Delivery!

My hands let the revolver loose, and it clatters to the ground. My eyes start to water in disbelief and happiness as I stare at Scarlet, who is running towards me. She wraps me up in an affectionate hug, but I can’t summon the mental power to return it. She whispers, “We thought you were gone.”

My mind catches up with my body, “I saw you die... I saw the bullet go through your skull, I saw your and everyone else’s body be burned to ash.”

She lightly cries into my shoulder, “It’s alright, we’re back. It doesn’t matter how, we’re just back. It’s a miracle of God.”

I quickly start to hug her back, my tears dropping quickly, “Oh my God, Scarlet! It’s been two years. Two whole damn years since I saw you die.” I break the hug, and back up, “I’m not the same man you knew. I’ve done so much... so much wrong since I lost you.”

She looks confused, “Two years? It’s been only a few days.”

I shake my head, “It’s been two years for me. I’ve done so much I’ve learned to regret since I lost you.”

Scarlet shakes her head, “It’s the Wasteland, we’ve all done things we regret.”

Lone interjects from the side, walking up to me and slipping my revolver back into place, “She’s got a good point. Besides, it seems Vault-Tec believes your good, if your Pip is anything to go by. And we all know that the Pip’s are never wrong.”

Scarlet smiles at Lone, “Oh, and who would you be?”

He smiles on back, “Lone Wanderer, pleasure. I assume your my cousin’s wife?”

She looks between the two of us, “Cousin? John, you never told me you had a cousin.”

I shrug, “Didn’t know he existed until we found ourselves tied up near in Kansas City. God, I have so much to tell you about.”

Lone smiles back at me, “John? You have an actual name?”

I look down, “I ain’t John anymore. I’m the Courier. John died when he got shot in the head, I just happen to exist within the same body with the same memories.”

Scarlet frowns slightly, “You’re the Courier? You joined the Couriers at the Hub?”

I nod, “Yeah, long story.”

I hear another voice shout out, “Hey, Scarlet, everything alright out there?”

A man walks through the gate, wearing a much less battered hat than mine. I smile at him as he approaches, “Well, I’ll be damned, Noah still walking around in the flesh.”

Noah smiles at me, and tilts his hat, “Howdy, John. You survived?”

I nod, “Lived two years since the town got destroyed.”

He nods, “Well, I bet Platinum probably wants to know if his father has returned. I’ll go get him, you two can go ahead inside.”

Noah walks on back into town, and I prepare to walk forward. That is, until Scarlet draws a revolver from her side, and points it at something, “The hell kind of mutants are those?”

I turn around to see Pinkie, Discord, and the floating head of Free. I push her revolver down, “Woah there, Scarlet, they’re friends!”

Pinkie bounces up to her, “Hi, I’m Pinkie Pie!”

She looks at the pink pony for a bit longer, “Looks a bit like a Giddyup Buttercup I wanted back when I was a child. Strange look for a mutant.”

I shake my head, “They ain’t mutants.”

Discord snaps his way over, and leans over my shoulder, “You assume we are mutants? How rude. You know what they say. Assumptions make donkeys.”

I push Discord off my shoulder, and turn to the others, “You all should probably head back to town. Explain to the audience I am disposed as of now, reschedule the whole thing.”

Pinkie frowns, and motions to the town, “But, new ponies!”

Lone walks on over, and drags her back by her tail, “You can meet them later, Pinkie.”

Free simply nods her head, and Discord snaps off a sombrero he had on, “So no teaching of Crystal culture? Fine. Either way, ponies react so much better to Chaos than humans.”

He snaps away, and the others make their way back to town. I turn back around, and walk through the gates.

I hear the sound of running, and a young voice shouting, “Daddy!”

I immediately recognize the voice, and turn to see my son running toward me. I kneel down, and scoop Platinum up in a hug, “Platinum... it’s been so long.”

We hug each other deeply, only interrupted by Scarlet, “So then, Joh- Courier, why don’t we get inside? You said you had a lot to explain.”

I scoop up Platinum, and easily carry him in my arms. I nod, and follow Scarlet to what used to be our home. I carry Platinum in, and we all take a seat around the table.

Platinum notices the amount of weapons strapped onto me, “Daddy, since when’d you carry so many weapons?”

I smile as I put a cigarette in my mouth, and quickly lit it, “Well, it’s a very long story, but one I got time to tell. It all started back when the town got destroyed...”

—(Gannon)—

I type all sorts of code into my terminal as Dean fits in the final component. With a single press of enter, I hear the buzzing sound of the teleporter behind me. I quickly turn to see the blue glow from the teleporter. Dean stands there, throwing his cigarette into a nearby ashtray, “Well then, Gannon, I’d say we made a good team.”

I smile at the finished product, “Well, nothing left to do. Off we go, Domino, off to save the Courier.”

He laughs, “Novel concept, that. Someone having to save him. Usually he ends up saving us from certain death. I remember almost calling it curtains on my chances, until he peeked his head in.” He motions forth with his hand, “Well, Arcade, after you.”

—(Courier)—

“The Casino was the worst place imaginable. Even the Divide wasn’t as bad as that Casino. But, I had someone who helped me along the way. Two someone’s.”

I’m interrupted by a bright flash of light in the room. The flash strikes next to the table, showing a man with a white lab coat, blond hair, and thick rimmed glasses. He spots me immediately, “Courier, finally!”

I merely stare back in shock, “Arcade?”

Yet another flash comes from just behind him. There stands a ghoul in a fancy suit, and some black sunglasses. He takes a deep drag of his cigarette, and grins right at the Courier, “Strike up the band, Domino’s back in town!”