Writer's note: I came up with story quickly. Though I had already written a MacCready story for my "Quest to pair up Fallout 4 protagonists" I just had to write this second one. As a !SECOND WARNING! this story does contain sensitive topics that might have triggering effects for some readers. As always I am happy to get feedback, comments, and requests.

(Commonwealth, 2295)

MacCready walks along the quiet, dusty, road along side his son Duncan. It has been a pretty calm day both in weather and in social situations as they return to the Commonwealth. They have spent the past few weeks bonding back at their homestead in The Capital Wasteland and MacCready wants to show his son a good time in the city where he has spent most of his time over the last few years. Oddly enough it has been hours since they have even seen a caravan pass by.

"Dad, are you sure we're going the right way?" Duncan asks a bit worried.

"Of course son. Just a few more miles and we will be having drinks at the Dugout Inn. I'll even introduce you to the Bobrov brothers. Those guys come up with some pretty wild stories."

"I don't want to doubt you, but if Diamond City is as popular as you say, I would think we would have seen someone by now."

As Duncan finishes his sentence, their conversation becomes interrupted by the sound of a motorbike heading their way.

"See look. There's someone," MacCready jokes.

They take a step off the side of the pavement to let the driver pass but instead the driver locks their breaks and pulls over beside them. The dust from the road kicks up into their faces. They gag as the person in black, biker's, clothing just stares at them from behind their helmet. They wave their hands to try to shew away the dust.

"Jeez man, what is your problem?" MacCready whines.

"Robert MacCready?" The biker asks bluntly, muffled by their helmet.

"Yeah," he replies while still chocking on some dust.

The biker kicks up the bike stand and steps off their ride. "I've been looking everywhere for you. I need your help."

"Oh yeah? What for?"

"I have heard your miraculous story, about how you got out from under the Gunner's clutches. I need to know how you did it."

"Well... maybe for a bit of payment I could give you a few tips," MacCready says in a snarky tone while holding out his hand.

"I knew you would say something like that." To his surprise, the biker pulls out a huge, cotton, sack from their bike's side bags and tosses it to him. It is filled to the brim with bottle-caps. "That's ten thousand in caps. I can give you another ten thousand once I'm out."

He looks at the bag then over at his son who is wide eyed with amazement. He then turns back to the biker. "Look. Your offer is tempting, but I'm really not interested in taking on a job right now. My son and I were just on our way to Diamond City to celebrate his eighteenth birthday and I don't plan on disappointing him."

He tosses the bag back to the biker then signals for Duncan to keep walking.

The biker cries, "How can you be so cruel to just turn me away? From what I've heard you seemed like a respectable, honorable, man."

"You need to check your resources buddy."

"I have! I talked to Nora. She told me everything about how you two helped each other. She told me you were someone I could trust. Someone I could count on. Please!"

He stops in his tracks and sighs, "Look, the only way to get out of the Gunners is to become someone they fear." He turns to face them. "You need to toughen up and deal with your problems yourself. That is the only way."

The biker runs over to meet him face to face. They lift off their helmet and reveal that they are a young, scar-less, vixen, with long, golden, hair that becomes caught in the autumn breeze. Her skin is so fare it is as if it has never known the meaning of grim. Her brown eyes stare into him, begging him for help, as droplets of tears soak their corners.

"Please MacCready," she begs again with full, pouted, lips.

"Woo! She's hot," Duncan states.

MacCready punches him on the shoulder. "Mannerrs young man!"

Duncan tries to rub the pain away with his palm. "Owe dad, fuck!"

MacCready turns back to the blond. "Just because you've shown me you have a pretty face is not going to influence my decision. I said no and I meant it."

She grabs him by the arm desperate. "Please! Someone is going to rape me if I don't fight back!"

They both look to her shocked. "What do you mean? How do you know that?"

Her voice becomes tight as her anxiousness rises just thinking about it, "There is this guy, David. He's been sexually harassing me ever since I first joined a few months back. He found out that I'm..." Her face blushes red hot at what she is about to say to two complete strangers. "...I'm a virgin."

They both gasp. Judging by her figure they guess that she has to be anywhere between her mid to late twenties.

"You've made it this long without being with anyone?" MacCready asks. She nods her head towards the ground, too embarrassed to look at them. "I see. So this David, who is he to you?"

