Chapter 10 The Ghosts

The sun was setting front of Nora as she gazed over another skyline of broken buildings. Fort Hagen, they hadn't even reached it yet, but Dogmeat was barreling straight towards it and she knew somewhere in her heart that was their destination. The mutt hadn't hesitated during the entire journey aside to pause when a new scrap containing scent was found. Her own urgency, her own drive, seemed to have been transferred to him with every step that pounded into the ground.

From Diamond City to the outskirts of the town surrounded the fort, the road traveled had not been a easy one. There was one delay after another and Dogmeat almost went on without them near the beginning when they had been surrounded by molerats. After that there was the yao guai, the mutants, more feral ghouls than she wished to think about, a roaming group of killer robots, and more mutants.

The more that tried to kill her in the Commonwealth, the Nora was astounded on the fact the human race had survived as long as it did. Meanwhile her traveling companion moved seamlessly from one threat to another. Detective Nick Valentine seemed entirely unphased by the constant looming of death aside from moving quickly and efficiently to either avoid the conflict or quickly dispatch it. Only one showing an emotion other than either annoyance or resignation, and that was after dispatching the last of the feral ghouls near Forest Grove Marsh.

Nora had come upon just as he blew a hole into the skull of one crawling along the ground towards him. To all intents and purposes, feral ghouls looked much like zombies from the old horror movies she used to watch with her sister when mom and dad weren't home. She knew better though, that it was much worse than that. Preston and Sturges had made sure she knew. Feral Ghouls were people, most of which who were alive when the bombs fell, that were so heavily irradiated it melted their brains and drove them mad.

Nick gazed down a the twisted limbs and tattered rags that made up the corpse heaved a heavy sigh. There was a bracelet with a small locket on once wrist, and when he reached to pull it off most of the hand detached and fell to ground with a splat. Nora had to hold back the bile in her throat, but Nick didn't seem to notice. He instead was peering into the now open locket and just looked sad.

Slow steps brought her to his side and, with a momentary hesitation, she laid a gentle hand on his upper arm. "Hey Valentine," just two words and his reverie over the little piece of metal broke.

He handed her the bracelet for her own examinations. It was small but well made, with minute details and indents where small stones must have once been. Inside were two high resolution photos of smiling faces, a boy and girl, of the same age. Nora gazed back at the withered corpse and realized they were probably her children.

"Poor dame, probably watched her world end and then was unlucky enough to fade to madness instead of a quick death," his tone held a note of bitterness and pity.

It was then she knew Detective Nick Valentine had also watched his world end in some way. Once again Nora felt the tug of her past as she watched him. Both hands deep into the pockets of the old trench coat and cigarette hanging from thin lips. There was a breeze flowing from behind them, causing the edges of that coat to ripple and fold around him. For just a brief moment, less than a second, the image of man of flesh and blood flashed over the synth before her. Then it was gone and Nora was back in the present, staring at a man who was not a man as he was lost in his own past.

Dogmeat barked and they both jumped, eyes falling to the mutt up the road from them. He looked indignant and impatient at the halt in their progress now the danger was over. That impatience was so great he wuffled at them again to make his point. Nick chuckled at him and stretched his back to break even further out of his thoughts.

"Best damn nose in the Commonwealth, and an attitude to go with it. Isn't that right?"

Nora could resist the smile despite the mood of a moment ago. He made it easy to relax, even if it was just for a moment. "Far be it from me to doubt you. Should we carry on?"

Carried on they did, up the road to their current location, the now barricaded entrance to Fort Hagen. Nora stared at the boards and sandbags blocking the path inside and her thoughts whirled. He was in there, she knew. The man who took her son from her, who left her for dead, was somewhere in the depths of the old military stronghold and she was going to find him. She was almost there.

Nick's voice broke the rising tide of anger,"Told ya Dogmeat would sniff our man out. I'd say we can take it from here and give our four-legged friend a break."

Nora gazed back at him, kneeling on the ground giving Dogmeat a well deserved scratch behind the ears. He seemed so relaxed compared to Nora, who was ready to jump out of her skin from anxiety, that she took a few minutes to respond. Choosing to instead contemplate each moment that lead to this one, Nora walked slightly away from the entrance to look up at the darkening sky.

"What are we going to find in there?"

