand. Even if you never want anything to do with me again, at least allow me to bring the treatment or cure to her, and then I'll be on my way. God, I couldn't even tell you this to yours and Rosie's faces. You know, I've called a lot of people cowards over the years, but I may just be the biggest coward of them all. What's that called? Irony, I think? Anyway, just know that I love you and Rosie with all my heart. You two are the best things that ever happened to me. Hopefully I'll see you two soon, cure in hand.
John
John looked up to see Cass staring at the coffee cup in her hands. "She told me why ya left. She didn't want me ta think that ya abandoned us. I missed ya like crazy, but I was touched that ya would do somethin' like that fer me." "I would do anything for you, Rosie. All you need to do is ask," John said, fighting back tears. Cass half-smiled. "I know. Anyway, after I'd finish ma chores an' ma would go ta work, I'd sit out by tha gate until it got dark, waitin' fer ya to come back."
"I did that every day fer a few months, I think, 'til some raiders tried stormin' tha gates. After that, ma didn't want me waitin' near there no more. People would tell me that I was wastin' ma time, that ya just decided ta up an' leave us, but I told 'em that they could all go ta hell an' it was none a their business. Ma, bless her soul, told me ta ignore 'em, that they didn't know what kinda man ya were. Life went on with ma workin' an' me causin' trouble 'round town. She did tha best she could, raisin' me on her own, but lord knows I didn't make it easy on her. Overall, everythin' was good, until…" She trailed off, frowning. "What? What happened, Rosie?" John asked, obviously concerned.
She sat down on the side of the bed, John sitting down next to her. "I was 'bout twelve or so when ma, she…she got sick," Cass said, choking up, tears leaking out of her eyes. It was obviously a painful memory for her. John put a hand on her leg in an attempt to comfort her. "What was she sick with, Rosie?" She shrugged. "No idea. Docs kept runnin' tests, givin' her medicine, hopin' somethin' would work."
"She couldn't work anymore, an' I had ta take care a her, an' all tha tests an' stuff cost caps, so we blew through our savings. Eventually it got ta tha point where we had ta choose between payin' fer tha treatments an' medicine or gettin' food. Ma decided that she probly wasn't gonna get any better, an' that I needed ta eat. She really couldn't eat much by that point. I begged her ta keep goin' ta tha doc, sayin' that I would be fine, but she wouldn't listen."
"I watched her waste away. Do ya know what it's like ta watch a strong, proud woman like that reduced ta skin an' bones, chained ta a bed?" John, who was crying as well at this point, put an arm around Cass' shoulders and pulled her close. "Then one-one day, she calls me in her room, an' I went in an' sat next ta her, an' held her hand. I think she knew she was 'bout ta die, 'cause she told me that she loved me an' ya, an' that she didn't regret anythin'. Then, she-she was gone."
The two of them then just sat there crying, grieving for their lost loved one. After a few minutes, John spoke. "I'm so sorry, Rosie. I should've been there for both of you. A kid shouldn't have to deal with that by themselves." "I don't think it woulda mattered if ya had been there or not. Yer not a doctor. Ya couldn't have saved her." "Maybe not, but I could've been there to help take care of her, and I would've been working so you wouldn't have to worry about choosing between food and medicine," John said.
"Eh, shoulda, woulda, coulda, it doesn't really matter at this point. After she passed an' I buried her in that graveyard outside a town, I had ta do odd jobs ta earn some caps. Thankfully ya already paid fer tha house, 'cause I don't think I coulda made payments an' been able ta eat. After a couple years, I made tha decision ta leave an' make somethin' a ma life. Ma was dead an' buried, figured ya were probly dead, so there was nothin' really tyin' me down 'cept tha house."
"Decided ta try ma hand at bein' a caravanner, so I got what I could fer tha house and bought a cart an' a couple brahmin off a guy who was retirin' and went on ma way. Ain't been back there since. Probly cost me a fair amount a business, but I jus' couldn't. Last I heard, place is a dump now. So that's what I was doin' until recently."
"Yeah," John said, "the kid told me about your caravan and what happened with the Van Graffs and the Crimson Caravan." "He told ya that, did he?" Cass asked. "Yeah. After I got over the initial shock of discovering that I'd been on ice for three decades, we talked about our families. Oh, that reminds me. Do you remember me telling you about Jack, that guy I traveled with for a while?"
She nodded. "Yeah, I remember ya tellin' me 'bout all that stuff ya did. Mark, he told us 'bout some crazy adventures he's had. His stories reminded me a yers." John laughed. "That's funny that you would say that, because I am dead certain that Mark is Jack's grandson." Cass looked at John in disbelief, then shook her head.
"Dad, yer sense a humor was never that great ta begin with, an' bein' frozen hasn't helped it, so don't start makin' jokes." "I am not joking, Rosie. He looks just like Jack, and when I was talking to him, it reminded me of when Jack and I would sit down and talk. He even has that same drive and determination, not to mention his leadership skills. I know that it sounds crazy, but it's true."
Cass stared at him. "Damn, yer serious, ain't ya?" she said. John just nodded. She chuckled. "What're tha odds a that happenin', huh? You followed Jack, and yer daughter ends up followin' his grandson. If that ain't fate, then I don't know what is. If Mark is just like Jack like ya say he is, I can see why ya followed him."
There was silence in the room for a few moments. "Rosie, you have no idea how proud of you I am. Taking care of your mother, running a successful business..." He trailed off. "I regret that I wasn't there to see you grow up, but by all accounts, it seems like you did just fine without me." "Well I can't say that I couldn't have used yer help with a few things, but tha past is tha past. What matters is that yer here now. I forgive ya, an' I think that ma would forgive ya if she was here."
John pulled Cass in for a hug. "Thank you, Rosie. That means a lot to me. Listen, I know that you're all grown up now, but if you ever need advice, or anything really, please don't hesitate to ask me. I want to be involved in your life as much as you'll let me." Cass smiled. "Thanks, dad. You'll always have a place in ma life. Now, uh, last night, ya mentioned somethin' 'bout a cure?"
"Oh, right. Um, yeah, I did. It's a prototype auto-doc. Fixed my heart right up. Two hours in surgery, and I'm good as new. It'll probably end up being less for you, because I also got a fully-functioning synthetic eye to replace the one I lost." Cass looked closely at him, wondering how she could've missed it. "Oh yeah, forgot 'bout that eye. Looks good on ya. I guess that means yer mission was a success then, huh?"
"Yeah, I guess so. It just took a damn long time to finish," John said. Cass then looked down, seeing the note that she carried for all that time on the ground. She grabbed it, stood up, and walked over to the trash bin. She then crumpled it up and dumped it in the bin. "Rosie, why'd you do that?" John asked. "Don't need it anymore. That note, an' this necklace," she said, lifting her necklace up, "helped remind me of ya, but now I have ya back. I am kinda partial ta tha necklace though, so I ain't tossin' that." John got up and went over to her, pulling her in for a hug, which she returned. "I love you, Rosie." "Love ya too, dad. I'm really glad yer back." "Me too, Rosie. Me too."
Hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Initially, I was going to include the full conversation between Mark and Amata that Amata briefly referenced, but in the end, I just decided to summarize like I did. I had it all written out, but after sleeping on it, I decided that it didn't really add anything to the story, so I cut it. Next chapter will include the briefing, as well as Arcade's return. Until next time, and reviews are always welcomed and appreciated.