"Gene! God damn it Dandridge!"

Gene forced her eyes open against the light and the pounding of her head. She blinked a few times. "Anita? What…"

"I followed you in case you decided not to actually go to Sanctuary and thank god I did." The redheaded Minuteman sat back on her heels. "Don't worry, I took out the Raiders."

"Thanks." Gene started to get up. Her headache surged and she gave a soft groan. "Damn… I wasn't expecting to get jumped. Usually the roads around heah are pretty safe, right?"

"Usually." Anita brushed Gene's hair back and sighed. "That's a pretty nasty hit… Come on, I'll help you the rest of the way."

With Anita's help, Gene got to her feet. A wave of dizziness hit her full-force and she nearly collapsed had Anita not steadied her. She felt the woman pull her arm across her shoulders. "S-sorry…" She closed her eyes to try to get a handle on herself.

"Come on, you big oaf, let's go."

As they went along, Gene could feel blood running down her side from a cut and the dizziness never really went away. She chalked it up to nerves. "Anita?" She whimpered.

"I'm right here." Anita shifted her grip on Gene's waist. Her sharp eyes kept darting around for any more danger.

"What if she doesn't want to see me?"

"Then don't give her that choice. It's not like she can run away."

"Anita!" Gene whipped her head around and stumbled. Anita caught her again. "That's…"

Anita sighed again. "I'm sick and tired of you moping around because you think Renee doesn't want to see you. I guarantee she does, more than anything. She loves you. Why wouldn't she want you with her through all this?"

"I don't…"

"I would've killed to have someone like Renee after Quincy."

Gene looked over at Anita to see the woman had her jaw clenched. "You were…"

"Yeah. I was part of that. Nearly died. And I'm not going to let you throw away what some people go their whole lives without." Anita shot Gene a glare. "Listen, I care about you, and I consider you a good friend, but god you're stupid sometimes."

Gene remained silent. Her stomach churned and she nearly stopped to relieve herself of her breakfast. At first she'd taken the attack by the Raiders a sign that she wasn't supposed to go to Sanctuary, to Renee, and planned to go back to Diamond City. Though a hard hit to the head and Anita put an end to that right quick.

She did actually force Anita to stop when they reached the Red Rocket truck stop. "Ugh…" She wiped her mouth with the sleeve of her jacket.

"Good thing Curie is around. You definitely need an appointment with her."

"I thought she was a disease doc."

Anita pulled her arm about her shoulders again. "Yeah, but she knows a lot more than just disease."

Gene tried to tug back when they reached the bridge. "I don't want to do this."

"You're going to Sanctuary whether you like it or not!"

Gene yelped as Anita suddenly slung her over her back in a fireman's carry. "Put me down!" The world spun and she groaned again.

"Apparently I have to force you to do what's good for you."

She didn't have much of a choice as Anita carried her over the bridge and into Sanctuary. She glared at the settlers who stared as they passed. "I can walk, you know."

"And if I put you down, you'll run. I'm not letting you go until we get to Curie."

"Fine…"

It didn't take long for Renee's leg to get sore from standing. It was her first time on her feet—foot, rather—since the accident nearly three months ago. She had to hold on to Isabelle as the mechanic measured her. "Aren't you done yet?"

"I wanna make sure I get everything right." Isabelle kept scribbling on a notepad. "Kinda short, aren'tcha?"

Renee frowned. "Tell me about it."

"Okay, so your knee is there…"

Soon enough Renee was able to sit back in her wheelchair. She groaned as she sat. The muscles in her right leg burned from supporting her weight. "Damn, I didn't think it would be that hard to just stand…"

"I think I should be able to get started." Isabelle tucked her pencil behind her ear. "All right, back to Curie?"

"Please."

Isabelle wheeled her out of the makeshift workshop and into the sunshine. She was careful to avoid any holes in the pavement on their way back to the clinic. "So, um, how do you feel?"

"About?"

