Fallout 1. The Seach for Meaning

**This is a sequel to Isolation, my previous story. I'd recommend reading that story first before starting this one, but if you'd rather not then at least read chapter 11 of Isolation (Journal of the Defender) as that could be considered the 'official' first chapter of Isolation: Legacy. Enjoy.**

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><p><em>War never changes.<em>

Alexa read and reread those three words on the decrepit monitor, dirt and finger marks muddled the glass but the light glowing from behind made them shine out. She thought about their meaning, but meaning is only given by a mind, and her meaning may be different from the man who wrote them. The man, she had been told, was her father; The Lone Wanderer. It's been almost two decades since The Wanderer walked The Capitol, only his legacy remained. Alexa thought, if you asked any citizen what his legacy was, they'd answer it was The Capitol he helped start, the plants that were allowed to grow, the pure water that flowed through the land and the safety that had not been felt in centuries.

But Alexa thought, and hoped, if The Lone Wanderer was asked this same question, he would say it was her.

Alexa sat at the desk she was told belonged to her father, inside the room that she was told her father slept in, which resided in the house she was told where he lived. Everything she knew about him she had been told. She was told about this story, heard about that adventure, overheard rumours of this or that Godhood. It infuriated her. How could she believe any of it now? Everything happened before she was even born, all her life she lived in the peace he supposedly started, she knew nothing about before.

Alexa reminisced about her childhood, when she wasn't training she was studying. When she wasn't studying she was recovering. When she wasn't recovering she wondered about her family of which she only knew two. Her grandfather, Owyn Lyons, was once The Elder of The Brotherhood of Steel. When Alexa turned five years old, old enough to start training and studying, he stepped down as Elder and passed the title to his daughter, Sarah, Alexa's mother. Officially her grandfather declared that he wanted Sarah to learn how to be an Elder during times of peace, but when she was old enough to know better, Alexa suspected it was so he could teach his granddaughter himself. The old man deserved to be selfish for once.

Alexa learnt everything she needed to learn from her mother and grandfather. When they had nothing left to teach, she studied under others. The Scribes, the Paladins, foot soldiers, merchants that passed through, Alexa was so determined to learn everything she could about the world. Her mother once said she was just like her father in that respect, it was the only thing she told Alexa about her father before yesterday. It was what she revealed that brought Alexa here, to Megaton, to the house where The Lone Wanderer lived.

Alexa was brought back to the present by the glow of the screen fading. She lazily slapped the side of the machine; the screen flickered and then glowed as brightly as before. For what must have been the hundredth time she read that same line.

_War never changes._

She frowned and leant back into her chair. Her hand stroked her chin in a manner that anyone watching would assume was deep thought. But the truth was Alexa's mind was completely blank, she was utterly stumped by the meaning in these words. Her mannerisms were the result for the need to keep up appearances. Soldier or not, she was the child of the Elder and grew up with that burden. She was forced to always look ready, always know what to do and always be willing to do what's necessary. Her mother helped her build this façade, as she told Alexa that she to had to grow up with the burden of important parents.

Alexa was stubborn, so she decided to break this sentence down into parts. She started with the first; war. She thought to herself, what does she know of war? In reality, she knew nothing. She had never killed a human being, never engaged in a battle that the older soldiers spoke of. The biggest thing she ever shot was a feral mole rat, which were now endangered ever since The Wasteland Survival guide was first published. But there was one thing Alexa did know of, she knew much of pain. She's received deep cuts and angry bruises on every part of her body, she broke several fingers when a super sledge landed on her hand at twelve years old and knew what it felt like to be helpless.

But did she really? The thought often plagued her conscience, was she simply overestimating what she had experienced in her short life? Her father, this Lone Wanderer knew of war, so he knew of pain. She was told, again, about how young he was when he first appeared from Vault 101. How must he have felt entering such a dark world from a more sheltered life than she ever experienced? Whatever she felt, whatever she experienced, her father had experienced many times before. Perhaps, she thought, she could find some meaning from his life. His armor was stored under this building, along with every manner of weapon she would ever need. She could do what he did, see what he saw, feel what he felt, live as he lived. This was, after all, why he left it all behind. He knew he couldn't stay forever, but she was here now to take his responsibilities up.

But there was one question that slowed her, one doubt that prevented her from taking up his armor then and there and go gallivanting around The Capitol. Why does she want to do this?

Alexa was shown to this room and to this computer to read what her father left for the world. Everything below this building was left for her, but she needed to see the bigger picture. Her father did so much for everyone in the Wasteland, not just for her. The Lone Wanderer travelled to all corners of the Wasteland and righted wrongs everywhere he went. Why? Were his reasons for justice, for what is right? Or were they more selfish, were they so he could feel like he had a purpose in life. Alexa wondered if perhaps he simply felt a need for adventure, to build the legacy that would be his life.

She would have believed it was the latter before she heard her father speak for the first time. Now, after everything he said, she realised it was never as simple as one answer or another. Alexa looked out the dusty window and saw the sun rising in the distance. She had been up all night looking at this screen, pondering her future. She marvelled at the view and wondered if her father did the same. She stood up from her chair and made her way downstairs, being quiet as to avoid waking up her hosts.

The answer was there was no answer. She didn't need an objective purpose to do anything; neither did her father, because no such thing exists. Life has no inherent meaning except for what we make of it. Meaning is a human construction; meaning is whatever she chooses it to be. Here and now she realised the greatest gift her father left her, it wasn't the guns or the armor or even his message. His gift was for her to be free to do what she chooses, to go out and make meaning in life, not find it.

That was why she wanted this. That is why she descended the stairs, walked through the underground passage and emerged once more into the armory. She looked at the armor he once wore and realised it represented a chance to make the most of this life, to do something in her short, insignificant blip of an existence. And maybe, hopefully, she could do what her father did and give others that chance. To give the world a choice and in that choice make, not find, meaning.

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><p><strong>AN: Hey everyone, back again to deliver my next fan fiction after spending a few months brainstorming (and studying for university of course) and I can promise I've got some big things planned for this story. This chapter is rather short I admit, but my next ones will be about the same length as the chapters from Isolation. I hope my regular readers enjoy this story as much as I will writing it, as always any comments or criticisms are appreciated and if you have any questions feel free to PM me. Thank you for reading. **


	2. The Wanderer Returns

The morning of April 22nd, 2297, was one that would be remembered in The Capitol as both the beginning and end of a legend. It began as any other morning in Megaton, the Brahmin caretakers got up early to clean and feed their cattle, the shop keepers opened their doors and went through their usual routines. Once the town was comfortably awake, going about its business, did it appear.

The door opened to one of the oldest houses in Megaton, one of the Brahmin caretakers looked up from his milking and was stunned, his hand still clasped tight onto the udder, causing painful mooing from the two-headed animal. The figure was gigantic, not tall but wide. And its presence filled the air, like everything around it was now focused on it. It was covered in what the caretaker knew as Brotherhood armor, but it wasn't the same kind. He had seen pictures of this armor before and knew of only one person who has ever worn it.

The giant turned to him and on its chest he saw a hand print, white with red finger tips. He had never seen this print himself but had heard rumours of who it belonged to. He suddenly stood up from his stool and backed away, eye wide open and hands in front. He wasn't afraid, least he didn't think he was. He just never thought in his life he would see the return. The church singed of it, the old Megaton residents whispered of it, he scoffed at it. But here before him, standing in shining metal and a piercing gaze, was The Lone Wanderer.

The man sprinted away, and so the metal giant walked down towards the centre of town. With every step there were the sounds of more gasps; utter silence filled the streets that the giant walked through. On its back was the distinct shape of a super sledge, and crossed with it was the long barrel of a sniper rifle. People followed the giant on its path towards the centre of town, all of them trying to get a better look. The metal it wore shined magnificently, and it walked with such power and purpose no one was willing to say a word. But no word needed to be said, as every one of these citizens knew this armor and this giant.

The giant reached the deactivated bomb of Megaton, the old Church of Atom speakers prayed around the bomb but the sudden crowd drew their attention. When they turned around and saw the giant figure of the Lone Wanderer, they didn't move. No one was sure of what was going on, The Lone Wanderer, gone for almost twenty years just shows up out of nowhere? As the figure stood in place and stared at the bomb, the citizens started to whisper if perhaps those crazy new church people were right. Some of the crowd slipped away and ran to one of the newest houses along the surrounding wall, banging on the door and screaming it's happened, it's happened.

