Hey guys! Thanks for liking this story! It means a lot to me, and I will warn you that I've been playing a shit ton of Overwatch. So if I deviate and start up an Overwatch fic just remember that McCree is the reason why.
Paring: None
Rating: T
Fallout 4 belongs to Bethesda Softworks.
Armed with both directions and some more supplies, Nora gave a tearful goodbye to the Abernathy family. Her constant companion nipped at her heels as she gave Lucy and Connie one last hug. A makeshift map was shoved into her backpack by Blake before she began the next leg of her journey. Of course the family had offered her a place to stay; they would have let her live there with them on the farm.
Even if that was what she wanted to do, it wasn't what she needed to do.
Though there was one thing Nora didn't expect, it was meeting mean people. Every now and then she would stumble across a group of mean looking adults and Dogmeat would protect her most of the time. But, she remembered pulling a pipe pistol on an unsuspecting woman that tried to beat Dogmeat to death, and then she pulled the trigger.
Her aim wasn't the best but the woman was still alive when Nora ran out to check on Dogmeat. Whether or not she survived was unknown to Nora, as she continued southeast. Her little Mary Janes were silent as she played the Diamond City Radio on her Pip-Boy, the cool voice of Dion was comforting to her.
As the days passed her by, she got hungrier and hungrier because as a child she had no clue that rationing was going to save her from starvation. So when the food ran out, Nora got thinner. This...this was something she never had to worry about; her Papa would normally buy more food, or her Mommy would feed her. Her water was gone and she drank from the dirty water on the ground; it was ruining her slowly.
She would trudge along the broken roads; taking cover in buildings when it started to rain with Dogmeat at her side. During nights she would cuddled up against the German Shepard, not trusting him to sleep otherwise. The generosity of others had run out since she found the Abernathy family, and with it so did the access to food.
Maybe she should have stayed in Sanctuary with Preston and Marcy, they weren't her Mommy or Papa but they watched over her like them.
But whenever she thought like that, then she would think about how Nate would want her to find him! The older boy was always with Nora and she would always find him no matter what.
When Nora finally found a familiar place she was on the edge of Cambridge, her Pip-Boy picking up a weird message but all she was hoping was that they were friendly. She followed the roads that she and her Papa would have taken to get to the Fraternal Post and Nora let out a silent squeak at what she saw. There was zombies!
Given they didn't act like the ones from the movies she would sneak into with Nate at the Starlight Drive In, but they were real life zombies! And Nora was going to be a hero like in the movies! For the first time in days she smiled and looked past her hunger to pull out her pipe pistol; instead of thinking that she was killing something Nora knew she was saving someone.
With a small nudge Dogmeat surged forward, and Nora followed him cautiously. Like the Silver Shroud she swooped in and pulled the trigger on the zombies, just as cool and awesome as the Shroud! And like in the movies she knew that the only way to get rid of zombies is to shoot them in the head, it was common sense.
But as soon as Nora got to the street in front of the zombie horde, she saw the most awesome thing in the world.
"FOR THE BROTHERHOOD!"
OH MY GOSH, THERE WAS A CATCH PHRASE TOO!
The horde of zombies ignored her completely but Dogmeat had taken notice of the giant suit of power armor. In fact he cut through the zombies like a bullet to get to the power armored man; Nora could only hide behind a broken down car as the dog ripped into the zombies. With aided help from Dogmeat, the man was able to do what should have been Nora's job at being (and she looked around before thinking) badass.
She crept closer to the barricade entrance of what she knew was the Cambridge Police Department, and could hear the man praise her dog. "Good boy, Scribe do you think he is of an intelligent breed?" and Nora smiled. This man knew that Dogmeat was as smart as anyone!
"Its hard to tell sir, maybe if we hand him over to Senior Scribe Neriah then she could tell."
WHAT? NO! Dogmeat was her friend she couldn't let them hurt him! "Hey! Don't touch Dogmeat!" she cried out as she ran out from behind the ruined Corvega. Nora dashed past the barricades and threw herself at the dog; her gun leveled with the man's head as she pushed Dogmeat behind her.
