Chapter 34: Aiding a Friend and Enemies

The Citadel; three weeks after the assault on Vault 87...

Sarah Lyons fired the last of her laser rounds into the target dummy's chest, lifted her head up slightly and checked her shots. She was still shooting slightly to the right, but all of them were well within center mass. She cursed under her breath, slapped in another micro fusion cell and began firing again. It had been two weeks since her release from the infirmary, and Sarah had been training almost non-stop ever since. At first the members of the Brotherhood saw it as a good sign and that she had gotten over her experience in Vault 87. But it soon became clear she was pushing herself too hard, and that Sarah's need to train was bordering on obsession. The truth was underneath the facade, Sarah Lyons was in torment. Every night the faces of Glade, Gallows, Colvin and Dusk haunted her dreams; each of them accusing Sarah of letting them down and demanding she join them.

Then the face of her tormentor, the Super Mutant Overlord, would appear, laughing and grinning at her. She saw that face every time she closed her eyes, every time she heard a gun shot or looked down her rifle's scope. Marcus told Sarah he had died in the Vault, and while she was grateful for what he did for her, she was also angry that Marcus had robbed her of the satisfaction of killing the bastard herself. She was angry, hurt, but most of all...she was afraid. That was the real reason behind her need to train and drill: she wanted to feel normal again.

Marcus finished tightening the bolt on Liberty Prime's left arm. "Alright Rothchild, we're ready for a test."

The Head Scribe hurried over to where Marcus was standing. The massive robot that helped win the war against the Enclave was still in pieces, but Marcus and the Brotherhood had made unexpected progress the past few weeks thanks to a very unusual tech assistant.

"Okay Moira," Marcus said as he plugged his PIPBOY into the robot's arm. ",you're up. Let's see if you can move those fingers."

"Okidokie!" the avatar replied.

The fingers on the massive hand began to move, and everyone in the lab let out a cheer.

Rothchild could hardly contain his excitement. "Excellent! Having Moira interface with Prime was a brilliant idea, Marcus! Thanks to both of you it will take months, not years, to rebuild him."

Marcus couldn't help but grin. When he first revealed Moira's A.I. presence to the Scribes, they were both fascinated and alarmed. When he proposed hooking her up to the remains of Liberty Prime to conduct diagnostic tests, Rothchild thought he had gone crazy. Now after three weeks, the Scribes couldn't image rebuilding the robot without her.

"Okay Moira, try to move the hand at the wrist."

Nothing happened.

Moira's avatar cocked her head to the side. "Ummmm, try opening up that center panel."

Marcus did what he was told and looked inside.

"Okay. Try splicing the red and green wires together."

Marcus reached inside and grabbed hold of the wires. There was a brilliant flash of blue light, and Marcus was knocked halfway across the lab and slammed into the bulkhead. Rothchild and the Scribes rushed to his side, fearing the worst. Thankfully Marcus was still conscious, but he was visibly very shaken and his hair was standing straight up.

"Oops, sorry!" Moira said. "Now that I think about it, it was probably the red to black wire."

As he laid there trying to stop his body from shaking, Marcus wondered if it was possible to kill someone who was technically already dead.

After securing her weapon, Sarah headed down to the Citadel's mess hall for lunch. Marcus and Paladin Kodiak, the Pride's only other survivor, were already sitting at a corner table eating. Marcus looked up from his meal and spotted Sarah staring at him. Their eyes met briefly, and Sarah continued to the serving line. She picked up a tray and began picking out her food when she felt the sensation of being watched. Sarah looked over her shoulder and spotted three newly sworn Knights sitting at a table staring at her. They quickly looked down at their trays and tried to look innocent as they ate their food. Sarah clenched her jaw in frustration and continued to walk down the serving line. When she reached the end she looked over her shoulder again, and the same three Knights were staring at her, but quickly resumed eating. The Knight sitting at the center of the table had just stabbed a piece of spam with his fork, when another tray came slamming down on top of his food. The Knight looked up and was staring face to face with the Sentinel.

"Have a good look!" Sarah yelled as she pointed to her left, green colored eye. "Get it over with!"

The mess hall was as quiet as a tomb. Sarah made sure all three of the rookies got a good look at her eyes. "Are you satisfied?" she growled.

The center Knight swallowed hard. "Y-yes, Sentinel."

Sarah picked up her tray and stormed out of the mess hall. After a few moments everyone resumed their actives, but quieter then before. Marcus threw down his fork in frustration and sighed.

"I guess everyone's on edge." Kodiak said.

Marcus could only stare at his plate. "Yeah."

There were a few moments of awkward silence between them before Marcus spoke again. "So...have you put together a list of..."

"No!" Kodiak snapped. "I have not put together a list of candidates and I don't think I ever will!"

Marcus stared at the tormented young man. He knew what was going through his mind. "It wasn't your fault, Greg."

"I should've been there, Marcus. I could've..." He clenched his fist. "...I could've done something!"

Marcus leaned in closer. "I was in that Vault and I'm telling you there's nothing you could've done. If you had gone in there you'd be dead too."

"You don't know that!" Kodiak snapped.

"What I do know is that the Pride has to be put back together." He observed the other members in the mess hall. "Look around. The morale here is shot to hell."

"Then why don't you do it?"

Marcus shook his head. "You know these guys a lot better then I do, and besides...most of them still don't trust me."

Kodiak didn't respond. He simply picked up his tray and left, leaving Marcus alone at the table.

Sarah stood in the bathroom of her quarters, and stared at her eyes in the mirror. Most of her focus was on the left that was now an emerald green instead of the blue she had been born with. Every morning for the past three weeks she would wake up, rush to the mirror, and see if her eye had returned to normal like the rest of her body had since being exposed to the FEV. And every morning, she died a little more inside.

Sarah let out a scream and punched the mirror, shattering it to pieces. She gripped the sides of the sink as rage and despair coursed through her body. She didn't care that her hand was cut open and bleeding on the floor.

"Sarah."