Alexa meanwhile was doing her best not to die of laughter. All she had to do was wear this old armor, walk through town and suddenly it's like nothing else exists. She kept herself controlled, but under her stern helmet was her wide grin and the subtle choking of her suppressing her own laughter. She thought to herself if shocking the masses was this easy how will they react to what she does next?

Alexa lifted her arm up, long used to the burdens of power armor, and extracted from her back the super sledge she carried with her. The crowd gasped but then remained silent. Alexa grasped the sledge in both hands and pointed it at the large bomb in the middle of town. She then swiftly lifted it over her hand and before anyone could react, she brought the sledge back down and slammed it into the bomb. The long, low tone of metal impacting metal rang out to the whole town. The crowd shivered and the giant stood in place, the impact had created a wide, deep dent in the bomb that to the Church of Atom was a direct insult to their beliefs. But terrified, the speakers for the church said nothing.

Alexa pulled her sledge out of the bomb and smiled to herself. She then turned, which immediately caused the people behind her to part, and she walked through the crowd, turning heads the whole way. The closest to the bomb looked at the disfiguring dent and saw it as a direct attack on the Church of Atom.

One of the citizens screamed out, "The Lone Wanderer has returned and is displeased with the worship of Atom! Turn away from these false prophets and accept the truth! The Wanderer has returned and will lead us to paradise!" Alexa didn't react to this outburst; she simply kept walking back to the house. Some citizens followed her as she walked, and just as she was about to enter the house, she turned around and looked at her followers. Their faces showed determination, for what she didn't know. Alexa didn't care, she just wanted the whole Capitol to know she was here, the NCR, The Brotherhood of Steel, everyone will know what happened and know the legacy of her father was back.

She slowly walked through the door and closed it in the faces of her followers. She quickly locked it, took off her unique helmet and muttered to herself, "Not a bad start."

The crowd around the bomb was now in an uproar, the Church of Atom followers were groaning in anguish at the defilement of their shrine, and those who weren't mourning were arguing with men and women in vault 101 jumpsuits. Rushing towards the scene was the Brahmin caretaker that first saw The Wanderer and an older man named Cameron. He also wore a jumpsuit that had the metal shoulder guard of a vault overseer, he looked around the crowd, and then he turned to the caretaker and screamed, "Where is he? Where did he go?"

Over the noise of the crowd the caretaker yelled, "I don't know! He was just here; maybe he's gone back to his house."

Cameron pushed the man aside and ran towards the old house of The Wanderer, sliding to a halt in front of it he turned the handle to feel that it's locked.

_No! Not now! Not after so long, I'm so close to seeing him again…_

Cameron stopped and then composed himself. He told himself to be patient; he'll introduce himself once he's had time to think things through. The return of The Lone Wanderer was something he, his friends and his Church have been predicting for over a decade, ever since he saw The Wanderer disappear in that beam of light, he knew some day he would return. Whatever happens now, he can't screw it up.

That night, when the sounds of arguing in the town had finally died down, Alexa was lying on the couch with her feet up. Lucas hadn't been in all day, no doubt trying to calm everyone down. Alexa chuckled to herself. Her father's armor was back in the armory under the house and Alexa was wearing simple traveller's clothes. Eventually after some time of her looking up at the ceiling contemplating her future, the lock to the door was opened and the door swung in to reveal Lucas and his son Harden.

"Now just what the _hell_ was that about?" Lucas asked before he even entered the building. "The town's in chaos! The churches are on the verge of fighting it out because they think _The Lone Wanderer_ is _displeased_ or some crap." The father and son stood over Alexa now, still smiling to herself.

"Do you have any idea what you've done?" Harden asked. "It was hard enough keeping them apart without you smashing up atomic bombs!"

"The bomb is inactive, there was no danger." Alexa smugly answered.

"It's not the bomb I'm worried about," Lucas said. "I know your father left all that stuff for you down there and I'll honour that, but you have to prove to me you'd be able to use it responsibly. Because after today I have serious doubts."

Alexa just kept smiling at them, clear amusement in her eyes. Lucas tried to meet her gaze but those eyes kept bringing up old memories. Eventually, he felt himself calm down. He walked to his desk and collapsed into his chair. He shook his head and whispered, "What am I going to do with you?"

Alexa sat up on the couch and said, "You can let me do what my father did."

"As far as I remember your father never tried to start a riot for a giggle."

Alexa frowned at the response and looked up at Harden, he had his eyes closed and was shaking his head in disappointment. She had had enough of this.

"Will you stop treating me like a disobedient child? Despite what you think I actually know what I'm doing."

"Oh?" Harden said. "Can you please enlighten us then?"

"Well think about it. How else was I going to get everyone's attention? If I'm going to make a difference people have to know who I am and that I'm here. This way, news will travel much faster to the entire Capitol."

"Everyone thinks you're Perry! I'm pretty sure news of that would travel fine on its own, you idiot!"

Alexa leapt off the couch and stood face to face with Harden. "Watch yourself!"

"Enough!" Lucas shouted out. They both turned to the old man who was clearly getting too tired for this. "Alexa, I understand your intention but Harden's right, what you did is only going to cause trouble that you supposedly want to fix. If you want to make a difference, then please, go to the Church of the Wanderer and explain that you're not actually Perry before my town tears itself apart."

Alexa didn't say a word, but slowly her frown softened and she sighed. Trying to keep her head high, she walked towards the door leading down into the armory in order to clad herself in her father's armor once more.

"Hold on." Lucas said after her. Alexa stopped just before the door. "There's something I want to say before you go." Alexa turned around and looked at Lucas, his tired eyes watching her. "I knew your father when he first showed up here, and let me tell you he didn't start off with everything you have. He had to work for his reputation and for his skills."

Alexa folded her arms but still remained silent. Lucas continued, "You on the other hand have been given it all, so I know you might not know how to deal with this. But you have to understand, he didn't just give you his weapons, armor and home. The most important thing he gave you was his reputation, no matter what choice you make, you will be able to make it only because of that." Lucas sighed and made his way to the stairs. "Please, don't destroy his reputation just to get your own way. Make the most of it, yes, but don't ruin it to do so." Lucas ascended the stairs and out of sight.

Alexa looked down at the ground and then at Harden. "Go on," he said. "Get dressed so I can take you out on the town. You can't go to Church in that."

She smiled and responded, "I'll need another twenty minutes to get ready. The hair always gives me trouble."

Harden chuckled and then walked outside to wait for her.

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><p>Cameron, Mylair and Brant, each wearing their vault overseer jumpsuits, sat together at the private church head table to discuss the implications of the day.<p>

"Is there any way we can get an audience with Him?" Brant asked.

"I've tried convincing Lucas to let me see Him but he adamantly refused," responded Mylair. "Lucas is hiding something from us."

"It's like Amata all over again," Brant sighed.

"This can't be a coincidence," Cameron pointed out. "Amata gets her hands on something relating to the super mutant purge almost twenty years ago, exactly when The Lone Wanderer left. And now that she has it, suddenly he's back!"

Mylair leaned closer and whispered, "Do you think it has something to do with the alien artifact?"

"Can't be," Brant said. "According to the eye witnesses, the device has a Brotherhood of Steel logo stamped onto it and looks like any other metal canister. But the timing is pretty damn odd."

The three sat in silence, avoiding each others gaze. Their God has returned and they can't even see him.

Suddenly there was a rapid knocking at the door. Cameron shouted they can enter and one of their younger followers was standing there, panting and even sweating.

"You're not going to believe it; The Lone Wanderer is coming here with Harden!" The three leaders were stunned only for a moment before they leapt out of their chairs and scrambled to tidy up bits of the building, straighten the pews and place a brand new copy of The Wasteland Survival Guide in plain sight. The other followers were told to dust themselves off and look presentable.

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><p>Alexa and Harden walked through the dark town in silence. From some of the windows her audio could pick up whispers and towards the centre of town she could hear mournful wailing.<p>

_I guess they really loved that bomb. _

Alexa felt some guilt over what she did. She had no idea the Church of Atom was so devoted, nor did she predict her actions would affect them so much. Lucas was right, her father's reputation was hers now, which meant any action she does will have much more dire consequences if she doesn't think them through. But this made her wonder just how long she plans to be The Lone Wanderer. It wasn't what she wanted or even what she planned. She wanted to be her own woman, The Lone Defender. Build up her own story just like her father did. She'll do it… eventually.

