Hades

To be honest, I didn't really expect a lot of sadness as far as Dane was concerned. He was more a means to an end, highlighting Oz and his views as a leader. I wanted to make the connection between Tali and Miles as well, as I had hinted at it for some time. There are a few characters that will pop back up from time to time, and the relationships that Rain has with these people will be integral to her story.

glad to hear that. I wasn't thrilled that I had a "reputation" for infrequent posting. Aside from one period of troubles I've tried to be pretty consistent. lol.

Fair enough. I actually have most of the next chapter written, but I didn't want the overload to take too much away from the happenings in Pride. Maybe I'll put up the next chapter sooner. Who knows?

Lol. Nobody is mourning poor Dane's passing I see. Everyone is too interested in Miles.

The guards of Pride were less welcoming upon their return. Their glances were mixed between recognition and barely concealed hostility. Their former friends kept their eyes down, moving sluggishly through town. The villagers were even more hostile to the group, with many shouting curses, and others sending more tangible objects their way, like rotten vegetables or other garbage. The twenty or so prisoners endured the shame, knowing they deserved it, but Rain still found it hard to watch. She kept her face impassive like the others, her weapon on their backs, but it felt wrong. Miles stopped suddenly as a coughing fit nearly brought him to his knees. Tali rushed to his side. Rain paused as well while the procession moved forward. Miles held his hand to his mouth, and when he drew it away, Rain was sure she saw blood in his palm. He met her eyes with his own cold blue ones, and she moved on rather than keep his gaze. They reached Oz’s house finally. Oz was waiting, sitting in a leather chair. His friendly demeanor was gone as he looked over the group. His gaze lingered on the prisoners, searching their faces. None would meet his eyes aside from Dane. Oz grimaced as he looked at Miles and the team. He saw Miyuki’s hand and the bruises on Tali’s face. His hand clenched his chair and even sitting, he seemed to grow even bigger than his already enormous size. Dane swallowed nervously, sensing his anger. Rain reached over and grabbed his hand, giving him a wink. “It's gonna be okay. Just be honest, he'll understand. You didn’t want any of this.” “You have something to say to me, Dane?” Oz asked stonily. Four of his own guards had entered the room quietly, and he nodded for them to take positions around the room, which was growing uncomfortably full. Dane stepped forward at last. “I didn't want any bad blood between us Oz. The shit that went down…..we just got desperate…..Trenton lost it. We were just along for the ride.” Oz leaned forward, his voice low and strained. “You wanted to leave, and I let you. Then you started robbing me…..and still, I let it go.” His voice was raising steadily, as Dane shrunk beneath his gaze. “You wanna tell me what the fuck lead you ingrates to murder four of my people?!” “We didn’t want that! The situation got out of control.” Dane protested weakly. “It got out of control?! Is that what I should tell the families of the men you killed?” “It was Trent. I keep telling you, we didn’t want any of that.” The room was silent for a while. Rain focused on not shuffling in her nervousness, as her diaper’s crinkle was outrageously loud. She knew for a fact that Tali could hear, because she came and put an arm around her protectively, which also helped keep her still. Oz took a deep breath. “So everything was Trent’s fault, yeah? In all the time you were over there, with all the shit that was going on, you didn’t once think to come to me?” “I should have. I should have taken anyone who would've followed and came back. I just….I didn’t want to give up on what we were building, and by the time I knew how bad things were, everyone was too afraid of what Trent would do if we tried to leave. I’m sorry, brother. I can’t tell you how much.” Oz sat in silence as he considered what had been said. “And all of this?” he asked, gesturing to Miyuki and Tali. “What happened there? Why were the people I sent to make peace treated so roughly?” Miles stepped up. “The one’s responsible have been dealt with. They're dead, along with Trent. He was too far gone. Dane tried to stop it.” Oz sighed and stood up, walking to Dane with his arms open. The two embraced for a long moment before they separated. “ I love you, brother.” Dane let out a breath of relief. “I love you too. Thanks…..for giving us another chance. I promise, we'll find a way to make up for everything.” Oz returned to his seat silently. Dane and Rain exchanged smiles as he headed to the door. “One more thing, Dane.” Oz said from his seat. They all turned back and saw the gun in his hand. Before anyone could speak, a shot rang out and Dane fell in a red mist, a hole in his head. Miles and the others pulled their weapons out, as did the guards in the room. None of that mattered to Rain as she looked at Dane’s body. She ran to Oz, who had stood after firing, hitting him over and over in the chest ineffectually. Her blows weren’t meant to harm, but she was mad with grief and it was all she could do. “You asshole! You murdering piece of shit! How could you do that?! He came to apologize, he said he was sorry!” She bawled through tears. Oz allowed her to hit him for a bit before gently catching her wrists. He didn’t look at her, keeping his eyes on Miles, who had his gun pointed at him. Rain was still crying as she slid to the floor. Miles kept the weapon him, unconcerned about the gun at the back of his head. “Dammit Oz, I told them they would be safe!” “A stupid promise then, considering it wasn’t yours to make. I never made any offers of immunity.” He gestured to his guards to lower their weapons. “Take the others out of town and put them down. Bury them deep." Gabriel looked back and forth between Miles and Oz, looking conflicted. “What the hell is this, Oz?” "Justice. You know what that looks like." The guards left with the prisoners in tow. They looked at Dane mournfully as they left, resigned to their fate. Miles and the others slowly lowered the weapons as well. There was nothing left to do. “There’s a guest house about a street over.” Oz said quietly, glancing down at the crying girl at his feet. “You can stay the night there while I get a suitable reward together for you. I'm sorry it had to go down this way, Miles, but I won't let murderers back on my streets.” Tali and Rocco came and collected Rain from the floor. She looked at Oz angrily, with tears in her eyes. He kept her gaze as they left the building. A guard was outside waiting for them. He lead them to the guest house without a word. As soon as they arrived, Rain pulled herself from Tali and ran to the first empty room she could find, locking the door behind her. She laid on the bed as she continued to cry. No one tried to follow her. She grabbed her stuffed bear from her bag, deciding against changing her diaper for the moment. She hugged the bear to her, wanting more than anything to get Dane’s face from her mind. After a lot of crying, she fell into a troubled sleep. * She woke sometime late in the night. Her diaper was full and cold, but that wasn't what woke her. She could hear a muffled coughing coming from another room. She got off the bed and left her room. She was still curious about Miles and the blood she had seen him cough up earlier. She moved down the hallway quietly, not completely sure why she was sneaking. The other rooms were empty, and she didn’t know where the others were. As she got closer to the room, she could hear Tali’s voice, and she sounded scared. “This is bad, Miles. This thing is destroying your body from the inside. The side effects are getting worse every time.” “I'm fine. It'll calm down, it always does. Have you thought about what would happen if we removed it?” “Shit, Miles, I don’t know about any of this. I'm an amateur doctor and decent mechanic. I’ve never seen anything like this before, nobody has. That tech is something totally different from anything in the wasteland. I doubt Gabe even knows what it is, but you won’t tell him anyway.” “We know what it’s based off of.” Miles said. “I know that you're too reckless. You can’t keep thinking this thing will save you no matter what.” Rain slipped closer to the door, gently turning the knob. Through the crack, she saw Tali pacing back and forth. Miles was without his shirt, and Rain could see right away what had Tali so scared. His right arm was an almost transparent and sickly yellow. She could see his veins from his shoulder to nearly his elbow, like purple snakes running down his arm. She watched as another fit of coughing doubled him over. She could see bits of blood as Tali rushed to his side. With great effort, he got back on his feet, wiping angrily at the blood on his chin. “I’m scared, Miles. I….I don’t know what to do here. I don’t want to lose you……I couldn’t take it.” Rain watched as Tali laid her head on his chest, and she knew her caretaker was crying. Miles held her close for a while, then he gently took her head in his hands and kissed her deeply on the lips. “I'm not going to lie to you. I don’t…..I’m not sure how much longer I have, how many more times I have. I'm not going anywhere, if I can help it. That’s why I have you to help keep me together.” Miles said softly. “I love you, Tali. Don’t give up on me yet. I can’t do this without you.” She shouldn’t have been surprised, it answered a lot of questions. Rain was glad Tali had someone to make her feel beautiful, especially with everything the woman did for the team and for her. She wondered if the others knew. Their conversation had given a lot more questions than it answered, but they would need to wait. She turned to leave, but suddenly the tapes on her diaper gave out, the diaper falling to the ground with a loud plop. She heard their whispering cease as she scooped up the wet garment and hustled back to her room. She shut the door quietly before she got in bed, slipping the cold diaper back under herself with a wince. She pulled it back over herself and closed her eyes, hoping nobody came after her. But if course Tali came in a minute later. Rain pretended to be asleep, hoping she would leave. It was quiet as Tali walked slowly around the room. Rain felt the bed shift as Tali sat down. Tali sighed. “I'm pretty sure your door was locked before, yet somehow here I am.” Rain cursed herself for the error, but still kept up the charade, more out of stubbornness than anything else. “I know a little girl whose faking sleep when I see one. The gig is up, cutie.” Rain gave up at last, opening her eyes and sitting up. “I’m sorry.” “It's okay. How are you doing? You took Dane’s death pretty hard.” “I'm alright. I keep seeing it….over and over.” Tali nodded. “Can I ask you….how much you heard down the hall there? Your diaper left a wet mark on the floor, so I know you were there.” “Just…..a bit.” Rain said quietly. “I heard Miles coughing. I wanted to make sure he was okay.” Tali stood and got a new diaper. “Let’s get you changed, alright? Then Miles needs to talk to you.” Rain laid back as she was cleaned thoroughly and a new diaper was put under her. She was glad to be dry, but she was worried about what happened next. Would Miles be angry that she eavesdropped? She sighed as Tali rubbed the sweet smelling powder into her skin before taping the diaper up. She was led out of the room, in just a shirt and her diaper, not really thinking of protesting. Miles was waiting for her. He had put a shirt on, but she could still the sickness in his arm. He sat in a chair and pointed for her to sit on the bed. She sat down with Tali and looked nervously at Miles. He didn’t say anything for a while, he just stared at his feet. He looked up and looked her in the eyes. “I know you heard some of our conversation. I also know you have questions, specifically about me. What you are about to hear will make you the only person besides Tali who will know the truth.”

“Fuck……Shit, Trent. What the fuck have you done?” Dane asked. He had crouched against the wall, his hands held over his mouth. Trenton didn’t answer right away. His eyes were locked on Miles, as though he was trying to confirm what he had done. “I…..just sent a message. We're gonna send his body….back to Oz….in twelve fucking different pieces, and then he'll see that were not to be fucked with.” Rain sat numb as the two argued. She couldn’t look at the body, she didn’t want to see his dead eyes looking at nothing. Miles was more than just her leader. He was her savior. He had brought her in when she had nowhere to go. More than that, he had been a symbol of strength. Miles the Deathless, a man most believed unable to die. That epitaph had been proven wrong. She herself had bore witness to his seemingly impossible luck. Every fight they had entered, he had never been hurt. But, he was gone now, his bullet ridden body was proof of that. She unconsciously moved away as the pool of blood spread toward her. Tali woke up and opened her eyes and saw Miles. She couldn’t look at his body long either. “Oh, Miles.” She moaned as she began quietly sobbing. Dane charged Trenton, but his guards moved forward and kept him at bay. “Miles was our friend! How many times did he help us out back at Pride?!” “That's why he had to die. Oz needs to know we're serious.” Trenton said. “The only question now is what to do with the others. I think we should put a bullet in each one, send them all back. Or maybe we should just cut them up a bit, what do you prefer, Dane?” “Careful brothers.” Rocco said to the guards. “You go any further and you’re signing your death warrants.” Trenton pointed to him. “Looks like we got a volunteer. Pick him up.” “I warned you. Do your worst. I’m ugly enough as it is. Anything you do to me will be a fuckin makeover.” “No!” Dane cried. “Stop while you can. When Oz hears about this, he won’t have any mercy. He'll crush us. For once, would you just listen to me?!” “I'm done listening to you!” Trenton exploded. “You're weak, Dane. You don’t have what it takes to be a leader, to make the tough choices.” Trenton stopped for a moment. “The ghoul’s right. He's too ugly to send a message. Maybe we'll send Gabe here back blind? Or maybe we should make one of these pretty ladies a bit less pretty? Yeah, I like that. Grab the Asian.” The guards hauled Miyuki up and forced her against the wall. Trenton put his gun up against the palm of her right hand. Miyuki was taking deep breaths, preparing herself for what was to come. “Rocco…” She said, the slight quake in her voice betraying her anxiety. “I'm right here, babe. Keep looking at me.” Rocco was angry, Rain could feel it. Rain closed her eyes, but she still heard the shot, and Miyuki’s following screams. Gabriel was fuming, looking from Miyuki, back to Miles. He wanted to do something to stop it, but he couldn't. None of them could. Then they heard it. A low timbered moan. Everyone turned and looked at Miles. His body had arched up and was convulsing like a puppet dancing on strings. Trenton, Dane, and the two guards stood motionless, too surprised or terrified to react. Rain was afraid too, watching as Miles finally rose up to his feet. His still convulsing body began spitting out blood, and Rain saw both bullets forced out of his body, saw the flesh repair itself until there was no evidence he had ever been hurt. His head flipped back and he let out an almost inhuman scream. “Now!” Gabe yelled before launching himself at one of the guards. Rocco followed and tackled the second guard. With everything falling apart around him, Trenton finally rose his gun, but by then it was too late. Dane, seeing his chance, grabbed the gun from him, as Miles finally opened his eyes and latched his bound hands around his throat. Rain was sitting totally still as the chaos happened. The guards had been disarmed and Trenton was feebly trying to fight back. Miles held him tightly, until Rain heard a cracking noise and he stopped moving at last. When it was all over, Trenton and the guards were dead, and Dane was alone, surrounded by bodies. Miles sat down heavily against the wall, still weak and struggling for breath. Rocco was wrapping Miyuki’s injured hand, and Tali had managed to get up to check on Miles. Gabriel came and untied her bonds. He could see the questions swirling in her mind, and he stopped her with a look. “I don’t know. I don’t how he does it, and he's not likely to tell anyone. Now's not the time, kid, so let’s focus on the task at hand.” Rain stood up and was a bit disheartened by how far her diaper sagged. Between the fight in the woods and the show inside, it had been hours since she had been changed. That she hadn’t leaked was astounding, but it was definitely at that point. With Tali and Miyuki hurt, she needed to find some time to clean up before it was too late. They had all known this was going to happen. That's why none of them had seemed all that upset when he had “died”. There was a mystery here that she wasn’t seeing, and Miles was far from what he had seemed. Dane had slumped into a corner. “What happens now, Miles? After all of this, what the hell happens now?” Miles had his eyes closed, Tali was checking his chest where he had taken the bullets. He spoke slowly and with difficulty. “Get the rest of our weapons. Then we leave….everyone. We kill anyone who resists and wants to stay. I'm tired of all this, no more playing around.” “What the fuck are you, Miles? You were dead, I saw it. I've never seen someone just get up after being pumped with lead like that. That shit don't happen.” Miles didn’t answer. He opened his eyes with a look of exhaustion. Whatever he had done, it had drained him. He merely shook his head wearily. “That's some freaky shit, man. It's like one of those old slasher vids I saw a kid.” Gabe hauled Dane to his feet. “It’s time to go. Get our weapons and let’s round up the others. For their sakes, I hope they listen to reason.” Dane hesitated at the door. “Oz will kill us, Miles. If you make us go back…..He'll kill all of us.” Miles shook his head. “I give you my word, you'll be perfectly safe. As long as his people are safe, he won't seek revenge. I promise.” Dane didn’t seem convinced, but headed out either way. Tali was whispering something to Miles, and Rain was surprised to see how frazzled she looked. Gabe helped Miles up and they headed out the door where Dane was waiting. With their weapons in hand and Dane leading the way, they headed out to a gathering of confused and scared men, nervously fingering the triggers of their weapons. Dane put up a hand to calm them. “It’s over. Trent is dead…..I’m done guys. I’m done with this place, this mess. Oz will let all of us come back, so I’m going….and I urge all of you too as well.” Maybe it was Dane’s words, or maybe they were all just as tired of fighting their friends, of being hungry and growing sick and weak. Rain figured the decision was made when they saw their former prisoners armed and ready for blood. Gabriel stepped forward, once again in his armor, with his weapon raised. “We need you to drop your weapons if you're gonna come with us.” Rain and Miyuki spread out a bit to cover Gabriel, while Rocco lifted his shotgun with one hand and held up Miles with the other. Tali watched the exchange nervously. Slowly, they began to lower their guns. One by one until a group of maybe twenty men stood helpless before them. It was a unique feeling that had Rain giddy. Normally when Miles got involved there was mercy and no prisoners. These men however, would live and hopefully repent for their misdeeds. It was a nice feeling to not leave death and destruction behind wherever they went. Dane wore a sad expression as he moved forward to his people. “Let's go home.” * It didn’t take long for them to leave the broken village. Their prisoners worked in silence and packed what meager possessions they had and then they headed out. Rain had finally gotten a clean diaper first, although she had to do it herself, which was a weird change. Rocco and Miyuki were close to each other as usual, and she seemed to be recovering fairly well, though her hand had been wrapped heavily. Miles walked with Gabe and Dane at the head of the caravan. He looked horrible, like he was liable to pass out at any moment, and he had developed a terrible cough that stopped him in his tracks whenever they happened. Rain held Tali close, the beaten woman practically leaning on her. Despite her injuries, her gaze was constantly on Miles. She worried about him so much it was almost scary, but in a sweet way. “Are you okay?” Rain asked. Tali looked at her as though she had forgotten she was there. Her face was bruised and there was still dried blood on her chin. “I'm okay. It’s just Miles….I worry y’know? I shouldn't though. He always comes back. But I worry about anyway, in case…..he doesn’t come back next time.” Her voice was thick with emotion, and Rain hugged her close as they kept moving. Tali’s eyes never left Miles. Not for a second. “It’s weird to be bringing them all back like this. It’s not what we normally do.” Tali smiled at that. “I know that Miles thinks he needs to kill in order to serve justice, but in all honesty I like this approach better. We don’t have to stoop to their level every time. I'd like to believe that justice can be tempered with mercy.” Rain smiled. “Yeah. I like that too.” They travelled until the sun began to set before they set up camp. The night was a grim time. Trenton’s men sat with a numb anticipation. Despite all the promises, they couldn’t yet believe that Oz would let them come back. They huddled together as Gabe stood watch over them nearby. The old warrior had kept a strict vigil over them since they left. His finger was always near the trigger of his weapon, and he made sure they knew it. Rain had been quickly changed by Tali before she went to find Miles, who had built his tent far from the others before going into seclusion. It was clear he wanted space, but the Scottish woman marched toward him with confidence. Rain laid down on a cool patch of grass, looking up at the stars. It was peaceful moment and she reveled in the quiet. She opened her eyes and looked over at the camp where Miyuki had fallen asleep with her head in Rocco’s lap. The ghoul met her eyes and gave a wink. Those two had a strange connection and she wondered how they had come together, and what made Miyuki so fiercely loyal to him. Her thoughts were broken as Dane sat down beside her, his gaze looking to the stars as well. Rain couldn't say why for sure, but she liked the man. The fact that he had raged against their ill treatment was certainly a plus. “It's beautiful isn’t it?” He asked softly. “I love looking at the stars.” Rain nodded. “I never really paid much attention before. Now I wonder how I could have missed them.” For a few minutes, they sat in silence, enjoying the view. There wasn’t much around the camp either. There were a few buildings, but they were all in shambles. Aside from that, there was only empty roads and fields. Dane looked over and laid down as well, propped up on his elbow. “Want to hear something funny?” “Sure. Is it embarrassing cause I think you’re blushing a bit.” “A little I guess. When I was a kid, I used to look up every night at the stars, and wish I could go there. It was this weird dream that could never shake. I guess I hoped that maybe things would be better up there, away from all this shit.” “We can’t get up there. It’s impossible.” “Not at all. I went to this old building once called a library, filled with books. One of them had pictures of humans up there, on the moon. It can be done.” Rain suppressed a giggle. “That’s crazy! How could people even get up there?” “They went up in these big ships called rockets, just blasted off right into the sky. If things go well with Oz, I’m gonna build one.” Rain doubted that would ever happen, but she liked that he had a dream, so she only smiled at him. “If you ever do make a rocket, take me with you, yeah? I’d like to visit the moon.” Dane laughed. “You bet! I heard from the boys you can handle yourself, I’ll need you to protect me. What if there are moon-monsters up there?” He left a bit later and Rain stretched as she made her way to her own tent. She was tired and excited at the reunion at Pride. As she laid down, her hand wandered to her diaper, feeling the plastic idly as she wondered if she would ever make it to the moon.