She spun around. Marcus was standing in the doorway of her bathroom, staring at her with a look of concern and pity. When he saw the blood dripping for her hand, he reached for her to take a look.

"Don't!" she snapped as she pulled away. Sarah grabbed a towel and wrapped her hand with it as she stormed past him.

"Talk to me, Sarah." Marcus said.

Sarah stopped, but kept her back to him. "What should we talk about, Marcus? How I got my men killed?" She turned around and faced him. "Or that I'm a freak of nature?"

Marcus stepped closer and looked into her eyes. "Sarah, you're not a freak..."

"LOOK AT ME, MARCUS!" She screamed while pointing to her left eye.

Marcus swallowed. He had to choose his words carefully. "You think you're a freak? I'm the one who's healed by radiation, remember?"

Sarah rolled her eyes. "It's different for you, Marcus."

Marcus raised an eyebrow. "Why? Is it because I'm a filthy wastelander?"

"That's not what I meant!" She began to pace inside the room as she struggled to find the right words. "I was born Brotherhood, Marcus, and there is one thing above all that we covet; even more then mankind's technology, and that's our humanity itself. Being pure human, without any mutation, that above all else must be preserved." She stopped pacing and clenched both her fist. "Those damn mutants took that from me, just as they took Glade, Gallows, Colvin and Dusk!"

Marcus walked over to the Sentinel and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Sarah, no one is blaming you for what happened to the Pride, and no body cares about...your condition."

"Then why do they keep staring at me?"

"It'll take time but...they'll get used to it and so will you."

The look on Sarah's face told Marcus that was the wrong thing to say, and it was confirmed when she pushed him away. "I don't want to get used to it! I want to be me again!"

She turned, grabbed her rifle and stormed out. Marcus leaned against the wall and buried his head in his hand.

"Well," Moira said, "that...was pretty bad."

Marcus sighed, and his tone was dripping with sarcasm. "Thank you for pointing out the obvious, Moira. I don't suppose you have any advise."

"Sorry, I deal with tech and science, not psychology. But if you ask me, I think the Sentinel needs a vacation."

Marcus snorted. "Yeah, don't we all..."

Like a thunderbolt, Marcus was struck with an idea on how to help Sarah Lyons, and he could hardly contain his excitement. "Moira, you're a genius!"

"I know." Moira beamed, and Marcus bolted out of the room.

"RECON missions! Are you serious?" Sarah stood in her father's quarters dumbstruck after hearing about her next assignment.

The Elder was calm and cool as he responded. "I know this seems beneath your abilities, Sarah..."

"This assignment is for a rookie Knight, not a Brotherhood Sentinel!"

Elder Lyons gave Sarah what she called the "you maybe my daughter, but I'm still your boss" look, and she immediately regretted what she'd said. "I'm sorry, father."

Elder Lyons nodded. "Sarah, it is not uncommon for a soldier who's been through what you've experienced to be eased back into active duty."

"I told you I'm fine."

"I don't agree; and neither does anyone else."

Sarah's jaw hardened, and she pointed to her green eye. "It's because of this, isn't it? The Brotherhood doesn't except mutants and so no one's going to follow a mutant into combat."

In that moment, it took all of the mighty Owyn Lyons' will power to stop himself from crying. After a lifetime in the Brotherhood he had seen all manner of horror and tragedy, and few things pulled at his emotions anymore. But to see his daughter in pain, broke the old man's heart. He stepped up to Sarah and gently placed his hand on her cheek. "You know that is not true, Sarah. Every Knight and Paladin here would gladly follow you into hell...and so would I."

Sarah stared into her father's kind eyes, and hearing him say those words caused a lump to form in her throat. "Thank you."

Owyn smiled and lowered his hand. "The truth is...this was Marcus' idea."

That took Sarah by surprise. "Marcus?"

Owyn nodded. "He believes the best place for you to mourn is away from the Citadel. He said that wandering the waste can help clear a persons mind, and it will help to build up your confidence."

Sarah snorted. "Funny I didn't know he was shrink, too."

Owyn smiled. "He's a good man Sarah, and he cares about you very much. Besides, this mission is very important. Even with Rivet City providing extra man power to escort the water caravans, we are still stretched too thin. Since Marcus'...absence there has been an increase in Raider activity, especially in the north. And there are still the Super Mutants in downtown D.C. Even though their numbers are dwindling, they are still a menace that must be eradicated."

Sarah liked the idea of eradicating Super Mutants, and it showed in her eyes. "Maybe this won't be so bad after all."

The Elder smiled. "That's my girl." He walked over to his desk and pressed the intercom button. "Send him in."

The door opened and Marcus entered. After saluting the Elder, he turned to Sarah and gave her a slight nod. "Sentinel."

Sarah nodded in response. "Knight Commander."

Owyn addressed the Lone Wanderer. "Sarah has agreed to accompany you on your RECON mission, Marcus. You will both head out at once and concentrate your efforts on the downtown area, but that is ultimately your discretion. Bring down the Super Mutant's numbers, and deny the Raiders peace of mind. And of course, bring back any tech or intel you come across." He turned and faced his daughter. "On this mission there is no rank between the two of you. I expect you both to work together, and look out for each other. Understand?"

"Yes, sir!" They both replied.

Elder Lyons, deciding to breach prodical, embraced his daughter and then the Lone Wanderer. He stepped back and stared at the two people he cared for more then anyone. "Make sure you both come back to us." He placed his fist over his heart. "Steel be with you."

Both Sarah and Marcus returned the salute. "Steel be with you!" The two warriors exited the room, and Elder Lyons watched them until they finally left the B ring. He quietly prayed to the Creator that he would see them again.

Marcus waited outside Sarah's quarters for what seemed like forever. It reminded him of all the times he waited for Amata to do her hair, and it was just as annoying then as it was now. The door finally opened, and Marcus froze as he took in the sight of Sarah Lyons wearing green US Army combat armor instead of her power armor. The lighter armor definitely did more to compliment Sarah's curves then the bulky T-51, and Marcus had to admit (just as it always was with Amata) the wait was worth it. "You look...good."

