Fiction: Fallout 4

Summary: Takes place shortly after A Hostage Situation, Ash talks about things she thinks are beyond weird in the Commonwealth.

Category: One-Shot

Disclaimer: I do not lay claim to any of the following work. While the writings themselves are my own, my character is created fully by myself, the other characters and story elements I do not own. I also do not own any of the Fallout 4 elements that are in play. Full credit goes to where it is due. Thank you. Thanks to Bethesda.

-oOo-

"You know what I can't ever understand?" Ashtyn asked from her position across the entryway.

They were out scouting North Boston, or what was left of it after centuries of radiation and raiders ate away at all the half-way decent stuff the land had to offer. Still, the Elder believed they could find long last technology or information, so here they were.

Danse still felt sore, his muscles ached and the burns that laced his flesh were far from fully healed. But it was good to be out and moving, to work his arms and legs. Being cooped up on the Prydwen with Cade assessing his vital signs every two hours had begun to grate on his nerves. Not being with his fellow Knights and Paladins was unbearable; knowing they were out in the field being productive while he sat on a sterile cot tending to his wounds was aggravating.

So, when Ashtyn had found him with that lop-sided smirk curling her full lips into a grin, waving a document of releasement in her hand, he jumped at the opportunity to get some fresh air.

Granted, what fueled his desire to return to duty had been more than just getting out of the first aid station. His hazelnut gaze flicked to Ash as she turned towards him, brows arched as she waited for his response. He would be lying if he denied her part in it.

"What?"

She pushed off from the counter, jabbing an accusing finger towards the cash register. "The strange places you keep bottle caps."

Danse cocked his head to the side, taking a few steps towards her as he continued to scan the shelves for any valuable items. They were mostly bare. Tin cans long forgotten, emptied containers, and water cartons long since depleted. The metal was coated in a fine layer of dust. "I'm not following."

"Okay, hear me out. You would think you'd find them in these things, right?" Again she pointed at the register. "But nope. What is there instead? Ammo. Ammo! For shotguns!"

"You telling me that you didn't keep ammunition around in easy to reach places two hundred years ago?" Danse hedged coming to stand beside her, peering into the object she kept gesturing at. Bullets were lined up between the plastic separators, rubber banded together to keep them from rolling away.

She scoffed. "No. We kept cash in there. But that's not the only weird thing."

He chuckled. Haylen had said that Ashtyn had been itching, practically crawling the walls was her exact phrasing, to have Danse return. Had she not told anyone else about who she truly was? Was he the only who knew? If so, that meant that he was also the only person she could relay this information to. "What else has changed?"

"There are bottle caps in the washing machines." His expression must have proved his confusion since she continued. "We threw those things away, in the trash, pre-war. They weren't currency. They were garbage. And I'm sure as shit that these things didn't work after the bombs fell, so nobody was doing their laundry. Who chose bottle caps as the replacement for the dollar bill any ways?"

He holstered his rifle to the strap that crossed his back before replying. "I think the merchants actually started it over on the West Coast, in New California. Caps were somewhat scarce so they were valuable as a currency. After time passed, everyone started using them. Civilians looted the Nuka Factories when word spread though… some nasty business there for a while, everyone at each other's throats trying to get rich quick."

"They suck to carry around though."

"They are a bit bulky, I'll give you that."

A gentle breeze fluttered in through the open door near the front of the Charleston Laundry. Overturned shopping carts long abandoned nestled themselves against the brickwork and cobblestone, the windows long shattered with jagged edges of glass turned upwards, prepared to impale any unsuspecting foe that tempted to come in through the opening. The heat was mild for the time of day, the clouds overhead dark and heavy, threatening to drench the Commonwealth in their acid rain. The air smelled wet, thick with moisture. They needed to get going if they wanted to make it back to Bunker Hill before the storm set in. They had a room at Savoldi's Place – it was a small room but large enough to hold their gear and belongings.

"We should head out," he advised.

