Danse watched as Nora took a seat, Dogmeat moving to sit defensively by her side, as she began speaking with their new visitor inside the police station's lobby.
Preston Garvey, she had addressed the man.
He tried to push away his growing irritation about how she had just welcomed this man into their base without so much as asking, not that he would have denied him entry, but the lack of decorum grated against his nerves. Hoping to hear the pair's exchange, he moved to lean against the wall, close enough to listen but not close enough to interfere with the flow of the exchange.
"So, how'd you find me all the way down here?" Nora asked, watching as Preston quickly glanced around the lobby before looking back at his friend with a kind smile.
"Well, by the time I got to Tenpine's Bluff it was almost dawn, and I had long since realized that there was no way you were going to wait for me before going after those Raiders." Preston started, fixing a stern, disapproving glare on her face. "After the settlers there confirmed my suspicions, I headed down toward Corvega to find you. By the time I searched the building I was certain something had happened to you -"
"What?" She asked, faking indignation and placing her hand on her chest. "After you saw me single-handedly take down a Deathclaw-"
"You were wearing Power Armor-" he interjected with a laugh.
"He was charging directly at me, Preston." She quipped back, smiling, before darting her eyes toward Danse who was working very hard to appear uninterested in the story.
"You had a minigun and were on top of the roof!" Preston joked as she waved her hand in a dismissive motion.
Danse could feel himself growing annoyed at how the pair conversed in such a nonchalant manner. Ever since Nora had ran through the barriers, she had been reticent and on edge. Trying to get her to reveal any information about herself had been an uphill battle, and to see her talking so openly with Preston prickled at his mind in ways he was unsure how to process.
"I thought you'd know better than to underestimate my abilities." She replied, a sly smirk still pulling at her lips. Danse hated the way the words almost sounded flirtatious, glancing back toward the man across from her. It was clear her comment had gone undetected by Preston, but the tone was clearly there.
"I know full and well you can handle yourself in a fight, but there were dozens of dead Raiders at Corvega, not counting however many may have gotten dragged away by animals before I got there." Preston admonished, his tone a blend of worry and concern. Nora frowned at the information, doubt creasing at the corner of her eyes. "Taking on that many Raiders at once is a risk and I was worried things didn't go your way... Well, I was until I ran into that provisioner not too far North of Corvega."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, the fortunate thing about walking around in the Minutemen uniform is people are more prone to walk up to you and ask for help." He replied proudly, glancing down toward his uniform briefly before meeting her gaze. "The provisioner, I believe she said her name was Moira, was asking me to check on, and I quote 'Some psycho-chick in a Vault suit loosing her shit outside that old factory'."
'That sounds about right' Danse thought, but he didn't dare vocalize it.
Nora blushed at the description, remembering the traveling merchant she'd waved to outside Corvega. "Great, I've been thawed out less than two weeks and people already think I'm mentally unstable."
"Well," He replied, a faint laugh in his answer. "She did say you were crying and arguing with a dog."
She didn't answer, the guilt she'd been trying so hard to repress about what happened at the factory crept back into her thought. With her eyes fixed to her lap, she began pulling at the torn edges of her suit, her mind consumed by all the violence she'd experienced the previous day. She thought of Shaun, how her baby was probably out there alone and scared at the mercy of such violence, and how should would readily kill every sick bastard who got in her way to get back to him.
"I appreciate the concern Preston, I do," She offered, even more guilt over the worry she had clearly caused her friend pilling onto the already substantial weight pressing against her chest. "But there was no need to worry. It was only a handful of Raiders when I got there. I promise I was careful, and I'm no worse for wear..."
Danse finally interjected, unable to keep quiet anymore on the matter of her reckless behavior. At the very least, he thought that Preston should know how grave a condition she had been in. "Scribe Haylen informed me of the fact that you had a stab wound so severe, that had you not been here when you collapsed, you were unlikely to survive the ordeal."
Nora shot spun her head toward him, glaring at the sudden divulgence. "Now I don't think that's fair-"
"You got stabbed? Nora!" Preston demanded, his eyes quickly scanning her as he focused on the bandage on her shoulder with a small sigh. "I should check it out to make sure it's not infected-"
As he began to move toward her, Danse interjected coldly. "I assure you, civilian, the Brotherhood of Steel has superior medical training and Nora has been well taken care of in your absence."
The unspoken words in his statement were clear. Preston paused, looking toward Danse cautiously before offering a small nod in his direction. "Than I can't thank you enough, uh..."
