Nora remembered the words spilling out of her mouth, the memories so painfully fresh and harsh against her own ears. Despite her best efforts to push all those terrifying thoughts to the back of her mind over the past couple weeks, the details were still raw. She remembered Piper's heartbroken expression as she spilled her guts, sobbing about Shaun and Nate and the cryostasis, shaking in the seat before the woman's arms had circled around her, pulling her tight against her chest.

She had reciprocated eagerly, clinging on to Piper as the sobs wracked her tired body, having missed the comfort of female friendship since she had woken up. Haylen had been polite and professional, even almost friendly in their moments of honest vulnerability, but it wasn't the same. There was something open and genuine about the young reporter, an unspoken and immediate kinship between them.

Maybe it was the lack of militaristic professionalism, maybe it was the woman at Oberland who had reminded Nora so much of her old friend. Whatever it was, she found herself drawn to the report's charisma and compassion.

"I'm so sorry, Piper." Nora finally said faintly, her sobs having grown softer and less frequent as the minutes crawled by. "I know you weren't expecting, uh, all this when you asked for an interview..."

A guilty look passed the reporter's face and she softened, pulling the woman closer. "Seriously, this is bigger than any story! The person you want to speak to is Nicky... Sorry for holding out on you before."

"Nicky?" She asked with a raised eyebrow, analyzing the affectionate note in Piper's voice.

"Nick Valentine." Piper said, moving to stand. "He's a detective, the only one around really, but he can find practically anyone. Diamond City Security sure isn't bothering with finding anyone."

Nora was vaguely aware that she hummed, looking up with a wide look in her eyes. "Nick Valentine?"

The question had been rhetorical, a fact which Piper had thankfully recognized. But by god the name did stir something vague in the corners of Nora's memory. Whatever it was, she wasn't entirely certain. Surely she thought, it couldn't have been someone from her time, given the two centuries that had come and gone, but something familiar about the name nagged at her subconscious, unwilling to expose itself, despite the clear associations brewing in her mind.

Nora forced herself up quickly, determined to ascertain why that name was so familiar, moving to follow Piper to out the door. She marveled to herself as she scanned the city. Despite the ache in her chest at seeing Fenway Park so starkly different than how it existed in her memory, she had to credit their ingenuity. She smiled as she saw the building Piper had led her to, which supposedly housed the mysterious Nick Valentine.

Valentine Detective Agency.

"Detective Valentine, huh?" She stated softly more to herself than to Piper.

The pink neon letters brought a soft smile to her face. There was something so pleasantly nostalgic about the bright signage, a sensation of familiarity from the old world that was soothing, something she had yet to encounter in the wasteland.

She could feel her resolve give way to a spark of hope between the familiarity at the name and the neon lights, glancing back at the sign as Piper grabbed her arm and dragged her to the door.

Maybe we really have a chance to find Shaun after all. He's out here somewhere.

Nora didn't know why she was even surprised at the fact that Nick Valentine, the alleged detective extraordinaire, was missing. Apparently the only person in the god-forsaken wasteland who could help her, and he was no where to be found. Of course nothing would come easy for her, not here in the Commonwealth.

But when had it ever?

"Let me come with you. Nicky's good people." The eager voice snapped Nora out of her thoughts instantly as she turned to address the tenacious young reporter, bouncing on her heels next to her. Despite her delicate features, she could tell Piper was a fighter, and given that she had already told the reporter her whole life story, she agreed.

"Okay. I'd appreciate the company." She answered honestly, offering Piper a nervous smile before glancing at the sky that had started thundering. The tick of her PipBoy drew her attention, indicating a surge of radiation in the air. "We used to have something similar back in the day, you know. Minus the green glow of radiation, that is."

"Well, then you should know now is probably a good time to get inside. Before you start vomiting from radiation sickness, that is." Piper began walking, a quick but confidant pace, pointing toward the door of Publick Occurrences.

Nora followed, glancing around the plaza carefully, her eyes locking with a rigid looking security guard, his focus directly locked on her, his expression completely obfuscated by a pair of large sunglasses. She looked back to Piper briefly, about to make a comment about the man, but as she turned back to where he had been, she found the space surprisingly empty.

Brushing the thought off, she entered through the door Piper was holding open for her. "Hey Piper, do you know how to sew?"

The woman shot her an excited smile. "Of course. Most of us wastelanders learned to fix up out clothes early on, why? You got some sort of top-secret sewing project?"