Sarah looked down at the armor and scoffed. "I feel like I'm naked."

Marcus couldn't help but smirk. "That would cause quite a stir."

Sarah playfully jabbed his left shoulder, and Marcus laughed. "Trust me, Sarah, with this type of mission speed and agility are a must. Power armor is just too bulky for that."

Sarah looked down at the armor again and shrugged. "Well...it definitely breaths better."

"Do you have everything?"

Sarah tapped her laser rifle. "Got my laser rifle, MRE's, canteen, .308 sniper rifle and ammo for both. And of course..." she tapped the ripper that was strapped to her side.

Marcus nodded. "Good. Most of my stuff is at my house in Megaton so we'll have to stop there first. I figured since it's already late in the afternoon we should probably..." he swallowed. "...spend the night and head for D.C. in the morning."

Sarah noticed how uncomfortable Marcus was and smirked. "Are you asking me to spend the night at your place? What kind of a girl do you think I am?" she asked in a coy tone.

Marcus started to blush and stammered to voice a reply. Sarah laughed. "Relax, I'm kidding! Besides, I'm kinda interested to see the residence of the great Lone Wanderer."

They both laughed. As the two soldiers made their way through the Citadel, one of the female Scribes came running up to them in the lab. "Knight Commander Lincoln!" She stopped for a moment to catch her breath. "Star Paladin Cross would like to speak with you."

Marcus looked over at Sarah and shrugged. Cross had only recently regained conciousness since her ordeal in Vault 87, and when Marcus went to visit her, she was less then happy to see him. "Will you wait for me outside?"

Sarah nodded. "Okay."

Marcus followed the Scribe to the infirmary, and he made his way over to Cross' bed. Her head was still bandaged, but thankfully the Brotherhood had managed to build and attach another cybernetic arm. The Star Paladin was still very weak, and it would be at least another four weeks of physical theropy before she was back to full strength. Marcus spotted the coveted Brotherhood ARM Fawkes had recovered from Vault 87 leaning against the wall in the corner.

"Cross? You a...wanted to see me?"

Cross' eyes opened, and her voice was barely above a whisper. "Marcus, I understand that Sarah is accompanying you on a RECON mission."

"Yes. It's a...more to help her then me. Figured time away from the Citadel would help her to heal and...get her confidence back."

Cross weakly nodded. "You care about her, don't you?"

Marcus slowly approached the bed, and was standing over Cross so that he could hear her. "Yes, I do."

A small smile appeared on Cross' face. "Good." Suddenly her left arm shot out from underneath the covers and grabbed Marcus' throat. She yanked him down so that he was looking directly at her. "The Elder may trust you with his daughter," she growled, "but I don't! I am the closest thing to a mother that girl has, so if you harm her in anyway I will end you! Understand?"

Marcus stared at the Star Paladin with bulging eyes the entire time she spoke. Struggling against the iron grip of her cybernetic hand, he was able to grunt out a yes and she let him go. Marcus coughed a few times and rubbed his throat. As he stared at the woman who just a couple of months ago called him friend, Marcus was reminded of how his actions had damaged his relationship with the Brotherhood. Though the Elder had welcomed him back, the rest of the Knights still did not hold him in such high regard.

As he turned to leave, Marcus looked over his shoulder. "I hope someday I'll be able to gain your trust again."

As he walked away, he could hear Cross whisper: "So do I."

When Marcus and Sarah arrived at the outskirts of Megaton, they were surprised to see a fury of activity going on in the blown-out suburb of Springvale. Several Vaultees from 101 and Megaton residences were building barricades and repairing the few houses still standing. The 101 Trading Post (which had been the old Red Rocket garage), was also getting a make over, and watching over all of this were several Vaultees wearing blue combat armor and caring M4 carbines. The two companions decided to see what was going on, and Marcus soon spotted Lucas Simms. "Lucas!"

The Regulator spotted him and waved. "Hey Marcus." He approached and the two men shook hands. "Good see you back."

"Thank you."

Moira's avatar appeared on the touch screen of Marcus' PIPBOY. "Hey Lucas!"

Marcus held up his PIPBOY, and it took Lucas a moment to find his words. "Oh, a...hey Moira. Sorry it's just...I'm still not used to talking to you like this."

"I understand." Moira replied. "If I were talking to an avatar of my dead self I'd be a little freaked out too."

The avatar blinked out, and Marcus shook his head. "So what's all this?"

"A few days ago the Vault's Overseer came to see me, and said he was sick and tired of his people getting ambushed by Raiders every time they stepped outside. So myself, some of the towns people and about fifty of the Vault's militia, cleared out all the Raiders in Springvale; even the school. That was a tough fight, but we didn't loose a single man."

Marcus' mouth dropped open. He couldn't believe that the same people he grew up with inside the Vault, where they had every human comfort and wanted for nothing, had attacked a nest of Raiders and came out on top. "I'll be damned! You said it was the Vault's militia?"

Lucas nodded. "Yup. They've really stepped it up since..." He stopped mid sentence. It took Marcus only a moment to realize what Lucas was referring to and he weakly nodded. Looking to change the subject, he turned to Sarah. "Lucas this is Sarah Lyons, Sentinel of the Brotherhood."

Lucas tipped his head. "Ma'am."

Sarah nodded in return. "Nice to meet you."

They started walking down the street that lead through the middle of Springvale. "The original plan was just to build some barricades to keep more Raiders out," Lucas said, "but pretty soon people in both communities started talking about fixing up some of the houses, and even tearing down the ones we can't save and building new ones."

Marcus chuckled. "Well I remember reading some where that before the war, people said the American dream was to move to the suburbs."

Lucas stopped and looked around. "I know it sounds crazy but," he lifted his chin towards Megaton, "it is getting a bit crowded behind those walls. And Lord knows the Vaultees would love to come out here and stretch their legs."