Yeah, I see that now. It looked different in my document, and I somehow missed it in editing. As for the rapid shift, it's really just because I don't have filler for the road. I'll admit I was wanting to get to the action too. I also feel like I should have maybe stopped the chapter after meeting Oz. I feel the finale sorta stole his thunder, and that's a shame,m because I personally like Oz.

The dusty sign had originally read “Pride Reality Estates” back before the war. Oz had evidently got rid of the last part when he found the place. Now the sign was decorated with neon lights, and the once lavish estates were surrounded by metal walls and barbed wire. From the outside, the town of Pride seemed more like a fortress or prison than a town. Inside the walls painted a different picture. Even the least impressive house was light years nicer than anything they had seen in the wasteland. The town itself was bustling and seemed peaceful. Rain looked around at the many smiling and happy faces, at the men and women working together at stalls and in the fields, at the security watching the inside and outside vigilantly. She could see how unique Pride was compared to the ramshackle villages they normally worked for. It was a town worth protecting. The team was lead through town to a large home at the end of town. Surprisingly not the biggest, but nice nonetheless. The house was decorated with old signs from the wastes, memorabilia from past battles, and the heads of mutated beasts. Faintly, they heard the radio playing. Oz was sitting in living room on a brown leather sofa. He had dark skin, cropped hair, and a short goatee. He was big too, as big as Gabe if not more, and from the looks of things he was more muscular as well. Even sitting he looked like a wall of muscle. Living up to his reputation, he had two scantily clad women on each leg. He rose as they approached, giving them a gleaming smile. “There they are! The heroes have arrived at last. Miles, you pale bastard, I’ve missed you. Now where is my Gabe? Get out of that armor you ugly bear, come give me a hug!” Gabriel obliged and the two titans embraced as old friends. “I've missed this place. Looks better every time I see it.” “Yeah. We've been working hard. Tore down some of the shitty places, used the parts to patch up the others. Crops are coming in good too. When’s the last time you had corn off the damn cob? We got it and we got a lot.” Miles stepped up. “What's going on? We got up here as quickly as we could. I got to say, we're a bit concerned if you can’t handle it yourself.” Oz gave a sad look. “I could handle it. I just don’t want to. It’s complicated anyway. We'll talk about it after dinner. Besides, I have to greet the lovely ladies!” He pulled Tali and Miyuki close, with the women squirming unsuccessfully to escape. “Look at you two! More beautiful every time you grace me with your presence. You're gonna make my gals jealous.” “Good to see you Oz.” Tali squeaked out. “Watch your hand if you want to keep it, Oz!” Miyuki bristled. “Oh….and who is that, hiding behind Rocco?” Oz asked as he moved closer. “I'll be damned, the rumors were true. Miles and crew got themselves a little princess traveling with them.” Rain was already annoyed at how he treated Tali and Miyuki, and the princess comment literally had her fuming with rage. Oz seemed oblivious to all this as he sauntered up to her and with one arm swept her up, his forearm supporting her diapered bottom. “You are cute as a button, ain’t ya sweetiepie?” By this point, Rain was indignant. Giving him her coldest stare, she spoke in a low, dangerous tone. “Put me down before I rip out your eyes.” The look seemed to work and he set her down immediately, looking apologetic. “Not much for teasing are you princess?” “Don’t call me princess!” “Of course Your Majesty. No doubt you want to stay incognito. Aw, damn, I did it again. Sorry.” “The other rumors were true too.” Said one of the women with Oz, a redhead, as she lifted up Rain’s skirt. Rain acted on instinct, grabbing the woman’s arm and twisting. The redhead screamed in pain and Rain raised her fist to teach her a lesson she wouldn’t forget. Miles reached her first, pulling her back as Oz did the same with his girl. Kneeling down, he whispered into her ear. “Not here, not now. Go for a walk, get your head calm, and do it quick.” “No Miles. Not her fault.” Oz said. “My girls should know better not to make my guests uncomfortable.” Rain was still stinging from her rebuke from Miles, otherwise she might've laughed at Oz’s statement. “Maybe we should go eat, let everyone calm down a bit.” Rocco suggested. “I agree. There's still business to discuss too. Can’t put it off forever.” Oz said gloomily. Dinner was simple and delicious. Oz served up brahmin steaks that he had prepared and was particularly proud of. Not much was said and there was a tension in the air as they all waited for Oz to tell them why they were there. Finally, Oz took a deep breath and began. “So I don’t know if you've noticed, but my thriving community is a bit light nowadays. Last year a bunch of my men decided they wanted to go off on their own, made a big fuss about it. Anyway, I let them go, even gave them some supplies for the journey. I wasn’t going to force anyone to stay here. You remember a guy named Trenton? Used to be a guard here?” “Vaguely.” Miles answered. “You'll need to fill in the blanks.” “Well he's……how should I put this? He's a black guy like me….just not as handsome. Either way, he lead the charge and if I had to guess, he's probably running things there. For a long time, we didn’t hear anything at all. Recently though, they've been robbing my caravans, hurting trade for not just me, but all the neighboring villages. As you know, Pride is kinda the center. Last time they killed four of my guys. It needs to end.” “You're asking us to kill them?” Miles asked. “Bring them back if you can, kill them if they refuse, I don’t care so long as they stop. I’m not a man who takes betrayal lightly and I’m getting sick of this.” Rocco looked up from his plate. “You got a boatload of guys outside. Why not just take care of it yourselves?” “I could if I needed to. But those guys used to be friends and comrades. It puts my guys in an tough spot, and frankly, looks too much like civil war for my liking. They need to be stopped, but how comfortable will my guys be fighting their own? You stop this bickering, and you can name your price, ammo, money, whatever.” Miles thought for moment, glancing around at the others. “We'll go talk to them and see what we can do. Hopefully, we can talk some reason into them.” Oz nodded grimly. “When you get there, look for Dane, he might get you in. You remember him right?” “I remember Dane.” Tali said. “He was a kind person, I can’t believe he got mixed up in this.” “Yeah. He was a good one.” Oz paused and looked at Rain, who wore a confused look, as she didn’t know any of these people. “Dane is a reasonable sort. He’s…..well…..a black guy, but……” “But not as handsome as you?” Miyuki asked sarcastically. Oz smiled deviously. “Your words baby. You sure you don’t have a thing for me? I’m feeling some chemistry here.” “I would rather be with a super mutant.” “You're into some weird stuff lady…..” * “Miles? What the hell are you doing here?” Miles smiled and shook the man’s hand. Dane had always been a good man, energetic, and full of a desire to make things better. He had seen better days. For someone just barely in his twenties, he had a haunted look in his eyes. Behind him were a bunch of ramshackle houses made from scrap metal and wood. Both Dane and some of the men he could see from outside the gate looked thin and sick. “I heard about this beef you got with Oz. He asked me to mediate, come up with some agreement.” Dane’s eyes looked past him, scanning the woods, perhaps afraid to see armed men at the tree line. Miles had instructed his team to remain hidden until he had a chance to size up the situation. “I don’t think you should be here, Miles. Shit here has been going upside down here for a long time. It’s not safe here for you.” “It’s not that simple. This has to stop and I need to understand. You're attacking your own people? I don’t get it.” Dane shook his head. “What can I say, Miles? Trenton doesn't listen to me anymore. I’m half out the door as it is, he doesn’t want me here. He doesn't like my doubts.” “People always respected you. Are you saying no one here has any issue with what’s been going on?” “Sure they do. But everyone’s too afraid of Trenton to speak up, and terrified of what Oz will do if pushed too far. Seeing as how you're here, I guess they were right. Why are you here, Miles? Are you going to….” “I just want to talk.” Miles said, putting a hand in the air. “Oz told me you can all come back. He's just trying to protect his people. Please let Trenton know I’m here to negotiate. Nobody wants things to get bloody.” Dane looked down sadly. “I'll tell him, but I doubt he's interested in listening.” * “Do you think it's going well? I just saw Dane go back into the camp.” Tali said. Miyuki was laying in the grass nearby, basking in the shade of a large tree. “Beats me. I hate all this waiting though. I wish we had just marched down there kicked their doors in.” “No. We need to be smart here.” Gabriel said. “We want this to be peaceful. Not to mention there's more of them than us. I know we sorta thrive when outnumbered, but the terrain outside the village is flat. No trees or rocks to use as cover." “I don’t care either way.” Rocco said. “I do feel like we're dressed up with no where to go. Some action would be appreciated.” Rain didn’t find any enjoyment in the situation. Ever since they had arrived, she had been on edge. Normally, this would be a good thing, as danger was around every corner when they traveled. This felt different. She had a sinking feeling in her stomach that wouldn’t go away. Tali seemed nervous too, but she seemed to worry anytime Miles was away, so that was normal. Rain checked her weapons for the fourth time while she waited for Miles to return. Miyuki sat up quickly, causing the others to jump up as well. “Did you hear something?” Rain looked around and did her best to listen to her surroundings. Rocco saw them first, as armed men came from behind them. The forest suddenly came alive as they were fired upon. Sticking close to the trees, they fired back as much as they could, but they were outnumbered, with more men weaving through the forest every second. Tali had abandoned her rifle for an assault rifle and was making her way toward her, while Gabe marched to the front in his armor. Rain fired when she could, taking down three men who were shooting at Gabe. As usual, time seemed to slow in the heat of battle. What was probably only a few minutes, felt like hours. Slowly, they began to lose ground, being pushed closer to the village, and farther from the cover of the trees. “It’s a fucking no-man's land out there!” Rocco yelled. “We gotta stay in the forest!” Gabe and his heavy firepower were the only thing keeping the wolves at bay, and Miles was nowhere to be found. Tali took a hit, but her armor seemed to absorb it. Miyuki and Rocco were nearly out of the forest, and Rocco’s arm was bleeding as he used his sword to combat the closest enemies. Rain was getting desperate, then she saw men rushing their way from the village. They were trapped. She saw something small and round sailing through the air coming right for them. Quickly realizing that it was a grenade, she aimed her pistol and fired. She missed twice, before her third shot hit, detonating it. Despite being in the air, the blast still knocked her heavily to the ground” “Rain!” Tali screamed hysterically. “I'm coming, just hold on!” She got up slowly as Tali gave up fighting, and tried to run to her side. She got hit with a spray of bullets, but didn’t seem too hurt, although she was bleeding from her leg and both her arms. Rain ran to her and reached her, but by then it was too late. They were completely surrounded and someone had a gun to the back of her head. With no other choice, they slowly laid down their weapons. Gabriel was forced out of his suit and their hands were bound in front of them. The fight was over. * Inside the village, the team was reunited. Miles was similarly bound, and they were lead to a small house. The man called Dane was inside, looking mournful. They were forced to their knees, and Rain’s swollen diaper was more noticeable than she would have liked. Dane looked down at them, his frustration evident. “I’m sorry, Miles. As soon as he heard you were here, he sent the men out the back to flank your team. He knew they had to be close. I didn't know.” Miles was completely calm. “What happens now?” “Now? Now, I try and get Trenton to let you go back to Oz. Now, I try to convince him to not kill you.” Tali was still bleeding heavily, but had at least been given a stim-pack. She looked up from the floor, her face looking just slightly afraid. Not for herself, but for the others, and for Rain especially. “Why did you leave Pride? You had a good life there. Was it something he did?” Dane looked at his feet. “No. I hate to say it, but it was jealously plain and simple. When we followed Oz all those years ago, most of us were just kids, lured by his idea making a truly safe community. He picked people to join us who had skills. Farmers, doctors, people like that. We were the muscle, and when everything was said and done I was proud, I was proud of what we helped to create.” “What went wrong? Why leave?” Rain asked. “Oz is a great guy, he is. He's a leader, and anyone whose met him can tell. He's got that charm, and he really cares about his people. But…..after a while, when everyone started just looking to Oz…I guess it felt like we were forgotten. We just wanted to make something that was ours, something out of the shadow of the great Oz.” “Hate to tell ya, but this place is a dump.” Rocco said. “Everything went wrong once we got here. We had trouble finding supplies to make homes. Our crops failed and we burned through the rations that Oz gave us. We traded for what we needed at first, but after a while, we just didn’t have enough to trade.” A man came in the room, along with two guards. “You're wasting your time Dane. We don’t have to explain ourselves to these killers.” “Trent, man, just let them go back to Oz. This has gotten out of control. They came to make peace.” Trenton laughed grimly, one hand pulling out a large caliber pistol. Rain noticed right away that it belonged to Miles. The black handgun had been decorated with a gold trim, and there was some small, gold writing near the trigger. It was unique and clearly custom made. Of course, like all things with Miles, he wouldn’t say where he got it. Trenton had it now, and he slowly walked along his line of prisoners, looking like a wolf surveying his next meal. “You think Oz sent them here to make peace? That’s pretty naïve even for you, Dane. You don’t send someone like Miles and his squad of….of assassins….if you want to make peace. They came to kill us, because Oz is too much of a coward to do it himself.” Miyuki snorted. “You fuckin serious? He has five times the numbers. He could squash you like bugs, and you know it.” Trenton walked over and kicked her in the ribs, hard enough that she screamed out. Rain struggled to free her hands. She was furious over such treatment. Trenton stopped in front of her next, and pointed the gun directly in her face. She tried to be brave, but staring down the weapon was too much, and she averted her eyes. “Looks like your new member isn’t all that tough, Miles. Maybe you shouldn’t recruit so young, eh?” Tali stood up and would have rushed him if the guards hadn’t stopped her. “I'll show you tough, you son of a bitch! Don’t you fucking touch her!” Rain was shocked at the anger in her voice. Tali was always so sweet and soft-spoken. Trenton turned on her next, kicking her over and over. He wouldn’t stop, even when she had fallen to the ground and stopped moving. Rain felt something boiling in her, a force she couldn’t explain. She felt at any minute, it would burst forth from her. But Dane stepped in finally. “Fuck man, leave her already. These guys used to help us! You’ve lost it.” Trenton pushed him aside. “I'm the one thinking clearly! I lead this group, not you! Everything here is my accomplishment!” “Your accomplishment….your responsibility, Trenton.” Miles said carefully, his eyes slowly leaving Tali’s beaten body. “Think carefully about your next move. Very carefully.” Trenton stood there, nearly shaking with rage. “I have thought, Miles. I think…..I finally realize what I should do.” He raised the pistol and fired three bullets into Miles’ chest. One bullet passed through him and blood poured from his back and pooled around him. As Rain looked on in horror, Miles fell backward, his eyes empty and lifeless.