Ashtyn bobbed her head in understanding, slender fingers gripping her pack and hefting it onto her shoulders. Her armor was absurdly basic today, a factoid he made sure she was blatantly aware of before they had headed out. She wore little more than some road leathers and a helmet, the alloy one he had given to her the first time they met. The Brotherhood of Steel logo was faded, barely recognizable from the months of bleaching it had received from the sun, and the countless times she had to scrub dirt and grime from the metallic surface.

As they returned to the street, she continued. "Then there's the books and magazines. Why the flip did some magazines survive the apocalypse but every book I find is burnt? And it wasn't even the good magazines that stuck around either."

"Technically, you did find a few books seeing as I have them on my bedside table back on the Prydwen."

She rolled her eyes. "Sure, okay, yeah. There are those. But there are book return stations all over the fucking place but hardly any books. The Natick Police Station one has gum drops in it. But I'm never gonna get the right armount tokens or books to get them."

Danse led the way down an alley that would allow them to skirt around the dangers of the main road. Raiders, ghouls, supermutants… any abomination could be strolling through the streets of Boston, best to avoid them altogether, especially with their packs weighed down with odds and ends. "You know, you can get candy in Diamond City and most traveling merchants have their fair share of treats."

"It's the process of getting a prize, Danse. That's what I want. I never got one when I was a kid, you'd think now that I'm all grown up, I could. How was I supposed to know the nukes would kill all my fun?" She crouched low to dodge a fallen beam from a nearby gas station that had once been part of the foundation. Rot and mold blackened the woodwork, making the structure weak. Years of constant humidity had done the rest, forcing the building to practically split at the seams.

Danse could just make out the memorial ahead, the large structure known as Bunker Hill visible along the horizon above the steel and wood guard fence that surrounded the settlement.

They would be able to rest soon.

"And what the hell is with fusion cores?" she quipped, jogging ahead of him so she could pivot on her heels, facing him and walking backwards as she spoke.

He couldn't help the way his eyes rolled. So very full of questions today. "Go on."

"They can sit in generators in the middle of Bum-Fuck nowhere for decades, providing power to a whole damn factory… But shove one into a suit of power armor? Lasts thirty minutes if you're lucky."

She… had a point. A valid one. "You got me there.'

"Another thing about power armor? How are we not crushed when we fall from the top of the Prydwen? I saw Ingram do it the other day, she dropped straight off from the flight deck… walked away like it was nothing. Now, I wasn't great at physics back in my day but I'm pretty sure that's not possible. At least, not without pulverizing all your bones into mush."

They were nearing the gate now, he could hear the turrets that manned the perimeter hum in their steady positions. The spotlights swiveled back and forth, illuminating the staircase towards the monument, sparkling off of the cracked asphalt and weed-dense dirt. "You know, I think Quinlan knows a thing or two about that. He said it has something to do with-"

"Raider or merchant?" a voice cut him off.

Danse hesitated, head snapping forward. They hadn't been asked that when they originally first arrived.

Ashtyn merely snorted. "Deb, seriously?"

"Oh, sorry hun. Didn't realize it was you. Come on in." the woman waved her hand for them to enter, stepping aside and away from the automated weapon. "Can't be too careful with the storm brewing. People sometimes think we are an easy target when they need shelter from the elements. You guys need any patching up?"

"Don't worry 'bout it. And nah, we are good. Thanks though. Say hi to Meg for me. She still owes me that tour. I paid her for it."

Danse trailed behind Ash as they moved into the settlement, already beginning to feel a trickle of rain water drip down the back of his head. The clouds behind them groaned, light danced between the buildings. Not too much time before it hit. "How is it that you know everyone everywhere?"

"Making friends is easy when you're not ridiculously judgmental about who or what it is you're talking to," she reprimanded, nearing Savoldi's Place.

"I'm cautious. And you should be too, you never know what-"

"They are people, Danse. We've gone over this." And her tone implied that she had no desire to repeat said conversation.

He bit the inside of his cheek, holding his tongue. Though he didn't fully conform to the beliefs of the Brotherhood of Steel like he once had – even he could admit that they were wrong in some regards – her disdain for the most fundamental essentials was discomforting. It would be her demise one day if she wasn't careful. Being too trusting in this world… it never had a happy ending.