Marcus snorted. "Yeah I know that feeling." He looked over Lucas' shoulder and spotted Butch strolling around with an assault rifle in his hands. "Is that Butch?"

Lucas turned. "Yeah, believe it or not he and Jericho actually helped out in the assault. Never thought I'd see either of those two do any good. Of course now he just tries to look tough with his gun and pick up girls."

"Now that's the Butch I know."

As if his ears were ringing, Butch DeLoria made his way over to the trio. "Hey there goody-two shoes! Looks like you missed all the fun."

Marcus sneered at him. "Congratulations, Butch, you finally popped your cherry."

Butch grinned, and then his eyes fell on Sarah. "And speaking of popping cherries," he stepped closer and got right in her face. ",who's this pretty thing?"

Before Marcus could utter the word "damn", Sarah responded to Butch's question with a smile and knee to the groan. DeLoria crumpled to the ground, and was holding onto his crotch as if his life depended on it. All of the women who witnessed it laughed (including Moira), but the men cringed at the sight.

"Damn that looks like it hurt!" Moira said.

Marcus stared at the motionless Butch as he began to whimper. "You have no idea."

Dogmeat ran towards Marcus as soon as he and Sarah were through the Megaton gates, and Marcus knelled down to greet the canine. "Hey boy, you miss me?"

Dogmeat barked and licked his face. Marcus scratched behind his ear and stood up. "You remember Sarah, right boy?"

The dog responded with a bark and began to lick Sarah's palm. She smiled, knelled down and began to rub behind his ears. Her eyes went wide when she saw the scars on his face. "My God what happened to him?"

"Giant fire breathing ants."

Sarah looked at him like he was crazy, but then shook her head. "I shouldn't be surprised with you."

Billy Creel and Maggie greeted the two heroes. "How's it going, Marcus?" Billy said as he shook Marcus' hand.

"I'm doing alright. Looks like I missed some excitement here."

"Yeah those Raiders didn't stand a chance. A few of our people got wounded, but we didn't loose anybody. Word is we're getting together with the Vaultees and forming a small garrison to station at the Springvale school. If those Raiders try to come back, we'll be ready for'em."

After hugging Dogmeat, Maggie tapped on Marcus' PIPBOY. "Is Moira still in there?"

"Sure I am, where else can I go?"

Maggie stared at the avatar in amazement. Her and the rest of the children still couldn't get over the fact that Moira now lived in a computer. She looked up at Sarah. "What's your name?"

Sarah smiled at the child. "I'm Sarah Lyons."

Maggie tilted her head to the side and stared at her. "What happened to your eyes?"

The smile quickly faded from Sarah's face and she looked away. Billy placed his arm on the child's shoulder. "Maggie!"

The girl looked at her adoptive father. "What? I think they look cool! Can my eyes be a different color too?"

Sarah looked like she wanted to crawl under a rock and disappear. Marcus tensed up, not sure of what to say. Billy looked absolutely horrified. "I-I'm sorry..."

Sarah turned and walked away. Marcus turned to Billy and raised his hand. "It's okay, Billy. I'll talk to you later." He quickly went after Sarah, who had made it down to the bottom of the ramp and was standing in front of the bomb holding herself. Soon Marcus was standing by her side. "Don't worry about it Sarah. You know how kids are."

She continued to stare at the bomb. "Yeah - they're the only ones who tell the truth."

Marcus didn't know how to respond. They both stood there in silence for a few awkward moments before he finally decided to change the subject. "My place is up there." He pointed to a catwalk up above. "Come on."

When Marcus and Sarah reached his house they were greeted by RL-3, who reported that the area was quote "secured". When Marcus asked him why he was standing guard outside, the Mr. Gutsy said quote: "If I have to listen to that candy-ass maid complain about one more thing I'm going to turn him to scrap!"

Once they were inside, said candy-ass cheerfully met them at the door and took their packs up stairs, all the while bantering on about how happy he was now that the "brute" was outside.

"Well," Marcus said as he stood in the middle of the room. ",this is it. It's not as glamorous as the Citadel but...it's home."

Sarah looked around. She had definitely sleep in worse places. "It's not so bad. Maybe if you fix it up, put on a coat of paint and..."

"It would still be a shit hole?" Marcus joked.

That got a laugh out of Sarah. "Yeah."

"Well we do have some comforts. Here." He headed up stairs and Sarah followed. Marcus showed her the juke box and nuka cola machine, and he dispensed two of the soft drinks and handed one to Sarah. When she drank it, she couldn't believe how cold it was. "Wow! We gotta get one of these machines for the Citadel."

Marcus took a long drink from his bottle. "It definitely hits the spot." He walked around the machine and opened a door leading to a small bedroom. "This is my room but a...you can have the bed tonight, I'll take the couch."

Sarah took another drink and grinned. "Why how chivalrous of you."

Marcus smiled. "Well my father did teach me how to be a gentleman."

Sarah nearly spit out her drink and busted out laughing. "You? A gentleman!"

Marcus leaned against the wall and grinned. He wasn't going to let her get the better of him. "As I recall I'm the one who volunteered to go into the Purifier."

"That wasn't chivalry, that was insubordination."

Marcus made a clicking sound with his tongue. "Details, details. Still, it all turned out well in the end."

Sarah finished off her drink. "Yes...yes it did."

They stood there for a few moments, not sure of what to say to each other. Finally, Marcus cleared his throat. "Well I don't know about you but I'm starving. What do you say we go to Jenny Stahl's and get something to eat?"

Sarah looked away from him and she unconsciously tightened the grip on her empty bottle. After what happened early, she really didn't want to be around people. "I'm pretty tired, I'd like to just eat here tonight. You must have some food in the kitchen, right?"

One look at Sarah and Marcus knew the real reason she didn't want to go. He wanted to tell her that her eyes didn't matter to anyone, but he decided not to press the issue and just nodded. "Let me see what I can put together."

