Kirk and Ella were standing outside her farm. The sun was starting to set and they came here for her clothes. They stood there for a bit, before Ella walked inside. Kirk kept watch but he was greatly fatigued. He could tell he had a fever and he was sweating heavily. He had to get to Doc Church to get the bullet out of his leg. Kirk didn't pack a lot of resources for Moira, because of it. He had treated his and Ella's wounds as best he could, but they an actual clinic. Soon Ella came out in a simple overall garb. She also had a pack and a small bag. She nodded to Kirk that she was ready and they made their way to Megaton.
They were close to Megaton and could see it in the short distance when Kirk heard chittering. The noise sent a chill down his spine as he recognized the sound. He quickly turned around to see three giant ants coming up on them. "Run!" Kirk yelled, shooting his shotgun at them. Ella ran toward the town yelling for help. Kirk limped backwards shooting at the ants, killing one of them. He went to reload but realized he didn't have time. He pulled out his pistol and emptied his clip into the other one, killing it. Just one left but Kirk had to reload. Kirk's leg gave out as he tried to turn and run, falling to the ground.
Memories of being skewered at the school came up and Kirk tried to crawl quickly away. He could hear the ant getting closer so he rolled on his back and prepared himself. The ant lunged at him and Kirk grabbed it's pincers, holding it back as best he could. He could feel his strength or what was left of it quickly diminishing as the pincers came closer to his throat.
Arkansas was hired by Simms to be another sniper for the town. He took the graveyard shift and was setting up his perch to suit his needs. He suddenly heard gunshots and screaming out in the distance. He aimed with a night vision scope and saw someone fighting ants and someone running toward town screaming. He watched as one ant pounced the fighter. He aimed and fired, blowing the ants head off. The man just laid there seemingly in shock. Arkansas got on the radio. "Sheriff, it's Arkansas. Got a report."
"Go ahead."
"I got two people outside of town who need help. I think Kirk is one of them, he is limping and it looks like they are both wounded."
"Doc, come in."
"Already heading out Sheriff."
Kirk laid on the ground with ant chunks on him. 'Must've been Stockholm, thank God.' he thought. He rolled over and saw Ella run up to him.
Kirk saw a group of people heading their way from the town and let out a sigh of relief. "We are safe now, Ella. It's okay." She helped him up to his knees.
"Kirk! You okay?!" Simms yelled out, approaching them. "Yes Sheriff, just a few wounds. She needs medical attention."
Simms looked them over. Kirk's white t-shirt was splattered with blood and ant chunks, his arms were covered in blood, and he had a bandage on the side of his face. He looked at the woman, who was covered in grime and blood. Her hair was disheveled and her eyes...Simms already knew what she went through.
"Raiders?" he asked, as Doc Church came up and examined Kirk. He nodded and watch a group of guys approach Ella. She latched onto him, not wanting the other men to touch her. This surprised him for a moment, but he understood.
"It's alright Ella, ...they are good people. They... won't hurt us."
She loosened her grip and let the men take her away. "Doc, treat her first..." Kirk said, and passed out. "Idiot. Come on he is burning up." Doc said and they took both back to Megaton.
Simms looked where they came from and grew angry. These raiders were becoming a problem. He berated himself for letting them operate so close to his town twice now. They needed to figure out where they were coming from. He turned toward town and went home.
Kirk woke up late morning to see Jericho laying next to him. Jericho looked over at him and scoffed, "Dumbass."
"Good morning to you too."
"Did you kill 'em all?"
Kirk nodded, sitting up and groaned in pain. He looked at his stab wound, which was healed up but sore as hell. Then checked his leg, it was the same. His arms had scrapes and bruises, with puncture spots all about, but they were healed up.
Doc came in hearing them talk, and checked Kirk's temperature. "No fever, you are good to go."
"What the fuck!? You let him go after one night and I've been held pris-"
"Shut the hell up, I'm letting you go too. Jackass." he said and left.
Kirk got dressed in his bloody clothes and approached Doc. "How's Ella?"
"The woman? Fine. Her wounds were minor but numerous. She will make it. She is resting still."
Kirk nodded and grabbed his bags, heading to Moira's. He entered her store to a loud bang and smoke coming out the back. The guard sighed and calmly grabbed a bucket of water. He walked to the middle of the room, and waited. Moira came running out with her sleeve on fire saying, "Bucket, bucket, bucket!" He splashed her with the water and walked away. "Ah, thank you hun." She looked up and saw Kirk.
"Kirk! You're back, quite a commotion you made yesterday leaving without telling anyone!" she said, water dripping off of her. "Oh...you poor thing! What happened to your face?"
Kirk touched his new scar on the left side of his face. He had forgotten about it, he wondered if his mutation would heal it. "I'm okay Moira, just a close call."
He held up his duffel bag and placed it on the counter. "Super-Duper Mart resources."
"Oh! Goodie! What did you find?"
Kirk told her all about the raiders, leaving out Ella. He explained how the food was up front, but the more valuable resources like the meds and ammo were locked away in a storage room. Kirk told her he had to use some of the meds to mend himself. He pulled out a small bomb. "What is this?"
