18. Companions: Hancock doesn't like being left behind.

Hancock woke to find his office empty, Nora nowhere to be seen. "Steady." He told himself. They were safe in Goodneighbor, she hadn't been snatched while he had snoozed. Though that did beg the question; if Nora wasn't here, where was she? Hancock gathered himself up quickly, perhaps she had just gotten up and had taken a step outside. Or perhaps she had just left. That thought left Hancock's head spinning. He didn't do well on his own, his mind was too deep in the chems. Nora seemed to be the only addiction that subsided the others. He had to find her. Hancock threw open his office doors and scanned the floor. A few drifters milled about awkwardly, not quite at-home, not quite a guest. Some smiled and thanked him for his hospitality, to which Hancock would flash his signature smirk and remind them of Goodneighbor's promise.

Of the people. For the people.

One Neighborhood Watch guard glanced at him as he spun in lost circles, unsure of where to start his search for Nora. "You alright, boss?" He asked in a low, gravelly voice.

"Yeah," Hancock tried to make himself sound as though he hadn't just woken up. He held back the urge to run down the stairs, instead making sure each step was meticulously slow.

Fahrenheit stood in front of the door leading to the hotel. She watched him descend the stairs with a blank expression. Hancock wondered if he should speak first, he didn't want to ask about Nora incase he made himself too obvious, but he wasn't sure what else he could have said.

Thankfully, Fahrenheit spoke up first, "That Vault-dweller and Nick are already at Dr. Amari's."

"Must have gotten an early start." Hancock realized.

She crossed her arms and shifted from one foot to the other. "Actually, they stayed up most the night talking. In the Third Rail." Hancock tried to mask his surprise.

"Did they?" He didn't peg Nick as the kind to take another man's girl. Hancock wasn't sure if he should rip into his friend or rip into some jet, but something needed to be done with his shaking hands.

"Oh. My. God." Fahrenheit's eyes got wide.

"What?" Hancock, made a move towards the door, hoping the avoid the conversation that was coming.

Fahrenheit stepped between him and the door, "You fucking like her!" It wasn't a question.

"No! Hell no!" Hancock protested.

"I figured when she left you here and you got moody, but God damn, Hancock! I had no idea you'd actually fallen for someone like her." Fahrenheit talked with her hands, motioning wildly around. Out of habit, or maybe nerves, she lit a cigarette and took a huge drag. Hancock crossed his arms, tapping his fingers on his biceps. "Oh my fucking god," she suppressed a laugh. Hancock was grateful his blushes were no longer visible, but that didn't stop his face from heating up. "It's all over your goddamn face!"

That helpless sense of dread Hancock felt when he watched Diamond City guards round up all the ghouls in the city kicked him in the gut. Was he that obvious? Was the addiction that obvious? "Oh god," a realization hit Fahrenheit. Realization of what, Hancock didn't know, he'd just woken up and hadn't had a mentats yet. "You really are!"

Hancock threw his hands up in defense as Fahrenheit attempted to hit him the the butg of her gun. He managed to grab the gun as it came down towards him. "The hell is your problem?" He snapped.

"You've," Fahrenheit glanced at a pair of drifters that squeezed out the door and she lowered her voice, yanking Hancock closer by tugging at her gun in his hands. "You've actually fallen for her." She hissed through her teeth. "I was shitting you earlier, but I didn't think it was actually true."

Hancock released Fahrenheit's gun.

"I'm like an open book, can I go now?" It was less a question, more of a demand. Hancock was going to Dr. Amari's, whether he had to go through or around Fahrenheit.

The young bodyguard snorted before blowing smoke in Hancock's direction. She stepped out of his way, but as he opened the door she spoke up, "What are you gonna do once she finds her kid?"

Hancock paused. "I'll cross that bridge when I come to it."

"Will you be ready to?" Fahrenheit asked. Sometimes he hated how smart she was. Always thinking twenty steps ahead. Hancock stepped out of the old State House digging in his pockets for some mentats. He had a feeling he was going to need a lot of them today.

Hancock was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he almost didn't notice Nora and Nick ("Fuck you." Hancock thought bitterly) sitting by the front door. Nora was doubled over, fingers dug into her scalp, elbows resting on her knees, glasses askew on her forehead, hat laid on her lap. Nick had one arm wrapped comfortingly around her shoulders and the other rubbing her arm. "Paws off." Hancock wanted to say.

Instead he backtracked, "What's the scoop?" He asked, keeping his distance.

Nora's head snapped up and Hancock's withered heart just about broke. Her eyes were red and puffy, cheeks blotchy red, tears wetting her face. "Oh, Hancock," Nora mewled. "It's, we, Nick," she could hardly talk. Nick leaned close to her and whispered something. Nora nodded and wiped her face off with the backs of her gloves. Nick stood up and Hancock unconsciously took a step back.

What was he doing? Nick was his friend, not some scumbag who stole another man's girl. Hancock took a shallow breath, hoping he could hide his unease around the detective. Nick took Hancock by the shoulders and moved him away from Nora.

"We now know for a fact that the Institute has her son." Nick said in a low voice. Most of the patrons were in memory pods anyway, but it never hurt to be over cautious. "Kellogg was chasing down some Institute scientist when he holed up wherever you two found him. He knew she'd come for him. He was ready. Almost like he was taunting her with something."

"Jesus christ." Hancock wished he'd chewed a double dose of mentats. "So, this scientist is probably our next best bet?" He suggested. Nick nodded, "any leads? Mr. Detective." Hancock couldn't stop the bitter snap before it came out.