After a hearty meal of 200 year old salisbury steak, pork n' beans and nuka cola, the two companions decided to turn in for the night. Marcus was sound asleep on the couch when, at about two in the morning, a scream startled him away. Realizing it was Sarah, he leaped off the couch and bolted up the stairs wearing nothing but his boxer shorts. He threw the door open, and Sarah was curled up in the bed; her eyes shut tight and her hands gripping the sheets as if her life depended on it. Another scream escaped from her, and Marcus crawled onto the bed and tried to shake her awake. "Sarah! Sarah wake up! You're having a nightmare, wake up!"

Sarah's eyes shot open and she nearly knocked Marcus off the bed when she sat up. When she finally realized where she was, Sarah broke down and began to cry. Marcus carefully wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "It's okay, it was just a dream. You're here, you're safe."

Sarah wrapped her arms around him and wept on his shoulder. Marcus returned the embrace and held her.

"I keep seeing their faces." Sarah cried. "Every time I close my eyes!"

Marcus gently caressed her back. "I know. I miss them, too." He did his best to hold back his own tears as he thought about the Lyon's Pride. "It wasn't your fault, Sarah. It was mine."

Sarah pulled away from his shoulder and stared at him in shock. "What?"

"If I hadn't..." he looked down and took a deep breath, struggling to find the right words. "...if I hadn't done what I did and gotten kicked out...I would've been there with you. I would've been there and I would've stopped it..."

Sarah shook her head. "No, Marcus you not being there is why you were able to save me - and you accomplished the mission. I was in command, so it is my fault, not yours."

Marcus didn't say anything. He just took her in his arms and they both held each other for several more minutes. Even though Marcus brought Sarah out of the Citadel to help with her grief, the truth was they were both broken and in mourning over the loss of their friends. It was worse for Sarah who had grown up with them, but Marcus will always regret never making amends with them before they died.

The truth was, he needed her as much as she needed him.

When Sarah had calmed down Marcus gently pulled away and looked into her eyes. "Would you like for me to stay with you for a while?"

He held his breath as he waited for her to answer, but to Marcus' surprise, a slight smile appeared on Sarah's face. "I'd like that."

Marcus slid the bottom half of his body under the covers, and Sarah placed her head down on his chest. As they laid there in each other's arms, Marcus realized that all Sarah was wearing was her black panties and tank top, and as her bare skin pressed against his, he was grateful the blanket was covering his waist.

"Your heart's going a mile a minute." Sarah lazily said.

Marcus' eyes went wide. "Yeah...I'm - just thinking about the mission tomorrow."

Sarah gently rubbed his arm. "We'll be alright."

It felt like a jolt of electricity shot through him when she did that, and Marcus swallowed as his throat went dry. In that same moment he noticed the smell of her hair, and he closed his eyes and let out a breath. She was intoxicating.

"Do you remember when I told you I hadn't slept since I was eight?"

Sarah's question snapped Marcus out of his trance. "Yes."

"Well, I wasn't completely joking. When you grow up in the Brotherhood you see a lot of terrible things at a young age. I can't remember a time when I didn't have a gun in my hand. That kind of experience...it makes for a lot of sleepless nights." She gently lifted her head and looked at him. "That night you stayed with me in the infirmary...was the best night's sleep I've had in a long time."

Marcus stared into her eyes, and as he listened to her words he couldn't hide the smile on his face. "Same here." he whispered.

A deep desire began building between the two of them as they both laid there in each other's arms. A hunger that they could see in each other's eyes, and Sarah began to lean in closer to Marcus, who closed his eyes and parted his lips in anticipation.

The sound of music coming from his PIPBOY startled both of them, and Sarah sat up as Marcus fumbled with the device.

"Moira what the hell are you doing?" He snapped.

Moira's image appeared on the screen. "Well I thought some music would help the two of you sleep. If you don't like this song I'm sure I can find one you both like..."

"Thank you, Moira, but that's not necessary! We're fine. It's time for you to power down for the night, okay?"

The avatar pouted. "Okay. Good night." The image blanked out.

Sarah and Marcus both stared at each other and began to blush.

Marcus cleared his throat. "I guess we should a..."

"Yeah." Sarah said, her cheeks still flushed. "We need to get up in a few hours."

They laid back down (though not as close as before), and soon drifted off to sleep; neither of them having any nightmares for the rest of the night.

The sun was just rising in the east when Marcus stirred awake. Deciding to let Sarah sleep in, he quietly made his way downstairs, and after heeding nature's call, he got dressed and made a pot of coffee. At three-hundred caps a pound Marcus rarely made it, but this morning he said what the hell and he stood outside on the catwalk watching the sun come up. As he leaned on the railing, the events of last night kept playing over and over in his head. He was so immersed in the memory that he didn't hear Lucas Simms coming up the ramp behind him. "You look like you're very deep in thought." The old Regulator said.

Marcus snorted. "Is it that obvious?"

Lucas leaned on the rail next to him. "You wanna talk about it?"

Marcus hesitated, then took another sip of coffee. "You know Sarah, who you met yesterday?"

Lucas nodded.

"Well last night...something almost...happened between us."

It took Lucas half a second to figure out what the something was. "Oh. Is...that a bad thing?"

Marcus shook his head. "No I wanted to. Believe me I wanted to."

"I can vouch for that." Moira chimed in.

"Moira!" Marcus snapped.

"Okay, I'm sorry! Just remember: next time take a cold shower and think about baseball..."

Marcus smacked the PIPBOY on the railing, and Moira let out a yelp. "Okay! Shutting up!"

Lucas couldn't help but chuckle at Marcus' expense. "So what's the problem, kid?"

Marcus stared down at his cup and sighed. "Amata."

"Oh." Lucas said, and he could see the hurt in the young man's eyes. It was clear he was not over her. "I understand, it's barely been two months since...but I think she would want you to be happy."

Marcus shifted uncomfortably. "I know that, and I know that she's...gone and that I shouldn't but...part of me still feels like I'm betraying her. I know it's stupid but..."

"No it's not, it's understandable. It will take time, but at some point you'll have to move on."

