First chapter of my first fanfic *u*;; I'm kinda nervous hahah/ CW for misogynistic slurs in this chapter. 8')

The Lone Wanderer marveled at the sight of Megaton. It was huge, extraordinary and...completely hideous! Her lips curled into a snarl at the large bulk of metal that stood out like a sore thumb. It had only been an hour or two since she emerged from the vault, and the capital wasteland was still very much unfamiliar territory. Admittedly. she'd always used to daydream about what it was like outside the confined area of the vault, picturing large cities and beautiful buildings, much like those in Pre-War times. Also admittedly, she'd never paid too close attention in class. She quickly snapped out of her thoughts when she realized the gate to the city had been opened for probably three full minutes. Noticing people were staring at her expectantly, she gathered her bearings and started walking.

.oOo.

She took in her surroundings as she stepped foot into the large settlement. She had to admit she was ever so slightly fascinated by it, and though the whole thing looked terribly rickety, it somehow looked sturdy at the same time. She noticed a man walking towards her. He must've been in his mid 40s, but with the harshness of the wastes, everyone looked awfully weathered and it was honestly hard to tell. He had a dark complexion and a rough beard, though the first thing she took notice of was his hat. He'd reached her now.

"Well I'll be damned" he said with a chuckle, "I ain't seen one of those jumpsuits in a long, long time. Name's Lucas Simms, town sheriff. And mayor too, when the need arises." He seemed nice. She immediately felt a sense of comfort, considering for a split second that maybe things wouldn't be so awful out here. Her mind flickered back to her father.

"I'm looking for my father. Middle-aged guy, hispanic, maybe you've seen him?" she said, careful not to get her hopes up too high. That was never a good thing; It'd happened far too many times and she wanted to avoid disappointment as much as possible, knowing she'd probably be in for a lot of it. She caught his smile faltering for a second.

"Can't say I have. You might want to go visit Colin Moriarty up at the saloon about that. But be careful about talking to him - he's bad news."

"I will, thank you Lucas."

"Mind your manners now" he replied with a warm smile and a tip of the hat before walking down the slope again. Her eyes briefly scanned the settlement, looking for the saloon Sheriff Simms had mentioned.

.oOo.

It was pretty crummy, not that she'd expected anything better. The place was packed with drunks and the smell of alcohol and cigarette smoke filled her nostrils. She probably stood out; her hair was still styled and her face was still clean and made up. She'd stole some makeup from Butch's mom before leaving - it's not like she even used it anymore. She'd already caught some people staring at her - it was probably the vault suit. She sat down on one of the bar stools, next to a man wearing plated armor - his head was bald but she couldn't tell if it was from shaving or hairloss. He looked gruff and intimidating, and there was a permanent scowl painted on his face. Almost as if he could hear her talking shit about him to herself, he turns to face her.

"Oh, look. It's another one of you pampered vault assholes. Look here, vault asshole - I don't like you. Steer clear of me, and we won't have any trouble." She was taken aback by his crudeness, but the smell of alcohol on his breath made it clear he was drunk. She fished out a pack of cigarettes and put one in her mouth.

"You're too tense, it wrinkles your face." she quipped while flickering with the lighter. She took the pack and held it out to him, "Want one? It might help you relax a little." "Are you fucking kidding me? Get out of my face." he scoffed in reply. She barked a laugh;

"Whatever you problem is, I suggest you get over it, now." Now it was his time to laugh.

"Oh yeah? What's a stuck up little vault bitch like you gonna do?" Their conversation must've gotten louder because people had started to look up from their drinks and the chatter and laughter had died down considerabely. Suddenly a man stalked out of the storage room.

"Hey!" he eyed the two tentatively, his eyes lingering on her for a second longer. "Don't be bringing trouble into me bar, now, or you'll both be out on yer arse in a second!" Colin. She slowly stood up and brushed off her suit before speaking.

"Sorry, sir. It won't happen again. Are you Moriarty?" He cocked an eyebrow at her before grinning widely.

"I'm guessin' you're new here? Colin Moriarty, at your service. This is my saloon, my home, my little slice of heaven in this backwoods little burg." The irish accent practically dripped from his voice. "If you've got the caps, I've got your pleasure. Please, sit down, make yourself comfortable. Your troubles are a thing of the past!" She shifted her weight on to her other foot;

"Actually, I'm looking for my father. Middle aged guy, have you seen him?" His eyes widened slightly in realisation.

"My god, it's you... The little baby girl all grown up. Persistent little flower, ain't ya? Then and now it would seem." He gave a happy sigh "It's been a looong time, kid.." She looked like a huge questionmark. She'd never met this man in her entire life, let alone been outside her entire life. "Oh, your daddy passed through here, all right. Here and gone. Got what he came for, then left. I'm assuming you'll do the same...correct?" Her eyebrows furrowed and she couldn't hide the puzzled expression on her face.

"My father and I were born in Vault 101.." His face turned every shade of amused.

"Is that what your father told you?" He said in between laughs, "That you were born in that hole? That HE was born there as well?" she quickly grew frustrated at his obnoxious giggling, and the urge to punch him in the gut was growing. He wiped a tear from his eyes, "Ohh, the lies we tell to those we love..."

"You're lying."

"Noo noo noo, your father brought you to the vault after you were born, to keep you safe, you see! I remember it clear as day - you stayed in my saloon after all." No you didn't. He's lying. "That's right. Your father, his brotherhood of steel friend, and you, the suckling babe with nary a tit to suckle.. Sorry about your mom, truly." How the hell did he know about mom? She gave a weary sigh.

"Look, I just want to know where my dad is."

"You seem like a nice kid, so I'll give it to you straight. Your dad was here, and now he's not. Yes, I know where he went. But what you're asking me for is information...and information is a commodity." She didn't like where this was going at all. "Let's say, hmm..100 caps, and daddy's location is yours." She froze.

"I don't have 100 caps." she uttered, her voice only above a whisper. She didn't have all the time in the world, and her father could be anywhere. He might not even be alive; her stomach knotted at the thought. "Never mind, I'll find him myself."

Eugania Parvani pointed out that there should be a new paragraph every time a new person spoke, and this chapter has been bugging me so much ever since she did, that I had to go back and edit it :') She's been really helpful and supportive, and I'm really thankful for it! I've learned a lot since this chapter, and 90% of it is thanks to all of your reviews and critiques, thank you so much!