The day they left Sanctuary, Codsworth nagged Nadia endlessly all the way to the gate.

"M'um, did you remember to pack stims?"

"Yes, Codsy..."

"And your power fist?"

"Of course..."

"Radiation medication?"

"Ye'ap..."

"Are you certain Mr. Garvey marked the correct place on your map?"

"Yeh, I'm pretty sure..."

"You are wearing your kevlar-lined outfit, aren't you?"

"Yes, Codsy..."

"You brought extra fusion cells for your laser pistol?"

"Yes!"

This continued until she passed by Red Rocket, Nadia and Codsworth making quick work of the bloodbugs down the road. Codsworth's buzzsaw became stained with bug guts, Nadia now wearing her enhanced power fist, complete with the blasting heating coil that Jim had fixed onto it long ago. The remainder of the day was rather peaceful for a wasteland travel, simply wandering back roads and isolated dirt paths, avoiding more noticeable areas and only stopping once or twice for a break, as Nadia had great stamina for traveling and Codsworth simply had no need for stamina.

By the time they reached the old city of Boston, the ambiance of danger soon became much more closely confined, distant gunshots echoing on the air past the various skyscrapers Nadia instantly grew cautious, pausing once to marvel at the great height of the massive old buildings before sinking into the alleyways behind them, trying to travel as stealthily as possible. She and Codsworth hid from sight for hours, hunching behind buildings and occasionally popping into old shops to scavenge things, Nadia repeatedly checking the map on her Pipboy as they did.

The late afternoon came around, and Nadia found herself wandering down a broken road between two gigantic towers, Codsworth hovering along behind her as she stared glumly down at the screen of her Pipboy. Numerous parts of her exposed skin was spotted with blood, her hair now slightly askew, Codsworth's metal shell blotched with dots of crimson as well. The two of them had been forced to fend off the occasional raider who'd rush them with tire irons or blades, and Nadia's stomach was rumbling irritably, as she was now hungry, sleepy, aching all over, and thoroughly exhausted.

"M'um," Codsworth said softly, his eyes warily scoping out the environment as he approached her. "What's the matter?"

Nadia let out a deep, disdainful breath and lowered her arm, the one fitted with her shiny black Pipboy. "I think we're lost..."

Codsworth let out a sighing sort of noise from within his metal shell. "Oh dear... M'um, why don't we backtrack to that little campsite we found in the garage? There was a nice sleeping bag in there. I'll whip you up something to eat, and you can get some rest."

"We don't have anything to eat," Nadia grumped, sitting on a chunk of debris and moaning exasperatedly. "I just planned to grab something to eat once we got to..."

She trailed off, a grave realization hitting her.

"Shit." Nadia slowly turned her head to face him, feeling utterly drained. "You know... the one thing I did forget to pack?"

"Oh dear," Codsworth uttered. "What...?"

Nadia closed her eyes and leaned back, sighing heavily. "Caps..."

She ran her hands down her face, kicking herself for forgetting her bag of money on her nightstand. She then leaned all the way back, lying sprawled across the concrete debris as Codsworth simply observed her in worrisome silence.

"Man... I'm running on fumes," Nadia moaned at the sky. "This is so not the time for this to happen... what freaking luck..."

"Oh... M'um... not to worry," Codsworth attempted to comfort her, gently patting her on the head. "Why don't we head back to that garage? You can rest up, take a nap, have some water... and in the meantime, I'll head off and find something to cook. There must be bloatflies or radroaches in this destructed cesspool somewhere. I'd be astonished if there weren't."

"Codsy... I don't wanna send you off by yourself. Especially not around here."

"But I live to serve, M'um. It's the least I-"

"No, Codsy, I'm not sending you off alone. We'll figure something else out..."

"But M'um, I..."

Codsworth became distracted, his eyes zooming into a peculiar sight nearby. A faint hint of light caught his attention from just around the corner, a dimly glowing neon he hadn't noticed before. He slowly hovered away, his three large eyes peeking around the corner, only to see several more of the same lights strung along a large wall, blocking off a small city from the dangers of the wasteland.

