What she said stung, it was low, real low. Maybe it stung so much because he sow the truth behind the insults. He was set up there so it was easier to find him for jobs, but at the same time it made it easier to drink, drink away his sorrows, his emotions, his memories, make his sleep that much easier.

He's always enjoyed drinking, but ever since she died, a bottle seemed handy, necessary. He was just trying to forget, to give up, he'd already lost his wife, now his child with little to no hope left for him, what was MacCready really supposed to do? He wasn't actually a soldier, he was a pitiful man who shot people he couldn't actually see.

Sole was quite, uncharacteristically so. No music came from her pip-boy, no soft humming, or sarcastic comments. She seemed in her own world, distracted, she didn't even realize an enemy was there until MacCready was already shooting. This didn't go well for him, feeling extra on edge and by the time they got there his nerves were practically fried.

MacCready recognized the place, he refused to get too close due to the amount of ghouls rumored inside. "It's an old Military training camp." Sole explains, her eyes lingering over it. "I cleared it out a while ago." MacCready's head snaps over to her, eyes wide. "You cleared it out? Like by yourself?"

She doesn't answer, just walks to the door, MacCready follows in foot, lagging behind by a few steps. It takes her what looks like her full body weight to push open the door, the putrid smell of radiated decaying ghouls instantly finding his nose. He turns around for a final breath of fresh air before plunging in behind her.

Over a dozen ghouls lay in the entrance, on their backs in perfect rows, any limbs that were lost were placed in the proper spot, but obviously detached. He gives a confused side glance to Sole, but relaxes a little when she looks just as confused. "You didn't do this. Right?" "No. I was out of here as fast as I was in." She says, slowly shaking her head, surveying the body's.

"Why would someone do this?" He asks, carefully stepping over them to get to the door on the other side of the room, secretly scared that one of them might wake up. "I don't know… maybe a sign of respect?" A squeak sounds above them, followed by hollowed foot steps, making them both jump. "Or maybe it's a warning." She adds dryly.

She takes a calming breath and pulls out her 10mm, MacCready looks around the room one more time. She killed all of these ghouls, about twenty of them, how was that even possible? He looks over his shoulder to her creeping up the steps. Heavy minded he follows, each step moaning under foot. At the top she looks to each opening, trying to determine which room the sound came from.

Finally she decides, flicking her head to it, he raises his rifle as they take cautious steps towards. She entries first, quickly wiping out the corner, gun up and aiming, a high pitched squeak following, he entries, taking stand behind her. A thin women stumbles to her feet, she was thin, dirty, wild brown hair plastered her face. "Please don't hurt me!" She cries, hands shooting into the air. "Just leave me alone, please."

"Are you Shelly Tiller?" She nods. "Why did you hire Kendra?" "I just wanted an escape, I want to be safe. Please, please don't kill me." Something seems to click in her head, and to MacCready's relief she lowers her gun, he does the same. She wasn't a threat, just a weak women trying to survive. "Did you move those ghouls?" She nods again, tears falling from the corners of her eyes. Soles face becomes more gentle and tone soft. "Hey, hey, it's okay. I'm just trying to figure out why. We won't hurt you. See?" She places her 10mm into her makeshift holster, looking back at MacCready, and with a roll of his eyes he places his rifle to his back.

Shelly looks a little more comfortable and lowers her arms. "Its okay. Now, why did you place the ghouls there?" "To scare people mostly." She confesses, picking at her sweaters sleeve. "If they sow it they might think someone dangerous is in here, or there are more ghouls, or something." "That was a good idea Shelly." She smiles from ear to ear, wiping her eyes. "Thank you." "We have to go now, OK? Be safe." She nods, waving a hand in goodbye.

She settles back down as they exit the room. It strikes MacCready how easily she did that, how fast her mood changed. Definitely something MacCready could never do. They start to tiptoe through the dead wave if ghouls, MacCready moving a little faster with a when he swears to see one move.

As soon as their out the door they take in a huge breath,letting the fresh radiated air enter as the foul ghoul smell leaves. She pokes at her pipboy, looking from side to side as she does. "It took us a day to get here, and probably a day and a half to get back, maybe we should crash for the night, I have a settlement just behind that tree line." She points to it, it was a very thin tree line, he could see the blazing fires and moving blobs of people for where he stood.

"Can I ask you something?" MacCready asks as they start for the settlement, he can see something flash in her eyes, a hint of excitement. "Sure." She says calmly. "Why… how did you kill all those ghouls alone?" She silent for a while, staring ahead, the blobs now becoming fully formed shapes.

"My husband used to train there." She says quietly. "Big soldier type, I went there looking for something of his… I recognized most of them, the ghouls old friends, or training partners." She takes a deep breath. "I was.. I don't know. I guess I panicked, another part of me that was gone, only this time I guess I literally killed it." She lets out a laugh, but it wasn't happy sounding, more filled with despair. "I would be lying I didn't say I was kind if panicking on the way here."

"One more question." "Yes?" "If it was something of your husband's why didn't he go with you?" She silent again, and when she goes to open her mouth she's interrupted by of the settlers. "Miss, Sole! Thank God you are here. There's something wrong with the water, collector, thing." She smiles kindly, any uncertainty she had before was gone. "Duty calls." She jokes to MacCready. "She me where, Jessy." The settler ushers her towards the water purifier, talking so fast MacCready couldn't understand her anymore.

He huffs and watches after them, she's all smiles again as she fixes the problem, she catches his eye, then points to a makeshift two man shelter. He walks towards it and flops onto one of the beds, he's not sure how long he lays there, his mind wondering about her, but he's still awake when she sneaks in quietly, shedding off her armor then collapsing in the bed next to his.

When he hears her breathing soften he turns over, the beds are about two feet away, if he reached his arm out he could touch any of her. Even though she was asleep, she didn't look peaceful, her brows were tightly together, lips quivering. He didn't understand why that caught his attention, didn't want to think about it. His eyes get heavier, staying closed longer and longer every time he blinks, the last thing he sees is her face, the last thing he can hear is her calming breaths.