Zoe threw herself onto the hotel bed with a sigh of relief. She didn't know how long it had been since she lad laid on a real bed. Dogmeat jumped into her bed too, making a loud thump and letting out a big yawn. "You're lucky you're in here you know," she said to Dogmeat, "The lady up front almost didn't let you in." Dogmeat grunted in reply.

Zoe had spent the last few hours walking around Goodneighbor and reveling in the presence of people. She had stopped by the trader shop and was surprised to find that some of the useless junk she had gathered traveling to Boston was actually worth something. The owner, Daisy, went practically ballistic when Zoe pulled out a desk fan from her backpack, "Wow, you even got a working one and everything! We could really use these gears and screws." All in all she had left the store with her backpack significantly lighter and 300 bottlecaps, the current method of currency in Boston. Or the Commonwealth, as they call it now.

She had taken the intercom's advice and stopped by the local doctor who let out a yelp when he saw Zoe walk in, "You've taken so much radiation, I'm surprised you're still standing. What have you been eating?"

She described her diet over the past week which included Mirelurk meat and assorted food that she had found in abandoned houses. The doctor slowly shook his head, "No, no, no. All the food you have been describing to me is riddled with radiation. There are other foods you can eat that are not as contaminated. Also, avoid any water that isn't purified. That includes if you decide to go on a midnight swim." He gave Zoe a look and she blushed.

The doctor gave Zoe a few packets of RadAway for free (she suspected out of pity) and after ingesting it she felt much better. He also gave her some bottles of RadX to slow radiation poisoning and sent her on her way.

And now she was here. Zoe surprised herself and found that she was actually bored. She listened to the sounds in the hotel, the occasional yell and thump of a headboard. She wished she had a book. Since a child and up to her most recent memory, she had been an extremely avid reader. Her college dorm had been filled to the brim with books and she remembered someone who would always buy her books, the man with the black hair. Nate.

Immediately when she spoke the name her brain throbbed and she cried out in pain. I have the distinct feeling that I'm missing something, she thought, Something important.

I need a drink.

She swung her legs over the bed and pulled out the flannel shirt and jeans she had found abandoned in the wardrobe in her room. She knew she should have turned them in but…They were obviously forgotten right? It's not stealing. She threw her auburn hair over her shoulder and made a mental note to cut it soon.

"Dogmeat, stay." The dog perked up his ears, "I'll be back soon."

She exited the hotel and wandered in the direction of The Third Rail, the bar she had seen on her way to Hotel Rexford. She usually wasn't fond of alcohol but she felt like this was a special condition. In the back of her mind she wondered if she would meet Hancock in the bar. He seemed like the type of person who would frequent places like that. The thought gave her mixed feelings. She liked Hancock's ideals but his swift tendency to violence put her on edge and made her wonder if Hancock was unreliable.

Inside the Third Rail, Zoe was greeted by a Ghoul in a clean black suit paired with a fedora. He glanced swiftly at Zoe, "Are you Zoe, staying at Hotel Rexford? Hancock says newcomers are always welcome in the Third Rail. Go on in."

And Hancock pops up again…

She walked down an abandoned subway tunnel and realized that this was the bar. The abandoned subway station had been decked out with a lights, radios, TVs, and even a singing woman wearing a shimmering red dress.

Zoe gave a startled jump when she saw a Mr. Handy robot making drinks behind the bar. "Codsworth?"

The Mr. Handy swiveled around, "Oi. We got beer. And if you ain't buyin' beer, you ain't buyin'."

Zoe realized that this wasn't Codsworth, just another Mr. Handy floating around the Commonwealth. Disappointment washed over her and she realized that she missed the robot that had to kindly tended to her. She sat on a bar stool, "I'll take a beer please."

