Danse decided to walk Nora out topside and see her off towards the Prydwen. His heart ached to know he could never return, never feel the type of pride and fulfillment from wearing a Brotherhood of Steel Uniform again. He took a deep breath a closed his eyes. No use dwelling on that at this moment. It wasn't productive.
He looked over his shoulder at his comrade. She seemed to be dragging her feet, pouting. He smiled. She always pouted when she didn't get her way, which was rare. The woman was borderline manipulative at times, often bulldozing others with impassioned speeches and arguments. But it was always for the good and benefit of others. Every single time. Her mind was like a fire that burned people alive if they were too unwise to judge her by her looks alone.
It was a nice dynamic. Danse could bark out orders and motivate soldiers like the best of officers. But civilians took a kind of finesse he just couldn't muster. He always felt semi awkward around them, and would get frustrated when they had the gall to turn him away. Having Nora around made things much smoother. Her charisma, and his hulking form towering off to the side as backup to drive the point home.
"Nora," Danse called out to her, snapping her attention off of her feet. She looked almost surprised at first, then realized it and decided to paste a glower on her face again. He tried to hide his small smile. Maybe it was that weird chemistry of theirs. A polarity of sorts. It seemed like whenever one of frowning, the other often wore a smile. He put that thought aside, "I just wanted to thank you again...for everything."
"Danse." She genuinely looked sad, "You've always been there for me when I needed it." She sighed. "I just really wished...well you know what I want."
"Nora, you know if I could-"
"I'm gonna miss you. Kind of. You big lug." She smiled to herself, "You're my scariest looking friend. Well...besides Nick...and Hancock. Okay you're the most threatening looking." She shook her head and waved her arms before her as if to unjumble her thoughts. "What I mean to say is that you're a great guy. And I know wherever you go, people will be lucky to have you around." She distracted herself by kicking at dirt clods.
A bloom of red spread across his face. "Umm," he coughed, "Thank you soldier. Come on. You can't keep Maxson waiting." at that he started toward the door again.
Truthfully, he was going to miss her too. It's been so damn long since he could trust someone at his back, and he doubted he would ever find that kind of connection again. Especially after learning about his true identity.
He felt like he was coming apart at the seams.
One foot in front of the other. One day at a time. One foot in front of the other. One day at a time. Her voice will stay with him, a mantra in his head. He'll keep her close to him in that respect at least.
As he reached for the handle of the door leading to the Commonwealth, a sudden bad feeling came over him. His hand came up to sign for Nora to stop and stay quiet.
"Danse…" She whispered, "What is it?"
He leaned his head against the cool metal door. A gentle humming vibrated against his face. "Someone's here."
A blinding light greeted them as he opened the door, causing him to shield his eyes as they adjusted.
A Vertibird stood perched a few yards away, high beams contrasting sharply against the night sky, masking an approaching figure.
His stomach plummeted. Elder Maxson himself, eyes blazing, approached with a signaling hand up. Undoubtedly the Vetibird's Gatling laser was trained on them.
"How dare you betray the Brotherhood!" He roared, throwing his free hand towards Nora in an accusatory gesture.
"Maxson, it's not her fault! It's mine!"
Nora pushed past him, as if to shield his body from the Vetibird's line of sight.
"I'll deal with you in a moment, synth!" Maxson spat out, "Knight! Why is this abomination still standing?!"
"He's not an abomination! He's one of your best men! He didn't know Maxson! Please! You need to listen to us." That fire that was always there, was now tinged with a type of terror he'd never seen in her before. Everything was usually suave, smooth, and confident. Her voice was shaking now. This wasn't a part of her plans, and she was scrambling furiously to catch up.
"Have you taken leave of your senses? I would've thought a prewar lawyer would've had more sense to think rationally when presented with this type of damning evidence! And yet here you are letting attachments and emotion cloud your mind and get in the way of orders." Nora's face hardened at that, and her eyes darkened dangerously. She didn't like it when her competence ever came into question. "It's a machine, guised as a man. Created, not in a mother's loving womb, but the cold and sterile confines of a laboratory! It was fabricated to infiltrate and destroy." He shook his head furiously. "That THING is a single bomb in an arsenal of thousands preparing to lay waste to what's left of mankind!"
