Fallout 2 - Navarro Ch. 08

I have two more chapters written they just need to be refined. I'm happy for all the feed back, I love to hear from readers. Thanks to everyone who's been coming back for each chapter.

mac

000

Five vertibirds landed, surrounding Vault City. The Vault City guards knew this was the enclave and they weren't a match for this small army and did their best to close up the city as tight as they could.

"What do you think, Stark?" Senior Councilman Daniel McClure asked Nathan Stark, the head of the Vault City guards, as they stood on the top of the wall.

"I think we're boned." Stark told him.

"Can't you do something Stark?" First Citizen Lynette Willan screeched.

"I can toss you over the wall and let you ask if they want to have tea and cookies." Stark said to her.

"How dare you speak to me like that? I'm the First-"

"Shut the hell up Lynette! You're not helping." Daniel told her.

"The laser turrets aren't going to be any match against those." Stark told Daniel. "And my men aren't trained for this."

The Virtibirds all shut down their engines simultaneously and men in advanced power armor and wicked weapons poured out of them, but held their positions close to the machines.

Jason and Ian in their power armor stepped out of the lead Virtibird and Culluch joined them from the pilot's seat, dressed in his combat armor. They walked right up to the gate and Culluch pulled off his flight helmet.

"Greetings to you First Citizen Lynette and Coucilmen McClure," Culluch said saluting them formally. "My commander would like to have a word with you."

"Maybe we don't want to chat with him," Lynette sniped back.

Daniel pinched the bridge of his nose and resisted pushing Lynette off the wall, while stark covered his eyes and kept muttering "we're boned".

"Not one more word out of you Lynette or I swear I'll have Stark dump you off this wall." Daniel warned her and she could see that he meant it and Stark was nodding emphatically.

"We'll speak with your Commander." Daniel said to Culluch. "Of course we would respectfully ask that only you three enter the city."

"That can be arranged," Culluch said back to him. "Of course our men will hold their positions for the moment."

"Of course," Daniel said trying not to throw up.

"Stark, please open the gate for our guest," Daniel said loudly. "And keep control of your men," he whispered to Stark who nodded.

"I love it when you intimidate people," Ian whispered seductively as they took off their helmets.

"I'll intimidate you later." Jason said back.

"Keep it together, lads." Culluch said. "I trust McClure but not Lynette, if anybody is likely to do something stupid it's her. She's not very level headed."

The three men marched into the city like conquering warriors. Daniel, Stark, and Lynette met them, endured introductions from Culluch, and escorted them into the city. Daniel gave a cheery tour of the city to Jason, who nodded at the appropriate times, both of them thinking how much they hated politics.

They were all soon settled at a conference table in the council house, drinking purified water. Stark stood quietly behind Daniel and Lynette, while Ian guarded Jason and Culluch's backs.

"So, what can we do for you Commander Smyth?" Daniel asked, praying it wasn't anything they weren't willing to give up.

"Please call my Jason."

Lynette snorted and then yelped when Daniel kicked her under the table. Jason ignored this byplay.

"Jason then." Daniel said.

"It's actually very simple. You see we're in need of a water chip for our vault."

"I don't think so. You're Enclave, not vault dwellers," Lynette said to them like they were idiots. "You obviously want the chip for some nefarious purpose."

Daniel sighed and looked at Stark, who grabbed Lynette by the back of her vault suit and dragged her out of the room, kicking and screaming all the way.

"I stuffed her in a closet and locked it." He said to Daniel as he came back into the room. "I'm sure she'll gnaw through the door in no time though."

Jason and Ian cracked a smile, while Culluch laughed his ass off.

"I've wanted to do that for years," Daniel said. "So you need a water chip?"

"Yes," Jason said. "I'm told you have quite a few of them in storage."

"Yes. But if you don't mind me asking, what do you want it for?"

"We want it for a vault." Culluch told him.

"You're putting me on."

"No." Jason said taking a sip of his water. "So can we come to some kind of agreement?"

"I'll give you as many as you want if you don't put us through this again. I don't think my heart could take it."

"Done." Jason said easily. "I was hoping not to have to do this again."

