(Dizzy)

The Capital Wasteland has a thick dust around it these days. A dust that comes every once in a while, from the West Coast. It carries over the loose dirt that's turning to soil, and creates small dust storms here. There are days, like today, where the sun is blocked out. As if covered by some thick film, where you can still see the light, but there's an unknowing fog surrounding it. At dusk, everything looks black, like silhouettes against the setting sun. Dark, sand-covered silhouettes, that compliments the mood and atmosphere of the Capital Wasteland these days.

I sit atop my home, watching the land through squinted eyes. Cain's duster jacket blows in the wind, as I smoke a cigarette and watch the sun setting against the city. Gob told me, that the dust storms are from the changing weather. That eventually, the land would change, and now it is. Without the help of multiple G.E. across the Wasteland. He told me, that there are times, when life simply finds a way. That eventually, no matter how destroyed, nature can come back. I never thought I'd be around to see this world changing, but then again, I didn't expect it to happen in my lifetime. Although it feels like The Pitt here now, when the sand comes in, I don't mind it. Most of the citizens do, because of the damage it can do to the crops, but I suppose they'll get over it. They seem to be well adept, to adapting.

Lifting my cigarette to my lips, I suppose I should explain what's happened. Everything that's gone down in the past six years. Yeah, it's been that long. Long enough for my hair to grow to my shoulders, and for me to chop it short, an inch off my head. Gob laughed, and called me a 'pixie'. I don't know what that is, and he told me it was a small human figure with wings, cute, and impish. I made him draw me a picture of one, and enjoyed the comparison. Well. I suppose I should start, shouldn't I? Though, there are parts, that you might not want to hear. I have no idea who I'm talking to. Maybe my own mind, maybe someone on the horizon. Sometimes, it just helps to sit alone, and think.

Mom did wake up. She opened her eyes, looked around, and saw all of us. But that wasn't the end of her battle. Mom couldn't move, or speak when she first woke. Barrows explained it to me like this: My mother was starved of radiation and nutrients. That alone wouldn't cause anyone to slip into a coma, since she only suffered for a month. What caused it was the actions following that torture. The actions of saving my father, and using her last bit of energy too quickly. Her body went into shock, and as the human mind sometimes does, shut herself down to repair itself. Only our minds are flawed, and it didn't work that way. Sure, her survival was ensured, but at a cost.

When mom did talk, it was with a heavy slur. She had some motor skills by then, it took about a week. But she couldn't control her movements. Sometimes, during her recovery, I would get so frustrated with her. I would want to just give up and tell her she wasn't my mother. Sometimes, I would actually say it. Tell her to stop disappointing me. When I did, though, I regretted it. Mom couldn't move, or talk well, but she understood everything perfectly. She understood what I said, and I could tell it broke her heart. Though she couldn't communicate it to me, I saw the tears in her eyes. I couldn't see her for a few days after that. Not because of my frustration with her, but because of the frustration with myself. How could I be so cruel to my suffering mother? How could I get so frustrated with her? She did nothing wrong, and I was irrationally angry with her. Barrows assured me it was a common feeling, and that it would soon pass. It didn't make me feel better to hear it, but I at least felt okay knowing I wasn't all the way alone. That other people felt what I was feeling, too.

When I did go back and see her, it was after she started talking, and by then the slur was almost gone. Dad stayed with her day and night, not leaving her side through any of it. Walking through that door, I saw mom and dad working on her motor skills and feelings. Mom healed surprisingly fast. She was determined, and Barrows gave her 'super radiation'. I never asked what was in it, but, it helped. Mom saw me as I came in, and the first thing she did was flip me off. My dad laughed joyously, a word I never thought I'd use to describe him, while my mother just smirked. I couldn't help myself, and I hugged her. I told her I loved her, that I never wanted her to get that sick again, and that I was so sorry. Mom forgave me, because mothers are like that.

Dad taught her how to walk. He had Gob make a 'walker' thing, for her recovery. When she got that, it was like she was never sick. She was so determined to be who she was, that half the time using it she'd just drag her legs behind her and pull herself everywhere with her arms. Of course dad hated that, because he hated seeing mom so injured, but mom didn't relent. She said that if he loved her, he would let her do what she needed to do to feel better. Dad listened, and for a time, walked alongside mom as she would drag her legs as they scraped against the dirt. But that broke his heart, and he didn't like doing it.