Instead of hurting her, like she thought, the man looked more startled if anything; he wasn't sure if he was going to hurt her or not. Nora flinched when a soft hand settled on her shoulder, and a kind woman smiled at her. "Hey sweetie, its okay. Just put the gun down," and the young girl's bottom lip wobbled as her green eyes welled up with tears. "Its going to be alright."
She sniffed and dropped her gun, "B-but, D-Dogm-meat!"
"He'll be okay too, I promise."
Nora's stomach grumbled angrily at her and she whimpered, "H-he's hungry." She let the nice woman take her bags off and hand them to the armored man, and she merely grabbed onto her shoulders when the woman picked Nora up.
With a bright smile aimed at her, Nora felt better than she did in days. Someone cared, and unlike the meanies that wanted to take all her stuff and Dogmeat, this woman was more than happy to bring her inside. "And by the looks of it so are you," and Nora rested her head on the lady's shoulder. She looked behind the woman to watch the armored man walk behind them.
"Hi," she offered weakly and stuck out a hand to him.
Her Mommy would be appalled if she saw Nora now; a grimy dress and ratty hair when greeting a stranger for the first time. Though the man didn't care and shifted her bags to shake her hand as well, after a moment of thought. When they got inside the old building the yelling began; Dogmeat had weaseled his way in before the door was completely open. He was now pressed against a man in orange, licking at the water bottle the man dropped in his surprise.
"Wha- What is this?! Paladin Danse, do you condone this- this mongrel to be in here!"
Nora frowned, "Dogmeat's not a morngel, he's a puppy!"
"He's a filthy animal! Just like you, you little wastelander!" the man spat in anger before anyone could stop him. Nora, poor little Nora couldn't help it anymore; she burst into tears. Her wails were muffled by the woman's jacket as a comforting hand ran over her messy hair.
She cried all the tears that she held in since leaving Lucy and her family behind, since she ran out of food, "MOMMY!" Her one word was long and drawn out, but Nora took solace in the woman holding her.
"Knight Rhys! Hold your tongue, before you get thrown in the cell again! Do not behave like this again, do I make myself clear?" the Paladin asked. Dropping the bags Nora had on a dusty counter, Danse took a deep breath before rubbing at his temples. Like Papa did when he was upset. Nora hiccuped and rubbed at her eyes, trying to stop crying but she couldn't. "Haylen, bring her some water and food soon. Then we can all talk," and Nora's bloodshot eyes bore into his brown ones.
She let go of Haylen and reached out for Danse, her grubby fingers wiggled at him as she forced herself to stop crying. The Paladin took a step back before his armor began to hiss, it opened up before her like a present and he stepped out. His suit was just as orange as Rhys and Haylen's suits, and he looked less like a hero from a movie to a normal person.
One her Papa would have liked.
"Hey it will be okay," he was one of the most awkward people she had ever met in her life. But, he was a hero and that was enough for her. His hold on her was secure and she could only get more tired as she cried on.
It never even occurred to her that she fell asleep on Danse until she woke up the next morning with Dogmeat curled up next to her. Properly brushed and taken care of, watching over her like he had in the days before.
Her personal teddy bear.
~.~.~.
"You look funny."
Well, to Nora he did look funny! The man in front of her was dressed up differently from the others in the Steel Brother thingy, he was a lot like her Papa. His scars were weird and he looked very young; though he was very bossy like Mommy. The others around her started to cough and she held onto Danse's hand tightly; she was just asking a question.
"Ahh, Paladin Danse; this is the child you wish to sponsor for a Squire?"
"Yes Elder Maxson, she is rather intelligent and resourceful for a child. Nora claims to have trekked all the way from Vault 111 to Cambridge with a dog and minimal supplies."
