"I never had anyone to look up to, back then," MacCready said as they finished crossing the bridge and continued toward Diamond City. "And certainly no reason to trust adults. I did meet one woman… young, in retrospect, but when you're a kid, there's just… kids or adults. She wasn't like the other mungos, though." She raised an eyebrow at his strange term, but let him continue. "She had her own goals but she wasn't just in it for herself, she actually cared. I was a jerk to her, but… I was jerk to everyone back then. Acting tough was all I could really do to protect them. Anyways - when I think about how I want to change, to be a better person for Duncan, it's her I hold as an example. It's the only one I've got, but it's not a bad one."
She gave him a small smile, but one that didn't begin to fully express how she felt. He was opening up to her in a way he hadn't before, and she wanted to encourage it, but let him do it at his own pace. Though the front he put up to others was one of casual indifference, she'd spent enough time with him to know there was a lot more going on in there than he let on.
"What was she like?" she asked.
"She was… charming, but strong. Smart, but knew when to rely on others. And she was resolute in her mission… but would always help those who needed it. And, pretty badas- … uh, tough. Formidable. She was a lot like you." Though his words seemed like compliments, his tone was beginning to betray them. "But… she had learned to temper herself, to pace herself, how to be careful. She knew how to survive long enough to finish her mission. You have to stop taking stupid risks, or… you'll die before you have a chance to finish yours."
"I don't get it, Mac, you're always right there beside me jumping headlong into danger," she said.
"I know - I'm being a hypocrite. Part of it is me being stupid right along with you… but it's also me not wanting you to leap into it alone. I guess it's really advice for the both of us. Things are changing… I think we have to adjust with it."
"Changing how?" she asked.
"Duncan has a chance now…" he said, his expression a curious mix of pain and hope. "He could make a full recovery, and I have to be there for him, I have to keep providing for him. And now with you in my life… I can't lose someone I care about again. I know there are things we have to do that are dangerous, things that give us purpose. We need caps, salvage… we have to clear settlements, help others get on their feet, do what we can to stop the Commonwealth from spiraling out of control, do what we need to do to find Shaun. And I'm willing to fight for it, I have to be, but we need to be more careful. We can't keep risking our lives doing stupid things, or in the end… neither of us will be able to be there for our sons."
She nodded slowly as his words sank in. She thought she was being reckless for Shaun, heroic even, willing to do anything to save him. But maybe that wasn't what this was after all. The world had ripped her husband from her and then it took her son away, and she was trying to prove to it that she wasn't willing to go down without a fight. But what kind of example was that setting for Shaun? She wouldn't be able to continue to act that way after they were reunited. She wouldn't want him to see her that way, or worse, for him to start to act that way himself. Risks in this world were inevitabilities, but to disregard her own well being, her own life… it wasn't something she could keep doing.
"Your friend… did she complete her mission?" she asked.
He looked a little shaken by the question, but eventually nodded, "Only just… but yes."
"And… it worked for her, being careful? It wasn't just luck?" she asked.
He shook his head slowly, "I don't know the whole story, but… I don't think much about what she endured could be considered lucky, no. I'm not saying we have to hole up in Sanctuary and avoid all danger - that's not even possible. But, maybe we think twice before rushing in?"
"I think you're right," she agreed, "It could be as simple as asking ourselves, What would Nick say?"
He smiled then nodded, "Or, How totally infuriated would Nick be right now?"
"How long would Nick give us the silent treatment after rescuing us from this mess?" she suggested.
"That'd probably be a good strategy," he laughed, then was surprised as she turned and kissed him.
"I'm not complaining," he said when they came back up for breath, "But what's that for?"
"Thank you for sharing that me that. I like knowing more about where you came from," she said, and he gave her a sheepish smile that almost seemed like a blush, though his cheeks didn't color. She turned to keep walking but stopped as he grabbed her hand, entwining his fingers in hers. She smiled hearteningly and he returned it with a contented nod, then they turned to walk hand-in-hand the rest of the way back to Diamond City.