When dad did have to go settle with some slavers from another Wasteland, I was left alone with mom. By that point she could wiggle her toes, and lift her legs. She couldn't support herself on her own, but damn if she wasn't trying. She asked me, what my dad did while she was kidnapped. I was shocked she had asked, but when I looked at her, I could tell it'd been eating away at her. That she truly wanted to know. When I asked her why she cared, she said that…she didn't want to be lied to. That if my dad did anything, with a certain person named Jasper, she couldn't forgive him. She had to know, because she wanted to put her mind at ease, and continue on with her life. I didn't want to tell her, because it's not a proud moment in my father's life. It wasn't a happy time for anyone, all around, but I knew my mom had a right to know. I knew it then, and I know it now.

Telling mom that dad became an alcoholic, and spent all his time at the taverns and bars, wasn't an easy thing. At first her reaction was to sob into her hands, because she was so distraught over knowing my father had gotten so lost. Then, she wanted to cry because she was happy he suffered since now she knew he appreciated her more. And then, mom decided she would be angry at dad, because how dare he do that to me. Watching mom go through all those emotions, though, really put a smile on my face. Because for the first time since she woke up, at that moment, I knew she hadn't changed a bit. That her coma hadn't altered her in any way, and she was still that irrational human being that I loved and admired so much. She yelled at me, for laughing, but her scolding didn't last long, because dad came back.

Boy…did she tear into him. She was so mad, she…she got herself up, walked over to him, and smacked him right in the face. I'd never seen my mother hit my father, ever. In fact, I just assumed it never happened. Dad looked like he was a terrified child, trying to hide the joy in his eyes while getting a verbal lashing from my mom. Why was dad happy while mom screamed at him over his bad behavior and poor choices? Well, because she walked to him. My mother was so damned angry at my father, she basically said 'fuck being cripple' and walked herself right over to him. Just to yell. In the background, you can be damn sure that I was laughing, too. I mean, wouldn't you laugh, too?

In the middle of mom's ranting and yelling, dad smiled. He smiled, which set mom off even more. But when she was about to really smack him silly, he grabbed her arms and said 'Dez, you walked', which made mom snap right out of her rage…and fall. She fell because her legs lost their strength, which only came because she was just so mad at my dad and wanted to show him what was up. But…you know, eventually…mom got better. In time, mom got right back to her old self, and her ring glowed brighter than ever before.

Gob researched the jewel that mom's ring was made of, too. It was definitely a special jewel, that's for sure. He told my dad that the gems will glow when brought together. Dad wears a vile of the shards around his neck, and Gob was right. When mom and dad were together, you could see the glow under my father's shirt when he didn't have on his armor. They dimmed when my dad left the room for a moment, and shone when he came back. But they also did something else special and different. Like mom's Pip-Boy, the jewel clung to mom's life force, for lack of a better term. So, the natural shine it had, even when dad wasn't around, dissipated completely. Which is why, dad noticed it was so dim, when he was carrying mom back from where she was taken. I thought that was really cool, but mom and dad shrugged it off like it was nothing new. I guess when you've seen as much as they have, stuff like that doesn't come off as amazing.

So. Mom got better, and her and dad were more in love than they ever were before. They weren't ever apart, unless it was a bathroom break. In my entire childhood, I'd never seen them as in love, as they were after mom woke up. It was…refreshing. It gave me a lot of hope for the future, to see them like that, and so in tune. They weren't faking it, either. My parents…were definitely soul mates, if I'd ever seen them before. But what about everyone else? How about their lives, too?

Jasper and Zack will be expecting their first child soon. Aside from me, it'll be the first baby born with two parents who are immune to radiation. With more and more humans wanting the radiation immunity now, too, there's soon going to be a whole generation of humans, with the immunity and strength that I've been blessed with. Only, they won't be like me. I'm that special one, like Zack. Our births were different, and thus, have different outcomes. Obviously, I never opened my mouth to Zack about what happened with Jasper and my father. Because when my mom woke up, that first night I went home and slept, I realized by doing such a thing, I wouldn't be any better than Jasper. I wouldn't be learning from my mistakes, and the mistakes of others. And so, the next day before I went to see mom, I told Zack to go pay attention to her. To go and love her, because I got to see firsthand what a broken heart can do to people. And although at the time I hated Jasper, I still wouldn't wish that upon anyone.

Zack did, too. He spent time with her, and they recovered from whatever hole they dug themselves in. They built a nice small house, and moved into it shortly after mom started walking. Eventually, I stopped being angry at Jasper. Not because I wanted to, but because my mom told me to. She told me that nothing good comes from hating people. But this came after mom had a few choice words and smacked Jasper around. Of course, mom was walking by then, and did it to get the point across that nobody gets away with messing with her. No matter the circumstances. Two black eyes and a broken nose later, Jasper got that point right quick.