"Oh... M'um!" Codsworth called out, waving for her to approach. "Come here! I believe I've found us sanctuary!"

"We're nowhere near Sanctuary..."

"No, I mean... safe quarter! Shelter! Over here, quickly!"

Nadia sighed, forcing herself to sit upright and sliding off the debris. She wandered over to Codsworth's side, following his trail of vision and spotting the lights. They all seemed to surround a single neon display of lettering along the wall, which read GOODNEIGHBOR.

"Oh... Goodneighbor," Nadia murmured tiredly. "I think I've heard of this place on the radio..."

"Indeed. Quite the lucky break," Codsworth said eagerly, floating toward the city's entrance and motioning for her to follow. "Come!"

Nadia trailed after him, approaching the large double-doors of the city and slowly pushing them open. She and Codsworth stepped inside, pausing to observe the city around them - not the city they intended to arrive in, but a relatively safe one nonetheless. A couple of shops were just across from them, the mayor's tower seeming to dominate the city's center, a narrow pathway stretching in between in the near distance. The shops seemed mostly empty as of now, none of them busy, and a single man was sauntering across the cobblestone, his face scarred, his head bald, and his body fitted with thick chunks of leather armor. The man lit a cigarette, his eyes seeming to fixate on Nadia as he slowly strode closer.

"Oh dear," Codsworth mumbled just behind Nadia. "Do show caution, Madame... this place seems sketchier than what I've heard of Diamond City."

Nadia glared at the stranger as he approached, feeling a spark of anxiety inside, an instinct she'd learned never to ignore. The man seemed to radiate danger, making her every muscle tense as she put herself on-guard.

"Hold up there, girlie," the stranger - Finn - said to her, pausing in front of her and blocking her path. "You're new here... ain't ya?"

Nadia hesitated, feeling both drained and frustrated. She didn't have the energy to fight anymore, but she'd have to if the man forced her.

"Yeah," Nadia uttered tonelessly. "So?"

"So... you can't just go walking around Goodneighbor with no friends, or connections... or protection," Finn told her ominously, taking a step closer. "You're gonna wanna get yourself some insurance."

Nadia repressed an impatient sigh. "Ugh... what do you mean, Insurance?"

"Street insurance... personal protection-like," Finn smirked nastily. "You hand over everything you got in them pockets... or accidents start happening to ya. Big... bloody accidents."

"Oh... I don't think so," Codsworth snarked, placing a hand on Nadia's shoulder, his eyes zooming in on Finn. "She's got all the protection she needs, thank you very little."

"Yeah... I was talking to her," Finn snarled. "Not you, you broken-ass appliance. I only talk to people... not things."

"Hey." Nadia rounded on him, thrusting her power-fisted arm outward, her finger jabbing dangerously close to him. "He's more humane than you are, asshole. You wanna start some shit, let's go - I'm right here."

Finn let out a low, cackling laugh, inching closer and scanning her up and down. "O-hoh... that's adorable. Look at you, half my size and beaten all to hell. You really wanna try that shit on me? You're a little bug for me to step on, girlie. You're nothing."

"You think I'm scared of-"

"Look here." Finn clasped her shoulder viselike, his fingers digging into her painfully as his eyes burned heatedly into hers. "You're gonna wanna do what I say, little girl. Dumpsters 'round here are all full of people like you."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Time out."

All of them fell silent as a new voice joined in, a raspy tone that carried authority.

Nadia and Codsworth peered past Finn, seeing a slender, toned stranger emerging from the alleyway, his hands pocketed in his sleek red overcoat, tricorn hat tenting over his intense eyes of shiny, pearly black.

"Finn," Hancock rumbled, venturing toward him and cocking his head. "Are we really gonna have to talk about this extortion shit again? Knock it off."

"What do you care?" Finn snapped, his head turned toward the mayor, his hand still clamped roughly onto Nadia's shoulder. "She ain't one of us."

"No love for your mayor, Finn?" Hancock uttered challengingly, moving steadily nearer. "I said let her go."