Nora frowned, "Dogmeat's name is Dogmeat, not Dog." He was just as smart as she was! Dogmeat was able to help Danse go to her Mommy's work place and play the Silver Shroud for a day!
Elder Maxson (well he wasn't elder because he was young) sighed and told everyone but her to leave. She tugged on the hem on her ancient dress nervously when the man knelt down in front of her. "It is nice to meet you Nora, pray tell where you're parents might be," he asked kindly and Nora sniffed a bit. She could only shake her head and just by that the man knew exactly where her parents were.
She looked up at Danse for a second before he gave her a subtle nod, "You look like Papa." He was very much like Papa, but he didn't have her eyes. They were like Mommy's eyes instead, and he had black hair like she did. The look he gave her reminded her of her Papa when he smiled, his eyes did the wrinkly thing and his lips pulled up into a smile.
But this was different, it wasn't a smile like Papa's, this man was trying to smile for her and his attempt fell flat. She could tell that he was really upset about something, and Nora reached out and took his hand. "I'm Nora Williams and I'm a ballerina," and Maxson (that was really familiar) shook her hand.
"I am Arthur Maxson, Elder of the Brotherhood of Steel."
She scrunched her face in concentration and before either Danse or Arthur could ask her what was wrong she yelled out, "Silver Shroud!" Her face was bright with excitement as she bounced up and down excitedly. If she thought Danse could be the Silver Shroud then she was sure that Arthur was the Silver Shroud. Well, he had a beard and the Shroud didn't but that didn't matter! "Papa would watch the newest Shroud episodes with me! You gotta be the Shroud!" Nora cried out. She grinned up at Danse who was shaking with laughter, and Arthur was exasperated.
"Nora, the Silver Shroud was broadcast over two hundred years ago. There's no way you could have watched it when they came out, you'd have to be a ghoul to do that."
"Nuh uh! The vault thingy that Papa signed up for kept us good as new for a long time!" then she got sad, "But there's no one left."
She looked up at Arthur shyly when he took her hand and told Danse he could go eat, "Let's go make sure you're not sick okay Nora?"
"No needles?"
"Only if you aren't sick."
One hour later, the Elder was sitting in the mess hall nursing a really painful black eye as Nora sat next to him munching on a Mirelurk Cake. She had been severely malnourished and was recovering fro dehydration when Danse found her. So the first thing she needed was a Stimpak for the bruises on her body, but she had thrown a huge temper tantrum.
Her 'Papa Magic' only worked when Arthur had been punched and she forced her to sit still in his lap as he hummed to her a Dion song. Nora had let Cade use his needle when Arthur had decided to hum for her, letting him calm her down when she needed it.
Now however, some of the female knights and scribes were fawning over how cute she looked with her Squire outfit on and a nice shower brought out her beautiful eyes and hair color. Her face lit up as she talked to the other Brotherhood members, and it was only when she started to get sleepy at the table did they leave her alone. She was a big girl! She didn't need a bed time but Nora didn't object to Arthur carrying her to Danse's quarters.
A small bed had been set up for her for the night, and Nora didn't like it. Her old pink bed sheets were stuck in Sanctuary while she was her in the big zepplyn? Zepplin? Zeplin? Whatever she was in Nora was stuck in the air and unable to do anything other than follow Danse and Arthur around. She did miss Dogmeat who had taken off after he got back with Danse from her Mommy's work.
"Don't wanna go to bed," she nuzzled against Arthur's neck anyways.
"You have to, tomorrow you can start to be a Squire."
"Wanna find Nate, don't wanna stay here."
"We'll talk tomorrow about it okay?" he asked her and she nodded.
Nora was fast asleep when she was laid down on that spare bed in Danse's room, sleeping the world away as a meeting happened without her knowledge. Everyone that was associated with her had been gathered in Elder Maxson's room, sitting at his little table. Cade, Recon Team Gladius, and the Elder were all engrossed in their conversations about the strange child Danse had managed to pick up.
