The back of the now moving truck was filled with a cacophony of noise as Twilight slept, Red and Willow sitting with Spike as Arcade and Veronica drove.

“You weren’t kidding when you said she snores loudly.” Red said with a wince as the ungodly sound of the mares slumbering breaths reverberated around the room.

“I’ve gotten used to it.” Spike said with a shrug, completely unfazed by his mother.

“You grew up with it, it’s normal for you.” Red shot back as she finished off her box of gumdrops and tossed the packaging into the bin. “How can we wake her up, I’ve tried almost all I can think of.”

Spike placed a claw under his chin and tried to remember all the ways to wake up his mother. “I think the best way to wake her up is with the smell of coffee, the stronger the better.” He affirmed with a nod in Willows direction as she visibly relaxed at the opportunity to stop the racket.

“I’m on it.” The blonde woman then got up and walked over to the coffee machine in the kitchenette and started it up. “My mom used to make the strongest coffee around, if this doesn’t wake her up then I don’t know what will.”

After the water had finished boiling, the top hole opened for the coffee granules and willow tipped a few spoons worth from a bag labelled ‘Death Wish (Mom’s Variant)’. Once the brew had been sufficiently brewed to brewery perfection that would make brewers proud of brewing, Willow asked around if anyone wanted one. Receiving no’s from the others, she poured Twilight and herself a mug and passed the snoring ponies mug to Spike who took it and stood on the table before wafting the vapour rising from the mugs piping hot contents towards Twilight face.

“Muurrr” Twilight’s snout twitched and started sniffing out the source of the heavenly scent. Spike suddenly smirked and started moving the mug away from Twilights face, causing her to start pulling herself towards it in a trance like state. By this point Red and Willow had realised what Spike was doing and were both trying and failing to hold back their snickers. Once Twilight was almost completely over the edge of the bed, being held up with her own magic that had been subconsciously drifting her towards the mug, Spike looked down at the two grinning humans with his own matching grin.

“Twilight!” Spike shouted loudly, instantly bringing the mare out of her trance like state and causing her magic to cut out abruptly.

“WAAGH-!”
*SMACK!*

The others all burst out laughing as Twilight face-planted onto the floor of the truck, her rear end pointed upwards and her wings laying limply at her sides. She began peeling her face off the floor in a dazed manner and sat on her haunches while rubbing her bruised snout. She looked around at the others all laughing and she folded her front hooves and harrumphed, only causing them to laugh even harder.

“Sorry mom, but they couldn’t stand your snoring so they wanted to wake you up, I couldn’t pass up that opportunity.” Spike said with a somewhat sympathetic pat on the shoulder as he passed her the mug of coffee. “This should hopefully make up for it.”

Twilight scowled at the others as she brought the mug up to her face and inhaled the scent through her nose, before taking a delicate sip of the coffee. Her eyes snapped open wide and she stared, shocked at the coffee in her hooves.

“This is some of the best coffee I have had in ages.” Twilight said, her wide eyes staring up at the duo of humans sitting in the seat facing her.

“It’s my mother’s special blend.” Willow said as she smiled proudly at the bag of coffee on the counter. “She found a few bags of the original Death Wish coffee while scavenging and with her amazing, but strangely specific, coffee skills she managed to match its strength and taste with a hint of the apocalypse added in for good measure.” She opened up her backpack and pulled out a photo of her family. There were lots of people in the photo, many of which being young men and boys who looked to be all different ages, with a few women and girls dotted around.

“That’s a large family.” Spike said as he scooted along in his seat to allow twilight to fit in next to him.

“My mom and dad were very… active, to say the least.” Willow said awkwardly, a slight blush forming on her face. “I have 7 younger brothers, 2 older brothers, 4 younger sisters and 1 older sister.”

“So you were one of the older ones in your family?” Twilight asked, her eyes roaming over the picture to try and spot Willow.

