Hancock trailed a single finger over the curve of Adriana's hip. She was laying on her side facing him with a dreamy, satisfied smile playing across her features. In this moment, he worried that maybe she was nothing but a mirage, a fevered Jet dream conjured from the recesses of his mind. No one had wanted to touch him in so long. His life before becoming a ghoul barely felt real anymore, like it had happened to someone else entirely, and in a way it had. The girls that had thrown themselves at his handsome pre-ghoul face were little more than distant memories. He had convinced himself for so long that he didn't need to be touched, to be loved as man, not just a mayor.

It hadn't been more than ten minutes, but already he wanted her again. Now that he had opened himself up to this, to her, he knew there would be no going back. He was hers for as long as she'd have him. His eyes found hers, relieved to see a fire matching his own.

This time he went to her, laying down next to her, pressing himself against her as she tried to pull him even closer, throwing one of her legs over his, and he took the opportunity to press one of his thighs in between hers.

Adriana hadn't expected to want him again so fiercely so soon. In fact, she wasn't sure the need had ever left her. Her mouth sought his, finding it with a relieved sigh. He had let her take charge before, but this time she wanted him to take the lead. She wanted to know what turned him on. He had been so kind with her, from the very beginning, and there was so much mutual trust and respect that she knew he would keep her in his thoughts always. It was time for him to think about what he wanted. Determined, she managed to wedge her other hand under the hip of his that was pressed into the cushion, shifting her weight so that she could get him on top of her.

"You sure, love?" His voice quivered with barely contained excitement and she nodded.

"Yes," she managed to rasp out with an accompanying nod. Her voice still hurt like hell, but it was thankfully starting to function again, if only a little.

He held himself over her and instead of feeling trapped, she felt protected in the shelter of his scarred body. She was suffocating, not from fear, but from pure, raw emotion. The depth of the love she felt for him hit her like waves against rock, crashing into her, through her, in a relentless barrage. How can happiness hurt so much? He was all around her, pushing his way inside her, his lips on her neck, and the pain turned to a pleasure more intense than anything she had ever experienced. She arched against him, moaning mindlessly, as his hips met hers over and over. With a parting scrape of his teeth on the tender flesh beneath her jaw he raised up to his knees, his hands finding her hips, holding them still with a firm grasp as he increased the tempo.

Adriana abandoned herself to his rhythm, to the friction of his skin against hers, accented by the staccato of his grunts and the harmony of her fevered groans. She could feel the pressure inside her crescendo as he kept up his relentless pace, filling her completely, and just when she thought she couldn't possibly take any more, his thumb found her clit. Pleasure shot through her as he rubbed his thumb over her, her body arching and twitching. A cry ripped through her tortured throat as she came, eyes flying open and landing on the satisfied smirk of her ghoul lover.

"Well, if that ain't the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." Hancock's voice caught in his throat as he watched her gasping before him, blinking prettily up at him in confusion. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me."

He hadn't meant for the words to slip out, but there they were, nothing but the truth. He couldn't regret them, though, not when she smiled up at him, nuka-cola eyes sparkling in candle light.

"I could say the same thing, John."

The raw sound of her voice was physically painful to hear, but he revelled in her words nonetheless. She scooted back and he shuddered as he withdrew from her still trembling center. He watched her smile turn to something more devious before she crawled off the cushions, looking over her shoulder and crooking her finger at him.

Nothing could have kept him from following after her.

"I saw something that looked like… There it is." She whispered to him, finding the door that led to the balcony. Does this mean what I think it means? Cool air assaulted him as he followed her, eyes wide in surprise, as she sauntered over to the white railing, bracing herself against it. She looked back at him, wiggling her ass in obvious invitation. Hancock was pretty sure he had never wanted to do anything or anyone so much in his entire life. She wants me to fuck her out on the balcony, up above my town, where anyone could hear. It was, without a doubt, the hottest thing that he had ever been a part of.

"You sure about this, doll?" He ran his hands over the chilled skin of her backside, enjoying the way she pressed back against him as she nodded in affirmation. "This is hot as hell, love." She nodded again, pleased smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

He rubbed the head of his cock against her swollen lips, a growl escaping unbidden as he felt how wet she still was for him. He lined himself up, but before he could move she pushed back, taking in just the tip before pulling back off of him. She teased him, only allowing the head of his cock to enter her over and over again. Just when he didn't think he could take it any more she pushed back, hard, taking all of him. His cry mingled with her strangled gasp as he filled her.

