It had been two miserable, long days of sitting around the police station recuperating and waiting to be 'cleared' for her missions. After the first day Nora had damn near begged Scribe Haylen to clear her for duty
'You know, we aren't forcing you to stay, but if you want any chance of not biting the big one after your first scuffle with a handful of ghouls, you'll listen.'
The warning echoed in her mind, and just as she was heavily considering making a break for the front doors, she saw Haylen appear in the doorway of the room.
"Haylen." She begged, moving to stand as the scribe shot her an exasperated glance. "Please, tell me I'm finally cleared."
"Sit." Haylen ordered with an impressive air of authority, pointing to the metal chair against the wall, as Nora eagerly scrambled to be seated. The scribe sighed, cautiously checking the bandages that were covering newly-healed pink skin. "Well, you're well enough that I'm not worried you'll collapse in an alley, but-"
Nora groaned, shooting the woman what could best be described as puppy-dog eyes. If Dogmeat was there, he'd have had compelling competition, she thought. "I'm fine! The skin is healed, see?"
"Initia- Nora" Haylen corrected, shooting her a sympathetic expression. "Even though the skin has healed, there's untold muscular damage to the laceration on your side. Paladin Danse thinks I should keep you here for a few more-"
"What? He-" She interjected, running her hand through her hair.
"Dear god Nora, will you let me finish? You're worse than Rhys." Haylen joked, giving her an amused expression as Nora feigned indignation. "Paladin Danse thinks I should keep you for a few more days, but, I was able to assure him that, given you don't go doing anything too reckless, you've recovered enough to begin your missions."
"Oh my God Haylen, thank you!" Nora stood and pulled Haylen into a gentle hug which the scribe tentatively reciprocated, much to the her notice. "Oh, sorry. I forgot you lot don't hug."
"Well," Haylen started as Nora pulled away. "It's not common, but it's not like it's forbidden."
"Really? I kind of got the impression-uh, nevermind." She smiled, waving the thought away as she moved to her pack in the corner, carefully going through it to check that she had everything she needed. She traced the fabric of her folded vault suit sadly before looking back to the scribe. "I guess I should have learned to sew back in the day, huh?"
"What do you mean?" Haylen replied, confusion marking her delicate features.
"Uh." She stopped, eyeing narrowing as she analyzed the scribe's demeanor. "What did Danse tell you, uh, you know... about me? I know you were the one who found the knife and brought it to him."
"He didn't tell me anything." Haylen answered with a shrug. "All he said was that he trusted you and that what you told him was private business. I knew better than to ask anything further."
Nora could feel herself blush at the comment, and she looked toward the floor, averting the other woman's gaze. There was a warmth in her chest, not only at the realization that Danse had kept their conversation between them, but that he had readily told his team that he trusted her. She shook her head, focusing instead on closing up the pack before tossing it over her shoulder.
"Hey, Haylen... Thanks for cutting me so much slack." Nora finally offered, meeting Haylen's eyes.
"I'm a medic. Call it my bedside manner." She quipped back, moving toward the collection of desks in the lobby.
"Still. I know I haven't been the easiest to get along with the past few days." Nora answered, following her to the terminal. "I crossed a line asking you about your personal life."
Haylen picked up a small journal from the desk before turning back toward her. "It's alright... Honestly, you're not wrong about Rhys."
"Oh?" Nora replied calmly, hoping to appear casual despite the fact that she was more than eager to know more.
"When I first joined up... Rhys is the one who sponsored me. He took me under his wing, showed me the ropes. I thought there was a little more between us, so I asked him if he cared about me that way. He told me the Brotherhood of Steel was all that he cared about, and there was no room for anything else in his life." Haylen eyed the floor dejectedly for a few moments before shrugging
"Haylen..." She offered sympathetically, gently squeezing her shoulder. "I'm sorry. Rhys is a damn fool."
Haylen offered a small smile before nodding. "He's a lot like Danse in that way... A good man, just all soldier. Protocol is their bread and butter."
"Yeah." Nora agreed, but her thoughts drifted back to how Danse was willing to offer the Brotherhood's resources to help her find Shaun without a moment's hesitation. Maybe not all protocol, she considered fleetingly before pushing the thought away. "So, where are these stubborn soldier boys?"