"No disrespect to you Elder, but the girl will not be a great addition to the Brotherhood. She is too disrespectful," Rhys complained, as Haylen shot a glare at him. He never really liked Nora and that dislike grew when Haylen was sorting out her clothes and he caught sight of her Vault suit.
Danse, who grew fond of Nora, was quick to cut across Rhys, "Well then she is a step above you, as a child she can be taught to be respectful of her commanding officers. You are willfully disrespectful of your COs."
The knight sunk down in his seat when Arthur and Cade raised their eyebrows at him, but otherwise didn't make a move to chastise him. They all knew that any abuse towards children was not tolerated on the Prydwen, and Rhys was walking a dangerous line. "Nora is ... different then the other Vault Dwellers we have seen. She has been able to recall broadcasted episodes of The Silver Shroud without trouble. Sometime during dinner she referenced knowing Roger Maxson at one point in her life. I believe that a search needs to be conducted for Vault 111. Any and all technology is to be confiscated and all technical documents are to be brought to Proctor Quinlan. Am I understood?" Arthur was saluted by the Recon Team crisply.
Well, Rhys was the sloppiest of them all considering he basically ran out of the Elder's room.
Cade, however, was interested with the young girl that answered all his questions with more finesse then an adult Vault Dweller. Her dialect was something to behold, seeing as it was older then any Pre-War Ghoul could remember since the bombs. The few manners that he could spot were akin to those he would read in the Pre-War documents.
Even better when checking her with a Geiger counter, she showed no signs of having any natural born radiation; even for a Vault Dweller that was pretty ridiculous. There was an opportunity for her to be formally introduced into the Brotherhood of Steel, her genetics were clean and it would be a boon to their cause.
"Elder ... you realize how precious Nora really is? If she is taken by the wrong people ..." Cade trailed off, letting Arthur catch his drift. It was a grim realization for him, the Institute would have done anything to get their hands on her. Hell, when they catch wind of her existence, their synths would be breaking down his door for her.
"Of course I do, but she must have people looking for her. People that are willing to burn the land and boil the sea. We will be a target."
"We will be saved. She can be adopted into Steel and when the time comes work her way up the ranks. Imagine the possibilities," Cade continued, and Arthur resigned himself with a sigh. He knew the possibilities that Nora brought with her was honestly tempting, but Arthur knew the expectations that came with being a child prodigy of sorts.
"Yes, you are dismissed Cade. Thank you for bringing this to my attention."
Steel help him, Arthur waited until Cade left the room completely before giving in and grabbing a bottle of whiskey off his desk.
He needed a drink.
Though when the next morning came around Nora's enthusiasm had diminished a small bit but she still kept her cheerful demeanor. The black haired child was more then happy to sit with children her age and eat the old Instamash made for their breakfast. Though there was one problem with the other Squires she found herself with.
"But! You're a wastelander! From the Commonwealth too," one snooty boy commented, as if he was talking about a Grognak comic book!
"Hey! I've always lived here! My Papa chose to live here after he left Alaska!"
"Dummy! Alaska's like thousands of miles away!"
"But Papa was there to fight away the Red Scare!"
"Your Papa was dumb to ever tell you that, just like you are for believing it stupid dummy!"
Of course being called a dummy was not the worst insult in the Commonwealth, but no one talks bad about Nora's Papa and expect to get away with it. Nora used her outside voice (at least Mommy called it that) and with a loud screech she vaulted over the table. None of the other kids stopped her and cheered as she whooped him.
In the course of ten seconds she was done breaking his nose and was being hauled off of him by Arthur, "Don't talk bad 'bout Papa! He was a HERO!" The other boy was being picked up from the ground by Haylen and then Nora found herself in big trouble. Like grounded kind of trouble.
Arthur carried her to his office with Haylen dragging the other kid with her, she stuck her tongue out at the other boy when Haylen looked away for a second. And she grinned at the upset sound he made.
"Squires! What was that about?" the Elder asked when the were able to separate both her and the Squire.
