"Nate…?"

Nora's voice had a touch of concern that he wasn't expecting to hear at three in the morning. Without hesitating, Nate leapt out of the bare mattress and rounded the corner into the bathroom where the door sat wide open. "What is it?"

"Can… you turn the light on?"

Nora was holding something in the darkness of the bathroom and Nate's eyes hadn't adjusted to the lack of light to be able to see what it was. When he turned the light on, there was a moment of blindness, then he saw the little stick. His heart paused and he looked at her face. "When… did you get that?"

"Well… I haven't had my period in two months…" she looked up at him and offered the little while stick. He swallowed and stepped forward to take it from her gently.

The little blue plus made his knees feel weak. "We're…"

"We're pregnant," she finished.

"You're going to be a mom."

"And you're going to be a daddy," she smiled, showing teeth with hope wide it went, scrunching her eyes. Tears spilled onto her cheeks and she touched her stomach.

"Oh, Nora," he knelt down and kissed her.

"Nate, stop, I'm using the bathroom."

"I don't care if I kiss you while you shit, you're my wife," he said around her mouth and she pushed him away, laughing.

"Weirdo."

"Your weirdo."

"Yeah," she smiled up at him when he stood up and looked at the little stick again. "I don't think I'm going to be able to go back to sleep."

"Me either," he shook his head and leaned against the sink, unable to see anything but the little blue plus.

"We've never really talked about names," she said as she finished up and stood, dropping the lid and flushing.

"Anything, hell, Grognak, I don't care," he looked at her with a smile. "I'm… I'm going to be a dad."

She smiled again and kissed his cheek before reaching around him to hug him and wash her hands behind him. She rested her head on his chest and took in a slow breath. "Not Grognak. I like… Katina."

"I do too. Katina Walker."

"Yeah, after my grandmother," she nodded against his chest and used the back of his shirt to dry her hands. His arms rested on her shoulders so he could continue to stare at that magical little stick.

"What if it's a boy?"

"Well, not Walter," she frowned, then giggled.

"Walter Walker is quite distasteful," he agreed. "I'm sure you grandfather will understand."

"What about… Jacob?"

Nate stiffened. "Why?"

"Well… your grandfather…"

He sighed and looked into the dark hallway. "I don't want to name him that."

"Okay, okay," she straightened up, leaning away from him. "We'll think of something, we have… seven months?"

He nodded and kissed her forehead.

Over the next couple months they ran down every name they knew, but something always came up.

"Jackson."

"Knew one, turned out to be a serial killer…."

"Caleb."

"Knew ten, all of them were jackasses."

"Mathew."

"Sounds like a sneeze."

"Gabriel."

"My cousin's name."

"Porter."

"Hah, sounds like an asshole's name, no way."

"Michael."

"I've known too many."

"Zachary."

"Also too many."

"Henry."

"Don't like it."

"George."

"Also. Don't like it."

Finally they were sitting in the hospital after ten hours of labor. Nate paced, unable to do anything as Nora had told him to leave her in a fit of anger. Her mother had told him his place was the hall, and he said over his dead body, and Nora was not having that. So here he was: in the hall, with Shaun, Nora's father.

"Don't worry, birth is a woman's job, they've been doing it since the beginning," Shaun said, resting his hand on Nate's shoulder as comfort.

"I know, I just…" Nate folded his arms across his chest and looked at his father-in-law. Since they'd told them about the baby Shaun had finally wanted to spend time between him and Nate alone. And to both of their surprise they enjoyed it. Shooting, fixing cars, building things. Hell, if they weren't related by marriage, they probably would have become friends anyway.

"I know, Beth wouldn't let me anywhere near the birthing room when we had Nora," he shook his head. "Luke, either."

Nate nodded, "She's the reason I'm not in there." He frowned and looked at the door.

"I know," he squeezed his shoulder. "You two ever decide on a name?"

"She wanted to, but we could never… find the perfect one."

He nodded and shrugged. "Make one perfect, make something up, the kid won't care, not if you teach them not to. Hell, that's what people used to do, right? Just make up sounds or throw words together. How else do you get names like Johnfield and Wolfgang?"