I really like it so far. Hope to see a lot more in the future. Good work!

yeah, I got the astronaut kid. I was very surprised to see them from Northshore. I normally buy my Abenas from them, but an AB styled diaper? Never expected that. There a bit pricey imo, for a case of 60, but I'm happy nonetheless.

So I saw that Northshore was selling them and I figured, what the hell? I gotta say, I really like them. Not as sturdy as Bambinos, but the design is great.First time I've ever heard my wife gush about how"cute" my diapers are. I'm not someone who normally blushes, but I did. I'm sitting pretty for now.

Three months later Over the next few months, Rain and her new family continued to take contracts from a variety of small villages, taking payment sometimes in food, sometimes in money or equipment. Rumors also spread of the young new team member fighting with Miles. Young and beautiful….and in diapers. Yes, Rain’s secret didn’t stay that way for long. Miyuki had insisted that she start wearing skirts over pants, to which she had reluctantly agreed, and only after protesting. Either way word got around quickly. “I can't wear a skirt, are you crazy?! Do you want me flashing my diapers anytime the wind blows?” Miyuki shrugged. “It's just some advice kiddo. You waddle around in those pants, looks a bit awkward. A skirt would give you greater range of movement and they would be more comfortable.” “But the diapers….” “Who cares? Look, it’s not like you and Tali haven't gone off together enough times at one village or another that people aren’t suspicious. I mean as it is people probably think you two have a really screwed up relationship. So what if you wear diapers anyway? They're for a medical condition, plain and simple. Besides, do you really think someone would dare make fun of you?” In the end, Rain had given up. Honestly, the skirts were more comfortable, and they were easy to move in, so she ignored the stares. Along with her skirt, she wore a simple black shirt covered with a leather armor. She had leather gauntlets and greaves as well. Armed and dangerous was an understatement in her case, and people quickly learned she was no little girl to mess with. Despite being a generally kind and amicable girl, she had inherited Miyuki’s fierce temper as well. The first villager who snickered at her learned that the hard way, and somehow lost four of his teeth in the process. She had also become more ruthless in battle. Killing was a part of her life and she no longer hesitated, though killing never got easier and probably never would. Not much had changed among the team. No matter the contract they always came out on top, with a few new scars for their troubles. All of them that is, except Miles. In all the battles they had been in, Rain had never once seen Miles wounded. Not a scratch, nor a single drop of blood. In battle, he was reckless, wading into the thickest part of combat as if in a fever. Rain couldn't fathom how he managed it, but she didn’t care too much. He was her leader, and he cared for her. So she kept fighting and at the end of each fight, Tali fussed over them all, checking for wounds, but she fussed over Rain and Miles more than the others. It was strange. Rain had tried sharing dreams a few more times with varying success. Tali’s dreams were normally sweet ones that included all them together. One was interesting in that they all lived what looked like a pre-war house. In the dream, Miles sat in an old reclining chair, reading a newspaper, while Tali worked in the kitchen, making dinner. Rain helped her, clad in just a shirt and diaper, trying to stay out from under her feet, until Tali took her back for a change. Before the meal, Gabriel came through the door, except he had both of his eyes and wore a yellow hard helmet. He hugged her tightly, smelling like sweat from a hard days labor, his beard tickling her. Miyuki and Rocco came later, both dressed in fancy clothes. It was at this point that the fantasy of the dream was exposed, as the world outside was bright, and while she couldn’t see it, she knew somehow the world was beautiful and right, not the blasted heap that she knew. Tali woke from that dream in a good mood, not knowing Rain had shared it with her. Other dreams weren’t so pleasant. Only once had she tried to share Gabriel's dreams, but they were full of old battles. She saw men wearing the same type of armor that Gabriel wore. The scene was an all out war, as men were blown apart and screams echoed in the wind. There was another group, in dark, black armor fighting back, but they were destroyed by some giant creature. Rain tried ask Gabriel about the Brotherhood of Steel, but he seemed reluctant to say much. She could feel that there was a great sadness attached to their memory and she left him alone. Rocco had noticeably avoided sleeping at the same time she did. Miyuki had obviously told him about her, and he didn't like the idea very much. Of all of the team, Rocco was the hardest to read. Even when she tried to catch a glimpse of his feelings, he thwarted her. It was as though he had a wall that blocked her from getting close. It was clear he valued his privacy, as he subconsciously defended it without even meaning too. Now however, there was a lull in the chaos. They hadn’t had a contract for a while, so Rain was relaxing in her quarters, reading another book. Her diaper was a bit wet, but she knew Tali would be checking on her later, so she left it. In fact, with her diaper feeling warm and comfy, she was even beginning to consider a nap. She was half asleep when Tali came into the room with Miles behind her. With a small cry, Rain scrambled to cover her exposed diaper. Miles didn’t seem to notice or mind. “Get changed and armed. Meet us outside after. We got a new job from a big client. We need to leave soon.” After Miles left, Tali quickly began changing her. “So we’re off to help a guy named Benjamin Ozeroski, or just Oz for short. He’s an important guy around here. He has a sprawling community, and most importantly, a large stockpile of weapons.” Tali said, as she began cleaning the girl. “His town is called Pride, and it just happens to sit right near a major highway, so it has plenty of trade.” Tali had just fanned out a fresh diaper and had lifted Rain’s legs into the air, when the door opened and shut quickly, and Miyuki entered the room. “Hey T, did you warn the kid about Oz?” “I was about to.” Tali said, still holding the beat red girl by her ankles. “Get out!” Rain yelled embarrassed. “I’m not decent!” Miyuki just snorted and leaned against the wall. “What? It's just us girls. I've already changed your little tush quite a bit too.” Rain wanted to argue, but Tali was finishing up and was taping up the clean garment. With a quick pat and a condescending kiss on the forehead, Rain was allowed to get up and begin getting dressed. “Anyway, I wanted to warn you about this guy Oz.” Miyuki continued. “Watch out favor him, he’s a damn pig. I wouldn’t wear a skirt if I were you.” “Oh, he’s not that bad.” Tali said. “He's a bit….eccentric maybe, and he certainly likes women. He can be a bit handsy too, but I doubt you need to worry.” Rain pulled on her skirt sullenly. Why wouldn’t she need to worry? Because she was still pissing herself in these ridiculous plastic prisons? Tali had probably meant because of her youth, but still she couldn’t help but feel insulted. It wasn’t easy being almost sixteen and in diapers. “I’d like to see him try.” Rain muttered, projecting a cold confidence that she wasn’t really feeling. “Damn straight kiddo. I’m telling you right now, Tali, if that shithead grabs my ass again, I will stab him in the kidney.” “Be nice. I’m more concerned about why he needs us in the first place. Surely you’re curious? Oz has plenty of men, enough to handle pretty much anything on his own, so why bring us in?” Miyuki looked thoughtfully at her nails. “Good point. If something has Oz scared, it’s probably bad. Still, he's a big dumb idiot, so watch yourself around him.” They left soon after that and began the long journey to Pride. Gabriel was wearing his armor for a change, so after a bit of walking Rain helped herself to a ride. This earned a dirty look from Miyuki, but she didn’t really care. She'd earn her keep during the fighting, she didn’t need to shlub around like the others when Gabe was available. “You’re really gonna like Pride.” Gabe said. “It's big, pretty nice all things considered. Plus, Oz is a real stand up guy. One of the good ones, like Miles.” “ Miyuki said he was a pig. She told me to watch out around him.” “He's not so bad. He can be a bit much I guess, but I'll tell you one thing, if we ever needed help, or a rescue, he would be there. He started that town from nothing, just him, his men, and a few refugees. Trust me, Oz is someone you want on your side.” “You seem like you know him pretty well.” “Yeah. After I left the Brotherhood, I wandered for a long time before he took me in. I stayed with him for a while, until he introduced me to the new desperado around the wasteland. He told me I should join Miles, keep him safe. He thought we could do some good.” “Why did you leave the Brotherhood of Steel? You never want to talk about it.” Gabriel grew silent, and she was afraid he was mad at her, but he finally spoke. “It’s hard to talk about. For twenty years I was one of them. Everything I did was for them. I fought in D.C. and up in Boston, nearly died hundreds of times.” “What changed?” Rain asked, ignoring the sudden warmth into her diaper. “They did. Or maybe the world did, I don’t know. I was a soldier all my life, I followed orders, no matter what. Then the day came when I couldn't. I couldn’t obey. They were going to shoot me for it too, so I broke out, took my armor and some hi-tech gear….and I left. I swore I wouldn’t follow orders anymore.” “You do what Miles tells you.” “Miles is my friend and my captain. But I'm allowed to disobey any order if I need too, the same as you.” “Are we doing the right thing? Killing people I mean. Sometimes…..I’m not sure.” “Look Rain, I know this life can get tough sometimes, but you just need to look around at the people we've helped to see that what we're doing is right.” Rain shook her head a bit. “Who are we to judge? Why should we get to decide?” Gabe took off his helmet and looked her in the eyes. “Somebody has too Rain. We're the closest thing to justice around.” An awkward silence fell between them, so Rain decided to change the subject. “So….why did we leave Mr. Happy at the base?” The surly robot hadn’t seemed to mind, but the team almost didn’t feel complete without him. “Ever since Happy expressed a desire to “wear his spine as a necklace”, Oz has asked us to keep him away. Somehow he just never warmed up to him.” “Yeah. Hard to believe. I’ve kept count you know? That robot has threatened to kill me sixty-five times. All in different ways. He’s creative, I’ll give him that.” They stopped for the night a bit later. By now, Rain was eager to get a clean diaper. However, Tali had disappeared with Miles soon after setting up camp. Reluctantly, she went to the one person she had left. Miyuki was sitting by Rocco as usual, resting her head on the Ghoul’s shoulder. They both looked up when she arrived. “What's up kiddo? You got that nervous look in your eyes again.” “I’ve seen that look before, actually.” Rocco said happily. “She gave that look back when she used to be afraid of you, Miyuki. Back when you were scary and mean.” “I am scary and mean, you idiot. Okay, so assuming that she’s not scared of me, what else?” “She gives that look every time she needs a diaper change.” Rain flared in anger. “Yeah so? What if I do need a change? You got something to say? If you laugh, I’m gonna show you what Miyuki taught me last week.” “Oh geez! Now whose scary and mean? I’m sorry, please don’t strike me down oh mighty one.” Miyuki laughed. “Watch out dumbass, I showed her how to break a kneecap last week. She took to the move pretty well.” “Can I talk to you alone?” Rain asked, hoping to keep her dignity, what little she had. Getting the idea, Miyuki got up a followed her to her tent. “I’m surprised you came to me kiddo. What’s Tali doing?” Rain took off her skirt and handed a diaper to Miyuki, then laid down in preparation. “I wish I knew. Her and Miles are both gone.” “Is that so? Must be scouting ahead.” Miyuki said with a small smile. “I guess that means you need Auntie Miyuki to change you, huh baby girl?” “Don’t mock me. Please Miyuki…..It's hard to feel like the badass you want me to be when I'm like this.” “Okay, okay. No more teasing for tonight. You are a badass too, don't let anyone tell you different.” Miyuki made quick work of the way diaper, cleaned her efficiently, then powdered and sealed her into another diaper. Instead of letting her up, she ran her hand around the Vault-Boys decorating the diaper. “What?” Rain asked with concern. “What is it?” Suddenly Miyuki grabbed her up and cradled her like an infant. “Oh, you're such a cutie baby! I just can’t stand it!” Laughing, she began planting kisses all over her. “What the hell?! You promised!” Rain said angrily. Still laughing, Miyuki let her go. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t help it. Tali gets to baby you all the time, I wanted to see what the appeal was.” “Tali doesn't baby me. She's nice, you should try it.” “Let's see, she changes you, tucks you in at night, and reads to you. What would you call it?” Rain wanted to argue, but it was true. Tali never teased her though. Rain didn’t know why Tali was so nice to her, but her kindness had helped her through a lot of tough nights. Miyuki pulled her close again. “Don’t be embarrassed or ashamed. You’re lucky she cares so much for you. We all do.” Rain smiled. “Thanks Miyuki. You guys mean a lot to me too.” “Get some sleep. Tomorrow it’s another long hike to Pride.” “I'll just ride on Gabe. The baby shouldn’t have to walk.” “Ha! Good point, you little scamp. I'll see you in the morning.” Freshly changed, Rain curled up under her covers and fell asleep quickly. She had no dreams, and for a rare night, she slept like a baby. The next day came too early, but Miles and Gabe seemed to be in a rush. Miles however, looked more pale than usual. In fact, he had looked almost sickly since the last fight. He moved at a brisk enough pace, but he did seem like he was moving slower than usual. About midday, they stopped at Tali and Miyuki’s insistence at a small plaza of former stores. They all went looking around. For supplies of course, but really? It was a shopping spree. Rain, Rocco, Miyuki, and Tali ended up in what appeared to be an old clothes store. Surprisingly, many of the clothes were intact. Miyuki and Tali went searching for old, pre-war dresses. Rocco tried on maybe a dozen different hats before deciding to keep the one he had. As for Rain, she just wandered around. She didn’t see anything interesting and was almost ready to exit and join up with Gabe or Miles. Then she saw something that froze her in her tracks. On a shelf against the wall was a small stuffed teddy bear. It was perfect. No tears, no missing limbs, and it's fur was even soft. That somehow, after over two hundred years, this bear had managed to stay in perfect condition. It seemed like fate, and she had a brief feeling like she used to have one once. Just as she was about to pick it up, Tali appeared around the corner. “Hey, whatcha doing? Find something you like?” “No. Nope. Nothing. Ready to go?” Rain asked, trying to hide her blush. “Actually, I need to borrow you. I found a dress that would look so adorable on you.” “ I don’t want to look adorable, Tali.” “Oh come on, please. Try it on at least. I bet you need changed too, so it'll be the perfect time.” With a sigh and a single glance back at the bear, she grudgingly followed Tali to a changing room. Ironically, in this case a changing room had multiple meanings. With the curtain drawn, Tali quickly got on with the diaper change, maybe even rushing so she could get her prize. Once she was dry, Tali sprinkled some powder over her and slowly rubbed it in. That was one thing Miyuki never did. The “dress” that Tali was so excited about was an abomination if Rain had ever seen one. It was pink for starters, maybe a bit faded after all this time, but still bright. The sleeves had white lace, as did the bottom of the dress, which, as she had feared, didn’t reach far enough to hide her bulky diapers. “What do you think? Don’t you think you look so beautiful?” Tali asked. “I had a different adjective in mind.” “Oh, don’t be silly. You’re a beautiful girl. Watch this.” Tali reached up and undid Rain’s ponytail, letting her brown hair fall to her shoulders. Looking in the mirror, Rain thought she did look pretty. Not so much in the dress, but it wasn't unpleasant seeing herself looking girly for a change. Tali moved her hair again, taking two bunches of her hair and lifting them up. Adding pigtails really made her look infantile. “Well…..it's something alright.” Rain muttered. Tali kept her smile, but there was disappointment in her eyes. “No big deal. You’re right, it does look a bit silly I guess.” Rain took a deep breath and grabbed the blond woman's hand. “Would…..you like it….if I wore this? Would it make you happy?” Tali gave her a strange look. “Well yes, but you shouldn’t wear it if you don’t like it.” “I'll wear it. For you. Just at the base though, I do have a reputation to consider. I….I want to make you happy. Everything you've done for me all these months…..I can’t tell you how much I….needed you. You’ve been so good to me and I want to make it up to you. I'll wear the dress.” Tali looked shocked. She pulled in the small girl and held her tight. “I wanted to help you. You're a beautiful, cute girl. When I first saw you, beaten and vulnerable, I knew I wanted to make you feel safe. I wanted to give that to you more than anything. Thank you Rain, I'm really glad you're with us.” “So….are we getting the dress?” “You bet we are! Just stay here for one more minute while I get something else.” Tali practically skipped out. Rain stood like a statue, feeling awkward in the pink monstrosity, and fearing what else Tali had in mind. When she came back, her hands were behind her back. What was it? Surely it wasn’t pacifier? That might be too much. But then Tali revealed the stuffed bear she had so longed for. Rain took it slowly, as though it might somehow vanish into thin air. Without really thinking she hugged it to her and was rewarded with a sense of bliss. She must have had a teddy bear in the past to be having such nostalgic feelings now. Tali kissed her on the forehead. “Your new friend will be a secret between us okay? Keep him safe.” Rain nodded happily and had to wipe the tears from her eyes before they finally got ready to leave the store.