"You're soft, Hancock," Finn grumbled. "You keep lettin' outsiders walk all over us... and there's gonna be a new mayor in town. Trust me."

Hancock smacked his lips, looking down and shaking his head. When he met Finn's eyes again, his expression had flattened. "Now why'd you have to go and say that? Come'ere... lemme tell you something."

The mayor stopped just beside him, Hancock grasping Finn's arm and slowly removing it from Nadia's shoulder. He turned Finn toward him, as if preparing for a conversation - but with a wicked swiftness, Hancock whipped the combat knife from his belt and shoved it into Finn's stomach with one great lunge, jamming it into him twice before allowing Finn to crumble motionlessly to the ground.

Hancock spun the blade around, wiping the blood off with the edge of his overcoat in a swift, cool manner. He slipped it back into its sheathe and turned to Nadia.

"Sorry about that," he said, his voice a comforting sort of rasp. "Ya' all right, sister?"

Nadia gulped, gazing into him and feeling a bombardment of things. She managed a nod.

"Good. Now... don't let that taint your little view of our community, here," Hancock advised. "Goodneighbor's of the people, for the people. You feel me?"

"Ah... yeah," Nadia murmured. "I feel you."

"Good... glad we understand each other," Hancock replied. "Don't take that for what it looked like, sister. I've warned him about this shit countless times... and I ain't big on lettin' murdering bullies run free on my streets here. That was just his... final warning. Last straw sorta thing."

"I getcha," Nadia muttered, feeling a strange static-like sensation as he faced her properly. "I... uhm... thanks for dealing with that."

"Yeah. No problem," Hancock said, his weathered face cracking a charming little half-smile. "Just stay cool... and remember who's in charge."

He flashed a brief peace sign, then spun on his heel and meandered away, a harsh-looking woman leaning on the alleyway's wall and waiting for him. Hancock vanished from sight alongside Fahrenheight, Nadia staring after him and releasing a calming cloud of breath.

"Wow," she breathed.

"Dear me... I'm glad that was resolved," Codsworth mumbled, his eyes skimming over Finn's fresh corpse. "But, Miss Nadia... do be wary of the rest of the townspeople here. I daresay they seem a trifle unpredictable."

"Ah-huh," Nadia murmured, leaning slightly to the side and squinting down the alleyway.

"Oh, M'um... please stay focused," Codsworth grumped. "Don't lose your head just because he's a ghoul in a fancy getup."

"I'm nooot," Nadia whined, finally tearing her eyes from the alley. "He's just cool..."

Codsworth let out a sighing groan, grasping her by the hand and leading her past the corpse, the two of them venturing deeper into the town. Nadia had always been quite enamored by ghouls, and she found them alluring and fascinating. In fact, for the first few months of Sanctuary's revival, she had a crush on the ghoul doctor in the clinic. But Hancock, however... he seemed to be something else, a stronger and more charming sort that she'd never encountered before. She couldn't help but feel intrigued by him.

"Man... I don't know where I'm gonna sleep," Nadia muttered, stifling a yawn and ignoring the growling in her stomach. "Where are you even taking me...?"

"Somewhere... anywhere," Codsworth replied distractedly, his three eyes scoping out the environment in passing. "Anywhere with food and beds."

"Whoa, whoa... is that a bar?" Nadia straightened up and stopped, eyeing the entrance to the Third Rail. "Oh hell yeah."

"Come now, Miss Nadia... we need room and board, not booze and music," Codsworth complained. "There must be a hostel here somewhere. Barracks for travelers..."

"There must be people around here who need work done," Nadia uttered, approaching the Third Rail. "And this is where they'd all be hanging out this time of day."

"M'um, please... you're in no condition to take on work right now."

"I'm tired and starving. I'm in a perfect position to get some money. C'mon."

"Oh, for..."

Codsworth followed Nadia into the building, the two of them heading down the extensive metal stairs inside. A dapper suited ghoul was standing guard, and he gave her a nod, stepping aside to let her in. Nadia spared him an interested stare in passing, and then, she and Codsworth traveled down the final set of stairs, entering the bar and slowly approaching the echo of beautiful music as they did.

