Chapter 43: An Unpaid Debt

"May the soul of our dearly departed friend forever bask in the warmth of Atom's glow." Confessor Cromwell, leader of the Children of the Atom, raised his hands towards the sky as he gave the invocation. "In his name we pray, Amen."

With the prayers and speeches concluded, Lucas Simms and Andy Stahl carefully placed the body of Andy's brother Leo into the pre-dug grave. It had been twenty-four hours since Jenny had returned to the Brass Lantern to find her brother dead from an overdose of Jet. While everyone in town was saddened by the news, no one was surprised. As Doc Church put it: "Leo had been chasing that dragon for years...and now it finally caught up with him." Though Leo was not a member of the Children of the Atom Church, Cromwell offered a blessing at the funeral. While she appreciated the gesture, Jenny really didn't care. No prayers from any church, or to any god, were going to make a difference. Her brother was dead...and it was because she failed to protect him. She could no longer hold back her tears as her brother Andy and Lucas began shoveling the dirt onto his shroud covered body. One by one the town's residence began to disperse, offering their condolences to Jenny as they did. She was so numb she barely reacted to their sympathy.

One resident of the town had been standing a good distance away from the rest of the crowd during the funeral. The former raider took a final drag of his cigarette, and after tossing it on the ground, cautiously made his way over to the distraught sister. By now most of the town's residence had left, except for Marcus and Sarah. Neither of them had known Leo very well, but Jenny had always been kind to Marcus. As Jericho approached Jenny, he cleared his throat. "Jenny...um...listen I wanted to say that um..."

He never finished his sentence as Jenny's hand slapped him across his face. "How DARE you show your face here, Jericho!"

Jericho took a step back. "Take it easy, alright! I just wanted to say that I'm sorry about your brother."

Jenny's eyes were filled with rage, and she slowly began stepping toward the former Raider, making him back up. "You're sorry? YOU'RE SORRY! It's because of you and that poison you and your master peddle that he's dead!" She balled her fist and began pounding on his chest; tears of rage in her eyes. "YOU KILLED HIM! DO YOU HEAR ME JERICHO! YOU KILLED HIM..."

To his credit, Jericho did not hit back, or even attempt to defend himself. He stood there and let the distraught woman hit him as she ranted, until finally her surviving brother Andy pulled Jenny off of him. "I think you'd better leave, Jericho! Now!"

The old Raider just stood there, and for a moment Marcus could swear he saw a look of sadness and regret on his face. Finally, Jericho just waved his hands in disgust. "Fine! I'm out'a here." He turned and walked off, and the only sounds that could be heard were that of Jenny sobbing into her brother's shoulder.

Marcus' home, later that evening...

"So what's the story with Jenny and Jericho?" Sarah asked as she took a drink from her beer.

Marcus shrugged. "Well it's no secret that Moriarty has his hands in the drug trade, and since it was an overdose of Jet that killed Leo, she rightly blames him and Jericho."

Sarah shook her head. "No I saw the look in her eyes. There was real hatred there...as if those two had a history."

Marcus took a swig from his beer bottle. "Well...I don't know how many people know this but...when I hacked Moriarty's computer I found the files he kept on everybody in town, and Jenny's stated that Jericho had gotten drunk one night and tried to rape her."

Sarah's eyes narrowed. "And he had the nerve to try to talk to her?"

"I know it sounds twisted, but I think Jericho has some kind of...infatuation with her."

Sarah shook her head in disgust. "Well if someone tried to rape me, I'd make sure they couldn't have an infatuation with anyone."

The sound of muffled shouting from outside caught their attention, and Marcus walked over to the door and pressed his ear to it.

"...my way, you bucket of bolts!"

"You are on the CO's no entry list. Now move alone!"

"I swear if you don't get out of my way I'm gonna turn you into a piss bucket!"

"I'd like to see you try, you one eyed turd..."

Marcus let out a sigh. "Speak of the devil." He opened the door and took in the sight of Jericho and RL-3 standing toe-to-toe, ready to throw down. "Sergeant, stand down. It's okay, he can pass."

