Ever since they'd set up a new settlement in Sanctuary, Preston Garvey had a routine of patrolling the perimeter. It didn't matter what new defenses they installed or what kind of system was in place - Preston Garvey would patrol with his four-crank laser musket and old duster.

Since Quincy, he never could settle. He was obsessively looking for the next threat. Quincy had left scars on him that would take time to heal. Time and rebuilding. He doubted if he'd ever feel truly safe again - if he could ever truly trust again. After so long of moving from place to place, losing people and homes, he never figured in his wildest dreams that he'd find somewhere permanent. Somewhere to make a stand and settle once and for all. He passed by a window and paused at the eerie green light coming from the room.

Vault 111's sole survivor Althea Shapiro - Thea to well, everyone - was the reason that Preston Garvey was still alive to even contemplate the fragility of trust and the tentative hope of rebuilding. She was the one who had taken on an army of Raiders and a Deathclaw just to give them some breathing room. She was the one who had taken it upon herself to set up a semi-decent settlement with the help of Sturges to give these people some semblance of safety. She opened up her home - not just to them, but to anyone who needed it.

It took a special kind of person to be that selfless.

Preston may not hold any belief in trust and decency anymore - but Thea held what little trust he could give. She cared; he knew that. She cared about people in a way that seemed to have been lost since the bombs fell and he couldn't help but admire it as they scoured what was left of the world looking for her son.

Now she was sat on a dining chair in the middle of what had once been her home, staring at a teddy bear with her overloaded pack at her feet. She'd probably pulled the scruffy thing from there moments before. She was staring at it with an intensity the poor cuddly thing probably didn't deserve. As though she could divine the future from it's slightly scorched fur.

The next, she stood up and placed it with some thought in an overhead cabinet that looked to be a recent installation.

Thea collected toys for her baby - She collected them in some sort of sad preparation for when Shaun finally came home - at least, that was what he guessed she was doing. Preston had never plucked up the courage to ask, really. It may bring up just too many bad memories. She'd cleaned up the crib, fixed the rocket mobile and had started collecting container after container of toys. Nuka Cola Trucks, Teddy Bears, Alien Toys - She collected them all, despite their condition. Her favourites though - were known as Jangles The Moon Monkey. She could never resist taking every one she found. It was almost as though collecting these toys was busy activity until she could hold her child again. The kind of hopeless, pitiable action that someone with nothing else to do turned to in order to push away the destructive thoughts that came out when they were idle.

Rather than sit around and re-live her husband's murder and her child's abduction again and again, hopelessly analysing it for something she could have done - she put all that restless energy and motherly care into exploring and fixing what was left of the Commonwealth and had amassed her own private army of like-minded, determined people all willing to help her search for her boy. They may not all agree sometimes and they sure as hell wouldn't normally interact - but Thea brought them all together and kept them in line in a way that awed Preston.

Since Concord, he'd been thinking of a way to repay her - to show her just how much this had all meant to him but seeing her reverently try to stuff the teddy bear into an already overstuffed locker gave him an idea.

Preston Garvey moved on just as she reached for the floor safe under the crib and pulled out an almost empty bottle of whiskey - another familiar routine.

He didn't hear the sniffles over the sounds of his own boots crunching through the leaves.

Hancock was a ghoul. He certainly wasn't a very old ghoul by some standards - some ghouls had seen the bombs fall two hundred years ago. They were very rare and most often exceedingly eccentric as it became increasingly difficult to stave off becoming Feral - but ghouls tended to talk and know of each other in a way that regular people did not. He had a wealth of stories - including one about a TV show that featured Jangles The Moon Monkey. One of the very first toys ever made.

He came around the back of the settlement and listened to the gurgling of the stream that ran behind the buildings. Everything seemed quiet - but he was far too experienced in things going wrong in an instant to believe that it would remain like that. He spent a moment scanning the endless expanse of darkness and - finding nothing amiss, continued on his patrol towards the next house in the cul-de-sac.

A light was spilling out from the holes in the metal, the radio was playing and he could just barely hear the sounds of off-key, garbled singing. It was late - but that didn't mean that Hancock would be sleeping. Ghouls had increased stamina and endurance as just two of the many benefits to their condition. It varied, but sometimes ghouls could go days on an hour's sleep.

An easy knock on the much repaired door was all that it took to draw the ghoul away from the radio. Thea wasn't the only one using a liquid crutch tonight. Preston ignored that and got right to the point. He asked Hancock for a favour. 'Do you still know where they were making Captain Cosmos?'

Hancock shook his head in dismay and replied in that easy, brittle voice 'Wish I could help you, Garvey, I really do. The guy that told me about that used to be a toy collector before the war. He went feral last year. Terrible thing, that. You wouldn't think someone so cracked up already could get any worse. Had to put him down. What's with the sudden interest, anyway?'