She coughed up 10 bottlecaps and took a sip of the beer placed in front of her. The minute the liquid touched her lips, Zoe had to resist the urge to vomit. She had never been a huge fan of beer before but this stuff was disgusting. It was warm, she realized, and way too bitter to be enjoyable. She waited until the Mr. Handy bartender turned around and chucked the beer bottle into the trashcan. Disgusted, Zoe got up from the barstool and wandered around the bar to a room with a giant VIP sign over the entrance. Almost immediately she heard voices.

Two men rough men were standing in the room facing another man sitting in a red velvet chair. The two men, Zoe noticed, had dirt on their clothing and were quite obviously packing heat from the numerous bulges in their jackets.

The man in the chair spoke as the two men entered, "Should we take this outside?"

"Can't say I'm surprised to find you in a dump like this, MacCready," said the man in the green jacket and Mohawk.

Zoe quietly stood in the doorway, out of sight from the two thugs.

"I was wondering how long it would take your bloodhounds to track me down, Winlock," the man in the chair said bitterly. He wore a string of ammo around his chest, a long coat, boots, and a hat. A long rifle lay on the side of his chair, "It's been almost three months…don't tell me you're getting rusty. Should we take this outside?"

"It ain't like that. I'm just here to deliver a message."

The man in the chair stood up, "In case you forgot, I left the Gunners for good."

"Yeah, I heard," the man named Winlock said, "But you're still taking jobs in the Commonwealth. That isn't going to work for us."

"I don't take orders from you…not anymore. So why don't you take your girlfriend and walk out of here while you still can." The man's finger twitched toward his rifle.

Winlock narrowed his eyes, "Listen up. MacCready. The only reason we haven't filled your body full of bullets is that we don't want a war with Goodneighbor. See, we respect other people's boundaries…we know how to play the game. It's something you never learned."

"Glad to have disappointed you," MacCready shot back.

Winlock chuckled, "You can play the tough guy all you want. But if we hear you're still operating inside Gunner territory, all bets are off. You got that?"

MacCready gritted his teeth, "You finished?"

"Yeah, we're finished," Winlock turned to the door, "Come on, Barnes."

Zoe stood in the doorway as Barnes and Winlock passed her. Winlock caught her eye, "What the hell are you lookin' at?" and walked out of the room.

MacCready noticed her standing by the door, "Look, lady. If you're preaching about the Atom, or looking for a friend, you've got the wrong guy. If you need a hired gun…then maybe we can talk." He flopped back down in the velvet chair.

Zoe sized him up. The man had a slight build and, judging by his rifle, he was a marksman. His brown eyes were tired but alert, suggesting that this guy was always on edge. She had been considering a companion recently; obviously she needed to know the ins-and-outs of the Commonwealth in order to survive. Plus it would be handy to have someone watching her back, "Maybe. Tell me who those guys were first."

MacCready raised his eyebrow, "Asking questions already? Alright, those were a couple of morons looking to climb the ladder of success by stepping on everyone else on the way up. You shouldn't be surprised though, that's how it goes when you run with the Gunners."

Zoe sat down on the opposite couch, "Who exactly are the Gunners?"

"They're one of the biggest gangs in the Commonwealth. Got a rep for being crazy…you know, so tightly wound you'd think they were a cult or something. Stuck with them for a while cause the money was good, but I never fit in. That's why I made a clean break and started flying solo." MacCready looked up at her, "Now what about you? How do I know I won't end up with a bullet in my back?"

"You won't," she held MacCready's gaze and felt a slight shiver roll down her spine, "That's part of the risk, right?"

MacCready turned up the corners of his mouth slightly in a pleased smile, "I can't argue with that." He leaned back, "I'll tell you what. Price is 250 caps…up front. And there's no room for bargaining. What do you say?"

Zoe mentally went through her supply of caps and knew that she definitely did not comfortably have 250 caps to spend. Max, she had 280 in total and she still needed to buy more supplies, "Would you do 200?"

"You drive a hard bargain, but you just bought yourself an extra gun," MacCready stood up and offered his hand, "All right boss…let's get out of here."