Notes: Um, wow. Has it really been 6+ years since I've been on fanfiction!? Well, babies; I'M BACK. And with a whole new fandom. Hur hur hur. Beware.
Shaun looks up to Elder Maxson in a way that Sole doesn't like.
Inspired by the Steven Universe song "Strong in the Real Way."
"But the ship! Did you see the ship!?"
"...Yes, Shaun. I can see the ship."
Truly enough, overhead hovered the impressive Prydwyn. The massive war-blimp was a hard sight to miss, especially from the duo's position on top of the tall stone walls surrounding The Castle. Illuminated by the blossoms of light radiating from Boston Airport, the Prydwyn shone brightly and proudly through the pitch dark of the Commonwealth night.
Nora frowned and pushed herself away from the howitzer she had been leaning on.
"Ya know, we're not gonna be able to see many stars from here," she began, taking Shaun's hand and leading the awed boy down the wall's steps and into the castle courtyard. "What with your favorite ship lighting up the night sky like the sun."
Shaun followed his mother reluctantly, tripping over small rocks while refusing to look away from the Prydwyn.
"How many people do you think it has aboard right now?"
Nora remained silent, save for a disinterested hum.
She had only known this boy for a few weeks, but it was obvious she was smitten. She had taken to being a mother like a fish takes to water. She relished cooking him meals, cleaning his laundry, and showing him the dangers and beauties of The Commonwealth. Just being near him brought Nora a joy she thought was forever gone from her life.
But here it was, here he was!
Some nights, when he would be able to achieve it, Nora would watch Shaun sleep. And some nights, when his headaches kept him awake, or when he was jolted from sleep by his frequent nightmares, Nora would lay with him all through the night. She would knead his neck, plant kisses on his scalp, and sing him lullabies that nobody had sung for centuries. Laying with her son in her arms she would whisper in his ear a different story every night; the tales of a Sole Survivor tearing her way through the wastes to reunite with her lost son.
She loved that boy more than she thought she could love anything. So here they were, on another walk on another sleepless night. Tonight they were supposed to perch on The Castle's wall and Nora would have taught Shaun all about the different constellations. But much to Nora's disdain, all her son seemed interested in was the Brotherho-
"Oh, man! I wanna go aboard! Can I, mom?"
Nora grimaced.
"No."
"Pleeeaaassse-"
In a deft swoop Nora scooped her son into her arms.
"Hey!"
"Hay is for horses, mister."
"What's a horse?"
Nora rolled her eyes and laughed at her son's ignorance. Carrying the small child underneath a cobbled archway, Nora made her way out of the courtyard and to the nearby ocean's shoreline.
"Boy, have I got a lot more to teach you." She teased, lowering her son down so he could sit on the sand. "We might not be able to stargaze, but we sure can oceangaze."
The blonde boy next to her dug his hands into the wet sand, clumping it together with his palms happily. Nora watched his tiny fingers sculpt and smiled down at the innocent act.
"So...teach me. Teach me about the Brotherhood of Steel! Why are they here? What do they do? Will I be able to join the Brotherhood one day, too?"
Nora plopped down onto the sand next to her son and smiled at him sadly.
"There's nothing up there for you, Shaun...believe me, I'd know. The Minutemen need you here. I need you here."
"But Elder Maxson is up there, right?"
Nora suddenly recoiled as if she had just been struck.
It wasn't a secret how Nora felt about Arthur Maxson. From her first time meeting the Elder to the last time, it had always been Danse who prevented any altercations from occurring.
She could still remember the look on Arthur's face outside of Listening Post Bravo. Livid. Bloodthirsty eyes barking inhumane orders at her fearlessly, even whilst staring down the barrel of her gun.
In that moment, she knew she hated Arthur Maxson more than anything.
"And what would you know about Elder Maxson?" She snapped suddenly, glowering down at the synth child.
Seemingly un-phased by his mother's attitude, his eyes shone up at her excitedly.
