Complications

I woke up slowly, feeling much better after the Rad-Away treatment and a good sleep. I was alone on the bed, yet oddly warm in the slightly chill room until I realized that MacCready had tucked his duster around me as I slept. I took a moment to curl up tighter under the tattered coat, hugging the scarred leather closer to me and just appreciating the thoughtful gesture behind its presence. That unspoken consideration for my comfort made me realize how much I really liked having him around. Face it, you're going to miss him when he goes back, came the thought floating up from my subconscious.

Suddenly, I didn't feel quite so good. That's right, I thought sadly, he's going to deliver the cure to his son in D.C. It's the only reason he was up here in the first place. My chest contracted, and I sat up, hugging the duster tightly. Taking a deep breath, I viciously clamped down on my emotions. He's going to leave, and you're going to deal with it, like everything else that's happened so far.

But I... I care for him. Quite a lot, actually.

Don't even have the courage to go it alone after all you've learned? Coward.

"I am a coward," I whispered miserably to myself, hugging the leather to my cheek, "I have to get home." A few quiet breaths and I took a moment to drink down a purified water before steeling myself to find MacCready. He's still my friend, and I'll be dammed if I ruin his happiness by moping. God, I'm going to miss him, though. Grabbing my pack and folding his jacket over my arm, I left the room.

The doors leading out to the main facility were open, and I followed them up and out to find MacCready sitting at the secretary's desk in the lobby, writing. He had scrounged up a notepad and pen from somewhere and was obviously deep in thought. Several scattered balls of crumpled paper lay tossed around, mute evidence of multiple attempts to write. He had just finished, folding the paper in front of him into a neat square when I approached, wordlessly handing him his duster. His face lit up in a smile when he saw me, and I answered it as best I could.

"Good morning, boss." Shrugging into his coat, he tucked the paper in a pocket and shouldered his sniper rifle which had been propped up next to him against the desk. "Feeling better? Ready to move out?"

"Morning, Mac," I managed in a mostly normal voice. "Let's get going, shall we?" Stuffing my feelings deep, deep down inside, I followed him out the main doors.

We left MedTek, heading for Goodneighbor this time. As we walked along, MacCready explained the route back and why we were headed that way while I merely listened, trying to remember everything about this journey; the last time I'd see him before he went home. He was so happy to have found the cure that he didn't even seem to notice my reticence.

"Anyway," he was saying, "the last step ahead of us is getting the cure to Daisy in Goodneighbor. With her caravan contacts, she's the only one I trust to get this to Duncan on time."

I nodded, quietly walking along, barely paying attention to our surroundings. Clearing my throat, I decided to twist the knife a little in some masochistic desire to try and numb myself to the eventuality of having to go it alone. "I suppose you'll hire on as a caravan guard on the way down to save the caps, then?"

MacCready glanced over at me in confusion. "Caravan guard? What are you talking about?"

Hastily, I backtracked, not wanting to offend him. "Or maybe just enjoy the journey as a paying customer?" My voice trembled a little, despite my best efforts to keep it even and neutral. "I mean, we've been collecting a pretty good haul of caps lately." I looked at the buildings, the road ahead, the piles of rubble scattered about, anywhere but at my companion. My misery rose up into my throat despite my best efforts to keep it locked away.

A hand grabbed my jacket, pulling me to a stop. Slowly I turned to face MacCready. He was looking at me with a strange, unreadable expression on his face, letting go of my coat. "Boss," he asked quietly, "what's this about? Are you afraid I'm going to leave?" Those glorious crystal blue eyes searched my face, puzzled.

"Of course you're going to leave!" I insisted, failing to keep my voice even as I had intended. "You have to bring the cure to your son!" Holding back my own fear of being left alone, I lowered my voice to force a more pleasant tone. I am not going to ruin this for him. "I hope you have a good journey, and get home in record time. Give Duncan a hug for me." My smile was genuine at least, even as my voice sounded odd in my ears.

In sheer surprise he nearly laughed, but once he realized that I was completely serious, upset, and scared, he instead led us over to the side of the road to clear up the obvious, to him, misunderstanding. We sat down on a concrete barrier. "I'm not leaving." Three words again, that changed my life, this time lifting my spirits, soothing my rising panic. He's not leaving me! "First, and foremost, boss, I have a contract with you. I was hired to protect you until you got home, and last time I checked, you're not there." He leaned forward to emphasize his point. "I told you before, I don't break my contracts."