Nick didn't move, but his nasal tone floated over to her "From all I know of Kellogg he'll have defenses and blocks set up throughout the place. He'll do everything to ensure that someone going in will die there. Remember. Kellogg's a professional. He won't make it easy."

The entire entryway was in shadow with the sun setting behind the building. Nora turned and surveyed the darkening sky behind them, showing a broken skyline on a blue velvet background. It would be so easy, too easy, to just leave and try to have a life. She had no guarantees on her son being in that building, or even just answers in that building. For all she knew it could just be chase after chase, never ending and torturous. Leaving now meant a guarantee of no more answers, no more chasing after the ghost of the life she had, and maybe letting go of everything else.

Her eye was caught by a skeleton sprawled across the steps, in full combat gear. It reminded her of Nate and how he had never come home. They had told her his body couldn't be recovered. That there was no for sure way of knowing who's body was whose at that point. He had been a body in full combat gear abandoned to the elements. She had been informed the bodies were all cremated and the ashes laid to rest on the battlefield. They had shown her the plans for a large memorial to be constructed. All she saw in her mind was her Nate alone among the dead.

A breeze picked up and tossed her hair about, making the dog tags around her neck rattle against the gold bands they were paired with. A cold hand grasped them tight, turning so she could read the stamped letters and numbers. Nate could do this so much better than I. He could break into that building and take down anything in his path and inspire those around toc charge right in with him. I'm not fit for this, but I'm all Shaun has.

When Nora returned to herself and the moment, she turned and managed to lock gazes directly with Nick's yellow orbs. She couldn't read him in any way, aside from concern and curiosity, and she found it unsettling. As a lawyer it was part of her well honed ability to tell where people stood on a matter or a particular person, but Nick was careful in what he allowed to show. It made Nora wonder whether it was the part of him that was human or did it come from being artificial. She shook the thoughts away and returned to the matter at hand, glaring at the entryway once again.

"This is to find my son who was stolen from me by a killer and possibly a sociopath if not a psychopath. I never thought this was going to be easy," she was still looking at the entry while she spoke. "Any idea how to get in there?"

Nick had seen her hesitation, her consideration in leaving and thinking of letting it all go. He couldn't blame her, but was glad she hadn't. He had tried to leave his own ghosts in the past, but they were never far from him, no matter the state he was in. At least her goal was more achievable than his, he hoped. Standing to regard the entry with her, he gave one last scratch to Dogmeat's ears and lit up a cigarette, offering the pack to her as he finished.

"That's a good question. I'd definitely say not through here," he turned and regarded the options around either side of the building. "Looks to be a path off to the side here connected with the park garage. Could be a entrance through there."

Nora tilted her head slightly, considering it and trying to think back. It had been a while since she was last here, not even considering the passage of over 200 years, it was hard to recall exact details. She had not actually entered the building herself, but gone to the nearby Red Rocket station while Nate handled with whatever he needed to handle. He had asked her to meet him in front of Fort Hagen at a certain time, and, in thinking back, she could see him pulling around the corner from the garage area.

"Yes, that seems right, and it makes sense," but she turned to Dogmeat before heading towards the path with Nick. "Hey there boy, you go on and rest, we'll find you later, okay?"

Dogmeat wuffed back at her, tongue lolling, and spun in a few circles before sprinting off the way they came. She could only hope he was going back to the Red Rocket where she had found him, or even to Sanctuary. He was a smart dog and managed this long without her, she just didn't know if she could manage with out him. It was then she felt a soft hand on her shoulder, it was heavy but gentle, and she recalled the man who had gotten her this far. Bit by bit, he had started helping her put her broken self back together and to find the right path, and it made her realize there was no way she would have gotten her without him.

Nick Valentine, synth, detective, and filled with humanity, humility, empathy, and comfort that to her he was fully human. As she turned to face him, Nick could see the fear in her eyes, but it was overpowered by the determination. She was ready for the next step and it was now or never. He didn't speak, he didn't need to. He just nodded and they walked, side by side around the fort towards the adjacent parking garage.

Not even making it fully around the corner, Nick heard the machine winding up first and instincts took hold before anything else. Just as the first click sounded and the first bullet left the machine gun turret's barrel, he pushed Nora up against the side of the building between him and the wall. She hadn't heard defense's gears shifting or the click, and was about to heavily protest the position until the cement they had just been standing on was riddled with bullets. When the barrage stopped and small crater formed, Nora shifted her gaze from over Nick's shoulder to his eyes instead, but they were closed.

