On Thin Ice
Chapter 9: Rivers to Oceans
Feeling the heat radiate off of her skin, Ruby rolled her shoulders feeling her muscles ache under her skin. The fire was wonderful though, it was a nice way to end the long day. Closing her eyes, the woman felt a cool breeze tickle at the nape of her neck causing her to briefly shudder. Feeling the bench shift a little Ruby's hues opened quickly, her gaze being met with Hancock's bright smile. It was infectious. Ruby couldn't help herself but smile back every time he gave her that look. His eyes were always inviting, his motions smooth. Seeing as the woman kept rolling her shoulder, her eyes looking a bit pained. Hancock slid over closer to the woman's form on the bench. Reaching up, he placed his hands on her shoulder and began rubbing the muscle deeply in tight small circles. He could feel Ruby immediately relax under his touch.
"Ughh.. How did you know.." Ruby sighed
"It was a bit obvious." Hancock laughed.
Hancock could feel her muscle slowly unwinding itself under her skin, his bare fingers working it until the knot had dissipated. Ruby's dark hues were closed, she kept biting at the inside of her lip. Something was on her mind. Ruby was a bit obvious whenever something was boiling up under that lid of hers. Just the way she would dart her way around specific topics in conversations or just go out of her way to avoid them all together. Hancock knew Ruby initially wasn't the one to speak to begin with, but the longer they had spent time together the more the woman opened up. He just wish she would speak whenever something was bothering her. Moving his fingers over to her other shoulder, he began working the tight muscles near her neck. If her body could get anymore loose and nimble she would melt into a puddle. The thought brought a smile to Hancock's face. Never had he seen the woman so relaxed.
Ruby briefly pulled away from Hancock's touch. Growing confused, the Mayor frowned softly. Seeing the woman turn herself he blinked a few times. Had she had enough? She had seemed like she was enjoying herself to much to want it to end. Ruby slid herself a bit closer to Hancock, reaching up she ran her fingers down his cheek. He could feel his heart beginning to pick up in his chest. Damn this woman.
"You aint gonna pull some trick on me again are you?" Hancock snarked.
Without saying a word, Ruby leaned up and placed a gentle kiss on the Mayor's lips. Pulling away from him, the woman's cheeks flared red, blushing hard.
"Is.. Oh.. Well.. I wasn't expecting that kind of lapse in judgment from you." Hancock gave a stupid grin.
The sheer look of shock growing acrossed Ruby's face was worth every moment it stung to say that comment. A wider smile grew acrossed Hancock's face. Wrapping his hand around the back of her neck, he leaned close to her and pressed a deep kiss upon the woman's soft lips to which she happily returned. Wanting to savor the moment, Hancock cupped her cheeks and slowly pulled away breaking off the kiss.
"Look love, if this is what I think it's about. You won't want to wake up every morning next to this ugly mug. I wouldn't wish that upon anyone I cared about." Hancock gently frowned.
Ruby only shook her head gazing him deep in the eyes. "That..has never bothered me Hancock. You are handsome." Her gaze warmed.
Not answering, Hancock only returned her smile before quickly leaning in and kissing her once more. Ruby reached her small hands out and wrapped them around the Mayor's collar, her fingers slipping under his warm jacket and beginning to pull it off his shoulders. With Hancock's help Ruby pulled his red frock off of his shoulders and gently set it down beside her. Briefly breaking the kiss, the woman turned herself and slowly crawled onto Hancock's lap, straddling him. Hancock wrapped his arms around the woman, his hands snaking down to her butt, giving it a good squeeze. A soft whimper escaped from Ruby's lips, leaning her head against his shoulder, the woman nuzzled his cheek, her breath growing heavy.
"You sure about this?" Hancock asked, his voice barely hovering above a whisper.
"Yes." Ruby trembled.
Hancock's hands slowly moved up under Ruby's white shirt only pausing when the music that normally strummed out of the woman's pipboy stopped playing.
"Attention all Minutemen. A settlement needs your help. Any available minutemen please report to Sunshine Tidings Co-op immediately, stay safe out there." The voice shattered the tender moment Ruby and Hancock had so desperately wanted to have.
Ruby sighed inwardly her head pounding from frustration. Leaning close to Hancock once more, Ruby placed a gentle kiss on his cheek and slowly pulled away. Feeling his warmth leave left her a bit grumpy. Standing up, she reached down and picked up his red frock, holding it out for him
"Sorry.. To..-"
"No love, duty calls." Hancock interrupted, taking the red frock from her hands and giving Ruby a gentle smile.
#
Ruby held herself close to the ground, her rifle clenched close to her chest. It was dark outside, the moon hadn't even peaked out in the night sky. All that was visible was the many stars that filled the dark sky. The woman was relying on Hancock's ears now more then ever, yet despite getting the news the settlement was under attack, she heard nothing. No cries for help, no shots being fired. It was all entirely eerie. Feeling her heart race in her chest, the woman followed Hancock slowly up the hill, keeping her footfalls quiet. Radio Freedom never specified what had attacked the settlement to much of her frustration.
Hancock immediately stopped in his tracks and stood back up to his feet, Ruby could see something was off about his body language. Slowly raising back up to her feet, she looked over to Hancock's face, it was twisted and sad. Growing confused, Ruby turned her head and looked out to the settlement… everyone was dead.