Harden and Alexa finally reached the Church of the Wanderer, one of the newer houses. Harden gave her a pat on the shoulder pad and then walked back where he came from. Alexa sighed under her helmet, extended an armoured hand to knock on the door, but before she could even knock once the door was swung wide open in front of her.

Standing in the doorway was a shorter, slightly chubbier older woman with dark hair. "Welcome my Lord, it's good to see you after so many years." Alexa kept herself from asking how this woman knows her father and simply nodded. "Please come in, welcome to your Church."

Alexa entered the building and was greeted by the sight of rows of pews, each fully seated with rows of people dressed in what she recognized as vault jumpsuits. On their backs was the number 101, the vault number that the Lone Wanderer was raised in. No doubt they wear the jumpsuits to honour him, Alexa thought to herself.

The woman began slowly walking towards the podium at the far end. "My name is Mylair; I'm one of the overseers of the church. The others, Cameron, Brant and myself were there to witness your ascendance and so started this church to await your return. You have no idea how excited we are that our wait is over!"

_You're going to have to wait a bit longer I'm afraid…_

Alexa now stood in front of the pews of followers and before the podium at the head. Two men then walked out of a door along the wall, also wearing the vault overseer jumpsuits. Alexa guessed these were Cameron and Brant.

"Welcome, welcome!" The taller one said. "Oh such a day this is! Are there even any words to describe it?" The overseer stood in front of Alexa and looked into her menacing helmet. He knew, somewhere behind those glass eyes were the eyes of his God. He had to see them. "But where are my manners? My name is Cameron, my good friend here is Brant, and this is your Church!"

Mylair coughed and whispered, "I already did the introductions." Cameron quickly shushed her and then beamed his smile back to Alexa.

She decided to say something before any of this went further. "Cameron," she spoke. The entire crowd breathed in at the sound, but among their faces was confusion, most of all for Cameron who was especially puzzled. His Lord's voice was more… feminine than he imagined. "I need to put an end to this." Alexa undid the tubing connecting her helmet, and slowly pulled it off. Short, dirty blonde hair fell from the helmet and revealed her slightly scarred, but undeniably female face to all. Absolute silence filled the building.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not The Lone Wanderer."

Cameron stared at the young woman before him, wearing the armor he often dreamed of seeing, on the day he truly believed was the end of their wait. But no, it was all a lie. His face contorted in anger and humiliation and he turned away from her.

"Get her out of here!" He screamed. Rows of people stood up and grabbed onto the imposter and started pulling her towards the exit.

"Wait! Get off me you little… I'm his daughter!" Alexa screamed over the crowd. Cameron froze in place, trying to figure out if he heard correctly.

"Stop! Hold her." The followers stopped pulling Alexa and simply held her in place, plenty of them imagined that, Lone Wanderer or not, this highly armored individual could push them all off easily.

"Who are you?" He asked her coldly, all warmth from his introduction was gone.

"My name is Alexa Lyons, daughter of Elder Sarah Lyons, and Perry Neeson, The Lone Wanderer."

Cameron looked at her, trying to gauge her honesty. "Sarah Lyons? Of the Brotherhood of Steel?"

"The very same," she responded.

He ran through his memory and recalled the rumours of Sarah and The Lone Wanderer's theoretical marriage, if they were true it's possible they conceived a child together.

"Let her go," he ordered. The several pairs of hands holding Alexa in place released and she looked at Cameron again, meeting his stern gaze. "What do you want?"

Alexa placed a hand on her metal chest and said "I've come to apologise for my behaviour this morning, the suit got to my head."

Cameron took a deep breathe and signalled for Alexa to follow her. Together they walked to the overseer's chamber, Mylair and Brant followed behind. Locking the door after them, the three turned to her.

Cameron spoke first. "Do you have any idea what you've done? It was hard enough trying to enlighten those Atom fools without a complete stranger smashing their precious nuke." Cameron covered his face with his hand and walked towards the table. "If it was the Lone Wanderer it would have been a sign, but no, just his hot-headed offspring."

"I'm sorry," Alexa said sheepishly. She was getting tired of everyone asking if she knew what she'd done. Of course she bloody well knew.

Alexa turned to the other two, the male one, Brant, was looking at the ground with his hand on his chin, like he was thinking of something. "Cameron," he said, "This may actually be a sign, or at least a chance."

Cameron looked back at the man and asked, "And what might that be?"

"Well, I was just thinking about Amata. Maybe…"

Mylair's face lit up and she interrupted, "We could ask this one for help!"

Alexa scoffed and said, "If you're not going to use my name at least use my title. I am the Lone Defender."

The three looked at her and Cameron asked bluntly, "Of what?"

Alexa blinked. "Of what, what?"

"What are you defending?"

Alexa's mouth opened but she stopped before she could say anything. The thought hadn't actually occurred to her. What _was_ she defending? She spluttered, "Err… I'm – um… defending the Capitol."

"From what?" Cameron asked with a raised eyebrow.

"From…. Umm… The NCR… and," Alexa was about to say _evil_ but the sheer embarrassment of the idea made her voice box shut tight. The three overseers looked at Alexa with incredulous looks.

"You didn't think this through did you?" Mylair asked unimpressed.

Alexa's cheeks began to heat up and she hoped that they couldn't see her red face in the dim light. The three overseers looked at each other but their expressions told them they didn't have anything to lose.

"Okay. _Lone Defender,_" Cameron said sarcastically, "There's something we'd like to ask of you, we're looking for information on your father in the hopes of understanding his life, and maybe figure out when he'll return."

The serious topic allowed Alexa to redirect focus from her embarrassment and she straightened up. "Right, and what does this have to do with me and this Amata?"

"I'm not sure how much of your father's life you knew about, but he grew up in a vault. Specifically, vault 101." Cameron sat down at the table and tapped it with his finger. "His life long friend, the now current overseer of the vault, Amata, would know everything about his life from his birth to when he first left almost twenty years ago."

"Basically," Mylair continued, "We want to ask her some questions and examine his home. But she refuses to even let us enter. We're hoping, if you'd be willing of course, there's no pressure honestly, if you could possibly go in and see if you'll have more luck than us. Being his daughter might give you the privilege."

Alexa looked from Mylair to Brant to Cameron and asked, "And why should I do this exactly?"

"It'd give you a chance to find out about your father," Brant responded. "Buuuut, if that doesn't intrigue you, this might. We've heard rumours that Amata is in possession of some Brotherhood of Steel technology. We have no friggin' idea what she wants with it, but I'm sure your Brotherhood buddies would appreciate you checking it out."

Alexa frowned and looked out the window, her first day as The Lone Defender hadn't gone as well as she hoped. If anything it was a bit of an embarrassment. She needed some guidance, and who better to seek that from than her father? She couldn't ask him obviously, but maybe slipping into his old shoes, the shoes he wore growing up in vault 101 could help give her some perspective. If she's going to carry on his legacy, the best way to start is at the beginning.

She looked back at their waiting expressions, nodded and said, "You can count on me."

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><p><strong>AN: I'm sure the length of this chapter should help make up for the shortness of the last one. I'll admit dialogue was my weakest point in my last story, I'm putting more effort into it this time. Hope you all enjoyed the chapter, and a personal thank you to Mhungo who has been a big help in sorting out some details of upcoming plot points. Got some big events planned and I want to make this my best story yet. Comments and criticisms appreciated, thanks for reading.**


	3. Workings Of The Church

Alexa woke from her troubled sleep; she was lying on her side with her hand beneath her cheek, one leg straight while the other was bent. She would often wake up in unusual positions, she couldn't help but wonder just how much she tosses and turns while she dreams. More than once Alexa had found herself waking up to her lying on her back with one knee up and the other leg crossed over it. As far as she knew it didn't mean anything, but the same can be said for a lot in life.

Alexa yawned and sat up; her mind slowly started to piece together the events of the night and her plans for the day. After the church Overseers suggested their plan to her, they recommended she get a night's sleep and return in the morning for breakfast and briefing on her visit to Amata. She went through her usual morning routine which consisted of the bathroom, and a quick wash of her face and hair, though no matter what she tried her untidy strands wouldn't cooperate. The morning echoes was comforting to her, she could hear small hums of activity outside the walls but the muffled noise may as well as not been there. To her, the noise was more forgettable than pure silence.