Well I'm so happy that people are enjoying the story. This latest is just a short chapter. With this done, I can safely say we have gotten past the....introduction phase. Following chapters will get more interesting, with cool new characters and factions that all have their own schemes and designs. I'm excited so enjoy! * “How…..did you know that? I haven't told anyone except Rocco. Did he tell you?” Rain dried her tears on her arm. “No. I was you. Don’t you get it? I was you, in the dream.” “You aren't making any sense. What the fuck do you mean? I need answers, not riddles.” Rain shook her head in frustration. “Don’t you understand?! I had the same dream! I’ve done it before, but I'm normally watching from the outside. This time….I was you. I felt everything you felt, like I was there.” Miyuki awkwardly put her arm around her as she began to tear up again. “How could you have the same dream? You’re talking like this is just something you can do.” “I can. You have to believe me! Why would I lie?” She paused to compose herself. “I’m sorry. This whole time I thought you were so horrible, and I never knew.” “I know. I was pretty horrible. I just…..I didn’t want you to be like me, to have to kill at young age, like I had too. I’m sorry I was so harsh on you. These people here are the first people I’ve trusted since I left that arena. I guess I thought you'd get in the way.” Rain looked up with puffy, red eyes. “What happened to it? The arena, is it still there?” “Jericho fucking Thorne happened.” Miyuki said with a wicked smile. “When I got out, Thorne was just starting to make a name for himself. When he heard about the arena, he marched down there with a hundred men, freed the slaves, and burned the place to ground with those bastards inside. I wish I could’ve seen it. I'll thank him right before Miles kills him.” They sat there together for some time, enjoying the silence, until a faint hissing noise made them both look down. They saw Rain’s diaper swelling and becoming slightly yellow. Tali had apparently decided not to put pants on her. Miyuki nudged her gently. It’s all good kid. Trust me I’ve seen you at your worst after the tunnel.” Rain looked at her in horror. She had totally forgot about messing her diaper in the tunnel, she couldn’t even remember how she got out of there. “That….doesn’t normally happen. Oh my god, I’m so embarrassed.” “It’s okay. Tali dealt with the mess. How about this? You don't tell anyone about my past, and I'll never bring up your little….accident. Ever.” Rain nodded fiercely. “Thanks. I almost forgot, how is Rocco doing? Is he alright?” “Oh he's fine. He’s moving a bit slower, but some stitches and a stimpack patched him up good as new. You want to join the others out by the fire? Or should I get Tali so she can change you?” “We can go to the others. I’m not that wet.” The Japanese woman smiled and playfully punched her arm. “Good. Keep your head high kiddo. You helped save Rocco, you’ve taken down raiders and mutated beasts, you’ve been shot. You’re a badass. You need to start acting like one, and kill the shy diaper girl thing you got going on.” Rain nodded with a smile and they walked out to meet the others. The fact that she was still wearing just her shirt and a slightly used diaper escaped her notice at that moment. The chill of the night air quickly reminded her, but by then she had been seen by the others. Gabriel rushed to her and lifted her into the air by her waist like she really was an infant, and no doubt she looked like one as she flailed her legs with her diaper exposed. “Sleeping Beauty is awake at last! How are you feeling kiddo?” Still in the air, her face beat red from embarrassment, Rain still managed a weak smile. “I’m okay. If you could put me down though, that would be super.” Gabriel complied, but still wrapped her in a bear hug, his giant form nearly crushing her. Tali followed suit soon after, gentler but still earnest. Rain could tell they had been worried over her. It felt nice. She felt like she was part of the family at last. “I’m glad you're alright, sweetie.” Tali said. “You really made me worry." Miles had a smile as well. “You did well, Rain. You made me proud. Our friends and comrades are all we have in this harsh land. You're willingness to put yourself in harms way to save a teammate just proves that I was right to invite you to join us.” Rain thought she would fall over with happiness. Miles was actually proud of her. After all this time together, he had never said that before. Mr. Happy also had something to add. “I’m very pleased you've recovered Miss Rain. I still hope to kill you myself.” “Uhh….Thanks….I guess.” Rocco winked at her with a smile. There was a bottle of vodka in his hand that was half empty, and he took a long drink before speaking. “I hear I owe you some thanks for coming to get me. I appreciate it, sincerely.” Rain smiled proudly. “I guess we're even now, right?” Rocco shrugged. “More or less. Still, I got you something as thanks.” He tossed her a bottle of some strange, bright purple liquid. After a closer look she saw that it was a Nuka-Cola bottle, but not one she had seen before. “What is this?” She asked with a mixture of awe and suspicion. “Nuka-Cola Quantum. Fancy stuff I guess and it would have sold for a pretty penny, but you’re the only one here that actually likes that junk, so have at it and enjoy.” Rain opened the bottle, sniffed the liquid, and then had a small drink. It was amazing, far better than she would have thought. She took a seat by the fire, with Tali and Miyuki on each side. She sat and enjoyed her new drink while the others talked. After a while she grew a little tired, despite all of the sleeping she had done earlier. She leaned on Tali’s shoulder and was almost asleep when she heard riotous laughter. “Haha! Oh shit, I can’t believe I forgot about that. Think she'll find it funny?” Rocco asked. “Oh no, oh honey.” Tali said. “Mmm….what's the matter?” Rain asked groggily. She looked down and was shocked that there was a rather noticeable purple glow coming from her diaper. “Wh-What the hell? What’s going on?!” Everyone laughed, Miles and Tali included. Rocco as laughing so hard he was holding his side. “I forgot…to tell you. That Quantum shit makes your pee glow." “What?! That’s so stupid, who would buy this?” “It’s okay sweetie.” Tali said with barley contained laughter. “Just look at it this way, all this means is that diaper checks will be a little easier for a few days.” “The….next few days? Days?!” “Hey we could have used that glowing butt of yours in that fuckin dark tunnel.” Miyuki remarked. Rocco clapped his hands happily. “That’s it! Imagine how easy night missions will be. We'll just pick her up like a sack of potatoes and let the glow show us where to go!” Joining in, Gabriel did just as Rocco had suggested and hauled her with one arm, pointing her diapered butt to the darkness beyond the campfire. “Yes! It works.” Rocco laughed. “I hate you all! Let me go….” Rain whined. After she was back on her feet, she stuck out her tongue out at the group. “Meanies!” Tali suppressed her laughter and got to her feet. “I guess a diaper change is in order?” “Oh, you think?! My nether regions are glowing, so yes, a change is definitely in order.” Miyuki stood up and stole Rocco’s bottle of vodka. After a small drink she wrapped an arm around the small girl. “I'll change her. Why not?” Rain gasped. “What?! No, no, no! That’s not necessary. I’m sure Tali can handle it, right?” Tali gave a mischievous smile. “Well, I think it would be a good thing for her to learn. You ever change a diaper before Miyuki?” “Learn by doing. That’s my motto.” “It’s not a learn by doing thing!” Rain protested with a red face. For what seemed like the fourth time that night, she felt like she could have died from embarrassment. With a smile, Miyuki swept her off her feet and carried her inside. Tali was close behind. Once they were someplace private, the diaper change began. Surprisingly, Miyuki seemed to take the job rather seriously. Listening closely to Tali’s instructions and being fairly gentle. For her part, Rain just kept her eyes glued to the ceiling, blushing profusely. After she was wiped clean, Miyuki lifted her legs up and Tali slid a clean diaper underneath her. After a bit of powder, the diaper was taped up and Miyuki was beaming with pride. “There you go little one!” She said with mock sweetness, hugging her close. You just let Auntie Miyuki know the next time you need a diapee change.” “Seriously? Why is everyone picking on me tonight?” Rain asked with a pout. * Much later, once all the others were asleep, Miyuki paid Rocco a visit. He was still out by the campfire, but his booze was near empty. “You're a shit guard. It’s a good thing we have sensors. I could have been an intruder and you're too smashed to stand.” Rocco laughed. “I could stand….if I wanted to.” “So stand up then.” “I don’t want to. Why are you here? Come to toast my miraculous survival? If so, you’re a bit late. The bottle is empty…..I think.” Miyuki sat by him and explained Rain’s dream. He listened quietly and despite his drunken state, he appeared somehow sharp still. “So you're saying she can dream whatever we dream? That's creepy. I'm right yeah? It’s creepy? “Well you didn't tell her about my past, right? So how else would she know?” Rocco looked up to the sky and laid back with a sigh. “I never told her anything. Hmmm……This is interesting.