"Paladin Danse, Brotherhood of Steel." Danse offered proudly, causing Nora to roll her eyes at the statement.
Two centuries later and men were just the same.
Before she could make a sarcastic comment in response, Preston offered a polite smile toward other man. "Thank you, Paladin. I'm glad to see she was so well looked after."
Nora snorted indignantly at the implication of his statement. "I don't need to be 'looked after'. I was going to treat it myself, once I got somewhere safe."
"Oh I have no doubts you could have managed on your own." Preston reassured before looking around the lobby once more. "How exactly you get all the way down here after Corvega? I knew you got out of Corvega, but had it not been for Dogmeat I never would have found you here."
She raised her eyebrow in question before he continued. "Moira had pointed me in the direction of Cambridge, said she last saw you heading that way. So I turned around and headed back South. It was then that I heard Dogmeat barking and saw him running toward me. Hell, he bit down, tugging on the edge of my coat and then started running toward the police station. I just followed, I knew you had to be close by."
"Aww, who's a good boy!" She praised Dogmeat, scratching behind his ears and offering her face for a brief lick.
"Your dog is unusually well adept in battle," Danse stated, approval in his gruff voice. "It's admirable that he went out in search of reinforcements."
"Thanks, Danse," She replied as she felt a heat rising on the back of her neck, accompanied by a faint feeling of pride blooming in her chest at Danse's endorsement of Dogmeat. Preston nodded in agreement, shooting the paladin a brief glance of appreciation for his supportive words as she continued. "It means a lot coming from you. Does this mean there's a place for Dogmeat in the Brotherhood as well?"
"What?" Rhys' voice snapped from the adjoining room as he peaked his head around the door. "You're asking her to join up?"
"Rhys-" Haylen urged, pulling on his arm to dissuade his outburst and guide him back into the room.
Rhys yanked his arm away and began walking toward Danse, his expression contorted into one of anger. "Sir... surely you can't be serious."
"Rhys, that's enough." Danse chidedd, turning to face his subordinate, his irritation no longer masked behind the cool expression he'd previously been carefully holding.
Preston shifted uncomfortably at the outburst, and noticed Nora's surprised expression mirroring his own. Haylen turned from the exchange, returning back into the room thoroughly determined not to get involved in the inevitable conflict. Nora glanced down just in time to see a fuzzy brown tail follow the scribe into the room.
Smart move, Dogmeat. Follow the pretty lady away from the conflict.
"I will have you know, Knight Rhys," Danse emphasize the title through grated teeth and Nora briefly ruminated on the way he had stated her own former rank with such disdain. "Initiate Hartt has shown nothing but bravery and selflessness since the moment she arrived. Not only did she pick up our radio broadcast and run directly into the fight without a second thought, she willingly agreed to accompany me on our mission at ArcJet, without so much as a question regarding compensation. If that is not enough to demonstrate her merit as a member of this team, let me add, she was more than willing to sacrifice her own safety to undoubtedly save my life. And in case that statement still necessitates further clarification, allow me to make it abundantly clear. Initiate Hartt placed herself directly in front of a synth who had his laser rifle pointed at the back of my head when I had dropped my guard. Had it not been for her perspicacity in the face of my own ignorance of our surroundings, Recon Squad Gladius would be down to it's last two members. I advise that you show your sister in steel some respect, Rhys. That is not a suggestion."
The resulting silence was suffocating. Despite the fact that they all had tried to ignore the outburst from Danse, it was clear everyone had heard each word of his admonishment of Rhys' behavior. There was not a single sound to break the heavy stillness that settled inside the destitute police station as the seconds passed after he had finished speaking, his gaze still locked with Rhys'. Nora shifted nervously in her seat, any comment that she had not officially accepted the offer to join the Brotherhood laid dead on her lips. Preston cleared his throat, which suddenly felt very dry at the revelation of all that his friend had been up to in his absence.
"Yes sir." Rhys replied, the voice barely above a whisper as he turned and shuffled out of the police station.
Nora vaguely recognized herself in the knights behavior. Much like Rhys, she had the unfortunate tendency to speak her mind, either ignorant or unburdened about the repercussions, and much like him she would recoil under the scrutiny of her commanding officer when her rampant disrespect was so clearly addressed. She wondered if they were too much alike in that regard, and that was why they irritated each other so much.
Despite the fact that her gaze was fixed on the thread she was unraveling from the fabric of her jumpsuit, she was hyper-aware of Preston's gaze which felt like it was burning a hole in the top of her head.
"Is that true, sir?" She heard Haylen ask gently from the doorway behind her.