Dressing herself in the simple traveller's clothes that Lucas and Harden gave to her, Alexa walked outside into Megaton and made her way to the church. It was odd walking through town and not standing out, the last couple of times she was walking through in her Brotherhood Power Armor, now lying forgotten in her father's armory, or striding through town pretending to be the Lone Wanderer. It all seemed so odd to Alexa, to put such emphasis and meaning into a suit of metal could have only been achieved through decades of myth and legend.

It then struck Alexa how different she felt now compared to last night. She was calm, contemplative, yet almost felt like she was in a hazy dream. But last night? She couldn't remember a time she had felt so wild, so full of herself and her own perceived importance. How she acted yesterday was so different to her usual behaviour that it felt like she was looking at a completely different person.

What the hell happened to her?

Crowds of people strolled through the small town, but the groups never paid her any mind. The occasional male would look her up and down as she passed but as she turned to look back she could already see them doing the same to other women. She was being completely ignored, and that's when it occurred to her. All that attention when she wore her father's armor, it…. did something to her. The simple fact that everything she was going to do was being watched and admired by all got to her head, made her into something she thought she would never be. Is that all it takes? It frightened Alexa to think just how easily she could become a completely different person.

The closer she got to the church the more she pondered about the influence of crowds, Alexa wondered if it was the same for her mother. It's been days since she's seen her, not the longest time they've been apart, but unlike the previous times she doesn't know when she'll see her again. She'll be sure to report back to the Citadel once this potential visit to Amata is finished. Alexa wondered just how much she's heard in the short time she's been away; her mother did always keep her ear to the ground.

At last she reached the church; she stepped through the door and was greeted to the sight of several men and women in vault jumpsuits arguing towards the front of the building. Several other members sat in the pews, listening intently.

"The idea of The Lone Wanderer willingly becoming a vampire is absurd!" One of the men from the left side shouted towards the right. "Good natured or not, the vampire's consumption of blood is an almost cannibalistic practice that The Lone Wanderer's virtuous purity would never allow."

"For the last time, it's not cannibalism," a young woman from the right shouted towards the previous speaker. "It was thanks to The Lone Wanderer that the blood treaty of Arefu and The Family was signed, the only way The Family would willingly allow such a negotiation was if they trusted him with their practices."

"That does not mean he actually took part in those practices!"

Alexa was momentarily shocked by the debate raging on in front of her. She knew about the blood treaty of Arefu but had no idea that her father took part in its formation. Although, after a moments consideration she realised she wasn't _that_ surprised. It was the vampire accusations that interested her the most. Did her father drink blood? The idea made her slightly nauseous, if she was taking part in that debate she'd be on the negative's side. She was going to listen to more of the debate but the three Overseers had suddenly appeared next to her.

"Good morning Lone Defender, did you get a good nights rest?" Mylair politely asked.

"Yes, I did. Thank you for inviting me to breakfast." Alexa was trying her best to be as humble and polite as she should have been the previous day.

"Alright, alright. Let's get a move on before the Mirelurk eggs spoil," Cameron interrupted, clearly not in the best of moods. He moved past Alexa and back towards the Overseers meeting room.

Brant leaned towards Alexa and muttered, "Don't mind him. He had to apologise to the Church of Atom this morning, once he's had breakfast he'll be in a better mood, you'll see."

Alexa smiled and nodded in response. Following behind the Overseers she began to feel a deep appreciation towards them. Despite the embarrassments she caused for them, they were still willing to welcome her back and provide food for her. A sneaking suspicion crept into her mind, were they as kind as they appeared? Alexa had no idea, but so far they've been completely honest with her, she'll have to see what happens.

Entering the Overseers room, Alexa saw four plates of food already set up, steam still rising from the scrambled eggs and glasses of Aqua Pura for drinks. The Overseers and Alexa sat down; she waited for a moment before picking up her fork just in case the Church had some meal time prayer. To her surprise they did no such thing and immediately began to eat when they were seated. Mentally shrugging, she began to eat herself.

The noise felt painfully awkward to Alexa. The Overseers never spoke a word while they ate. Alexa was used to the soldiers in the Brotherhood using meals as a chance to swap stories and joke around. The only sounds were the scratches of metal on the plates and the squishing of food being chewed. It felt awfully impersonal. But while she chewed the surprisingly delicious eggs, if a bit too salty, she wondered about the customs of their church. If that was such a heated argument from earlier, why did the Overseers simply walk by like they didn't even notice? Wouldn't they want to defuse any conflicts? For that matter, she had heard so many conflicting stories about what exactly this church believes, was any of what she heard right?

Alexa rapidly finished off the rest of her eggs and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, if the Overseers cared about her etiquette they didn't show it. She wanted to break the silence and clear some details up, so she said the first thing that entered her head.

"How much blood can a human safely drink?"

The sudden silence was enough to make Alexa think she could have planned her words better.

"Excuse me?" Cameron asked with an incredulous look.

"Umm… I was just listening to that debate going on when I walked in, about my father being a vampire. I just…. wondered…" Alexa trailed off into sheepish silence. All three of the Overseers looked at Alexa, then to each other. Mylair gave Cameron a face that said 'give her a chance'; rolling his eyes, Cameron cleared his throat and answered.

"Truth be told, drinking any amount of blood could be extremely harmful. Various diseases can be transferred that way. But assuming the blood is clean; I suppose… about two cups of blood before you get sick." Cameron nodded to himself, sure of his estimate.

Alexa looked up from her empty plate. "I imagine the vampires at Arefu drink more than that." She didn't know if she was trying to make a point or was trying to lead the conversation somewhere.

"Yup, they do," answered Brant. "We've tried warning them several times of the dangers. They'd always scoff at us though, told us their bodies could handle it. Try telling that to the several members of their Family who have died from ingested diseases."

Alexa was briefly taken aback at the familiarity he spoke with. "You've met them?"

Brant nodded. "It was part of my Wandering pilgrimage. I made it my mission to visit Arefu and assist the town and their vampire protectors in any way I can. It was there I learnt about The Wanderer's involvement with them."

"Excuse me, 'Wandering pilgrimage'?"

"It's our Rite of Passage," Mylair answered for him. "We follow in The Wanderer's footsteps and travel the Capitol, doing our best to aid whoever we find." Mylair chuckled to herself. "Kind of like what you want to do, eh Alexa?"

Alexa was intrigued. So they don't just worship her father and start fights with the other church. "Can I ask why you do this?"

"To honour the Lone Wanderer," Brant answered. "Your father did a great many things, he wouldn't have done them if he didn't want to set an example. So that's what we're doing, setting an example for the entire world to follow. Each of our members commits to different goals. Some want to aid thriving communities…"

"Some want to learn and teach, believing knowledge is the key to rebuilding a new world," Mylair said.

"And some," Cameron said. "Some just want to learn about The Wanderer himself. About his life and his motives, and hopefully discover when he'll return."

Alexa was impressed. "Is that what those arguing people were doing?"

Cameron finished his meal and placed his knife and fork onto his plate. He brought his elbows up onto the table and cupped his hands. "We encourage debate and the exchange of theories. Every member who has undergone at least one pilgrimage may take the podium and argue what he or she believes."

"But don't you believe my father was a god?" Alexa asked.

"The term 'god' is… a loose description. We don't believe The Wanderer was a deity, least not an all-knowing, all-powerful kind. When we described the Wanderer's ascension in the early days of our church, numerous members starting throwing the word 'god' around… it stuck."

Alexa knew this part. "This is where the aliens come in right?"

Cameron wasn't sure if that was a subtle insult or a genuine question, he decided to assume it was the latter. "Yes, the three of us witnessed The Lone Wanderer being consumed by light and rising up towards space. When we first saw this, we didn't know what to make of it. But soon afterwards, we made it our pilgrimage to find the same site." Cameron paused. "We found an artefact; it was a large cylinder with flashing lights and strange design."

Mylair interrupted, she seems to do that a lot. "We took the artefact and studied it, it seems silly but the only explanation is that it is alien technology. We were arguing what it was, when through our arguments we realised the truth. That Perry had been chosen by intelligence beyond our own, that he was worthy enough to be rescued from this dead planet by superior beings and became, what we already described, something more than human, that we simply describe as a god."

_Well that explains that._

Alexa was glad to finally get some insight into these people. They seemed strange and even aggressive at first, but that was only due to their passion and her… less than ideal behaviour. She nodded in understanding.

"I see."