"Something like that." Nora answered with a smile, the gears in her mind spinning. She had already divulged the whole story about what had happened in the vault to Piper, who despite her guarantee to help, would inevitably publish her story at some point. She figured she might as well make a statement, a threat to whoever had taken Shaun that she would not stop until she found them, and most of all, that she had nothing left to lose. "I have a few more statements for the article as well."

Piper's face lit up at the comment, her excitement palpable in the small office.

It was the same scene that had haunted her the last few nights, Nora had almost begun to grow frustrated and hopeless with the repetition of the nightmares, haunting her psyche indiscriminately. Almost as if sensing her irritation, her malicious brain decided to throw a wrench in the predictability, offering new horrors that night.

She was once again back in the Vault, trapped inside that damn cryopod, her fists beaten bloody against the cold glass and metal in front of her. The same man who she saw almost every time she closed her eyes approached, but this time, her pod flew open and she charged toward him, knocking him to the ground, fists instantly making contact against his face.

Only when she looked down, she realized it wasn't his face anymore, but the Raider from Corvega, his body now cold and limp beneath her; but she couldn't stop striking him, her fists connecting with bone that gave way far too easily. Part of her knew she needed to stop, but she couldn't despite her best efforts, even as she realized the man beneath her had now morphed into her husband, the bullet hole in his head dried with blood. Still, she felt her fists connect against him.

"No, please no" She heard her voice beg, sobbing as she was unable to gain control of her own hands. Her husband suddenly opened his eyes, glazed and empty as he looked up at her, his previous wounds notably gone.

Finally, she found that she was able to stop, gasping as she stood over Nate. But it was not long before she felt two sets of hands grip her shoulder, yanking her up. She looked up to see Preston and Alice holding her, their faces marked with anger. Despite the centuries between the pair, their cooperation in dragging her back was not even a surprise to her.

She was no longer in the Vault, but standing outside it's opening, the platform fully descended, a good hundred foot drop below her. Her terrified eyes looked up, meeting a sea of angry faces, a mob approaching, pushing her back toward the opening of the Vault.

Kevins. Nate. Preston. Alice. Danse. Marcy. Warson.

The kept walking toward her, voices raised in incoherent yelling for a long time before their voices became one, pushing forward as she felt her foot at the edge of the Vault.

"It should have been you!"

Suddenly she was falling, screaming, faces peering over with sickening smiles as she fell.

She woke with a start, gentle hands against her shoulders.

"Alice" she rasped aloud, reaching out to the figure before her, realizing instantly that the woman was much too thin to be Alice, as reality quickly knocked her mind back into focus.

"Sorry...Piper..." Nora offered politely, afraid to meet the woman's eyes.

"Relax, I'm here to help." The woman offered a reassuring squeeze to her shoulder then shrugged, moving back into the adjoining room.

At the woman's disappearance she suddenly felt very alone and exposed, the memory of the nightmare still fresh in her mind. Her eyes were slowly adjusting to the dark room, a faint light gracing her surroundings in long shadows. She caught sight of a pile of blue at the edge of the bed, which she reached for.

In spite of it's previous damage, the suit looked as good as new, the bright blue fabric stark against the pale skin of her hands. She looked up as Piper reemerged, a can of water and box of Sugar Bombs in her hand

"I figured you might be hungry." The reported offered, extending them both toward her. She took them graciously, offering her new friend a grateful glance.

"Thank you, Piper. For this and for fixing the suit..." Nora paused, looking at the suit longingly. "I know it probably seems silly, but... It's the last piece from before. I know last night I said it was about owning my identity, but honestly, it was the last thing I wore when... When I still had a family."

She looked up, meeting Piper's eyes with earnest. "I get it. Heck, maybe I'll tell you my story some day."

"That would be nice, Pipes." She offered, nodding as she moved to check her PipBoy, grabbing it from where it sat on the side table. "Well, it's almost morning. Ready to find this Detective Valentine?"

"Always ready to get my hands dirty." Piper answered, moving to the doorway. "But first, I gotta check in with Arturo. Who knows what sort of trouble we're getting ourselves into."

She could feel a smirk teasing at her lips, matching Piper's mischievous one. "Who knows indeed."

Not ten minutes later, Nora was dressed back in her vault suit, her tension markedly lowered. She felt like she was back in her own skin, the smooth fabric clinging against her, comforting and dependable. She saw Piper waiting for her at the door, an impatient smile on her face.

"I hope you're planning on getting some armor from Arturo before you leave." Piper quipped, looking pointedly at the suit. "Though I gotta say, that's a good color on you. Like you were born to wear it."

