They looked to each other, unsure what to do. I repeated for them to leave and I heard the click of guns behind me. Everyone who had weapons were locked and loaded. The soldiers grumbled but got on their bikes and left.
Boone and I went through the house, making sure there were no uninvited guests before allowing everyone else inside. This was the first time ever I’d left the house for an extended period of time. It would have been easy for someone to come in and claim it.
But, Eleanor’s need to find Callahan overrode my need to keep Heathen Heights. I gambled and won.
“All clear!” I called, and everyone joined us. That night, we brought Eleanor’s bed into my room, and the three of us slept together -- just slept.
We hadn’t done much in a sexual way in Mercury Mile. We needed time to process what had taken place in the TEST center.
It was comfortable sleeping with Eleanor between us.
And the next night, I slept in the middle. And then Callahan the next. It was unspoken, but very clear that there was no jealousy, no ownership, and no resentment over what had brought us to where we were now. We were each other’s in every combination.
When we finally did have sex, Eleanor initiated. Taking me first, and then inviting Cal to join us. It felt natural and right, and afterward, it was as if we’d finally made things official. There were no drugs involved in the decision. Just our hearts.
Eleanor went back to work, and while she was gone, Callahan approached me in the junkyard. He carried a small PHUCK tin in his hands.
“Riot, we need to talk about something.”
I stopped tinkering and wiped my hands off.
“What’s up?” I nodded to the box.
“Gary packed something extra in my backpack. He left a note.”
“What’s it say?”
“You know how Eleanor is going to stop aging in a year or so?”
My eyes went back to the tin, wary. “Yeah, what about it?”
“As a gift for what we did for the bunkers, he gave us two doses of the same thing. If we want, we can stop aging too. We can all be together, just like we are right now, forever.”
He opened the tin and showed me a vial and two syringes.
“What do you want to do?” he asked me. I stared at it for a long moment. Did I want to live this life forever? Or at least until the next nuke dropped? I swallowed and rolled up my sleeve.
“Let’s fucking go.”
Epilogue - Eleanor
Even wastelanders can get a happily ever after.
Six months later.
“Are you ready?” I asked Riot, holding his hand tightly to the chair. He chuckled.
“Are you ready?” he asked. I took a deep breath, stilling my heart. I pressed the pedal, allowing my tattoo machine to come to life.
“Let’s go.”
I dragged the needle across his skin, tracing the E on his hand and then the L. I covered the tattoo Myrtle had crudely given him. I rewrote my name, but gave it a stylistic touch, making it look a hell of a lot better.
Now, I’d have a pretty hand necklace for next time. The idea of him choking me while we made love sent butterflies to my belly.
I finished writing my name and then he gave me the other hand. I glanced over at Cal, sitting in a chair in the corner. He gave me a thumbs up and I continued, adding ‘Daddy’ to Riot’s other hand.
When I was finished I sat back, removed my gloves, and wiped my brow. The job was easy but I’d been so nervous, I was glad to be done. Boogie examined Riot’s hands and congratulated me.