In truth, she didn't believe a word of it. Aliens? Really? She'll study everything they know about her father's life but anything to do with this 'ascendance' and 'aliens' she'll just ignore, without insulting them of course.

"Thank you for sharing all this with me, I'll be sure to return the favour and find out what I can from this Amata."

"You're welcome, dear," Mylair said kindly.

Once the plates had been cleared away they sat back down at the table and discussed the workings of 101. Alexa already knew about the small town that was built outside the vault, but according to the Overseers the majority of its citizens lived inside the vault itself.

"Old habits die hard, right?" Brant joked.

The community of 101, the small town outside consist of traders, couriers and shelters for travellers. Cameron admitted that they purchased their vault suits directly from 101 both in respect to her father and in the hopes that their business would improve Amata's relationship with them.

"She's not fond of us, or the Brotherhood of Steel for that matter," Cameron said with an annoyed voice.

Alexa was confused by this. "But why? The Brotherhood and your church have done so much good."

"You have to understand, Alexa," Mylair said while patting her on the shoulder. "Amata was your father's oldest friend. She had to exile him herself when she became overseer of the vault, our church probably brings up a lot of sour memories."

Alexa nodded. "And the Brotherhood?"

Mylair shrugged. "Do they have something against your dress code?"

"Truth is," Brant spoke, "Is that we don't know why. But whatever this Brotherhood tech is could be of interest to you."

"You mentioned that, what kind of tech are we talking about? Guns? Power Armor?"

The Overseers looked at each other. Brant finally said "A canister."

Alexa raised an eyebrow. "Why would a canister be important?"

"That's what we want you to find out. Along with anything else she might reveal, like any photographs, hobbies or journals your father may have kept."

Alexa pondered all the information they had given her. Eventually, she nodded and said, "Okay, I think I have everything. Thank you for all your help; it's time I headed off to one-oh-one."

"Shouldn't take you too long, it's literally right next to Megaton," Mylair chirped in.

Alexa stood up from her chair; she shook hands with each of the Overseers and thanked them by name. "I won't let you down." For the first time that morning, Cameron smiled at the young woman.

"I know," he said softly.

Brant leaned towards Alexa and whispered, "That's the most you'll get out of him, I'd suggest you take it."

Alexa chuckled then made her way to the door. She gave the Overseers a final nod then left. As she walked back towards the house to put on her father's armor, Alexa felt strangely cheerful. Even though all she had done this day so far was talk and plan, she still felt like she accomplished something. There was no thanks involved, least not to her, but there will be.

She felt more thankful of what she had now, of the chances she's been given and the guidance she is offered. She had not been in Megaton long but already there have been so many people that are eagerly waiting to see what she will do. She made a mental promise to herself not to let them down. She may even join the Church of the Wanderer at some point. Despite their difference of belief they are decent people who all strive to do one thing; make this world a better place like her father wanted. Isn't that exactly what she wants to?

There was a sense of potential she never felt before, potential of the future, potential for her as a person, potential in the people she has met. It made her excited, and she couldn't wait to see what would happen.

While Alexa held her head high, walking through Megaton as an anonymous traveller, she passed a man wearing a sheriff's hat, a duster coat and who possessed a large black moustache above his lips sitting by himself with a guitar in his hands. He played slow, singular notes which Alexa ignored completely; she never even gave him a second thought.

The man waited for Alexa to pass and then watched her walk through town.

_Didn't take long to find her after all. Good thing I happened to be in Megaton when I heard the news. Sorry pops, you abandoned me, I'm not going to let the same thing happen to Perry's daughter. You were the one that took him away from her, so it's only fair that I spit on your work. Hope you'll be able to see what comes next, you son of a bitch._

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Seems Alexa already has a fan, with a bit of thought you should be able to figure out who he is. Stay tuned, the story is just getting started. Comments and criticisms appreciated, thanks for reading.**


	4. Into The Vault

_Bears are really strange animals._

Yew sat on her knees, the moisture from the dirt was seeping into the material of her robes. She was holding her old bear charm up to her face, the band wrapped around her palm and the lifeless creature swaying in the cool breeze.

_There's not much to bears. They're big, they're fuzzy, and they have claws and teeth. But nothing very special, like a tail with spikes on the end, or maybe a mohawk. That would make them more interesting. _

Her hand dropped to her knee and she refocused on her surroundings. Patches of green grass weren't rare this far south of the Oasis, but they certainly weren't common. Earlier that day she managed to find a particularly soft patch near a tree in its early growth; it was just as high as she was on her knees. Seeing this, she pulled out the thin planks of wood she carried with her on her check-ups, stuck the plank upwards into the dirt next to the tree and tied them together with cloth. Yew's mission was to ensure every tree she found growing would become strong; she loved her work.

While she was tying the dead wood and the growing wood together, a band of armored men walked past her, they didn't stop to talk to her but she did notice some glances. They wore light brown colors and, to Yew's surprise, had pictures of two-headed bears on their shoulders. Once they had walked on, Yew pulled out her charm necklace, the one she had given to Perry so long ago, and compared the creatures.

_But then, I suppose having two heads makes bears more interesting. Those men have the right idea._

She examined the growing tree again, the small leaves were swaying in the breeze, the gaps between them constantly shifting, disappearing and reappearing all by themselves. She loved watching this motion, it helped her relax and think of home. But she needed to make sure this new member of the Capitol's tree population was secure, safe and ready to grow.

Yew leaned close to the leaves and whispered, "Harold… Harold?"

Sitting perfectly still she waited. The minutes ticked by, but still Yew sat in silence, the shuffling of the leaves and the breeze being the only noise to fill the silence. Then slowly, so slowly that any other person would have missed it, a single leaf from the branch she spoke into lifted itself up and stood perfectly still. Harold was paying attention.

"Is this tight enough?" She spoke so casually anyone else would have assumed she was talking to a friend, not a plant.

The single leaf slowly moved itself and pointed its tip to the top most cloth that she had wrapped around the plant and plank. Looking closer, she realised the cloth was already tearing itself from the effort, given a few days it would have snapped completely, causing the top of the growing tree to fall sideways. She immediately removed the weak cloth and wrapped a thicker piece of fabric in its place.

"Is that okay?"

In response, the leaf pointed itself upwards again. Yew smiled and said, "Thanks Harold, tell mum I'm going to Tenpenny Tower first to look for the replacement, I'll head home straight after." The tip of the leaf tipped down and back up, in what anyone else would say looked like a person bowing. To Yew, this was Harold's way of saying he understood. She picked herself up from the ground and slung her bag onto her back. She was certainly impressed by the amount of control Harold had shown over the plants in recent years. While he obviously couldn't talk through the plants, his connection to every plant he had ever grown allowed him ways to communicate with the Treeminders while they fulfilled their check-ups.

Yew performed one last, quick check-up of her work and then set off West towards the tower in the distance. So far, finding a replacement for Harold's lava lamp has been fruitless. But Yew was nothing if optimistic. She knew with her charm necklace, her luck will turn around. It helped Perry, it could certainly help her.

* * *

><p>Alexa strolled through the crowded market stalls, her ears were assaulted with the sound of people yelling about some new food they were selling or whatever type of gadget they found. The crowds annoyed Alexa, she was starting to wonder if it would have been best to be in her father's armour, the crowd would have given her a wide berth then. But considering the reaction she got in Megaton she decided it might be best to be anonymous, at least until she got to the vault. The constant dodging of people was distracting Alexa from her initial goal.<p>

Find the vault, find Amata, and find out whatever she can about her father and this container.

The outside town of 101 was built out from the vault entrance into what was once a ruined little suburb. According to what the Church told her, the people of Vault 101 decided to connect with the Capitol at large without completely leaving their underground sanctuary. This town they named 101 was the result, using the basic frameworks of the ruined homes they made shops and hotels from materials they bought from Megaton. After Megaton's expansion they had numerous building materials left over to sell. Everything still looked like shit, but then what did she expect?

Alexa kept a rucksack on her back, inside was some caps, food and water, a handgun, and a written letter from Mayor Lucas Simms explaining who she is and why she was there. Ever since a Wastelander was invited into the vault itself and killed several people, Amata made it a rule that no outsider is allowed in the vault without some sort of authorisation. Amata wasn't completely unreasonable, but Alexa wouldn't be surprised if she was starting to get paranoid about the outside.

Alexa made her way to the very back of the small market town and saw two armed guards stationed at the base of a hill that lead up to metal door placed into the stone, which itself had more armed guards. Taking the very obvious clue that this was the vault entrance, she approached the first pair of guards. They both looked her up and down and asked, "Name?"

