Breath Of Life: A Fallout 4 Fanfiction

Prologue: Before

War, war never changes. Those four chilling words, scrawled onto the back of a Chinese postcard, sent chills down my spine. The thick cardstock paper smelled of peppermint cologne and wintry air, but it served as a dark reminder that Anthony almost didn't come home. Now, months later, he sat at the kitchen table, reading the Boston Bugle, sipping a warm cup of coffee. His blue eyes stared intently through thick rimmed glasses, focusing on an article about the Chinese occupation of Alaska. Codsworth, our domestic robot, was fixing eggs on the stove. Anthony looked up at me and smiled.

"The last time you smiled at me like that, I got pregnant.'' I joked, kissing him on the cheek. Our son, Shaun, was asleep in his crib. He had joined our family a little less than a year ago, and I hadn't forgotten the interesting conception. Anthony had just returned from overseas, and I had just earned my law degree. We went to McLaren's, a restaurant in Concord, to celebrate. We stopped at a park here in Sanctuary Hills, one thing led to another, and the test was positive a month later. He chuckled to himself, and I saw the notecards in hit lap.

"I'll admit, I'm a bit nervous about tonight," he sighed. "Maybe I shouldn't have agreed to do this speech." Anthony was usually very confident and bound to duty, which in this case, was to give a speech at the Veteran's Hall tonight. He looked tired, the ravages of war imprinted underneath his eyes. He saw my inquisitive look, and held my hand. "I just have a bad feeling about tonight." He got up, smoothing his pants, and looked down the hall. " Maybe if I practice in front of the mirror, I'll feel better."

I sipped my coffee slowly, enjoying the beautiful morning. I heard a knock at the door, and I spied the Vault Tec salesman through the window. This was his third visit in the past week, and I was getting agitated. Codsworth was changing Shaun, Anthony was in the bathroom, and it was up to me. Clearing my throat, I met him at the door, keeping my distance. "Can I help you?" I greeted him with obvious disgust.

"Good morning, ma'am!" He took a step forward. "Vault Tec calling!" His upbeat voice and positive demeanor made him all the more infuriating.

"Whatever you're selling, we're not interested." I tried to shut the door, but he blocked it with his boot.

"Mrs. Snowden, what I'm offering you won't cost you a pretty penny!"