Soft Spot For Radiation ~Aarmau AU~

~Garra de Muerte~

*Play Song*

Did you know werewolves can turn into wolves the same way they turn into humans?

Well, this trick helped Aphmau cover loads of ground as a tiny lavender wolf.

The backpack was still there, miraculously.

So far, she has only had to kill 4 monsters: two molerats, one Radscorpion, and a Radroach. All considered relatively harmless against the other creatures of the post-nuclear world.

According to her GPS, she was about halfway there. Almost there she thought. I'll finally see that smile again.

*

"Hey Aaron, what's up bro?" Laurence asks, the phone pressed to his ear, peering out his living quarters window to the vast wasteland before him.

"Nothing much. Just stuck in meetings, you?"

"Good, good." Laurence pinches the bridge of his nose with such intensity it made his eyes water. "Just one quick question."

"Shoot."

"Do you have any idea why Aphmau would be outside the vault?"

*

"Lucinda, open up!" Aaron knocks, or more bangs on her door, Laurence and Garroth both behind him.

"gOd ApHmAu, why did you bring me into this?" Lucinda whispers to the air. The door is barely open when Aaron bursts through.

"Where's my wife?" Aaron asks, not waiting for an answer as he takes a look around Lucinda's room himself.

"She's not here."

Aaron marches back over to Lucinda. "Then where is she? And you better not be bullshitting me, Lucinda. I need the truth. Now."

Unexpectedly, Lucinda breaks down in tears, hugging herself as sobs absorb her. Laurence is instantly at her side, rubbing her back. But he keeps his pretty mouth shut.

Aaron takes a breath. "I'm sorry, Lucinda. But you need to tell me where Aphmau's heading."

*

Considering she had been nonstop trotting for hours, Aphmau thought now would be a good time to rest.

She picked a relatively homy abandoned wreckage. While still on wolf form, she dug a small ditch for a bed.

Aphmau had set her pack down beside her and closed her eyes for just for a second when she heard it.

It was menacing. A watery growl that sent chills up and down the wolf's spine. The stomps of the nearby beast shaking the ground as a rotting odor swarmed her senses.

She then spotted scales, horns...and then long claws.

Aphmau tries to transform back as she reaches into her bag, fumbling for her knife, but instead retrieves the vials in her mouth. With no other thought in mind, she throws them to the ground, a regrettable red mist spreading out into the wasteland, obviously gaining attention.

She then hears a loud crackling as the wreckage starts to lift, Aphmau grabbing her sack in snout as she sprints out from under it.

The creature lowers the wreckage and then starts to pursue the wolf, unfortunately, able to plant a scratch on the wolf's leg. Aphmau whimpers in pain as she crashes into a dead tree, her gaze shooting up to the Deathclaw.

The creature approaches her slowly, claws outstretched to the side as if ready to make some werewolf sushi.

Breathing rapidly and bleeding profusely, Aphmau ducks in terror expecting another strike, but sees an astonishing sight.

A larger black and red wolf charges and knocks the death claw to the side, followed by many others with their own colors.

All of them work together as they growl and bite at the squealing death claw, who keeps swiping at the wolves aimlessly, considering Deathclaw's bad vision.

After some back and forth, the wolves finally overcame the beast.

Aphmau was panting heavily by the dead tree stump when the black and red wolf trotted to her side, nudging and licking the scratches at her leg.

*

"Ow...OW!" Aphmau yells, hopeful that the dull-headed idiot would get the picture.

"Sorry. He got you pretty good." Aaron observes, the fire crackling in the background.

It had been decided it was too dangerous to travel during the dark, so they set up camp for the night.

Most of the wolves were asleep, only a few awake to stand guard.

Aaron, in his human form, had propped himself up on the dead tree stump, finishing up bandaging Aphmau's wound on her leg.

Aphmau, also in human form, was lying comfortably on her back against Aaron's chest between his legs.

Aphmau breaks the silence "How did you find me?"

"The red mist. Lucinda gave the vials to you just in case—Why didn't you tell me?"

"You wouldn't have understood."

"Going out into the wasteland alone? In your situation? Hm, I wonder why."

Aphmau waves a flippant hand. "Case in point."

"Okay, smartass, care to explain...this." He stretches her loose sweater to the side, revealing a slight arch in her abdomen.

Aphmau cleared her throat. "Um, holiday fat?"

Aaron chuckles. "Does holiday fat move in your stomach?"

"When you...eat the wrong things?"

"Aph."

"I know." She sighs in defeat, sinking into his body. "How did you figure it out?"

"It was a bit more obvious in your wolf form. Why would you ever go out into the wasteland? And while pregnant?"

"Well, I wasn't exactly planning on it. You know, this is mostly your fault, you're the one who knocked me up."

"You sure it's mine?" Aaron jokes.

"You wanna know how I know?" Aphmau takes Aaron's palm and places it on the lower part of her swelled tummy. Aaron jerks back slightly in surprise.

"Wow." He blinks. "She's a kicker."

"He. And that's how I know he's yours."

Aaron smiles goofily. "We're having a boy?"

She nods. "You're gonna be a father."

"And you're gonna be a mother."

Have a nice day my crystals!