“Once my two older brothers, Dylan and Tyler, joined the NCR and my older sister Rebecca had left to start her own business in the Hub, I was the oldest child in the house. That led to me having to take up a lot of the responsibilities in the family and becoming a babysitter for all the others.” Willow said the last bit with clear disdain. “I hated having to do that, it was one of the reasons I left to travel once Carter and Janette had grown up enough to take on the jobs I was doing.”

“I’m guessing Carter and Janette were both born after you?” Twilight asked as Willow pointed out the two younger siblings. Carter had brown hair and was wearing a white shirt with brown work trousers and a leather jacket that hung off of his shoulders. Janette was wearing a similar outfit but with a green shirt and black work trousers instead, an unbuttoned suit vest over her shirt. Both of them were smirking as they each held a younger child under their arms in a light headlock, their other arms linked over each other’s shoulders.

“Yeah, I had to get them to grow up a bit before I could leave the house under their control.” Willow looked at the picture and smiled. “This photo was taken before Dylan and Tyler left, it is the only photo we have that is of all of us.”

“Hopefully you can get another at the wedding.” Red said as she slung an arm over Willows shoulder and kissed her on the cheek.

“I don’t think we would be able to leave without at least five full family photos.” Willow said with a laugh. “My parents would go ballistic if they didn’t get a picture of the new family members.”

“I’m just glad that your parents and family were so openly accepting of me, even if your family in the NCR were a bit wary.”

“I think my mother was more worrying, me just dropping in and telling her that I was getting married.” Willow rubbed the back of her head, “That was a dangerous situation.”

“What happened?” Twilight asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

“Oh that is a great story.” Red looked over at Willow, “Can I tell them?” She pleaded.

“Fiiinne.” Willow groaned

“Awesome, let me just get some drinks.” Red got up out of her chair, walked over to the fridge, opened it, pulled out three Nuka Colas and one blood bag, shut the fridge and then hopped back into her chair. “Let’s get started then shall we?” She said as she passed the Colas around and the blood bag to Twilight. She popped the cap off her drink with her thumb and took a swig before leaning back and lifting her legs onto the table. “Well, it all started when Willow and I arrived at her families place on one of the bikes.”

Flashback

“So this is the place then?” Red asked as she hopped off the motorbike and set down the brake to hold it in place. It was mid-to-late afternoon when they arrived at Willows family’s farm.

“Yep, haven’t seen it in years.” Willow smiled and joined Red as they looked on at the large house that was in front of them. The place was very reminiscent of the huge farmhouses that used to dot the plain areas in the 1930’s, except it possessed a more apocalyptic style to it, with its walls patched up with sheets of corrugated iron and the roof maintaining the same style.

“How many people are living here?” Red asked as she got to work removing the bags from the back of the bike.

“The last letter I got from mom said that Carter and Janette were still keeping everything under control and that I had a new brother, so that takes the total up to twelve people living at the farm.” Willow then looked thoughtful for a bit. “That is if no one else has left, but I doubt that.”

“I keep forgetting just how big your family is.” Red chuckled and stood up to her full height and face Willow. “How do I look?” She was dressed in a worn motorcycle jacket with a red t-shirt underneath and the biker goggles around her neck. She wore a pair of dark jeans that were tucked into her boots and a belt that had a buckle in the shape of a blackjack with the number 21 within it.

“You look beautiful.” Willow said with a smile which soon turned wry. “Though you should know that you’re going to look strange no matter what you wear, your height and… ‘Size’ being clear factors in that.”

Red just blushed and turned around to continue removing the bags from the bike and making sure everything was in good condition or gone.

“You’ll be fine, my family doesn’t care all that much about appearances” Willow assured with a pat on the shoulder. “Anyway, I’ll go and knock on the door while you finish up here.” She pivoted on her heels and started to walk towards the front door. As she neared the door she could her the noise of what sounded like rowdy kids and young adults coming from within the house. She stopped in front of the door and knocked her fist on it three times and waited for a few seconds before she heard the sound of footsteps drawing closer. Once they stopped she heard the sound of a bolt being drawn back and the door opening to reveal Carter standing there with a tired look in his eyes. Once he spotted who it was that was in front of him his expression changed to shock then joy.