Nora visibly had to choke down a bitter sneer, "You accuse me of being irrational, but you use hyperbole and connotations that simple do not exist. You're clouding reality with your fury. You're comparing this man to a bomb! A god damn nuclear bomb Maxson. And if anyone standing here knows what kind of destruction that could cause, well, fuck, it's probably the god damned woman who ran from them when they first fell. My world ended. Everything ended. I know very well what type of damage a nuclear bomb can cause and this man," She thrust a finger in Danse's direction, "This is a good man. A man who cares very deeply for his friends and comrades. This man would die for the Brotherhood's ideals and has nearly done so upon several occasions."
Danse pushed forward to defend himself, "I may have been created in some laboratory somewhere, and some of my memories aren't my own, but when I've seen my brothers fall at my feet dying, I felt real, devastating, sorrow...and when a hard fought victory was finally won, I felt true pride. Maxson...I felt hope swell in my chest when you gave that speech about saving the Commonwealth. I've given every part of myself to the Brotherhood. I've sacrificed...so damn much." he paused and irritably scraped his BOS hood up and over his head, exposing his thick black hair that was pasted to his scalp with sweat. His body was on fire. Everything was burning up and he didn't know how to stop it. "Arthur, can't you see? I thought I was human! I've done absolutely nothing to betray your trust, and I never will!"
"It's too late for that. Your ethics, your feelings? All fabricated. I don't want to hear another goddamned word come out of your mouth. I don't have time to waste my attention on a machine." Maxson stopped his furious pacing, "Knight Howard," She stepped forward, face stony and unyielding. "You need to stand down! If you won't dispatch this thing I will."
"Enough Maxson!" Nora roared while she thrust out her arms to make herself a larger shield for the former Paladin, "If you think for one minute that I can stand here and watch Danse get gunned down and merrily shrug my shoulders and come back to the Prydwen like nothing happened, then you're lying to yourself! I could never live with myself if I allowed that to happen. If you murder this man, you will lose me too! I will wash my hands of any future plans the Brotherhood has in the Commonwealth." angrily, and with some cockiness she added, "and you know you need me. I am the key to bridge the Brotherhood to the technological greatness that was the prewar world. I know the area intimately, I know the technology better than any of your clueless scribes, and I got the finesse to get it all done in a timely manner."
It was like time itself slowed and everything turned silent. Danse could've sworn he could hear his own blood coursing through his veins. Elder Maxson bit the inside of his mouth and angrily turned in place. Nora was right. She had him. And he was furious for it.
"It seems," he started, struggling with every clipped word through his fury, "That we are at an impasse." He motioned for the Vertibird to cut the Gatling's charge. "Danse...as far as I'm concerned, you're dead to the Brotherhood. Gunned down by Knight Howard, your remains incinerated. And if I ever catch word that that you've come near the Prydwen, or made any contact with MY soldiers...we will hunt you down ruthlessly, continuously, until you are no more."
Danse let go of a breath he didn't even know he was holding in. A bout of dizziness took over him and he felt the strong urge to sit down. He was safe. He was positive they would both be gunned down but...she did it. Somehow she pulled through for him again.
He must've missed Maxson storm off while in his own dumbfounded haze. Nora apparently had followed him to receive extenuating orders, and returned just in time to see him wobble on his feet back towards the bunker.
"Danse!" She jogged up to him. She laid a hand upon his shoulder almost tenderly and turned him around. Her eyes were bright. "Are you...are you gonna be alright?"
"Did all of that just really happen? It feels like I'm in a dream."
Nora gave his shoulder a strong squeeze. "You feel that?" Then she pinched him. "That?"
He snapped out of his daze to swat her away. She smiled weakly. He could tell she was still shaken by the whole affair as well.
