"Dad, my legs hurt," Duncan said.
"Yeah, I know, Duncan. We're almost there, we just need to get over this hill, okay? I promise, we're almost there."
"You said that about the last hill."
"Well, this time I mean it."
"You said that, too."
"You said that, too-"
"DUNCAN! Shut up!" MacCready ordered. The boy got quiet, and looked down at his saddle. The massive rat that was his steed sensed his rider's sudden swing of emotion, and its pace slowed down as the boy lamented and started to sob. MacCready sighed.
"Duncan, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell at you."
"I wish mom was here, she wouldn't yell at me."
"No," MacCready's voice broke, "No, she wouldn't. She'd…Have known what to do, what to say to make it feel better, but, I don't know what that is, Duncan. I know you're tired. I'm looking forward to a nice bed and a chicken dinner and listen to Travis Miles on the radio again."
"What about Three-Dog?" Duncan asked.
"We don't get Three-Dog up here. Sorry, Duncan."
"Aww…"
"But seriously, the Commonwealth is great. There's a town run by robots, you know."
"Yeah you told me."
"Well, what about the town built on top of a gas station?"
"Yeah you told me that one, too."
"Well, have I told you about the four-hundred-year old fort that is still being used?"
"Yeah."
"Oh…I kinda spoiled it all, huh?'
"Kinda."
"Well, it'll be cooler when you see it, trust me. The Commonwealth is great."
"Is the Brotherhood of Steel up here? Oh, can I be a squire?"
The color drained from MacCready's face, "Where did you learn about the Squires?"
"I learned it at Little Lamplight. The Brotherhood comes there sometimes, with the Squires, and they tell us all kinds of cool stories about Elder Maxson! He's the best!"
"Yeah? What did they tell you 'bout him?" Duncan asked.
"He killed a Deathclaw with a knife!"
"Did he now? Well, I know someone who wrestled a Deathclaw with just her bare hands."
"Nuh uh!"
"Yah huh! I was there!"
"I don't believe you."
"Well, when we meet her, you can ask her all about it. But for now, you can get off the rat."
"Why?" Duncan whined, "I don't want to walk! My legs hurt from the saddle!"
"Because we're here, kiddo."
He walked the giant rat around the billboard, and they stood above a town built atop and into the side of a hill. The core of the town consisted of a market with people buzzing about, with guard towers and turrets on top of every building, covering every alleyway. On the side of the hill was melon and gourd fields, with people weeding and watering and harvesting the crops and bringing them into the market. There were several old or rebuilt cabins, and these were all well-lit and decorated, preserved from before the war and evidently the highest valued properties, since each one was behind their own set of fences or walls. On the side of the hill was a shanty town, shacks built upon shacks, but even here, there were lights and life and guards roaming around. There was a fence around the town but no walls.
"Woah!" Duncan's eyes lit up, "This is bigger than Big Town!"
"Sure is. There's over a hundred people here in Sunshine Tidings Co-Op. This is the last stop before you exit the Commonwealth, and the first if you're arriving."
"But you said it's in the west, I thought we came from the south?" Duncan asked. MacCready had shown Duncan the map basically every night on their trip up here.
"Well that's because of the Glowing Sea, remember?"
"But why all around it up here?" Duncan asked. They were walking down the hill into the town itself.
"Well, in the east there are these raiders called the Gunners. They're really bad guys, and they tricked your old man into thinking they were good guys a long time ago, when you were still sick. They make it so nobody can come in from the south. So we have to go all the way around."
"That's dumb."
"It is dumb."
They entered the town, and were not greeted by anyone; people came through Sunshine Tidings all the time, and a new stranger was not one worth noticing. Even the Rats were no longer an uncommon sight since their discovery and domestication. MacCready led their beast to the local motel, the 'Goodfeels Motel,' where the robot Professor Goodfeels was hovering behind the counter.
"Hey man, it's good to see you again, dude," the robot greeted.
"You're looking pretty loose there, Professor," MacCready observed.
"Thanks. Been keeping it easy these days. You guys need a room or somethin'?"
"Sure do."
"Right on, man. Ten caps, plus another three for your critter in the stable. Can I do anything else for ya, brother?" the robot inquired.
"We're pretty tuckered out, but we could use a cleaning. Got any bathtubs open?"
"Sure do, man. Showers now, too. Tub is five caps for an hour, ten if you want fresh water. Shower is just three caps. Either one comes with soap and a clean towel. For an extra cap we can give you a hubflower scenting. Smell nice and natural! At least that's what they tell me."
"I could go for a fresh, clean bath before we crash," MacCready put down ten caps, "You can, uh, hold the flowers. No need to get totally crazy."
"I hear you, man. You gotta party at your own pace," the robot handed them a couple of keys, "Bathhouse is in the back past the rooms. Just turn the key and the tub will fill with clean water. Your room is number four."
"Looking forward to it. You take it easy, Professor."
"Thanks, dudes. You, too."
"You ever had a hot bath, Duncan?" MacCready asked his son. They'd only been separated for three years, but he had missed out on so much. Of course Duncan had hot baths, when RJ had been there for his son and his wife. But he didn't know what Duncan had been through since RJ had gone to find the cure for his son's condition.