"They took off this morning on some clean-up mission in College Square, shortly after I told the Paladin I was going to medically clear you." Haylen replied, offering her the book. "I wrote down the details of a few places you can check for tech."
"Thanks Haylen." Nora muttered, taking the book and flipping through it.
"I'm actually a little jealous you get to head out to find these bits of lost tech. Exploring the ruins is why I joined up in the first place." The scribe admitted.
"Oh." She looked up from where she was reading to gauge the other woman's expression. "Why can't you?"
"Someone has to get the radio transmitter up and working. Just be careful out there, okay?" Haylen nodded thoughtfully before a flash of recognition crossed her face. "Oh! I almost forgot. Paladin Danse told me that left you something, it's by the front door."
"What?" She replied, confused as she approached where Haylen had indicated. "What is it?"
"I don't know, he didn't tell me. Just told me to tell you to check the ammo bag by the desk." Haylen followed Nora, eyes curious and amused as the woman leaned over to open the bag.
"What?" Nora whispered, eyes going wide as she pulled out a gorgeous, impeccably well maintained laser rifle. She traced her fingers over the name engraved on the side.
Righteous Authority.
"Oh my God." Haylen blurted out, her eyes going wide. "He gave you Righteous?"
"It's... beautiful." She mumbled, still running her hands over the barrel, checking the chamber cautiously before the scribe's words registered. "Righteous?"
"Yeah... That's his personal rifle..." Haylen marveled, eyes transfixed on the weapon. "He spent weeks fixing her up after he got her."
"Her?" She questioned with an amuse smirk, finally looking up at the scribe. "This is, I don't know. Too kind. I can't accept-"
"I think you have to, Nora." She answered quickly, matching her gaze. "The Paladin obviously trusts you very much to give her to you."
"I-I guess so." Nora answered, her stomach fluttering in a way she was absolutely not going to think about. She had to focus on finding Shaun. Avenging Nate.
Nate.
The name echoed inside her mind, squelching the sensation in her stomach, instead flooding her chest with guilt. As she moved to stand, her eyes caught sight of metal in the bottom of her bag. She reached in, pulling out the pocket knife, clenching it toward her chest, holding it for a few moments too long before clearing her throat and standing.
"Thank you, Haylen. Can you tell Danse I really, truly appreciate this?" Nora finally asked, her throat no longer closing in on itself.
"Of course." Haylen offered with a genuine smile before walking toward the roof. "Ad Victoriam, sister."
"Ad Victoriam." Nora replied, watching the scribe ascend the stairs before looking back toward the little black book, adding the two settlements Preston had asked her to stop by on her way to Diamond City to her list of locations to check.
Her mind wandered to Haylen's comment about how Danse had taken Rhys out on some expedition before she could get her mission from the Knight. Despite the fact that she found it strange, she was determined not to ruminate on it, closing the notebook and placing in in her bag before heading out the door.
Her mind filled with images of Shaun's plush cheeks, how his tiny hand had felt against her face as he tugged on her hair, and the heartbreakingly beautiful smell of his head. She took a deep breath before placing those sentiments back into the deepest recesses of her mind.
Once outside for a few minutes in the warm midday air, she flicked her PipBoy on, the sounds of Uranium Fever filling the air and drowning out her worries, for a little while at least.
Danse had taken down nearly two dozen feral ghouls alone, but between himself and Knight Rhys, cleaning out College Square had not taken very long. Certainly not long enough to keep his mind off of the growing anxiety in the pit of his stomach. So it was no question when Rhys informed him that he had a few other locations nearby that needed some 'cleansing' that Danse readily agreed to go.
Two hours later and the BADTFL office was also officially cleared, its meager technological finds thoroughly collected by Rhys who had only mumbled that Haylen would like to analyze some of the pieces.
Danse briefly thought to Nora and her passing comments about the pair. Even though he had proudly proclaimed not to get involved in the personal lives of his team, which he recalls Nora having thoroughly debunked, it was beginning to grow painfully obvious that Rhys and Haylen had feelings for each other. Despite his strict aversion to meddling in other's personal affairs, the question of why the two had not acted on their mutual pining was beginning to nettle at Danse's mind.
"Knight Rhys." He started, against his better judgment.