RL-3 turned to his commander. "Sir, yes sir!" He turned back to the former Raider. "You're lucky, maggot!"

Jericho waved the robot off. "Ah, go fuck a toaster!" He stormed past Marcus and entered the house. "I need to talk to you."

Marcus closed the door. "About what?"

"It's about your girlfriend; the one from the Vault."

It was as if the air had been sucked out of the room. Sarah slowly stood up as she watched Marcus, and though he was controlling it, she could see the anger building inside of him. The Lone Wanderer slowly took a few steps forward. "You'd better choose your next words very carefully, Jericho." he growled.

"You think that Talon Company and Tenpenny were the only ones responsible for her getting killed, but you're wrong."

Sarah stood up. "What the hell are you talking about?" She snapped.

"You were so blinded by your thirst for vengeance that you failed to ask the most obvious question: how did Tenpenny find out about your girlfriend? Did you ever tell anybody?"

Marcus seemed to be deep in thought. "No I...I never told..."

"Think harder, kid. Maybe you got drunk one night and started running your mouth to a certain prostitute."

Realization hit Marcus like a thunderbolt, and he felt a knot in the pit of his stomach. "Nova!"

"Bingo! Now don't go blaming her, kid, Nova tried to keep quiet...but Moriarty has a wicked back-hand if you know what I mean."

Marcus' voice was barely above a whisper. "It was Moriarty."

Jericho nodded. "Yeah, that's right. After you rescued his daughter, Moriarty couldn't touch you...not without everyone in this town turning on him. But he knew Allistair had a hit on you, so he gave the old bastard the information on your girl."

As Marcus stood there speechless, Sarah spoke up. "Well obviously the bastard's plan didn't work."

Jericho scoffed at her. "You don't get it, do you Warrior Goddess! Moriarty doesn't make a move unless he's sure to come out on top; no matter what happens. Let me explain to the two of you how the criminal underworld around here works. Before you crawled out of that hole in the ground, there were five bosses here who ran the show. Moriarty runs the drug trade. Eulogy ran the slave trade. Then there was Dukov, who controlled all of the gambling here in the Capital. The fourth was Ahzrukhal; he handled the ghoul side of the business. And finally there was the king himself, Allistair Tenpenny."

Jericho pointed at Marcus. "After you whacked Eulogy, Dukov and Ahzrukhal, Tenpenny was the only one left standing in Moriarty's way. He figured if Allistair killed you, it be one less thorn in his side. But if you managed to kill Tenpenny, then Moriarty would be in control of everything." Jericho looked Marcus dead in the eye. "Now because of you, Moriarty is the undisputed boss of bosses. Everyday he gets more powerful, and pretty soon he's going to start putting the squeeze to you and your Brotherhood."

Now it was Sarah's turn to scoff. "What could a bunch of low life criminals and Raiders possibly do to the Brotherhood?"

"Oh I don't know," his voice was dripping with sarcasm, "maybe start launching raids against those precious water caravans of yours? Do you really think all of that is random?"

Sarah seemed to loose some of her bluster. Jericho continued. "With enough money and power he can bribe leaders of settlements to deny you support. He can payoff wastelanders and Raiders to block the roads. Assassinate members of your leadership. Hell, even some of your own troops can be bought."

Marcus felt like he was going to be physically sick. His actions during this past year had inadvertently made Moriarty the most powerful crime lord in the Capital. Worst of all, he was the reason Tenpenny had found out about Amata and targeted her. After a few moments of awkward silence, Marcus had finally found his voice. "Why are you telling me this?"

Jericho looked him right in the eye. "Isn't it obvious, kid? I want you to put an end to Moriarty once and for all! I want you to put two bullets into his fucking head!"

It didn't take Marcus long to figure out what Jericho's real motivations were. "Why...so that you can take over?"

"Exactly." Jericho deadpanned.

Marcus stared daggers at him. "And how the fuck would you be any different then Moriarty?"

"Look kid, I've done some pretty fucked up shit in my day - I don't deny it. But me and my gang...we had a code. There were lines even we didn't cross."

Sarah crossed her arms and snorted. "Raiders with a code of ethics! Give me a break!"

