Chapter 36, You Belong to Me
Oct 17, 2282
I looked off at the distance of the Strip, from atop of the Cocktail Lounge. I could see the construction of both people and Securitrons building new buildings to roadways almost in sync and harmony. I saw one guy struggling to pick up a piece of lumber with a Securitron soon coming in to help. Mr. House continues his expansion of the Strip to further his vision for New Vega's future. Elizabeth and I convinced him to employ the people from Freeside and others to help their economies grow. It took a few tries, since he felt his machines would be more efficient, but he reluctantly agreed as he felt seeing these people work would inspire Tourism to grow if people see there is more to come. It's a start, but I do feel he's still slowly coming around. He's going to have to. I'll try to be in two places at once, literally. But for now and for the next month or so, I have to change priorities if things are going wherever I think they could be.
I checked my Pimpboy, it was 9:43 A.M. Time I stop daydreaming and head back.
I backed away from the window and made my way to the elevator to take it down the Penthouse. Once the doors opened, I saw Elizabeth at the terminal, typing away. Her hair was in a ponytail this time since she's decided to keep her hair long recently. I've offered to give a hair cut, but she declined. The reflection of the terminal appeared on her eyes, nearly glued to the screen of the Terminal. No doubt waiting to hear from the scout team that went out almost two weeks ago to scout more parts of Europe.
"Any word from the scout team yet," I asked.
She rubbed her eyes, "Nothing yet. They should be back by tonight. Then we'll know the truth."
I walked towards her, "Do you have any alternatives if it isn't safe?"
"I… I have a few. Maybe. But we would need to gather another scout team and that could take more time. Almost another month even."
I put my hands on her shoulders, "There's no rush. If we have to wait till after the delivery, then we can do that."
"Yeah. If need be," she replies, trying to stand up.
I grabbed her hand, helping her up from the chair.
"You don't always have to help me up. I'm fine," she diffused.
"That one time you fell down still scares me, you know," I replied.
She straightened her feet, resting her hand on her belly, "I know, but I wasn't expecting movement that suddenly. And I thought my back was fine enough to handle it."
I let go of her hand and backed away. Elizabeth was now almost eight months pregnant and her belly was clear as day. It hasn't been as easy as I was hoping it was. We knew what was going to happen, but I was hoping it wouldn't come to it. When the morning sickness started, it was graphic to say the least. I remember having to clean so much puke and by the end of it, she felt so sick she didn't want to leave the Lucky 38 for days. It stopped for a few days, but it always comes back. Recently, it's been fine for now at least. Then there were the cramps and back pains. Her waist at times would be like someone was stabbing her repeatedly then pouring alcohol on it. At least that's how she would put it. She would sometimes wake up in the middle of the night in pain, waking me up to try to keep her calm. Most time's I could get her to sleep, other times, I would just be lying there, hoping I got some sort of sleep. Just overall not a pleasant experience. She wears sundresses or loose clothes to keep herself as comfortable as possible throughout this whole process, which helps to a degree.
"Well, try to take it easy. You're almost to the end," I commented.
Elizabeth smiled, "Yes. After this, I think one is enough for me."
I agree with that. I can't imagine the second time if ever being any easier. Sure maybe her body would be used to it, but would we want to find out?
She stretches, "I think I could use a trip to the Nellis don't you think?"
"Yeah I think that would be nice. As always, take it slow."
"I try to," she replied, taking the lead.
I walked behind her as we made our way to the elevator, Sally running in after us.
"Let me get the leash for her," I stated.
I got out of the elevator and walked into my room to grab her leash with the ten foot long rope. We were able to find a much more efficient leash with rope that didn't snap and she finally has mostly calmed down in the last three weeks that we could bring her with us. All that puppy energy has started to slow down, but it's still there, creeping through the cracks in moments.
Sally willingly took the leash as I walked her to the elevator and made our way out to the Strip. She ran ahead of us and continued to smell everything in sight that she had already smelled many times before. My guess is that she wants to double check everything again to make sure it's still her territory. After a minute of delay, I tugged on the leash for her to keep going, where she soon followed suit.
We walked out of the Gate and made our way to the Jeep, with her climbing in the back, eager to go while Elizabeth and I sat ourselves down in the front. I turned the keys to start up the Jeep and we drove off, on our way to Nellis.