Nadia sat down at the bar, leaning on it exhaustedly and glancing over, watching as the beautiful singer caressed the microphone stand, moving her hips along with the rhythm of her sensual voice. Nadia zoned out, watching the singer absentmindedly as Codsworth remained hovering beside her - and, a robot who looked quite similar to Codsworth was working the bar, wearing a bowler hat, and cleaning a glass cup, a tiny imprint of the Union Jack imprinted on the front of his metal shell.

"Oy... what can I getcha, luv?" the Mr. Handy bot, Charlie, uttered in a voice lower than Codsworth's, his accent thicker and heavier.

"Nothing for now," Nadia mumbled into her arm, laying tiredly across the bar.

"Eh, well... this ain't a motel, sweetheart," Charlie told her. "You order somethin' here, or you leave here."

"Okay." Nadia slowly raised her head, narrowing her eyes pensively at him. "How 'bout this, Cockney Codsy. Give me some work and I'll order your strongest drink."

"Oooh." Charlie's eyes seemed to zero in on her. "Well, in that case... I got somethin' right up your alley, sweetheart. Listen close... and you didn't hear it from me. Got meself a big job on the table right now. Big ol' mess of crooks, needs cleaned up. Can't use my regulars, since they're all homebodies. Some limey blokes need cleared out in a building jus' north of here. Ya' interested?"

"What... kiling a few bad guys?" Nadia said, keeping her voice low.

"Yep... bad as they come, luv," Charlie assured. "S'all you need to know."

Nadia stared at him skeptically. "Just tell me one thing. Who's offering this job?"

Charlie glimpsed around, leaning closer and speaking quieter.

"Ain't like it's too big a secret who I represent," Charlie told her. "Mayor Hancock's frontin' the caps. Hundred for each one. You interested or not?"

"Okay... I'm in," Nadia agreed. "Just point me to the place..."

Charlie muttered the details of the job into her ear. Nadia nodded quietly, slowly pushing off her stool and giving Magnolia a last glance before strolling out of the bar. When she and Codsworth reached the outside, nightfall had arrived, and Nadia spotted the tall brick building on the north side of Goodneighbor, sighing and heading toward it.

"M'um... please," Codsworth pleaded. "At least wait until morning to..."

"I got this, Codsy," Nadia disclosed, grasping her power fist and approaching the door. "Just back me up."

She paused at the door, reaching around and pulling a Nuka Cherry from her bag. She then upturned it, chugging it swiftly before wiping her mouth and tossing the bottle aside. Nadia stood still for a moment, waiting until the burst of caffeine spread throughout her like a wildfire - and then, she pushed the door open with haste.

Nadia walked in and spotted two suited criminals right away - one of them aiming a submachinegun at her. Codsworth shoved her aside and opened fire with his laser pistol, distracting the crooks while Nadia sprinted across the room - vaulting over a nearby table and landing just behind one of them. With a powerful strike - her power fist bashed into the back of the crook's skull, shattering the bone upon impact and launching the man awkwardly across the floor. Laser fire hit the second man in the chest - burning through him and killing him in an instant.

Nadia and Codsworth moved in sync like usual, racing up the stairs and repeating the routine - Codsworth drawing their fire while Nadia ran, ducked, and leaped across the room, ambushing the criminals with staggering agility and smashing her power fist into whatever weak points were available.

By the time they reached the top floor, all the criminals had been vanquished from the building, leaving a gloomy silence in the atmosphere. Nadia wandered into the room, a room of trash, debris, and old furniture, dust just visible in the air before her. Fresh spots of blood were splattered across her cheek now, as well as her power fist, her arm lowering as she wandered across the room in utter exhaustion, the great fatigue weighing heavily on her as the adrenaline faded away.

She spotted a mattress lying on the floor crookedly against the wall, wandering toward it and collapsing over it instantly. Nadia landed lopsidedly over it, her face half-buried in an old stained pillow and her eyes drifting closed.

"Oh, dear..." Codsworth sighed, searching around until he spotted a blanket nearby. He draped it over her and tucked her in, watching over her patiently while she slept.