37. Redemption: The Prodigal Son Returns


It had been months since The Institute was destroyed. Life...was calm. Shockingly enough, life did not return to 2077 once Nora got her closure. But that was okay, because the day after destroying her son's legacy, Tinker Tom came out of the Railroad's hideout to meet Nora on Spectacle Island. She stood on the dilapidated porch of the half blasted house on the edge of the island. The sea sprayed up and she could feel her jeans growing tight around her knees as the salt water dried. Sand blasted her skin and out this far, the radiation near shore and the clear air from the sea blended together.

Growing closer to the island was a little boat, probably one of Tom's making for just this occasion. To her surprise, there were multiple shapes in the boat. Nora could make out Deacon's gleaming bald head from this distance. Never a good sign. Nora chewed on her lips and tried to relax the muscles in her jaw as the boat grew closer. Slowly, the boat made its way through the currents and docked at the little boat shed just off the beach by the house.

"So," Nora greeted Tom with a tense smile. She really wasn't in the mood for secret meetings or missions, "What can I do for you, Tom?" She wanted to glance over to the greenhouse nearby where Hancock was hiding. There would be no more secrets between them. No more running off and disappearing. He was there, waiting. And she couldn't give his position away, so she glanced over at the other occupants of the boat. Deacon was sitting next to someone who had their back turned to Nora, hunched over, and hidden under a threadbare brown blanket. He was talking to whoever this secret person was. Desdamonda was also in the boat, knee bouncing, smoking a cigarette and frantically glancing around. Institute or no, lots of people had a price on her head, Nora was surprised to see her out and about. This was not good.

"Hey, Professor!" Tom greeted warmly. He hugged Nora, unaware of how her body tensed up and nearly recoiled from him. "Just wanted to congratulate you on a job well done, and–," He pulled back and awkwardly shifted from foot to foot.

"Tom." Nora cut him off, "You've got Deacon and Des with you," she motioned to the boat. "You three never leave the Underground. Much less at the same time."

"I told you she'd know something was up!" Desdamonda called from the boat.

"That's our Professor! So smart!" Deacon joked, nudging Desdamonda's shoulder.

"Well, so," Tom fidgeted with the wrappings on his hands, "We had scouts investigate the debris from The Institute and we found...something."

Nora narrowed her eyes at Tom, "Something?" She asked.

"Something." Tom repeated.

Nora waited a beat to see if Tom explained further, "I'll bite." She finally caved, "What?"

"Not a what." Tom shook his head.

"Not a what?" Nora repeated, "You said 'something'."

"Some...thing." Tom started sweating under Nora' sharp gaze.

"Some. Thing." Nora egged him on.

"Some. One." Tom said so quietly Nora almost didn't hear him over the roar of the ocean.

"One." Nora repeated. Tom nodded. "Someone?" She questioned. Tom nodded.

Silence.

"Damn it, Tom, who?!" Nora shouted at him.

Tom's mouth flapped like a fish out of water and he turned to Desdeamonda and Deacon. He whined and made flailing hand motions to get them out of the boat. Desdamonda gave Deacon a nod. Deacon hopped out of the boat and helped Desdamonda climb out. Once they were both out they turned and helped the last person out of the boat. The last person was small. Small enough to fit tucked under Deacon's arm. They walked over to Nora and Tom, the blanketed person keeping their head down and identity hidden.

"Someone we weren't sure how to introduce you to." Tom finally answered.

"But someone who wanted to meet you." Deacon said cautiously.

"Oh for Christ's sake," Desdamonda flicked her cigarette away, she pulled the mystery person forward, "It's Shaun." She pulled the blanket off his head.

Nora's heart dropped to her knees which buckled under the shock. A cold sweat drenched her back.

Standing before her was the facsimile of her boy. The synth her son had created to lure her to The Institute. He'd kept it? If Nora hadn't spent nearly all of her post-apocalypse lift throwing up from sheer horror and shock, she would have thrown up then and there. Instead, the ache like a bruise in her chest knocked the wind out of her lungs. The same coffee brown eyes, smooth caramel skin, flaming red hair. The perfect blend of her and Nate.

He sheepishly shifted from foot to foot, only giving Nora fleeting glances. Since she'd last seen him someone had given him a pair of glasses, which he pushed up his wide nose before sniffling in the crisp ocean wind.

"Nora?" Tom cautiously reached for her.

She waved him off. "Shaun?" She questioned them. Shaun glanced at her but quickly looked away when he realized he wasn't actually being addressed.

"Come on," Desdamonda motioned for Tom and Nora to follow her. Unfortunately, Desdamonda went to the greenhouse where Hancock was hiding. Nora couldn't stop her before she opened the door to find a furious ghoul glaring at her.

"Hancock, a pleasure." Desdamonda didn't spare him a second glance.

"What the hell kind of play is this?" Hancock demanded. Nora ushered Tom inside before she quickly shut the door.

"The boy was found just sitting in the crater." Desdamonda explained, "He said he lost "his mom" in the explosion."

"Oh my God," Nora rubbed her temples. What kind of last minute sick joke was her son playing on her from beyond the grave?

"We took him to HQ, ran some tests," Tom explained.

"Tests?" Nora demanded.

"More like we questioned what he knew." Desdamonda explained.

"And?" Hancock asked, crossing his arms. Nora bit her knuckle out of worry.

"And he truly thinks that he is your son." Desdamonda motioned to Nora.

When no one said anything, Tom spoke up, "Professor," She looked at him. "He really thinks you're his mom. His last memory was an implanted one. The real Shaun programmed him to believe he was already ten when the bombs fell."