"Alexa Lyons," she responded formally.

There was a short pause before he said, "Lyons eh? On Brotherhood business?"

Alexa shook her head, "No, this is strictly personal. If you'll allow it, I wish to speak with your Overseer."

The guard squinted one eye and studied Alexa. With a sceptical voice he said, "I see. Do you have any sort of proof?"

Alexa pulled out the letter written by Lucas and handed it to him. He read the typical notice giving her permission to enter the vault and the signature at the end verifying it. But this was still the Brotherhood of Steel knocking on the door; he'd have to warn the Overseer.

"Wait right here." The guard left his post and entered the metal door up the hill, leaving Alexa and the other guard alone. A few minutes passed and Alexa simply listened to the sounds of the crowd, trying her best to pick out any singular words or sentences. She never could, there was simply too much noise. Alexa finally sank down into the dirt, rolled her rucksack off her shoulders and simply laid back into it. The other guard looked down at her and was surprised by her casual nature. She just seemed so… bored.

For someone who is supposedly the child of Sarah Lyons and a member of the Brotherhood of Steel, it was not what he was expecting.

"You don't seem to be taking this very seriously," he stated, not sure if he was judging her or simply stating a fact. The girl looked up at him and for the first time he properly studied her eyes, they were absolutely gorgeous, but there was certainly a look of dullness to them. Not physically, but emotionally.

"Bored? Maybe. Tired? Definitely. It's been an… eventful few days. I guess I'm just a bit drained from the whole experience."

Curious, the guard asked, "What experience?"

"I found out who my dad was."

"That must have been a shocker."

"More like a lightning bolt to the head. It's only been a few days and already this whole thing is wearing me out. I'm not used to this pressure."

The guard raised an eyebrow, "Finding out who your father was is putting you under pressure?"

Alexa threw her head back and laughed. "It would if your father was mine… you're quite talkative for a guard you know that?"

He shrugged. "I'm just a volunteer; I get bored standing here all day, not to mention my knees are freakin' killing me."

"I'd hate to think what terrible things that'd do for your back."

"You have no idea. A while ago I found an old poster for some mattress they had in the old world that massages your back while you slept. If someone found a still working one of those for me I would get on my knees and pleasure them on the spot."

Alexa chuckled. "Well sorry, if I find one I'm keeping it."

The guard smirked, "Bitch."

Alexa smiled up at him, "Cocksucker."

The guard laughed and muttered, "Touché."

A silence fell between the two of them; something Alexa always noticed whenever these sorts of humorous exchanges took place. It's at this point she's supposed to raise a new topic since they ran out of things to say about what they were just talking about. It almost annoyed her how even talking with someone is supposed to have some sort of predictable flow to it, but she couldn't ever find a way out of it.

Considering they mentioned boredom earlier, she brought that back up. "So, you get bored working as a guard? The post apocalypse not as exciting and dangerous as you hoped?"

The guard raised an eyebrow again, "I've never heard someone talk like that before."

"I usually don't, I'm just in a weird mood I guess."

"Right… Well, yes there are hardly ever any problems. Not like the raids I used to hear about, nor any super mutants around to pointlessly kill and attack us to keep things interesting. The most problems we'll ever get is someone trying to scam someone else or people getting drunk and starting fights. That's about all they seem to do these days."

Alexa slowly nodded her head, "Yeah, suppose if the NCR invades they will liven things up, assuming we don't get killed." She was expecting to hear some sort of approval but only received silence. She looked back up at the guard and saw the quizzical look on his face.

"The who?"

Alexa blinked, "You know… the NCR… New California Republic?"

"What's California?"

"How haven't… but…" Alexa tried to reason how they couldn't possibly have heard of them. The Brotherhood of Steel were practically pissing themselves when those scouts turned up and demanded our surrender, if they've managed to spread across the entire USA then a lot of people in the Capitol were going to get killed. Surely these people must have heard or seen something of them.

"I have no idea what you're on about. We haven't heard of a single group by that name."

"They're an entire army! They said they're practically on our doorstep and will be moving in soon! You seriously haven't heard anything?"

The guard shook his head, "Not a thing. And we often get news from people coming in all directions, if there was an army on the move we would have heard of it."

Alexa was dumbfounded. Was their information so poor? Or was the Brotherhood's? Before Alexa could say anything the door into the vault opened and an elderly woman with black hair and a face that looked worn by years of leadership stepped into the sunlight. She covered her eyes with her hand clearly not used to the harsh light. She found Alexa sitting at the base of the hill and motioned for Alexa to come up. As she threw her rucksack onto her back the guard she was talking to muttered, "Good luck."

She gave a respectful smile, nodded, and ascended the hill. When she stood before this elderly woman she couldn't help but feel underdressed. She was wearing her simple traveling clothes while the Overseer had her formal jumpsuit and clearly spends too much time on her hair. The Overseer studied her like everyone seems to in this place and held out her hand to the first guard Alexa talked to. The guard handed her Lucas's note which she quickly skimmed. She thrust it into Alexa's hand and muttered, "Follow me, keep your hands to yourself."

Alexa followed without a word. Once she entered the metal door she was greeted to the sight of a large stone tunnel with a gear shaped entrance at the end.

_So this is what my father saw the first time he left his home. Did he ever look back just as he left? _

Amata kept a steady pace ahead of her; they passed through the mechanical entrance and into the vault itself. There was less security this far in. Perhaps Amata felt no one could get through the front entrance or the guards outside. Even if someone could get here, they could just slide the vault door shut. It just occurred to Alexa that she had just barely entered this place and she was already assessing the viability of an attack. Maybe Amata had good reason to be suspicious of the Brotherhood.

They walked through a series of metal tunnels and eventually into a large room that looked like a centre for meetings and meals. Along the walls were windows into rooms and even though there were barely any people around, Alexa couldn't help but feel incredibly exposed. There was no privacy in a place like this. Perhaps that was the point; in a small, tight community it's best everyone knows what everyone else is doing. Alexa would have despised living here. She likes her privacy.

The two walked up a series of steps, through a room filled with computers, around a corner and at last into what looked like an office. A circular wooden desk was arranged in front of monitors, the placement of which made Alexa think this was the master control centre for the entire vault. The desk had a simple computer, a series of papers, what looked like a metal coffee holder and finally, a framed picture of a man and, what Alexa suspected, was his daughter.

"Cozy," Alexa muttered to herself.

The overseer walked behind her desk, dragging her fingers along the wood. "Home is home, even if you wished it wasn't." She reached her chair and sat down. She motioned for Alexa to do the same on the opposing chair. She immediately sat down in the uncomfortable chair, laid her sack on the ground next to her and simply sat up, her hands on her knees.

Amata leaned back and tapped a single finger against the wood, still looking at the young girl in front of her. Alexa already knew what was going on; the uncomfortable chair, the motion for her to sit, the quiet examination. It was all meant to intimidate her and make her feel like the older woman on the other side of this big desk was the boss. She knew because her mother did the exact same thing.

"Well?" Amata asked expectantly. "Are you going to tell me why you're here or should I just guess?"

"Didn't the letter that the mayor wrote explain why?"

"Oh it did, I just want to hear what you have to say."

Made sense to Alexa. She shrugged, took a short breathe and said in a dramatic tone, "You know what? I'm not even sure why myself anymore. Feels like I'm just going through the motions, doing what other people are telling me to do because they told me."

This response threw Amata a bit.

"I mean, really…. I just don't…. I don't fucking know anymore, so there's your answer. I don't have a clue. Ask the people who sent me, they know what they want I don't have a fucking clue. Does that satisfy you?"

Amata was silent for a moment. "No, not really."

The two stared at each other, neither of them sure what to make of the other. "Alright, new question." Amata leaned forward. "Why did someone send you here and who was it?"

"Alright, that I can answer. It was the Church of the Wanderer, those people who worship my… I mean, who worship the Lone Wanderer."

Amata raised an eyebrow at the verbal slip the girl made. "Your what?"

Alexa groaned at having to say this again, she felt like she couldn't take two steps without having to raise the topic now that she knew. She quietly muttered, "My father."

Amata cupped her hands at stared at Alexa with amusement in her eyes. "Well obviously."

"Wait, what?"

Amata chuckled to herself. "I knew Perry for most of his life; you think I couldn't recognise his daughter when I saw her?"