"Judge me all you want, Warrior Goddess, but not all of us got to grow up in a nice, comfy Vault, or in a military base surrounded by guys in power armor. Those of us who grew up out here did what we had to do just to see the next fucking morning! But I kept my guys on a leash. Sure I did my share of Jet, but I got off that shit real fast and I told my guys if they dealed, they died! Gambling, booze and women are one thing, but that drug shit...that's a dirty business! I've seen too many guys put into the ground by that crap." He pointed in the direction of the cemetery. "That Stahl kid was just the beginning. If Moriarty isn't stopped, people all over the Capital will be drop'n like flies.

"You take him out, put me in charge and I'll reign in the Raiders. I'll stop the attacks on your caravans and put an end to this drug shit. And I'll even shut down the slave trade since I know how much that pisses you off. But if you go off half cocked like you did with Tenpenny, you'll leave a power vacuum, and it's gonna start a gang war that'll make your war with the Enclave look like a picnic."

Several moments of silence passed as Jericho waited for Marcus' response. The Lone Wanderer began rubbing his chin and slowly pacing inside the room. Sarah was watching him intently, trying to figure out what he was thinking. Even though it had been months since Marcus' rampage, the image of the man he was during that dark time still sent a chill up her spine. Finally, Marcus stopped his pacing and stared at the former Raider. "If I do this, I have one condition."

Jericho was visibly surprised. "What's that?"

"Once Moriarty is gone, I want you to release Gob and Nova from their contracts, and I want Moriarty's saloon to go to them."

Jericho's eye shot wide open, and then the former Raider chuckled. "Alright, kid, you got a deal. Now listen, I've arranged Moriarty to meet with a potential client tomorrow at Wilhelm's Wharf but it's bogus. Now he doesn't go anywhere outside of Megaton these days without an escort, but most of them are Raiders and I've got them in my pocket. He's got a few mercs though; hired guns that you're going to have to deal with. I'll tell you where and when tomorrow morning." Jericho held out his hand, and Marcus shook it, sealing the deal.

Marcus showed Jericho out, and as soon as he'd turned around, he was greeted by Sarah's right hook. The surprised hit knocked him back against the wall, and soon the Sentinel had her forearm pressed against his throat.

"What...is wrong with you...Sarah!"

"What's wrong with me, what's wrong with YOU! You're actually going to get into bed with that scumbag!"

Using the skills Charon showed him, Marcus managed to break free from Sarah's hold and pushed her across the room and into the kitchen table, knocking over a couple of chairs. Marcus cautiously approached her. "And what the HELL do you expect me to do? Let that bastard get away with it!"

Sarah gritted her teeth and threw another punch, only this time Marcus was ready and he ducked out of the way. She tried to throw another, but Marcus caught her fist, and used her momentum to twist her arm behind her back, and he struggled to hold Sarah against his body. "Will you stop and listen..."

He was interrupted by an elbow to his chest, and the blow caused him to let go of Sarah just enough for her to grab his arm and toss him over her shoulder. Marcus slammed onto his back, and Dogmeat began barking in the corner, not sure of what to make of the spectacle. Sarah straddled Marcus and held him down, a mixture of anger and fear in her eyes. "Now you listen to me! I don't care what he did to you! I'm not going to let you go after him! I am not going to stand by and watch you become that monster again!" Tears were now in her eyes, and her voice began to crack. "And if I have to break every bone in your body to stop you then I'll do it!"

As Marcus laid there staring up into the tear filled eyes of the woman he loved, he finally understood why she was acting like this. He slowly reached up and gently whipped one of her tears away. "Do you think I would do that to you again? I made a promise, Sarah...and I intend to keep it."

Sarah was slowly beginning to regain control of her emotions. "I saw the look in your eyes, Marcus. It was the same look you had at Fort Banister."

Marcus shut his eyes and took a deep breath as he tried to push away the memory. "I know...I know. But that's not me anymore, okay. I told Jericho I'd help him get rid of Moriarty...but I'm going to do it my way, not his."

Sarah responded with silence as she studied the face of the man she loved.