Nate smiled a little. "Nora wanted something with meaning."

"Did you have any in mind?"

"She's set on Nathaniel, it seems like now, but I don't think we need two Nathaniel James Walkers, in the world," he frowned.

"Why not James?"

Nate tilted his head in thought. "I don't know, I've never… I just…. Be weird, I think," Nate rolled his shoulders.

"Well, could always to Nathan. Still close, but no cigar."

"Oh, God, please no," Nate shook his head.

"Okay, okay," Shaun lifted his hands in surrender.

Nate sighed and tried to look through the window into the birthing room and rested his forehead against the glass. "What about… Shaun… Vincent… Walker?"

There was a soft intake of breath behind him and Nate looked back at his father-in-law. His face was covered with shock. "You… don't have to do that, Nate."

Nate grinned a little. "Nah, I think I like it. Shaun Vincent Walker sounds real nice," now he rested his hand on the older man's shoulder.

With a thick gulp of emotion Nora's father looked away, trying to retain the strength he was famous for. "Nora won't have it," he tried.

"I think she'll love it, grandpa," Nate smiled. And they could hear the screams of a new baby coming into the world on the other side of the door.

Nate woke up and rubbed his forehead. Out of habit he reached sideways for Hancock, but hit a wall. Oh yeah, small bed, not home, Bond's bar. He sighed and swung his feet over the side and sat up.

"Ther' ya are," Bond called from somewhere. Nate hadn't opened his eyes yet.

"Yup, right here," Nate waved a hand and then rubbed his face to get the sleep out of it. "What time is it?"

"Ten."

"Shit." Nate opened his eyes and looked around. The bar would be opening in half an hour and he needed to get R.J. and Maddy. Oh, he wondered where they were, and what they'd been doing.

He hadn't seen them since they left after eating last night. They walked close, but not touching, which comforted him some. Ugh, he couldn't care about that. She'd basically laid down the law last night. Nate's opinion mattered, but he didn't have any say. Even if he hated MacCready, she could still do what she wanted with him. He flinched at the idea, but MacCready was a good man. He wouldn't do anything to hurt her. A smile flickered across his face. Well, not on purpose. He hoped she gave him shit for shooting her. He needs someone close to him to give him a hard time. He got off too easy around Sanctuary.

"Bond, you know where my birds went?"

"Ah, yah, they be over at tha bunkhouse."

"Thanks, man."

"Nah problem," Bond grabbed a bottle and tossed it to Nate across the bar when the General stood. "One for the road, free per-usual."

"I can pay," Nate objected.

"I just keep 'xpectin' help when yer in town."

"Can do," Nate promised and left the bar.

Nate loved Starlight before the war. He would bring Nora all the time, even before they moved to Sanctuary. It had been their official first date, and the first place they went out to as a married couple. He hoped what he'd helped to do here she would be proud of. He felt bad that he funneled so many supplies from other settlements here, but Sanctuary held bad memories as well as good ones. Starlight… Starlight was just his happy place, and that meant it got his favoritism. It really wasn't fair, but he didn't completely neglect the other settlements, they just… had more freedom. Starlight was almost restricted in what they could do because he wouldn't let them bring down the screen for parts or change the concession stand.

The bunkhouse was the second tallest structure because it was a tri-leveled clubhouse with three more stories of beds above that. Starlight got a lot of traffic at the right time of year, so it had made sense to build it the way they had. It also had the highest amount of homeless even within the walls of any other settlement. The bunkhouse was a cap-a-night lodging, per Nate's instructions to keep some flow of caps, but also to allow the capless to be able to have an actual bed to sleep in. It kept people off the streets, and even if they weren't able to get jobs, most people could scavenge enough scrap to sell for at least one cap.

When Nate entered the woman behind the counter gasped and ran to him. "OH NATE!" He caught her when she jumped into him and started kissing his cheeks, leaving behind red lipstick.

"Oh, hey there, Lindsey," he said awkwardly and shifted away from her when he sat her back on her feet.

"Forever an awkward mole rat," she commented. He shook his head with a smile.

"No, I'm just… not used to people kissing me," he wiped at his face.