He grabbed her hips, taking charge, withdrawing and entering her again, slowly, feeling her take every inch. They could hear the voices of the Neighborhood Watch echoing off the bricks below and it only added to the excitement. Adriana held on tight as Hancock began to lose himself to the moment, fucking her faster, harder until he cried out loudly as he came with one final thrust.

Adriana worked herself up and down his length as he came until he collapsed against her back, trembling and panting.

"You're incredible."

"I know," she whispered back as he hugged her close, chuckling softly.

Maggie woke in the early hours before dawn, in a dark so absolute that time seemed irrelevant and words were easier to find than your own hand held in front of your face. Her cheek was smashed against the strong warmth of MacCready's chest. She knew it was him, even in her sleep muddled mind. She would know him anywhere, could recognize him by the calloused hand on her arm. She should be worried over the reason behind MacCready's protective presence, because keeping watch he most definitely was, but she couldn't bring herself to worry with him so near.

"Tired of protecting me yet?"

"Never," his quick response was followed by lips pressed to the top of her head, the stubble on his chin catching in her hair. He brought his other hand up to detach the rogue strands and she caught it in her own, bringing to her lips before he could pull it back.

Her lips pressed against his knuckles, warm and soft, and his heart stuttered in his chest before finding an erratic beat. He knew he should pull his hand back, but his fingers twined with hers of their own volition and he allowed her to tuck them under her chin.

"Am I imagining… this?" He couldn't see her, but the quiver in her voice spoke volumes.

"No. I'm just, scared." He wasn't sure if it was the dark or how close she was to him, or maybe it was the blatant desire in her voice, but he couldn't lie no matter what it cost him.

"Me, too."

It was the truth. She was scared, but she was more scared of not trying, of living in a cage. She had already escaped a physical one and she wasn't about to build another around herself, not even for protection. Before she could talk herself down, she looked up and pressed her lips to his. Her aim was a little off, lips half on his, half on his cheek.

MacCready turned his head, hand coming up to the base of her skull, as his lips found hers. He was shaking as she leaned into him, climbing completely into his lap. He held her close, her thin frame weighing next to nothing in his arms. I wasn't supposed to let this happen. But happening it was and he was powerless beneath the sweetness of her mouth, the kindness in the caress of her fingers at his neck.

She broke off the kiss, hiding her forehead in his neck, but remained in his lap, arms draped over his shoulders.

"I just had to," her whispered apology was easy to hear in the quiet of the night, even over his uneven breathing.

"Never apologize for being brave."

MacCready was suddenly ashamed. Maggie, tiny, adorable, been through hell Maggie was braver than he by far. Up until now his ability to cut and run, to survive, had always seemed like a selling point. Now? Now he didn't want to just survive. He didn't want to run. Not away at least. If she could be brave, maybe he could be, too.

"The last time I tried to be brave, I failed. Guess it just became easier not to be, less of a risk." Before he could stop himself, the whole story was spilling from his lips, a flood of bitter regret. He was glad of the darkness and the cover it provided, that he couldn't see her reactions and she couldn't see the tears that welled in his eyes.

He told her about Lucy. How they had been young and dumb, too in love to think that maybe it wouldn't work. He had tried so hard to be good enough for her, but he had never deserved her or the son she had given him. She had trusted him to protect them and he had let her down, one final time. He got to the part in the story where Duncan got sick, the two of them near to starving in the Wastes, and by then even the darkness couldn't hide his tears. He was having trouble getting the words out, but he couldn't stop. Now that he'd started he had to tell it all. He hadn't realized how much he needed to talk about it, how it was festering underneath the surface, affecting everything he did, every choice he made.

Maggie held him close, listening quietly as he unburdened himself. She knew he blamed himself for what had happened to Lucy, but it was clear to her that he had done everything possible to save her. If she were completely honest, it sounded like Lucy had sacrificed herself to save her son and husband. It's what Maggie would have done in that situation. With that many ferals it must have been the only option and Lucy must have known RJ would be Duncan's best hope for survival.

"RJ," she paused, taking a deep breath. "I think you did exactly what Lucy wanted."

"Yeah, cause she wanted me to abandon her," he laughed humorlessly.

"No, she wanted you to save Duncan. She bought you the time you needed to save him." She could feel him go completely still against her. She didn't think he was even breathing, but she continued on. "Did Lucy have the skills to protect Duncan without you?"

"No. She was an absolutely terrible shot and clumsy. So clumsy," he sighed, but she could hear the fondness in his voice and it made her smile.

