JUNE

Summer in the Commonwealth was a familiar feeling to Jamie. The air was thick and humid after a light rain, and the sun beat down relentlessly, baking the sparse grasses that dotted the wastes. It reminded her of the summers she had spent at her grandparents' home upstate in the woods. There was something about untamed wilderness that was just much more comfortable to her under the summer sun, and all she needed now was a few neighborhood kids and a game of softball to complete the mood. She lay on the ground polishing off a cigarette and nestled between the roots of a tree, its thin leaves providing an adequate amount of shade from the hot sun. That was something she had been pleased about—that in the summer the trees did have leaves. The barren landscape looked a lot better with some greenery, even if it was scraggly and irradiated.

"So, how you feeling, kid?"

She had almost forgotten Nick was there, leaning quietly against the tree with arms crossed as she rested from the heat.

"A little better, I'm not that dizzy anymore, at least."

At Nick's insistence, they had stopped for a rest after Jamie's gait had become wobbly from their travels in the oppressive heat. She'd wanted to push on back to Diamond City, but when Nick stopped her and leaned her against a tree in the shade, she'd found herself melting to the ground as he pressed a tin of purified water into her hands.

"Good, get a little more rest and we can go on. You know, just because I can't get heatstroke doesn't mean you have to try and keep up."

"Aw, but Nick," Jamie protested, "you're so patient all the time, whether I'm sleeping or eating or whatever. Least I can do is not dawdle."

Nick scoffed,

"You're no good to anyone if you're unconscious, or worse. I told you already, you need to do any of those things you do it. Besides, I've had plenty of time to run diagnostics and I've actually been getting some reading done, so don't you worry."

Jamie rolled her eyes and took a last drag of the smoke before flicking it away towards some rocks.

"See Nick, you're so reasonable! How am I supposed to keep up with that?" Jamie said, sitting up a little against the tree.

"I think you're doing a fine job as-is. But if you're so concerned, then entertain me a little."

He sat down next to her, sitting cross-legged, and threw her a curious glance with a raised eyebrow, or at least that's what it would've been if he had eyebrows.

"Well, alright."

Jamie straightened her posture and stretched her arms over her head as she thought of what to say, the sound of rad cicadas buzzing their erratic tone in the air as a light breeze passed by, cutting through the heat.

"Hmm... ahh," she finished stretching, "well, I was just thinking about how I used to play softball as a kid in the summer. I was always real big into baseball. I never missed a game when the team was in town."

"Baseball!"

Nick smiled, his worn plastic face lighting up both figuratively and literally as his glowing eyes widened in delight.

"Now that's something I haven't talked about in a long, long time. The old Nick was a big fan of the game, I have to say. Last I can remember, the season was going pretty well."

"Yeah!" Jamie piped up, "Gosh, we were at the end of the World Series! Things were looking good! You know Nick, the bombs fell the DAY before the final game."

"What, really? Actually, I don't know. My—the old Nick's memory ends a few months before that. What happened?"

"Oh man, oh man, Nick," Jamie shook her head, "I was so excited, Nate and I had tickets to the game. The Rangers were plowing through the competition like always, but the Sox had been making some real headway, they had a new pitcher—Matt Murtagh, everyone called him "The Missile", he was going to be their secret weapon—first day on the mound for him! The game was gonna be something else, I swear."

She let out a long sigh, looking dreamily into the distance and tapping her fingers on the ground.

"So Dusty Wilder was working out, huh? I think I remember hearing about negotiations to hire Murtagh. Sounds like a Hell of a time."

"Oh yeah, Ol' Dusty really made the Sox a threat. Aw man, Nick, I'm so riled now. The day before, Nick, the DAY before!"

She threw her arms into the air at her last words and Nick gave one of his little laughs, like he always did when Jamie got ruffled.

"You're getting me worked up, too! Don't overexcite these old servos. But if there's anything we can take comfort in, it's that at least we know who woulda won."

Jamie nodded, and they both spoke at the same time—

"The Rangers—"

"The Sox—"

A moment of silence as they looked at each other.

"You don't seriously—"

"You actually thought—Wait." Nick raised his left hand, politely gesturing for her to stop.

"You're a Rangers fan? Aren't you a Boston native? Listen, we might have some problems here." Nick said, donning a playful scowl.

"Hoo, well, I forget that's a surprise." Jamie ran her fingers through her hair and went on, "when I was about five I spent a few years in Texas living with my father—my parents were divorced, and while my mother went back to school I lived with him, and we sort of bonded over baseball. Ever since I've been a Rangers fan. But Nick, let's be honest, the Rangers are just... the best team. It's been 159 years since the Sox won a World Series, and even though they made it this far, there's no way they would have won. They always fall apart at the very end."

"Actually, it's more like 359 years now." Nick corrected.

"Oh, yeah. Well, you know what I mean." Jamie said, catching herself.

"Yeah, but I'll give you this, Jamie—you got some real gall holding such a blatantly wrong opinion, but had fate aligned and they got to play that game, I know deep in my mechanical heart that there is no way the Sox would have lost."

He gestured towards his chest with his right hand, sincerity in his words.

"Well Nick, I should have expected as much from you, but I can't say I still don't feel a deep sense of betrayal."

Jamie crossed her arms and shook her head in feigned disgust.

"Same here." Nick smirked, "I might have to re-think this partnership we've worked out. How can I even trust you anymore? It really is a damn shame we'll never find out who'd've won for sure. Maybe some reason woulda struck you when the Sox won."

"Psh! Wait, Nick..."

An idea had started to brew in her head. Her face curled into a smile as the brilliance of it began to come together.

"Maybe there is a way we can find out..."

"Oh?" Nick inquired, cocking his brow.

"Yes... Nick, stay on board here—" she put her hands on his shoulders, locking eyes with the synth, "you and I are going to hold the World Series. You're going to be Dusty Wilder, and I'm going to be Daryl Wayne. We assemble our teams, train them, scout out a place for a field, and before the end of the summer we hold the deciding game. As one of the few people left in The Commonwealth who actually know the rules of baseball, this burden falls onto us, but it's our duty to fulfill the legacies of our home teams. So what do you say?"

"Huh."

Nick shrugged off her hands, placing one of his own on his chin in thought.

"That's quite the proposition you have there. That's a lot of a work."

"If you can't get yourself together, I'm just declaring that the Rangers have won." Jamie added.

"Well, when you put it that way, I can't let the Sox down, now can I? Sounds like you got a deal, Jamie."

He stood up, offering his left hand to her. She grabbed it and pulled herself onto her feet.

"Great! We have until the end of the summer. If you see a good spot for a diamond make note. You better start picking your team soon before I get the best players. I'm going to take this very, very seriously." she said, dusting herself off.

"Good. You know I'm no slacker either. This old synth's going to give you a run for your caps. And while you're in good spirits, let's get a move on and head back to the agency. It's going to be late soon and Ellie's expecting us."

He motioned towards the distant ruins of downtown, Diamond City's walls just peeking up from the surrounding buildings.

"Yes! I'm feeling much better now. You sure know how to get me going, Nick." Jamie said, picking up her pack of belongings from the ground.

"Wouldn't have it any other way."

Another one of his synthetic smiles, and then they set off towards the far off rubble, the sun still beating at their backs as they went into the summer wastes.