"You have to trust me, Sarah. I will keep my promise; I will not kill him in cold blood...but he has to pay for what he did to Amata."

Sarah relaxed her hold on him and slowly rolled off of him. Marcus picked himself up, and the two were standing face to face. "Do you think you can trust, Jericho?"

Marcus snorted. "Not in the least. But something about the way he acted at Leo's funeral...I think it might have been the last straw for him. Sometimes the only choice we have is between the devil we know, and the one we don't know."

Though she couldn't argue with the logic, Sarah still didn't like it. "How do you know he's even telling the truth? This could all be a set up by Moriarty to lure you out of town and into a trap."

"I've thought of that...which is why I need to talk to an old friend."

Butch couldn't hide the shit eating grin as he pulled on his Tunnel Snakes jacket. He placed his caps on the dresser in front of him, a turned to the other occupant in the room. "Until next time, sweetheart."

Nova stood up from the bed and approached him, making sure to put a little extra effort into her hips. Her naked breast pressed against the enforcer's chest as she gave him a last kiss. "I'll be counting the hours, hon."

Butch grinned as he drank in her kiss. He knew she was lying, but he didn't care. He'd paid his caps...and this was just part of the service. He turned to leave...and ran smack into Marcus Lincoln, who had just uncloaked in the prostitute's room.

"JESUS CHRIST!" Butch yelped. Nova let out a shriek and retreated to the bed, pulling the sheet over her naked body. Once he'd gotten over the initial shock, Butch turned red with anger. "What the hell are you doing here?! Is this how you get your rocks off these days!"

Marcus just stared coldly at his former nemesis. "Did you know?"

Butch stared at Marcus as if he had two heads. "Did I know WHAT? What the hell are you talking about?"

Marcus' gaze fell on Nova, and the prostitute shifted uncomfortably and stared at the ground. "No...he wasn't here when Moriarty found out."

Now Butch was even more confused. "What the hell are you two talking about? Found out what?"

Marcus continued to stare at Nova, and after a few moments she took a deep breath. "Moriarty forced me to tell him about Marcus' girlfriend from the Vault. He then gave the information to Tenpenny, who gave it Talon Company."

Butch's jaw dropped open. "Wait a minute. Are you saying that...Moriarty was the one who got Amata killed?"

Marcus nodded.

"No. No way that...that doesn't make any sense..."

Nova stood up. "It's true, Butch." She let the sheet slip off her shoulders, and she lifted up her arm...revealing the healed cigarette burns just beneath her arm pit. "Moriarty doesn't like to leave any visible marks on his merchandise." She looked to Marcus; tears welling up in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Marcus. I tried to..."

Marcus raised his hand and cut off her apology. "It's okay, Nova. I know you didn't have a choice."

Butch began rubbing his forehead and pacing around the room. "Oh man! This is...this is fucked up, man! Look Marcus, I know I used to give you and Amata a hard time but...I would never...you know I would never..."

Marcus nodded. "I believe you, Butch. But I need to know right here and right now...is your loyalty still with Moriarty?"

Butch's gaze shifted to Nova, then back to the Lone Wanderer. "You're planning on taking Moriarty out, aren't you?"

Marcus hesitated for a moment before answering. "I'm going to make sure he pays for Amata's death. Jericho will take over once it's done.

Butch shifted uncomfortably as he considered his options. "Well then count me in. Jericho would be a welcome change to this organization. You just say the word and I'll be ready."

Marcus shook hands with Butch, and without saying another word, activated his cloak and left.

Moriarty was starting to get annoyed as he sat at his usually table at Wilhelm's Wharf, waiting for his contact to arrive. Jericho, Butch, four Raiders and four other mercs were keeping a respectful distance from their boss, but were still close enough to protect him from harm.

Moriarty stared at his time piece. It was 3:10pm. "I'm give'n this guy just five more minutes!" He snapped. He tossed his head back and finished off his latest shot of whiskey, when someone sat down in the chair in front of him. "Sorry to keep you waiting."

Try as he might, Moriarty could not contain the surprise on his face. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Marcus calmly sat across from the Mob boss. The Lone Wanderer was wearing his Ranger armor and Regulator duster, and though he was calm, it was taking all of Marcus' will power to stop himself from killing the man on the spot. "I'm here to collect a debt."