Hey guys, here's a smaller chapter that needed told. Be warned. This is rough. * “Wake up. It’s time to get up sweetheart. We have a busy day.” “I hear ya. I’m getting up in…..let’s say ten minutes.” “I don’t think so young lady. If you had it your way, you would sleep all day. It’s market day. I need your help, so up you go.” “Aww mama, don’t you know that growing girls need their beauty sleep?” “You're plenty beautiful as it is, Miyuki. Besides, vanity is a weakness, little one. Miyuki stretched and began to get ready for the day. Market day was a big deal in her village. It came about once a month, and was when people from the nearby villages could come and trade all at once. It was a big deal , and a good day at the markets could make it break people. Miyuki had been helping her mother scavenge ever since her papa had died a year back. It was dangerous work, but her mother was an excellent swordswoman, so the eight year old never had much reason to fear. Her mother was her whole world. Despite their squalid home, or the bad times they went hungry, or the cold winters, her mother made everything better. After getting dressed, her mother stood behind her and brushed her hair. After gathering their goods, they headed out the door. The market was already gathering a large group of people, all ready to bargain and barter. Normally, her mother would sell their pieces to the local trader, but they always kept their best findings for market day. You never knew what people would pay for some junk. The day went quickly enough, and they were doing pretty well. They had gotten a basket full of fresh fruits and vegetables for an old working radio. Miyuki was hoping someone might trade some treats that she could enjoy later. Three men were heading their way, and Miyuki could see her mother tense up. They were the Tucker brothers, and they had an ugly reputation. Bill Tucker was the eldest, an ugly man with few teeth and little hair, but a lot of mean. The middle brother was actually rather handsome, with light brown hair swept back and light blue eyes, but he was the most dangerous by far. Even Miyuki could see it. Garret Tucker could pretend, manipulate, he was smart. Jim, the youngest, was thin and lean, and not all that bright, on his own, he wasn't much to bother with. But the problem with the Tuckers, was that they held an immense hatred for her mother and her. Why? Because of how they looked. Miyuki immediately hid behind her mother. Bill Tucker gave a smug look, before spitting at their feet. “Look who it is. I was hoping you two squinty eyed rats had died over the winter. Pretty sure my brothers and I told you to get gone before we came back.” Her mother looked them straight in the eyes, unafraid. “My husband helped build this town. We aren’t going anywhere. Take your threats and leave. This won’t end well for you.” “Maybe your man did help build the town.” Garret Tucker mused. “That doesn’t change the fact that you people, your kind that is, caused all this to begin with. The world's gone to shit, and here you people are, sitting here like you belong.” “I keep telling you, we're Japanese, not Chinese. The war was 200 years ago. We were born here, just like you.” Garret fished out an old newspaper from his pack. He always had it near. “China Invades Alaska” was stamped on the front, with a picture of a unit of Chinese soldiers. “Hmmm….you look pretty Chinese to me.” Bill addressed the crowd. “You all comfortable having these rats living here?! You know what their kind done don’t ya?! They’re why the world is how it is.” The crowd was silent. Most turned away awkwardly, while others openly glared at the troublesome brothers. Bill reached for her with a meaty paw, but her mother moved quicker, twisting his arm and shoving a dagger she had hidden close to his throat. The other two pulled out their weapons as well, and a crowd of onlookers fell silent. “What the hell is going on now?!” a voice cried out, as a weathered, skinny man pushed his way through the crowd, along with five or six other men, all armed. The man was Edward Wentz, and he had the unfortunate honor of being the sheriff of the town. He was probably only in his forties, but he hadn't aged well. He was thin and emancipated, his hair had streaks of gray, and his eyes had an exhaustion in them that said he had seen far too much in his life. Still, Miyuki had seen him angry before. It wasn’t pretty. “I told you last time, you don’t come here and harass my people. I warned you we would have problems if it happened again.” The youngest brother, Jim, opened his mouth to speak, but Garret motioned for silence. “You're right, sheriff. You done told us already and we've been terribly rude. I humbly ask for your forgiveness. If you'll ask the nice lady to kindly remove the knife from my brother's throat, we will just be right on our way.” Ed looked unconvinced, but he slowly nodded. His guards lowered their weapons, as did her mother. Garret Tucker moved a bit closer to them and whispered “You were wrong about one thing, rat. This isn’t gonna end well for you. I can promise you that.” They sheriff's men escorted them out as her mother spoke with the sheriff. “Thank you Mr. Wentz. They're becoming more aggressive. I don’t think they cared if they got caught here today.” “No. I don’t reckon they did. I'm sorry Yuri, truly. I should have been keeping a closer eye out. Market day is always….hectic.” “I understand. I appreciate you looking out for me and my little girl.” Mr. Wentz smiled down at her and winked. “You alright Miyuki? Those bad men didn’t scare you did they?” “A little sir.” She squeaked out. “It’s ok now. You’re a tough kid. You go on home now and mind your mama, yeah?” That night she cuddled up to her mother for warmth, as she stroked her hair and sang to her. “Mama, why do those men hate us so much?” “Don’t think about them, little one. They're small and petty people. They simply want someone to hate. If it wasn't us, it would be someone else.” She was almost asleep when she heard the door crash open downstairs. Her mother was on her feet in an instant, sword in hand. “Under the bed Miyuki, now! Don’t come out until I come get you.” “I’m scared mama!” “Just hide and don’t make a sound. I’ll be right back.” Miyuki hid and kept her eyes shut. She didn’t want to see anything until her mother came back. When the screaming started she tried to cover her ears. She was convinced that no human could make those sounds, no matter how vaguely it sounded like her mother. Finally, there was silence. She heard footsteps downstairs, heavy footsteps, and the sound of furniture being overturned. “Where ya at, little rat? It’s just us and you now. Come on out! We don’t wanna hurt ya.” She recognized the voice as Garret Tucker and the malice in his voice made her even more afraid. Where had her mother gone? What happened? The footsteps moved closer, coming up the stairs. Suddenly, the bed was flipped over and the three Tucker brothers loomed over her. They were covered in blood and wounded. Jim was missing a hand, and had a shoddily wrapped tourniquet over the stump. Garret himself had a slash going from his forehead diagonally to his neck. He smiled at her, but there was a rage in his eyes as he grabbed her, forcing her up and grabbing her roughly by the face so she had to look at him. “Your ma was a pretty tough lady, I’ll give her that. Chopped us up real good. I wonder, little rat, did she teach you any of that fancy sword junk?” “Yuri! Are you okay in there? I heard screaming. Oh god….Yuri?” Garret smiled and grabbed his captive by the back of the neck. “Looks like the good sheriff is here. Let's go say howdy, how’s that?” The three men forced her downstairs, where a horrified sheriff Wentz seemed unable to move, staring at the corner of the room. When Miyuki finally looked for herself, she nearly threw up. What had once been her mother lay in a mangled heap. Her body had been mutilated almost beyond recognition. With the brothers keeping her upright, she could only weep helplessly. The sheriff finally got his bearings, perhaps a little too late. Before he could draw his weapon, the brothers already had their guns on him. Garret smiled, wiping blood off his face. “Look sheriff, I know how this looks. Aw hell, it is what it looks like. You’re a real nice man, sheriff, but I warned you before that their time would come. I know you’re probably a little pissed right now, but I need you to listen, yeah? The little rat here? She’s coming with us.” Wentz was shaking with anger, but there was fear in his eyes too, and rather than being intimidating, he seemed very frail. “You're out of your fucking mind if you think I’m letting you walk out of here. I swear I’m gonna enjoy putting you three pieces of shit in the ground.” He moved a bit closer to the door, but Garret stopped him again. “Now sheriff, I’m gonna warn you right now, don’t even think about it. The girl’s coming with us. That’s all there is to it. You move to the door, try to call your men, we will gun you down, that’s a fucking promise. Then who knows how many people in town are gonna get hurt while we fight our way out. Let us go, and you never see us again. We will never step foot in your little dust hole of a town again.” The sheriff looked at the door longingly, but his hand dropped from his holster. He was beaten. “Get out. If I ever see you near my town again, I'll shoot on sight. You fucking monsters.” Miyuki shook her head in disbelief as the brothers began hauling her to the door. She looked up pleadingly, but the sheriff wouldn’t meet her eyes. “Don’t let them take me! Please help, please!” Bill slapped her across the face. Hard. Miyuki could taste blood on her lips and remained silent as they forced her out of the house, into cold, and out of town. They walked for days, weeks even. Bill and Jim beat her for various reasons. Jim was angry about his hand, and used the one he had left brutally. With Bill, it was the little things that set him off. If she moved too slow, if she looked at him wrong, or if she cried. Anything could send the big man into a rage, and he was much worse when he was mad. Garret never laid a hand on her, even stopping the abuse if he felt like it. He made sure she was fed as well, but she knew it wasn’t out of kindness. She froze all the time, but the nights were worse. Finally they reached their destination. It looked like an old baseball stadium, and Miyuki heard cheering coming from the inside. Four armed men greeted them at the entrance. “What the fuck happened to you three?” asked a man with dark skin and a load of piercings in his face. “Garret, you don’t look so pretty no more, and goddamn it Jim, what happened to your hand?” “We got a gift for ya.” Bill answered, ignoring the guards and their curiosity. “New contender, ready for the arena.” The man snorted. “Her? She looks half ready for the grave. What the fuck is she gonna do in there?” Garret shrugged. “Maybe she'll just lay down and die. That's okay with us. Or, maybe she'll rise to the occasion. To be honest, I’m eager to find out.” “Your money I guess. I don’t know where you snatched this brat, and I probably don’t want to know, so let’s throw her in there and hope the crowd is amused. She was led roughly through the stadium to a large gate. Garret knelt down and with a wicked smile handed her mother’s sword to her. “This is it kiddo. Once you're in there, it’s kill or be killed. Either you live and kill the other person, or they'll kill you without mercy. You want to die today?” Miyuki was speechless. She couldn’t understand how this could have happened. Everything had been perfect before, and in a flash, it was all gone. She was far away from home, she had been beaten, and she was cold. What shocked her more, was Garret himself, who had destroyed her life seemingly on a whim. Now he stood there, smiling without a thought of what he had done. She was led into the field, feeling very small in the center of the arena. All around her the crowed roared and laughed. Many screamed for her death. Her opponent stood nearby, lean man with scars all over his body, who looked from her back to the crowd sorrowfully. “You fucking monsters! You want kids fighting for you now?! You sick bastards!” “Please help me. I just want to go home. “Miyuki cried, sinking to her knees. The man looked at her sadly. He slowly walked over and knelt down. “I’m so kid, I really am. You shouldn’t be here. Just close your eyes okay? I'll make it quick and you won’t feel a thing okay?” “I want to go home….please…please. Let me go.” The man moved closer and wrapped her in an embrace, ignoring the protests of the crowd. “You can’t escape this place, honey. I’ve been here for years. Close your eyes and I will help you. I'll set you free.” His hands moved to her neck, and she realized he was going to snap her neck. She would be free, she wouldn’t hurt anymore. She would be with her mama in heaven, if heaven was a real place. But still, she was afraid. She didn’t want to die, and she was terrified that there would be nothing after it ended, that she would be alone in darkness forever. “He's gonna kill you, girl!” Garret yelled from the bleachers. “Ain’t you got any fight in you at all? Your mama's rolling in her grave. Well, whatever pieces they managed to scrap up that is!” Miyuki clenched her mother’s sword tightly. She couldn't say whether it was anger or fear, maybe both, that compelled her to stand, but she did. With a desperate cry, she drew her weapon and cut deeply into her opponent, who screamed and backed up quickly, trying to stop the blood outing from the wound. “Why? Stop kid! I'm trying to help you!” Miyuki ran forward with a yell and ran her sword right through the man, who had his hands out trying to reason with her. The man fell as she tore the blade from his stomach. “I'm sorry.” Miyuki said softly. “I can’t die. I don’t want to die. I’m afraid.” Her opponent looked up at her with a sad smile. “No, I'm sorry kid. I should have killed you right off. I should…..should have freed you. This place is a nightmare. I’m sorry.” That was her first kill. Afterward, they had taken her to a small cell, her new home. For eight years after she would fight and kill anyone she was put up against. She was ruthless, ferocious, with a desire for life that pushed her to victory each time. The Tucker brothers were rarely seen together in the coming years. Bill had vanished to form his own raider group. Garret came by every few months to check on his prize fighter, and to collect his winnings. He still looked at her with a smile, mocking her. Jim, the youngest was at the stadium most often and while he was stupid, he was far too afraid of his captive now to mistreat her. However, after one of her victories, he brought her in shackles to the shitty bar he drank at. He boasted and generally enjoyed displaying her like an animal. As the night grew later, the drunkards of the bar began to bicker and argue. Miyuki watched the unfolding events with interest. A brawl broke out between them and chaos raged. Jim was caught off guard when someone was pushed into him, knocking him over. He dropped her sword in the fall, but before he could get up, Miyuki had wrapped her chains around his neck. Her captor writhed as his airway constricted, but with only one hand, he couldn’t save himself. With the brawl reaching new heights, no one noticed as he died in his captives arms. Reaching for her sword, she stood slowly and prepared for the bloodbath to come. No one in the bar escaped, and many died as she cut and shot her way to freedom. After years of death and horror, Miyuki was finally free. * Miyuki shot up with a scream stuck in her throat. She hated these dreams. It was the closest thing to hell she could imagine. She was forced to relive the horror of her childhood over, and over, and over. She heard sniffling from the bedside she sat by. Rain was finally awake, having slept for two days after the tunnel. Rocco had gotten tired of Miyuki “fussing” over him and so she had come to sit by Rain and to give Tali a break. Now, the girl stared at her with tears streaming down her face. Taking a breath to calm herself down, Miyuki moved and sat on Rain’s bed. “What’s up? Bad dream?” Rain launched herself against her, squeezing for dear life and sobbing. “I'm so sorry, Miyuki. I’m so sorry they did that to you!” Rain continued to cry as Miyuki say there numbly, having no clue how to answer, or how the girl knew her dream.

I love the rain. makes me sleepy though. Probably cause I used to listen to cassette tapes of rain as a child when I couldn't sleep. sounds like a nap day.

I've never gone through depression. However, I can relate a bit. when it seems like nothing positive is going on, it's easy to feel angry. life is hard. Good thing is, it sounds like you have a few good support systems. Friends, therapists, and a brother that would take you in. That's good. Really all you can do is keep going, try to make positive things happen if you can. Also, I'm no expert, but music has always been a great stress reliever for me, and I had a friend who was a music therapist, which I guess is a thing. Also, maybe keeping a journal of kind might help. Getting feelings out one way or another might do some good. About a year into my marriage I fell into a slump. I'm a very solitary person, and I was having a hard time adjusting I think. I acted normal, looked normal, but I felt mad. all the time. I didn't even understand why or what. Probably not the same, but I get it a bit I think. I hope things improve. Good luck and remember your never alone.

I generally have a hard time remembering most dreams. I did have a dream where my wife basically challenged me to wear 24/7 for a week. That one was really vivid though.

Honesty is pretty much the best path here. It's scary true, but it's never a good idea to hide this kind of thing in a marriage. Plus, it sucks to have to hide. I spent a long time thinking I would never be accepted, and hiding gets old. You need to be honest and try to get a compromise. I wish you luck.

I'm happy you're enjoying it. I found out a while ago that plain ab/dl stories aren't my thing, writing wise. I tried in the past, but gradually lost steam and gave up. My story Reincarnation, was more of a story that could stand on its own, without diapers if need be. It was pretty well recieved too, so I figured I should stick to what I'm good at. As I said before, a personal loss is what kept me away from the story for so long. I hope to push out chapters quicker from now on. However, I only write on certain days and that can complicate things. I may push out shorter chapters, but I have this thing so planned out, I even have predetermined stopping points for chapters. I know when I get to a certain point to stop the chapter, and I'm loath to do otherwise. lol. Well, I mean, it is fiction. I can't have my main gal running around missing all the time. That being said, her first hit was luck. Plus she's been training with battle hardend mercs, so she's got the training.

so to reiterate a bit: Jericho Thorne is basically the top dog of raiders, at least to Miles. He tricked the Regulators into taking out his competition, then took the survivors and killed the Regulators. Miles was the only survivor. This took place a while ago story wise. He is a very important character, just not yet. Maxwell was the man who took Miles in as a child and ultimately, the one who betrayed him to Thorne. Dr. Sellers took Rain in about two years ago, a little before Miles began his group. First, it was just him and Gabriel. Then Tali, and Miyuki and Rocco came later. Dr. Sellers wasn't a warm person, but she did care for Rain in her own way.

I'm not opposed to it. to be honest what I do post always looks shorter than it feels, at least to me. so I write more to compensate. Due to some personal issues, I let the story out aside to long. however, it is a long story, with many characters, and a specific chronology. You may have to re read some parts. I have to on many stories that I follow. But my point, and hope, is that the wait is worth it, that I give enough content to make up for it a bit. As for some characters, Jericho was only very briefly mentioned in previous chapters, so he isn't hugely relevant unless you are tracking the background of Miles. As there are many flashbacks and Tarantino style jumps, it may be a requirement to keep track people. How did you like the chapter?