"Thanks." Nora shook her head at the comment, moving toward the open door Piper held for her before entering the market place once more.

The buzz of life began to increase as Piper argued with the man at the weapons booth, people pouring out of the many doors around the city.

She looked curiously toward where a young girl had approached the robot at the counter where she was sitting.

"Excuse me Takahashi," The girl started, giggling as she continued. "Is your generator running?"

"Nani ni shimasu ka" The robot answered.

"Well..." The girl resorted to a fit of giggles before continuing. "You better go catch it, Takahashi!"

As soon as she had delivered the punchline, the girl had run back toward the alley, cackling gleefully at her joke. Nora could feel herself smile, amused by the sweet exchange. The horrible joke occupied her mind as she briefly thought about some of Nate and Codworth's horrible jokes. She wondered if Shaun would have tried to share his own cringe-worthy jokes as he got older, just like the young girl had with Takahashi.

Sadness filled her chest and she forced herself to look back toward Piper, who was still interrogating Arturo about how he sourced his weapons to ensure they weren't pawned goods. Nora rolled her eyes at the exchange.

Always looking for a story...

Behind Piper, she suddenly noticed the curled, shaking figure rocking in on itself, knees drawn to his chest. Nora walked up to the man, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Are you okay, sir?" She asked politely as the man suddenly stilled.

"Nuka Cola." He rasped out, his eyes wild and pained. "So thirsty... Doctor says I can't drink liquor no more... Cola... Need a Nuka-Cola..."

"Okay..." She answered cautiously, scanning over the man in front of her to make sure he wasn't going to attack her at a moment's notice. Assuaged by her concern after a few moments. "I'm pretty sure I have one in my bag."

The man looked up to meet her eyes as she shrugged the pack off of her shoulder, searching through it.

"Really?" He asked eagerly. Nora wondered how malicious the Commonwealth had been to him that a single act of human decency would rouse such surprise.

"Of course." She reassured, offering the frail, shaking man the glass bottle. He took it eagerly, drinking it as quickly as possible.

"Thank you! It's like I can finally think straight." He suddenly stated, draining the bottle.

"What did you say your name was?" She asked, still kneeling and watching him intently.

"Sheffield."

"Sheffield, how would you like a job?" Nora was no stranger to alcoholism, having grown up with her father being, well, himself. She'd even been known to over-indulge herself, especially back in her college days, but she also knew a sense or purpose greatly helped with fending off the urges.

His expression crumpled, regarding the kind woman with a glimmer of hope. "What? You... you mean it?"

"Of course I do, Sheffield. Head up to Oberland Station." She stopped, carefully thinking. "Do you know where that is?"

"Sort of." He admitted sheepishly.

"Okay, it's northwest of the city. After you get there, they can guide you to Sanctuary, where you'll probably meet a man Preston Garvey. He's all gentleman with a fancy coat, you can't miss him. But you need to be careful. There's a lot of nasty things along the way." She warned, watching as he frowned at her words.

"Oh... I... I'm not a fighter." He stated, his hope gone as soon as it came. Nora could feel the man's heart break as the opportunity slipped from his grasp.

"You have a couple option here, Sheffield." She started, her tone gentle by firm. "I can give you my old shotgun and some damn good instructions, or I can take you as far as Oberland and someone from there could get you to Sanctuary. What would you prefer?"

"If, uh, if you have a safe route, I can try." He offered meekly, trailing off.

She nodded, relieved that she wouldn't have to take a detour back toward Oberland and the woman Allison, who reminded her far more of her old friend than she was comfortable with. "I can give you the safest route to Oberland and some resources. Do you think you can get there? If not, I should be back in a week and I can take you directly to Sanctuary, but... I believe you can do this."

His face lit up at the vote of confidence, nodding eagerly. "I can do this.. Thank you, uh...?"

"General Smith, Commonwealth Minutemen" She offered confidently, offering the old rifle from her back along with a box of ammo, two cans of water and a box of Fancy Lads, which he happily took. "You're doing me a favor here, Sheffield. I was carrying way too many guns anyway."

"Thank you, ma'am." The man started, moving to stand as Nora followed. "General."

She offered a polite smile before her gaze was suddenly locked with Piper's.

"That's Real sweet of you, Blue." The reporter offered with an approving smile.

"Blue?" Nora asked, narrowing her eyes.

"What can I say? I told you it's a good color on you." Piper shrugged, walking pass her. "Ready to go?"