Moriarty chuckled. "Oh are ya, now? And just what the fuck do you think I owe you?"

Marcus shook his head. "It's not for me...it's for Amata Almodovar."

Moriarty looked as though someone had just walked over his grave. To his credit, the mob cheiftain quickly recovered and presented him with a smug grin. "I don't know what you think you've heard, but I had nothin' to do with it. Allistair's the one who killed your girl...and you already took care of him."

As Marcus sat there listening to Moriarty's lies, he observed as two of the mercs slowly flanked him and took up position behind him. He stared the mob boss dead in the eye. "You can come with me quietly...or this can get ugly."

Moriarty busted out laughing. "Oh, you've got balls, I'll give ya that. Look around, boy'o. Even you couldn't beat these odds alone."

Marcus flashed him a grin, then made a gesture as if he was about to order something. A second later one of the mercs standing behind crumbled to the ground, followed a moment later by the second. No one heard or saw the sniper, and Moriarty reached for his side arm, but Marcus already had his desert eagle pointed at his head. The two remaining mercs raised their rifles, but were both shot in the back by Jericho and Butch.

Moriarty turned around and saw his two most trusted enforcers, and the four Raiders, pointing their guns at him. All of the color drained from his face, and for the first time since he'd met the mob boss, Marcus could see real fear in his eyes. "You rat bastards!" he spat. "You've just killed yourself, you one eyed fuck..."

Jericho cut off his rant by punching Moriarty in the face. The former Raider grinned. "Man, I have waited a long time to do that."

Marcus rose from his chair, walked around the table and pressed the gun to Moriarty's temple. In that moment, the terrible memory of Amata bleeding and dying in his arms, a memory he had spent months trying to forget, was now in the forefront of him mind. The rage was building inside of him, and he gritted his teeth as he pressed the pistol harder against Colin's head. He'd wanted to kill Moriarty since the day he'd left the Vault, and now here was his chance...

Sarah Lyons calmly strolled into the Wharf, caring her silenced .308 sniper rifle, and wearing her green combat armor. She watched as Marcus stood up, walked over to Moriarty and placed the muzzle of his pistol against the man's temple. Soon he was pressing the desert eagle so hard against Moriarty's head that he was beginning to slump to the side. Sarah froze and visible tensed up as she waited to see what Marcus would do next. To her relief, he reached into his belt, and tossed a set of shackles on the table. "Put them on!" he ordered Moriarty.

Everyone stood there in utter shock, but no one was more surprised then Jericho. "Hey...what gives? You said you were gonna kill him."

"I told you I'd get rid of him, and that's exactly what I'm doing. I'm taking him to Vault 101 to stand trial."

Jericho was furious. "Are you fucking kidding me? A trial!"

Butch started to chuckle. "Always the goody-two shoes."

Jericho was not amused, and he raised his AK-47. "Fuck you! We had a deal!"

Sarah cocked her sniper rifle and pointed it directly at Jericho's head. Marcus kept his gun trained on Moriarty as he spoke to the former Raider. "And I'm keeping my end of it! I know Gomez; he and the rest of the Vaultees will want payback after what happened...but it's going to be done the right way! Now it's your choice, Jericho. You can except this and become the boss...or Sarah can splatter your brains all over this wharf."

The stand-off lasted for a few tense moments. Jericho was gritting his teeth as he weighed his options. After what seemed like an eternity, the new mob boss lowered his weapon and shook his head. "Kid...you're a real piece of work."

Sarah lowered her rifle, and everyone began to relax. Marcus gave Moriarty a not so subtle jab with the muzzle of his desert eagle, and the former mob boss placed the shackles on his wrist. "You have no idea what you've done." He spat.

"Shut up!" Marcus yelled. He turned to Jericho. "You just remember to keep your end of the deal, Jericho."

"Yeah, yeah, don't you worry about that. Unlike some people I actually keep my word."

Moriarty sneered. "You won't last a week!"

