text: Before they leave you approach Leon, you and he still have a bit of history over the whole Elliot thing years ago. You're guessing he's not one to hold a grudge though since he's never sought any type of revenge or something. You only hope he isn't the patient type.
  
  "Alright Leon, I know you're the fighter of this group, and I know its most likely going to be dangerous up there, so I'm gonna do something totally out of character. I'm giving you my pistol and the two clips I have. It's in good condition, and it's only been fired once in ten years and I think you know when that was. Here you go."
  
  Leon takes the gun and looks at it with silence for awhile and then speaks. You think this is the first time you've actually heard him speak at all!
  
  "Y'know, I never did apologize for that shit ten years ago. I dunno what the hell I was thinking following Elliot; none of us who did do. You and Nina have done a better job of keeping this place running than anyone. Anyway, this is really generous of you, but I can't shoot worth shit, but I know someone who's going with us who used to practice regularly before the bombs dropped. Hey Brenda! I got something for ya!"
  
  Brenda comes over and her eyes widen when Leon hands her your pistol.
  
  "Aw yeah! This is what I'm talkin' about! I just hope I'm still a good shot; I've only been able to practice my aim by throwing this scalpel at a human diagram chart."
  "Yeah well don't practice too much with it, save your bullets for an emergency. I didn't know you were a gun person Brenda." You say.
  "You really need to get out of that computer room and socialize more!"
  "Shit, he barely socializes when he's in there with me and Charles." Todd adds.
  "But yeah I used to practice with my own when I had one. I was too afraid to try to sneak mine in here though... you know we've all always wondered about that, how DID you sneak this in?" Brenda asks.
  
  You just smile.
  
  "Hey I think you guys better get going." You say almost laughing
  
  "Oh come on! What a gyp! Alright, but we want to know when we come back!" Brenda says and then her, Leon and Todd enter the elevator wave goodbye to everyone and go up.
   
  You and everyone else go about your usual business. Nina mentions what you did.
  
  "Wow, that was really surprising for you, you've practically been walking around with that thing on you for ten years."
  "Yeah, well I can only hope I don't need it within the time that they come back... if they come back."
  "You just gave them an edge I'd say they've got more of a chance now. Don't be so pessimistic. They'll come back."
  "Yeah I hope. Bring Jack by the computer room later; I know you got some sort of meeting to go to."
  "Oh I can cancel that, it's not vital."
  "No its fine, bring him by. I've been indoctrinating him on the basics of the shelter computer. Someone's gotta run this thing when I'm gone."
  "Well alright then, hey don't worry. Everything will be alright."
  
  Nina kisses you and you exchange remarks about how you love each other before you make your way back to the computer room. You know its silly to think about it, but you can't help thinking about some worst possible scenario.
  
  You think about those three getting captured, tortured, and killed by a large group of psychotic bandits or something and then those same scum coming here because they found out the location after torturing them. You wouldn't have anything proper to defend your family with and the surface scum would probably have all kinds of weapons to kill everyone with. They'd start by killing everyone in immediate area of the entrance, then they'd come down in small groups with automatic weapons they undoubtedly have and start killing down here and worse... 
  
  "HEY! Stop spacing!" Charles suddenly says to you.
  "Huh? Oh! Okay." You say snapping out your horrible daydream.
  "Man, what's wrong with you? You've been doing that the whole time you got here."
  "Nothing, just a little pre-occupied."
  
  You still don't really relax until Jack gets there, which allows you to think about less terrible things like teaching him about the computer system.
  
  When you're finished with your duties, you go back to your room, and Nina's there waiting for you looking as lovely as usual. You came in this place ten years ago with nothing except a bad attitude, now you got a lot more... 
  
  You're not losing this. No way in hell.
  
  The next day you start visiting the community gym area. You know other people like Leon use it. Nina uses it to keep in shape, but you've never stepped foot in the place, you never really saw any reason to, its not like you were fat or anything, but you realize if some shit goes down you're going to have to be in better physical condition. You might not have a gun, but MAYBE you'll be quick and strong enough to take one away from somebody! You need a fucking edge. You begin training regularly. Nina's a little confused about this sudden change, but she's not at all displeased with it.
  
  You do this for the next six months with the constant theme running in your mind of how you'll be able to take out the first miscreant that steps through the elevator, grab his gun and... 
  