"So why make me say it then?"

"Just had to be sure, you do look more like your mother, Sarah. But the resemblance to Perry is right there." Amata raised a single finger and pointed at Alexa's face. "But this also raises the question, why would the Church send the daughter of their God to his first home? Do they think you're going to be reincarnated as him or something?" Amata stood up from her chair. "Or perhaps it's the Brotherhood. Have they finally decided to stop playing ruler of the Capitol and try and do it for real? Please, enlighten me."

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh don't give me that. You think I haven't been keeping an eye on your Brotherhood ever since we joined the outside? You're practically the closest thing this place has to a government. And after everything you've done, the Capitol would accept it gladly. But I won't."

Amata leaned forward and picked up the coffee container. "Here," she threw it to Alexa who fumbled it but managed to grab hold. "Do you know what that is?"

Alexa looked down at the uninteresting cylinder in her hands. "Is it a coffee holder?"

Amata tilted her head back and laughed. "A coffee holder! No, child. Turn it around."

Alexa spun the cylinder in her hands, approaching from the other side the symbol of the Brotherhood of Steel came into view. The object froze in her hands, all the possibilities exploded into her head. What was in it, how did she get a hold of it, why was it just sitting on her desk in plain sight?

"See that?" she whispered.

"Yes, it's a symbol of the Brotherhood," Alexa responded plainly, doing her best trying to hide the curiousity she was feeling.

"No, no, not that. _That!_ Those thoughts that just entered your mind. Something that seemed so ordinary, so completely featureless that it was barely worth noticing, instantly changed in your hands the very moment you saw that symbol. That's what I felt when that canister was first given to me, that's the power of a symbol, that's the reaction your Brotherhood has on something so small."

Alexa cradled the canister in her hands like it was a precious stone, terrified what may happen if she so much as dropped it. "What's your point, overseer?"

"My point is that the moment I held that small metal cylinder in my hands I knew I had something you wanted. Something that your Brotherhood would give anything to have. You came here to take it from us, well I'm not giving it up without getting something back."

_She thinks I was sent here by my mother to bargain for the canister. _

"You've got the wrong idea, we had absolutely no idea you had this. I don't even know what it is!"

Amata stood behind the desk silent for a moment. "Is that so…" she muttered.

"Yes! Look, I just came here because I'm doing a favour for the Church, they mentioned this canister but they just want to know about the Lone Wanderer, that's all."

Amata crossed her arms with one arm up, her fingers stroking the wrinkling skin around her mouth. She was weighing the odds, Alexa could see it in her eyes. She _wants_ to get rid of this canister.

Alexa leaned forward, canister in hand, she said with a dramatic tone, "You have no idea what this is either do you? You just want it out of here but want to try and get something from us at the same time."

Amata kept stroking her mouth and chin. "So what?" she muttered. "I don't trust your Brotherhood and I don't trust that thing in your hands. I'll let you take it out of here and back to your technology-humping elders under one condition." Amata leaned forward and placed both her hands flat on the desk. "Leave my vault and my town alone. Don't ever try to take us or rule us, understood?"

Alexa stared into the eyes of this woman, she could practically see the years of isolation turning into paranoia behind her eyes. "Why do you think we'd keep our side of the bargain after I take this away?"

"Because I never said that was the only canister I found. And this is a sign of goodwill, I don't want there to be trouble, so I give this that you all know I'm willing to play nice. But if you ever come knocking with guns we'll shut the door for good and stay here forever. We lived here for two-hundred years, we can last that long again. I don't want the Brotherhood as allies, but I certainly don't want you as enemies. Now, do we have a deal?"

Alexa could understand her logic and was willing to accept for the Brotherhood immediately, but her initial mission entered her mind as she held herself back.

"Not quite," she responded, taking on a more business appropriate tone. "I also want what I came in here for. Information about my father, and anything of his you still have. Give me that, and you have a deal."

Amata smiled, "Fair trade. Very well, deal." Alexa stood up in front of the woman and they both shook hands. "How shall we do this then?" They both sat back down at their respective chairs.

"Well, do you have a pen and paper?"

Amata slipped a couple of spare pens and a pile of lined paper in front of Alexa. "Alright, if we're going to start from the beginning I'll need some actual coffee." Amata stood back up and made her way to the coffee maker. "Let's see… my earliest memory of Perry would be when I was about five, we played together as kids in the vault playground…"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hey everyone, I apologise for the long time this update took. I started a brand new university and a whole new course, added to some other stuff been going on in my life and I just generally haven't been in the right mind to write. But I've still been thinking up ideas when they come to me so I haven't forgotten about this story and I will finish it. Stay tuned. **


	5. Of Defenders And Drifters

"This is all extremely fascinating."

The three elderly leaders poured through the dozens of pages Alexa had written with her own hand, her wrist was still throbbing from the effort. For four days she stayed in Vault 101, she spent almost all that time in the Overseers office, listening to Amata drone on and on about every stitch Perry ever had, every time she ever saw him. Alexa had been hoping to learn more about who her father was by listening to Amata, the only thing she learnt was how incredibly boring most of his life had been.

Alexa stood against the wall rubbing her wrist and watched as the Church's leaders skimmed through the pages. She noticed their faces looked about ten years younger, no doubt they were as excited as children. Cameron in particular looked like he was having the most fun he's experienced in decades. She learnt that Cameron specialized in the history of the Lone Wanderer himself, so all these personal details were practically his purpose in life. She didn't know if she felt happy she brought so much joy to the old man, or remorse for him that his life revolved around the deeds of another.

"Listen to this," Cameron shouted with excitement. "It seems Perry's favourite animal was a… Kangaroo? What on Earth is that?" The room was silent for a moment.

"Aha!" Brant exclaimed. "It's that hopping marsupial famous in some old country on the other side of the world. From what I recall, they were made the country's national symbol because they were physically incapable of walking backwards. Natural metaphor for a country's progress I suppose."

Mylair made an adorable squeal and said, "We should make that our mascot! It'd be perfect don't you think?"

"Oh yeah sure," Alexa interrupted from the side. "If you can find out what it looks like."

Mylair shrugged off the rather glaring hole in her idea and muttered, "We'll send some Followers to the Library, see if there's anything they might dig up."

Cameron stood up from his work, which Alexa imagined was quite difficult for him and said with a wide smile, "My dear, you've done more for us than we could have hoped."

Alexa nodded and quietly replied, "I hope this makes up for my… behaviour, before…"

Cameron placed both his hands on Alexa's shoulders, "All is forgiven. Now, if there is anything we can do to assist you, Lone Defender, simply let us know. We have Followers in most settlements who will lend a hand whenever you need it."

Alexa felt relieved. "Thank you, I do appreciate it. But I think it's about time I reported back to the Brotherhood, my mother would want to know of everything that happened."

A look of sudden realization crossed Cameron's face. "Oh, yes of course. But that reminds me, a courier arrived two days ago with a message for you from your mother. I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier it's just… the excitement made me a bit forgetful."

"A message? Do you know what it was?"

"I don't, the only people's mail I read is these two," Cameron motioned to his friends behind him, both too focused on reading to notice what he said. "Go home Alexa, and perhaps you should wear your father's armour, I'd say you've more than earned the right eh?" Cameron smiled the most genuine smile Alexa had ever seen him give. It was enough to make her smile back. She thanked him and left the Church, she had no doubt the courier was at Simm's house, it was where she was staying after all.

She made her way through the crowded town and kept thinking about what her mother might have sent him for. Perhaps she had given her an order to return home, or maybe he was there to help her clean out the armoury. Whatever the reason, it'd be best she found out as soon as possible.

She walked through the front door of the Simm's house, Lucas was at his desk as usual but a man she recognised from the Brotherhood was sitting on the opposite side. He was remarkably unremarkable. The sort of person you always forgot about the moment he left your sight, Alexa wondered if that helped him as a courier. They were talking when she walked in but both stopped and turned at the sound of the door opening.

"Alexa, good to see you're still in one piece," Lucas greeted. "I've just been speaking with this courier. He has a message for you from the Elder."

"So I heard, what does the Elder need?"

The courier stood up from the desk doing his best to act respectful. "Alexa Lyons, the Elder has requested your assistance; your… reputation has spread quickly. The Elder wishes to use what means you have available to prevent a massacre at Tenpenny Tower."

The sudden reassignment took Alexa by surprise. "Massacre? What's going on?"