“Willow!” He exclaimed happily as he drew her into a bear hug which Willow reciprocated as much as she could.

“Hey Carter.” She laughed from within the hug. “How’ve you been managing without me?” She asked cheekily.

“Well enough.” He answered with a shrug and a smile. “Mom and Dad are gonna be happy to see you, god knows Janette will be, let me just call her now.” He faced back towards the door and cupped his hands around his mouth. “JAN!” He yelled.

“WHAT!” Came the response.

“COME SEE WHO’S AT THE DOOR!” Carter shouted back, his hands lowering from around his mouth. They both waited a few seconds until a short brown haired young woman poked her head around the door at the other end of the hallway. Once she spotted Willow at the door, she too went through the same expression changes as Carter before launching herself down the corridor and into Willows arms, almost toppling the poor woman.

“Hey Jan.” Willow wheezed out after having the air knocked out of her. After she had been let out of the crushing hug she gave her younger sister a much gentler hug.

“I didn’t know you were coming?” Janette said with a look mixed between shock and happiness. She brushed a lock of her long hair out of her eyes and beamed up at the older sibling. “You should have sent a letter so we could prepare.”

“Where’s the fun in that?” Willow smirked and ruffled Jan’s hair, earning a glare from the young woman.

“Come on Willow, I’m nineteen.” Janette swatted Willows hand from her hair.

“You’re still my little sister.” Willow then turned to Carter who suddenly looked a bit worried. “And you’re still my younger brother.” She grinned as she leapt at her brother and, using her arm to spin herself around him, hopped onto his back and began giving him a noogie.

“Ow! Willow, since when were you so strong?” Carter yelped as the blonde kept a firm grip on his back and continued to grind her knuckles on his head.

“Since I learnt how to kick all your asses.” Willow then hopped off his back and dusted herself off while her brother rubbed his sore noggin and her sister watched on with a smile. “So, how is everyone?”

“James and Clark are finally starting to grow up and are now taking up responsibilities around the house.” Carter started as he leant against the wall. “Phoebe was already very mature, but mom finally considers her old enough to start helping us properly.”

“Ethan is still his reserved old self.” Janette added as she sat on a barrel by the door. “Sophie and Violet will not stop going on about this ‘Courier’ person.” Willow blanched at the mention of Red and she quickly glanced over her shoulder, seeing Red by the bike having trouble with its exhaust.

“Michael is an absolute pain in the ass now that he is talking, I mean he is constantly asking everyone questions that are either pointless or far too advanced for his age.” Carter sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Thankfully mom is still breast feeding William, so neither of us have to deal with him.”

“I haven’t seen William yet, is he cute?” Willow asked.

“As a button.” Janette responded with a grin, Willow almost squeezing at the thought.

“When did you leave to get here?” Carter asked once the two girls had finished. “It must have taken at least a few days if you were with a caravan.” Willow just smirked at him and crossed her arms.

“Actually, I left this morning.” She answered with a grin at their confused expressions.

“How?” Janette asked with a frown. “Are you bullshitting us?”

“I swear I’m not. A… friend of mine drove us here on her motorbike.” Willow assured, “She’s over by the bike right now.” She pointed to Red who was almost finished with everything, all of their stuff being hefted onto her shoulders.

“That’s pretty awesome, what’s her name?” Carter asked as he looked out at the incredibly tall woman carrying three full backpacks and a couple of duffle bags.

“Her names Red.” Willow said as she waved to the said woman, getting a nod in return.

Janette looked suspiciously back and forth between Willow and the approaching woman before looking up and down Willow. As she looked up at Willows face, she saw an almost dreamy expression adorning it, a dopey smile and relaxed eyes both apparent. She then looked down at the rest of Willow and spotted something that raised a lot of alarms. Willow was sporting a golden ring on her right ring finger, one that, when she looked, matched the one being worn by Red.

“Well I’ll be damned.” Janette said before letting out a quiet laugh.

“What?” Carter asked as both he and Willow turned to face the grinning young woman.

“I think I figured out the reason why Willow’s here unannounced.” She said with a smirk as she pointed towards Willows hand. Willow just sighed and a faint smile appeared on her lips.