We pulled through the gate and were greeted by the usual sight of Nellis with tons of Tents to Structures laid about. Nellis has more so become a Recon Branch of the Brotherhood of Steel where reconnaissance is conducted to the surrounding area of New Vegas. The Boomer's have been pretty much ok with this given their terms were being able to use more of the Brotherhood's weaponry. The Kids in particular have loved this since it goes beyond just the simulation's they've had, like the old saying of more toys in the toybox for them to play with. For the Brotherhood, we've been conducting recon to the more Northern part of the U.S. but also to other parts of the world including Europe. It's what we expected given how Europe was attacked early on, but there are some slivers of hope here in there. Hopefully, France will be one of them.
I parked the Jeep near the Hanger, where Sally was barking with excitement to run around. Tons of Brotherhood of Steel Members were walking about, each with their own assignments and activities that they had to do for the day. As for us, I know why Elizabeth also wanted to come out beyond just getting some air.
I put the leash on Sally and she walked alongside us, smelling everything she could that we walked by, letting her curious mind see if anything changed the last time we were here. Eventually, we made our way to Proctor Quinlan were he was conversing with some scientists from the Followers of the Apocalypse. The Followers and Brotherhood have been gradually working more together as their goals are still aligning with each other with rumors the last few weeks even circulating that they might merge together at some point. Obviously this isn't true, but we've been hearing it for a while now.
The scientists dispersed, allowing us to approach him. As we entered, his tent was just set up like you would expect. A desk with some filing cabinets nearby to organize his documents and books as well has some tables with either functioning technology or what looks to be works in progress. Nothing glamorous, but I don't think he prides himself in that.
"Hello Proctor Quinlan, how are you," I asked.
He set a book down on his desk, "Good. Just sent a scout team to get ready to head north for the next week to conduct more findings. Our team from Europe should be back this morning to give a more indepth update after our last expedition that went to Europe. "
The first go around was finding more parts for the Lutece Device 2.0 in Europe specifically in the Chatillon-la-Borde and Limoges area as so far those have been shown to be safe to an extent. Limoges has had a problem with raiders and Chatillon-la-Borde has a larger radiation problem than most areas. Which has been the common theme for France. It was one of the areas hit the worst when the bombs went off and based on the findings, there are still areas with large pockets of radiation and mutated creatures that either need to be cleaned out or cleared out. So who knows how the rest of the area is. Elizabeth helped convince the Brotherhood that France would be a good anchor point to potentially expand in Europe, hiding her true intentions as to why she really wants to go. We had to schedule a ship to travel to the shores of Royan, just to establish some sort of base while also getting coordinates. Once we knew it was safe at the coordinates, we went in further which leads us to where we are today. Going ahead every few days we can until we reach further in France.
"Should they have an update on France," I hear Elizabeth say.
He nodded, "Yes they should. We did plan on going back to the Limoges area to secure it from raiders and then it's heading to Versailles. Obviously, it's up in the air and we won't know till they return. "
"What time are they going to be back," I asked.
He looked at his watch, "At 1200. They should be able to fill you in."
I checked my Pimpboy, it was 11:20 a.m. now. Guess it's the old waiting game now.
I turned to Elizabeth, "So while we wait, what do you want to do?"
Elizabeth pointed, "I think Sally might want to play. She keeps running around in circles around you."
I've noticed, throughout my time talking with Proctor Quinlan, her trying to run through my legs, getting me tangled in the leash. Seem's her energy is picking up again.
Once I untangled myself, I guided Sally over to an area where she wouldn't be in the way of other people, a nearby empty space near the airstrip. I got her tennis ball out of my bag and her bone and started to throw them interchangeably with her. She preferred the tennis ball much more to her bone just by how quickly she brought it back. Even though she has slowed down significantly than before, that energy in her is still lively as ever. I think it's going to be a few more months till she calms down even more.
Eventually, I heard the generators start up, signaling that the Lutece Device was in use. Elizabeth darted towards it first while I had to get Sally back on her leash. Once we both made it to the Lutece Device, several people came out, some dressed in lab coat attire to soldiers with Battle Armor coming in. The look in their faces and bullet holes littered around their armor tell me the whole story that something happened. I took notice of Proctor Quinlan approaching them.
"So how did it go," he asked.
One Brotherhood member took his Power Armor Helmet off, his hazel eyes and blonde hair greeting us, "Well it's been an interesting run to say the least. We went beyond Versailles."
I looked to see Elizabeth's reaction where I could see her ears perked up with that knowledge.
"Why did you go beyond Versailles? You were not supposed to continue beyond your mission?"