"Other than that ghoul of yours, right?" she taunted, lifting a skinny blond brow.

"Yeah, just him," Nate agreed and gestured to the stairs. "Have you seen MacCready and a girl with him?"

"Hmm," she feigned innocence as she looked away from him, up at the lofts overlooking the dance floor. Her slender finger tapped her chin. "I don't know for sure…"

"I find that hard to believe, Lindsey, since you know everything about anyone."

"Oh, you flirt," she waved a hand at him and rolled her eyes. "Fine, yes, I saw them, they paid for two beds, boring," she added with a frown. He smirked at her and touched her shoulder.

"Thanks, Lindsey."

"How many times do I have to tell you, you need to start calling me Li," she protested.

"I thought only your lovers called you that," he raised an eyebrow at her while he walked toward the stairs.

"Well, you could always be one of those."

"Nope, sorry," he waved to her and ascended the stairs.

"Fifth level," she called and sighed before returning to her work.

Four flights of stairs later and Nate was looked at a dimly lit room of beds line in neat rows. It only took him a moment to find Maddy and R.J. as the squire was standing up and stretching. So as not to wake the other people, Nate walked over to them before saying anything.

"Morning," he greeted her and she smiled at him, looking well rested.

"Morning, Sentinel," she gave him a playful salute. She was in a good mood.

He smirked and looked at MacCready who was sprawled out on the small bed, a leg and the opposite arm hanging off. "He's talented isn't he?"

"Yeah," she giggled and bent down next to him and ran a hand through his hair.

"I heard that," the ex-mercenary sighed. "And thank you, Nate."

"I didn't mean for it to be a compliment."

"All well," he shrugged and squinted up to see who was touching him. "Ah, was worried Natie was getting touchy."

"Never in your life, R.J."

"Oh, well, there was that one time," he sighed as he started getting up. "You were all 'Oh… R.J…. it's so cold, we should huddle for warmth," the lean man stood up and grabbed a boot while he changed his voice as if to try to sound like Nate.

"When was this?" Nate raised an eyebrow.

"I believe right outside of the Glowing Sea, before we gave that scientist that damn serum," he grunted and pulled on his boot roughly.

Madelyn looked up at Nate then, her face twisted in confusion. "Virgil? I thought you killed him, I was there when you told Kells he wasn't a threat anymore."

Nate looked at her and remembered, yeah, there had been a squire in the room hadn't there? Well, this was awkward. "I… uh, lied."

Her eyes snapped wide. "You… lied to Lancer-Captain Kells?"

Nate swallowed and looked at R.J. who had stopped mid-pull on his second boot, watching the two of them to see how this was going to go down. "I got him a cure, he'd no longer a super mutant. And he's not a threat, so I didn't really lie."

"But he worked for the Institute!" Madelyn stared up at him, her arms flailing.

"Worked," Nate pointed out.

"Worked," Madelyn countered.

"Maddy, he left them, he isn't a threat. Come on," he frowned at her, hurt. "You don't trust my judgment?"

She flinched and frowned. Maybe he shouldn't have pulled that card, but she nodded, looking at the ground. "Yeah… I guess…" she sighed.

"On another note, Nate totally tried to cuddle me in my sleep that night," MacCready cut back in, finishing with his boot.

"I swear I don't remember this."

"All that matters is that it happened," R.J. stretched and bent side to side.

"Doesn't sound like you objected too much to it," Madelyn offered, lifting a brow at the ex-gunner.

He chuckled. "Trust me, I resisted, but he's quite…" R.J. looked at Nate dramatically, "Convincing."

Nate tried to remember the night in question. It had been cold, but they'd built a fire. Hancock had returned to Goodneighbor after hearing about a Super Mutant attack, and R.J. had offered to company Nate until they got the mayor back. The trip south had been nice enough with the two of them, two quiet snipers made decent company with each other. "Be careful there, R.J., she'll get jealous," Nate gestured to Maddy who was giving the men funny looks. As much as he liked and respected MacCready, he had never thought of him romantically, and now he was happy about that. God, that would have been uncomfortable. With a shudder he sighed, "We should get going. I told you about the lead right?"