"Paladin, sir." The knight answered as he rearranged the items in his pack.
Danse cautioned a glance toward the entrance before fixing his gaze on the other man, continuing."I would like to ask you something... off the record."
"Sir?" Rhys asked as he rose to stand, placing the worn bag across his back. Despite his composure, it was clear the line of questioning was beginning to make the younger man nervous.
"I recognized that an inquiry of this nature is unconventional..." Danse paused, unsure of how to continue. He realized in that moment that he had never initiated a conversation with Rhys about either of their personal lives and hoped the topic wasn't overstepping the bounds of professionalism too blatantly.
"Is this about Initiate Hartt, sir?" Even though he kept his tone even, Rhys was obviously apprehensive about the conversation.
"What? No." Danse replied quickly, shaking his head as his eyebrows furrowed. "This is about you and Haylen."
"Wha-" Rhys' eyes went wide at the realization of what his superior was asking. "S'Not like that, sir."
Narrowing his eyes, Danse slowly scanned the knight's face. "Why?"
"Uhm. Sir?" He answered, his voice finally wavering ever so slightly with uncertainty. "Is there... a reason why you're asking?"
Danse fixed his gaze on the wall behind Rhys, suddenly uncomfortable with the content of the discussion. "I only ask because... Well, regardless. You are aware that is it not against regulation to engage in such a relationship, should that be your intent."
"Uh, yes sir. Thank you... I think." Rhys mumbled, swallowing hard and moving toward the door, apparently eager to flee the uncomfortable conversation. Once outside the field office, Danse looked back at Rhys who was slowly returning to his normal shade, with only a faint tint of red still visible on the back of his neck.
"What other locations were on your list for clearing, Rhys? Anything nearby?" He asked, scanning the direction of Cambridge with apprehension.
"Well, we had Corvega listed, but you said Initiate Hartt already cleared it, right?" Rhys asked, a hit of sharpness in his tone.
"That's affirmative." Danse agreed coolly, moving to head back toward base. "That being said, there is potentially valuable technology on site. However, given that it was cleared out a few days ago I believe I can manage this mission alone."
"Are you sure, sir?" Rhys asked incredulously, falling in step behind him.
"Are you questioning my judgment, Knight Rhys?" The hardness in Danse's tone was unmistakable and Rhys recoiled back at the unexpected sharpness.
"No sir, of course not." Rhys immediately looked toward the ground, before scanning the horizon ahead of them.
"Then it's settled. You'll return to Cambridge to hold down the fort with Scribe Haylen. I'll head to Corvega to sweep for tech. If I haven't returned by morning, you know the protocol." Danse stopped, offering the knight a brief nod before continuing toward Corvega, not giving Rhys adequate time to formulate a response.
Nora cursed herself for agreeing to stop by Graygarden when Preston had so politely asked. She should have stuck with just swinging by Oberland Station to let them know Preston had taken care of those ghouls, but when that damn sympathetic last-of-the-Minuteman had told her Graygarden was just a few minutes north, of course she volunteered to check on them.
Granted, she should have known it would lead her on yet another detour. But as she stood hunched inside the doorway of the Weston Water Treatment Facility she decided that she absolutely, would not be doing anymore favors for a greenhouse full of Mr. Handy's again.
The fact alone that a group full of buzzsaw wielding robots were afraid to clear out the place should have been a warning, but she had been too focused on getting it over with that she had barely listening to what Supervisor White had said.
But she was damn certain the bastard never mentioned giant green imbeciles running around detonating themselves. She had narrowly avoided inevitable death by dodging into the water at the last minute when the ugly beast was running at her with some sort of beeping explosive, only to find herself sneaking inside the facility further.
"Should have fucking turned and left." She muttered to herself, scanning the room, the carcasses of what could only be mutated giant crabs scattered around the room. Shaking her head she looked down at the rifle in her hand with a smile.
Had it not been for Righteous, she wouldn't have stood a chance, and despite a shallow scrape on her calve, she hadn't incurred any serious injury. Except her new goal was to sneak back out of the facility, hopefully without having to see who ran faster, her or the giant green brutes clamoring around outside. She had made it almost to the edge of the facility, moving in a painfully slow crouch along the metal bridge when she heard the voice behind her.