Like magic, the boy started to cry out his story and pointed at her the entire time, "I don't kn-know w-what h-happened, sh-she just h-h-hit me!" Dealing with little fights like this made Nora mad to no end. He was lying! And they were nodding along with him the entire time! She forced herself not to cry as the two turned to her with their best Papa look.
The look that made her spill her secrets with that raised eyebrow.
"He said I was lying about Papa! He said I was dumb for saying my Papa was in Alaska to fight off the commies! And he called me a wastelander! I'm not one, I'm a ballerina!"
Still, Arthur looked like he was disappointed in her and Nora wiped the tears from her eyes desperately. "Still, Nora there are other ways to deal with anger then turning on a fellow comrade, no matter how mad they make you. Understand?" Arthur asked her.
The way that the other Squire grinned at her made her angry again as both Haylen and Arthur looked at her for an answer.
"Yes Papa."
~.~.~.
Her time out session led her to the airport under the eyes of Knight Rhys, and Nora could only listen to how he was 'briefing' her the entire way down. What she really meant was that he was complaining about having to watch over Nora. She pouted the entire way down, and the other Squire was with them too. Angry that he was in trouble as well, and that was the only good part about Nora's trouble.
Her clunky bags were still attached to her, since the last time she left them on the thingy in the air the other kids started to take her stuff. They were just as mean as the Squire and she didn't like any of them. Nora only liked Danse, Haylen, and Arthur; but they were all disappointed in her. The faith that they had in her was gone and Arthur talked to her 'bout gaining respect again.
"Okay, so what is going to happen in that the two of you will be paired together and sweep the airport before reporting back to me. Understood Squires?"
"Yeah."
"Ad victorium Knight!"
So Nora was outside sweeping irradiated dust with a big bully; the entire time Rhys was sitting in an old couch and was not caring of the evil words of the Squire. Her teeth grit the entire time she was sleeping as the boy kept dogging her about getting them in trouble. Nora's sniffles did nothing to stop him from hurting her feelings, just like the boys from her school had done such a long time ago.
Her little heart could only take so much from him, and like the usual for Nora when she got in trouble she ran. To safety, to her Papa, or back home. Nora threw her down her broom and stomped away from the Squire.
"Stupid wastelander! Nobody wants you here anyways, not even the Elder!"
Danse wanted her, but he was angry. Just like everyone else, and in that moment she was afraid that he was right.
She stood by the water and sniffled as she rummaged through her bags for her Pip-Boy and an empty holotape. Nora fumbled with the holotape for a second before opening up a new file on it and starting her voice diary.
"Uhmm, this is Nora Williams. I'm six years old and I miss my family. Papa always told me that when I'm feeling down I should tell someone, but everyone is angry with me," she paused for a second, and turned around to see if Rhys noticed she was gone. "Arthur is a lot like Papa, but he's not. Well I guess I should tell you about my friend, because he's the reason why I'm here. Nate's my best friend and I'm going to save him from the Red Menace, but I don't know where he is."
Behind her was the soft rustle of the wind and she wiped away her tears, "It's so lonely here. Me 'n Papa were 'possed to go watch the baseball game when we went to the vault. Me 'n Mommy were going to go with Papa to see Uncle Roger in the West. All my friends are gone and Nate is missing." Nora had her back turned to Arthur, who had come down to see the progress of the two Squires, and never once noticed him.
"I wanna go home! I wish I never woke up alone without Mommy or Papa."
The wind picked up around her as Arthur approached her and picked her up, "Why can't I go home Papa?"
"Oh Nora, home is not a place. It is a person, your home will always be with you. We will help you find your friend, never forget that family is of blood and steel. I will be your family, the brotherhood can be your family. Only if you let us."
As she wept into his dark coat he reached over and turned off the recording on her Pip-Boy, and in that moment he decided that twenty fucking something was not too young to be a father.
PAPA MAXSON TO THE RESCUE! The story is on wheels on must get going now! Thanks for all the love and support guys =)
Ragehappy Mavin Fan