“I should have known you would figure it out.” She said as she lifted her hand up to show off the ring, earning a smirk from Janette and a dropped jaw from Carter. “Yep I’m engaged.” As Janette started doing a little jig, Carter picked his jaw off the ground and faced Willow.

“When did this happen?” he asked her.

“Just as the Battle of Hoover Dam ended.” Willow answered back. “It was actually very romantic.”

“But who are you married to?” Carter questioned with a confused expression.

“That would be me.” Came a voice behind him. When he turned to face the person who had spoken, he had to look up to see their face. The woman towered over him at what looked like about seven feet tall, the bags on her shoulders and in her hands being carried like they were nothing. “Hi, names Red, nice to meet you.” She dropped the bags that were being supported by her left arm and held it out for a handshake.

Still dazed, Carter shook the woman’s hand, wincing at the strength of it. “Hey.” He said in a bewildered way.

“Don’t mind him, he’s not used to seeing people so tall.” Janette said as she walked over and shook Reds hand as well. “Although neither am I, I suppose.”

“I tend to get that a lot, it’s no problem.” Red said with a laugh and a shrug as she picked the bag back up and held Willow’s own bag out for her to carry.

“Thanks hun.” Willow said as she grabbed her bag from Red and slung it over her shoulder.

“Oh, I almost forgot to mention. Dylan, Tyler and Rebecca have been over for the past week and will be staying for another, so you get to tell them all about this as well.” Janette said as she walked up to Carter and flicked his ear, startling out of his dazed state.

“Sorry about that.” Carter said as he rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment.

“Don’t sweat it, I’ve met people who have had worse responses to my size.” Red reassured. “That’s not even the weirdest thing about me though.” She said mysteriously.

“What’s the weirdest thing then?” Carter asked.

Just as Red was about to respond, Willow cut in. “How about we head inside before we continue on with any more of these questions, I want to see Mom, Dad and the others.”

“Fine by me.” Red said as she shifted the bags and started following Willow and Janette into the house with Carter following after her.

After carter had shut the front door, the group walked down the hallway and into the first room, Red having to duck her head so that it didn’t hit the ceiling.

“Sorry about the height of the rooms, we’re a short-to-average height family, so low ceilings don’t tend to be a problem with us.” Janette said as they were lead into the living room where a large bunch of kids and teenagers were talking and playing. Red remained out of the way and by the door as Willow stood a bit further in. “Hey guys, look who showed up unannounced!” Janette shouted over the noise, all the occupants of the room turning towards the noise.

“WILLOW!” The many voices of the kids chorused loudly as they charged to hug their older sibling.

“Oomph!” Willow winced as they all hugged her at once, the air being knocked out of her again. “Hey everyone.” She wheezed out, her arms unable to reach around all the kids. “How’ve you all been?” She asked, to which she got an array of different answers. “How about you all let go of me and you tell what each of you have been doing one at a time. That sound good? After they had all let go, Willow sat down on one of the sofas and the others all found perches around the room to sit. “I’ll go from oldest to youngest, not necessarily most mature but anyway… so, what have you been doing then Carter?” She asked with a smile, earning a few laughs from the others.

“Mostly just been helping around the house and keeping this rowdy lot in line.” He said, sending a smirk mixed with a glare towards the younger siblings.

“How about you Jan, what have you been up to?” Willow asked, indicating for the brown haired woman to speak.

“Pretty similar to what Carter’s been doing, though I also have to keep him in line.” She laughed out the last bit, returning the stuck-out tongue she got from said young man.

“Now that we have those two children out of the way, how about you James, how have you been?” Willow asked the next oldest brother, Carter. He had short blonde hair and was wearing a dark shirt and jeans, a few scratches on his face from the inevitable roughhousing he got up to.

“Dad finally allowed me to help him at work.” He said with a smile, showing off his one missing tooth.

“Same here!” Came the shout of another boy, Carter. He was almost exactly the same in appearance as his brother except from the fact he was wearing a dark red shirt and brown cargo pants.