Moira gasped, "That's a Mini-Nuke!"
"A mini what?" Kirk asked, making sure he heard her right.
"A Mini-Nuke! A very destructive piece of military ordnance. It will kill anything in anything you aim it at! They are super rare! I will give 200 caps for this!"
"I had a bomb clinking around in my duffel bag?!I thought it was like a piece of decoration you might like!" Kirk yelled, mortified.
"Oh it's safer than you think, the safety was on! It only arms itself when launched from a Fat Man. Anyways for a job very well done, here is an old food sanitizer! It will help remove rads from your food. Just store any food you plan on traveling with inside and it will slowly reduce the radiation!"
She handed him a small metal container with a fan of sorts on top. "Thanks Moira. Is my gear ready?"
"Not quite yet, just doing some finishing touches on your suit."
"Don't tell me that's what you were working on when you set yourself on fire."
"Then I won't tell you." Moira chuckled.
Kirk groaned and left, heading to Sheriff. He had to tell him what happened and hopefully send a team out to get the rest of the goods he couldn't take. The sheriff ended up finding him and they headed to Jenny's for lunch.
As they ate, Kirk told him what happened, sparing little detail. Simms already sent out a team for recon so they will probably scavenge what they find and prepare it for transport for other teams to come and grab.
"Well, I'm glad you're okay, but what you did was beyond stupid. Going by yourself out there is suicide. I thought you would understand that after Arefu."
"Sheriff I only planned on scouting. When I saw the raiders, I was gonna come back and report it. But.."
"The woman."
"Yeah, when I heard they had her...I...just acted. It was foolish and I barely survived." Kirk finished his food and sipped on Nuka-Cola.
"You're a good kid, Kirk. I can't stop you from leaving and doing what you want, but you have done a lot for my town. Let me return the favor by helping you and keeping you alive. I can't do that when you do stuff like this. Got it?"
Kirk nodded and gave him a pat on the shoulder, leaving. He headed home to get some rest. Kirk laid in bed with his hands behind his head thinking over the events at the grocer store. Flashes of bullets, blood, knives, and Ella went through his head. He had no regrets for what he did, but Simms was right. It was foolish to go in alone without any help or knowledge of what was inside.
He got up and went to the bathroom looking in the mirror. The scar he got from the raider was long and crude. It started at the bottom of his temple and down to his jaw. He took off his shirt and neckerchief, staring at all the scars he had. He couldn't recognize who was in the mirror anymore. He wondered what his father would say if he saw this. He put his clothes back on. His mind went back to Ella and he decided to go check on her.
"She woke up a little bit ago and asked for you. Was just about to send a runner for you." Doc told Kirk, opening the door to her room.
Ella sat up in bed seeing Kirk. "Hi."
"Hello, how are you feeling?"
"...better. I'm very sore and tired still."
Kirk nodded, "I, uh, heard you wanted to see me?"
"Yes...I wanted to ask a favor. If that's okay?"
"Of course, how can I help."
"I want to go back and...bury my husband at our farm."
It was her husband. Kirk's heart sunk hearing what he actually was to her. He could tell they were close but to lose a husband must be so devastating. Especially when they were building their lives together on that farm. "Of course. Let me talk to the Sheriff and see about arranging it."
"Thank you." she said, tearing up.
As Kirk went to find Simms again he ran into Arkansas. "Good job saving the girl."
Kirk was taken aback for a moment. It was the first praise he got since he returned. "Yeah, how did you know about that?"
"I was the one who spotted you and shot the ant off you."
"Oh. Thank you. I thought it was Stockholm. Wait you work for the Sheriff now?"
Arkansas nodded and walked by him, "By the way, go for their antenna. It will confuse and disorient them."
Kirk watched him go. He still didn't understand why he came with them. Now he is settling here? Kirk refocused and looked for Simms.
"So you want my permission to take the traumatized woman you just saved and your barely rested self back out there?"
"It's for closure Sheriff. You already have a team out there anyway we will meet up with them and head back all together."
Simms scratched his beard in contemplation. "Fine."
Kirk met Ella at the gate with his usual gear. "Are you sure you're okay to do this today? You must be...tired from yesterday still."
"I could ask the same of you, but I assure you I am fine. This is the best time to do it, since their is a team out there anyway. We will hook up with them and bury your husband. If all goes well we will be back before midnight."
Ella nodded and followed Kirk back out into the wasteland. They made it quickly to Super-Duper Mart, finding the team setting up the stockpiles of resources from inside behind the store.
"You the guy who cleared this place? Why are you here?" one member asked.
"Yes, we are here to bury her husband and assist you guys. Sheriff's orders."
The member nodded and walked up to him. "He the one that was strung up in the bathroom?" he asked quietly.
Kirk nodded. "Okay. We already got him down and wrapped him up. We found some other bodies and about to burn 'em out front. Just go find him and take him. I'm Chris by the way. The leader of this team."
"Kirk. We will go find the body. Thanks." Kirk said and walked by him. Chris gave Ella a sad look and gave her a consoling nod.