"BROTHER FEAST ON TINY HUMAN"
The echoing sound of what she could only define as evil itself thundered around her as she broke into a run, running with all the adrenaline she could possible produce pouring into her worn muscles. She realize semi-consciously that she was out of shape, not having run since she found out she was pregnant with Shaun, not willing to risk anything the second time around.
She ran so fast, that when she saw the shadow of Graygarden approaching, she was almost certain she'd gotten lost as the greenhouse was much closer than she remembered, before Supervisor White appeared from the doorway.
In an instant she collapsed to the ground, looking behind her wildly only to find that there was no one chasing her anymore. With a heavy sigh she looked up, meeting White's eye stalks.
"I took care of Weston for you." She offered, panting as she tried desperately to catch her breath. "So, what do you say about offering to lend some resources to the Minutemen?"
Danse had made it through Corvega in record time, the place abandoned, save for a few wild curs feasting on the deceased Raiders strewn along the catwalks.
Surprisingly, no one had gone into the factory to try and reestablish it as a base, a fact he credited in part to the overwhelming stench within.
Thirty six.
Danse kept count as he made his way through the factory. The number of dead Raiders continued to increase the further he made his way into the building. He stood in the final room, overlooking the factory's floor and looked down at the body of the man before him, a metal blade still clutched in his fingers, slick with what he could only assume was Nora's blood. The realization suddenly made him feel ill, his stomach churning as he quickly made his way back out of the factory, not wanting to picture what he could have found if the knife had been just a millimeter longer.
As he exited, he suddenly felt the cool night air against his face, and finally allowed himself to breathe freely again. He looked back toward the bright doors cautiously, as if the ghosts of what he had seen could follow him out of the building. He knew they would, not in that moment, but the images would undoubtedly haunt him in the following.
He had completely forgotten about his alleged search for tech, instantly engrossed by the numerous figures lying helplessly in and around the building. She had told that Minuteman, Preston, it had only been a handful of Raiders.
He wondered if her deception was intentional or subconscious. It was not uncommon for soldiers to go on a rampage in the heat of battle, often unaware of how many assailants they took out in the process, but he recalled the details carefully.
Up until one of the lower rooms, the kills had been simple, quick, even if some of them had been messy. Until the final few rooms where he had seen clear signs of struggles, she had been cautious, up until the end where the Raiders had been shot more times than he thought would be strictly necessary, the overkill especially obvious in the last room. He suddenly felt himself heave, a dry empty noise at the memory of the blood along the edge of the blade.
The thought caused him more distress than he was expecting. It was not as if he was ignorant to the bloodiness of battle. He thought idly that maybe it was the reality that Nora had barely survived the encounter with the Raiders before jumping in to save his team, then that very night moving to sacrifice her own safety to save his life without a second thought. He wondered how close she had come to losing her life that night, the woman so displaced out of time.
As he made his way back to the police station he wistfully hoped that she would still be there, despite the feeling in his chest telling him that she had undoubtedly left at the first possible chance. He had kept her safe from Rhys' antagonism for the time being, foolishly thinking that the professional conflict was the biggest detriment toward her success. Haylen had been insistent that Nora had recuperated enough for a few small missions, and in no more than a few words, the scribe had twisted his resolve until he acquiesced that she could clear his new initiate.
'You're letting Rhys back in the field, she's just as healthy as him!'
Haylen's judgment raced around his mind. He knew it had been the scribe's attempt to keep Rhys at the station a bit longer, but he had insisted. In refusing to make himself a hypocrite, he knowingly put two of his teammates in danger. The thought left a pang of guilt in his mind. He couldn't handle loosing anymore people due to his lack of forethought.
But as much as he had tried to help her, Danse knew that he could never protect Nora from her own apparent disregard for personal safety. The thought gnawed at him the entire walk, and he knew it would continue to haunt him until he knew she was safe.
However long that would be.
He pushed open the doors to Cambridge police station, scanning the front lobby before catching a glimpse of the vacant couch in the adjoining room.
"Initiate Hartt?" He asked bluntly, hoping to see the crazed woman in a Vault suit pop her head around the corner.
"She headed out a few hours ago. She-" Haylen answered as Danse walked away at the answer, headed toward the garage. He knew his team knew better than to follow him, and for once he was thankful to not have Cutler there.