"Oh, I uh, I meant in general. I'm sorry, I'm not really good at small talk."

Renee glanced back at her. "It's okay. I feel all right, I guess. I'm not sure how I'm supposed to feel."

"I—Hm?" Isabelle stopped. "What's going on?"

Renee choked. "Gene?!"

They watched Gene being carried by another woman disappear into the clinic. Isabelle shifted her grip on the wheelchair. "Should we go see, or…"

"Let's go."

Isabelle walked her to the building and inside, ducking out to leave for the workshop. Renee managed to maneuver herself to where Curie was tending to Gene. "What the hell is going on?"

"Gene got jumped on her way here." The woman who carried Gene was seated in a nearby chair, rubbing her shoulder. "Damn, I'm never carrying you again."

"Who the hell are you?" Renee narrowed her eyes. "Wait…"

"Anita Mayweather of the Commonwealth Minutemen, at your service." Anita gave her a weak smile. "We've met before, remember? At the wedding."

"You're Anita?" Renee's gaze flickered over her. Long legs, cropped cherry hair, a pair of glasses. She looked strong. Capable. Damn it. "I see."

Curie turned to fetch a Stimpak. "Ah, Renee. You're back. And you 'ave a vistor—"

"Tell her she can go back to Diamond City." Renee turned herself around.

Gene looked up where she sat with her head between her knees. "Short stack, wait!"

"Go fuck yourself."

There was a clatter as Curie dropped the Stim. Renee turned her head slightly. "Sorry, Curie." She wheeled herself out of the room and nudged the door shut behind her.

That evening, after Curie tended to her and she slept off any residual nausea, Gene found herself in front of Renee's bedroom door. She raised her hand to knock. Her throat went dry and she swallowed hard, trying to quell the knots her stomach was currently tying. With a quick breath, she knocked once.

"I'm awake."

Gene opened the door and shut it again to shield from a flying book. "Short stack, please—"

"I said go fuck yourself."

"I know, but—"

"Leave me alone!"

Gene knocked the second book away with her arm. She shut the door behind her. "Just hear me out, please."

"Why should I listen to you?" Renee sat up in bed. Her eyes were narrowed and her shoulders tensed.

"I know you're angry with me. I don't blame you." Gene swallowed again. She stepped forward but kept at a distance in case Renee started throwing things again. "I don't… I can't tell you how sorry I am. I know you said that you don't blame me—"

"Don't blame you?" Renee barked out a bitter laugh. "If I'd known you were seeing some broad on the side I wouldn't have said that." She shook her head. "I can't believe you. After everything we've been through, you drop me as soon as you have to put in any real work. You know, you could've at least told me it was over before screwing her."

Gene blinked. "What are you—"

"Don't act stupid. You really think I don't know? I know that Anita woman is staying with you. I know you're together. I overheard everything back in Vault 81. You think I'm that dumb that I couldn't tell?" Renee clenched her jaw. "I thought you were better than that, Gene. But when it gets right down to it, you're no better than Davey."

Gene's mind went blank. She tried to stammer out an excuse, but Renee cut her off again.

"I trusted you. I loved you, god damn it. I gave you everything. I lost my job for you!" Tears pooled in Renee's eyes as her voice rose. "I lost my leg for you! I nearly died because I love you, and you don't even think I'm worth it enough to not cheat on me!"

"I-I'm not—"

"God, I can't believe you would do this to me. I honestly thought you were better than this. I thought we could have a good life together. But it's good to know the only thing I'm worth to you is a half-decent fuck when you're feeling horny!"

Gene shook her head. "Renee, please, stop."

"Stop? You want me to stop? How about you stop being such a bitch and tell me what's really going on? How many other people have you cheated on me with?" Renee reached for a bottle of pills on the bedside table. "Never mind, I don't want to know. Just get out. I don't even want to see you again."

The label on the bottle flashed and Gene could see it wasn't pain medication. She leapt forward to grab Renee's arm. "You're doing chems?"