"Only that he's super strong! I heard he wiped out all the Deathfangs back in The Capital Wasteland! And that he has a whole army with power armor and gatling lasers and they all fly around on those vertibirds - so cool!"
Her son's optimistic naivety quelled her flaring temper long enough for her to let out a ringing laugh.
"They're called Deathclaws, Shaun."
"Hmmm...No, Deathfang sounds right."
A devious smile crept onto her face as an even more devious plot formed within her mind. Shaun wanted her to teach him a lesson?
"And no, Elder Maxson didn't kill them all." Nora paused and looked around cautiously. "In fact...what was that?"
"I didn't hear anythi-"
"It's a DEATHFANG!" She bellowed dramatically, hopping up from the ground and unsheathing her combat knife.
Shaun followed suit, letting out a shrill shriek and running to his mother's side only to bury his face in her stomach.
"Oh no! If only-" Nora's free hand rose to muffle her snickers, which then came out as disgruntled snorts. "If only the strong Elder Maxson was here to save us!" She feigned mockingly, raising the back of her hand to her forehead in a dramatic display of dismay.
"Any last words before we bite the dust, kiddo?"
Sniffling, Shaun raised his face from the (now soaked) cloth of her vault suit. Nora resisted the urge to laugh at the sight of her son's face, hued a bright tato red with a trail of snot dangling precariously from his nose.
"Last words!?" He cried hysterically, shutting his eyes once more and clutching at her thighs even tighter. "Can't you save us!?"
"Alas, I'm far too weak. How will I hope to defeat the vicious beast without so much as a suit of power armor? And without my Gatling laser? There's just no way. I'm so sorry, Shaun. I wasn't strong enough to save us. Just...shhhh. Don't look." She cooed, cradling his head against her.
"You don't need all of that stuff, mom! You can do it! I know you can! You're the strongest person I know!" Nora pressed him closer against herself in an attempt to control to waves of laughter threatening to rack her body. A cheeky grin stole half her face.
"The strongest? Stronger than...I don't know...Elder Maxson, maybe?"
Through his sobs and hiccups, Shaun cried into her stomach a faint "yes!"
"Too late," Nora shrieked. "It's here!"
Suddenly, there was a low growl and a rustle from behind a cluster of trees. Then the sound of claws, scampering across the remnants of an old road at what sounded like breakneck speed. Finally, Shaun could feel the beast's breath against his face. Moist. Smelly. Then a wet SMACK as a slobbering tongue collided with his cheek, lapping up the small boy's stream of tears.
"Woof!"
Shaun opened his eyes and his mouth simultaneously, gasping loudly and falling on his butt and away from Nora, who was on the ground herself, howling with laughter. Dogmeat, who turned out NOT to be a 200 pound lizard with an insane thirst for blood, tilted his head to the side and let out a second bark.
"What the hell is going on!?"
Nora staunched her laughter long enough to look up and see Danse clad in nothing more than an old towel, frantically trying to load microfusion cells into Righteous Authority.
The sight only caused Nora to laugh harder.
Shaun looked at his mother, then at Dogmeat, then to Danse, and finally back to Nora.
"That...that's not funny!" He began, regaining just a bit of his composure.
Dogmeat let out a little howl and nudged the young synth's hand.
A small smile, hidden by the darkness, wormed its way onto his face. "Maybe it is...just a little." He whispered, stroking the ear of his faithful - albeit sneaky - canine companion. "But I'm going to get you back! Just wait!" And then he scurried back to his room, no doubt to plot his revenge, with Dogmeat hot on his trail.
Determining that there was no real danger to be had, Danse lowered his rifle and rubbed his eyes tiredly.
"Deathfangs and Maxson?" He croaked, voice still heavy with sleep. "Do you want to explain what all that was about?"
Nora smiled and motioned Danse over to where she sat on the shore.
"All you need to know is," she paused to plant a kiss on his cheek. "I'm the best."