He nodded, "Yes, but Versailles didn't have much of a fight there. There's no one there. Not even mutants. Radiation was obviously an issue, but it was a ghost town. Then we continued forward and arrived at the outskirts of Paris."
Elizabeth immediately ran forward, "What did you see?"
He rubbed his head, "Paris from a distance seems to be habitable for the most part. Still pockets of radiation that need to be cleared out so I'd advise staying away from most of the canals and parliament buildings. In time however, we can clear those out. For the most part, we can have a part of Paris secured once we move the Lutece Device closer. But most of Paris, it really has taken significant damage. There are a lot of structures destroyed and it could take us weeks to a month even to fully secure Paris."
"Ok, rest up and we'll reconnect in an hour to talk about what to do next." Proctor Quinlan
Everyone dispersed while I took a good look at Elizabeth. I was expecting her to be in a more cheerful mood given the news, but her face displayed either worry, concern, or something else I can't for sure know. My money is she's getting herself ready to brace for what she sees once we get there. The scouts said it was mostly safe. But they did say there was damage. Significant damage.
I walked to her, "Are you ok? Aren't you happy that the idea of going to Paris is finally here?"
She rubbed her head, "Yeah. I mean I am. Just, I don't know. I'm thinking. "
"What's on your mind?"
She fidgeted with her right pinky, "I guess I'll have to wait to hear more before I can truly let my mind wander."
"Ok. Whatever you decide, I support it."
She nodded, giving me a hug, "Thank you Evan."
After a minute of feeling each other's embrace, I let go of her, our eyes locking for a moment.
"You want to walk Sally a bit while we wait," I asked.
She nodded as she took the leash while I followed behind. As we kept walking I took notice of a group of Brotherhood Members organizing a pile of stuff that they had gathered from the last expedition. I guided Elizabeth closer to the pile to examine it. I noticed that in the pile, I saw a Snow Globe sticking out. I took the Snow Globe from the pile and inspected it to notice that it had the words "Paris" labeled on it with the Eiffel Tower in the Globe.
"Do you mind if I take this," I asked.
The scientist looked up from his terminal, "Sure. Those things creep me out. Being in the Vault for so long, that thing just reminds me more of being in it."
"Thank you," I replied, inspecting it more.
That's about five Snow Globes for Mr. House I've collected in the last few months. He pays a decent amount of caps for them since he has a weird obsession with them. I don't need caps much more anyway, but it's nice to have a bit extra.
I handed it to Elizabeth to see while she shook it to see the snow particles move around. She didn't say anything, but her curious mind had shined through given how many times she shook the globe. Eventually, she handed it back to me.
"Thank you. Are you giving that to Mr. House," she asked.
"Yeah. Few caps wouldn't hurt for it. Besides, I'm sure we'll find more when we get there," I replied.
"Yeah," she answered, impartially.
We continued to walk Sally around the base, her nose taking her wherever it did in the moment. She was smelling a boulder, when a small rat appeared and she tried to take off after it. I swear I looked like one of those old cartoons I saw as a kid where one character was chasing another. I noticed Elizabeth stepped off to the side to have a laugh at the whole situation. Finally, the rat ran under the Gate and away as Sally tried to stick her nose through the hole of the fence. Finally, I heard Elizabeth coming closer still laughing.
"You both looked adorable and ridiculous," she commented.
I shot a look at her, "Glad you got a good laugh out of it. You could have helped."
She shrugged, "Yeah, but I'm pregnant. I can't be running around like that."
I shook my head. There's her sarcasm again. Though it's been a minute since she's done that. Last time I can remember was last week when I spilled some coffee on my shirt. She commented that I'm becoming a clumsy man more recently. I responded with a counter argument about how she dropped a plate the day before due to a cramp and she just gave me a scolding look. I always can find a way to clap back.
In the distance, I could see Veronica approaching us, wearing a tan colored sundress and her cowboy hat with it.
"Hey, I saw that little performance you had there Evan. How are you both doing? How's Sally," she asks, reaching down to Sally for a pet.
I stood up, gripping Sally's leash tightly, "Well if you saw the performance, she's as energetic as always."
"I'm doing ok. I had another morning sickness episode yesterday," Elizabeth also answered..
"Well it's only a few more weeks right," she remarked.
She rubbed her belly, "Yup. Just a bit more. It's been hell for me. I knew it would, but I was hoping it wouldn't be as bad."
"All that is only going to make it worth it in the end. You both day by day are only getting better as parents. Are you now going to tell me what you're going to name them?"
"Just a few more weeks Veronica and then you'll know," I replied with a smile.