  "Hey everyone, they're back! And they're in a fuckin' car with a shitload of stuff!" someone shouts while you're training.
  
  You immediately stop and head for the surface. When you arrive you see Leon unloading some stuff out of a beat up, but functioning car, he's got a patch on his eye now and his face is scarred, but otherwise looks okay. Brenda comes up to you and tosses you your pistol back, along with three clips!
  
  "Came in handy, but I think I'll be using THIS from now on!" Brenda pats an automatic rifle slung over her shoulder. "Hey, you look different, you been working out?"
  
  "Um, something like that. So where did you get all this stuff?"
  "Most of it we got from this small place called Ashtown that's agreed to trade with us, we'd found it after about a week of wandering around, we were there negotiating with them and they wouldn't trust us at first until the place suddenly got attack by a bunch of raiders. We helped defend the place from a one month siege! We also stuck around to help heal the wound. After that, they decided we were okay... that was at sort of a high cost though. Todd didn't make it. He got killed in the fight. Tried to save him, but it was already too late by the time I got there." Brenda explains.
  
  "Damn...he was an alright guy... so is this fight where Leon got all scarred up?" you say as he approaches.
  "No, that happened after we left Ashtown, we went exploring some more, we found another place a lot less friendly called The Combine. Trust me; we want to AVOID that place. We barely got out of there; we were basically prisoners. That's why we were gone for so long. However, that's where we got this car. We stopped back at Ashtown to pick up some supplies and came back here." Leon answers, then he looks at you with his remaining eye. "Damn, you been working out?"
  
  You nearly start laughing at your situation, here you were training and thinking up every possible worst case scenario that was going to befall the shelter, while Brenda and Leon were actually engaged in some worst case scenarios. You're just glad that nothing did happen to the shelter, but you certainly feel less naked now that you have your "equalizer" back!
  
  Life in the shelter continues.
  
  Ten more years pass... 
  
  You've been here twenty years and as always there are more changes.
  
  More people have moved to the surface, pieces of the shelter have been dismantled and started to be used to build a real town along with supplies from Ashtown, and scavenging from other places. Still, the shelter is needed to ensure at least a clean water supply so you're still running it. Nina's position has changed though. Since the shelter doesn't contain a majority of the population anymore, her position is more of a community council person and her title is no longer "shelter leader". The place has been given a name now; New Haven
  
  One current problem is to keep the place together, but with the younger population, they're less likely to want to stay. Ever since Leon came back with a giant mutant wolf head on one of his exploration trips, they all want to be "explorers" too. Your son Jack being one of those young people.
  
  Nina of course doesn't want him to go anywhere (You're reminded of when she didn't want you to go to the surface) and you can't say you're too fond of the idea either, but what can you do?
  > have a talk with him
  You figure you need to address this now; you go to find Jack who's hanging around the edges of the town as usual.
  
  "Hey Jack I need to talk to you."
  "Aw Dad, I don't feel like working with you in the boring ol' computer room right now!"
  "Hey watch your mouth! And it's not that anyway. It's about all the talking you've doing lately about exploring the wasteland like Indiana fuckin' Jones."
  "Who?" Jack genuinely asks seeing as he's never heard of the movie being born after the bomb and all.
  "Indiana... look never mind that, your Mom worries night and day that you're going to go running off and get yourself killed."
  "I'm not gonna run off... I mean I thought about it... but I just... I dunno... "
  "Well spit it out boy!"
  "It gets too boring here sometimes! I just wish I could go and explore the world like Leon!"
  "Yeah, well if you haven't noticed, Leon's missing an eye, his left ear and a couple of pieces of his fingers, not to mention he's all scarred up and complains about pain all the time."
  "Well I'D be more careful!" Jack boasts.
  "Hmmm, that's what everyone says.  I know you and your friends think all the stories are exciting, but if you'd really paid close attention you'll notice all damn danger as well. You know we've lost a few people doing that adventure shit, and the only one who still does it is Leon. Even Brenda stopped going out after she got shot in the leg. She was lucky she managed to escape. The world isn't a safe place Jake. Never has been. And the way it is now, it's even more dangerous."
  
  Jack looks at you.
  
  "We can't stay here forever Dad."
  
  You see it in his eyes that he's going to do what he wants and you aren't going to be able to stop him. You don't like it, and maybe you can't stop him, but you can improve his odds.
  