The found the pile of bodies out front like he said and Kirk quickly found her husband. They dragged him off to the side and started helping pack the rest of the resources onto brahmin. Ella sat next her husband as they did. Kirk found the raider leader and looked at his hands. He had a brass knuckles on with spikes adorn on them. He pulled them off and put them in his pack. Near the end of the packing they grabbed Ella's husband and slung it on top of a brahmin.
"What's with the corpse?" a member asked.
"Sheriff's orders Nick, it's coming with us." Chris said. "Alright that's the last of it! Let's go!"
As they made their way back to Megaton the same member who questioned the corpse, Nick, came up to Kirk. "So you're the vault kid right? Who woulda thunk you'd be a real killer out here?" he chuckled. Kirk grimaced and didn't say anything. Nick noticed and walked off, confused by the reaction. They soon came to the farm.
"Stop, this is the place we are gonna bury her husband." Kirk said, grabbing a shovel.
"Wait we gotta dig a damn grave for some nobody wastelander? I've been working all day! I ain't gonna waste my time on a pointless task. We should've just burned him with the rest of 'em!" Nick complained.
Ella started tearing up but opened her mouth to say something in anger, but she saw Kirk marched up to and point the shovel to his neck.
"We are doing it because it's the right thing to do. Show some humanity and either help or stay outta of the way with your mouth shut!" he barked in anger.
"Oh you think your tough because you got lucky in killing some raiders?" he asked and looked at Ella. "Oh I get it. You want a piece of that dirty ass. I don't blame ya, she is a real looker, with a body like that. No wonder those raiders passed that ass arou-"
Kirk headbutted him, breaking his nose. He fell to the ground holding his bloody face as Kirk stabbed the shovel into the ground next to his head. "Not another word or this shovel goes in your mouth, then you won't be able to speak again. I have a feeling I would be doing the world a favor by doing so you piece of shit. Now stand up."
The man stood up still holding his nose. "Apologize to her and grab a shovel." Nick looked at the Chris who stared back at him with disappointment.
"I'm sorry." he said in a muffled voice at her. He grabbed a shove and nodded at Kirk.
"Ella, would you kindly show us where you would like us to dig?" Kirk asked.
After an hour or so of digging, they laid her husband in the grave. Kirk had built a cross out of some planks in between his breaks from digging and brought it over. They covered the grave and Kirk placed the cross at the grave. He nodded at Chris who took his men back to the road, leaving Ella and Kirk alone.
A member approached Kirk from behind, "Hey, uh, I found these in a stash box back at the store. I think they belonged to them." He handed Kirk two bloody gold rings. "Thanks, I'll give them to her."
Kirk pulled out some water and cleaned the rings quickly and then approached Ella who was standing at the foot of the grave. "Ella, they found these in the store." he said, showing the rings.
Ella stifled a sob and took them. "Thank you... for everything."
Kirk stood next to her staring at the grave. This world was harsh and unforgiving. He missed his vault and realized how lucky he had been to be born in one...or raised in one. He looked over the farm. Ella and her husband were trying to start a life out here and it was robbed from them. For what? Some food and sick entertainment? He felt his anger rising as he thought about it. These raiders were scum and needed to be wiped from this world. He realized he was clenching his fist and relaxed. He needed to get his mind off this.
"What was his name?" he asked.
"Steve. He was a good man." she said, sobbing lightly. 'A good man.' Those words resonated in his mind.
They made it back to Megaton and Kirk showed Ella to the community guesthouse. Kirk wondered why Stockholm didn't take him here the first day he came out of the vault but decided not to wonder too much about it. "Here we are. I'll see about finding ways to get you back on your feet tomorrow, okay? Get some rest and I'll see you tomorrow." Kirk said. "Oh...okay, uh, thanks." she said, looking nervous in the guesthouse. Kirk didn't pay it any mind and went home.
He made it home and found Dogmeat laying in his new bed happily. Kirk came him some pets and laid down to get some sleep. Soon though he heard knocking at his door. He dismissed Wadsworth and told Dogmeat to stay as he went to see who it was. He opened the door to see Ella holding her arms and shaking.
"I'm so sorry to bother you...but I couldn't...sleep there with...all the...men. Can I stay here? You are the only person I know."
Kirk mentally kicked himself for not thinking of the atmosphere he put her in. Even if they were in town doesn't mean threats weren't still viable. "Of course, please come in. Wadsworth! Please set up the guest room."
"Right away sir."
Dogmeat walked down which made Ella tense up. "Oh, don't worry he is a good boy." Kirk said petting him. Dogmeat whimpered toward Ella and licked her hand. "I have never seen a tamed dog out here. You must have trained him well." she said, petting him. "I actually found him this way. Long story."
Kirk showed her to the small guest room. "If you need anything, Wadsworth or I are here so just holler." Dogmeat walked over to the guest room dragging his bed. "You want to sleep in there with her?" Kirk asked. Dogmeat barked, wagging his tail.
He looked at Ella. "That's fine, I think it will help me sleep knowing he was in there with me." she said.
Kirk wondered if that was the exact reason why Dogmeat was wanting to. He set them up and went to his room and decided to introduce Ella to Silver tomorrow. He soon fell asleep.