Butch grabbed Colin and forced him on his feet. "We'll see, old man." He turned to Marcus. "Is it alright if I help you bring him back to 101?"

Marcus tilted his head to the side. "I didn't think you'd ever want to go back there."

"Hey, I'm not planning on moving back in, but some of the people that he killed...they were my friends too. And I want to see this fucker get what he deserves!"

Marcus regarded Butch for a moment. 'Being on the outside has definitely changed him', he thought. "Alright, let's go."

The alarm wailed as the giant cog of Vault 101 was moved open. The Vault's Overseer, Herman Gomez, stood in front of the entrance with the bulk of his security detail backing him up. Everyone stood perfectly still as the four visitors made their way inside. Gomez broke the awkward silence. "Marcus. Butch. Hu, I never thought I'd ever see either one of you again; let alone together. So...what's this all about?"

Marcus grabbed Moriarty by his arm and pushed him forward. "This is Colin Moriarty. He provided information to Allistair Tenpenny, which enable Talon Company to ambush Amata's caravan. I've brought him here to stand trial."

Moriarty spit on the ground. "You bastards have no right..."

Marcus punched Colin in the stomach, and the former mob boss nearly threw up it's contents.

The Vaultees stared at Marcus in shock. Gomez walked up to the Moriarty and stared daggers at the man. "I have to admit I'm surprised, Marcus. After what you did to the others..." He left the sentence unfinished.

"Before I turn him over to you, I'd like to address the rest of the Vault."

Gomez cocked his head to the side. "Why?"

Marcus hesitated for a moment before answering. "There is something I need to say...and after everything that's happened, Overseer...I'd say you owe me."

Gomez studied the Lone Wanderer for a few moments, trying to figure out what he was up too. The look on his companions faces told Gomez they were as much in the dark as he was. Finally, he let out a sigh. "Alright, Marcus. I'll have everyone muster in the Atrium."

Fifteen minutes later...

All two-hundred and twenty-seven residence of Vault 101 assembled in the atrium. By now everyone knew that Marcus and Butch had returned, along with the Brotherhood of Steel's Sentinel, but they had no idea why. The three of them, along with the still shackled Moriarty were standing up front, and the Vault's Overseer approached the podium. "Attention everyone. I've called you all here because our former resident, Marcus Lincoln would like to address our community."

A mixture of yelling, boo's and a few cheers rose up, and Gomez raised his hand to calm them down. "Alright, quiet! Quiet please! Settle down!"

The crowd quieted down and the Overseer continued. "Now I expect everyone here to be respectful and listen to what he has to say." He turned to his left. "Marcus, you have the floor."

Marcus stepped up to the podium and took a moment to stare out into the sea of faces. Most of them had a look of curiosity on them, while others were down right hostile. The Lone Wanderer took a deep breath and began to speak. "I won't take up too much of your time. I came here today to deliver Colin Moriarty into your custody."

Sarah and Butch pushed their prisoner to the front so that all can see him. Marcus continued. "He was part of the conspiracy that led to Amata's caravan being ambushed and slaughtered."

A chorus of gasped and shrieks rose up from the crowd. Marcus waited patiently for it to die down before continuing. "Now before I turn him over to you to stand trial, there's a question I want answered." He paused and took a moment to stare at Sarah, who shot him a confused look. Marcus addressing the entire Vault was not part of the plan, and she had been racking her brain trying to figure out what he was up too. Finally, Marcus turned back to the crowd. "Which one of you is the traitor?"

The Vault was so quiet you could've heard a pin drop. All of the residences had blank stares on their faces, and Marcus carefully scanned the crowd as he let the implication sink in.

The silence was finally broken by Susie Mack. "Marcus what are you saying?" she meekly asked.

"Talon Company knew where and when Amata's caravan was going to be, and the size of it. The only way they could've known was if someone here tipped them off." He turned to Moriarty. "Isn't that right?"

A hard nudge from Butch compelled him to answer. "Aye! It's true!"

Shocked murmurers could be heard from the crowd, and they were getting louder by the second. One of the residence shot out of his seat. "Who the hell are you to come here and accuse one of us!"