"I'm always ready." Nora answered confidently, following behind the other woman.

Despite the handful of molerats and feral dogs they encountered, the trip had been relatively peaceful. Any apprehension she had about bringing Piper along was assuaged as soon as she saw her take out two molerats in the span of only a few seconds.

Piper had chatted incessantly for the majority of their journey, filling her in on all the Diamond City gossip, despite the fact that she had no point of reference to absorb anything the report had told her. Still, Nora nodded eagerly and reacted in shock or amusement when she guessed it was appropriate. Eventually Piper had asked if her PipBoy got Diamond City radio, apparently tired of carrying the majority of the conversation while Nora had been lost deep in thought.

She had readily tuned into the station, the sounds of 'Easy Living' filled the air, distracting the women from the silence as they walked toward the area where Nick had been headed, Park Street Station.

"Hey, Pipes." She stated suddenly, turning off the radio and watching as the woman approached the murky water-feature in front of them. The woman turned, raising an eyebrow in question. "Why are you helping me? Honestly, not any of your other excuses about wanting adventure."

"Well," Piper paused, turning back to the water cautiously, reaching out to pluck a medical kit from the surface just as a guttural groan echoed from below.

The woman was suddenly next to her as Nora reached out to grab her hand, dragging them to the safety of the subway entrance. She noticed suddenly that she had ran them straight into Park Street Station, which, according to Ellie, was rife with gangsters ready to blow their heads straight off their shoulders, but, it was where Nick Valentine would more than likely be. Granted, she reasoned that it seemed a better bet than whatever the fuck was hidden inside the lake Piper had dared venture into.

She pushed into the abandoned station and desperately hoped their rescue mission wouldn't turn into a recovery one.

As soon as she saw the Triggermen, she had stood frozen in shock. They all looked like they had extensive burns from head to toe, missing a majority of their noses, but dressed in pre-War gangster-style clothing.

"Ghouls." Piper had whispered, taking notice of her shocked expression.

"I thought ghouls were, uh," She paused, unsure how to articulate her response. "They're just people though?"

"Yeah." Piper answered quickly, watching the Triggerman in front of them cautiously. "There's the feral ghouls, probably like what you've seen out in the wasteland so far. As a rule, they're all wild and aggressive, nothing left upstairs if you know what I mean. But these are just regular ghouls, granted their fashion choices are a bit ostentatious."

Nora had to bite her lip to keep from laughing, shooting the ghouls a quick glance. "How did they...?"

"People can turn ghoul when exposed to radiation. I've heard some of them have been around since before the War." The reporter answered quickly with a smirk, turning back to face Nora. "These guys some old friends of yours, Blue?"

"Definitely not." Nora quipped back. "I'd never be caught dead with a bunch of two-bit gangsters."

"Well, you better be ready, or we will in fact be caught dead with the, uh," Piper paused, her lips quirking up at the uncommon terminology. "Gangsters".

Nora gave her a quick nod before turning to address the Triggermen, raising Righteous Authority to indicate she was ready to move out. Piper mirrored her movement with her own pistol before the pair charged out toward the guards.

Even though there had been more than a few Triggermen standing guard all throughout Park Street Station and Vault 114, Nora and Piper had made quick work of the lot. The former found herself impressed with her companion's tactical acumen and how the young reporter seemed to be glued to her side as they tore through the abandoned vault.

After the first half dozen rooms, Nora realized she felt quite fond of her new friend, who engaged their assailants without hesitation, not allowing anything to distract her from their goal. Nora even found herself amused when Piper offered a knowingly smirk when she stuffed a few of the Vault 114 suits into her pack before continuing.

In a matter of minutes, they stood outside the thick metal door, the detective's familiar voice sending a jolt of recognition down her spine.

"Detective Valentine indeed." She muttered to herself, thinking back to what Piper had told her about ghouls.

Piper moved to enter the password she had found in the guard's pocket into the terminal, shooting Nora a questioning look before she entering through the metal door. Every part of her body was buzzing in panic, afraid to face the man on the other side of the door. Despite herself, Nora found her feet moving forward, following closely behind Piper as they entered the room and hers eyes locked on the figure before her.

Where she had been expecting the man to bear the leathered skin, matching that of his captors, instead she saw exposed wiring and circuitry, the metal exoskeleton visible in the man's hand.

She backed up suddenly, her steps the only sound in the empty room as she looked at the man before her, her eyes wide. Every part of her screamed that there was no way in hell that it was the Nick Valentine she had once known, but as soon as she saw him move to light the cigarette dangling from his lips, she was certain it was him.