"He told me...to say my goodbyes and then report immediately to the Prydwen. I'm not really sure what's going to happen." She nervously swiped at her hair behind her ears. "Danse I don't know if he's going to keep his word. I don't think he's the type to take kindly to his orders being disobeyed. I just don't know…I feel...slightly at a loss. I can understand if you still want to leave. It's probably the wisest-"
"I'm not going anywhere." he whispered. "I have faith that Arthur Maxson is an honorable man that'll keep his word. But I won't leave until I know for certain you'll be safe." his dark eyes took on a cutting intensity. He owed everything to this woman. With the Brotherhood over for him, his allegiance to Nora would come first. He'll help her find her son, and the peace she'd been denied of since setting foot into the Commonwealth.
Nora's mouth briefly formed a small 'o' in surprise, which quickly gave way to a toothy grin. Danse sighed. The woman got her way….again.
But if it was having him around that gave her that smirk...he supposed it was more than alright this time. He flashed a small smile. He would let her have her win.
In an almost uncharacteristic manner, she leaned in and embraced him tightly. He's seen her hug her other companions - that newspaper woman, and that...other synth (his mind briefly panicked over the thought of him, though he forced himself to file it away for later), but she never developed that type of closeness to him. They were business first, as it should be.
He immediately stiffened in her arms in slight panic, but after a few moments of her pressed up against him, the warmth and softness of her body melted him into acquiescence. She was shaking slightly too.
"Are you cold Nora?"
"N-no…" She sniffed slightly and looked up at him. Her eyes were dry. "I just...why does everything have to be so damned complicated? I'm...I'm so goddamned angry. Im angry all of the time. It's not enough for the world to take my husband and child away from me, but now I have to struggle tooth and nail to keep those who I care about alive. It's...I'm so fucking tired."
Danse pulled away from her embrace. He couldn't help but feel responsible for her current pain. "This is all my fault. I'm sorry you were dragged into this."
She shook her head, "Stop it. I won't have any of that." She leaned an elbow against some perimeter railing, visibly mentally exhausted, "I was more than happy to fight that battle with you." Danse's face deadpanned in disbelief. "Seriously. I have your back and you have mine remember? That's how it's always been Danse. You're my friend. I hate to admit it to you, because now when I fuck with you now you'll have the high ground. And I really like messing around with you."
His frown satisfied her more than he would've liked. "Why can't you just be normal Nora?"
"Now that wouldn't be fun would it?" She gave him a thin smile. They stood a little out in front of Post Bravo, unsure of what to do next. The minutes seemed to stretch out longer than necessary and the silence was tense.
"It's um.."Danse coughed to clear his throat, "cold out here. And late. Dangerous at this time of night. Did you...want to stay here with me until the morning?"
Her attention snapped to him immediately and her eyes went sharp. Mischievous thoughts likely turning at the cogs in her mind, making Danse immediately catch himself and cough awkwardly. He clearly misspoke.
In the past, one of Nora's favorite things to do to push his buttons was to test the lines of fraternization and doggedly flirt with him. It always caught him off guard and it embarrassed him to no end that she could trip him up like that. But afterwards she would always insist it was innocent and just did it to get under his skin. He could never tell if she was actually being serious or not. And though he didn't want to admit it to himself, protocol aside, she was an attractive, intelligent woman and it felt good to be noticed. He's thought of her, fleetingly, against his will, but it always dissolved away when she decided to be an ass again, embarrass him in front of others, or make other BOS personnel question his sanity for signing her on.
Much to his surprise, she turned away, thinking better of herself. Now was not the time. Her shoulders sagged and she sighed, "I would. I'm really...very much dreading going back to the Prydwen. Maxson expects me back tonight. Told me a bird would pick me up about 40 clicks east. And I want to make sure you're going to be alright-"
He cut her off, "Nora, I don't need-"
"Yeah yeah. I get it. You're a tough guy and don't want to be mothered. Maybe it would be more for me than you." She cupped his hands into her own, giving them a squeeze. Her eyes were fire, determination winning out over exhaustion, "I'll be back for you. You're not alone. I'll be back as soon as I can and everything will be okay. I promise you Danse."
He stared at her hands, soft against his own, and nodded. Nothing would ever be okay again.
"I'll be here." Was all he said in response before she embraced him one last time and then disappeared into the night
He was alone with his thoughts.
