It was not until the next day at around noon that Sarah roused herself from her slumber, her mind and body feeling much refreshed. Sleeping beside her was Luna and the woman took a moment to pull herself closer to the alicorn and press her face into her soft fur which had begun to regain a bit of its youthful appearance.

Unbidden thoughts of her father rushed to the forefront of her mind but Sarah pushed them down. She’d spent an entire day moping, that was more than the average Wastelander got by several hours. The woman bit her lower lip and closed her eyes again, focusing on Luna’s warm softness to block out the waves of emotion.

We could help with that, Nim spoke quietly within her head. Blocking off the emotions for a time that is. Though that does raise the problem of when the ‘dam’ breaks.

Sarah thought about for a moment and then shook her head. No... I’d rather face them now then out in the Wasteland where God knows what could be happening.

A smart decision, Nim stated happily. We seem to be rubbing off on you.

Oh? Sarah inquired.

Indeed, when we first met you, you wouldn’t have been smart enough to do that, Nim teased jokingly.

Sarah rolled her eyes and then looked up to see that Luna was still asleep, seemingly still exhausted from the day before. The woman leaned up to give her a soft kiss on the cheek before she carefully extradited herself from her lover’s embrace. She then quickly pulled on one of her recently cleaned jumpsuits and walked out the now empty dormitory.

Standing there in the hallway, Sarah noticed that she had absolutely no idea what to do. In fact, she probably would have stayed there for an hour if not for her stomach’s noisy complaint. After asking a passing child for instructions, Sarah made her way to the cafeteria where she found several Brotherhood soldiers eating what appeared to be lunch together. Sarah paused there for a moment, unsure of what to do.

She’d never been ‘nervous’ around or afraid of new people before but looking at all those soldiers in their power armour apparently eating and enjoying themselves together suddenly made her feel very very out of place.

Screw that, go get some food and force them to speak with you, Nim stated within her head. Honestly, you are not some strange creature, I doubt they will even notice.

Sarah did as directed and walked over to grab a plate and then make her way through a small ‘buffet’ style line that consisted of several different kinds of meat and several surprisingly fresh vegetables. When did you start saying ‘screw that’ Nim? she asked.

Your mind is full of profanity, I believe that as my intelligence rubs off on you, your profane tongue is rubbing off on me, Nim replied. And not nearly in the way Luna likes.

Sarah felt a hot blush creep across her face, but did her best to banish it as she turned back to look for a spot to eat. She found herself looking at the curious, and not at all hostile, faces of the Brotherhood Paladins. The woman swallowed down here fear as she spotted Sarah Lyons sitting at a far table by herself.

Glad to see a familiar face Sarah hurried over and sat down across from her. Lyons glanced up from her meal and smiled.

“Huh, look who’s finally up and kicking,” the blond woman said with a grin. “I was getting worried about you, sleeping the entire day away in there.”

Sarah flushed and nodded. “Yeah... sorry about that. I guess... it all just wore me out,” she said before looking down at her plate and cutting herself a small slice of what she assumed was brahmin meat.

“I understand,” Lyons replied, her powerful voice surprisingly soft. “No one here is going to judge you harshly because you were wracked with grief about your father.”

“I... thanks,” Sarah said, looking up at the other woman with a smile before she stuck the meat in her mouth and began to chew.

“You’re welcome,” Lyons replied as a curious grin spread across her face. “So... you and Luna are sleeping together now?”

Sarah stopped in mid-chew, then finished and swallowed before answering. “Yes...”

“How’d that happen?” Lyons inquired. “I mean, feel free to keep me in the dark, I’m just curious.”

“It... just kind of happened,” Sarah replied slowly. “We were just spending so much time together, fighting, eating, sleeping... and then something happened and...” the woman trailed off, blushing hotly. “I guess we just kind of fell in love by accident?”

Sarah suddenly came to realize just how stupid that sounded and winced internally.

Sarah looked up to see Lyons smiling at her. “Well, I’m glad you found someone out there in the Wastes to love you, that’s rare out there,” she said before adding. “Though kind of a weird choice, no offense.”

We are not weird, Nim stated within the woman’s head though Sarah ignored her.

“None taken,” Sarah said with a self deprecating chuckle. “To be completely honest, that’s the meanest thing anyone has said about it... which is surprising.”

Lyons shrugged. “I guess out here in the Wasteland people have more important things to worry about then who’s sleeping with who,” she said before shaking her head. “So... do you have any idea what you’re going to do next?”

“I... honestly no,” Sarah replied, shaking her head. “I mean... I still need to talk to Harkness about something... but other than that I have no real plans for the future other then ‘stay alive’.”

Well firstly we must take care of your damaged psyche and help you get over what happened, Nim stated helpfully within her mind. And then we simply must find a way to get you a suit of that wondrous power armour that they’re wearing and...