So, I forgave Jasper. In time, we even became close. She found a place where she belonged here in Megaton, once she began talking to everyone. She's actually proven quite useful in negotiating trades, too. Nobody says no to her beauty, so it came easy for her to just convince everyone to trade with us. Eventually, she learned how to survive in the Capital Wasteland, since Zack refused to begin a family with her unless she learned. You know, just in case anything happened to Zack, he wanted to be sure his family would still be safe. I'm happy for her, and her happy family. In my own rights, I could do the same as she is now, settle down, have a family, but…not right now. There's things I have to do first. Things I'm scared to do, but have to do.

Anyways. After five years of living in bliss, happiness, after mom and dad took a many trips into the Capital Wasteland, got another G.E.C.K, and things began to grow and change again, it's only natural that something would come from nowhere. You see, my dad he took these pills. They helped make him prolong his already old age. But…one day, dad fell ill. At first, we assumed it was a mutated virus. Something mom called a 'cold' even though dad didn't feel cold. She said he should be better in time. But time came and passed, and dad didn't get better, only worse.

He couldn't get out of bed eventually. His breathing was restricted, and through that…mom never left his side. Barrows came back from Rivet City for him, as Jasper immediately sent word once dad's condition didn't improve. Barrows…told us that it was just his time. That his body had reached his limit, and there was nothing we could do. Nothing. My mother she…took that news a lot better than I expected her to. She only broke two doors demanding Barrows to find a cure. Dad finally called to her, in the middle of her tantrum. I'll always remember his words that day, because…because they made me cry.

"Dezbe, I have lived a long, and wonderful life. I have seen the world, and survived the Great War. I have gone from human, to ghoul, and back again. I have seen Death, and laughed in his grim face countless times. I have gone through hell and heaven, while treating both imposters just the same. In my life, I was given a second chance, at living, and found love. I have raised a beautiful daughter, and made lifelong friends. To prolong my life now, would be an insult to all I have done, and all I have accomplished. It is my time now, and I accept my fate. Please, rest assured with the fact, that I found true happiness, here, with you, and with Dizzy. That I have no regrets, and would change nothing of my life. I love you."

When dad was finished, mom seemed to accept it a bit better. I had already accepted it by then. I knew what was coming next, and wasn't shocked when it happened. When mom turned to Barrows, and asked for a solution. Not to dad's sickness, but to her life. She said that…life without dad, would be incomplete, that she too, lived a full life. But that there's another life somewhere, and if you believe in reincarnation, her and dad will find one another again in that life. They're soul mates, after all. I wasn't upset by it. I mean, I was sad, knowing I would be an orphan, and yet…strangely enough…I understood.

Had my mother chosen to live without my father beside her, it would upset me more. Because mom isn't mom, without my dad. Fifty years is a long time to be with someone, and it's all mom ever knew. It's all she ever wanted to know. I cried, hearing my mom make her choice to leave, but they weren't full of sadness. Only…halfway sad. Because I knew mom and dad would be together somewhere else. That they'd make it wherever you go after you die. And that, I was so happy, to have parents who loved and cared one another so deeply, that something like this didn't stand in the way of it. I don't feel abandoned by them, but instead I supported my mother's choice.

Barrows did end up helping mom. It was eerie, watching her essentially prepare to die, but, comforting. Because finally, both my parents would be at peace. Nothing more could hurt them, and make them be apart. Mom dressed herself in her trademark suit from Vault 101. She stole it from someone who'd left the vault, and went mad shortly after. They're probably still wandering this Wasteland, naked, if not already dead. But mom got into her suit, with her Pip-Boy, and laid beside my father in bed. She had her gun, my father had his, and they looked like two kids on a first date. As creepy as that sounds.

There was a special IV hooked up to mom. That when Barrows unpinched the tube, would release a chemical to put mom to sleep. Slow her breathing, relax her, and give her the same death that my father would have. It was strange, seeing them both hooked up to those things, but…I was okay with it. She held my father's hand, and they both had tears in their eyes. Before the tube was let go on both sides, mom told me of a place up north. A place, where in my life, I could find some peace. But, that's not important right now.

That night, I watched my parents die. They kissed, one last time, before the fluid ran through their veins. Mom and dad held hands, and slowly drifted to sleep. I stayed till the bags were empty, while Barrows and Graves checked their pulses and heart beats. In their bedroom, with Gob, Zack, Cain, Jasper, Graves and Barrows…my parents passed peacefully in their sleep. There wasn't a dry eye in that room all night, as we cried together, laughed over stories everyone shared, and cried again. The next day, after a sleepless night, we knew we had to make arrangements. Those were up to me.

