A few months later.
I followed Kimy's advice and, with her help plus the assistance of Katy, Barney and Fahrenheit, I restored the mansion. We added fences, security turrets, a water source and even a wind turbine to generate electricity. I could also take the motorcycle from my old career for a spin. Everything was going great, and it only got better today: I had invited all my friends to come and celebrate my 29th birthday (or 239th, whatever).

 

 

I picked up my yoga routine once again. I no longer had any worries since Libertalia. Everything was so peaceful here, the sea air and its gentle breeze soothing our souls. Katy loved the place, even if she occasionally joked me around, it was very nice to live with her, especially since she learned so many useful things from Barney. We just kept life simple, as I would have liked it to be at an earlier epoch.

 

 

I decided to write down my entire history. Diamond City had this reporter named Piper. Maybe she'd be interested if I offered her exclusivity on my adventures. Who wouldn't want to know the tale of a past person who had been enslaved several times and managed to escape? Even for me it was still a rather mysterious part, I must have been blessed or lucky.

 

 

I'd written enough, it was time for a break. I walked through my office to the terrace. I didn't really need to do anything with all the capsules I'd won at Nuka World, but Kimy kindly offered me to rework with her and I gladly accepted. I was mainly in charge of stocktaking and ordering, doing everything from the mansion, returning once a week to Goodneighbor to pick up merchandise. Sometimes I would test new devices in the basement to prevent Katy from taking advantage of me. Some kinks just won't go away...

 

 

I wanted to do a bit of sunbathing. It was around lunchtime and my guests weren't supposed to arrive until later that afternoon. With my ass on the deckchair, my sunglasses on and my feet exposed to whoever might be watching, I knew I would have an amazing moment.

 

 

Such a good time that I dozed off for a short while. It was a fine day to be outside enjoying the early summer. Of course, I hadn't considered a malicious teenager who disturbed my rest... Katy quietly sneaked up on me.

 

 

Katy stirred me from my nap with her little hands tickling my poor feet. My first reaction was to laugh and prevent her from going on with her misdeed by folding my legs. She loved to toy around with me and she had mastered her craft. How could Katy know I was ticklish? I felt in a vindictive mood, and I wanted to teach her a lesson.

 

 

"Come here, you sneaky brat, I'll teach you what it's like to tickle someone!"
I chased Katy into the mansion. Damn, she was a fast little runner! Maybe my extra year had made me slower, that explained why she could outrun me so easily... These little moments were our daily lives, a pleasant contrast to my previous troubles.

 

 

Katy led me into the dining room, where two of my friends were sitting.
"Kimy? Barney? What are you both doing here? I expected to see you later."
"Did she fall for it? Way to go, Katy, we told you she was ticklish, didn't we? Especially her feet."
"So you're the one who snitched on me? How funny, Kimy..."
"Come on Calista! She would have known sooner or later, she's far too smart."

 

 

"I'm glad to see you both, obviously, but I'm still in my pyjamas."
"Well, it's not like we've ever seen you naked before Calista, you don't have to play prudish around Katy. Besides, we came to wish you a happy birthday!"
"And we brought a little present! Hand it over, Kimy."
"You're right, Barney. Please, follow me outside Cali honey."

 

 

We faced the sea. Kimy showed me the present she had brought along:
"So what do you feel about this gift? Do you like it?"
"Wow Kimy... I can't thank you enough! It's so beautiful."
"I know, right? Barney and I found and refurbished it a few weeks ago. And since you told us about your voyage to Costa Rica, we thought you might want to try it again, this time with Katy."
"I might even come to Goodneighbor with it! It'll be much nicer than taking the road."

 

 

"Happy birthday Calista, I wish you all the best!"
"Thank you Kimy, from the bottom of my heart. You are a lot more than a friend to me, you have taught and helped me so much in this world. I'm so thankful we're once again together!"
"And I've been delighted with your presence since the day you came into my store."
I squeezed her hand passionately and put my head on her shoulder. Kimy was truly a gem among people. She had returned from DC with new tattoos, but her sweetness and kindness remained unaltered. I felt proud to have her at my side.

 

 

As we made our way back to the mansion, a well-dressed man straight out of my past awaited at the door: Wiecek, my former boyfriend from my days at Diamond City, had returned.
"I leave you both alone, you have plenty of catching up to do."
"Thanks, Kimy. What a nice surprise to see you again Wiecek! You haven't changed, always so classy and charming!"
"Hi Calista, I'm glad to see you too! You look quite different, new hair color, no more tattoos... But you're still as gorgeous as the first time I laid my eyes on you."
"Thank you, dear! You can't imagine what happened to me these last months... I've been on a wild rollercoaster ride."

 

 

 Wiecek had this special skill for soothing my mind. He took me in his arms before speaking some kind words:
"Hey, whatever happened, you overcame it and that's what matters in the end. I'm sorry about our breakup, but now, I have my life in Pittsburgh with my family and someone else. Calista, you'll always be the most determined and incredible girl I've ever met. For that, I say thank you and wish you a blessed birthday."
"Oh Wiecek... You'll be a sweet talker forever, won't you? I'm glad you're doing well and enjoying your life. We can still be friends, like in the good old days when we used to joke around..."
"That's fine with me!"
"Great! I should get changed, there's only one more couple of guests before we're complete, would you like to help me find an outfit for the day?