All he wanted right now was to drown his guilty thoughts in his own vices, unburdened by the opinions of the very few remaining people who were relying on him. He released himself from his armor and grabbed the bottle of bourbon from the cabinet before settling to the garage floor.
Nora could barely keep her eyes open as she approached the small settlement.
'Oberland Station' she reminded herself as she approached the building. Night had fallen nearly two hours before, but she had pressed onward.
She knew the settlers had to be asleep by now, but given the barriers she had overcome just to reach them, she had stopped caring about decency or politeness. Her fist rapped aggressively against the flimsy door, the echo reverberating for miles.
An angry looking woman swung the door open, a crudely made pipe pistol suddenly shoved in her face. Despite the spike in her adrenaline and the burning desire to slap the ever-loving-shit out of this woman, Nora forced a large, fake smile to her face.
"We took care of that ghoul problem for you." She offered sweetly, the dry sarcasm lost on the woman before her as she lowered her weapon.
"You're... With the Minutemen?" The woman asked hopefully, her expression relaxing at Nora's nod. Nora realized that the other woman was quite beautiful, her dark skin and bright eyes radiant against her sharp features. In actuality, the woman reminded her of Alice in a way that struck a pain down her spine and into her the soles of her feet.
Her dear, sweet Alice. So fierce but so damn compassionate, so eager to take on the world only to have the world implode on itself.
Without intending to, Nora could feel herself relax in response. She gentle grasped the woman's shoulder with a sad smile. "Those ghouls won't be bothering you anymore. I'm with the Minutemen. In fact... I'm the General."
"General?" The woman's eyes went wide and Nora felt all her anger melt away as she was hyper-focused on how much this woman looked so fucking familiar to her. "I'm glad to hear you guys are back. It's been... It's been rough without you guys."
If Nora could physically feel her heart break, she would have felt that exact feeling right now. "We're back. We're rebuilding. I'd love it if we had your support, but if not, I understand, given our history."
"Absolutely!" The woman gushed, a beautiful smile breaking across her face. "I have a few young boys, they're still a bit shy of fighting age, but I'm going to tell them all about the Minutemen. The true heroes of the Commonwealth. I -Thank you. General. General... what did you say your name was? I'm so sorry."
Nora could feel herself staring as the woman rambled, fixated on her features with a pang of sadness in her stomach. Despite the similar feature's, she saw it wasn't her Alice, the voice too soft and gentle. She took a minute to process the words, lost in her own thought before she answered.
"General Smith." She decided, it felt wrong to use her married name, for some reason that she couldn't quite explain. "Commonwealth Minutemen. Is there anything else we can help with?"
"Well..." The woman suddenly looked terrified at the thought of asking for more help.
"What is it?" She offered compassionately, touching the woman's arm once more as a symbol of reassurance.
The woman melted at the contact, meeting Nora's eyes. "We don't have enough food for winter. We've tried and tried and it's just - "
"Hey, it's okay. Head up to Graygarden. It's a little north of here, but if you go straight north, you should be safe." She reassured, her heart heavier with each passing second as her sadness settled into her bones. "Tell supervisor White that General Smith of the Minutemen sent you for resources. She'll get you whatever you need."
"Oh my God." Nora heard the other woman sob as she felt thin arms wrap around her shoulders. "Thank you so much, oh my god. I was so worried about Chase."
"Chase?" She asked, patting the woman's back before the settler pulled away.
"He..." The woman smiled happily, caressing her stomach fondly. "I'm pregnant. If we didn't have food for winter, I'm pretty sure would have lost him. I already have Neil, Raymond, Markus, and Shauna..."
Nora could feel herself nodded, a polite smile on her lips once again, despite her own agony tearing at her stomach. "Congratulations. Your son is so lucky to have you. What did you say your name was?"
"Allison." The woman answered readily, meeting her gaze. Nora felt what was left of her heart suddenly shatter, resting it's sharp edges in the pit of her stomach.
"Allison. Allison and Chase." Nora paused, a small smile teasing at her lips. "Thank you. If you ever need anything, Sanctuary is about a three hour walk northeast of here."
"Thank you, ma'am. General" The other woman gushed. Nora politely nodded, offering a smile before turning south with a wave.