"Ugh you're killing me. Fine. Just go on and keep me hanging," she replied, shaking her head.
"Besides that, how is your family doing," Elizabeth asked.
Veronica cracked a smile, "Good. Never thought I would see the day that Elder Mcnamara and Paladin Hardin are getting along sort of. They still bicker, but it's been getting better the last two months with less threats of beating the shit out of each other. Hard to imagine how much things are changing. For the most part now, we all are getting along now. Like one big huge dysfunctional, former fanatical family."
"It's always good to hear Veronica. You had me worried a month ago that things were getting ugly," I replied.
She nodded, "Well it's family. We all engage in a bit of arguing once and a while, even threatening to beat each other to a sludge. But we still care about each other at the end of the day."
She followed with us as we walked Sally around Nellis with her taking the leash occasionally to walk Sally. Sally seemed to be a bit calmer when Veronica was holding her leash. We did this till I checked my Pimpboy and saw that it was now 12:50 P.M.
"We should head back to hear more about the report from France, " I stated.
"Ok, I'll get back to what I was doing. You both take care," Veronica, replies, walking away.
Elizabeth and I made our way to the tent where the scout team would report. As we opened the tent flap, we saw that there were a few chairs, gathered around a large, round table. We walked inside and took our seats while we waited a few minutes for everyone else to gather.
Eventually, a few of the team that went to France entered and took their seats as well. Gone was their armor and clothes that were a mess from the expedition and replaced with much better, well kept clothing. Proctor Quinlan then took his seat, clearing his throat.
"So what other information do you have for us, Paladin Bael" he inquired.
He cleared his throat as well, "We were able to secure a part of Paris, specifically the Bois de Boulogne area since the Boulogne-Billancourt area had a huge influx of large mutant Rats and Spiders. Were not talking just a few dozen. Hundreds. Why they congregated there, we couldn't tell you. However we saw that the road around to the Bois de Boulogne was much clearer since it was a wide open field of decaying, charred trees. We think there might be a path through the 16th arrondissement that could get us to the remains of the Seine River. Traversal won't be difficult at all given that most of the buildings are gone or just rubble. But that is really it. So far, no sign of intelligent life though we have our own theories that if anyone is left, they would be underground either in the catacombs, or the metro tunnels. Maybe even some Vaults if they were smart, but so far we haven't seen any. "
Seems promising to an extent. Obviously it's going to be some work, but if they can push in further, then we should.
"What would you need," Proctor Quinlan asked.
"We have already moved some of our supplies there and re-set up the Lutece Device, ready for us to return to work. We'll just need a standard restock, but also more firepower in case going into France further gets hairy. And some fuel for the vehicles. That's pretty much it," he answered.
Proctor Quinlan nodded, "We'll get that scheduled for you, should have it for you in the next two days. "
Paladin nodded as the rest of them exited the tent with us following soon after them.
The info we got seems to be a mix of both positive and negative. On the one hand, it seems Paris may not be completely irradiate and gone. The fact that they were able to get as far as they did has to be a sign of some kind. That being said though, I don't know if it's going to be fully safe let alone for a pregnant woman. Not that I don't trust the Brotherhood to secure the area, I'm just looking out for Elizabeth. Now that she's pregnant, I'm looking out for two people technically.
"So, about the news. What's on your mind now," I asked, breaking the ice.
"Well, it's news and it's not a complete loss," Elizabeth replied.
"But?"
"Well, I…I don't know. I want to say, let's give it a shot. But with the baby, I…I don't know. I trust the Brotherhood to make the area safe and I trust you to be at my side to truly keep me safe."
I crossed my arms, "However, you're not sure if it's worth the risk?"
She shrugged, "Possibly."
I took a breath, "Elizabeth, you've spent most of your life wanting to go to Paris to see it and now you have an opportunity to do so. I don't think it's completely selfish for you to go despite being pregnant if that's worrying you. I promise, I will keep you safe, even if I…I"
She put her finger to my lips, "No. Don't say that. I don't want you to even think about the possibility of that happening."
I raised my hands, "Ok. But I do mean it. I want you to see Paris, even if it isn't the version you wanted it to be. "
"Ok. Just…give me the night to think about it."
We stood and stared at each other for a moment before I could hear Proctor Quinlan clear his throat behind us.
"Are you and Elizabeth going to be joining the next expedition to France," Proctor Quinlan asked.
"Possible. We have some concerns, primarily with the baby. We feel it might not entirely be safe going in," I replied.