  "Alright son, you gather all your little friends and meet me back here in a couple hours. Don't go anywhere! You hear me?"
  "Okay, okay."
  
  You go and find Nina and explain the situation, she's of course completely opposed to the idea and it takes some reasoning, but eventually she sees you have a point, even if she doesn't like it. You tell her to go inform the other parents; in the meantime you go and fetch Brenda and Leon.
  
  You meet Jack who's standing around with a bunch of his other friends and most of the other young people in town. Brenda and Leon are behind you.
  
  "Alright Jack, if exploration is what you want, you ain't gonna do it unprepared. You all know these two. Brenda here is going to teach all of you how to shoot properly. We've got plenty of guns and ammo now and she's the best marksperson here. Before ANY of you people go out anywhere you better know how to aim your damn weapons. After a month of that, then you'll be going out, with Leon. He'll be able to give you on the job training with the whole explorer thing. In time, you'll be able to go out by yourselves. Now before any of this goes down, all of you are probably gonna have to discuss this with your parents or some shit, so you're all gonna have to work out your own personal lives yourselves, but Jack you've got a reluctant okay from both me and your mother."
  "... I dunno what to say, I mean thanks Dad." Jack smiles.
  "What you can do is pay attention to Brenda and Leon's instructions and not get yourself killed! And here, take this. It's saved more than a few lives." You say and hand your pistol to Jack.
  
  And so begins the training. In time most of them go off to pursue their adventures elsewhere, naturally the world being what it is now, some don't return, but for those that do return most come back to stay permanently. Just a little bit of the taste of the outside world is all most of them needed to see it's a lot better to stay in New Haven! When Jake returns he's ready once again to follow in your footsteps.
  
  "See Nina, I knew my idea would work. Let 'em go out in the world for a little while and they'll come to appreciate the comforts of this place! Might be boring here, but at least you don't have some motherfucker with a Mohawk shooting at you because he likes the boots you got on. They just needed some training first to give them a chance to survive."
  "Well I'm just glad Jack's alright."
  
  As you and Nina breathe a sigh of relief that Jack's home in one piece, little did you realize that your idea set a major plan in motion.
  
  In time, the New Haven Militia is created.
  
  Thirty ... 
  
  Fifty years have gone by you briefly realize as you look at the old shelter entrance; it's hardly ever used anymore. Extensive changes have been made to it so it's rarely necessary to go down there anymore, only Jack and few other technicians go down there to check on the water purification system now in place. Practically everything else has been dismantled and used to help build up the surface of New Haven. New Haven has grown far beyond the shelter that you entered so long ago.
  
  You don't think you ever saw this happening. Nobody did. The place is very large now; populated with the children of those you entered the shelter with as well as refugees from other places. Mostly everyone you originally knew is gone, not that you were ever one to greatly socialize, but still you do miss people like Leon, Brenda and Charles, hell you even miss Ron.
  
  You especially miss your beloved wife Nina. It's been two years since she died. You miss her everyday. Jack comes by with his family to keep you company sometimes, but nowadays all you want is solitude.
  
  You enter the shelter and go down the elevator. You probably aren't supposed to be down here, but you don't care, you're going to live in the past for awhile.
  
  You walk around the practically gutted shelter and remember all the things that happened.
  
  Here's where you first met Nina, you never thought you'd end up marrying and having a child with her someday, but even though you were annoyed by first impressions, (As she probably was with you!) you always thought she was beautiful.
  
  Here's where you shot Elliot. To this day you know you did the right thing. There's no doubt in your mind that things would've been very different had he taken over.
  
  Here's where Jack was born. You remember Kyle having a hell of a time getting him to come out. He always could be a little stubborn. You just remembered you're supposed to have a check up appointment with Kyle's daughter Shelia. It can wait though; you're busy right now.
  
  Ah now here it is. Your old room. You remember spending a majority of your initial time here. Still has the shelter manual on the table. You insisted that this room remain intact when the shelter was in the final stages of being stripped. You always knew you'd return here some day.
  
  You lie down on the bed and enjoy the peace and quiet from the surface. Slowly you begin to get drowsy.
  
  "Ahhh, so peaceful with no other people around... I just wish Nina was here with me to enjoy it too... " you say to yourself as you drift off to sleep.