Jasper sent word to everyone she could in the Capital Wasteland, that Charon and Dezbe had finally taken their last breaths. That in my father's three-hundred plus year existence, and my mother's nearly seventy-year existence, they'd gone to have an adventure they'd never return from. People came. They came in droves, crowds bigger than those that crowded the New Vegas Strip. Over the horizon, they came, from every corner of the Capital Wasteland. Fawkes, ghouls from Tenpenny, citizens of Big Town who grew up hearing stories of my parents from their grandparents, ghouls who hadn't been seen in decades, all of Rivet City, everyone you could imagine, gathered at Megaton. It broke my heart, to see how many people my mother and father touched in their lives. To see four generations of families, talking about them, about what they'd done, about all the amazing things they shared.

A ghoul named Raul came, and Gob knew him. He was one of the first, to arrive that morning. Gob introduced me, and he said something in a language I didn't know or understand. In English, he told me I had my mother's face, and my father's cold eyes. That I was beautiful, and my mother was a beautiful woman, too. There wasn't time to talk to him then, though, as more people began to show. A dying Wernher, ripe in his age, was brought from The Pitt with his daughter, and all the residents there. Megaton couldn't fit all the people that came. There were camps set for what seemed like miles all around. A spectacle I never expected to see, ever. Bessie Lynn came, too, of course, and helped me with the preparations. If it wasn't for that woman, I never would have made it through those few days.

I chose to bury my parents, halfway between Vault 101 and where Underworld once was. The people who came dug a deep hole, and lined it with spare blankets so that they'd have something soft to lie on. Cain, Gob, Roy, and Zack carried the mattress out that my parents lied on, and walked them through the sea of people. That day, not a word was spoken. Everyone stared, looking, parting gently as we walked. The silence was soft, and unbreakable, as everyone silently remembered my parents in their own way. When we came to the grave, my parents were gently lowered down, and as the dirt began to fill…everyone shot off their weapons. Blasts rang so loudly, that for hours my ears rang annoyingly. The shots were fired off towards the city, and towards the vault, in a celebration of where my parents came from.

That night…I truly got to hear everything I wanted to hear. Stories of my mother liberating The Pitt with determination and wit, of how she went to New Vegas and ruled the Strip, of how she gave water to a strange passerby, and survived Point Lookout. How together my parents gave the residents of Tenpenny a safe place to reside in, how my mother escorted Gob to Underworld, and how my father…how my father founded Underworld, providing a safe place for ghouls all across the Capital Wasteland to stay in. Some stories were big, with detail I'd never imagined, and some were small, and simple, like my mother making a child laugh as they crossed paths, or how some people claim their parents just simply saw them in the moonlight, kissing, making love, or walking off into the sun together. I never knew that…so many people supported and loved my mother. Of course I was told it didn't begin that way, but, I didn't care about that part. When you have three-hundred some odd people you've never met, attending your parents funeral things…things get blurred together. All I could do, was cry and thank those who spoke to me for coming. All of them, though, said I was a special child. That I was born of love, and I had nothing but an amazing life ahead of me.

Cain was beside me the entire time. He was alongside me, sharing it all with me, and reflecting about how my mom found him and took him out of the facility on her back. I gave him my magnum, while I claimed my father's shotgun, letting my mother's sawed-off remain on my hip for backup. Pieces of my parents, that they left for me before their death. My father left me his gun, and left Cain his knife. But not before giving him a stern warning to take care of me. But still…Cain was there. He's always been there, these past six years, and the day my parents died. My love for him, has only grown. And when night finally came the day I buried my mother and father, I slept peacefully with him by my side. I dreamt of my parents, and they assured me that they were happy, and safe, in a world filled with lush grass, and clear blue skies. They told me they loved me, and that they were so proud of me. I woke up crying that morning, feeling as if it was really them talking to me, and not just a dream.

I'm not gonna lie…I think of my parents almost every day. I think of all the bad things I did growing up, and all the mistakes I made. I think of how I'd change it, fix it, and be the best daughter they ever could have asked for. Though I know they love me, it's just…hard now. Knowing I'll never see them again, and that this time mom isn't going to come home, or dad isn't going to walk in all blood-splattered and badass. It's just me and Cain now, really. I mean, yeah there's Gob but pretty soon…he's gonna have a grandkid. Even though he's really stepping up in my life, and being more like a father than an uncle, he's going to be busy soon. I know this, and I've come to terms with it. Megaton holds too many sad memories for me right now. I guess it's because I lost my parents in such a strange way, and I'm not sure how I'm supposed to grieve for them.