He scratched his chin, "I can send the team out and you can come soon after once the area is secure if possible. Might take a few hours, but we'll have a more definitive answer by then."
"Sounds good. I'll let you know what we decided tomorrow," I replied.
Proctor Quinlan walked off while I turned around to see Elizabeth was already ahead of me, ready to go back home. Probably just ready to put her feet up since walking as much as we have is too much for her right now.
I started my walk to the Jeep where Elizabeth was in the front seat, waiting for me. I then got in the driver's seat and started the Jeep, making my way to the Nellis gate, and then back to the Strip.
I parked the Jeep in its usual spot were we then we both made our way to the Lucky 38 and inside. As we were talking to the elevator, I took notice of Jane, the other Securitron that Mr. House has, rolling around. Her monitor face was a woman with a hairstyle similar to Elizabeth's hair when I first met her with a white flower in her hair and two long pearl-like earrings. I let go of Elizabeth's hand.
"Be right back. I'm going to turn in this Snow Globe," I stated.
I walked up to Jane where she caught my attention immediately.
"Hello there sugar, how are you," she asks with her southern town girl accent.
"Good. I've got a snowglobe for Mr. House's collection," I answered, handing it to her.
"You do? Why, that's just wonderful! I'll take it and put it with the rest of the collection," she answered.
"Thank you. I'll speak with him tomorrow. We're going to turn in for the night."
"Alrighty, yall have a good night," she answers, driving away.
I walked to Elizabeth and pushed the button to call the elevator. Once it arrived, I pushed the button to take us up to the Presidential Suite. As the elevator started to go up, Elizabeth braced herself against the wall.
"You alright," I asked, taking her hand.
"Yeah. Just… got light headed for a moment."
I held her up for a moment until the elevator let us know that we had arrived, Sally running forward immediately while I unleashed her.
"Do you need to sit down," I asked.
Elizabeth shook her head, "No. I'm good now. I'll get to work on a few things, then I'll get dinner ready."
"Ok. I'm here if you need help."
We both went into our separate rooms while I sat down and opened up my Journal. Elizabeth a few months ago got on me to start journaling more now since it was a good way to keep track of progress of all the work we were doing. All I wrote was what happened today, talking more about the future of France and what tomorrow would have for us. As I was starting to finish my entry, I could smell the aroma of food, signaling me that it was time for dinner. I closed the book and made my way into the kitchen where I saw Elizabeth getting it ready while Sally was following her around, looking for her scraps she wanted.
I then took my seat and got ready to eat. What was on the menu was Mashed Potatoes with Brahmin steak. A favorite for sure for Sally and a solid choice for both of us as well.
After dinner was done, I helped clean up everything and got myself ready for bed, taking a shower, brushing my teeth, and getting my Pajamas on. Once I was done, I then switched places with Elizabeth while Sally had her ball, ready to play one last time before bed. Once I saw the signs that she was tuckered out, I knew that it was time to get ready for bed. I then got myself under the covers, Sally joining next to me at my feet while I dug out the book Dune to start reading. Once Elizabeth finished that book, she was gushing for me to give it a read while she moved on to another book. Right now it's The Outsiders. I then saw her join me in bed with me with her book as we both continued to read until I started to feel really tired. I set my book on the nightstand, turning off my light with Elizabeth mirroring my actions soon after. We got ourselves under the covers, giving each other a kiss before getting ready to sleep.
I woke up the same as I always do, though it depends if Elizabeth is in my embrace or not. Lately she hasn't but she's told me it's because with her belly it makes her feel uncomfortable to hold each other tightly for too long. This time though, I found her in my embrace, sound asleep. After a few minutes, I got out of bed and did my morning ritual to get ready for the day. As I made my way back to the bedroom, I saw Elizabeth waking up and getting into the bathroom with bed hair. A few minutes later she came out while I was making eggs and bacon for the both of us since I got up first. As I sat everything down, I decided to say something.
"So did you think about it," I asked, breaking the ice.
She sat down, dishing a plate, "Yes. I think…I think it's worth going out there. There could have been a numerous amount of things that could have gone wrong the last eight months that could have easily harmed myself or the baby. So really, If anything goes wrong, we run like hell back to the Lutece Device and regroup."
I dish myself a plate, "And if push comes to shove Elizabeth, what I was trying to say earlier…"
"And what did I say, " she replied, cutting me off immediately.
"I know. Don't talk like that or think like it. Still, it's on the table if need be. "
She paused for a moment, "Ok. Then let's get ready to pack and then let them know. We have a lot to do before tomorrow."
