Disclaimer: I don't own Fallout 3. It is property of Bethesda Softworks.

I remember the day before Marcus was sent off by our Elder Lyons on the quest for Vault 87 and the Garden of Eden Creation Kit he told me about Dogmeat, that dog that always followed him around. That story was incredible, and right now I'm typing it, making it slightly better than how Marcus told the story and making sure that whoever is reading this knows about his closest companion - his friend.

Dogmeat…kind of a weird name, isn't it? Marcus told me everything about him.

Marcus said that people always pointed out that that Dogmeat was smart. Whether by evolution or because of background radiation that affected the genes of almost everything on this blackened earth or even because of his breed; they always said, often right to his face, that he was a smart boy, the most intelligent bipedal creature to roam the wastes. They were right to say that, for the canine known only as Dogmeat was smart enough to appreciate what they said.

At times he even responded to that flattery, though it always came out as barking and panting, much to his chagrin. When he realised that some of these same people he grew up with had disappeared, whether purposefully or part of some tragic accident, he expressed his sadness the only way he could manage: shrill whining. It was these people that he belonged, it would only be these people that ever smile at him or flatter him, calling him the smartest dog on the planet. Anyone else besides these people would just try to kill him, skin him or eat him – either which one as opposed to all of them.

The next thing he remembered after losing sight of his people was being attacked by those raider jerks, intent on killing, skinning and eating him – and they looked like they were just going to eat him. He would have easily taken them all down, and they wouldn't have been his first batch of humans mauled to death out in the wastes. But then came this young man, this person barely out of his teens wearing a blue jumpsuit with the numbers 101 emblazoned on his back. Just as one raider was about to strike Dogmeat from behind with a steel pipe, the teen blew his head clean with a hunting rifle.

The teenager then got down on one knee as Dogmeat approached him. Almost immediately the canine regarded him as friendly, and was amazed that he begun to talk to him, asking him if had lost his master. Dogmeat responded almost immediately. The teenager apparently took that as a response, and mentioned how he lost his father. The canine felt a pang of sympathy towards him, and whimpered.

What followed would change his life forever – the teenager asked him if he wanted to come with him, as being alone out in the wastes was dangerous. Dogmeat immediately agreed, barking and walking up to the teenager's side. His masters had said repeatedly that dog was man's best friend, and Dogmeat agreed with them.

Throughout their long journeys together, the teenager fast gained his reputation as the Lone Wanderer, that loony on the radio known as Three Dog making him out to be a righteous force, someone that helped people out, someone that came along once in a lifetime. The Wanderer had always being a kind soul…something that the Capital Wasteland had very few of. His rising out of Vault 101 a big shock to this lawless world.

As they continued to wander, they made the lives of more people bearable. The Wanderer gave them hope, mended their tortured spirits, avenged their misfortunes at the hands of so many cruel souls. And with those cruel souls, they gave them nothing but hell. The bodies of so many bad men piled up quickly – from raiders to slavers, super mutants and would-be despots.

And throughout their journey good deeds as they searched for the Wanderer's missing father, they depended on one another. Dogmeat lunging for the throat of that raider the Wanderer forgot to kill, the Wanderer jabbing Dogmeat with a stimpack after he got his foot caught in a mantrap and even Dogmeat bringing the teenager…the man…a bag of half-eaten potato crisps that were a couple of hundred years old.

The Wanderer even talked to Dogmeat. As they walked he told him stories about living in the Vault: How once he almost put Butch's head through the wall because he picked on his childhood crush, how he skipped doing the G.O.A.T. much to his dad's ire and even when he blew some jerkoff security guard's head that was about to hurt said crush. The Wanderer treated him as some body…not some thing. As if he was the only person he trusted.

When Dogmeat once aroo'ed? at the Lone Wanderer following one of Three Dog's radio transmission, which referred to him as the Exempler, the Wanderer just smirked down at him and shrugged. I remember what he said to me he said to Dogmeat.

"Seriously…I'm just behaving the way my dad raised me. Be kind, be polite, and always help out whenever you can. You'd think no one else does that out here and when someone just happens to do it, lo and behold, he's come to save us all."

Those were his exact words, possibly the funniest and the most bitter words he could ever say. However his last words to Dogmeat from him were the possibly the saddest.

"Look after yourself, pal."

That was after the Enclave came, those guys in advanced power armour who say that they're part of the old United States government. I don't know if that's true or not, but if they were they wouldn't have tried to kill practically everyone in the Capital Wasteland. They killed Marcus' father and then tried to kill Marcus, but he was too strong for them. He even went as far as blowing their hideout up and killing their 'President'. I swear that Three Dog went ballistic when he delivered the news, and everyone here had crowded around the radio to listen.

Anyway, back to those last words that Marcus said….that was also after he pounded the hell out of the Enclave along with Liberty Prime, that giant robot fought alongside Lyon's Pride and Sarah…but before he stepped into the irradiated chamber of Project Purity to turn on the switch that would save Dogmeat, Sarah and Fawkes from a fiery death. Also that would not only put an end to the Enclave's plans but would make sure that the Capital Wasteland was saved…permanently. The Waters of Life would roam free…but at the cost of the Wanderer's life.

I reckon Dogmeat cursed the Wanderer's selflessness, how he would go as far as giving up on his own life for the greater good and leave him alone once again. One of the knights told me that as fell to the floor in his Power Armour the dog howled in anguish. His master, his friend…dying to save everyone else. Making sure that the glass of water I'm drinking right now that came from the tap doesn't have any radiation in it.

But Marcus didn't die. When they dragged his irradiated body out and pumped him full of Rax-Away he was still alive…and intact. No signs of mutation, no ghoulifcation; he was still him physically. Dogmeat kept close to his side as they transported him back to the Citidel. Him, and Sarah following the electrical explosion that followed which knocked her into a coma as well.

Now, Dogmeat stands watch over the Lone Wanderer. I always bring him a bowl of water or some tinned meat I swipe from the mess hall every time I go to visit Sarah, which is every four hours. I just came back from the medical wing he's still there, watching him closely, waiting for him to wake up and once again wander the wastes, to protect the innocent and punish the wicked. Yes, that's how I personally see Marcus – the Lone Wanderer. He's a hero…and I wish I could have followed him like all the other lucky ones that followed in his step; especially Dogmeat. He was luckiest of all.

Marcus said that people always pointed that Dogmeat was smart…and I know he's smart enough to know that Marcus will one-day wake up from his coma.

And he will make sure that the first thing he sees would be him – his friend.

Now, I'm going to go and refill Dogmeat's water bowl, then swipe another bottle of whisky from the Knight-Sergeant…

His Friend,

Written by Arthur Maxson
Squire, Brotherhood of Steel

Capital Wasteland detachment.

So what do you think? I wrote this in about half-an-hour.

This is part of my first major upload this year, along with a new chapter of Star Fox 40,000: Realm of Chaos – Eternal War, and my other new Neon Genesis Evangelion fic Shin Seiki: Joutei no Yokai Hoshi. Check them out if you got the time.