Sarah ignored her though made a mental note to remember the thing about power armour.

“Hmm,” Lyons murmured before she took a bite of her meal and frowned. “Well, I’d imagine you’d want to help finish your dad’s work right?”

The woman frowned for a moment and nodded. “Yeah, I guess I do now that I think about it... I wouldn’t want all his effort to go to waste,” she agreed.

“Well alright then, sounds like we have a starting point,” Lyons said with a smile. “I’m sure my father can help you out with that. We can go see him after you’re done eating if you’re up to it.”

Sarah smiled. “Thanks Sarah... I’m still kind of... lost.”

“You’re welcome Sarah,” Lyons replied with a small chuckle. “I still owe you for saving the Prides’ ass from that behemoth. Speaking of which, I never really did get to tell you thanks for that.”

“You don’t really have too,” Sarah said with a short shake of her head. “I did what anyone would have.”

Lyons raised an eyebrow at her. “Sarah, you charged a behemoth wearing a suit of Talon Company armour and killed the son of a bitch. Trust me, you did more than ‘anyone’ would have. Hell, most wasters would have just run screaming into the ruins,” the woman told her firmly.

“I guess,” Sarah replied before sighing and leaning her head against her elbow. “Sorry... my dad’s talk kind of... killed my personal enthusiasm. I couldn’t do anything to stop it and I had to just... sit there.”

“It’s fine,” Lyons replied, a kind smile flashing across her face. “If it makes you feel any better there’s no way in hell the little girl I met four weeks ago could have said that without breaking into tears.”

Sarah looked up at her with surprise. “Hmm?”

“I’m saying that while you’ve been out here in the Wasteland you’ve matured, Sarah,” Lyons stated with a chuckle.

“Thanks, Sarah... and it’s been four weeks?” Sarah asked with a frown. “Time has been... a bit of a blur to me.”

The number surprises us as well, we had thought it was longer... Nim agreed thoughtfully.

Lyons let out another chuckle and reached over to pat Sarah on the shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. I only know because the Brotherhood keeps track of the date better than most people do,” she told the other woman.

“Right,” Sarah agreed before beginning to eat again. The two women passed the rest of lunch together, eating and talking about nothing in particular.

“I’m sure you are sick to death of hearing this, but I must express how deeply sorry I am for the passing of your father,” the elder Lyons said as he sat across from Sarah in his private corridors.

“I... thanks,” Sarah said. “So anyways, I just wanted to talk to you about what I can do to continue my father’s work.”

“Ah, I had thought that would be your goal,” Lyons stated with a smile. “I’d imagine that as his daughter you’d be just as invested in what James was doing as he was.”

“... not exactly,” Sarah said with a blush. “He didn’t actually tell me anything about what he was doing until a few days ago.”

“Ah... I see,” Lyons said and a moment of awkwardness passed between the pair. “Well at any rate I’d be happy to have your help with this endeavor.”

“Thanks,” Sarah replied. “So... do you know what we need to finish the Project?”

“Yes, we do,” Lyons said with a smile. “You see, while you were otherwise occupied the day before, Madison threw herself into research which is not surprising knowing her. What she uncovered is that we’re looking a device called a G.E.C.K. or Garden of Eden Creation Kit.”

“Okay...” Sarah said, not really following but determined not to feel stupid in front of the old man.

Best of luck with that, Nim said within her head, though her voice was obviously joking. For once I am just as baffled as you are.

“You have no idea what that is, do you?” Lyons asked with a kind smile.

“Not in the faintest,” Sarah replied, her cheeks flushing a little. On the bright side, the old man wasn’t talking down to her like Jonas used to do sometimes, that had always annoyed Sarah... even if he’d always been right.

“Well to put it simply, the G.E.C.K. is the last thing we need to make your father’s Water Purifier work as intended,” Lyons explained. “It’s a machine that was created with the intent to ‘rebuild the world’ after the bombs fell.”

“Okay, that makes sense,” Sarah replied. “Garden of Eden and all.”

“Exactly,” Lyons said, his wrinkled face lifting up into a smile that Sarah found incredibly likable.

Now we have something to strive for, excellent, Nim stated within the woman’s head.

Sarah silently agreed as she said. “So, where is this ‘G.E.C.K.’ being stored?”

“According to Madison, it’s being kept in Vault 87 which is... troublesome,” the elder Lyons said with a sigh. “You see, we know where it is, but the route from the surface has been blocked off by what is frankly an insane amount of radiation.”

Sarah’s spirits dimmed but her resolve hardened.

“I won’t let that stop me,” she stated flatly.

“I didn’t suspect you would,” Lyons said with a nod. “We have word of a series of tunnels in the area which could potentially allow you to access Vault 87.”