Nick could feel her breath on his cheek. Though not entirely human in appearance, he had all the senses of one. That was one the thing The Institute had made sure of, that he could feel everything they did to him, in heightended form. He felt her take a large slow breath, could hear the air in her lungs, and knew she was looking at him. One slow breath on his part, and he allowed his eyes to open, slowly. Their noses were less than an inch apart.

"Turret," Nora crossed her eyes in puzzle at the word until she connected the dots.

"Turret," she repeated "Do you mean the thing that shot at us was an old defense turret?

He gave a small nod, just an up and down motion. They were still eye to eye. Nick Valentine was very happy in this moment that he did not have the ability to blush. He was lost her eyes again and couldn't hide it, but apparently she didn't notice.

"Um...okay. How are they even working? But I suppose that doesn't matter right now since they are and we have to deal with that first. I guess what we should be working on is how to get by them," she was rambling. Nora could hear herself rambling and hated it. She hadn't rambled like this since she was a child and for an unknown reason she couldn't stop. The words tumbled out while she tried and failed to look away from those yellow eyes.

When she finally ran out of air she let her head hang down. They were still close, and normal circumstances this might have bothered her. Nothing was normal though, and instead of being wanting to remove herself from the situation, she found it strangely comforting. The strangest part of it was that she could find anything comforting anymore. His hand was back on her shoulder, giving a slight squeeze to garner her attention.

"You okay there, doll?" Nick had regained control of himself enough to actually check if she was wounded or not.

"Hmm?" Nora looked back up at him, then his hand. "Yes, thank you. I would have been swiss cheese without your quick moves," she grinned at an intruding thought. "You must be quite the dancer."

He chuckled at her, stepping to the side to allow her room to move "Not in my experience. Jenny always said I had two left feet, but she let me try anyway," he was grinning at the end, but the smile started to fade immediately. Nick hadn't meant to mention Jenny.

Nora puzzled at the female name "Who's Jenny?" It was a quiet question.

He was standing awkwardly, hand rubbing at the base of his skull, "She's...uh...someone from long ago." Nick didn't want to think about Jenny, she was ghost in his mind and in reality and one he had tried to leave behind. "We should get moving before it gets to late, you think?"

Enough of a personal life had been invaded in the last two days, so Nora didn't push the subject. They edged around the building, keeping close to the wall and ears sharp to the sounds of the motor above them. Within minutes they had made it into the garage and down the concrete stairs to a room adjacent the garage itself. It had most likely be a storage room at one point, but now it had been remade into a makeshift home complete with dirty mattress and evidence of a chem addict. The final evidence of someone having once lived here was the body of woman in the corner.

From the angle she initially looked to be passed out, scattered needles and empty inhalers around her. It didn't take long to note the lack of chest movement though, and a close look revealed the sickly color of the face. When Nick tilted the corpse for a closer examination, a large hole became apparent in the back of her skull, long dried blood and brain matter clinging to the edges.

"She's been gone a while, and by the looks of that hole, I'd say from a large caliber bullet. Most likely that hand cannon you said Kellogg was packing in 111."

Nora decided to not look too closely at the body. She had seen more corpses in her the past month than her entire life, but not one already on the visibly rotting side that was combined with an unpleasant smell. She gave a small nod and instead moved to the haphazard counter covered with beakers, vials, and piping. There were similar setups in Sanctuary and other areas she had stopped on the way to Diamond City. From her brief stay at Dr. Sun's she recalled a more sophisticated version against the open wall of his clinic.

There was a rustling behind her as Nick examined the body more closely. As he retrieved anything useful from pockets and pouches, Nora scavenged her way around the different drawers and tables in the dusty room. Between the two of there was some .38 ammo, a broken pipe pistol, a couple stimpacks, and a tin of mentats. Nora wanted to work on the old technology she had found for parts, but knew this wasn't the time, and resolved to come back later.

Nick nodded his head to the wooden plank door and wall made of junk. It lead to the rest of the garage. It was time. Nora squared her shoulders, drew her little 10mm pistol and made sure she had extra ammo easily at hand, and nodded back at Nick. A few minutes from one end of the garage to the other. A dirty rusted door was all that separated Nora from answers, and she signaled Nick to open it.

