Chapter Text
"Your father is not going far," Nora said as Shaun cried in her arms. She smiled at her husband before giving him a kiss in front of the Vault-Tec doctor.
Nate embraced her as he tickled Shaun's hand.
"I love you two.."
"Ahem.. if you could please put on your vault suits and step into the medical capsules." The doctor said as he let out a cough, ruining the moment.
Nate glared at the doctor, who only looked back with stoic professionalism. Before he could use military brass against him, Nora held his arm with her free hand. "It's okay.. We'll be through this soon.."
Nate nodded slowly as he took the vault suit from the doctor and put it on.
"It's okay, miss, we can hold onto your.."
Nate turned around, now dressed in the vault suit, and noticed how uncomfortable Nora was with one of the staff members trying to hold Shaun. "It's okay, I can hold him." He said as Nora quickly handed Shaun off to him.
"Who's a calm baby, yes it's you.." Nate said as Shaun was gripping his pointer finger. "Nate, how do I look?" Nora asked quietly while standing right behind him. Glancing to his left, Nate smiled as he kissed her, "Just as beautiful as when we met."
She smiled as she looked at how much of his military body showed through the suit. 'Oh heavens.. if we were still home.. these would have made a perfect-' Her thoughts were cut short once again by that damn doctor.
"You two will have plenty of time to express yourself to each other. Now, please step into the medical capsules. We have a schedule to keep up with."
Nora honestly expected Nate to throw Shaun at the doctor, and she wouldn't be mad. Okay, no, she would be, but this damn doctor 'Fuck that stuck up man, if Nate won't throw a punch I will.' She thought that, although before being able to throw the imaginary book at him, Nate smiled. 'Argh.. that wonderful... beautiful smile.'
"One more moment, doc," Nate said as he drew a wet kiss from her lips, almost if it were their last. "Now let's do what the doctor says.. I can't imagine what he'd do if we waited any longer." He whispered to her as he handed Shaun back.
As the residents entered the capsules, Nate smiled as he looked at the capsule in front of him. She smiled as he waved. Once he placed his hand down, he heard a buzzing noise from the small intercom in the capsule. 'Alright, just some questions and then..'
"Resident secured, starting cyro freeze."
'Cyro, what? But this was supposed to just be a me-' Nate's thought was cut short as the last thing he felt was the
icy cold breeze of Alaska once more.
"Attention maggots! It is time to take your training and defend these, UNITED STATES, by relieving our brothers in Alaska Against the Asian Communist Menace!"
Nate glanced around to see the reactions of his brothers in arms. Some of them shook with fear etched on their faces, while others beamed with happiness at the thought of being able to stick it to the communists. A sense of remorse hit Nate as he felt something tugging at his brain, but he quickly pushed it down.
"YO HOWARD." A man dressed in the same armor as everyone else called out and waved. Nate beamed as he walked up to the man.
"Franklin, you son of a bitch." Nate said as they clasped their hands together. "I thought you were going to run away," Nate said in a half-mocking half-fucking around tone.
"Pff, I was going to, if we didn't start fighting someone. It's bad enough to freeze here with nothing to do." Franklin retorted with the same energy as they sat down at a table. Franklin pulled out a cigar from his ammo pouch. "Last smoke before the fighting starts?"
Nate chuckled and let out a deep sigh, "You're such a terrible influence on me." Nate said before grabbing the cigar from Franklin's hand. A moment passed as they both took turns smoking the cigar. "So how's the wife?" Franklin said calmly as Nate nearly choked on the cigar smoke, 'Bastard.' Nate thought as he immediately stood up from the table and ran off. Minutes passed as he returned with a postcard and an envelope.
"Was it something I said?" Franklin said as he gave a confused look at his army friend. Silence passed by for a moment before Nate cursed.
"Language!" Franklin said with a stern voice before laughing, catching some looks from the others before quickly quieting down. "Need Something, Howard?"
Nate took off his helmet and nodded with embarrassment etched on his face. "You got a pen I could borrow?"
Franklin gives a smile, "Yeah, I got one." He pulls it out from his ammo pouch as Nate gives an Eye roll as he gracefully accepts the pen. "You know you should have more ammo in that pouch."
"Maybe you should have left a note to the misses so I wouldn't have had to bring one," Franklin smirks as he closes his ammo pouch. "Pfft, don't you think you should write to your girlfriend?" Franklin shrugged as he let out a sigh, "Well, I did call her, but that went a bit south. I mean, Nora knows her; she could just show her the postcard."
Nate gave a smile as he handed him another postcard. "Ah, you fucker... you're making me write to her regardless," Franklin said sorrowfully but also with appreciation as he took out another pen.
Minutes went by as both men placed their postcards into the envelope, and Nate put it into the mailbox that was right next to them. As the two of them sighed, they heard the Sergeant's voice bellow, "THE TRANSPORTS ARE HERE. THOSE CLEARED FOR WAR ARE TO LEAVE NOW."
Franklin pulled his helmet back on as Nate did as well. "Let's fucking go! Wartime!!" Franklin screamed with joy as Nate shook his head, but followed him towards the trucks.