"Yes, in the future, you can send my son, and I would be more than willing to negotiate with him." Daniel said sagging in his chair.

Jason looked at Culluch and he mumbled something about Limlew being his mother's maiden name.

"Stark, go and let Lynette out of the closet and confine her to her quarters until our guest leave."

"Yes, sir."

000

"I did wonder where you had gotten off to Culluch." Daniel said to him as they all made their way into the vault.

"I told you I would leave this god forsaken place." Culluch said.

"Culluch is one of the most brilliant scientists that the Enclave has." Jason told Daniel.

"He always was gifted," Daniel said with pride. "He was just stifled here."

"That's one way of putting it." Culluch muttered.

"He's grown." Daniel said to Jason.

"Really?" Jason asked looking at Culluch.

"I left when I was seventeen," Culluch said blushing. "I had one last growth spurt."

"He was five foot and thin as a bird when he left." Daniel said taking in Culluch's five foot ten, leanly muscled body.

"Ten inches Culluch?" Jason's mind was boggled by the thought.

"Like I said, I had another growth spurt. I also went through training like Kali," Culluch said. "I put on close to forty pounds of muscle."

"You seem to have done well for yourself son," Daniel said. "I'm happy for you."

"Thank you father," Culluch said gruffly.

"So tell me who this Kali is. Your wife?" Daniel asked hopefully.

"My protégé." Culluch said with a laugh. "She's probably even more brilliant than I am."

"I see." Daniel said.

"I'm afraid you'll have to wait for grandchildren."

"You're getting older son."

"Cripes! I'm only twenty eight," Culluch said with furrowed brows.

"I think we can leave this discussion for another time." Daniel said.

They made their way down to the last level of the vault and Daniel led them to the last room which was filled with containers. He opened a drawer and motioned toward it.

"Take what you need."

"God!" Culluch said when he looked into the drawer. "There have got to be fifty in here."

"And that's one drawer in one container." Daniel said. "We have several more containers full."

"I'll take five. We'll have extras just in case something else happens." Culluch said pulling out the chips and putting them in small individual containers he'd brought with him.

They all made their way back out of the vault and went on to the entrance of the town.

"We appreciate this very much," Jason said shaking Daniel's hand at the gate.

"Not a problem." He laughed. "We got to lock Lynette in a closet. That's priceless."

"I'm sure I don't want to be here when that harpy confronts you." Jason said and walked off with Ian.

"Goodbye son," Daniel said sticking out his hand.

"Goodbye father," Culluch took his hand and pulled him in for a hug. "I'll come back to visit, I promise."

"See that you do."

Daniel watched his son leave with the rest of the Enclave soldiers. He smiled with pride at the thought of his son becoming a man. He had the feeling that not everyone in the Enclave was that bad after all.

000

"Got the chip," Culluch said walking into the vaults main computer room."

"Excellent," Kali said taking the chip from him.

"I have four spares too."

"Culluch, you're a wonder," Kali said as she installed the water chip.

"Yeah. A tired wonder."

"Go find Quinn." Kali told him. "Get a shower and some sleep."

"I'll do that," Culluch said.

He walked out the room and hunted down Quinn.

"You see your father?" Quinn asked Culluch as he came out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist.

"Yeah." He flopped on the bed next to Quinn. "It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be."

"No?"

"No." He sighed. "He asked me about getting married. He wants grandkids."

"I've been thinking about that," Quinn told him.

"And what have you been thinking?" Culluch asked laying his head on Quinn's muscular chest.

"I think we could find a brilliant but unwanted orphan and adopt him." He gave a small shrug. "You know, teach him how to invent things."

"Teach him to fly." Culluch said. He looked up at Quinn. "You would really want that."

"Of course." Quinn said laughingly. "It's not like either of us is actually going to pop a kid out our asses any time soon."

"A butt baby." Culluch laughed.

"That would be one ugly kid," Quinn told him.

000

"You should have seen it," Jason told Dornan. "Lynette's up on the wall and says "well we don't want to talk to them". I'm pretty sure that McClure almost pushed her off, and the guard captain was muttering, we're boned, over and over again."

Dornan and Hale were almost rolling on the floor laughing as Jason told the story.