She couldn't stop fucking up. One messed up, trashed to hell situation after the next, she thought bleakly. It had been a week since she parted from Danse, and she was nervous as high hell for his mental health and personal safety, angrily berating herself from not being able to sneak away from the Prydwen earlier. Elder Maxson saw to it himself to order the rest of the upper chain of command to keep her busy. It was mostly small tasking here and there for Proctor Teagan and Senior Scribe Neriah across the commonwealth, as the brunt of Brotherhood resources and manning continued to assemble Liberty Prime.
She shuddered. Liberty Prime...something that was beginning to haunt her nights just as frequently as the thought of Shaun and the Institute. So many goddamned mistakes, taken on emotional whims and bad information - that she was too stupid to question - possessed her conscience.
She was terrified that she might be the key to another nuclear holocaust.
As the Vertibird she was riding cut right as it began to make its descent to the eastern outskirts of Maldin, Nora bent over to grab Dogmeat's collar to stabilize him. Buckled in as he already was, the Bird's harnesses weren't built to accommodate faithful canine companions, so he ended up sliding around more than Nora felt comfortable with.
"Ma'am, what are your further orders for retrieval?" the Bird's scribe copilot called out.
"There aren't any. This is a covert operation...that erm...is highly classified and...if I need further assistance I'll send a signal for any patrolling units. Return to the Prydwen and...don't spread any of this around, or, you know. Elder Maxson will take disciplinary action against any offending parties."
The scribe looked at her skeptically for a brief moment but shrugged it away. Nora was the commanding officer at the moment and it was definitely about time for the scribe's rotation to end.
After the vertibird landed and took off again, Nora waited a few moments to ensure it wouldn't circle around once more, in a bout of careful paranoia. Things were so different now. Everything about the Brotherhood, once the best means to find Shaun, now seemed so damn ugly.
After the Prydwen's crew was informed about Paladin Danse's "treachery", gossip and trash talk spread around the airship like wildfire. Brothers and Sisters that were once enthusiastic comrades in arms to the Paladin now spat on his memory, defaming any of his past accomplishments, insisting he was never trustworthy, that they knew something was up with him. That he was awkward and seemingly inhuman from the start. It made Nora sick to her stomach. The worst of it was when people would come up to her and pat her on the shoulder, praising her quick dispatch of "that synth infiltrator".
They were a fucking cult. Yes, Nora questioned everything from the start, and was never the most enthusiastic of soldiers, but she just didn't realize how far it went.
She had to run. She had to run somewhere, sit down and think. Think really fucking hard on all of her fuckups and how to escape the quicksand she dug herself into.
Dogmeat barked enthusiastically as he picked up on the former Paladin's scent outside of Listening Post Bravo. The two had become fast friends ever since Nora first stumbled upon Danse's recon team over half a year ago at the Cambridge Police Station. The quiet, commanding (even slightly intimidating) Paladin who rarely cracked a smile always had one reserved for Dogmeat. She even convinced him (hassled him more like) to please please please let Dogmeat stay onboard the Prydwen in his quarters in secret because she didn't want to leave him at the airport and he wasn't allowed in the common berthings up a deck where she slept.
She wasn't THAT surprised to see him agree to her request, knowing the scowl plastered on his face was totally fake. She bet her pipboy that he secretly was stoked to have a puppy to cuddle at night. Big softie pushover.
She thought bringing the dog might cheer him up. "You wanna see Danse boy? Huh? Yes you do! Yes you do! Go get 'em Dogmeat!" and at that the German Shepard took off loping across the rest of the distance to the bunker in an excited flurry.
God she hoped he was alright.
He told her he would make the bunker more "homely" before she left...but it was just still an absolute depressing disaster.
"Danse?!" she called out when the elevator reached the lower floor. She could hear some music playing off in the distance, and a dull rhythmic clanging, but no response. Dogmeat stayed behind her, all of a sudden unsure in the dark. "Hey, big guy! I'm back, I told you I'd be!" As she rounded the corner she spotted him fiddling with a pneumatic coupler attaching a suit of power armor to a workstation. She let go of a sigh she didn't realize she was holding and smiled. Thank god.