“This job should be pretty easy, especially with Rocco on our side.” Miles said as they gathered around the campfire. “There’s a train tunnel about two days walk from here. Some villagers have complained about a large group of feral ghouls coming from it. It seems more come pouring out everyday. Inevitably, they spread out and find their way to the village. The villagers have fought them off every time, but they got hit pretty hard last time.” Rain nodded, taking a drink of her Nuka-Cola, something Mrs. Sellers had never allowed, and as it so happened, her new favorite drink, and looked at Rocco. “What’s the plan, and why will it be easier with you there?” “Don’t you know girly? Ghouls, even feral ones, won’t attack one of their own. So the idea is simple. Our lovely Miss Tali here will make us a nice, fat, powerful bomb. I'll walk it right inside the tunnel, and walk right back out.” Rocco paused to light up a cigarette. “Bomb goes off, most of the ferals go with it, and we mop up the ones that run out of the tunnel. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.” Tali stood up and brushed the dirt off her pants. “I will get right on that, but first, I’m taking Rain for her shot and a diaper change.” Rain shuddered at the mention. She hated getting those stupid radiation shots, but they were an unfortunate necessity. Everything was irradiated in some way. The water, the food, the animals, everything. Over time, radiation from their food built up. Rain had suffered from radiation sickness before, until Mrs. Sellers had forced her down and given her the medicine. It really shouldn’t have been such a big deal. It was just a part of life out here, but Rain had always hated needles. Of course she couldn’t remember what had initially caused such a fear, but even so, it was an almost suffocating phobia. Rain had managed to put it off for now, but Tali was constantly pressuring her. She could’ve just confided in Tali. She probably would’ve understood. Hell, she had been one of the first to accept Rain, she took care of her, changed her diapers. Tali might've understood, but it wouldn’t do anything to curb that fear, and Rain didn’t want to appear anymore weak than she already did. Miles held up a hand. “Hold off on that. Rain needs to learn a bit about Thorn and his gang. He’s our true enemy after all. It’s time she knew the whole story. She needs to learn how the Regulators fell.” Rain leaned forward eagerly, too happy about getting out of the shot to notice Tali’s exasperated stare. She wanted to know more about Miles too, so this was a double win. “We came here following a man named George Maxwell. He was the man who had brought me into the Regulators. He was a father figure for me, a mentor. So anyway, George, me, and about 30 others came from out east. We set up a base, and then we started working.” Miles paused and broke open a bottle of what she guessed was some type of alcohol. Rain had never told Miles about her dream, or the fact that she had seen the day the Regulators took him in. She was afraid of his reaction, afraid of what her dream meant for her. Miles took a long drink and continued, his voice low and without emotion. “So we start by taking down some raider groups. There were plenty to choose from. We even started recruiting from the populace. Things were going well for a long time. Our base was hidden, and we had scouts in all directions keeping a lookout. We were so confidant we would never be found.” “Then one day, one of our patrols found a message for us, wanting to meet. We set up a rendezvous point and met with a man who claimed to want to help us. He was from up north, and he told us that it was infested with raider groups, making life nearly impossible for those just trying to get by. This guy had information in spades. He pointed us to group after group, and we found ourselves very busy.” The others all held somber expressions, but Rain was spellbound. She wanted, no, she needed to know how it ended. “What happened?” “The guy got spooked when we asked about Jericho Thorn, the so called “Demon of the North”. He had quite the rep, enough for our guy to flat out refuse to help us find him.” He paused again and took another drink. Rain could feel it. The next part was going to be painful. Sorrow and regret seemed to pour out from her leader in a way only she, with her ability to read emotions could see. Outwardly, Miles was as stoic as he had ever been. “You see Rain, what we didn’t understand was that these weren't just average raiders we were taking down. They were tribes. And with every tribe we took down, the survivors that escaped had to go somewhere. A normal raider group would just disperse, find greener pastures, but these guys? They were angry and lost, and so they flocked to the last man standing.” “Jericho Thorn.” Rain said. “All the survivors went to him?” Miles nodded. “We didn’t leave many, but as I said, we were busy, and they added up. First, our patrols started disappearing. They normally went out in teams of three, so George increased teams to five. They stopped coming home too. Then George disappeared. The day finally came, and we found an army outside our base. The leader was the very same man who gave us so much helpful information. He introduced himself as Jericho Thorn, and George Maxwell was right by his side. They had broken him, and he had given us up.” “We were outnumbered and outgunned. We never stood a chance. No one… nobody survived.” Rain looked down, trying to hold back tears. The feelings from Miles were overwhelming her. Rather, the one emotion. Rage, a horrible, burning rage. She could feel it swelling in her chest, crushing her. For a moment she thought she might black out, until she felt a sharp pain in her arm. Tali withdrew the needle with a cheshire grin. The others broke out in laughter despite the tension had been built from the tale. Even Miles cracked a small smile. “Owww! That hurt so bad!” She whined. “You’re fine. I know how to deal with little girls trying to get out of shots. Diaper change, now missy.” Tali ordered with her hands on her hips. Miyuki smirked at her. “Better listen to your mommy.” “Be nice.” Rocco chided. Rain got up and glared at Miyuki. Whatever kindness she had shown before was gone, and she was back to being a bitch. There seemed to be some type of method to her particular madness, but she didn’t seem likely to offer anything up soon, and Rain was simply tired of her mocking smiles. Tali took her by the hand and led her to her room. Normally, getting her diaper changed was a more or less relaxing affair. Rain however, couldn’t get Miyuki’s words out of her head. Was she right? Was Tali becoming a sort of surrogate mother for her? Was it her lack of a mother, or her lack of memory about her mother, that made Rain cling so tightly to the Scottish woman? She had rationalized it before as simple convenience. Tali took care of her, and it was after all much easier to be changed by someone else. Despite her size, youth, and garments, Rain didn’t feel like a child, she couldn’t remember a time when she had felt like that. Tali had finished her work and was smiling down on her with that kindly gaze of hers. Tali was a young woman herself, but she had a very maternal bearing, and suddenly, Rain wasn’t sure if she loved that, or if it made her uncomfortable. “Hey sweetheart? You okay there? You're looking awfully serious.” Rain shook her head. “I’m just thinking about Miles and his story.” She lied. “Are we going after Jericho Thorn? Is that his endgame?” “Even if it was, and no matter how much Miles might want to, it's impossible. Thorn has way too many men.” “How many?” “Close to a thousand is what he claims. An exaggeration no doubt, but maybe not by much. He has enough to split up his forces into five groups. His four generals control their own territory, flanking him on all sides, ready to fight at his command. Thorn sits in the middle, ruling like a king.” Rain sat up, ignoring the fact that she was still without pants. “A thousand?! Just from the tribes Miles took out?” Tali sighed. “Not all. Raiders from all over the state go up to join him. Add to that a lot of former slaves, and he’s got a pretty sizable army.” “Why would ex-slaves join Thorn?” “Jericho hated the slave trade, hates the idea of slavery actually. He cracked down on it hard, killed the slavers in his territory and freed the slaves. He's a bad man, but even evil men are capable of doing some good it seems.” Tali sat beside her and ran her hand through her hair. “Don’t worry about Thorn. We have bigger fish to fry tomorrow. Speaking of, I need to get to work on the bomb. Want to help?” “Actually I'm pretty tired. Do you think it would be okay if I turned in early?” In truth she needed a little time to herself. There was too much going on in her head. Her mixed feelings regarding Tali were only part of it. Her dreams concerned her much more. No matter what, she needed to be asleep before any of the others. Tali didn’t miss a beat, smiling that infectious smile of hers. “That's fine. I'll be down the hall if you can't sleep.” Tali finally left. Rain stretched out in her cot and got comfortable. Her dream sharing adventure was interesting, but her own fragmented memory was only accessible through her dreams. Her only hope to learn more about herself was to have her own dreams, not getting lost in her friend's pasts. * Luck wasn't on her side. Not only did she sleep poorly, but she didn’t have a dream of her past. Instead it was a nightmare about the woman she had gunned down, staring at her with bloody eyes. The morning came far too quickly, and after a quick change, the team was on the road. Then there was walking. A lot of walking. Gabriel had left his armor at the base so she couldn’t catch a ride on his shoulders, even if he was still a head taller than the others. Still, she found herself walking beside him as Tali was further ahead near Miles, with the unhappy Mr. Happy hovering on her heels. “Enslaver, if you release me now, I promise I will make your death as painless as possible. Deal?” “Think I'll pass, thanks.” Tali said without looking back. “Very well. Release me and I promise…..I will not kill you.” When Tali looked back at this he continued. “Right away. I won’t kill you right away. I’m willing to give you a….ten minute head start.” “How generous.” She snorted. “I'm willing to go to twenty.” “No. Stop asking. You might show a tiny bit of gratitude. You would've ended up a rusted pile of scrap if I hadn’t come by.” The robot gave a hearty laugh. “Believe me Enslaver, I very much wish to show you my gratitude for stealing my free will. Unfortunately, you seem oddly attached to your limbs.” Beside her, Gabriel chuckled. “Gotta say, I like that murderous hunk of metal.” He smiled at her, placing his meaty paw on her shoulder. “You did good in the last fight. I know I had my reservations, but it’s becoming more clear that you make a good fit here.” Rain smiled up at him. “Thanks. Truth be told, I don’t know what I would have done if I hadn’t met you guys. I was just running from place to place, no real goal in mind. Hell, maybe I would still be tied to that bed.” Gabriel nodded, stroking his beard in what appeared to be deep thought. “That’s all in the past now. Don’t dwell on what if’s. You're here with us now.” She was dead tired by nightfall, when they finally stopped to make camp. After a diaper change, she shoveled a can of beans down, yawning at the fire the whole time. Rocco sauntered over and mussed up her hair as he sat down beside her. “What’s up, Buttercup? Haven’t gotten your walking legs yet?” “Walking legs? What else are legs for? I’m just not used to hiking miles all day.” “Ha! How do you think old man Gabe feels? He used to fly everywhere. Now he spends his golden years walking like the rest of us.” Rain blinked in surprise. “Fly? What do you mean? How did he fly?” “I guess the Brotherhood used these flying machines to get places. Sort of like the busted down cars you see around here, but they went in the air I guess.” “Neat.” She said with awe, imagining what she would give to be able to fly wherever she wished. She glanced around the fire for the first time in a few minutes, noticing that someone was missing. “Where's Miyuki at?” Rocco shrugged as he lit a cigarette. “Off scouting ahead I think. Why, you miss her?” He asked, smirking. “I was just wondering why you aren’t with her. She’s your girlfriend isn’t she?” “Holy fuck, no. Have you seen me? I’m not exactly a beauty pageant winner here. She’s fond of my winning personality, but that’s it. Besides, I’m not really her type if you get what I’m saying.” Rain had no idea what he was saying, but she didn’t care. She was just barely awake as it was, and she certainly didn't have the energy to worry about the one person who seemed to detest her. After another day of walking, they finally reached the tunnel. They kept a distance at first, not wanting to alert the ghouls that wandered around it’s entrance aimlessly. From what they could see there were at least ten, with more wandering out every so often. Tali carefully opened her bag and removed a large metallic device. Handing it gently to Rocco. “You’re going to have thirty minutes to get the bomb as far into the tunnel as possible and get out of there. Make sure you don’t dilly dally in there. You want to be out of there well before this baby goes off.” Rocco shrugged unworried. “Couldn't I just set the thing once I’m in there?” “Do you know how to set it without blowing yourself up?” Tali asked with a hint of irritation. “Nope, sure don't. Okay then, I guess I'll hurry. I work better under pressure anyway. How much do you want to bet I could juggle this thing the whole way in?” Miyuki placed a hand on his chest. “Be serious. This isn’t a joke. Just get in and out as quickly as you can. If you blow yourself up out of stupidity, I'm going to be pissed.” “You're a sweetheart, you know that? It’s nice to know you worry.” Rocco laughed. After the bomb was set, the ghoul walked briskly toward the tunnel, pausing next to one of the shambling ferals so he could give it bunny ears. The feral ghoul paid no mind to his presence. Gabriel shook his head. “We tell him to be careful, and the idiot's playing around down there.” “He’ll make it.” Miyuki said, despite looking nervous herself. “I'll kill him if he doesn't.” “He just needs to be easy with that bomb. Last thing we want is for him to drop the thing and set it off.” Tali said. Rain saw Miyuki’s head flick over to the Tali. Her face had gone pale, her hands clutched the bottom of her shirt. She was terrified. Against her better judgement, Rain reached for her hand. Surprisingly, this was allowed, almost welcomed. “He'll be okay.” Rain whispered. Miyuki nodded slowly, her eyes staying fixed on Rocco’s back as he disappeared into the tunnel. * The tunnel was packed with ferals. Rocco had to push several out of his way as he struggled to navigate in the dark tunnel. His flashlight seemed almost useless with the bodies of the ghouls pressing in on all sides. There were too many to count. He hated the sight of them. They embodied his greatest fear. That one day, he might end up like them, wandering blindly, unable to remember who he had been. If he had time, he would've stayed and taken out each one. It would be a mercy. He squinted in the darkness and saw that the bomb timer read 18 minutes. Plenty of time, he figured. He kept walking, finally breaching the main crowd and coming to an intersection. This would be the place. Wherever these things were coming from, the blast would block their way to the outside. A few feral’s were wandering around as he carefully set the bomb on the ground. One though, caught his eye. There was something about how it moved, less of a shamble, more of a gait, that set him on edge. As the ghoul wandered toward him, he found himself getting closer to it as well. The creatures clothes were torn and tattered, but still, there seemed to be something different about this ghoul, as it seemed to move with greater speed and purpose. Finally, as the two met, Rocco realized his error. Too late he tried to get out of arms reach, but the creature was faster, striking out with it's left hand. Pain radiated through his stomach as he felt something sharp dig deep into him. His hands grasped feebly for his own weapon as the creature pushed him against the wall. Through a haze, Rocco felt his weapons being torn from him as he slid down to the ground. The other ghoul moved with a frantic energy, shaking it’s head and muttering to itself. Rocco was silent as it moved to the bomb he had placed on the ground. “Bad man, bad man!” The creature muttered. “What have you done? What have you brought here?” With effort, Rocco spoke weakly. “That's…..a bomb. I wouldn’t mess with it if I were you. Might….go…off.” The creature rounded on him and stabbed him again. “Bad man! Stop it! Stop the boom boom now!” “Couldn't……if I wanted…to. Don’t know how. Maybe you should run….before it’s too late.” “No! Can't leave family. Ugol can’t leave family. Why did you come here?! We were happy before you came! We were free!” Rocco struggled to stay awake and looked at the pitiful creature, not feral clearly, yet still bonkers. “Family huh? You know, it’s faint, but I think I see a resemblance. Which one's your mum?” Apparently, his humor wasn’t appreciated, and the creature, Ulgol, started beating him mercilessly. With his last bit of consciousness, he looked over and saw the time on the bomb. Only eleven minutes left. * “Rocco, come in now! This shit isn’t funny anymore. Let us know you're okay.” “The tunnel could be blocking our signal.” Tali said hopefully, trying to calm her teammate. Miyuki couldn’t be consoled. Her pacing was erratic, her voice reaching higher and higher. She was beyond reason now, such was the level of her hysteria. “He should have been back by now. Something is wrong, I know it. He’s running out of time.” Rain watched as the group argued about what to do. It was a simpler decision for her. Despite a wet diaper encumbering her, she started for the tunnel. Rocco had saved her, maybe she could return the favor. “Rain, stop at once!” Miles commanded, stopping her tracks. “We might not have enough time. You know that right?” Miyuki stepped forward eagerly, ready to follow, yet unwilling to do so without word from Miles. “Rocco might be in danger. That bomb is gonna go off with him inside.” Rain said, raising her arms. “What are we waiting for?” Miles smirked and gave her a single nod. Miyuki sprinted down to join her. “Tali, give us cover. Gabe, Happy, with me!” The team rushed forward, their first barrage decimating the ghouls in their path. Rain struggled to hit their heads, so she began focusing on body shots. Miyuki didn’t even bother with bullets, her spiked knuckles ripping through the horde effortlessly. Happy, Miles, and Gabriel were further behind in their own fight. Tali had stayed behind, but her aim was true, and she began quickly racking up kills. “Head into the tunnel.” Miles yelled over the chaos. “We'll keep the exit clear.” Rain obeyed and tried to keep up with Miyuki. The two were surrounded in the tunnel, but many ran past them, heading for Miles and the others. The ones that stayed swarmed over them, their nails like claws ripping into the leather armor they wore. Maybe it was adrenaline, but Rain barely felt their blows, only occasionally wincing when the monsters wounded her, their claws tearing into her flesh and making shallow cuts that nonetheless bled profusely. Miyuki was hurt too, but kept fighting with an alarming fervor, as she forced herself further into the darkness. They fought side by side, taking down one creature after another, until they finally reached a breach. She heard the blast before any pain set in, a loud echoing boom, so that Rain thought for a moment the bomb had gone off. As she sunk to her knees, she saw a ghoul in tattered clothing, clutching Rocco’s shotgun. Rain had luckily avoided a direct hit, but she had been grazed across her side, and the pain was staggering. Miyuki grabbed her and hid behind a broken pillar. The ghoul fired again and again, the bullets tearing chunks out of their hiding place. Rain hugged herself against her companion, still crying in pain. Miyuki briefly checked her wounds. “Stay with me, kiddo. It’s just a flesh wound.” Something else was happening. As Rain cried, the environment shifted, the chaos surrounding her faded away. There was a woman holding her, but her face was darkened. Then there was a gunshot, blood, her own screams. She heard laughing, and a figure began walking out of the shadows. “Rain! What’s going on?! What are you doing?” Miyuki asked, shaking her back into reality. “For fuck’s sake Rain, I need you here, get a grip.” Rain had fallen to her knees, her head felt as though it were splitting in two. Her hands ran to her navel, where she had been shot long ago. She could feel the intense, burning pain where, even now, she was convinced she could feel the bullet deep inside. The pain in her stomach was agonizing, and though a part of her knew it wasn’t real, her mind acted like it was. Her body too, reacted to the stress in an unexpected way. On her knees, in agony, her bowels released. If she hadn’t been so certain that she was about to die, she would no doubt have been mortified at the disgusting mass filling she pushed into her awaiting diaper. At the moment however, vague and broken fragments of memory continued to assault her. She heard voices from people she felt she knew but couldn’t remember. “We'll get you through this. I promise. I love you so much.” A female voice said. “It’s only pain. It’s only temporary. All of this will be worth it in the end.” A cold, monotone male voice said. “What can I say kid? Life is shit and then you die. Fair doesn't mean jack in the real world.” This male voice was unknown, but still familiar in the vaguest sense. Nothing made sense. The memories taunted her, while in the present, she heard muffled gunshots and Miyuki screaming at her. “Stop! Please make it stop!” Rain screamed. “I don’t want to remember. Please, I don’t want to know!” * Miyuki watched as her comrade writhed in pain beside her. The ghoul firing at her apparently had all of Rocco’s weapons. They had been in a back and forth stalemate for some time. The darkness of the tunnel made it hard to even see her opponent, and she still hadn’t seen Rocco. Finally, a silence descended in the tunnel. Rain fell silent, and an unpleasant smell began to emanate from her. The ghoul still had, it seemed, run out of shotgun ammo. He paused for a moment before pulling out Rocco’s pistol. As he resumed firing, Miyuki fired back and was rewarded with a cry of pain. Ignoring Rain for the moment, she moved forward, counting on momentum to finish the job. The ghoul had decided to make a run for it, clutching his right arm as he made his way deeper into the tunnel and out of her sight. Miyuki gave chase until she spied Rocco lying slumped against the wall. A quick check confirmed he was still breathing, so she grabbed his arm and dragged him over to Rain, who seemed to be in a kind of stupor. Ignoring the smell, she lifted the girl onto her back before bolting for the entrance. She had no idea how much time was left before the bomb went off, and as she drug the bodies of her teammates along with her, she had one thought. She knew she wasn’t going to make it. Then she saw Miles and Gabriel rushing to her, telling her to hurry. They reached her and took Rocco from her. With only Rain on her back, the team rushed for the light of the outside world. Then there was a tremendous noise, and the tunnel shook before a force knocked into them , sending them flying outside as the tunnel crumbled behind them. * Ulgol hid in the darkness of the tunnel, too afraid to move. He wasn’t sure if he had been pursued. When the tunnel began to shake, he cautiously moved out of his cover. When the wall of fire came toward him, he didn’t even try to escape. A blaze of pain ended all his thoughts. That was the end of poor, crazy, Ulgol.

This is the last place I would have thought to post. I'm sort of losing it a bit. The last few weeks have been hard. For the last few years a close friend of mine has been struggling with cancer. He finally passed a few days ago. Normally, I handle these things very well. I can't seem to get past this loss. I visited as much as I could in his final days. I still feel like I disappointed him. there were so many times I wish I had been there for him more than I was. I also managed to hurt someone close to me. I had no choice, but to know that this person hates me now, that they feel I betrayed them, is tough. I feel guilty for so much that I've done and didn't do. I feel out of control. I can't fix anything. So...yeah.....bad day. Sorry for ranting.