More of the residences stood up and began shouting insults at Marcus, who silently stood there staring down at the ground. His fist slammed down on the podium, and the loud bang caused everyone to quiet down. Sarah could see Marcus' other hand gripping the side of the podium; his knuckles turning white. She (along with the rest of the residences), could see the rage building in his eyes, and Gomez and a couple of the security guards took a step back.

The monster was threatening to come out, screaming to be unleashed...but Marcus would not allow it. Forcing the beast back into it's cage, he addressed the residences again, and his voice took on a low, menacing tone. "I'll ask again. Who betrayed her?"

Dead silence was all that greeted him, and Marcus walked around the podium and began to walk through the crowd; most of him were now on their feet. He methodically made his way through the sea of blue jumpsuits, searching for any signs of guilt. The traitor was here, in this room...he could feel it.

He was halfway through the crowd when Marcus noticed a lone figure, still sitting in his chair; his eyes not fixed on the Lone Wanderer, but on the ground in front of him. Marcus slowly made his way over to the security officer, dressed in his blue armor. The rest of the residence parted before him, and soon Marcus was standing over the officer. "I always knew you hated me, Wally...but I never knew how much."

Wally Mack forced himself to raise his head and stared at Marcus with bloodshot eyes. It was clear to the Lone Wanderer that he'd been crying...and that he'd probably not had a descent night's sleep in quite a while.

Susie Mack, Wally's sister, made her way over to them. "Wally?"

He looked over at this sister; tears welling up in his eyes again. "Nobody was suppose to get hurt." He blurted out.

Susie's heart was in the pit of her stomach, and she began shaking her head. "Wally...no! Nononononono...it doesn't make...why? WHY WALLY?!"

Wally shot out of his chair and took a step back from Marcus. "BECAUSE OF OUR FATHER! BECAUSE OF AGNES, JONAS...EVERYONE WHO DIED BECAUSE OF HIM!" He addressed the rest of the Vault residences, a mixture of anger and regret on his face. "They promised me, PROMISED me no one would get hurt! They were just suppose to take Amata hostage and let the rest go. They said once you were dead, they would let Amata go, too."

Gomez and several security officers were now standing next to Susie. "You actually believed those animals, Wally? You sold out Amata and everyone in that caravan. You even sold out your own sister!"

Wally shook his head. "She wasn't even suppose to be on that caravan!"

Susie's tear filled eyes shot wide open. "He's...he's right. I was a last minute replacement. You...you begged me not to go."

Tears were now streaming down Wally's face. "Nobody was suppose to get hurt. Nobody was suppose to get hurt!" He stared at Marcus, and the hate and anger returned. "You! You ruined everything!" Wally drew his 10mm pistol, placed it under his chin and pulled the trigger. Everyone in the atrium screamed, but none more than Susie. As she wept over the body of her dead brother, Marcus calmly walked out of the atrium without saying a word.

Gomez poured the last of the tequila into the four glasses which were lined up on his desk. After handing one to Marcus, Sarah and Butch, the Overseer raised his own. "To those we lost."

The four companions each downed their drinks. It was a simple, yet somber close to a terrible chapter in the Vault's history.

"You know Marcus," Gomez began, "the last time I saw you, you were...lost. It's good to see that you've found your way back."

Marcus thanked him. "Looking at Wally back there...it was like looking at myself. A few months ago I was exactly where he was...blinded by anger."

Sarah gently touched his arm. "You found the strength to come back from it, Marcus. Wally's anger consumed him."

Butch shrugged. "Well if you ask me, the little shit got what he deserved."

Gomez rolled his eyes. "It's nice to see you haven't changed too much, Butch. Listen Marcus, as far as I'm concerned your exile is over. You're welcome back here anytime you want."

Marcus was visibly surprised by the Overseer's decree. "What about the rest of the residence."

"You let me worry about that, okay. A lot of bad things may have happened down here since your dad opened the Vault, but there's also a lot of good that's come from it. We've taken in new residences, made trading agreements with almost every major settlement in the Capital, and now we're rebuilding Springvale. Lucas Simms and I are even discussing unifying our two communities."

"That's outstanding, Gomez." Marcus said.