"Yeah, but you should have seen the look on your face when McClure told you Culluch was his son," Ian said with a laugh. "Fucking priceless."

"You didn't seem surprised," Jason said suspiciously.

"You remember that conversation we had over dinner?" Ian asked him.

"Ian fucking knows everything that goes on at the base," Dornan said to Jason.

"I'm starting to figure that out." Jason said.

"We have to fly out in the morning Commander," Ian said to Jason. "We should get some sleep."

"What?" Jason asked Dornan who was looking around suspiciously.

"Quinn didn't pop out and make a joke."

"Culluch flew us."

"Oh, never mind then."

"Come on Ian. Let's get some rest." Jason said walking out of the room.

"Yes, sir." Ian said following him.

000

"They a couple?" Hale asked Dornan, as they sat around in the mess drinking bottled water.

"Jason and Ian are. Quinn and Culluch too. You have a problem with that?"

"Nope. Just wondering." Hale shrugged. "Find what happiness you can in post apocalyptia."

"Maybe you should take your own damn advice and go fuck Crissy."

"Ouch, Sergeant Dornan."

"Only speaking the truth Captain Hale."

"Maybe."

"I'm serious. Stop making googly eyes at the girl and tell her you want her."

"Is that what you did with the good Doctor?"

"It sure as hell didn't take me very long." Dornan chuckled. "It helped that Kali basically jumped me."

"Yeah?"

"She fucking told me if I stopped she'd get a gun and shoot me."

Both men had a good laugh.

Crissy, who was standing outside in the hall, listening, was blushing furiously. Hale had been on her mind more and more lately. Popping in at times that he had no business doing so. Maybe Kali was right. She should just go for it. So far she'd been happier in the last three months with Hale than she had been in the last few years.

"What's so funny?" She asked walking into the mess before she could change her mind. She plopped down across from Hale.

"Nothing," Dornan said shaking his head. "I'm off to find Kali. See you two tomorrow."

Hale and Crissy watched Dornan walk away and then there was silence between them.

"I'm shy." Crissy said.

"I know." Hale said taking a drink of water.

"I want to have sex."

Hale's mouthful of water came spewing out and he started coughing. Crissy pounded on his back until she was sure that Hale wasn't going to choke to death.

"You want to have sex?"

"Yes."

"Please say it's with me."

"Nope. Taka."

"Oh."

"Moron, of course I want it to be you."

"Oh, thank god." Hale heaved a sigh of relief.

Crissy rolled her eyes.

"I know it took a lot for you to say that to me, Pumpkin." Hale reached out and caressed her cheek.

"Hale, I've never, you know."

"I know. I promise I'll take care of you."

Crissy stood up and held out her hand.

"Come on then Captain."

"Yes, Ma'am." Hale said standing up to take Crissy's hand. He led her to his room.

"We can take this a little bit at a time." Hale told her.

"I've been dreaming about you for months Hale."

"I've been dreaming about you for longer."

"What do you mean?"

"Come here." He pulled her down on the bed with him.

"Tell me, Hale."

"Your brother Cann served with me for almost five years."

"He did?"

"Yep. I watched you grow through his eyes, Crissy." He smiled. "From a coltish fifteen year old girl to a twenty year old unsure woman."

"Cann promised that I would be watched over if anything ever happened to him." Crissy could feel herself tearing up at the thought of her brother's death.

"And I've kept that promise," Hale said hugging her. "I had to pull quite a few strings to get you in with me."

"Cann was a good soldier wasn't he?"

"The best I ever served with."

Cann had more faults than Hale could ever count. But he always watched Hale's back and he loved his sister with a great devotion that endeared him to Hale, who had no family of his own.

"Now that Cann is gone, I don't have any more family."

"I'll be your family, Crissy."

"What if things don't work out between us?"

"I will always be there for you no matter what. I made that promise to your brother and I'm making it to you now."

"You don't know what that means to me Hale."

"I think I can imagine."

Hale snuggled down onto the bed with Crissy who was already falling asleep. Sex would be great between them, when she was really ready for it, but he was doubly glad that he was starting to form an emotional bond with her. He fell asleep knowing that she was safe in his arms.