It was okay with me, their choice and all. But something…there's just something that makes me sad. I guess losing your parents isn't going to be an easy thing, even if you are okay with how it goes. I'm twenty-five, and by my age, mom had already been to New Vegas and back, and beat the shit out of the Enclave. Though I don't want to be like my parents, I kind of want to accomplish as much. But in my own way. I've gone to New Vegas, but I couldn't adapt like mom. How do I know she did really well out there? That ghoul, Raul told me. He's around Megaton nowadays. Said he liked it here, and that he wanted to stick around. He told me a lot of fun stories. Stories I don't even think my dad heard. He said mom was one of those women in the bar, you just didn't wanna mess with. She was wild, and free, drank and partied and fought and everything I used to want. But Raul also said she was lonely, and closed off. Didn't get close to anyone but him, and even then that was a pain in the ass. He said, at the end of the day, mom was never a badass. She was just a woman trying to prove she didn't need a man to live. But he saw the truth. Mom didn't need a man. She needed a mercenary. She needed my father.

Staying in Megaton isn't an option for me right now. Going back to New Vegas is asking for it, and I don't really want to go back there anyways. So, I've decided to go north. North, to the place mom told me about before she died. Since…Cain and I never found any answers about his programming or anything like that, even when we read all his paperwork, we gave up. But it's always gnawed at me. I think mom knew that. Because she told me about the Institute. It's a place in the Commonwealth, which my father said was once Massachusetts. That in the Institute, they make highly advanced androids. That maybe there, we'd find what we were looking for. She also told me it was horrible, violent, and dangerous place. It didn't appeal to me, but I could tell it appealed to her. I have to be careful, though, because dad said they enslave their androids up there. They'll know Cain is one, if we talk too much. But, despite the dangers, it means a lot to Cain and myself to go. Not just for answers, either. But to prove to ourselves that…we learned right. That we can carry the torch my parents passed down to us.

No, I won't do the heroic things mom and dad did. Even if they weren't heroic at the time, it turned out that way. Instead, I want to do things the Dizzy way. I want to go and find what I'm good at, what I can do and do it best. I want to…be nice to those I want to be nice to, and just be a decent human being. I'm not sure, exactly, what the Dizzy way is, but, that's what this adventure is for, right? For me, and for Cain. Maybe, somewhere along the way, I'll do something and feel like I really made mom and dad proud, instead of feeling like they said it because they had to. And…and then when we get back, there's going to be a baby around. I've never seen a baby. They're not exactly a hot commodity around here, due to you know, the post-apocalyptic wasteland and all that. But soon, Barrows thinks, there'll be a boom of them. Because everyone wants in on the radiation immunity. He has to be careful on who he gives that to, though. Because we don't want an overpopulated Earth. At least, that's what he claims. I don't think this land could ever be overpopulated, but when I mentioned that, he said I wasn't experienced enough to know. Seven billion people once lived on this world. Can you imagine how crowded it was back then? I can't. I mean, I'm so used to…I mean, hardly seeing another person, let alone being shoulder-to-shoulder with them all the time. Barrows also says I'm exaggerating it in my head.

Dropping my cigarette from my hand, I let it fall onto the ground two floors below. I think the horizon looks beautiful during the dust storms. Everyone hates them but, not me. I think they fit perfectly here. And they don't do that much damage to the crops. Everyone's just trying to adapt without their mercenary to protect them. I'm just trying to adapt without my parents, and being my own self for the first time in my life. I'm free now, I'm not tied to this town anymore. I can do what I want, go where I want, and say what I want. Make my own choices without someone saying something, and shoot to kill who I want. I thought I always wanted this freedom. This independence. I didn't realize, how terrifying it actually is.

"Diz? What're you doing?"

I turn and look at Cain, as he comes through the trapdoor that leads to the roof. He's cut his hair short. My father called it a 'military cut'. It's short, but it fits his face, although I'll miss playing with his longer hair. This one, though, is more serious. More grown-up, like we should be. He's also been keeping in shape, since he's the first line of defense now. So he lost some weight in his face, too. Cain's grown a lot, emotionally, physically, and mentally. I'm not sure if I've grown at all.

"Thinkin' about my parents."

Cain comes and sits beside me. I feel his hand graze mine, and I look away towards the city again.

"Are you prepared to leave Megaton?"

He asks as if I'm not. As if I'm terrified of leaving, and not having mom and dad to rely on if anything were to happen. If he assumes that, then he's right. I'm completely and utterly terrified this time around. Because now, they're not here to help me. My parents, that is.

"Yeah. As prepared as I'll ever be. Beats staying here, anyways."