"Yeah, about the scavenging team seeing prisoners and oddly dressed men guiding them," Maddy said as they made their way to the stairs once everything was packed.

"Yes, Hancock responded to my call, Sunshine was still up, and hadn't see anything yet, but Oberland was empty," he frowned.

"Where they attacked?" MacCready asked.

"It didn't seem like it." Nate rubbed his forehead. "I don't get this, how could two settlements went without us knowing, and in different ways."

"What about Grey Garden?" MacCready asked while he filled his magazines, preparing for anything. Nate shook his head.

"They radioed in that there was some strange groups walking around, but they haven't been attacked or had any contact."

"Grey Garden is just robots, right?" Madelyn clarified.

"Yes," Nate stopped at the door of the clubhouse, looking back at them. "It's got the same supplies and resources, though."

"So then whoever's doing this isn't doing it for the supplies," the sniper frowned, matching Nate's glared.

"They're doing it for the people."

"Oh God, what do they want with the people?" the squire looked horrified. Nate remembered her past. She was practically born into slavery, he could only imagine how she'd feel if that's what had begun to happen here in the Commonwealth.

"We can't know for sure until we find out where they're coming from, and who they are." Nate sighed, "I'm going to see if I can talk to Lana, she was with the scavenging team when they saw the prisoners, I'll see if she can help us any."

"Okay, Robert and I'll get breakfast to go while you do that," Madelyn said and Nate paused long enough to stare at her and then swallowed the chuckle that brought tears to his eyes.

"Robert?" he asked and looked at the sniper who sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Shut up, Nate."

"Sorry…"

"No you're not."

"No I'm not," the General chuckled and shook his head. "Anyway, meet me at the front gate in about half an hour."

Lana was the best damn scrapper in Starlight and made a pretty good living off of it. She lived in the shadow of the screen near the mayor, with a decent sized home decorated with the objects she found and refused to sell. Nate sat down when she told him to and took the water she offered.

"I know this isn't a social visit. It's about those dumbasses I saw outside ArcJet, isn't it?" She was a little older than Nate with hair turning grey at the sides, but she wore it well and happily in her long hair that was always pulled back from her face. Her face was scarred and creased, but not totally unpleasant, she didn't have suitors running to her door though.

"Yes, I need as much information as you can give me, unless you could…"

"Come with you?" she raised a pierced eyebrow at him and chewed on the ring in her lip. "I don't know, Nate," she sighed and sat down next to him, stirring some tea. "You seem to only come to me when you need something."

"Well, you never come to me at all," he challenged.

She pursed her lips, narrowing them at him. "I don't make it North often."

"You don't have to come, I just need to know where you think they're going, and the best description of what they look like you can manage."

"I'll do ya one better," she stood, leaving behind her tea and picked up some papers she had sitting on her table. "I drew these when I got back."

Nate took the drawings and frowned. They were amazing, very detailed, drawn in pencil to get shading and dimension. Lana was talented, but what made him frown was how odd the uniforms were. And yes, they were uniforms. They looked similar to that of the Children of Atom, but they had cloaks, and armor with unique helmets. "What the hell?"

"Yeah," she sighed and waved a hand. "I've never seen anything like that. I think they make their own shit, you know, like those Rust Devils do with the robots…. I don't know, but they even walked funny, real stiff in the knees, like… like they couldn't walk right," she shrugged.

"Thank you, Lana."

"Be careful, Nate. I didn't engage them for a reason. There are a lot of them," she frowned, standing up when he did. "I suggest you bring as many men as you can spare when, or if you find them."

"We'll find them, and I expect you'll be helping us."

"I think they got Abernathy farm," she admitted as Nate was leaving.

"What do you mean?" he frowned. "We heard them radio in two days ago."

"Call it a feeling," she said, gesturing into the distance. Nate turned around and could just see smoke in the Northwest.

"That's a lot of smoke to be Abernathy farm," he frowned, it was too far for it to be that visible. It had to be something else.

Lana frowned and closed the door without another word. Nate's heart pounded in his chest and he ran to the front gate to get Maddy and MacCready. They had to check on Abernathy farm.