"I didn't know her, but I think she did what needed to be done to save her family and so did you. You didn't run away. You saved her baby and her husband. You did the right thing."

"You really think?" His voice shook with hope as he clung tightly to her.

"You tell me. Does that sound like something she'd do?"

He didn't respond in words, but she could feel him nodding. She squeezed him back as he finally began to release the guilt he had harbored for so long. She could practically feel it draining from his body.

MacCready felt like a man that had just had a noose removed from around his neck. Free. Relieved. Weightless. He hadn't realized how much a part of him his guilt had become, how heavy it was. He was still sad, would always be, but he was also proud. He was so proud to have known a woman that was so brave. He knew that Maggie was right about Lucy's intentions. He'd played the events over and over again in his head and he'd never understood the look in his wife's eyes as he'd scooped up Duncan and kept running, even after she had tripped. He could now put words to what he'd seen in that last quick glimpse. Triumph. Satisfaction. Love. Thank you, Lucy. I'm sorry it took me so long to realize. You always did say I was a little slow.

He thought back over the years he'd had with her. All the times they had laughed together, all the tears, too. He had to remember those moments, not hide from them the way he had been, and now, thanks to Maggie, he was able to do just that. Lucy deserved to be remembered. He wasn't sure how he could ever repay Maggie. She had completely changed his life with only a few words. Lucy had always told him perspective was everything and he had never really understood what she had meant until now.

MacCready knew that if it hadn't been so dark Maggie would be able to see a smile on his face that resembled the one that Preston wore every time he looked at her. He had been so jealous at that smile when he had seen it on the Minuteman's face, but now he understood. It was gratitude, something he hadn't felt enough of in his life. He didn't know how Maggie did it, but she cut straight through to the heart of the problem, healing old wounds with a few carefully chosen words. She was something special. Rare.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. I wish I could have known her, RJ. Sounds like Lucy was one hell of a woman."

"More so than I even realized."

"What about Duncan? You said he was sick. Where is he? Is there something I can do to help?"

The thought of his son out there, sick and missing his father was so heartbreaking she could barely stand it. Mac had already lost his wife and she wasn't about to let him lose his son, too. Lucy had given everything to keep them alive and Maggie wouldn't let that be in vain, not if there was anything she could do.

Like you haven't already changed my life. He would never understand how she had managed to hold on to her sweetness, even after everything that had been done to her. She looked frail, but she might just be the strongest person he had ever known. So many people let others break them down, steal their happiness. You saw it all over the Wasteland. People that had given up on themselves in the face of adversity. People who had ceased to care for others in an attempt to save themselves. Hell, he had been so close to that himself before her.

"I left Duncan in the town I grew up in. It's the only place I could think of that he might be safe while I looked for the cure. I think I've found it, too. I just can't fu-freaking get to it."

Maggie listened intently as he told her about Med-Tek, the passwords and the ferals. As he spoke, a plan began to form in her mind.

"Don't worry, we'll get that cure for Duncan. Trust me," she yawned hugely and it was only then that he realized it was light enough to see her. He had completely lost track of the time.

"We'll worry about that later. Come here. Let me hold you while you get some more sleep, dear."

She smiled, practically throwing herself at him in her excitement to be wrapped in his embrace once more. She closed her eyes only to have them snap back open.

"Wait, why are you here? Where's Adriana?" She sat up and could see the guilt all over his face.

"She's fine. Now. She's with Hancock."

"What do you mean, now?!" Maggie was pushing away from him, frantic with worry.

"She was attacked, but she's okay. I promise, Mags. She's just not here because she wanted some, uhh, alone time. With Hancock." He cleared his throat, hoping he wouldn't have to spell it out.

Maggie stopped trying to make her way to the door.

"You're sure she's okay?"

"Positive," he assured her. He held his arms out to her and she settled in against him once more. "Try to get some sleep."

"Only if you do," she said with laugh.

"Deal."

It wasn't long before MacCready's breathing had settled into the rhythm of sleep and she felt like it was safe to sneak out of his embrace. She knew she'd have to be as quiet as possible if she was going to avoid alerting him. She grabbed Adriana's pistol and Pip-Boy, along with the messenger bag her sister usually carried filled with supplies. She reached the door, looking back for just a moment at the man in the bed, sleeping soundly for the first time since she had met him.

I'll be back soon, love.

He had helped save her and now she was going to help him save Duncan. She turned away, determination stiffening her spine. Med-Tek here I come.