As if to reassure me, I feel dad's shotgun rub against my back. I've had a hard time learning how to handle it, especially without dad there to guide me. But I've gotten really good at it. I can shoot, and not be thrown back. My arms got bigger because of it. Call me crazy though, but when I shoot it, I really don't feel that far away from my dad. I feel like, mom was right, when she said a gun has to represent its owner. Right now I'm not prepared to do this alone, but knowing I have their weapons, old as they are, makes me feel so much safer.

I…also have my father's tags. I wear them tucked into my tank top, so nobody sees them and thinks they're valuable. I mean, they're valuable to me, anyways. Priceless, really. Dad gave them to me, said he had them in Anchorage, when he fought against the Chinese. They were given upon completion of training. At first I didn't know why dad kept such a painful reminder of his past. But…I realized, after he explained it to me, that it's a part of him. Just as his arms and legs are. Like his gun and armor. In giving them to me, he was giving me a part of himself. So I'd feel safe, and know he's always looking out for me, no matter what. When the sun shines, and you can see the green glow of my skin, the chain shines bright and proud against it. To anyone else, they're nothing more than an old piece of metal with some writing on it. But…to me, they're a big part of my father. And in my mind, they keep those monsters at bay.

"We could stay here, until you're ready, Diz."

Cain says, interrupting my train of thought. I look back at him, and shrug. If I want to make my parents proud, and find myself, staying in Megaton isn't the way to go about it.

"No…no it's alright. I want to go. For myself."

"Hey!"

Below me, in the front yard, I see Gob yelling up. When he notices he caught our attention, he waves us down.

"The people from The Pitt are arriving!"

It's that time? So soon? To be honest, I didn't believe old Wernher when he told me he would have the most expert metal manipulators build a statue in honor of mom and dad. That was a year ago, anyways. I even forgot they were coming, but looking forward, past Vault 101, I see that there are in fact, figures on the horizon. And they've got a large number of Brahmin pulling something. Brahmin aren't natural to The Pitt, but Jasper opened up a trade route with them, Brahmin for steel. It worked in both of our favors, really.

"Come on, get down here!"

Cain and I figure that we should greet them. And I'm curious to see what they've made. So we make our way down, getting a break from the dust inside our home. It's our home now, my home, no longer my parents' home. I'm still not used to that.

"What do you think it looks like?"

I ask Cain as we walk down the stairs, towards the front door.

"I don't know, but the people there are really good at creating things."

He's not wrong about that. Steel is their expertise. They can build almost anything, just like out here, we can shoot and kill almost anything. I guess each region is good at something, though I don't know what New Vegas is good at. Gob meets us with Zack, and a pregnant Jasper. Her belly sure is big, and I'm not used to seeing things like that. I can't help but stare, and she laughs.

"You can feel it kicking, too."

"No shit?"

I say, in disbelief. She laughs more, along with Gob who utters a small chuckle. When Jasper told him she was pregnant, he almost cried. If it's a girl, they're naming her 'Nova', after Zack's mom. If it's a boy…I don't think they've decided.

"Really, here, feel."

She grabs my hand, and places it on her stomach. Sure enough, I feel something push against the palm of my hand. Shocked, I pull it away.

"That's freaky…"

It is, too. But everyone in Megaton has been doing that, and I never realized why. It just makes me not want to have a baby any time soon. I mean, you get really big, and she has to waddle. Plus if you can feel it moving I can't imagine it's that comfortable, but aside all that, Jasper looks positively happy and healthy. Sometimes I think her skin glows more than mine, even though she's not as awesomely irradiated as I am.

"It's normal, Dizzy. Come on, let's go wait for them to get here."

Jasper…she's a good person. She doesn't hold against my past hate for her, just like I don't hold against her past actions against her. She's almost like the sister I never had, and I'm thankful for that, because I had a hard enough time growing up with Cain. Having a sister would have probably made things a bit worse. Or better. I'm not sure.

"I wonder what it looks like…"

I say aloud, and everyone shrugs. They know as much as I do, about this statue. I don't think they believed The Pitt would construct one, either. It just seemed like a nice gesture. One people would say to make you think they cared, or something like that.

"It's got Big Iron on it…"

Jasper says, squinting her eyes as they draw closer. It's hard to see in the dust, but they're not too far away now. She calls my father 'Big Iron', in homage to the song played in New Vegas. She claims she can't help it, that my father is just so much like the Ranger. Silent, deadly, and protective. I never argued her.

"How can you tell?"

I ask her, trying to see.

"I just got a feeling. Plus it looks like people."

'People' isn't really my father. Out of mutual eagerness, we all venture from Megaton and decide to meet them halfway. A scout for them shouts they've made it, and numerous people cheer. I can't imagine it was easy for them to get here, and with the number of Brahmin they seem to have, the statue isn't anything to laugh at, size-wise.