"Second..." and here he trailed off, staring off into the distance as if trying to see his son through the miles separating them. "Second, I can't go back. Not now, anyway. ...not ever." He stared at the ground, a frown creasing his brow. "When Duncan got sick and I insisted on leaving to find the cure, Lucy's parents told me that I was as good as abandoning him." His voice lost all its normal vibrancy, and I lightly leaned against his shoulder, offering what comfort I could. He leaned back.

"They told me it was a wild goose chase and if, by some undeserved miracle, I ever found it, to just send it to them and never come back. They were his family, not mine." The bitterness in his voice mellowed a little at his next words, as if lancing a boil to let it heal. "I miss Duncan with all my heart, but I know he's better off with a stable life, and a family who loves him."

"I'm so sorry, MacCready," I murmured as gently as I could when he wound down. Seeing him so hurt, so heartbroken at the impossible decision he had to make tore at my heart, and yet... and yet the selfish, scared, lost part of my soul was pathetically glad he was staying. I wish there was a perfect solution, but there isn't. "That's so unfair."

"Since when does 'fair' mean anything?" he retorted, snapping in delayed anger. "Damn it, boss, I'm sorry." He reached out to throw his arm around my shoulder in a quick one-armed hug. "I don't know how you do it, but I feel like I can talk to you about anything. I trust you more than anyone else. Only Daisy knows about this, aside from you."

His words echoed in the depths of my mind. I trust you. A rush of affection bloomed in my heart at those words. "I think we needed to clear the air, and not let a misunderstanding come between us, especially when it was my fault." I spoke carefully, "Thank you, Mac, I'm glad you told me."

"I..." he broke off, looking away. Taking a deep breath, he met my gaze and continued. "I just want to... well, let you know much I appreciate how you've been treating me. Most people who hire my services only pay for a day or two, tops. I'm the sniper who goes out, does the hit, collects the caps, and is cut loose. No one kept me around for long, and I could never rely on anyone to have my back if something went wrong. I was the expendable gun, the anonymous hire meant to soak up bullets. But you," he paused to take a bracing breath, a grin teasing his lips, "you're different. You have my back. You ask my opinion and value my expertise. You treat me like a partner. That means a lot. I can honestly say you've been the best fuc—err, best damn boss I've ever run with."

His words took me by complete surprise. "Thank you, MacCready. You are the absolute best person I can think of to help me out here. You're talented, sharp, and you know how to survive. Even better, you're able to teach me how to survive, which is no mean feat. I couldn't ask for a better bodyguard, or a better friend."

He laughed a little, his natural, unbreakable spirit resurfacing. "Third..." he said lightly, returning to his list.

"Third?"

"We make a heck of a team. I'd also say putting that cure for Duncan's disease in my hands pretty much guarantees that I'll be your friend for life." He grinned and punched my shoulder lightly. "That is, if you can stand having me around."

Before I could reply, we were distracted by a pervasive thunderous rumble. Quiet at first, it grew louder and louder, droning continuously. Grabbing our respective weapons, we took cover behind the barrier that had been our makeshift seat, searching for the source of the noise. Finally, MacCready pointed up into the sky.

A truly immense airship, a dirigible the length of several city blocks was making its stately way across the sky. It was flanked by half a dozen helicopter-like vertibirds, nearly identical to the one I had seen crashed on the roof in Concord. Once the main airship reached the city proper, an announcement boomed out, broadcasting loud and clear for any and all to hear.

"People of the Commonwealth" the voice thundered, clearly audible over the incessant thrumming engines of the accompanying vertibirds, "Do not interfere. Our intentions are peaceful. We are... the Brotherhood of Steel." The airship soared majestically towards the Boston airport tower.

MacCready was stunned, remarking quietly, "Son-of-a... it's the goddamn Brotherhood of Steel. What the hell are they doing here?"

Not entirely sure if he was speaking rhetorically, I hazarded a guess. "Looks like Paladin Danse called in reinforcements." Is this partially our fault for helping him?

"Did you see the size of that airship? Now that's how you make an entrance." MacCready's momentary awe faded into a more practical observation. "With the Brotherhood here, you can be sure that the Commonwealth will turn into a war zone," he scoffed, hopping over the highway barrier to get back onto the main road. "Come on, boss, let's get back to Goodneighbor. I don't want to hang about in the open, especially not with that going on overhead."