Sarah nodded and smiled, she could do this, she could definitely do this.

“Sounds good to me,” Sarah said as she offered him her Pip-Boy to insert the coordinates. The elder did so quickly and smiled.

“I’ve always loved Pip-Boys, particularly the 3000 model, they’re so very useful,” he said as his surprisingly nimble fingers played across the Pip-Boy’s buttons and then he released Sarah’s wrist and nodded. “There we are, you now have the coordinates.”

“Great,” Sarah replied and then frowned. “Wait... are Luna and I going to be the only ones going?”

A pained look crossed the elder Lyons’s face. “I’m afraid so my dear. The Brotherhood simply can’t spare the personnel for this, as regrettable as that is,” he told her, shaking his head. “If we did then it would be one less patrol in the fight against the mutants and we barely have enough of those as it is.”

Fair enough, he may have an army but we doubt their numbers are boundless, Nim stated in agreement.

“Alright,” Sarah said with a small nod. “Do you have any idea what I’m going to be facing once I get to Vault 87?”

“Most likely super mutants,” the old man replied. “We know that their numbers are heavy there and I doubt that the radiation has deterred them from entering the Vault.”

“Great... mutants,” Sarah said with a small groan. “Why can’t it be raiders?”

Lyons let out a chuckle. “You know, I have heard those exact words uttered by my Paladins on more than one occasion,” he told her. “And I must say, I quite agree.”

Sarah smiled, she liked this old man. “Yeah... so do you think I could learn how to use Power Armour while I’m here?” she asked him. “After all, I might need it if Vault 87 is as dangerous as it sounds.”

Excellent suggestion! Nim exclaimed within her head.

Lyons frowned for a moment and stroked his luscious beard for a moment before nodding. “Yes, I believe that can be arranged,” he told her as he took out a piece of paper and quickly scrawled something on it with a pencil which he then gave back to her. “Give this to Paladin Gunny who you should be able to find out in the Courtyard. He should be able to give you some instructions and I’ll even see if I can’t find you a suit of T-45d for you to wear, though I can’t promise you it will be in ‘mint’ condition.”

“That’s fine,” Sarah replied, smiling. “It’s more then I was expecting.”

“It’s the least I could do,” Lyons told her honestly. “After all, you’re James’s daughter and I do believe you might even eclipse him with your accomplishments.”

Sarah let out a sigh. “At least one of us is I guess,” she said dourly.

“Child, trust me when I say that I know the look of greatness when I see it,” Lyons said as he rose to his feet. “Anyways, you have power armour to master and then a Vault to raid.”

Sarah nodded and rose to her feet as well. “Thank you...” she suddenly realized that she had no idea what to call him. She doubted she could call him ‘dad’ like Sarah had.

“Elder will do fine,” he told her with a wry chuckle. “I certainly look the part.”

“Thank you, Elder,” Sarah replied.

Throw in a bow, Nim instructed. The elders of most orders of this type appreciate that.

Sarah frowned internally but threw in a bow to appease Nim.

“There’s no need for that,” Lyons said. “Though I appreciate the sentiment. Now then, off with you.”

Luna felt a cold metal fingertip tap her on the neck. She blinked blearily and let out a yawn.

“Father... did you have to wake me?” she asked tiredly. “I was having the most wonderful dream.”

“Umm... Luna?” Sarah’s voice asked, shaking Luna out of her drowsiness.

“Oh, hello there Sarah,” Luna replied, shaking her head slightly as she looked up at the now power armour clad woman. “My apologies, I was somewhere else.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Sarah replied as she sat down beside Luna, making the bed sag slightly. “Are you feeling better?”

“For the most part,” Luna replied, shaking out her man once more. “Though I am in need of a shower of some form and a bit of food. Also, that armour looks wonderful on you.”

“Thanks,” Sarah said before she leaned over and gave Luna a fiery kiss on the lips. When they parted Luna blinked twice.

“Not that I am going to complain... but what did I do to deserve that?” she asked.

“You already know,” Sarah replied as she got up. “We’re leaving in a few hours, heading to Megaton and then to a place called Vault 87 so get ready.”

Luna frowned for a moment, Sarah seemed much more driven at the moment. Luna liked it. “Very well, though I do hope you don’t intend for me to carry you... you look quite heavy.”

Sarah paused for a moment and then chuckled. “You know, I hadn’t thought of that...”

Luna chuckled as well. “Then I suppose we will just have to walk,” she stated as she got up off of the bed and gave Sarah’s cheek a nuzzle. “I am overjoyed to see you in such good spirits.”

“... thanks,” Sarah replied, leaning her neck against Luna’s. They stayed like that for several seconds before Luna’s stomach roared.

“Well, I believe I am in need of some breakfast,” Luna said as she stepped away from Sarah. “Join me?”

“Of course.”