Despite everything, Marcus couldn't help but agree with the Regulator. He closed his eyes and let out a deep breath. "There is another reason. Everyone I've gotten close to has died. My father, Amata...Lucy, Marcella..." He looked over at Simms and his voice cracked. "...I can't go through that again, Lucas. I can't."

For a few moments there were no words between the two friends. Finally, Lucas spoke. "I'm not one to tell you how to live your life, son, but I've been around quite a while, and I can tell you that life is too short to pass up a good thing."

Marcus chuckled. "You sound just like Charon."

"Well, you should listen to your friends."

Marcus continued to stare at the sunrise as he took in everything his friend told him. "I just...need sometime to think I guess."

Lucas nodded. "Okay...but I wouldn't think too long." The two friends shook hands. "Take care of yourself out there."

"You too, Lucas."

The Regulator continued on his rounds, and Marcus finished off the last of his coffee. It was time to go to work.

The last Raider was sent to the next life with a blast from Marcus' AK-47. The Lone Wanderer, wearing his Ranger armor and Regulator duster, quickly made his way across the street to where Sarah Lyons had taken up a sniper position. The small Raider camp sitting on the banks of the Potomac was now littered with the bodies of it's ten inhabitants. Sarah provided over watch with her .308 sniper rifle from a third story window opening, and she took down the first Raider. Before their shock was over, Marcus appeared from the other side and announced his presence with a well placed plasma grenade. The final surprise was Dogmeat, who seemed to leap out of no where and ripped a Raiders throat out.

But with all well laid plans there is always a catch. One of the vermin managed to fire an RPG towards Sarah's position, and Marcus' heart nearly stopped when he lost sight of her. He made is way up the stairs and found Sarah sitting up against the wall with the sniper rifle in her lap. She had a large gash on her forehead but she was still conscious, and Marcus let out a sigh of relief.

Sarah looked up at him. "I hope you got the bastard."

Marcus smiled as he knelled down to treat her wound. "You know I did." He took out some gauze and applied pressure. "Here, come into the light so I can see better."

Sarah shifted her body slightly until she was in the sunlight coming through the hole in the wall. Marcus reached into his kit and readied a stimpak. He carefully removed the gauze to give her the injection - and Marcus froze. His eyes went wide and his mouth dropped open as the wound began closing on it's own. Marcus blinked to make sure what he was seeing was in fact happening, and in a manner of seconds where there had been a bloody wound was now just a slight scar.

Sarah must have seen the look on his face because she started to fear the worst. "What's the matter?"

Marcus struggled to find his voice. "Y-your wound it...it's gone!"

Sarah's hand shot up to her forehead...and her eyes shot wide open. "But...how?"

Marcus shook his head. "I don't know." He tapped on his PIPBOY and Moira's avatar appeared. "Moira, do know what's going on?"

"Welllllll I'm guessing she inherited a healing factor from the FEV."

Marcus could see the panic on Sarah's face, and she vehemently shook her head. "No, that's not possible! Rothchild and the Scribes ran every kind of test on me, and they said my eye changing color was the only mutation I had!"

Marcus turned and stared out the hole in the wall - and an idea struck him. He grabbed a hold of Sarah's hand. "Sarah, do you trust me?"

Sarah didn't hesitate. "Of course I do."

Marcus let out a breath. "Good." he drew his knife. "I want to try something, so don't move, okay?"

At first Sarah tensed up, and she had to fight the urge to recoil her hand. She knew what he planned to do, and though she didn't like it, she did trust him. Taking a deep breath, Sarah nodded. "Okay."

Marcus ran the blade over the back of her hand, slicing it open. Sarah let out a grunt, and soon crimson fluid began to appear. They waited a few seconds, but nothing happened.

Hope began to fill Sarah. "See! Nothings happening..."

"Hold on." Marcus said. He gently raised her hand and placed it in the sunlight coming through the wall, and within seconds the wound closed up. Sarah pulled her hand away and examined it; shock and fear were on her face.

Marcus looked at the rays of sunlight coming into the building. "It's the sun!" He looked back at Sarah. "Just as radiation heals me, the sun's UV rays must heal you! That's why none of the test showed anything...you were inside the lab the whole time, and you have to be in direct sunlight for it to manifest."

Sarah's eyes kept shifting between Marcus and her hand. She could not believe that his was happening to her. Her worst fears had materialized...she had become a freak of nature.

Moira on the other hand, had a different take on it. "Wow, that is soooo cool!"

Sarah's expression quickly went from one of panic to rage. "Cool?" She jumped to her feet. "COOL!"

Moira's image disappeared from the PIPBOY's screen. Marcus (who was silently praying that Sarah was not about to rip his arm off) took a step back. "Sarah she didn't mean..."

Without saying a word, Sarah spun on her heels, picked up her rifle and stormed off. No words were going to make this better. Nothing could make this better.

It had been two hours since the encounter with the Raiders, and Sarah had not said a word. She walked a good ten paces ahead of Marcus and Dogmeat, and up to this point they had respected that. Finally Marcus couldn't take the silence anymore, and he decided to take a chance and caught up with her. "Sarah hold on."

She kept walking; not bothering to acknowledge him.

Marcus stepped right in front of her, forcing her to stop. "I know you don't want to talk about this, but hear me out, okay?"

Sarah let out an annoyed sigh, but she stood still.

"You think this mutation makes you a freak, but I think you should look at it as a gift."

Sarah tilted her head and stared at him as if he was crazy. "A gift!?"

Marcus nodded. "I admit I was a little freaked out when I learned of my mutation, but then I started thinking that maybe it was given to me for a reason. Now you can call it fate, God, the Creator, whatever you want, but I think it was given to me to help me do what I do. And I can tell you, it's already saved me more then once."

As Sarah listened to his words, the anger in her eyes seemed to wane, and her voice nearly cracked. "But it's not me."

Marcus took a step closer to her, and he had a look of determination in his eyes when he spoke. "You are still Sarah Lyons, Sentinel of the Brotherhood of Steel; and damn anyone who believes differently."