"The Glowing Sea." Nick answered after looking Hancock up and down.

"Shit." Hancock and Nick both turned to look at Nora. Irma had gone over and picked up comforting her where Nick had left off. "She won't make it through the Glowing Sea."

"No." Nick agreed. "Not without a lot of Radaway, a hazmat suit, or some kind of power armor."

Something buzzed in the back of Hancock's head. Power armor. Nora, Preston, and Sturges had fixed up an old suit of Power Armor, it was one of the first things Nora had done after thawing. It stood in the house across the street from Nora's old house. If she had enough fusion cores she could easily walk it straight into the Glowing Sea.

He kept this information to himself, "Wait," he turned back to Nick, "if you've got a lead, why is she," he nodded towards Nora, not wanting to say out loud that she was currently a hot mess.

"Her son's a little older than she anticipated." Nick frowned.

"How much older?" Hancock asked.

"Ten years. Give or take a few." Nick lit a cigarette. Irma cast him a dirty look, but said nothing.

"Shit." Hancock ran a hand over his head, knocking his hat askew.

"That's what the whole word has gone to." A voice came out of Nick that wasn't the synth detective. Hancock surprised himself with how calmly he reacted given the fact his heart dropped to his feet. "Surprised?" Hancock slowly turned his wide, obsidian eyes to Nick. "If anyone will make it to those Institute eggheads it'll be her."

"Kellogg." Hancock growled trying not to attract attention to them. The last thing he needed was Nora hearing the voice of her son's kidnapper coming out of Nick. He had no idea how she'd react and he wasn't risking his friends body just in case. "What the hell's your problem?"

"My problem is I've only got so much influence over this body. But that's fine. It's time I fade to oblivion anyway." If Nick wasn't such a good friend, Hancock would have clocked him, and Hancock figured Kellogg knew that. "Figured I should tell you that girls like her get chewed up by places like the Institute."

"Nora's tough as a goddamn Deathclaw. She'll rip that shitshow apart." Hancock growled.

"Maybe." Nick grinned. Combined with Kellogg's voice, it was a terrifying sight. "Or maybe she won't come back once she's got what she went in for."

"Fuck you." Hancock growled.

"Well alright then." Nick's normal voice was like music to Hancock's ears.

"You don't know what just happened, do you?" He asked. Nick raised a brow at him. "Yeah I figured." Hancock took that as an answer.

"Hey." Nora's voice was unusually quiet, but appropriately hoarse. She stood beside the two men, hugging herself tightly. "Sorry about that, Hancock." Nora couldn't look him in the eyes she held her glasses and hat in one hand, not replacing them on her head where they belonged. Somehow her hazel eyes looked darker without her glasses on.

"Hey, babes," Hancock stepped closer and gently grabbed her arms, "you've had a shit morning. You deserve a good cry." Nora smiled through her tears.

"Thank you." She turned to Nick, "I guess you told him about the next lead?" Hancock prayed Nick wouldn't mention their conversation, he also prayed that Kellogg had done as he wished and disappeared into oblivion.

Thankfully Nick just nodded and waved his cigarette out, "Yeah. We were just discussing the best way for you to get through the Glowing Sea. Nora nodded, and Hancock couldn't help but notice a warmth blooming in his chest. He glanced down and noticed Nora had scooted closer in his arms. "You wouldn't happen to have a hazmat suit, would you?" Nora shook her head. Hancock suppressed a shiver as Nora's hair tickled his neck and chin. His heart was beating rapidly, and he fought the urge to hold her tighter and protect her from the world.

Nick chewed on his words, "no lifetime supply of radaway?" He joked. Nora let out a short laugh but shook her head again. "How about a suit of power armor?"

Nora tensed up, "Yeah. Yeah, actually I do." She pulled away from Hancock a little and it took all his willpower to let her go. "Preston and Sturges helped me fix it up."

"Well alright. You have that on and the rads will be practically nonexistent." Nick smiled, he was pleased a plan was forming.

Nora was silent for a moment, biting her lip as she processed everything. "Okay." She pulled away from Hancock completely and put her glasses and hat back on. She straightened her shoulders, a fire burning anew in her eyes. Hancock would have let her step on him, but kept such thoughts to himself. "I've got a plan," Nora glanced at him, "Hancock, I want you to stay here, in Goodneighbor. Before you protest," she held her hand over his mouth, "Let me explain."

Hancock, having no trouble ignoring the electricity her hand gave off, narrowed his eyes at Nora. After a beat of silence where they just stared each other down (or in Nora's case—up) Hancock relaxed the tension in his shoulders. He waved for her to go on and she lowered her hand. "The Brotherhood's presence is growing stronger everyday. One of my lieutenants saw them building something under that big blimp of theirs. Everyone in the Commonwealth is growing uneasy," as she spoke she moved to hold his arms, "your people need you here." She attempted to smoothed out the wrinkles in his frock.

"Babes," Hancock shrugged her arms off him, his stomach felt like it was turning inside out, "The Glowing Sea is a dangerous place. You're going to need someone watching your back out there."

"I know." Nora said quietly, "That's why I've invited Nick." Her words were like a punch to the gut.

"You'd rather go out with this old circuit board?" Hancock didn't mean to sound so bitter and jealous, but he couldn't help himself, "you bring her back in one piece, Nick." He spat the other man's name out like it was a bad high.

"Hancock," Nora tried to reason with him, but Hancock was already walking out of the Memory Den.