"What do you care?" Renee shoved her away. "Didn't kill me before, did it? Or is that what you're gonna try to do next?"

Gene smacked the bottle away and it popped open, sending Daytripper pills skittering across the floor. "I'm not cheating on you."

"Shut up."

"I love you."

"Shut up!"

"I would nevah—"

The sound of Renee's palm connecting with Gene's cheek echoed in the room. It was hard enough to drive Gene's head to the side. She felt her face sting from the impact and knew there was probably an imprint of Renee's hand in her skin. It brought tears to her eyes.

"I… I hate you." Renee let her head hang as she cried. "I want to hate you so badly. How could you do this to me? How could you…"

"Just listen to me, please." Gene sat on the edge of the bed. Renee didn't object, but didn't look at her either. "I'm not cheating on you, I sweah. Anita and Haylen are looking after the shop while I'm gone. That's it."

"Then why was she carrying you in?"

"Because I got jumped by Raidahs on my way heah. She was helping me." Gene took a deep breath. She balled her hands into fists where they rested on her thighs. "I'm not cheating on you. I couldn't live with myself if I evah did something like that."

Renee shook her head. "Then why didn't you come with me? Why have you been avoiding me? You're the only person I've wanted this whole time and you can't even stand to look at me!"

"Because it's my fault!" Gene whipped her head to gaze at her. Tears streaked down her cheeks. "Because I can't stand knowing that it's my fault you're like this!"

"I told you—"

"I know you told me, but it's still my fault. And I was so sure that you… That you hate me. I hate me." Gene looked away again. "I don't know how you could still love me aftah this. I can't… I can't deal with the guilt. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I can't make this right and it's my fault. It should've been me."

Renee was quiet.

"I should've been the one to take that Deathclaw. But you… I don't deserve you. And you don't deserve any of this." Gene wiped her nose with her sleeve. "But I would nevah cheat on you. Hell, considering how long it took for us to get togethah in the first place, do you really think I could find someone again so fast? Or at all?"

"Gene…"

"Anita said I needed to come see you. Because the truth is I've missed you so damn much. I can't go back to how I was before. You're all I want and I ruined it. I fucked everything up." She began to stand.

Renee grabbed her jacket. "Gene."

"I don't blame you for hating me. Like I said, I hate me. God, I hate all of this so much. I ruined your life and I can't do anything about it." She again looked at Renee. "But you have to believe me when I say I love you. I love you so much. These last months have been hell without you." More tears made her vision blurry. "I'm sorry…"

"You thought I hated you?"

"How could you not?"

"Gene, I… This whole time I've only wanted to see you! Not being with you has been… Has been…"

Gene sat back down on the bed. She shook her head. "I should've come soonah."

"Yeah, you should've."

Gene cocked an eyebrow at the redhead before she began to laugh. "At least we agree on that."

"So you're not cheating on me with Anita? Even if she's taller and prettier and probably smarter than me?"

"Short stack, no one is prettiah than you." Gene reached to cup Renee's cheek, running her thumb over the freckles she loved so dearly.

"Except you." Renee's lips tugged into a small smile.

Gene rolled her eyes. She sighed. "So…"

"I love you too. And I forgive you. Even if you were being stupid."

"Me? You're the one that honestly thought I would cheat on you."

"In my defense, I caught my last lover cheating on me with three other people at the same time."

Gene shrugged. "Okay, okay. I'll give you that." She shifted. "Can I…"

"Mm-hm."

Gene leaned in and pressed her lips to Renee's. She sighed. God, but she missed the taste of her. She pulled back just to be brought back into another kiss. She pulled away the second time with a smile. "I guess that's that."

"Don't ever do that to me again." Renee grabbed a fistful of Gene's shirt and pulled her close, so close their noses almost touched. "Or else next time I might just let the Deathclaw get you."

"Message received." Gene kissed her nose. "As long as you promise nevah to jump to conclusions like that again. And don't slap me again, Jesus."

"Sorry…"