Ashtyn dug out the iron key from her pocket, unlocking their door at the top of the stairs. Wind whistled through the rafters, making the foundation rattle. He watched as a small frown color her features. "Gonna get nasty tonight," she commented.

"We'll be good once inside. With a roof over our heads and a few candles burning, we should be safe."

"That's another thing," she started, shoving the door open and stepping into the room. She discarded her pack by the bed and sat down to begin unlacing her boots. "Some of the settlements I've helped for the Minutemen… Man, they are in bad shape. Caved in ceilings, holes in the floor… Then you go into Concord or Lexington and there are perfectly good looking homes. Why do people live in such shitty places when there are better options?"

He mirrored her actions, unbuckling the combat armor from his torso. "That would be a question for Garvey next time you see him."

She shrugged one of her shoulders, finally finished with her boots. Standing she moved to grab a bowl from a wooden shelf above the dresser. "Whatever. You guys are weird."

With her back to him, Danse couldn't help but steal a glance. She was lean, muscular, her curves just enough to grab his attention and make his heart pick up a few beats. Her auburn hair was damp, beaded raindrops clinging to the gentle curls that framed her face. As she reached for a box of Sugar Bombs, the pink cotton shirt she wore drifted upwards, exposing her sun-kissed lower back.

He wasn't the only person who noticed her either… he heard the gossip on the Prydwen, how some of the lower ranking Knights and even Commanding Officers commented on her looks. 'Legs to die for', 'hips I could hold all night', and a 'tight ass' had been some of the more demeaning observations.

But they didn't know her the way he did.

They didn't know the way her laugh sounded like the finest bell ringing on the brightest summer day. Or how her beauty was only matched by her untamed and wild spark of an attitude that could go from sultry hot to bitter cold in a matter of seconds. Her determination, her drive, her ability to give the finger to reality… Her uniqueness, everything about her.

She was more than just a pretty thing to look at.

Ashtyn turned to meet his stare, those sharp blue eyes stealing his breath away and forcing him to clear his throat and glance away. Though she has that going for her too, I suppose.

When he had gathered enough nerve to return his attention to her, she was perched at the end of the bed, popping the cap off of a Nuka Cola bottle and adding the liquid to her cereal. Wait, what? "What are you doing?"

"Uh…. Eating?" she responded, twisting to wrinkle her nose at him.

"Cola and Sugar Bombs though?"

"Yeah. What's wrong with that?" Defensive now.

"After… After everything you said you thought was 'super weird', you eat your Bombs with Cola?" his voice was incredulous, a hint of a smile coiling his lips, a laugh already building in his throat.

"I like it," she muttered, staring defiantly back at her bowl before popping a spoonful into her mouth.

He chuckled, sitting down beside her. "You're going to get a cavity."

"Want to try it?" she wiggled a spoon in front of him, eyes sparkling with humor.

"No thanks. I'm good. I'm fine with eating my cereal with milk, as was intended."

"You don't have to suck all the fun out of everything, you know," she cooed, a playful threat.

Danse scowled. Two can play at this game.

Just as she began to turn the spoon back towards her own mouth, he wrapped his hand around hers and took a bite… startling them both.

Her eyes widened, a blush crept up her cheeks, coloring her skin in scarlet. Her lips parted in surprise.

Swallow. Chew and swallow, he had to command himself. He slowly lowered his hand and tore his gaze from hers. What the hell are you doing?

She coughed, trying to act as if nothing had happened. But he knew, he knew he had caught her off guard… and the way she grinned, the way her eyes twinkled… she had liked it. "So, uh, what do you think?"

About you or the food? Because honestly? Both are going to kill me if I'm not careful. "It's good. But I really think it needs milk. Let me go see if Sav has any. I'll be right back." I need to get out of here before I do something really stupid.

Before she could reply, he stood and bee lined for the door, closing his makeshift shield behind him and swallowing a few lungfuls of air. "By Steel," he whispered. His heart was pounding out an unsteady beat in his ears, his chest felt tight. Fuck. This can't happen. Why is this happening? How is she able to do this to me?

Running his fingers through his hair, Danse started down the stairs. This couldn't happen.