Sarah looked away and blinked as her eyes got misty. Marcus placed his hand under her chin and gently brought her eyes back to his. "And for the record, I think your eyes are beautiful."

In that moment Sarah Lyons, the battle hardened soldier, nearly melted in Marcus arms, and it took every ounce of strength to keep the tears at bay. She let out a small laugh to ease the tension and smirked. "You were always a weird one, Marcus."

Marcus laughed and smiled, and they stood there for several moments just taking each other in.

"Ummm, I hate to interrupt this wonderful moment," Moira said, "but you're gonna want to hear this."

Marcus rolled his eyes and lifted his PIPBOY. This had better be good!"

"This is Defender Morrill, any Outcasts listening on this frequency report to sector 7-B, Bailey's Crossroads. This is a high-priority message, backup is needed at our location. Any personnel listening on this frequency please report at once. I say again, this is Defender Morrill, we are being overrun by Super Mutants is anyone there?"

Moira turned off the transmission. "I've got there location on the map."

Marcus looked at his screen. They were less than a mile from where the Outcast were held up. He looked over at Sarah. "If we go now we can help them, but I know there's a lot of bad blood between you, so it's your call."

Sarah tightened the grip on her laser rifle. Part of her was content on letting the traitors rot, but then she thought about what the mutants had done to her and the Pride and there was no debate. She had to rescue them. "No matter what happened they don't deserve that. And besides," She locked and loaded her rifle, "I've been looking forward to some pay back!"

Marcus grinned. "Now that's the Sarah I know. Come on!"

Defender Morrill emptied the last of his minigun's ammunition into the chest of a Super Mutant Master, cutting the creature in half. "I'm out!" He yelled as he placed the massive weapon down and drew his plasma pistol. He and what was left of his squad (four Outcast in total), were pinned down in the middle of Bailey's Crossroads. They were using rubble and whatever else they could find as cover, but they were cutoff and being swarmed from all sides.

Defender Anne Morgan fired her laser rifle over their make-shift barricade, but quickly ducked back down as .32 caliber rounds bounced off her armor. "We're getting low on ammo!" She said as she slapped in her last micro fusion cell.

Morrill fired his pistol. "Just hang on, they'll be here!" He tried to sound confident when he said it.

A moment later, Morrill spotted two Super Mutant Masters and two Brutes charging their forward position. He gritted his teeth and stood up. "Here they come! HOLD YOUR GROUND, OUTCASTS!" he screamed as he fired.

Just as Morrill was prepared to meet his maker, two 40mm grenades exploded at the charging Mutants' feet, killing two and wounding another. The fourth mutant continued to charge, but was stopped by a .308 round to his throat. As the Master struggled to breath, another sniper round to the head ended his suffering.

Morrill was dumbstruck. "What the hell was that?"

Morgan pointed to their left flank. "Over there!"

Morrill could see two people wearing green combat armor emerge from the Bailey Metro. One was armed with an AK-47 and the other, a female, was armed with a laser rifle and they began blasting away at the nearest Super Mutants. A canine seemed to accompany the duo, and after the man shot out the knees of a Mutant, the dog jumped on it's back and ripped out it's throat.

"Who the hell is that?" Morgan asked.

"I don't know, but I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth." Morrill took aim at the closest Mutant. "FIRE!"

The remaining Super Mutants didn't last very long against the combined fire power of the Outcast and their rescuers, and soon Bailey's Crossroads were littered with the creature's bodies. Marcus, Sarah and Dogmeat cautiously approached the Outcast, who were obviously less then trusting.

"Alright," Morrill began, "just who the hell are you and what are you..." He stopped when his eyes fell on the female. "Holy shit! Lyons? Is that you?"

Sarah stared at her former teammates, and while she couldn't see their faces under their helmets, she could imagine their eyes bulging out of their sockets. "Hello, Morrill. Still getting into trouble I see."

No one said anything as they just stared at her. Defender Morgan removed her helmet, and the African-American woman sneered at Sarah. "Well I'll be damn! The Brotherhood's princes! What the hell are you doing her, Lyons?"

Sarah's jaw hardened. "We heard your distress call and came to help, Anne."

"That's Defender Morgan to you...what the hell!" She stepped closer and stared right into Sarah's eyes. "Jesus! What the hell happened to you?"

For the first time Sarah's tough exterior began to wane as the Outcast stared at her and mumbled under their breaths. Marcus decided to try and lighten the mood. "It's actually a new fashion trend. It's very popular out in the Wasteland."

Anne Morgan crossed her arms and scoffed at him. "I guess that's what happens when you lay down with savages!"

Sarah's right hook sent the Defender to the ground, and pandemonium broke out as both sides tried to keep the two woman from killing each other.

"STAND DOWN, ALL OF YOU!" Morrill screamed.

Marcus had managed to hold Sarah back, while Dogmeat stood between them and the Outcast, growling and showing his teeth. Defender Morgan was still trying to break free from the two Outcast holding her, until Morrill got right in her face. "We can settle this grudge later, understand?" He turned to Marcus and Sarah. "You said you heard my radio transmittion. How? I had it encrypted."

Marcus showed them his PIPBOY.

"Oh." Morrill said, practically salivating over the tech. "You've got one of those computers on your arm. I've never seen one like that before."

"It's a prototype." Marcus said. "Vault-Tec only managed to make one before the war."

Morgan snorted. "Yeah - and of course a knuckle dragger gets a hold of it."

Morrill ignored her. "Well maybe you could help us out even more."

"Why would we do that?" Sarah asked.

"Just come to our outpost and hear us out. Protector McGraw is in command; I'm sure he can make it worth your while. What do you say?"

Sarah looked over at Marcus who just shrugged. "I think we should hear them out." he said.

Sarah reluctantly nodded. "Okay, lead the way Morrill."

The Defender turned and they headed out towards the outpost. Marcus, Sarah and Dogmeat gave the Outcast a wide berth as they followed.

