MacCready looked around the room and released a satisfied sigh as he sat back in the chair. Another settlement done, another job finished for the Minutemen and settlers in the Commonwealth. They didn't appreciate how good they had it with Molly Gould in charge, the whole place was ready to go for at least ten settlers and it took less than three days to prepare. This room in particular looked nice, real nice. Molly had set it up just so. A comfortable bed, a set of drawers, even a painting on the wall and a rug on the floor. The place was also dotted with crazy little luxuries like the petite decorative table that sat near the entrance to the cottage, and in another cottage, she'd placed a delicate looking vase, one of two they recovered from the derelict houses.

Sunshine Tidings was a safe place, too good for him, too pleasant and neat and now, so goddamn clean. He tilted his head, what was it about this place that reminded him of Little Lamplight? It wasn't the cleanliness for sure, or the layout and certainly wasn't the location, and to top it off it lacked the steady rock he knew as comfort above his head. It wasn't anything tangible, or something he could truly call home, yet, there was something.

He screwed up his nose and sniffed his hands. The smell of rotting ghoul still lay in the creases of his hardened palms; a first pass under water hadn't removed the putrid odour. He stood and stretched, his hamstrings ached and his knees wobbled as he walked out on to the porch. He watched as Molly filled a large pot at the pump and then hauled it towards the barn. With one swift move she hoisted it over the fire of the cooking station, his eyes widened, surprised she still had the strength left in her arms after today's effort.

He walked to the Brahmin water trough and splashed his hands and face and the back of his neck before rubbing the remnants of soap on his exposed skin. He rinsed, hoping it would be enough to remove the stink that had followed him since tasked with finding a dumping ground for all the dead ghouls from around the settlement.

He turned his attention back to Molly, her face was still covered in speckles of dirt and muck. "Hey Gould, watcha doin?"

She turned her head but not the rest of her body and he smirked as he saw her eyebrows rise.

"Why do you insist on calling me that?" she replied.

"It's your name isn't it?"

She shook her head and half closed her eyes. "Yes, that's true."

"Would you prefer General Gould, or Boss?"

"How about just Molly, iRobert./i" This time she stood and faced towards him hands on hips.

He smiled and raised his hands as he walked towards her. "Okay, okay, you've made your point. But you haven't told me what you're doing."

"Boiling some water."

"That's kinda obvious. You hungry already? Didn't we just eat an hour ago?"

"This is for a wash. If there's any left, maybe some tea." She made a point of sniffing as he came closer.

"Hey! I used soap, and the water in the trough is clean."

"Hot water works much better than cold water."

"Works fine for me," he said. "I don't smell nasty." He ran his nose along his arm but backed away when he realised he could still smell ghoul.

"You would think that." She examined her hands while she spoke.

He folded his arms across his chest and pouted. "You don't smell so great either."

She pointed to the pot of simmering water. "That's why I'm going to wash myself. In hot water and with soap. Do me a favour and grab those two empty pots. Fill one with cold water, then take them inside the little house."

He laughed. "Little house? That's cute."

She frowned and waved him away.

He did as she asked and dragged two pots into the house. He left Molly outside waiting for the one on the fire to boil. He plopped himself back down on the chair inside the cottage, no, 'little house' and chuckled. He'd kill for a cigarette right about now. Instead, he settled for a mouthful of whiskey and a clean water chaser.

He remained seated as she entered with the large pot of boiling water. She struggled to hold the pot and the door open at the same time but he didn't offer to help because he knew she'd grow snarky. She placed an old oven mit under the pot and poured half the water into the empty pot on the floor, then set it down on a metal chair before taking the pot with cold water and topping up both half-filled pots.

He shook his head. "This is certainly an elaborate process. Did you do this before the war?" he asked.

Molly dragged another chair over, sat down, and began to undress. "We had hot running water then, we didn't need to do this. You've heard of that surely?" She threw her boots into the corner of the room.

"Yeah I've heard about it. Never seen anything like it though, not actually working that is - closest gadget I've seen was a medical clinic up in Diamond City. That was cold water." His eyes followed her as she stood to shut the door. "You don't need to do that, there isn't anyone else here yet."

"Habit. There's no privacy here and that's one feature of life I had before the war that I still value. It's a little thing, but it means something to me. Clean water, food that doesn't make you sick, nice soap." She picked up a yellow bar of soap, he could smell whatever flower was infused in it from across the room. "Little things I took for granted are now luxuries."

MacCready nodded. He attempted not to stare, but when she unbuttoned the tight leather pants and slid out of them, she revealed frilly bright pink underpants and a lacy matching bra he couldn't help but ogle. He felt his heart start racing. "Where the hell did you find those? I don't remember ever seeing those. They're just- wow. Another 'little luxury'?"

She laughed. "Would you believe I found these in a raiders closet? I've lost weight since coming out of the vault and nothing fitted anymore. I saw these and grabbed what I could. This at least fits better. You would disapprove of course, I know how much you hate lugging the junk I pick up."

He cleared his throat. "I can allow an exception in this instance. Not Wastelander wear though."

She gave him a sad smile. "Do me another favour, go fill up this pot and boil some more water. I need tea."

"You mean I can't stay and watch you? You could show me how to do it right, I might even be able to help." A suggestive smile curled across his lips.

She handed him the empty pot with a no nonsense grin. "Go fill it, please."

He took it reluctantly and sighed. "You could be missing out."

"On what exactly? Your filthy hands all over me whilst I'm trying to wash away the grime?"

"What did you call it the other day? Ahh yeah, 'a learning moment', I could learn from this. Plus it's not like I haven't seen you naked."

Molly placed her hands over her chest in a faux modesty stance. "Out."

"Your loss, Gould." He smiled as he stepped out the door.

He filled the pot and placed it on the cooking station. He squatted next to the fire and poked it with a large stick before looking up to the sky.

The clouds were a pale purple colour against a darkening background of speckled stars. There was a bang as the generator kicked in and lights blinked on in the barn and the cottage. Flames jumped higher as he shoved wood underneath the pot. He turned to see Molly's naked form through the front window, silhouetted against flickering lamplight. Her wet hair curled across a clean cheek as the light hit her face.

With the dirt gone and her freckles standing out against a sunburnt skin, he remembered why this place felt like home.