"He's my Captain who's also brothers with the Major. His status gives him the false assumption that he can say and do whatever he wants, including telling me who I can and can't talk to. He runs my whole life. People don't even dare talk to me most of the time because they are afraid of what he might do to them. The worst part is... I can tell I don't even mean anything to him. Even though he talks to me like he cares for me I can tell that all I am is some kind of trophy. A trophy he can't stop rubbing his grubby hands on." Tears stream from her eyes. "I hate it. I know it is only a matter of time before he takes things too far and I want to push him away, but I am not strong enough on my own." Her voice becomes tightens further as she tries to force herself not to cry.

"Everything your saying is just telling me that you got yourself into this mess. If you didn't want to live with the consequences you should have never gotten involved with those thugs. I'm sorry but you have to sort this out on your own." He turns to Duncan. "Come on. Let's keep moving."

Duncan steps in front of him to block him. "Wait. Wait. Hold up dad. Just think what we could do with all those caps."

"We don't need any more caps. We have plenty to last us for years to come."

"Yeah, but that is only if we are careful with it. With this much money we could do whatever we want and not have to worry about a thing."

"Duncan, it is not just about the money. What this lady is asking is for me to get myself re-involved with a group that I myself have already had to spend years getting away from. And I don't want us to lose out on any more time together."

"Dad, you know we're not going to just hang out forever. Once I find a girlfriend and start pumping out some babies we're probably going to go our separate ways anyway. This gives us a chance to enjoy the time we have to the fullest. Besides, this lady clearly is in need of some serious help. I'll even do my part and fight with you."

MacCready becomes angry. "Absolutely not. I have spent your whole life keeping you out of such situations. No way am I gonna just let you fall right into my old ruts."

"Okay, okay. Then I'll just wait for you two at Diamond City. How's that?"

MacCready turns back to her. "What's your name anyway?"

"My name is Ashley Morgan. Sergeant Ashley Morgan." She gives him a salute.

"Well Ms. Morgan, how exactly do you want to go about this? Should we suit up and go guns blazing into their base?"

"Oh hell no. I just need you to watch my back. Like a body guard."

"So does that mean you'll be traveling with us then?"

"If that's okay with you. But I don't really want to drag your son into this."

"Don't worry. He can handle himself and with the three of us traveling together, no one will get their hands on you. I promise you that."

A week passes with no signs of the Gunners being anywhere near their trail. Every night fills Ashley with paranoia. She can picture David busting down their door and dragging her back to their headquarters. She stares at the hotel room door until her eyes can no longer remain open and she passes out from exhaustion.

Each day they travel to a new settlement in the Commonwealth, being careful not to use Ashley's name when ever possible. They don't want any hear say to travel the grapevine and end up leading the Gunners right to them. Having traveled east to Bunker Hill, they speak to Tony Savoldi about reserving the three upstairs rooms of his flophouse. Luckily for them, his day has been slow and no one else has yet claimed them.

As they head up the steps Duncan rushes ahead of the group. "I call right side!" He hurries into the room and shuts the door behind him.

MacCready and Ashley just look at each other and laugh.

"At least he knows what he wants," Ashley states.

"Yeah. So what about you? Do you want the middle or do you prefer the one on the end?" He presents the rooms to her.

"I think I want the one in the middle. I think I'll feel safer that way."

"Alright. Then I'll just be right over here." He points to the room on the left.

Ashley gives him a smile. "Okay. I'll say good night then."

"Good night," he smiles back.

Neither of them wanting to be the first one to step away, they share an awkward stance. Eventually Ashley takes the infinitive to step into her room. MacCready soon follows suit and they shut the doors behind them.

As the night continues, MacCready can hear Ashley tossing and turning in her bunk. Through one of the wall's empty, wood, notches he can faintly make out the shimmer of her hair as she shifts her head from side to side.

"Still having trouble sleeping?" He whispers through the wall.

She huffs, "Yeah. I can't keep myself from thinking about how angry I am, not only at the Gunners, but at myself. I never should have gotten wrapped up with those guys."

She looks at him through the peephole. It makes him appear mysterious. As if he is from some other world and he can only speak to her through the tiny gap.

"If I may ask, why did you sign up with them anyway?" MacCready asks.