2 years earlier “How can I not remember anything?” Rain asked as she finished changing herself, frowning at how loose the tapes felt. “I was running from something, but I can’t remember.” Dr. Sellers sighed, running her hand through her short gray hair as she lit a cigarette with her other. “We've been over this, girl. Trying to force it won’t help anything. Whatever happened is done and over with. You just need to wait and see if anything comes back naturally.” “I don’t get it. You said I didn’t have any head wounds, no trauma or anything like that, so how can everything just be blank?” The room filled with smoke as Dr. Sellers looked towards the ceiling. “It's simple. Whatever happened to you, whatever you saw, was too much for your mind to handle. You can’t remember because you don’t want to remember, not because you can’t.” Rain stood up, and her diaper immediately sagged, confirming that she hadn't fastened it correctly. “I do want to remember. I want to know if I have a family, a mother, a father, something. It’s all I think about. I swear I want to remember!” Dr. Sellers motioned for her to lay back down, as she fixed the girls diaper with a look of annoyance. “You might want to remember, but clearly your brain doesn't. I’m telling you there’s nothing to be done. You just keep recording any dreams you have, maybe they will give you some clues, that’s about all you can do.” Rain put her pants on and turned around, hoping her crying was quiet. Dr. Sellers apparently heard her because she felt a slap to the head a moment later. “Quit your crying, little girl. The world is an ugly place. Maybe you do have a family out there, maybe not. Crying won’t change anything.” Dr. Sellers sighed and spoke more softly. “Look, you have a home here for as long as you need it okay? Now just…..just go feed the brahmin, alright?” Rain nodded and headed for the door. It wouldn't do to argue anyway. Plus, in her own way, Dr. Sellers just empathized with her, something that she was normally loath to do. She just wished she didn't feel so alone. “This world is an awful place.” Dr. Sellers said, taking a long drag from her cigarette. “You have to be strong, Rain. You have to be strong.” * Now The air was alive with the sound of gunfire and screams. Rain was ducked behind a stone pillar that had long ago fallen to the ground. Every time she tried peek her head out, someone tried to shoot it off. There were six men on the other side intent on killing her. Beside her, Miyuki and Rocco fired back any chance they could. Rocco’s shotgun boomed and she heard a scream as one of the men went down. “I'm running low on ammo here.” Rocco yelled. “Any ideas?” Miyuki fired a few rounds from her machine gun and ducked back down. “We better hope they run out first. Stop hiding down there Rain and fire back for fucks sake!” Rocco pulled out his sword and peeked around the corner. “No worries. I got a plan.” Miyuki shot daggers at him. “Rocco, that sword is hundreds of years old and a family heirloom, do not throw it.” Rocco tossed the sword like a spear and all gunfire ceased for a moment. The three of them looked at each other in silence. “Hey! One of these assholes just threw a sword at me!” A voice cried. “Keep firing!” another yelled. “You idiot!” Miyuki cried. “I should never have given you that sword!” Rocco shrugged. “Hey, it's worked before.” Rain fired a few shots, but her hands were shaking too much, and she missed. She saw someone run around the corner and fire. Miyuki cried out as the bullet hit her in the shoulder. Everything seemed to go in slow motion as Rain raised her weapon again. Her breathing slowed, her hands steadied, and she pulled the trigger. The man went down and a red mist filled the air. She dropped her weapon as a wave of nausea came over her. What had she done? Rocco was beside Miyuki, injecting her with a Stimpack. From the looks of things, the bullet had passed through her shoulder, and as she rose there was a familiar look of fury on her face. Grimacing with pain, she ran around the corner, firing everything she had. Rain watched in awe as two of the men fell. Miyuki tossed her weapon aside and charged the last two, who were too surprised by her suicidal attack to respond effectively. She kicked one in the chest, finishing him off with a two swift punches from her spiked fist. The last fired and missed, a mistake that killed him. Miyuki was still crouched and she spun her leg to knock the man off his feet. He barely had time to scream before Miyuki began pummeling him over and over. Rain turned back to the man she had shot. He wasn’t moving. There was a pool of blood growing larger and larger as she watched. “Is…Is he dead? Did I….” Miyuki stumbled over and stared at the fallen man. She looked at him carefully, then picked up his gun and put three rounds in his chest. “He wasn’t dead. I killed him.” Miyuki spat, suddenly grabbing Rain by her chin. “You understand? It wasn’t you. You understand?” She nodded through her tears and helped Miyuki steady herself. The three of them ran across the street, following the sounds of gunfire. Gabriel and Mr. Happy were guarding the abandoned building Tali had set up in. They were pinned down and outnumbered, but they made up for it in firepower. Rain watched as their attacker’s were pushed back, driven by the relentless wave of laser and plasma from Gabe and Happy. She saw Tali fire from a window and catch one of the bandits right in the head. The remaining ten bandits hunkered down behind cover. Rain was about to fire when Rocco put a hand on her shoulder and shook his head with a smile. That’s when the door to Tali’s building opened and Miles walked through. He had a pistol in each hand as he walked calmly into the chaos. He walked through the storm of bullets like he was going for a relaxing stroll. He didn’t seek cover, he seemed totally unconcerned that people were trying to kill him, like he was completely sure that nothing could harm him. Calmly, deliberately, he raised each gun and fired on any unfortunate soul he saw. Rain watched in awe as two bandits fell, then a third, a fourth, and a fifth. Out of terror or desperation, the remaining five bandits broke and tried to run, and that’s when Miyuki and Rocco moved forward to block them. They were trapped and they knew it, but Miles had no mercy for them. They fell one by one until only one was left. She was a rough looking woman with a mohawk. Seeing she had lost, the woman tossed the gun aside and sat down on the ground with a sigh. They closed in on her, and Rain saw she was bleeding from a wound in her stomach. Tali came last and immediately wrapped an arm around her, giving her an affectionate kiss on the head. Rain clung to her to keep from falling over, her legs feeling like jelly. She briefly pondered at how heavy her diaper felt, convinced that the fight and fear made her go more. Miles circled the final bandit slowly. “Were you the leader here?” The woman looked up slowly, before indicating a man lying dead nearby. “You already got him. Fucking Miles, I knew we were playing with fire threatening that village.” “Why did you then?” “We had to eat didn’t we? If this is where you act all superior, just save it and put me out of my misery already.” “There are other ways of getting a meal without killing innocent people. You and your friends killed four.” The woman scoffed and clutched her stomach in pain. “These idiots weren’t my friends. I just stayed with them so I didn’t get my ass eaten out on the road. I was just trying to survive out here. I knew I shoulda hooked up with Thorn and his gang.” Miles knelt down and grabbed the woman roughly by her face. “Thorne? What do you know about Jericho Thorn?” She smiled. “Same as you I suspect. He's got an army sitting up north, I heard the whole northern part of the state is his.” Tali leaned in close to Rain. “Jericho Thorn is a raider who managed to unite a bunch of other raider tribes. He’s bad news.” The wounded woman laughed and looked at Miles with a mocking smile. “That’s an understatement. I heard he took you and those Regulators of yours down a peg a couple years back. What, you looking for revenge?” Miles stood up and handed one of his pistols to Rain. “She doesn’t know anything. Put her down, Rain.” Surprisingly, Miyuki came forward and grabbed his arm. “Miles, no! She's a kid. The last kill is your job, not hers.” “Has she killed today? Has she taken a life with her own hands?” Miyuki looked torn and frustrated. “She….might….I mean…no, she hasn’t.” “Then now’s the time. You know she'll have to kill eventually.” Miles said with finality. “Not like this, Captain. Not up close with the woman on her knees. Please.” Rain looked around. Gabriel was in armor, thus unreadable. Rocco seemed unconcerned, inspecting his sword. Tali had moved back a bit and held her eyes downcast with a sad expression. “Rain. Now.” Miles ordered. “This woman is just like the Super Mutants who attacked you in the past. She has no regard for the lives of others. This is justice, Rain. Justice must be swift, relentless, and most importantly, without mercy.” The woman laughed again. “Her? You're gonna make her kill me? Fuck man, she looks greener than a Super Mutant. Since when does Miles the Deathless have a little kid do his killing for him?” Miyuki turned her back. “This is wrong.” Gabriel stepped up a bit. “Captain, I get the lesson here, but even I find this distasteful. This is perhaps, not the best time?” Miles sighed and looked back to Tali. Their eyes met for a few seconds and Miles gave a small nod. “You guys are right. I’m sorry Rain, I was wrong to push this on you.” He reached out for his gun and Rain found herself taking a step back. They didn’t think she could do it. None of them did. They still saw her as a kid to be protected. Rain gulped and looked at the woman and raised the gun. Her breath seemed to get caught in her chest. Her mind seemed to go blank. Then she pulled the trigger. The woman didn’t make a sound, she just fell over as the sound of the gun echoed through the air. Nobody moved. Rain felt like the world was spinning. The suddenness of all of it took her by surprise. A human being had been alive and breathing and talking a moment ago. Now she was….nothing, food for the worms as the saying went. Her mind couldn’t seem to comprehend that she had done it. She is seen corpses before, plenty. She had seen people die in front of her, but to know that she had done it, that she had taken that living, breathing human and snuffed them out like a candle. It was nauseating. “What did you do?” Miyuki asked with a look of horror. She could feel the earth spinning beneath her. “I was just….trying to prove that I had what it took. To be with you guys. I-I didn’t mean….” The last thing she saw was the ground rushing toward her. * It was warm when Rain finally woke up. She was laying in bed, but she didn’t recognize the room. Tali was cuddled up behind her. She scooted closer to the woman, feeling a coldness seeping into her despite the warmth. The cold came from somewhere else, from the horrible thing she had done. Tali stirred and opened her eyes. A smile came to her face as she moved some blonde locks out of her eyes. “Morning sweetheart. Or good evening I guess. We’re at the village we saved, came to collect the bounty, so we are crashing here for the night. How are you feeling?” She didn’t say anything for a minute or so, seeing her victims face flash before her eyes. “I messed up. Are the others mad?” “Nobody is mad at you sweetie. You….well you did what you had too. We just wish you didn’t have to. It was too much, too fast.” “I’m sorry. I thought I needed-“ “Shhh. It’s alright. Miles knows he shouldn’t have put you on the spot like that. He gets so wrapped up in this. This crusade of his. Sometimes it’s like he can only see the next target. Sometimes….he can’t see what’s right in front of him.” The tone in her voice was sad, and Rain turned around in surprise, wrapping Tali with her arms. “What's wrong? I didn’t mean to upset you.” Tali smiled and wiped a tear away. “It's okay. I’m fine.” Her hand reached down to probe Rain’s diaper. “How about we get you changed and go back to sleep?” Rain laid back with a sigh, putting her arms behind her head as Tali grabbed a new diaper and began cleaning her up. It was so relaxing not having to change herself. She would never understand why Tali decided to take up such an unpleasant task, but she wasn’t about to complain. At least she only had urinary incontinence. “Your diapers are cute.” Tali said as she slipped a clean one under her. “The little diapered Vault Boys are a nice touch.” Rain simply nodded, feeling her cheeks redden. The whole diapering process made her feel extremely infantile, and how the diapers looked didn’t help. Once she was dry, Tali nestled back up beside her in the bed. The torch in their tent provided enough light to see without being too much to prevent sleep. Yet, Rain had a hard time sleeping. Her mind kept going back to the woman she had killed. “Does it get easier?” She asked with a note of desperation in her voice. Tali hesitated a moment. “Yes and no. You'll get used to it I guess. But it’s not supposed to be easy.” They laid in silence for some time, but Rain couldn’t seem to fall back asleep, despite how comfortable she was. She couldn’t help but squirm around a bit, painfully aware of the crinkle of her diaper. “Do you like to read, Rain?” “I suppose. It’s a good distraction. I like getting lost in the story and just getting away. Why?” Tali got out of bed and got into her bag. She returned with a large leather bound book. It was in surprisingly good condition, with only the spine showing any real signs of damage. Tali got back in bed and opened the book. “I collect any books I can find. Admittedly, most are in pretty bad shape. This beauty is a collection of fairy taless. I scavenged it years back in an old library. I’ve probably read all these stories at least a hundred times. Would you like me to read to you?” “I would love that. Maybe it will help me sleep.” Tali smiled and flipped to a story. “This is called Hansel and Gretel.” She began reading as Rain closed her eyes and listened. She was only halfway through when the little girl had fallen asleep again. * Rain dreamed of a little boy. She was only vaguely aware she was dreaming, but nevertheless, she watched as the boy trudged through a small village with, eyes downcast as he approached a small stone building apart from the others. The interior was messy, with beer bottles and discarded cans of food. A man stirred from the couch at the back of the room, fixing the boy with a spiteful look. He looked disheveled and dirty, his eyes were bloodshot, and his skin had a pale and unhealthy pallor. “Well, what do you have you for me? More than yesterday I hope.” The boy, who looked no older than maybe ten, kept his eyes on the floor. “I couldn’t get in. Mr. Eldez wasn’t home but the lock was too tough. I couldn’t break in. I-I found some food though, in an abandoned house about a mile from the village. A few cans of beans.” The man, his father she figured, rose to his feet as the boy shrunk away. He was angry and there was a tension in the room as he neared closer to the child. The first blow knocked the boy to his knees, clutching his stomach. Again and again the mans fist descended, battering the boy and leaving him curled on the floor weeping. “I don’t know why I bother taking care of you. You’re so fucking useless. Is it too much expect you to help out and contribute a bit?” He grabbed him roughly by the neck and shoved him out the door. “Sleep out there tonight, you little shit.” The boy got to his knees weakly and sat against the house, drying his tears with the back of his hand. His mouth was bloody, and there we already bruises forming over his face. He sat there for a long time as the sun began to set. People passed by, some glancing at him, most not. They apparently knew not to get involved. The boy sat there miserably, cold and hurting, until darkness fell. He was shivering when the door opened and the man looked down on him. “Come on boy” He said with a sigh. “Get inside. There’s some food on the table for you.” The boy smiled and shakily stood up. He went inside and the man ruffled his hair a bit before sending him to eat. Suddenly it was daytime again. The man headed out the door, going to work he said. The boy wandered around the village, looking for something to steal to make his father happy. He approached the largest building in the square and immediately hid by the side. There were ten or so men, all in long brown jackets, talking to an elderly man in a suit. The mayor maybe? “Him and his gang are normally out East a ways.” The elderly man said. “The old water treatment plant by the road. They’ve been robbing any poor bastard that passes by.” One of the men moved up. He was a tall man, bald with goatee. “And this Jerrod guy that lives here is part of it?” The mayor nodded. “He lives at the edge of town with his kid. Foul man he is, with a bad temper.” The boy knew they were talking about his father, he began to sneak to the gate. Once out of the village he broke into a sprint, leaping over logs and dodging trees. He didn’t get too far. A loud howl froze him in place. Hiding behind a tree, he glanced over and saw a mangy looking dog. It was so skinny that he could see it’s ribs, and he could also see the white foam coming from its mouth. He hadn't taken the road, opting instead to go through the woods. It was a foolish mistake. He stood rooted in place for a long time, too afraid to move as the dog sniffed around. The sound of gunshots rang through the air, finally scaring the dog off. The boy was too late. He reached the building to find bodies all over. He saw his father laying face down, a pool of blood underneath him. The men in Brown coats stood nearby, surrounding a final man on his knees. The bald man took out a gun and put it to the man’s head. Speaking quietly before pulling the trigger. The boy looked at his father. There was little love lost admittedly, but it was still his father. The boy rushed forward, grabbing one of the discarded firearms on the ground. Trembling, he pointed it at the bald man. The others turned and pointed their weapons, but the bald man stopped them with a gesture. The boy moved closer to his father’s corpse. The man noticed and put his hands in the air, moving up slowly. “Was he your father?” The boy let out a choked sob and tried to fire the gun, but nothing happened. It was empty. “Hey, its okay. We aren’t going to hurt you.” The man said as he went down on one knee. “I'm George Maxwell. Listen to me. Your pa here was doing some nasty things, hurting people, you understand?” The boy shook his head. “I don’t have anything now! What do I do now?!” George moved closer and put his arm around the boy slowly. “Why not come with us? We have a place you could stay. Lots of food.” He paused and looked the boy over. “Nobody will give you any more bruises. I can promise you that. What’s your name?” The boy looked up with red eyes. “Miles. My name is Miles.” * “Time to wake up baby.” Tali said as she shook the girl awake. She already had a clean diaper in her hand, ready to go. Rain smiled tiredly and scooted so her legs dangled off the bed. Tali got to work as Rain pondered her dream. She had never had a dream about someone else, nor had her dreams ever been so lucid. She could remember every detail so well. But for her to dream about Miles as a kid, she just didn’t understand it. Once she was dressed, she followed Tali outside where the others were already waiting. They all nodded to her, Rocco put an arm around her, even Miyuki offered a half smile. They waved the villagers goodbye and headed out. “You look tired Cap.” Rocco said with a grin. “Did some village girl keep you up all night?” Rain saw Tali giving the ghoul a death glare, but it was Miles who shocked her with his response. “I had a weird dream, of my childhood of all things. I haven’t had that dream in a long time and it’s got me out of sorts a bit.” Rain nearly stopped in place. It had been his dream that she had. She had shared the same dream as Miles.