Ruby slung her rifle over her shoulder by the strap. Leaving Hancock's side, the woman ran over to the barn, peering in, she could see a small glow emanating from a lantern. Her heart broke. Biting her bottom lip, Ruby walked over close to one of the dead bodies laying on the ground. Sinking down slowly, Ruby collapsed into tears her hands cupping over her eyes.
"Oh God, I am so.. Sorry." Ruby whispered, sobbing hard.
Hancock walked over to the woman's side, holstering his shotgun. Kneeling down to her trembling form, her wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to his chest hugging her tightly.
"Ruby, this aint your fault. You hear that." Hancock's voice grew stern.
"I..I know…we..d..did what we..we could." Ruby hiccupped.
Hancock reached over and lifted Ruby's face by her chin. Her dark makeup smearing down her cheeks. Sighing softly, the Mayor cupped her face and whipped the tears away with his thumbs. Ruby closed her eyes and took in the small moment of comfort the Mayor offered her. Hancock leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and slowly pulled himself back up, reaching down and offering his hand to help Ruby stand. The woman opened her eyes and took his hand, her knees feeling like they would buckle again until she was steady. Dropping her hand back down to her side, her dark hues gazed around, sighing once more.
"We should.. Probably find out who attacked.. Maybe find a better way to protect our other settlements so this doesn't happen again." Ruby shook her head.
Adjusting the rifle from around her shoulder Ruby stepped away from the dead woman. Walking out into the settlement, it didn't take longs for her eyes to trace where the attackers had ambushed everyone. Dead bodies littered the ground, blood trailing acrossed the dirt. Crops had been decimated. It looked like a damn war scene. Biting at the back of her lip to try and keep her emotions in check, the woman was just about to step in one of the many cabins when her foot hit something heavy. Looking down the woman noticed she had kicked a laser rifle a few feet in front of her path. Stepping up to it, she wrapped her fingers around the handle and lifted it up.
"Institute.." she whispered to herself.
Hancock followed Ruby, watching the way the woman had observed her surroundings. The night wasn't so dark now that the moon had crept out, yet the Mayor kept his ears trained on anyone else that might have been lurking in the darkness. His dark hues caught Ruby stopping in her tracks and picking up a rifle. Stepping over to her side, his hues darted down to the gun, knowing full well who had developed it.
"The damn Institute killed everyone here.." Ruby snapped.
"Time to take them down." Hancock's voice strained.
Ruby's dark hues glanced up over at Hancock, her face growing more angry by the second.
"Yeah, I can't waste anymore time.. We need to take them out. They aren't taking anymore lives, not on my clock." Ruby shook her head.
#
Ruby sat in the living room of her old worn down house. As much as she had been dying to get away and set up her home back at the old Kingsport Lighthouse, more pressing matters had begun bubbling up. Responsibilities had been growing and more people had been calling out for help from the Minutemen now that they had become more established. The woman never asked to be apart of anyone's crusade, she never asked to be anyone's hero. Yet this 32 year old former lawyer, with a dead husband and a missing son had become just that. Just the person the Commonwealth had been needing. Was it the fact her late husband was a Veteran? Or the fact she had been a lawyer, or was it just the fact she had an open mind. Ruby didn't know, she didn't know the answers to anything yet she had been seemingly make the right choices despite nearly getting her ass killed a few occasions. Ruby felt split, apart of her wanted to take down the Institute and go find Shaun, if he wasn't already brain washed..or.. Killed and turned into a synth. To try and capture some small part of her old life back, live in a house with Shaun and Codsworth, perhaps with Hancock if he willed. Yet that other part of her was thriving in this community. This part of her wanted to continue on with her life as the General of the Minutemen. They had become strongly established thanks to her. Maybe young Shaun would become a Minutemen as well when he got old enough? Ruby didn't know. She knew nothing. Despite the split she had been recently feeling, the woman knew the sooner she took down the Institute, the sooner the people of the Commonwealth could unite once more, and the sooner she could be united with Shaun.
That now familiar red frock broke Ruby out of her thought. Looking up from the wall, the woman's dark hues glanced over to Hancock who was standing next to the couch, a small smile ever adorning his face. It was infectious, a small smile tugged at the woman's cheeks, a soft chuckle escaping her lips.
"So.. What's the plan?" Hancock asked, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a cigarette.
"We need to go to the Glowing Sea.. After I pick up a Hazmat suit of course. We need to find Virgil and find out how to get into the Institute. Then we can take them on." Ruby beamed.
"Would you like for me to go with you?" Hancock asked.
"Do I really need to ask this anymore?" Ruby chuckled.
"Good point.." Hancock shook his head.
Ruby slowly pulled herself up from the worn out couch, The fabric ripping every time she shifted her weight. Brushing herself off, the woman rolled her shoulder and adjusted the dark blue navy coat on her shoulders. The woman had just recently acquired the General's Uniform and had taken a big liking to it, almost made it feel more official.
"Lets go." She smiled.
Authors Note:
Big chapter! Hope you all liked it! Things will begin to start moving after this. Chapter updates will be slow but thank you for all of the follows and favorites! Until then happy reading!