'No reason.' Preston replied. He sighed dejectedly. Well, so much for that. 'Thanks anyway, Hancock.'

'Any time.' The ghoul replied and toasted with an entire bottle of what looked like badly refined vodka before the door was slammed in his face.

Preston was left alone in the dark to brood on his failure at the first hurdle. He wandered away from the building and sat down heavily on an overturned lamppost. He wanted to do one thing - one simple thing. A simple gesture of appreciation for everything that Thea had done for him - and he'd screwed it up before he'd even started it.

He dropped his head into a hand and muttered 'What kind of cowboy am I?' when something shifted from the garage. The other hand gripped his gun tightly and he backed away slowly into one of the streetlights. Preston was not - on the whole - a stupid man. Plenty of stupid men would not have made it this long in a Commonwealth that seemed to want to kill them.

He relaxed a fraction when the shape morphed into something at least partly recognisable - though not particularly comforting. The silhouette of a Super Mutant.

There was only one Super Mutant this far north-west and he had been given a pass - to some people's horror. Strong was a ...special case. Preston was not entirely comfortable with him - but he certainly hadn't reached the level of cold-hearted hatred as some of Thea's companions.

He still remembered the blistering argument that had erupted when their resident Brotherhood of Steel Paladin had discovered Strong's inclusion into the ranks. It had taken the limit of Thea's charisma and charm to ensure that they didn't kill each other on the first night. Preston wasn't entirely sure what was currently keeping the truce. He suspected that Thea's legendary temper for being screwed over was currently all that was holding things together - everyone who entered Sanctuary heard the fate of Sully Mathis.

Strong was now hulking his way towards Preston with the air of something - someone - with something to say. The entire Saga of Sully Mathis flitted by his thoughts in an instant, trying to soothe him into believing that Strong was not going to make a pretzel out of him. If he did, Thea would be merciless and Strong knew that very well - it was why he had agreed to follow her, he recognised a burning power that should not be played with.

'Little Cowboy man.'

Preston blinked and replied carefully 'My name is Preston Garvey.'

'Strong know who you are.' The Super Mutant sneered.

Preston tended to be absent from Sanctuary most of the time - travelling the Commonwealth with Thea Occasionally, travelling with the Minutemen under their control. He hadn't really had a lot of interaction with Strong.

Preston glanced from the garage to the door with light spilling from under it. 'Does Hancock know you were sleeping there?'

The Super Mutant shrugged in a clear indication that he slept where he liked and other people having problems with it was no problem of his.

'Can I help you?' Preston asked at last.

'You asked the man with no nose about the monkey on the moon.'

Preston stared at him for a minute, he had honestly never heard so many words out of Strong at one time - that included any time they were killing something and Strong was often very vocal about that.

'I, uh, yes?'

'Strong knows where it is.'

Preston's eyebrows floated up. 'You do?' Strong nodded and Preston gaped 'How?!'

'Super Mutant are everywhere.' He gave the most horrible grin Preston had ever seen.

'Great! Greaaat. So you just tell me where it is and I can go and get -'

Strong's booming laugh interrupted him. It was loud enough for the radio to suddenly cut out and certainly loud enough for a barrage of swear words to filter out of Hancock's house. 'Puny cowboy man stand no chance! Super Mutants aren't weak little humans.'

'You know I helped facilitate your rescue, right?' He muttered irritably. 'I can hold my own.'

'You were with the Scary Blue Lady.' Strong pointed out.

'Thea? You call Thea the Scary Blue Lady?' Preston goggled. Yeah, Super Mutants tended to call her the Blue Lady but mostly they stuck to Crazy Blue Lady and Stupid Blue Lady. He'd never heard her being given the title Scary Blue Lady. He wasn't entirely sure whether he should be concerned or not about Strong using that title on her. This was Thea, after all.

Strong gave him a look that clearly communicated You've seen her fight, right? and muttered 'Scary Blue Lady would make a good Super Mutant.'

Atom preserve him. 'I can't take Th- The Scary Blue Lady with me.' Preston grit. 'It's...it's a surprise for her.'

Strong looked confused - one step shy of concussed. At least - to Preston. He wouldn't pretend that he had any love at all for Strong's kind; They were the second biggest killer of the settlements he desperately tried to protect. He'd never hold any love at all for Super Mutants. Unfortunately for him, Strong was his only hope at this point. 'A nasty surprise?' He asked with way too much enthusiasm for possibly murdering someone he'd nicknamed the Scary Blue Lady some moments ago.