But how is that possible? He's a fucking robot...

The movements were precise but languid, a strange combination that struck a familiar sensation in her mind, but she was at a loss as how it could possible be the Detective Valentine she knew from before the war. As she tried to process the situation, her heart pounded against her chest, begging to be free. Nora was half convinced she was going to faint before the gravelly voice brought her two dualistic realities into the same orbit.

"Gotta love the irony of the reverse damsel-in-distress scenario. Question is, why did our heroine risk life and limb for an old private eye?" The familiar voice rasped out at Nora, jarring her from where she stood.

"I'm here about a missing person..." She stated, surprised she was able to speak, much less maintain an even tone as her emotions focused instead on assaulting her stomach. "Ellie sent me."

"I should give that gal a raise." The man answered before moving to the hallway. "Skinny Malone and the rest of his boys are waiting for us, somewhere. The name's, uh, ironic, but don't let that fool you. He's dangerous." Nora could feel herself actively disassociating, only nodding in response as Nick turned to Piper.

"How the hell did you get yourself into this, Nicky?" The reporter inquired.

"What can I say, Piper? You, me, and hard luck all seem to run together like acid rain down an old sewer." He answered, walking toward another door with a shrug.

"You're too right, Valentine." Piper grumbled, raising her rifle as the proceeded along the Vault's corridors before encountering the group.

Nora was thankful Nick had managed to talk Darla down and convince Skinny Malone to release them, she knew she didn't have the emotional stamina to do it herself, and she was unsure if, in her current state, she'd be any help in a fight.

Once the trio was out in the alleyways of downtown Boston, she could feel the stern gaze upon her face as Nick turned toward her momentarily, before looking upward.

"Ah, look at that Commonwealth sky. Never thought anything so naturally ominous could end up looking so inviting..." He offered, as she nodded solemnly, entranced by her own thoughts.

After realizing Nora had no intention to talk, Nick turned toward Piper. "How's lil' Nat? She doing well in school?"

Nora jolted back into reality at the conversation, suddenly invested as she learned about Piper's kid sister. She eventually offered a polite nod to the pair, before readjusting her pack.

"I'll meet you guys in Diamond City in a few days. I have somewhere I need to stop by first." She thought fleetingly that it wasn't a complete lie. Ellie had said something about a town called Goodneighbor, and as the new General of the Minutemen, she had a responsibility to get the word out about that they were back in business.

However she would be lying if she denied that her main prerogative was to get away from Detective Valentine as soon as possible, at least long enough to process her thoughts on the reemergence of the familiar and yet simultaneously unfamiliar face.

She turned, rushing away as she steadily avoided the pair's response. Quite frankly, she couldn't handle whatever they were going to say in the moment, her stomach churning it's objections.

Nick watched as the woman in the Vault suit turned on her heel, pedaling away from them much quicker than necessary before looking back to Piper.

"What's the story with the dame?" He asked cautiously, something familiar about the woman tickling the back of his mind. "Think it was this beautiful mug that scared her away?"

Piper shook her head, watching where Nora had retreated, shock at her sudden departure evident on her features. "I don't. Uh, sorry Nicky. I don't know what that was about."

"Hm." Nick replied, squinting at the reporter.

"She's a Vault dweller." The reported offered, focusing her gaze back toward him.

"No kidding, kid, that much was obvious." The detective answered with a smirk, moving to light another cigarette. "Who are we looking for then?"

"Well..." Piper paused, watching her friend nervously. "It's not really my place to say."

Nick raised an eyebrow at the unusually private answer. "You holdin' out on me Piper? That's not like you."

She offered a laugh and a brief nod. "Nick, Nora's been through hell, but I, uh, I figured she'll tell you about it when she stops by."

"Nora?" He asked, tilting his chin out in contemplation, his voice suddenly surprised. "I know that name..."

"How could-" Piper tilted her head in response, narrowing her eyes before smiling "Oh!"

"Piper..." Nick cautioned, watching his young companion falter under his harsh, interrogating focus. "Start talking, kid."

"It's not completely impossible that you might have met her before, just, uh..." Piper offered a nervous smile as she tried to explain the matter carefully. "It would have been a really long time ago. Like, really, really-"

"As old Nick?" He interrupted suddenly, quiet for a brief moment before nodding. "How is that possible?"

Piper sighed, pointing in the direction of Diamond City. "C'mon ya old bucket of bolts. I'll tell you along the way."