"So you know this McGraw?" Marcus asked.

"Yes. I'm glad he's the one in charge here, because of all the Outcast he's the most level headed. It was a shock when we found out he'd joined them."

Marcus raised his PIPBOY and Moira's image appeared. "Moira it's probably a good idea you don't reveal yourself to these guys." He whispered. "They're fanatics when it comes to tech and I kinda want to keep this arm."

"Okay." She whispered. "I'll be as quiet as a mouse." The avatar blinked out, and they continued towards the outpost.

The elevator took them twenty feet below the surface before finally coming to a stop. The doors opened, and the duo was met by an African-American Outcast, who was less then thrilled to see them. "You better keep your pet on a leash, Lyons!" He said. "And the dog, too."

Sarah stared daggers at him. "Sibley! If I had know you were here I would've kept going."

Sibley snorted. "Believe me I would love to tell you to get lost...but orders are orders. Of course you and father wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

Sarah was about to go for Sibley's throat when Marcus placed his arm across her chest, stopping her advance. "Are you going to take us to McGraw or what?"

Sibley sighed in disgust. "Follow me."

He led them into the outpost, which was surprisingly in good condition and contained a good amount of tech. When they were brought inside what looked like the main control room, Sibley saluted a man with reddish-brown hair, a mustache and a slight beard. "Protector McGraw, Lyons and her friend are here."

McGraw returned his salute. "Thank you Defender." He turned to Sarah and Marcus. "Lyons...it's been a long time."

"Yes, it's been a while since you and your friends slipped away in the dead of night and betrayed my father."

Marcus rolled his eyes and sighed. 'Was she trying to get us killed?', he thought.

McGraw's gaze dropped for moment. "I'm sorry it went down like that. Casdin thought it was the only way to avoid a...confrontation."

Sarah wanted to say something along the lines of "the logic of a coward", but thankfully decided to bit her tongue.

McGraw turned to Marcus. "So your the local with the fancy computer. What's your name?"

"Knight Commander Marcus Lincoln."

McGraw raised an eye brow. "The one who led the attack on the Enclave. Hu, well normally I'd trust a wastelander to shine my power armor and even that's pushing it, but you at least seem to have a brain in your head."

"I'm flattered." Marcus said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"I'll get right to the chase, there's a vault inside this outpost containing a large amount of tech and we can't get into it. The doors are electronically sealed and we don't have enough explosives to blow them, but that PIPBOY of yours might be our ticket in."

Marcus looked down at the devise. "So you think I can hack the door?"

"Not exactly. Come on, I'll show you." He led them down a hallway into another room containing two white pods that reminded Marcus of the stasis pods in Vault 112. A blonde haired woman wearing what resembled the robe of a Brotherhood Scribe was working at the computer.

"This is Specialist Olin, she'll fill you in on what has to be done."

The Specialist approached them and got right down to business. "The only way to open the vault is for someone to complete the combat simulation you see here."

"A simulator?" Marcus asked. "You mean like virtual reality?"

The Specialist seemed surprised that he knew that. "That's right. It was used to train American soldiers during the war. It's based on the Liberation of Anchorage Alaska from Communist Chinese forces."

"January 10th, 2077." Marcus said. "I learned about it in school."

Olin's mouth dropped open. "You went to school?" She shook her head. "Anyway, it was a very pivotal moment in history. None of us have been able to do the simulation because we don't have a computer that can interface with it, but that PIPBOY of yours will probably do the trick." She walked over to the pods. "The simulator is built for two, but only one of you needs the interface. There...is a catch, however."

Marcus sighed. "Of course there is."

"The safety's were damaged and there's no way we can repair them. Bottom line, if you die in the simulator, you die in real life."

That statement took the air out of the room. McGraw quickly stepped up to Sarah. "Lyons I don't have to tell you that this is the most significant find we've had in ten years. If you and your friend help us out, you can take as much tech as you can carry; there should be more then enough for all of us. What do you say?"

Marcus and Sarah both looked at each other. "It seems like a lot to risk just to get some new toys, Sarah."

Sibley waved his hand. "Ha! I knew they wouldn't do it! They're too chicken!"

Marcus was about to tell the Defender where to go when Sarah spoke up. "We'll do it!"

Marcus whipped his head around and stared at her in shock. "Could I talk to for a minute, please." He calmly said as he led her away from the Outcast. "Sarah, you don't have to prove anything to these guys."

"Yes I do, Marcus." she said with determination in her voice. "The reason they left is because they believe my father abandoned our primary mission, which is to gather and preserve tech. If we walk away from this now we'll be confirming everything they think about my father. I can't do that, Marcus. I won't!"

The look on Sarah's face told Marcus there was no changing her mind. He knew he could just walk away (he was the one with the PIPBOY after all), but then Sarah would probably never speak to him again. Plus, she was right. They were Brotherhood, and this was their mission. Marcus took a deep breath and nodded his head. "Alright, let's show them what we've got."

Marcus and Sarah emerged from their locker rooms wearing the white Neural Interface Suit, and they both laughed at how ridiculous they looked. Before getting into the pod, Marcus knelled down and said goodbye to Dogmeat, who let out a whimper.

"I know boy, I wish you could go with me too. But I'll be back soon, I promise."

The dog whined and licked his cheek. Marcus climbed into the pod, took a deep breath and sat back. He looked over to his right, and Sarah had just climbed into the one next to him. McGraw walked over to her. "Are you all set?"

Sarah nodded.

The Protector began to walk away, but then stopped and turned. "Lyons there's something you should know..." He hesitated and looked over at Specialist Olin, who had a look of dread on her face. He turned back to Sarah, and he too, looked worried. "...good luck." He quickly turned and walked away.

The entire scene left Sarah confused. 'Was McGraw trying to tell her something?' she thought.

"Hey." Marcus called. "See you on the other side, Sarah."

Removed from her train of thought, Sarah turned and smiled at him. "I'll see you there."

The system was turned on and the pods closed. A few seconds later, the world they knew disappeared around them.