"I didn't really think I had any other choice. After my brother overdosed on Jet I was left on my own. With no other family or friends to speak of I figured joining up with a group that appeared to be military would be my best option. I didn't realize that the Gunners were anything but. Sure they have ranks and rules like the military but they lack the morals and dignity of one. It didn't take long for me to realize I had made a huge mistake, but by then it was too late for me to just walk away. David become obsessed and I knew that he would never just let me leave."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Same thing pretty much happened to me. I didn't think I was ever going to do anything important with my life so I joined up just for the money and the combat... but then I met my late wife Lucy. She showed me that there are things in the world to fight for other than just booze and caps. She gave me a son and at first I don't think I fully appreciated it. I just saw Duncan as another mouth to feed, another body to protect, but then I realized that is the whole point of living. The only reason we fight is to protect the ones we care about and I didn't have just one but now two," his voice becomes weak.

She can tell he is thinking hard on what he just said and it has upset him. "May I ask what happened to her?"

He takes in a deep breath then clears his throat. "She was killed by a group of feral ghouls and I wasn't able to protect her. Let's just leave it at that."

"I'm so sorry."

"It's fine. It was a long time ago and with Nora's help I was able to finally stop blaming myself and get my focus back on the only thing that truly mattered. My son. Speaking of I hope he's not able to hear any of this. These walls are pretty thin," he chuckles then realizes she is no longer in view of the hole. He becomes confused at where she could have gone. "Ashley?"

The doorknob to his room turns slowly then someone from the other side nudges it open. His confusion shifts from worry to wonder as Ashley steps through the door-frame. He quickly stands up from his bed.

"What are you doing?" He asks.

She hushes him. "Quiet. I don't want anyone to hear us."

"What do you mean hear us? Why are you even in here?"

With her blanket loosely wrapped around her shoulders, he can see that she is wearing nothing but a dark, tank-top and some pull on pants. 'No doubt her sleepwear,' he tells himself.

With her body hot and her breath short, Ashley closes the door behind her and steps over to him. "Robert... I just want you know that I am very grateful for everything you have done for me. Most of my life all anyone usually says to me is, wow you're hot, or fuck off little girl. You're the only person I've known, aside from my brother, who has shown any trace of care for me. "I just want to say, thank you." She looks up at his eyes with sincerity.

He scratches the back of his head not sure how to respond. "You're welcome I guess. Not sure I really deserve it with how much of a dick I have been, but if it helps you feel better, than I accept."

Her eyes glance down at his lips then back up to his eyes. They can feel each other's body heat fill the area of the room around them. Their heartbeats become so loud in their ears it is deafening. To him she looks like a gilded, angel. To her he looks like a chiseled, marble, statue. They can see what is happening between them. Even though they both long for companionship, they are also cautious of it. The world around them is not kind to weakness and often times, once two people decide to stand side by side, one will surly end up dying to save the other.

Shifting her ambitions towards the man standing before her, Ashley leans into MacCready and pecks him softly on the mouth. His body shivers as the thought of being her first coerces through his brain. She leans in for a second but he places his hands upon her shoulders to keep her from doing so. She looks at him sad and confused.

"What's wrong?"

"We can't do this," he explains. "You deserve to have your own life, with someone as equally deserving... and that's not me."

"I don't understand. I thought you and I had formed a bond."

"We have. Just not one as deep as this."

Tears soak her cheeks. She shakes her head now feeling even more angry with herself. "I'm sorry. I guess I just misread the situation." She turns to leave.

"Wait, Ashley-" He hollers.

She steps out of the room and closes the door behind her. Her chest becomes so tight she can feel her heartbeat in her throat. Feeling as if she can die from embarrassment she decides to take a walk in the hopes of clearing her head. She looks around for something to distract her but everyone has already headed to bed. Tho the town's lights still shine there isn't a voice to be heard or a shadow to be seen. Just the grunts from the nearby brahmin as they eat and rest inside their pens.

"Creepy. This place has become so quiet."

Just as she is about to continue on she feels someone grab her from behind. Before she can scream the assailant covers her mouth with their gloved hand. Her arms become pinned behind her back and she is pulled up against the person's chest. She struggles to get free by the person has gained the upper hand.

A sinister voice whispers into her ear, "Hello sweet cheeks. Did you miss us? We've sure missed you. Especially David. Poor guy has been worried sick."

She kicks and screams into his palm trying to alert anyone who may be in ear shot. He hushes her then sticks her in the neck with a syringe that knocks her out cold within seconds.