The next morning the team moved out. They were fairly nomadic, always on the move, but they did have a few bases spread around. Miles said there was a base about a half days walk from where they were, and as soon as the sun came up, they were on the move. As she walked, Rain was painfully aware of how loud her diaper was. Every step seemed to send a crinkle echoing through the empty streets. She felt like everyone else could hear it too, although none of them said anything. She saw the looks they gave her. She was an oddity, an unknown. Every step, every crinkle, made her wonder if she really belonged here. When they stopped for a break, Miles decided that her training should begin. At first, it wasn’t so bad. Gabriel taught her how to shoot, masking his evident frustration as best he could. He was nice anyway. Tali and Rocco sat her down to teach her weapon maintenance and cleaning. Every question she asked or mistake she made was received with audible scorn from Miyuki, who made little secret of her feelings towards Rain’s inclusion. “Okay. Let’s keep trying. Feet apart, rifle butt against the shoulder, aim down the sight.” Gabriel encouraged once again. The others were getting ready to move out again. The only one watching was Miles. He watched her a lot, she had noticed. He kept himself at a distance, and he was hard to read. Rain focused on the target, a small can found from the road. She took a deep breath and pulled the trigger. She was happy to see the can go flying, and hear her one-eyed instructor clap with glee. “I did it! I actually hit it!” She exclaimed. “That you did. Twentieth times the charm I guess.” Gabriel said with a smile. “It sounds bad the way you say it.” “You're just starting out. No one is a marksman off the bat. Good job.” “We’re heading out.” Miles said. If he approved of her shooting, he didn’t show it, but he seemed maybe a little pleased as he walked to the others. Rain noticed with a bit of embarrassment that her diaper was wet, soaked judging on how heavy it felt. She swallowed her humiliation and spoke up. “I….uh….I need to….change before….before we keep going. Sorry.” They all looked at her awkwardly. Miles simply nodded and told her to do what she had to do. She found a place out of the way that provided some cover and got to it. She didn’t like having to change outside, she felt far too vulnerable, but she had no choice. After cleaning herself up and strapping on a clean diaper, she got dressed and picked up her bags. Miyuki was waiting for her as she came around the corner, knife in her hand. “Why are you still here?” she asked, her voice a low whisper. “You don’t belong here. You know it and I know it. I thought you would have been smart enough to leave last night…or during one of your little…..diaper changes. So what are you doing here?” Rain backed up a few steps. The look in Miyuki’s eyes scared her. There was a fierceness in them she hadn't seen in any of the bandits she had dealt with until now. Miyuki seized her by her throat and pushed her back against the wall of the crumbled building. “These people are my family. Do you understand that? They are all I have in this shithole world. If any of them gets hurt because they were protecting your diapered ass, you will answer to me. I was happy to save you, but I would have no problem cutting your throat. Remember that.” Rain was gasping for air by the time Miyuki shoved her to the ground. She felt tears flowing down her cheek as Miyuki walked away. She rose from the ground and angrily wiped her face. She couldn’t show weakness. She had nothing. She belonged nowhere, had no home, no family. She didn’t even have a real name with her memories lost. She needed these people, she needed to be more than some little victim to be pitied. The entire rest of the day was spent walking. Occasionally, there would be some wasteland creature in their path that one of the team would deal with. She had even managed to hit an enraged mole rat, after about seven or eight tries. “Wanna lift?” Gabriel asked. He was in his armor again, absent his helmet. “You look so light, I doubt I'd even feel you up on my shoulder.” Her legs were killing her, and despite her fear of looking weak, she happily accepted the opportunity. With one hand, the one-eyed Gabriel lifted her up to his shoulder, and she couldn’t suppress a grin. “How did you all meet? What gave you the idea of fighting bandits all the time?” She asked from her perch. “Well, it’s not just bandits. We take down wasteland creatures as well; anything that's a threat to good people trying to make a living here. At first it was just Miles and me. Tali came later, and Rocco and Miyuki showed up together a while after that.” Rain looked behind her, where Rocco had his arm wrapped affectionately around Miyuki’s shoulder. Rocco was whistling again, and for some reason the tune still made her skin crawl. “How long have you been doing this?” Gabriel thought for a moment. “As a group it’s probably been about two years now. Miles though, he’s been fighting a hell of lot longer than that. He used to be a part of an organization that did the same thing we do. They were called the Regulators. They used to be based out East, and Miles came with a large group of them years back.” “Where are they now?” Rain asked, although she felt she already knew the answer. “They're dead. Every last one.” Miles said from the front. She hadn’t known he had been listening. “It's a long story, not a pleasant one either, so let’s talk about it later. What’s important is our own work. We provide what most thought died out a long time ago.” “What’s that?” She asked, noticing with some annoyance that her diaper was wet again. “Justice. A simple idea, that those who do evil are punished. But, here, in this place, it's a foreign concept. This land is ruled by countless warlords and bickering raider tribes. They take what they wish as they’ve always done, without fear. Not anymore. The Regulators failed, but we haven't. Now those who would murder and steal for their own gain have us to fear, and they do fear us. We are vengeance and retribution incarnate.” It was dark before they reached the base, a small gated compound, with a single large building in the center. Miles had Mr. Happy scout the perimeter for unwanted guests, while Tali updated the security system so Rain could enter without fear. “Home at last!” Rocco cried. “How about we get some food and call it a night?” “Not yet.” Miyuki said. “I haven't gotten to teach the newbie anything yet. I say, if she wants to eat, let her prove she deserves too. A little sparring would be good for her.” Rain looked at the others fearfully. After her earlier encounter with Miyuki, the last thing she wanted was to go toe to toe with her. Rocco groaned. “Hell, she's only been with us for a day. Let her rest for a bit.” Miyuki turned to Miles, hands on her hip. “Captain?” Miles stared ahead, not looking at anyone, not showing the slightest emotion. “Do what you want.” Miyuki tossed her gear onto the ground put up her fists. “Come on then girl. Let’s see if you're as useless as you look.” * Tali’s heart sank as Rain thundered to the ground. It was the fourth time. Every time she had managed to get back up, but she was outclassed. Her lip was busted and bleeding, her frail form shaking from exhaustion and pain. A kick from Miyuki sent her sliding across the dirt with the wind knocked out of her. Tali looked to the others. Rocco and Gabriel seemed similarly uneasy, yet Miles watched on unconcerned. Miyuki circled the girl. “Get. Up. Keep up your damn guard. Come on, prove to me you’re more than some orphaned waste rat.” As soon as the girl tried to rise, Miyuki was on her, fists flying. Rain barley kept them at bay, shrinking under the ferocious assault. Miyuki’s knee brought her down again. Gabriel stepped closer. “Enough already, Miyuki! She's had enough. Let it end.” Miyuki turned angrily. “Stop?! Do you think some murdering raider will stop because she asks nicely? Back off her because she’s young?” “She can't defend herself. She can barely stand. This isn’t achieving anything.” “Then why is she here?!” Miyuki demanded, throwing another punch. Rain cried out and laid still. Rocco moved close to Miles. “Captain, you have to stop this. Miyuki is furious. She’s not out to teach her anything. She's trying to break her. I’m begging you to stop this.” Miles glanced up quizzically. “Let me ask you something Rocco. When you found the girl, beaten and humiliated, how did she look? Did she look afraid?” “No.” “Did she look broken to you?” Rocco sighed. “No. She looked pissed off.” Miles had a ghost of a smile on his lips. “Why are all of you, every one of you, so sure she'll break?” * Rain clawed at the ground, the dirt caking into her nails. Slowly, she managed to get to get knees. She hurt all over, but more than anything, she was furious. She wasn't weak. Even with no memory of her past, she had still managed to survive against all odds. When the Super Mutants came and destroyed the life she was building with Mrs. Sellers, she had run away. Whatever had caused her memory loss, she had clearly run from that as well. She was done running. With a yell, she charged Miyuki, and maybe because her own ferocity surprised her opponent, she managed to catch Miyuki off guard, hitting her across the face and sending her staggering. It was a short lived victory, and Miyuki struck back even harder with a kick to the stomach. Once again she found herself in the dirt. “Not bad pissypants.” Miyuki mocked. “But you’d better stop there. Your diapey is leaking.” Rain felt her pants, discovering her diaper had indeed leaked. At that moment, she felt a few tears escaped her, and she felt a crushing sense of defeat. “Do you think I wanted this? Do you think I wanted to end up in these stupid things, to lose everything I had including my bladder, my memory, and the only person who cared for me?!” She yelled angrily through her sobs. In the silence of her outburst, something seemed to change in Miyuki, and a look of rage exploded across her face. In a moment she was on top of her, striking her again and again. “Stop.” Miles commanded. Instantly Miyuki stopped her attack, as though frozen in place. Slowly getting up, she whispered with a sad tone. “You're not the only one whose lost something. You aren’t special. Maybe it’s a good thing you can’t remember, and you don’t have to live with it.” Miyuki stormed away and Rain felt herself hauled to her feet by Tali. She was still crying as she was led into the facility, Tali’s soft voice trying to calm her the whole way. She was led to a room with a simple cot and little else. Tali laid her down on it and removed her wet pants. “I don't want you to feel awkward, so I'm gonna ask this time. Is it okay if I clean you up?” Rain looked at her with surprise. “Why? Wouldn’t that be weird?” “Not to me. You're hurt and I want to help you. You don’t need to be embarrassed.” Rain nodded her head slowly and Tali got to work. Rain could feel herself blushing as she was lifted by her ankles and the wet diaper was removed. Tali gently cleaned her before sliding a fresh diaper under her. “Did the woman who cared for you never change you?” Tali asked. Rain chuckled a bit. “Only until I recovered. She told me she wasn’t my maid or my mother, so I had better learn to do it myself. She was a good woman, but not very warm unfortunately. She wasn’t like you. You've been very kind to me. Thank you.” Tali poured a little powder on her before bringing the diaper up and taping it close. “I’m happy to help you. Miles sees something in you, and I think I do too. Anytime you need help changing, I’m happy to oblige.” There was a knock at the door, and Tali gave her a blanket to cover with before opening it. Rocco stood outside, sword in hand, but sheathed. “I need a private word with our new member please, to explain some of the….treatment she’s received so far.” Tali smiled back to her. “I'll get a cold cloth for your face.” Rocco sat down next to her and scrutinized her beaten face. With a sigh, he placed the sword in her hands. “Miyuki gave me this sword. It’s been in her family for centuries according to her. When I stumbled upon her, she was being attacked. Despite helping her, saving her even, she tried to kill me with this sword. She tried to kill Miles and the others as well when we ran into them for the first time. You need to understand….Miyuki attacks when she feels threatened, that’s all she knows how to do. She’s protective of us now, and she doesn’t trust you.” Rain felt her face. “So I should forgive her? Is that what your saying?” “I’m not telling you to do anything. I’m just saying give her time and she'll accept you. Maybe….if it’s possible, don’t judge her too harshly. Maybe better than any of us here, she knows how cruel people can be.” Rocco left and Rain stretched out on the cot, one hand idly feeling the plastic of her diaper. No matter what Rocco said, Rain was feeling more and more like she didn't belong here. Staring at the ceiling and worrying over her future, she fell into a fitful sleep. * Tali returned with a small plate of food, a bottle of water, and a cold cloth. Rain however was already fast asleep. Tali couldn’t help but smile as she saw the young girl's diaper peeking out from under the blanket. She was so small and cute, with such strength, and at the same time so vulnerable. Tali sat beside her and cleaned up her face with the cold rag, petting her head fondly. The girl stirred for a moment and her eyes fluttered open. “Don't worry.” Tali said, smiling down on her. “I'm here. I'm going to take care of you. I promise.” Rain smiled back weakly and fell back asleep as though she had never woken. * The next few weeks were spent on training. Rain learned basic first aid from Tali, continued to practice her shooting with Rocco and Gabriel, and received regular beatings from Miyuki during “sparing” sessions. Miles monitored her progress from a distance, occasionally encouraging her. And she ran. A lot. They made her run laps around the base almost every day. She thought she would go insane from all the damn running, and she was sure that none of them understood how awkward running in a diaper could be. There were two comforts during this time. Tali was the first. The woman doted on her like a fretful mother, and more often than not participated in her diaper changes. Rain was immensely thankful of her aid, as most of the time she was so exhausted and bruised, she wouldn’t have been able to fathom doing it herself. The second comfort was dinner. Tali was a good cook, despite most of the food being irradiated creatures Rain was sent out to hunt. Her first Mirelurk stew more than made up for the trouble she had killing it. More than anything, dinner was when all the conversations and stories took place. Most were tales of the team's exploits, like one in which Rocco supposedly killed a raider with a fork. Another time, about a week after she arrived, she apparently asked a question she shouldn't have. They were eating beans again, as the group had stocked up quite a bit. A silence had descended upon them as they sat around the fire. Rain looked over at Gabriel. “I just realized I've been here for a while and spent hours training with you and I've never asked how you lost your eye.” At once a collective groan escaped from every other member as Rain looked around bewildered. Even Miles looked exasperated, placing his head in his hands. Gabriel lit up happily. “I’m happy you asked! It's quite a tale if I don’t say so myself.” “Oh no, fucking no!” Rocco groaned. “Now you've done it.” Miyuki muttered. Gabriel ignored them. “It was about four years ago. I was still with the Brotherhood, and we were patrolling for tech, as we often did. There was this old, beat up car dealership that was littered with bones. I was with two other Knights, and I could tell even with their armor on that they didn't want to go in. But we did, and after a little exploring we ran smack dab into a Deathclaw. You ever see one up close before?” Rain shook her head. She knew what they generally looked like, but she had never run into one. “Well let me tell you, they aren't very nice. Thirteen feet of claws and fangs. It roared so loud, the glass shattered from the windows. It knocked me aside with one sweep, my weapon and helmet flying off into the darkened halls. I heard my brothers screaming and when I finally got up they were hunks of meat on the ground.” There was more snickering, followed by eye rolls from the others. “What happened then?” Rain asked with excitement, ignoring the accompanying laughs. “I had no gun, so I whipped out a combat knife, sure that I was about to be Deathclaw chow in another minute. It swept it's claw upwards so I moved forward, trying to dodge and get in close. It worked, and I thrust the blade right up into it's jaw. The beast fell over dead as a door nail. It took a few seconds for the pain to register, but then I looked down and I saw my eye, stuck on the tip of one of it's talons.” “That's incredible!” Rain exclaimed. “It's also a lie.” Rocco said with a shake of his head. “Last time he told that story, it was a group of feral ghouls. Twenty of them if I remember correctly.” “When I asked he said a cannibal ate it, and he tore it from his stomach after he killed him.” Tali said. Gabriel stuck up his nose. “Well admittedly, I've grown forgetful in my old age.” “You're forty one for fucks sake.” Miyuki complained. “Do you know what the life expectancy out here is? I’m pretty damn old, I'll tell you that much.” After the laughter died down, she looked over to Rocco. He noticed and gave her a wink. There was something in his eyes, something she couldn’t put her finger on, a feeling perhaps. As long as she could remember, which admittedly wasn’t very long, nor could she be all that sure due to the limited amount of people she knew, but she would occasionally get “feelings” from people. She could never explain it, but it was like she felt what a person was feeling deep inside. She put it out of her head, and instead tried to learn about her new comrade the old fashioned way. “Rocco, how did you become….like that?” Miyuki stiffened. “Maybe you should mind your own damn business.” Fear, a strong feeling of love, and hatred. She was feeling all three. But more than anything, it was fear she felt, dark and crushing. Rocco cleared his throat. “It's fine. I was exploring an old abandoned vault. Something broke I guess, leaked a ton of radiation. I hit my head, and when I came to I looked like this. That's all there is to tell.” “That’s why he refuses to go in vaults, even Vault 21, and that’s one of the safest places around.” Tali added. “I giant underground tin can is hardly my idea of safe, especially when there's giant nuclear reactors involved.” Rocco grunted. She finally understood what he felt. It was regret. Regret, and a whole lot of bitterness. * It was on the third week that they received a contract. It came in the form of a letter delivered by someone she knew fairly well. He was a wandering trader named Elijah Freeson, and she was happy to see him not just because she only had two diapers left. Both him and his bodyguard, a large tan skinned man named Yusef, had always been very kind to her when she was a guest at Mrs. Sellers. The three of them tearfully embraced for a few moments while the team looked on. To be honest, she did all the crying, but it was still a beautiful moment. “Miss Rain! I'm so happy to see you alive. Yusef and I, we were sure you had been carried off by those monsters.” “We fought as much as we could….but…..we couldn't…..there were too many.” Yusef folded his arms and looked solemn. “It looks like old Veronica Sellers went down fighting. There was a ton of mutant corpses lying around when we got there. She was one of kind, that’s for sure. A good woman.” There was a moment of somber quiet before Elijah cleared his throat. “Well, we were paid a decent amount to get this letter to Miles, and I honestly wasn’t sure if we'd find him here. We certainly didn’t expect to find you here of all people, Miss Rain.” Rain looked at him hopefully. “I don’t suppose you kept getting my supplies by chance?” Elijah smiled and rooted around one of the packs his Brahmin was hauling. He turned around with a duffle bag of her diapers. “We almost offloaded them. It had been nearly a month since we found the farm destroyed. Yusef however, said we should hold on a little longer, just in case you got away. Luckily, my bodyguard is a smarter man than I. Look at you. Here you are, looking just as pretty as ever. Wait until I tell the other caravans!” Miles stepped forward, extending his hand for the letter. After a moment of reading, he sighed. “I wanted a bit more time before we had to do this but there’s no choice. Rain, a village is being threatened by some raiders. Up to now you've only faced wasteland creatures. In this next fight you'll be fighting human beings, and you'll have to take your first human life. You'll have to kill.” “First Veronica Sellers, and now these guys.” Elijah said with a wink. “You sure know how to pick your friends.”