"Ok. First thing though, I need to speak with Mr. House," I declared.
I got up from the table and made my way to the elevator to take me to the Penthouse. Once the doors opened, I made my way down the steps and Mr. House's face appeared immediately on his screen as if he was always waiting for me.
"How is your progress with the Brotherhood," he asks.
"Good. We have made contact in France. Tomorrow we head out to go further in."
"Impressive that you made it that far. When I heard the amount of bombs that were dropped in Europe, I did not anticipate that much of it would even still be standing. Or that it would become so irradiate that life could never exist there for hundreds if not thousands of years. "
"Yes. But we are going to be spending quite some time there. So, I don't know when I'll be back. Depends on how safe it is and for how long."
"I see. All I can say then is safe travels to both you and your child. You're going to need it if you're going to an area like that."
I was taken a bit back, "You noticed?"
"I had my suspicions for a while, but once I saw Elizabeth fall down, her abdomen clearly showed how far she was. I never cared for children. Messy, needy, outspoken, and get in the way when you want things done. I cannot understand why you would even want a child, but to one's own. One more thing, I left caps for that Paris Snowglobe you brought to Jane yesterday with Victor. Good luck," he states before shutting down.
Even in our last conversation for a while, he still acts like a machine. He may be becoming more and more human every day, but he still is as cold calculating as ever.
I walked into the elevator pushing the button to take me to the Presidential Suite. Once the doors opened, I then went to get Elizabeth as I saw her starting to pack things with Sally resting nearby.
"Let's go let them know and help them pack to head to France," I announced.
Elizabeth smiled, "Yes. We have a lot to do in between now and then."
We both made our way to the elevator, electing to leave Sally behind as we wouldn't be gone too long, though we did have to remind her.
We went down the elevator and as we exited the elevator, Victor came to greet us.
"Howdy Pardner! I hear you and Elizabeth are headn' on out to Paris tomorrow. I never thought that place was still standing."
"It is to an extent. But we're going to see how much of it is standing," I replied.
"That's great to hear. Before you go here you are," Victor handed me the caps for the Snow Globe I gave earlier, "Happy Travels Pardner. Take care and be safe!"
"Thank you Victor. You as well," I replied.
He drove off as we made our way to the Jeep to head back to Nellis. We went through the main gate, parked the Jeep, and made our way to Proctor Quinlan's tent. As we entered, I took notice of him typing away at his terminal on his desk and as we got closer, he detected us and gave us his attention.
"Have you both decided," he asked.
I nodded, "Yes, we have. We'll go with you and you can send the team out earlier to clear the area."
"Alright. I'll fill them in on the details. In the meantime, any help to prepare for the trip that you both can provide would be greatly useful."
We both nodded, made our way outside and to the hanger where we both lent a hand in helping to pack things for the trip. Not long after we started, it would be too much for Elizabeth on her body and she would have to sit down for the rest of the packing. Once everything was done, Proctor Quinlan gave the run down that the scout's would leave at 6 A.M. to secure Paris since it would be around 12:00 P.M. when they arrive. Once they were done, it should be late afternoon when we arrive with the perimeter secure for the most part. It will all depend obviously on what happens however.
Once we were done packing, Elizabeth and I went back to the Jeep and headed back to the Lucky 38 to pack whatever we would need for the long term. She packed the clothes while I packed my weapons and tools. As I was packing up, I took notice of a recorder in the lower drawer of my nightstand. Upon inspecting it, I remembered what it was. It was the recording we took of Mr. House to make sure he would stick to his promise. So far he has and he definitely has proven he intends to keep it. But I'm still holding on to this just in case. By the time we were done, it was past 6 P.M. We then had leftovers from last night then wasted no time in doing our bedtime ritual, one last time before getting into bed. We then kissed each other good night, and embraced each other while we waited for the Journey tomorrow.
We woke up, same as we had yesterday, doing our morning protocol one last time before we packed our toiletries up and headed out. As I stepped into the elevator with the last luggage, I took one last look at the place. Obviously this wasn't the end forever, but it was the end of an era. A whole year I spent in this place, longer than I have since before I left the vault all those years ago and part of me was sad. We might not be back here for quite a while if things go decently in Paris, but I'm glad I called this place home for a while. Onto a new home.
We loaded up the Jeep as best as we could since we were going to have to make two trips to get everything, leaving everything in the lobby of the Lucky 38 for safe keeping.