“What about you Phoebe, anything interesting happen?” Willow questioned, turning to face her younger sister with a smile.

“I won the medal for best improvised explosive at Survival school.” The teenager grinned up at Willow, the scar that ran across her cheek from when she first started practising bomb making clearly visible.

“Wow, that’s great! I knew you had it in you.” Willow said as she patted Phoebe on the shoulder. “How about you Ethan? Read any good books?” She asked the quiet boy who was remaining relatively distant from everyone else.

“The new book about the Courier is good.” He said quietly, his voice barely reaching above a mumble, yet being heard by everyone. “I like how she tried to handle situations without resorting to violence, it reminds me that there are kind people out there.” He spoke with an air of wisdom that felt almost out of place with someone so young.

“I like that about her too.” Willow said with a small smile, directing another one towards Red who just smiled back. “Did you know that she managed to get the khans to leave the Mojave without a single drop of blood being spilt?”

“You know a lot about her?” He asked, his voice raising ever so slightly as wonder crept into his eyes.

“You could say that.” Willow said as a wry smile crept onto her face. She turned to the other two girls in the room, both of whom were sitting on the floor, braiding their hair. “What about you, Sophie and Violet? I know you two like to do everything together.”

“We found a friendly nightstalker and named him Larry!” They both shouted in unison. Willow laughed with the others and glanced back at Willow to see her almost explode with excitement.

“I think my friend Red would like to meet Larry.” Willow said, pointing her thumb towards the tall woman, only now being noticed by the kids.

“Hello.” Willow smiled and waved at the others and knelt down a bit so that she was a bit closer to everyone else’s height. “My names Red, nice to meet you all.”

“Wow, you’re tall!” Sophie and Violet said at the same time, their eyes filled with no small amount of awe.

“I get that a lot.” Red laughed and sat on the couch next to Willow.

“How tall are you?” James asked.

“Last time I checked, I was seven feet tall.” Red shrugged and then grinned at the shocked look she got from the young boy.

“How strong are you?” Clark asked while his brother worked out Reds height compared to him.

“I could lift you with one hand without even trying.” Red smirked and flexed her right arm, Clark just beamed at the display.

“Can you make bombs?” Phoebe asked as she almost leapt at Red, her hands under her head in an almost pleading manner.

“I can, yes.” Red nodded and backed up a bit when the teen squeed and started bouncing around the room. After Phoebe had calmed down Ethan prepared to speak when another voice came from the door at the other end of the room.

“There is only one person in this house who ever managed to get everyone to be quiet at one time.” The voice was female and sounded late-to-middle aged.

“Yep, and that person is also the only person who wouldn’t write before arriving.” Another voice, male, said just after the female. The two owners of the voices then walked through the door and faced the group. One of them was short brown haired woman who possessed a face chock full of laugh lines and dimples around the edge of her mouth, a clear sign of the laughter she often took part in. The other was average height man with greying blonde hair and tired eyes that held a sharp gleam to them hidden behind layers of mirth and joy.

“It’s great to see you two.” Willow said as she got up and gave her parents both a hug, the two adults hugging her back. “I’ve missed you.” She sighed and ended the hug with a smile on her face.

“Who’s your friend?” Willows father asked as he looked round his daughter to see the red haired woman sitting on the sofa.

“She’s certainly a big girl ain’t she?” Willows mother whistled as Red stood up as much as she could in the room.

“Actually, that’s why I decided to visit ahead of when I last said I would.” Willow nervously shuffled in place with her hand behind her back. “This is Red, she’s… um, I… We…”

“Just spit it out already.” Willows mother said as she gave Willow a light bonk on the head.

“Okay.” Willow took a few deep breaths and then steeled her nerves. “This is Red, she’s my fiancé.”

Willows parents just stared for a few seconds while the news sank in, before both of them spoke in unison.

“Wait, what?”

Author's Note

The Flashback will continue next chapter, although that next chapter might be a bit further away than normal wit Fallout 4 coming out on Tuesday, though I suppose a lot of you will be playing that as well.

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