Important notes: I play with mods so I'll probably reference them from time to time. I'm really rusty with fanfiction so please be kind. But golly I just love Piper so much and I had a horrible January/start of this semester so I guess FO4 is going to be my therapy.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: FO4 and all related characters/brands/names/etc. belong to Bethesda.

Ch. 1: Family

IN WHICH Renee brings Piper back to Sanctuary Hills to fetch something. Piper finds an old photo of Renee, Nate, and Shaun before the Great War.

Renee smiled as the lock clicked open. She put the bobby pin back in the pouch on her belt and stood up. "Gotcha." Ordinarily she would have just used the key to open the lock to her old storm cellar, but since the bombs fell she had no idea where the key had gone. Fortunately a bobby pin seemed to work just fine.

"You're really good with those."

"Well, it's nothing, really. These old locks are more or less all made the same." Renee shoved one door open. "Mind getting the other one?"

Piper Wright grabbed the other door and pulled it open. "Wow, dark down there."

Renee lit up the display of her Pip-Boy and began descending the steps. "Watch your step."

The pair walked down into the darkness until they came to an open, square room. A few shelves lined the walls, though one had toppled over and spilled its contents all over the concrete floor. A large tool chest took up one corner. There were a few pieces of empty luggage and one wooden crate filled with who-knows-what. "Feel free to take anything you want. This stuff is pretty much useless to me now."

Piper entertained herself by looking around in the dim light offered by the Pip-Boy. She marveled at all the food on the shelving units and gave a low whistle. "Wow, you guys were really…prepared."

"We thought we were."

She came across what looked like a dusty photograph and picked it up. Brushing her thumb along the glass, she smeared away enough grime to reveal none other than Renee. She rubbed her scarf on the rest of the frame. "Hey Blue, you might wanna see this."

Renee shoved something in her bag and walked over. "What is it?"

Piper held out the photo. "Is this you?"

"Oh…" The Vault-Dweller took it gingerly and ran her fingertips over the glass. "This was taken just after…after Shaun was born."

She remembered that day, a sunny Sunday afternoon. A fellow was offering to take photographs in the park while she and her small family were on a walk. They spread out the blanket Nate held and she cradled Shaun in her arms. They positioned themselves comfortably, casually, and tried to get the infant to look at the camera.

Renee closed her eyes. She could still feel Nate's arm around her shoulders. She remembered bouncing Shaun up and down, feeling the soft blue onesie her mother gave her as a baby gift for him. She remembered the camera flash and the way Shaun giggled and laughed, thinking it was all a grand game.

"Blue?"

She blinked rapidly. "I'm sorry, I… I was just thinking."

"Is that him? Your husband?" Piper pointed to Nate.

"Yeah." She sighed. "Nathaniel Jones, United States Marines. Mother was pretty happy when I told her I was marrying a man in uniform."

Piper chuckled. "He was pretty handsome. I can see why you liked him so much." She winked.

"He was." Renee smiled slightly. "And brave, and smart… He died trying to protect Shaun. And I know he… He was okay with that."

"He sounds a lot like you, Blue." Piper put her hand on Renee's arm. "You're both doing what any parent should do."

Renee flashed her a small smile. "You're right. And I can't let his death be in vain. I have to find Shaun. I will." She put the photograph back on the shelf. "I got what I came for. Do you need anything?"

"Nope. Let's head back out there." Piper smirked and jerked her thumb toward the stairs.

The photograph flashed in the passing light of Renee's Pip-Boy. As the cellar doors closed again, the frame was engulfed in darkness, just as the last two hundred years.

Reviews/comments are appreciated.