We set all of our luggage near the Lutece Device, awaiting for them to return with confirmation. Even if it isn't today we head out, we have everything we need just in case. It's hard to imagine I'm going to be leaving New Vegas soon and heading to a literally different continent. Just unreal to imagine once the dust has settled now. By the time we had gotten all the luggage near the Lutece Device, I looked at my Pimpboy watch and saw that it was 10:10 A.M. Now we just wait. I grabbed my Carbine Rifle,44 Magnum, and the Maria to hand to Elizabeth where we then both sat down in some nearby chairs.
While waiting, I could see the uneasiness on Elizabeth's face, even if she was doing a good job of hiding it. I reached over to grab her hand, hoping to help calm her down in any way I can. She grasped my hand firmly and looked into my eyes, her concern starting to disappear slowly off her face.
After several hours of waiting, the generators kicked in, signaling the Lutece Device starting up as Brotherhood members started coming out.
I approached them, "What's the situation?"
Paladin Bael approached us, "We have it cleared for the most part. I'd advise avoiding going north of the Seine River and going into buildings that are standing, but everything up to there is secure. We have a lodging setup, ready to go for both of you until we can get a more permanent location setup."
I nodded, "Ok. I'll let her know."
I walked over to Elizabeth, "They have it secured up to. So, we're good to go."
I could see subtle lights flicker in her eyes, before quickly being extinguished, "Ok. Let's get everything loaded and ready to go."
The Brotherhood handled most of the heavy lifting for us while Elizabeth and I stood by and watched. As things were being loaded, I then saw Veronica approaching us.
"I hear you're heading out to Paris. How long are you going to be there," she asked.
"For a bit then we might come back once and a while. But the goal is for both of us to go there long term."
"Oh. Guess I'll have to come visit you when I can."
"Yeah. Especially when we're going to need our babysitter," I replied.
"Well, give me a heads up, and I'll try."
We all stared at each other for a moment before tears started to appear in Veronica's eyes as she gave us both hugs.
"Goodbye Evan and Elizabeth. Thank you for…for everything. For helping my family being united. I can't ever express how grateful I am for what you've both done."
"You make it sound like we're going to be gone for a long time," I replied.
"Well, you are no doubt going to be busy up in Paris, so I think it's going to be a while before I see both of you again. Hey, once you get Paris secured, I'll come up and we can eat all the snails we want."
I smiled, "Maybe."
"Take care Veronica," Elizabeth replies with a smile as well.
Once Veronica headed off, a few minutes later, I saw my Dad and Doctor Li approaching me, their hands intertwined.
"So off to Paris I see", my Dad remarked.
I nodded, "We're going to try to establish the chapter out there. And make a life there at least. Going to Paris has been something Elizabeth has wanted most of her life. Might not entirely be what she wanted, but it's part of it."
"That's great you're making the sacrifice for her and the baby to go there. I don't have any doubts you both will do a great job there in starting a chapter up in Europe. A far cry to how you once were long ago."
He's right. One year ago, I wouldn't have done anything remotely like this for anyone. Or even a scenario like this ever happening. My future at the time I thought would be the same thing over and over till I ended up dead one day. Going beyond that wasn't in my cards then. Just goes to show how much things have changed in the span of a year.
"Yeah. It's…hard to believe," I replied, scratching my head, under my helmet.
We both stared at each other before Doctor Li chimed in.
"Well I'm sure you need to get going and we have to get back to our work."
"Right, "I replied,
"Safe Travels son. I'll visit when I can and we'll keep an eye on New Vegas while you handle Paris," my Dad replied.
"Thank you Dad. I…I still will come back and visit."
He smiled, "I know you will."
We both embraced each other for a moment, in case this was goodbye for a while. The hug reminded me almost of the one he gave me when we first saw each other for the first time in four years.
"If I ever need anything, I'll reach out to you," I stated.
He nodded and smiled as he walked away, getting back to work, with Doctor Li and him holding hands once again.
As they left and on cue, all our luggage was gone, signaling us that it was time to go. I grabbed Elizabeth's hand, both of us staring at each other as we made our way through the tear and onto the other side.
In a split second, we immediately went to the outskirts of Paris. The smell of the air was definitely different to what it smelled like in New Vegas. It was much more musty and radiated? If it could even smell like that.
I could immediately see the cobblestone roads and architectures that were wildly different to what I have seen in both New Vegas and D.C. They all spoke of much older design, more than likely closer to Elizabeth's time even or maybe even before? All the buildings each had their own design and architecture flavor that made them each unique in their own way despite how charred and destroyed some of them were. Even the buildings were close together, almost as if they were like canned food, being so closely together. Sadly, as much like the rest of the world, the destruction was still here.