"He refused to cooperate until we promised him that we would reunite him with you." Desdamonda explained.

"And what if I didn't want to reunite with him?" Nora asked before she meant to.

Desdamonda blinked in shock, her eyebrows nearly vanishing into her greasy hair. Tom looked equally as shocked, and he glanced between Nora and Desdamonda, wondering which woman would speak first.

"You don't?" Desdamonda asked.

"No," Nora cringed, "What I meant was, I do want to reunite with him, but do you have any idea what I've been through the past twenty-four hours?"

"Would you have been happier if we'd kept him a secret for months?" Desdamonda asked, putting her hands on her hips after lighting a new cigarette.

"No, but Jesus, would it kill you guys to learn some decorum?" Hancock spoke up. "Her actual son was just killed by the biggest explosion to hit the Boston area since The Great War. Maybe a little heads up or a warning instead of springing this on her from nowhere." Nora had never been more thankful to have Hancock by her side.

"I realize this isn't the most graceful way we could have gone about things, but the kid shut down–not that way, but emotionally, and it was Deacon's idea to reunite you two as soon as possible. He was worried about the kid."

"Shocker." Hancock rolled his eyes.

"Look, do you want to meet the kid or not? Because if you don't, he's getting right back on that boat, going straight to Dr. Amari, and his last thought with this set of memories will be that his own mother didn't want him." Desdamonda grinded her teeth together as she spoke.

Nora narrowed her eyes. They were both alpha women, neither one liking to concede to the other, even if they knew the other was right. And Nora wanted to see Shaun anyways. She just hated that Desdamonda sprung this on her with no warning. She wanted to prove her point that, even in a post-apocalyptic world, people should have a little forethought before they acted irrationally. Or, in this case, rationally. With a growl, Nora turned away, losing the staring contest.

"Fine. I'll meet him." Nora tried not to sound desperate to go back outside immediately.

Desdamonda and Tom exited first, Hancock held Nora back before she could leave. "You sure you're alright enough to do this?"

Nora took a deep breath, "The longer I wait, the worse it'll be. It's like a stimpak, jab it in quick before you can think about the needle." Hancock nodded, his hands trailing down her arms to hold her hands.

"I'm right here." He reassured her. Nora smiled as her heart lodged itself in her throat. She swallowed hard and pulled one hand away to hold his face and caress his cheek.

"I know." She said simply.

The two stepped outside. Deacon had sat Shaun in the tire swing still hanging from the dead tree by the house and was kneeling in front of him talking to him. "Hey, kid!" Desdamonda called. Both Shaun and Deacon looked over, which made Tom laugh and Hancock snicker. Desdamonda groaned but quickly forced a smile on her face, "there's someone who wants to see you." She stood aside so Shaun could see Nora. His dark, bloodshot eyes lit up and he bolted from the swing. Nora barely had enough time to open her arms before Shaun came crashing into her. She expected him to feel sharp and heavy like Nick, but was surprised to find him soft and warm. Like an actual human child. Nora found herself wrapping her arms tightly around Shaun, her hands clenching his clothes in an attempt to hold him even closer. Shaun reciprocated, trembling in her arms as heavy sobs wracked his body.

For a brief moment, the world was perfect.

Nora forgot this wasn't Shaun, forgot this was a synth. This was her and her boy, finally reunited. She sank to her knees, Shaun falling with her as he cried out his story. "They—they took me and—and they—they experimented on me," he sobbed, real tears soaking Nora's coat, "and," he took huge gulping breaths, his face twisted and red with torments his flesh-and-blood counterpart installed into his memory, "and they told me they killed dad and I—I was so scared they killed you too and—and that I'd never see you again." His wails just about broke Nora's heart and she couldn't stop the tears that fell from her eyes as she pulled away just enough to brush his bright hair out of his wet face.

"Shhh," she soothed him, "baby, I'm here now. I'm here." She hugged him tightly once more. "You know nothing would have stopped me from getting you back." She wasn't sure what Shaun knew, but she did know how to comfort a child. "Come hell or high water, baby," she ran a soothing hand through his hair, "I would have gotten you back."

It took a few more minutes, and lots more crying on Shaun's part, for the air around them to relax. Nora became aware that Deacon was the only Railroad agent still on land, Desdamonda and Tom had respectfully retreated to their little boat. Hancock was leaning against the tree, talking in hushed tones with the Railroad Spy. Nora had another stimpak to jab. She slowly stood up, her knees aching and legs throbbing with the sudden movement and return of blood flow. "Come here, baby, there's someone I want you to meet." Nora whispered in Shaun's ear as she helped him stand. This all felt so much like second nature. She was surprised how quickly she'd adapted to him being there with her.

Nora walked over to Deacon and Hancock. Deacon smiled, "feeling better, little man?" He asked Shaun. Shaun nodded. "Good, I'm glad to hear it." He turned to Nora, "Try not to lose him again, okay? I can't be playing babysitters unless you start paying caps." He rubbed his finger and thumb together jokingly, playing into Shaun's memory-fantasy.

"Hardy har, Deacon." Nora spat back.

"You guys take care now, ya hear!" Deacon shouted as he backed away towards the boat, "Don't be strangers!"

Nora waited until he was in the boat and they were pulling away before she gently grabbed Shaun's shoulders. "Shaun, this is John Hancock." She introduced Shaun to Hancock, "John is the Mayor of a little town called Goodneighbor. He was helping me find you." Hancock puffed out his chest proudly. "John," Nora tried not to blush, "this is my son," the words came out so naturally, "Shaun."