Chapter 38: The Gift

Megaton, three days after Operation Anchorage...

"Okay Moira, let's try it out." Marcus said as he stood in his home wearing his Winterized T-51b armor.

"Okay...keep your fingers crossed!"

Sarah (who was standing next to Marcus with a fire extinguisher) visibly tensed. Though she was brilliant, Moira didn't exactly have a good safety record when it came to these test.

Marcus pushed a button on his PIPBOY and disappeared. "Okay Sarah start timing me."

Sarah started the digital timer and waited. The standard stealth boy kept someone camouflaged for thirty minutes, while the Chinese stealth armor lasted two hours. Marcus and Moira had spent the last two days trying to combine the stealth armor's camouflage tech to the power armor, and this would be the third test.

"So," Marcus began, "wanna play cards?"

Sarah smirked. "Why? So that I can beat your ass again?"

Marcus chuckled. After losing two hundred caps to her, it was clear Sarah had played more then a few games with the soldiers of the Brotherhood. "Well we might as well listen to music while we wait. Moira, turn on GNR radio."

Moira tuned into the station, and the familiar voice of Three Dog was heard. "...for some news! Guess what day it is, children. I know, I know, it's July 13th, 2277, and you're probably ask'in 'Three Dog, what's so special about today?' Well I'm gonna tell ya. My sources tell me that today is somebody's birthday. Who's you may ask? The one and only Lone Wanderer, Marcus Lincoln."

Marcus groaned and rolled his eyes. "Oh no!"

"That's right, children! Nineteen years ago today our Wasteland Saint, the Last, Best Hope for Humanity was born to James and Catherine Lincoln. So if you see that crazy kid from Vault 101, give him a warm happy birthday...and maybe some ammo as a gift. Until next time, this is Three Dog, awwwwww, and you're listening to Galaxy News Radio. Now, some music..."

Sarah spread her arms out in surprise. "Why didn't you tell me it was your birthday?"

Marcus turned off the radio and shrugged. "I don't know I...forgot I guess."

"How do forget your own birthday?"

"Well it's...been a pretty crazy seven months for me if you hadn't noticed." It was then Marcus realized the full meaning of that statement. He had left the Vault a few days after the New Year, and now it was mid July. Had it really been over seven months?

"Well we should celebrate!" Sarah said. "After this test we can go to Jenny's for a drink."

Marcus shifted uncomfortably. "I don't make a big deal..."

There was a knock at the door.

"Too late!" Moira chimed in.

Marcus sighed and shook his head. "Let'em in."

Sarah couldn't stop smiling as she opened the door, and both Billy Creel and Maggie were standing outside. "Hey! Is Marcus here?"

Sarah stepped aside. "He is but um...you can't really see him."

Billy and Maggie spotted the shimmer standing in the middle of the room as it waved to them. "Hey Billy...I'm doing a field test. Nothing to worry about."

Billy was dumbfounded for a moment. "Oh! Well...happy birthday, kid!" He and Maggie stepped inside. "Here, I didn't know what to get and it was kinda short notice...but I know how much you like that shotgun so I got you some extra shells."

Marcus looked inside the small box and counted eight twelve gauge rounds. "Thanks Billy, but you really don't have to..."

"And I got you a tennis ball!" Maggie said as she held up her gift. "So that you could play with Dogmeat!"

Dogmeat barked and waged his tail.

Marcus took the ball out of the young girl's hand. "I...thank you, Maggie.

There was another knock on the door, and in stepped Jenny Stahl and her brothers Leo and Andy. "Happy Birthday!" They all said together. Jenny was caring a plate filled with food. "I don't have cake, but I brought your favorite foods..."

And so it went. Everyone in the town a Megaton, and even a few from Vault 101, arrived at Marcus' house baring gifts. Even Jessica, Moriarty's daughter, arrived with a bottle of her father's best whiskey that he quote "carelessly left unlocked". Before long a small party began inside the house, and it eventually spilled out on the catwalk. While Marcus was being mobbed, Sarah stood in the corner and watched as the endless stream of well wishers arrived. Seeing all these people expressing their love and appreciation towards him reminded Sarah of why she was in love with Marcus. After three days though, she was no closer to telling him how she felt.

'Maybe I can show him', she thought. Sarah managed to slip out of the party unnoticed and headed for the 101 trading post just outside of town. As luck would have it, Susie Mack was working there that day, and Sarah approached the young woman.

"Hey, Susie."

"Sarah! It's nice to see you. I guess there's a birthday party going on for Marcus. As soon as I get off duty here I plan on heading over."

Sarah placed her hands on the counter. "That's actually why I'm here. I need a gift for Marcus, but I'm not sure what do get him and...you've known him longer than I have and so I wondering..."

Susie smiled and put her index finger up. "I think I have just the thing." She walked into the back, and returned a few moments later holding a small box that was about the size of a book. "I was actually planning on giving this as my gift but...I think he'll appreciate it more from you."

Sarah could pick up the sadness in the young woman's voice. She suspected that Susie had feelings for Marcus that went beyond friendship, but it was clear to everyone that he did not feel the same way. Sarah reached inside her pocket and pulled out a handful of caps. "I'll take it."

The party lasted into the night, long after a successful test of Marcus' new stealth power armor. He'd gotten dressed in a T-shirt and jeans, which allowed him to enjoy the rest of his party in comfort. When the last guest had finally left, Marcus placed his head on the door and let out a sigh. He turned and found Sarah standing in the middle of the room smiling. "Long night?"

Marcus chuckled as he walked over to her. "Well it wasn't what I had planned but...that was the best birthday I've ever had."

Sarah, who was clearly hiding something behind her back, stepped closer to him. "It's not over yet."

Marcus raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

She handed her gift to him. "Here's my gift."

Marcus took the small object...and his eyes lite up. "Oh my God! Where did you..."

Sarah smiled. "The trading post."

Marcus flipped the object over and examined the back. "Season One of The Walking Dead! I read the comic books my dad smuggled in but...I never knew there was an actual TV series based on it!"

Sarah pointed to the small table in front of the couch. "And I believe that's a working TV and DVD player. So...do you want to watch it?"

Marcus nearly leap over the couch. "Fuck yeah I do!"

It was after midnight when Marcus put in the disk for episodes four and five. He and Sarah sat next to each other on the couch, while Dogmeat was curled up on the end. While Sarah liked some of the action scenes, she couldn't see herself getting into a show like this. That didn't matter to her though; she was having too much fun watching Marcus acting like a kid. "Oh man, did you see that!"

Sarah laughed and rolled her eyes. "You know, I think Charon, Quinn and Gob would call this show racist."

Marcus nearly spit out his nuka cola as he busted out laughing. When he finally composed himself, he sat back on the couch and took Sarah's hand. "Thank you, Sarah. This really is the best birthday I've ever had."

Sarah felt the blood rush to her cheeks as he held her hand in his. She smiled and gave him a squeeze. "I'm glad I could be here for it."

Marcus suddenly found his attention not on the greatest TV series he'd ever seen, but on the beautiful blue and green eyes of Sarah Lyons. She was equally lost in his brown eyes, and she could feel the butterflies in her stomach. In the back of her mind a voice was screaming for her to kiss him, while another was worried that it was too soon...

A scream from the TV, followed by gunfire caused both of their heads to snapped forward. They watched as a zombie ripped the throat out of one of the main characters.

"Whoa." Marcus said in a nervous tone. He only then realized he was still holding Sarah's hand, and he gently let go.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Marcus turned his head. "We can a...watch the rest tomorrow."

Sarah did her best to hide her disappointed. "Yeah...it's getting late."

They sat there in silence until the episode ended.