"I had no doubt you'd keep your word." he turned around and Nora sucked in a sharp breath of air. The man looked absolutely awful. His skin had gone all sallow and sickly pale, which contrasted sharply with the dark bruises formed beneath his eyes. He even looked to have lost some weight maybe, if Nora judged correctly.
Dogmeat bounded over to him, whimpering softly, tail wagging. A weak smile formed on the former Paladin's face as he kneeled down to greet his friend. "Hey boy."
"Danse...I umm...how are you?" There was a rush of questions she wanted to ask him, maybe even scold him for not taking care of himself better, but she decided to be soft instead. He needed her.
Standing up seemed from the kneeling position seemed to be too much for him and he would've toppled over if she weren't there to catch him by the arm. The close proximity caused her to gag on the smell of old liquor and sweat. "Jesus Danse, you're a mess." She said with sympathy.
He snorted and started to tremble with silent, bitter laughter. "Oh God don't I know it."
"Here, let's sit you down and rest a bit okay? I'm sure your power armor - Jesus how'd you find power armor so damned fast? - I'm sure it can wait a bit to be worked on." She plopped him down at a small, rickety desk he had in his living quarters and turned down the radio he'd been blasting.
She dug through her rucksack for a few moments as he slowly blinked in an attempt to adjust his drunken eyesight to focus on her.
After procuring some purified water and wetting a clean rag with a satisfied hum, she pulled a chair parallel to him and began to wipe the grease and grime from his face in gentle circles. The water was cool and soothing and seemed to help bring a little of his senses back. Nora caught his eyes and her heart melted. Absolute devastation stared back at her, deep, dark, and complex, aching with a hurt she just couldn't quite fathom. The empathy she felt for this man burned her.
"Nora...you came back for me." he seemed surprised, as if this were the first time seeing her today.
She nodded and smiled, "Yes I did Danse. I care about you." He looked like he wanted to cry, but his eyes remained dry. She just continued to clean his face off.
All of a sudden he grabbed her hands and leaned in impossibly close, his face a mere couple of inches away. Nora froze up, unsure of what was happening. His eyes still held hers, impossibly intense, seemingly seeing right through her.
"Uhh..Danse...what-"
And then he tried to kiss her.
Unfortunately for him - well, for her as well, as she took the brunt of the impact - Danse stumbled forward, drunkenly cracked his head against her own, and toppled onto her with the full of his weight as they hit the floor. Nora choked out a noise similar to that of a deflated balloon as the wind got knocked out of her.
"Fuck! Ow! Fuck why?!" she gasped out as she regained the ability to breathe, struggling to get out from under his dead weight. The man was completely KO'd. This is what she gets whenever she tries to make things right.
Dogmeat barked furiously at the whole scene and decided to help by licking at their faces, causing Nora to groan and nearly cry in frustration.
"No! Bad dog! Go lay down! Shit why!?" The man was god awful heavy and a rigid mess. His muscles should've been sexy but they were just uncomfortable and dense at the moment and she was angry. After her fifth bout of wiggling, she finally got free of him and rolled to the side.
She just laid there for a moment in defeat. "Why? Why can't anything be easy?" She reached up and touched her forehead where his head hit and hissed. There was definitely a bump, and there was definitely going to be a bruise. She just sighed and willed the ability to sink into the ground.
After several minutes' worth of pity party, Nora decided to get up and be productive. She rolled out her bedroll next to Danse and scooted him into it, absolutely positive she wouldn't be able to lift him to his own bed. Dogmeat did exactly what Nora brought him for, worked his cuddly magic, and decided to curl up next to Danse and nap with him.
"I'll stand the watch for ya, big guy. Rest easy and I'll be here for you when you wake. Cunningly trying to knock me out with your massive head weight failed, so uh, yeah, you're stuck with me." She said out loud to him, more for her own entertainment than anything. She deposited her Magnum on the desk, pulled out a Grognak comic she's read 50,000 times over and reclined into a comfortable position. This was going to be a long day.