You used to love doing that at the Red Seat."
"Lead the way."

 

 

We went up to my bedroom. I tried on a few clothes before finding the ones that suited me best.
"What do you think? I love the blue shirt, it goes so well with my nail polish. And this necklace goes with my bracelets."
"I couldn't agree more. You look lovely, Calista."
"Thank you, Wiecek."
Katy appeared, knocking on the bedroom door. Her little smile also meant she liked my outfit, but she wished us to follow her into my office.

 

 

Katy pointed down the staircase. I heard a familiar voice, Fahrenheit's, complaining about something.
"It looks like my last guests have arrived, I'm going down to greet them. Thanks Katy for the heads-up."
"Go ahead. You look tense, just relax, it's your day! I'll stay with Katy and she'll show me around."

 

 

"Fahrenheit, Aegis, greetings! I'm delighted to welcome you in my manor. Did you have a pleasant journey?"
"There you are, Calista. We had a good trip, this handsome man here picked me up in Goodneighbor and forced me to wear proper clothes..."
"I told you Fahrenheit, no way you're showing up in your raider gear."
"You both look lovely, I'm glad I was the matchmaker to arrange it."
"Thanks again, Calista. You can call me by my real name now, Arnold. I've stopped working at Nuka World and intend to move to Boston! Right next to that lioness."
"Take it easy, tiger, we don't want to offend our young lady on her birthday, do we?"

 

 

 I was about to show them around when Fahrenheit interrupted me:
"By the way, Calista, is it usual for you to walk around with your shirt half-open ? Not that we don't appreciate your breasts or your modesty, but think about the example you're setting for the little girl."
"Maybe there's still some Starlight left in you Calista... I missed out on those gorgeous tits..."
"Oh damn, you're right! I completely forgot that I'm walking around with my boobs almost hanging out!"
Not that I disliked it. But it's true that I had to be a role model today.

 

 

As I completely zipped up my shirt, Arnold brought a huge camera into the room.
"Here's your present, Calista. From the entire Golden Globes team, especially Mr. Corsican and Charlotte."
"Wow, that's great, thanks! But I don't know what I could do with it... This part of my life reminds me of when I belonged to Isabel..."
"Don't worry about it anymore. After keeping her for a while, we hand her over to some mercenaries who run a correctional center. In a few months, Isabel will be the perfect slave for all the Paradise Falls enthusiasts."
"Great. Maybe I'll pay her a visit... Okay, everyone's here, let's go outside! Arnold, can you put the camera outside, please? I might have an idea of how to use it."

 

 

My guests have gathered outside on a balmy summer afternoon. We passed through the entryway where I stopped in front of the furniture.
"Give me a minute Fahrenheit, I'm grabbing some footwear."
"Like you wear shoes on a regular basis. Come on, everyone's waiting outside! You don't need them."
"Alright alright, let's go."
I hadn't prepared a text, I was just going to say what I felt in my heart.

 

 

"Thanks to all of you for coming today. I'm thrilled to celebrate my birthday with you in my mansion, which you contributed to rebuild. As you know, I'm an elderly woman who is over 200 years old. I lived before the Bombs destroyed the Earth. I found refuge in Vault 111 and was in cryogenic sleep until I awoke over a year and a half ago. From then on, all my bearings were lost, and I became enslaved to raiders. I managed to survive and take revenge on them, thus starting my own tale."

 

 

"I've done all sorts of things, from being a mercenary to being a mercenary's captive. From being a manager of devious devices to being sold at auction. From being a dancer to being a burglar. From being a traveler to being a castaway. From being a tame slave to being a porn actress. 

In all these slices of life, I've met all of you. Sometimes, you've exploited my ignorance of this world, but other times, you've both helped and supported me. I don't think I would have survived this long if you hadn't been there on my side..."

 

 

"For that, I'm eternally grateful. Thank you, thank you everyone!"
My guests, or should I say friends, all cheered me on. I received a standing ovation from them that touched me deeply. I finally had a real reason to look forward towards a brighter future, and it lay right in front of my eyes.
"Thank you very much, but before we have dinner, I'd like to take a family picture together. Who loves me, comes with me!"

 

 

There are two kinds of family. The blood relatives, who can never change, and those we make for ourselves, the ones that reflect our true nature. I had been lucky enough to meet all those wonderful people who showed me that the Commonwealth could bring positive things to a destroyed world. A glimmer of hope for tomorrow, immortalized by photography:
Arnold the muscle man. Barney the wise veteran. Fahrenheit the fearsome leader. Kimy the smiling vixen. Wiecek the elegant embodiment. Katy the sly youth. And finally Calista, the humble heroine. Frequently barefoot, with a taste for exploration. It was the perfect time to make a break from it all. Or maybe not, who knows...

 

 

 

THE END