"A couple of times, at Little Lamplight. The Brotherhood of Steel would make the water hot," Duncan explained. There they were again, the damn Brotherhood of Steel, giving his son dreams and comforts RJ hadn't been able to provide him.
"Well, where we're going, they have hot water all the time, so you can get a hot bath every week," RJ led him to the bathhouse. It was a metal shack lined with plastic, with drains along the end to catch runoff and condensation. There were two stalls for the tubs, which were pretty roomy, and five stalls with showers. This room was attached to another room in the front, where a clerk ran the bathhouse as its own business. MacCready picked one of the open tubs stalls, which was full of grey-white, though still clear, water, and he took off his jacket, hanging it up.
"Where are we going?" Duncan asked.
"There's this little town called Finch Farms. I helped out the Finches, so they sold me a plot of land. They've got all sorts of cool stuff there, you know. The Minutemen have artillery pieces and they hang up some of their suits of Power Armor, and hot water, and it's right next to the ocean," RJ explained as he drained the tub, and turned the key in the faucet. Hot water started to fill the room, steaming up the room. RJ placed his pistol on the chair in the room, which he moved closer to the tub.
"What about Mirelurks?" Duncan asked, "Don't they live in the ocean?"
"Mirelurks don't like living next to people. Besides, the water purifier makes things too loud for them. They stay away from water that's got too much noise. And if they do get too close, POW! We'll shoot 'em dead and eat crab that night," RJ made a gun with his finger and thumb, "Let's hop in the tub, then we'll get some sleep. We have about another day of walking before we get there."
"Aww, more walking?" Duncan whined.
"Yes, more walking, but no more after that. Promise, honest and for true. Once we're at Finch Farms, we're done walking across the country," he lifted his son and slid the boy into the tub, "We can be whatever we want. No more Ghouls, no more dirty jobs. No more living in caves."
"I liked Little Lamplight!"
"Yeah, so did I," RJ said, slipping into the tub with him, "But everyone at Little Lamplight is an orphan. They only have each other, and once you're sixteen, the fun times are over. Then you're a Mungo, and it's Big Town for you. But you and I, we have each other. And once we're at Finch Farms, we'll have neighbors and friends that you couldn't have at Little Lamplight."
"Wait, you lived at Little Lamplight, too?"
RJ grinned.
"Lived there? I was mayor. Let me tell you all about it."
RJ made sure that Duncan was tucked in, before laying on top of the covers, covering himself only with one blanket. He kept his pistol on the dresser. Normally he would set up a trip wire alarm, but he was too exhausted, and he trusted the settlements of the Commonwealth far more than the burned out houses along the Steel Road. He passed out the moment his head hit the pillow. It was a dreamless sleep, the kind where a person remembers closing their eyes, and then waking up hours later with a twitch when they were suddenly awake.
RJ twitched awake when he heard a knock on his door. Before his eyes were even open, he'd grabbed his pistol, and he bolted up. Duncan didn't wake, but he did whimper and clutch the blanket more tightly. RJ sat and listened for the repeat knock, which happened, and he stepped to the door. He held the gun against the door and hissed,
"Who's there?"
There was a pause.
"Robert MacCready?" a woman asked.
"I asked first."
"Sergeant Cayford, Commonwealth Minutemen. I have a message for Robert MacCready."
He cracked the door open, peeking out, "I'm Robert MacCready."
There was a thick, stocky-built woman on the other side. He'd seen Super Mutants with more neck than she had, and with less muscle. She handed him a slip of paper.
"I received orders to expect you, and to deliver a telegram," she explained. He took it.
"I didn't know the Minutemen were in the message delivery business," he said.
"Only when it comes from the General, mister MacCready."
It took RJ a moment to realize who she was talking about, and it hit him. He just knew her as Nora. With that, he looked at the telegram.
Robert,
Surrogate took, expecting a girl, stop.
Have a mystery for you to consult on, stop.
Will meet you at your homestead after you settle in, stop.
Not an adventure, just need your experience on something, stop.
Looking forward to seeing you again, stop.
Tell Duncan I said hello, stop.
Regards, Nora
RJ read it over a couple of times. Nothing urgent. Just afternoon tea at his new house. Right. And he was a purple, hornless Deathclaw that sang about hugs and brushing your teeth.
"Thank you, Sergeant. I appreciate the message. Please inform the General I look forward to seeing her, if you can, I don't want to get in the way of anything, and this isn't urgent."
"If it's a message to the General, then it's urgent."
"Brief, then."
She nodded, and took her leave. RJ turned back to Duncan, who had now stolen most of the blankets. RJ chuckled to himself, and laid back down on the bed. They didn't have to rush there. He ran their route through his head. They'd swing by Drumlin Diner and have lunch there. Maybe they'd stop at Taffington if movement was slow, and they'd spend the night there, but they would probably be at Finch Farms by tomorrow night. His mind wandered to the telegram. If Nora wanted something badly enough she would send a message ahead of time, what could possibly be that important?
Still. He looked forward to seeing her glow about the new baby. Maybe now he'd see what other people saw when RJ talked about Duncan.