Butch finished off his tequila. "Well, I'd better get back to Megaton. Jericho's going to need all the help he can to get the gangs in line."

Marcus gave Butch a firm hand shake...and an even firmer warning. "You just make sure you and Jericho keep your end of the deal."

"Relax, okay hero! Jericho's ambitious, but he's not suicidal...and neither am I." After saying goodbye to Gomez, Butch left the office. Gomez shook Marcus' hand. "Marcus...if your father was here now, he'd be proud of the man you've become."

Marcus quickly swallowed the lump forming in his throat, and managed to thank the Overseer. With their goodbyes concluded, Marcus and Sarah exited the Overseer's office. Marcus took her in his arms and gave her a passionate kiss. "Thank you." he breathed.

Sarah smiled at him. "I'm just glad it's over...and that you kept your promise."

Marcus released her. "Listen there's...something else I have to do before I go and...I'd like to do it alone. Will you wait here for me?"

Sarah nodded. "What do you have to do?"

Marcus took a deep breath. "There's someone I have to say goodbye to."

The Overseer's burial crypt was a mixture of simplicity and coldness. While the rest of the Vault residence's remains were incinerated and disposed of due to the lack of space, the Overseer's ashes were interned here. The atmosphere of the crypt sent a chill up Marcus' spine, and he walked down the wall of tombs until he finally found the one he was looking for. The facade had a simple brass plaque with Amata's name, birth year and year of her death engraved on it, and an eight by ten photo was mounted underneath it. Marcus immediately began to choke up when he saw the image of her smiling face; a face so full of life and hope.

"Hello Amata. I um...I'm sorry I wasn't able to come by sooner." He struggled to find the right words, and he sighed. "I've never been very good at this. I just...wanted to tell you that it's over...you can rest now." He placed his hand on the cold steel of the crypt, and his eyes filled up with tears. "God I miss you, Amata. I'll always miss you. You were..." his voice began to crack. "...you were my first true love...and you'll always have a special place in my heart. But I've..." he stared down at the ground and took a deep breath. "...I've met someone. And I...I love her. I love her...more then my life."

A slight chuckle escaped from him. "You two are opposites but...I think you would've liked her." The tears were flowing down his cheeks, and he quickly tried to whip them away. "I don't want you to...I don't want you to think I'm replacing you - no one could ever replace you. But..." he gently placed his hand on her picture, and his voice nearly failed him, "...but I have to let you go. But I know...I know you're up there, with my parents, watching over me."

He stood there for a few minutes, quietly sobbing. He wasn't sure how much time had passed when he finally whipped away his tears, kissed the tips of his fingers, and gently pressed them against the picture. "Goodbye." He forced himself to turn around, and he slowly made his way out of the crypt.

Sarah pressed her back against the wall, just outside of the crypt, trying to hold back her own tears. A part of her felt guilty about following Marcus and listening in on such a private moment...but after hearing what he had said, her heart was about to burst out of chest. Though she would never admit it, there was always a fear in the back of her mind that, while there was no doubt Marcus loved her, he would never love her the way he'd loved Amata. Sarah always chastised herself for thinking like that; telling herself it was foolish to be jealous of a ghost. But the doubt would always find it's way to the surface, and she found herself laying awake at night wondering if she would ever measure up to Amata Almodovar.

All of those doubts were now gone. She was the love of Marcus' life. Not a memory, or a ghost, but her.

She heard Marcus whisper goodbye, and Sarah made a hasty, yet quiet retreat back down the hall. She was confident that she'd made it back to the main passageway without Marcus knowing, and she took a moment to catch her breath. A minute later Marcus appeared inside the passageway, and when he approached her, Sarah could not help herself and threw her arms around him and kissed him.

When they're lips separated, Marcus was clearly surprised by the gesture. "What was that for?"

Sarah beamed at him. "Do I need a reason?"

Marcus grinned and kissed her again. "I guess not." He placed his arm around her. "How about I buy you a drink at Gob's new saloon?"

Sarah flashed him another smile. "Sounds good to me."

Two weeks later, Colin Moriarty was found guilty of murder and hanged.