"It's not looking good at the moment. The ghouls who occupy the tower have refused entry to a large group of travellers. They're quite adamant about gaining entry as are the ghouls in preventing them. Your mother is worried many lives will be pointlessly lost and believes you would be best suited to prevent it if you can."

"I don't understand though," Alexa said shaking her head. "Why is she asking me to do this? Why not send some Paladins to resolve this?"

"She knew you'd ask that. Quite simply, she's worried the sight of armed soldiers might raise tensions rather than ease them. But more importantly, it's your father."

_Oh god, here we go._

Lucas interrupted, "You may not know this Alexa, but twenty years ago the tower was filled with humans and ghouls were the ones denied entry. Your father managed to peacefully broker an agreement for the ghouls to gain entry… unfortunately, it didn't last."

"Talk about ironic," Alexa said.

"Yes, well, that irony might end up getting a lot of people killed," the courier continued. "Your mother thinks that you and your fathers armour might help ease tensions. Bring out some old memories."

Alexa thought for a moment, she was just given a direct order by her mother and she wouldn't appreciate diversions. But her mind drifted to the small cylinder in her bag, she needed to figure out what it is as soon as possible.

"I'll head straight off, but before I do could you do me a favour?"

"What's that?" the courier asked.

Alexa reached into her bag and pulled out the small container. "I need you to deliver this to my mother as soon as possible." The courier eyed the cylinder and noticed the Brotherhood symbol stamped onto the metal. Curiosity filled him but duty took precedence.

"I'm sorry ma'am, I have orders to continue on to The Pit to gain updates from the steel mill. I'm afraid I'll be gone for a few weeks, so it might be easier you just hold onto that until you finish your assignment."

Alexa sighed and retracted her arm. She was hoping to be rid of this miniature burden. Even the touch of its metal made Alexa feel uneasy. "Guess I better get to it then."

* * *

><p>This was the longest she'd walked in her father's armour and yet she felt she could walk for days on end. Some of the 'spacing' was a bit off, this was worn by a male after all, but whatever gel her suit was made of seemed to be adapting to her physical shape the more she used it. She never felt so safe and so comfortable at the same time.<p>

Alexa was walking South-West out of Megaton towards Tenpenny Tower. The gravel road which had lead many a traveller guided her through the trees which grew more and more spacious as she went. She was used to the trees now. They weren't as numerous as the North Capitol was, it was named The Wandering Forest about five years ago, the Scripts were thrilled they could name a forest for the first time in centuries. Naturally, it was named in honour of her father, if she was lucky she might have something like that named after her to.

Step after step the metal boots struck the gravel, her ammunition rattled in her sack, her sniper rifle and new Super Sledge swinging on her back with her movements. She found this new sledge among her father's armoury. A single word had been scratched into the handle. Fawkes. She shrugged off the name as she was too impressed with the craftsmanship of the sledge itself. It would take a lot to make her replace her reliable old sledge, and so a lot was what she found.

She slowed her walking and decided it was time for a break and a drink. She veered off the road to her left, slid her sack off her armoured shoulder, detached her weapons off the magnet and simply sat down against a tree. She took out a bottle of water and skulled down half before stopping. She couldn't imagine a time when it was so difficult to drink pure water. Were the stories exaggerated perhaps? How could she know?

She dismissed the thought and laid her head back against the tree. She felt so at peace listening to the rustle of leaves, the world was so quiet here. She took a few deep breathes, her body felt like it was sinking into the gel. So peaceful, so relaxing…

"Sleeping on the job, kid?"

Her eyes shot open, her heart was suddenly beating twice as fast in her chest. Her eyes darted left and right, who said that? Why couldn't she hear them coming? She felt a tapping on her right shoulder pad. "Round here."

She looked up to her right and saw a man with a large moustache wearing a wide brimmed hat and a duster like Harden Simms had worn. He was smiling down at her, obviously amused by her confusion. "Not disturbing you or anything am I? Nah, who am I kidding? Of course I am." He walked out in front of Alexa while she quickly stood up from her sitting place.

"And who might you be?" Alexa asked while trying to regain her composure.

"Beautiful aren't they?" The man was staring up at the nearest tree, completing ignoring Alexa's question. "A true rarity these days, might even be the birthplace of a renewed world, especially at the rate these things have been spreading." The man reached up and grabbed a small leaf from the tree, he twisted it between his fingertips like he was studying the feel.

Alexa was getting impatient, "I'll ask again, who are you?" she said more forcibly this time.

The man dropped the leaf and turned to her, "Okay relax, relax, I'm not here to cause trouble. Not for you anyway."

She raised an eyebrow, "For who then?"

The man smirked and placed his hands in his pockets. "For anyone who tries to mess with you. Consider me your own private guardian angel, except I'm packing a .44 Magnum and I don't need wings."

Alexa gave the stranger a bemused look, "Look stranger, I can handle myself, and even if I couldn't, I wouldn't want to put my life in the hands of a person who won't even tell me who they are or what they're planning."

The stranger gave an understanding nod, "Fair point. To be honest I don't have a name, but most people know me as The Lonesome Drifter."

_People sure like titles that imply they're loners. But then, to be fair, I picked something similar._

"Quite similar. The Lone Defender? You think that up on the spot or something?"

Her mind stalled and it took several moments to process what she just heard. Alexa's eyes widened in horrified realization. The Drifter's lips curved into a mischievous smile.

_He didn't just… just…_

"Yup. Frankly, quite simple when you have the skills I do. Might come in handy having me watch your back, no?"

Her face was still frozen in horror. She realised her mouth was slightly open. Confused and terrified she picked up her belongings and rapidly walked down the gravel road, staring constantly at the ground.

"Come now." A pair of boots entered her vision, she looked up at the Drifter smiling smugly at her. He just appeared from nowhere. "I know this is something of a shock but your first response to this is to walk off? Some adventurer."

Before she knew what she was doing, she dropped her belongings and grabbed the Drifter by his shirt, her metal fingers ripped some of the fabric while she pulled him off his feet. She didn't even stop to think how easy the suit was enhancing her strength. She pulled the man close to her and whispered in a furious tone, "What do you want with me?" But both of them knew the fury was hiding fear.

The man showed no such fear. His smile was gone now, but his eyes sparkled with excitement and purpose. "I'm settling the score. Repaying a debt that was handed down to me."

Alexa shook him once, "What debt?"

"One I owe to your father. But since he's long gone, now it's owed to you."

"Start making sense!"

"I'll explain it one day. For now…" The Drifter signalled downwards. Alexa let go and he landed on his feet, acting as if nothing happened. "Listen, I'm kind of in the same boat as you right now. Consider us like this." The man took a few steps back giving Alexa some space. Out of his pocket he pulled a single coin. "See this? This is our mission." He held the coin up, the heads facing Alexa. "That's you." He spun it around showing tails. "That's me." He made a fist, placed the coin on top of his thumb and flicked it into the air. It landed in his palm tails facing up.

"Right now, I'm on a personal mission, same as you." He flicked it again, tails. "One I was handed but chose to pursue." Tails. "One that has to do with my father." Tails. "Same as you." Tails. "Now if I wanted, I could stop at any time." Tails. "But I won't." Tails. "Not until my debt is paid." Tails. "And who knows." Tails. "Maybe I'll stick around after that." Tails. "But as you can see." Tails. "Fate isn't always about chance." Tails. "There are ways to control fate." Tails. "To control luck." Tails. "I've been given such means." Tails. "And now my eyes are open." He closed his fist over the coin. "I'll help you whether you need me or not, want it or not, because I must. Out of necessity or choice, I will help you."

He flicked the coin towards Alexa. She caught it as he said, "I suggest you get used to it." She saw the coin had landed heads up. She looked up but the stranger had vanished.

Alexa rubbed her eyes, she felt slightly ill. Did she fall asleep at that tree? No, she's up and walking. Was she seeing things? She opened her hands again, the coin was still there. It was impeccably clean, almost like it was brand new, out of place in this filthy world she lived in. She stood in place for a time trying to gather her thoughts. She took a few deep breathes, picked up her belongings and continued to walk. Whatever happened, she believed this Lonesome Drifter. Something told her she could trust his word about safety.

But as she walked, she continued to look over her shoulder and into the trees, just in case she saw a man in a duster coat standing there watching her. He told her she was safe under his eye. But it was being under his eye that was now making her terrified.


End file.

Fallout, Adventure, Drama