"Affirmative, solider."
"Then allow be to be the first to welcome you to the Brotherhood, Initiate Hartt!" Haylen stated excitedly. Nora was vaguely aware of the small hand on her shoulder. "And allow me to offer you my gratitude for all you've already done on our behalf."
Nora plastered a sympathetic smile to her face, forcing herself to meet the scribes eyes. "I'm proud to be here, Haylen. Thank you."
Despite the facade, both Danse and Preston were immediately aware of her discomfort. However, Haylen smiled, looking toward the front doors before stating, "I should probably go talk to him..."
Her exit was profound, taking with her all the pretenses of decency and decorum.
"You're joining the Brotherhood of Steel? Really?" Despite the fairly calm tone, the anger was apparent in Preston's voice.
"I...I-"
"Forgive me, Nora." Danse answered in her defense, watching her nervous expression intently. "I spoke out of turn and with an authority as if you had already agreed to join us. To do so without your explicit acceptance was erroneous and for that I apologize. I recognize the statement has put you in an uncomfortable position regarding how to proceed."
She sighed, relieved she was not the one to broach that topic of conversation. " It... It's okay. I understand what you were trying to do. I appreciate you defending my honor, sir."
Danse could feel a heat rising in his cheeks at the terminology. He knew that in the Commonwealth that phrase typically was utilized regarding an individuals history of intimate encounters, so her misuse of the statement was surely a result of her displacement in time. However, the thought of him defending her honor in such a way caused a feeling of warmth to envelope his stomach.
Clearing his throat and pushing the thought away, he answered. "Yes... Yes, of course. I do hope you take my offer under consideration."
"What would be expected of me if I joined?" She answered, thoroughly ignoring the pleading glance Preston shot her from across the table; she knew she could deal with that conversation at a different time.
Danse could feel the relief flood his chest. The Brotherhood of Steel was something he could talk about objectively, pushing any trace of the previous thoughts from his mind.
"You'd be under my command, and I'd expect you to follow orders." Danse winced internally at the words. He'd given the same speech to Rhys and Dawes, but somehow this conversation felt different. "You'd have access to advanced military weapons, as well as your own personal suit of Power Armor. Most importantly, you'd have the Brotherhood at your back... ready to spill its own blood to keep you alive. So... what do you say?"
She looked at the floor, nodding slightly before looking up to meet his eyes. "I'd be honored to serve alongside you, sir."
Danse nodded trying hopelessly to ignore the emphasis she had put on the word 'you', as a small genuine smile tore across his lips. "From this moment forward, I'm granting you the rank of Initiate. This is only a training rank... " He wanted to add that she deserved a much higher rank for her sacrifice, but the words escaped him. "I'm not permitted to grant ranks any higher than that, but I have no doubt you'll progress through the ranks expediently... As for your next mission, I recommend you report to Rhys or Haylen for further instructions."
Nora nodded, her face turned toward a particularly ugly stain on the floor as she worried at the blue thread now in her hand. She could hear footsteps approaching, even and confidant. Regardless of her analysis of the steps, she knew Danse was the only person who could be walking toward her as Preston had not moved from his frozen position across from her and her new squad mates were both outside. She felt a strong hand against her uninjured shoulder and she looked up, meeting the compassionate brown eyes.
"Nora, I am certain that the missions you receive from Rhys and Haylen will be located along your journey. Most of our scouting locations should be between here and Diamond City." He stopped, unsure if the statement needed clarification or not. "I am confidant that you would be able to complete the missions while en route to your destination, with little to no significant time barrier to speak of."
Danse felt a hand clasp around his own where it was still touching Nora's shoulder reassuringly. The touch shocked him and he had to physically prevent his instinct from recoiling at the closeness. "Thank you Danse... I understand."
He brusquely nodded, removing his hand suddenly and turning, focused once more on repairing the armor he couldn't bring himself to complete as he left the room.
Nora watched Danse leave, her shoulder still burning from the warm and gentle touch he'd offered against her exposed skin. She suddenly looked back toward Preston, his presence temporarily forgotten as she had been lost in thought about the implication of Danse's word.
"Pres-" She tried.
"Let's talk outside. Preferably away from the couple who snuck out a few moments ago." Nora chuckled at the reply and rose to stand despite her shaky balance, catching herself against the edge of the table twice before being able to straighten herself completely.
"Let's go. I know just the place." She answered, waltzing out of the police station with Dogmeat at her heels. Preston sighed, following her without a further thought on the matter.