"Dizzy, hello!"

Everyone in The Pitt knows my name, even if I don't know their's.

"Hi. I'm surprised you came…"

I say, not wanting to sound rude or anything. Lucky for me, Gob takes over. He's better at interacting with people. I've become kind of a hermit, and social etiquette escapes me at time.

"Is that the statue?"

Gob asks, and the leader, nods in proud accomplishment. As it draws near, we look at what seems to be the base. Before it can go any further, the leader stops his men.

"Boys! Bring her up!"

I watch as they all position themselves around the statue, and together, they push and pull until it stands upright. It nearly takes my breath away, if I had any left. But, it does bring tears to my eyes. In front of me, standing twelve feet tall, an extremely detailed statue of my parents stands. My father stands, his shotgun in his hand, resting on his shoulder. His armor is perfectly detailed, his face, his hands, everything down to his boot laces. It's like…it's him. Just encased in stone and taller. Beside him, my mother stands in her vault suit. Her back is to my father, but their shoulders touch, as her hand is clasped in my father's free hand. Almost like they're two square pieces that touch corners. Enough to know they're close, and connected, but apart enough to respect their individuality. My mother's hair is wild, and flowing past her shoulders. I notice, they even drilled small holes in her face for her freckles. Every wrinkle in her suit, her Pip-Boy screen, and each scar is detailed down to a meaningful and precise point. While my father has his eyes closed, and a stoic look on his face, with his head slightly bowed…my mother…has that look. That look of life, and spark, and adventure that lies just beyond the horizon. A smirk, with half-closed eyes, just to cloud the dust. But you can still see that spark in her eyes, and you know when you look at it, that she's planning something. Something that'll get her in trouble, but it's alright, because she has my father right there at the ready. Her shotgun is carved at her hip, with her name in the handle just as it is upon my own hip. Her free hand, is at her side, open like she's preparing to grab at something just at her feet. I'm in tears, at the detail, and how they've perfectly captured my parents, and their personalities.

"Oh, look…"

Gob says, and I notice he's looking at the base. I hadn't noticed, they'd carved anything into it. Below the steel sand in which my parents stand, there's a flat area, and there's writing. Under my father's feet, his name, birth date, and death date. The same resides below my mother's, and I wonder why the writing is so small, until I look below that.

The mercenary, and the matriarch, of the Capital Wasteland;

A love and spirit that lives on forever in our hearts.

I run my fingers over the writing, as tears fall down my cheeks, turning the dust into mud.

"You mother liberated us, saved us all. I never would have been born, had it not been for her. It's the least we can do in return."

My tears thank them, so my voice doesn't have to. Gob decides to place it over their grave, as a figure matching that of the Washington Monument. It takes everyone aside from Jasper and me, to move the upright statue a few yards to the right. But when it's placed, over the bullets, rusted weapons, and other trinkets people leave in their memory, I know there's no spot more perfect. Between both of their homes, in the middle of the barren Wasteland, for people to see and admire all around. My parents…for me to visit. The statue is so well done and detailed, that on drunk nights I may have a hard time not believing it's them. Reaching up, I put my hand over my parents', and hope they know how much they meant to everyone.

"You okay, kid?"

Gob asks me, and I shake my head. He makes everyone depart to Megaton, even Cain. I feel his hands on my shaking shoulders, as my hand slides from theirs. My knees buckle, and I fall atop their grave, gifts scattering all around me. Gob bends down, and wraps me in a warm and loving hug. The times I get weak, I fall to him. He's good, at comforting a sad child. At least, this sad child.

"It's alright, Dizzy."

I press my face into his dusty white shirt, and grip his back, mourning once more my parents.

"I miss them…"

I hear Gob sniff during my sentence, and I know, he's crying too.

"…I miss 'em too. I miss 'em so much…"

Together, Gob and I cry a bit. He lets me vent, before pulling himself from my grip just enough so that he can see my face. I can see his, too, and he's crying just as bad as I am.

"But…your mother would smack us for blubbering now, wouldn't she?"

Smiling through my tears, I laugh as more come out.

"Yeah, she would. And dad…"

"Well, the Charon I knew would roll his eyes with a 'I didn't see nothin', I don't know nothin', look on his face."

I laugh more, because that does sound like my father. Gob wipes my face clean with his palm, and holds my cheeks gently in his hands.

"Diz…you got more of 'em in you than you know. Cain ain't no copy of your dad, you are. You got his eyes, an' that intimidating look he's got. But you got your mother's wild drive, and deep down, you know you'd like some adventure, too."

Sheepishly, I nod in agreement. Gob brings me back into a hug, as if he's going to lose me, too.