She knew she could have asked for a bed at Oberland, but something about the happy family pissed her off in a way that only added to her ever-expanding shame.
In the back of her mind she knew she was only jealous of the happy family with a plethora of kids to run about, but the logical part of her mind soothed her frustration, reminded her that these people were terrified and they had needed her.
While she was happy to help, she needed to be away from all that joy and family bonding for the time being. As she settled into an abandoned, crumbled building, she traced the marks on her stomach, lost in her memories of her own sweet baby boy. It wasn't long until she allowed herself a few tears at the thought, before falling into a fitful sleep.
After a short night of tortured sleep and numerous nightmares, it had taken her a whole day to get to where Diamond City was supposed to be, according to Preston's rudimentary directions. Her fingers cautiously traced the outline of the flux sensor in her pocket. Fortunately retrieving the technology had been far easier than either of the missions from the two settlement's she had visited so far.
Just as she was about to give up on her search for the illusive Diamond City, an angry voice broke through across the rubble, inspiring her curiosity as she made her way toward it.
"You open this gate right now, Danny Sullivan! I live here. You can't just lock me out!" The voice echoed and Nora realized she was running toward the sound. Granted, the sound of angry civilians always drew her in, especially if they were women. There were enough scumbags back in her time, she thought, and who knew what sort were running about now.
She paused, her breath caught in her through as she observed the structure before her.
Fenway Park.
She could feel the tears mounting their defenses behind her wide eyes, the memories of Nate and their first date begging to play out quickly in the front of her mind. Nora was mildly aware the girl in front of her was speaking to her, saying something that was probably important, but she couldn't steal her gaze away. Not at least, until the door opened and she forced herself back to reality, blinking rapidly.
She could hear the argument occurring between the pair front of her, groaning internally at the exchange. Despite two centuries and nuclear fallout, of course the world still had gross politicians and story-hungry reporters, eager to destroy anyone with the slightest of secrets.
She was suddenly aware of the man turning toward her, his question pointed and unavoidable. She vaguely recalled that he had asked her what she thought of the city, and all in the span of a few breaths, he had drug the other woman through the mud with his snide comments. As much as she had never loved working with reporters, it was clear the woman was already fighting an uphill battle.
And by God, that didn't sit right with her, a fact which she was more than happy to make abundantly clear to the smarmy politician.
"Well... This hasn't been the friendliest welcome." She finally answered, a sense of pleasure building in her stomach as she watched the man unravel before remembering what the reporter had called him. "Mayor McDonough"
Fucker.
The pair squabbled further, but she pushed past them, focused instead on the steps leading into Fenway Park. Diamond City. She corrected herself, knowing that she needed to ground herself in reality or else she'd absolutely loose her mind before finding her Shaun.
As she entered the stadium, eyes wide with wonder, she could hear footsteps coming up from behind her.
"Piper." She stated cooly, the excited woman's heavy breaths unmistakable as she ran to catch up.
"Thanks for that back there!" The woman offered, her younthful eagerness apparent as she spoke. Nora turned toward her with a kind smile, finally taking a look at the woman before her. Piper was a beautiful, fiery brunette with compassionate hazel eyes, reminding Nora of her mother in a way.
With a start Nora realized she also saw a lot of her own charisma and tenacity in the young woman, who was not unlike how she was when she had first joined the police force. She had the same eagerness and the desperate hope to help people, despite the reality of her circumstances.
She offered her hand to the woman who took it eagerly. "I'm Nora. I'm looking for someone. I was told I could find help in Diamond City."
The woman offered her a sly but pretty smile. "I'll tell you where to go, but I do hope you stop by to give me an interview."
"You don't want to interview me." Nora said suddenly, watching the brunette before her.
"You're a Vault dweller, right?" Piper asked bluntly, her eyes narrowing to gauge a response. Nora could feel herself purse her lips, regarding the other woman before relaxing. "I can tell by your skin. You haven't been out here for a while. Plus, the PipBoy."
"Okay. I'll give you an interview." She could feel the smile tearing at her lips, despite how the woman saw right through her. "I like how you don't back down from a challenge. Like with Mayor Asshole back there."
"Never!" Piper agreed, waving her toward the red door as Nora eagerly followed. "Especially with Mayor Asshole-McDonough."