'No.' Preston's voice could have chilled the very air. 'It's a nice surprise. It's something nice. It's Jangles the Moon Monkey.' He grit and then rephrased 'The monkey from the moon.' At Strong's look of concussed confusion.

'Oh. Yeah.' Strong muttered and then rallied. 'Puny cowboy man will never get to it, anyway.'

Preston could feel the headache coming on. 'Strong. This is important. Tell me where the monkey is.'

Strong went to open his mouth again when a new voice interrupted them both.

'Are you alright, Garvey? Oh. You're with that. I don't see why she lets that thing stick around here.'

Paladin Danse was another overly large shape in the darkness. He was rarely if ever out of his power armour. Theoretically, Preston would have gotten along famously with Danse - they were both military minded men and both understood the difficulty involved in warfare. However politely he acted towards Danse - Preston secretly disliked the man. Him and his cohorts willingly hoarded and used technology that could be so beneficial to the people of the Commonwealth but hid behind their ridiculous convictions that they were saving people from themselves. Their wars on the super mutants were never waged with the common farmer in mind - never waged with really anybody else in mind. They came uninvited and left devastation. Sometimes as bad as the super mutants. And when they left - the mutants would return, angrier than ever. The Brotherhood never faced their wrath. It was always the farmers.

At least the Minutemen were always there - always on hand to help them drive back what they could - or help salvage what they could before they were overrun.

Strong looked thunderous but soon settled for mumbling under his breath 'Tin can.'

'What was that?' Danse demanded as he came into the generator light.

'Nothin'.' Strong replied.

Danse stared intimidatingly at Strong for a long while before turning back to Preston and asking in that authoritative (and annoyingly arrogant) voice he had 'Did I hear something about a monkey?!'

'Strong don't know, did you?' The Super Mutant asked patronizingly.

'Why you-'

Preston had had enough. They were acting like children. Unruly children. 'That's enough!' He snapped. 'If you must know, Danse, I'm...trying to find something for Thea.'

'And you needed the Mutant for that?' Danse frowned and gave him a look that clearly spoke of how low Preston had slipped in his viewpoint for having to rely on a super mutant for anything.

'Strong knows where it is.'

Danse turned his glare at Strong for the intrusion but eventually asked with thick scepticism 'I'll bite - where is it?'

'Science Museum.' Strong grunted.

Danse suddenly seemed to take the conversation seriously. '...That place is crawling with super mutants, we've never been able to get near it.'

'Strong knows a way in.'

'You do?' Preston asked in surprise.

'Super mutants not dumb as people think. Many places have secret entrance.'

Danse digested that for a moment before turning to Preston and - using that authoritative again - said 'I want in.'

Preston was taken aback. He'd never expected to do this on his own - but being in close proximity to Danse for what was likely to be a bit of a trip was not what he was intending. He had thought about taking a contingent of veteran Minutemen with him - people he trusted with his life - but Danse? No. Hell no.

'If that place is as infested as it's been made out to be Garvey, I'm your best bet of making it in but also making it out alive.' Danse said seriously.

Damn, he had a point, Preston could see that. There was no-one better suited than a member of the Brotherhood of Steel for dealing with super mutants. Especially if things went south. Preston could also see how badly he wanted to get into that museum. The Brotherhood of Steel were like magpies - always searching for something shiny to take away from someone who could use it. However, if Preston wanted Danse's help and expertise - not to mention that damn stuffed monkey - he was going to need to let some things slide. Better that Danse takes some shiny pre-war crap and they all get out in one piece - right?

Strong, however, made a furiously rude sound with his lips and said 'Little cowboy man and tin can won't even find the secret entrance without Strong.' Strong also had a point. A mutant's perspective on the whole thing would be just as useful - and if this secret entrance wasn't being blown out of proportion to make Danse look like an idiot (not that he needed help with that) - then Preston was just as likely to need Strong too.

'It can't be that well hidden,' Danse snorted.

'Tin can man said he couldn't get near it. How would he know?' Strong smirked victoriously as Danse coloured a fraction.

Oh no - not this again. Preston was not doing this again. He cut them off before they'd even drawn much more than an angry breath. 'Stop arguing, you can both come!' He snapped.

Strong and Danse glanced in surprise at Garvey and then turned to look incredulously at each other as though each thinking the same thing. I'm going to be stuck with HIM?!

Served them right.

A/N: That damn monkey is going to be the death of Preston Garvey. You don't need Mama Murphy to see that! Anyway, I consider this to be my contribution to the fandom at large and the Preston Garvey fans in all of us.

Updated whenever I can get a damn chapter out.

Edit 02/16- You may have noticed one or two tweaks - like my Sole Survivor having a full and actual name! Be shocked, people. Miracles happen.