"You're the daughter I ain't never had, kid…and you're the last bit of Dezbe I got left…"

Gob loved my mother. He loved her more than a man aside from my father could love a woman. He told me, that they'd been together for a short time in the past. That he trusted her, and their close and deep friendship is what made it work. What made him love her. He said…he never found love after Nova, because the only woman to match her was my mother. That now since she's gone, there's nobody in the world who could match them both. I never knew Nova, but, she must have been a beauty. Or crazier than my mom. But, either way, Gob lost two women he loved, and his best friend. Him and my dad, though mostly throwing things at one another, really did care about the other. Gob's all alone now, since Zack has his own family. I hope that when I leave, he'll be okay.

"You're so much like your father, Diz, be careful."

He whispers. Confused, I pull away from him and wipe my face clean. I always thought being a part of mom would be my downfall. Why my father?

"But…mom was crazy…"

"Yeah, an' smart. Your dad…an' you, ya both do the wrong things for the right reasons. Try bein' careful with that, alright?"

"I will. I promise."

Gob helps me to my feet, and we take one last look at the statue.

"Goddamn asshole always gotta be bigger than me, doesn't he?"

The rivalry between them hasn't died, and it warms me inside. Gob and I walk back to Megaton, doing our best to hide the fact that we were just crying. But it wouldn't matter, because everyone understands nowadays.

"I got somethin' up at the house for ya. I'll bring it to you now, since I know you're leavin' tonight."

With that, he walks towards his house, vanishing in the setting sun and the dust. Cain comes from the front of the house, and puts his arm around me. He has a pack slung over his back, with his gun over it.

"Ready?"

He's asking in more than one light. I can tell by the tone of his voice. Finding the last bit of energy strength I have emotionally, I look up at him.

"I have to be, don't I?"

"Forcing yourself to leave Megaton isn't a smart thing, Diz. I know you want to go…but…"

"But if I don't go now, I'll never go. And…and I can't wait anymore. It's time we found things for ourselves. Saw more of everything."

Although the sun is setting, I feel as if there's rays of light coming down through the dust. As if I have some renewed sense of hope, and an ignited desire to really have an adventure. Not one with people, a group, but just with Cain. To see if our love is as strong as my parents' was. To see if the world can be as fun for us, as it was for them, without all the danger. Soon, Gob returns with a small metal box in his hand. I stare at him, confused.

"It's a radio, kid. A radio that has one frequency, and a microphone. On the first of every month, I'm gonna tune in to that frequency, an' you better be on the other end. I'll give you till the third to reply, before I have Jasper send out scouts for ya. You hear me, kid? You get out there, and do what you gotta do, but you come back. We need you here. I need you."

Jasper, pregnant as she is, still never gets told no. Taking the radio, I hand it to Cain and he puts it in the pack on his back. Hopefully he packed some Insta-Mash Potatoes. I really like those. Just the powder, not the actual food. I don't know why.

"I'll come back safe. And I'll check in. You can't run this town without me."

Gob hugs me, and kisses the top of my head.

"Go, get outta here before your father comes back an' kicks my ass for letting you off."

Gob became my parent, after mine died. I'm old enough not to have any, some kids lose their parents by seventeen, I hear. But somehow, Gob knows I'm stunted when it comes to emotional independence. Dad never asked him to do this, and neither did mom, but I think it was a silent agreement that if anything were to happen, Gob would be the one to step in. My mom and dad would have done the same for him and Zack. Megaton, I'll miss. But what I'll miss most is the family my parents created for me.

Not just them, either. No I have Gob, Zack, Jasper and a small baby that'll be my niece or nephew soon. With Cain added in through adoption, and my parents, we're one weird ass broken family. Broken, not very big, but still good. Yeah, we're still pretty good, I'd say. Walking away from Megaton, Cain grabs my hand, and looks me in the eye.

"Here we go. Are you ready for this, Diz? We can still turn back?"

As we pass my parents' statue, I look at it, and smile.

"No. Life's waiting to finally begin."

And so we set off, into the set sun, as darkness encroaches. We're going to the Commonwealth, to the Institute. Along the way, we're going to have some amazing times, and some terrible times. We're going to fight things, and one another. We're going to do a lot, before we end it by returning. But the start and the end don't matter, it's the memories we're going to make in the middle that count. Memories that'll range from tender, and loving, to hate and spite. We're going to walk every road, but there's no worries. Because we'll pick one another up. When we're both down, we'll be down together. My parents taught me, that no matter how hard life gets…it's going to be okay. And if it's not okay, it's not the end. And if it's not the end, then there's still hope. There's always hope.