It creaked loudly on its hinges. The only sound in a dusty hallway of broken stone abandoned odds and ends. Going straight lead to another door that, when tried, proved to be barred on the other side. When the sound of rattling metal accompanied the jiggling of the door, Nick muttered something about it being barred with chains and shook his head.

"Guess we'll be going up then?" and he pointed at the stairs just to their right as they entered.

Nora conceded to Nick's expertise and skills and allowed him to lead the way. She had spent time on patrol with cops and in stations filing paperwork those of all ranks, but she would not consider herself someone to lead in such areas. Nick was cop through and through and she knew well enough when to step back. As Nora eyed the back of his battered fedora lower on the steps, another memory flashed across her vision.

"Nick Valentine," the words were quiet, but the detective heard immediately and turned towards her.

"Something you need, doll?"

"Nick Valentine...from Chicago. In Boston to assist the local department on a case. Piles of paperwork," Nick's yellow eyes glowed brighter and widened at her words. "I can see you, but not you, I tripped on the steps and you turned to help me."

She could see overlaid on him grey eyes and tousled brown hair under that fedora. Eyes heavy with exhaustion and face thin. There was powdered sugar on his collar from a half eaten donut and his shirt was wrinkled. Tired and handsome in an austere way, relaxed and unaware that he was being considered while pouring over one file after another.

Nick had returned to stand in front of her while her vision wavered between past and present. He looked scared and unsure of what would next come out of her mouth. Two thin and pale hands rose slowly to frame his face, tracing the torn synthetic skin and seeing a whole jawline instead.

"I know you, I have seen you. But how? And why is it so fragmented? I can't remember it all. It almost hurts!" Her hands left his face and grasped his shoulders instead, face falling in pain and she wrestled with her memory.

Nick had seen the same look in the mirror in wrestling his own mind. The mind of a human man instead a metal body made by men. He knew Nora shouldn't be having trouble remembering her past like this, but he had ignored it in favor of not having to revisit his own nightmares. Her she was though, stuck in her own loop and struggling with it. Deciding to not think, Nick pulled her quietly back down the stairs and to the landing.

This was neither the time nor the place to dredge of the ghosts and they had to get moving. He let out a long sigh, and gently raise her face to his. "I'm not him. I was Nick Valentine, but I'm not anymore. I can't be. I won't...I can't get into the rest of it. This is not the place."

Nora studied the yellow circles inlaid in black orbs and still saw the cloudy grey, but it was fading. The memories came fragmented, as though from a not completed puzzle that was missing pieces. It didn't make sense that she couldn't remember parts of her life before the bombs, especially something as recent as knowing the detective. At least she thought it was recent. It was hard to connect when at the same time his gaze pleaded her for her to stop. There was so much more to this than her memories and Nick Valentine was not ready to open up to it.

Instead of pressing the matter, Nora heaved a few breathes in and out to clear her head and stepped back. "Okay...I don't understand this," she knocked on the side of her head "but I see what you are saying."

Nick let out a breathe he hadn't realized he had held and allowed his shoulders to droop in relief. He had done his best to let go of the past given to him, with very little success. Nora was clearly not able to remember everything and the last thing either of them needed was that type of trip down memory lane.

"Sounds good. Let's head up then, doll." He held out his hand to her and her's settled comfortably in his. He pulled her up the first few steps, him leading and her right behind.

XXXXX

A bald headed man stared steadily at the bright screens in front of him. One showing a grainy image of the synth detective and vault dweller turning the corner and out of view on the stairs. He rubbed roughly at the stubble along his jaw, wincing as the scar across the left side of his face twinged. "I guess it's time to face the ghosts," his voice was as rough as he looked and came around a half gone cigar.

He stubbed the cigar out in a broken ashtray and looked over the top of the monitors. "Make sure everything is set up, we have company."

The figure he spoke to came into the light to reveal not human, but an unclothed human-like machine. Panels of synthetic skin broke up and formed a hint of musculature and features, but the face had no emotion it. There was no question or hesitation, not even a thought. It just acknowledged the order and went about its tasks.

He looked back to the screen and considered the smoke rising in front of it. "Imagine the lengths a parent will go for their child, huh." There was no one to respond to him.