"I can see why you wanted to come here Elizabeth, despite all the destruction," I commented.
"It is something. We'll see how Paris is soon enough," she replied.
Paladin Bael motioned us over to a nearby truck where we both got in and got ready for the road ahead. My Pimpboys time was off due the change in timezone, but a nearby Brotherhood Member told me it was 6:03 P.M. The sun was still out clearly, but I could tell it was getting ready to set. After about a short travel, a sign on the ground faded with the words "Paris" still visible on it, signaling where we now were.
"We can stop here if you want to headout and take a look. Everything is clear up to the Seine River and I still would recommend not entering any buildings that are standing yet," Paladin Bael stated.
"Ok. Let's look around," she replied, grabbing my hand again as we exited the truck.
We spent most of the time walking in the streets, taking in the sights despite the destruction. That same architecture and design was still there, that we had seen before, though most of the buildings were gone. It kind of reminds me of what D.C. used to look like. Cards upside down and charred, craters everywhere, piles of rubble stacked on top of each other, and of course, skeletons. Skeletons froze where they died all those years ago, still in the same position, nearly untouched. It was a bit unsettling to see since we hadn't seen something like this in months given how New Vegas was starting to forgo those old sights. Eventually after about a half an hour walking, Elizabeth had to sit down. We found what I think looked like a nearby cafe and sat down in the chairs.
"He's kicking again," she said, holding her belly.
I sat next to her. It's been almost a week since he last kicked, signaling he's almost here, ready to come into the world.
"Seems B.J. has the energy in him," I stated.
"Yeah. I wonder if Booker was like that when he was a child. Were you," she asked.
I shrugged, "I'd say so. You'd have to ask my Dad next time you see him."
She nodded, "I think Booker Junior is a perfect name for him. So far, with some work, Paris I think, will be good for him to grow up in. It won't be easy, but we'll make it work. Maybe we'll find other people or even other children that maybe are here underground even. They could have taken some refuge in the Catacombs littered all around Paris. The possibilities are endless."
They are. Who knows what else we will find here in the coming weeks or even days as we spend more time in Paris. Honestly, going underground in the catacombs seems like such a cool idea that is already getting me excited as to what could be down there. Elizabeth has mentioned before that the Catacombs have nothing but bones and other creepy stuff down there. Possibly. Maybe. I might have made up that last part.
After a minute, Elizabeth clears her throat, "Let's keep going. I want to see something else."
She stood up before I did, making me get up behind her in case she needed help. We continued our walk throughout the street, trying our best to admire what sights there were.
But it was more of the same we had seen before. I did see a sort of Phone Booth still somehow standing despite the missing glass in the door of the booth. But that was about it.
Elizabeth guided me forward and finally stopped after about 15 minutes to look across the Seine River. I then saw in the distance exactly why she wanted to come here. I saw across the river, laid out in three separate pieces on the ground what remained of the Eiffel Tower. I had a feeling it wouldn't still be standing. It's not like you take loads of bombs and still expect to be standing. I could tell however that there were several smaller craters on the ground near the Eiffel Tower, telling me that this was targeted specifically as a sort of message of some kind. Or maybe there is some other story after the bombs fell that explain the tower being the ground like it is. Regardless, it was the way it was today.
I turned to face Elizabeth and saw she had her hand over her mouth, shocked by what she saw.
"I was hoping, somehow, some way, it would still be standing, even after all this time. But I guess that's what I get for hoping, " Elizabeth stated.
"Well for now it isn't. But in the future, it could be," I proposed.
Elizabeth turned to look at me, smile on her face as she leaned in to kiss me.
"That's why I love you Evan. You inspire me and give me hope for the future even despite all of this. You're Dad was right. You are a far cry from how you used to be. "
All I could do was smile and wrap my arms around her as I felt her bury her head in my chest.
I stared off again in the distance at the remains of the Eiffel Tower, still holding Elizabeth. On the surface, it looks like it couldn't ever be repaired. But my time in the last year has shown me that, yes it can be. It may take time, but it will be fixed. Paris will be one day just like how D.C. and New Vegas are now and nothing will stop Elizabeth and I achieving that even with Booker Junior. Not for our future and sake, but for his.
And thus comes to an end the book. Go to the next chapter to see an FAQ I created for some questions some of you may have.