Early the next morning, after a breakfast of reheated molerat with a side of beans, Lillian and Canigou parted ways with Clinton and Charlie. She promised Charlie if she found one, she'd bring back another dog just for her.

Lillian and Canigou headed to Lexington. She thought of checking out the supermarket, but figured it would probably be picked clean by now. As they got closer, Canigou stopped and growled. Lillian immediately crouched beside him.

"What is it, boy?" she whispered as she took out her pistol.

There was a sudden explosion from the center of town followed by rapid gunfire. Lillian quickly hid behind a wrecked car, followed by Canigou. She took out her binoculars and peered out. At first she couldn't see anything apart from smoke, but then something moving caught her eye. A few figures running, but they didn't seem to run like humans normally do. They disappeared behind some buildings and there was more gunfire. She put the binoculars away.

"Shit, well, I guess we're skipping this one too," she said quietly. Canigou snorted in response. They crept toward the outer fence of the Corvega factory, intending to walk along it back to the road. A shot rang out and a bullet hit the ground only a foot away. Lillian didn't look to see where it had come from and ran towards some trees. She could hear someone yell from the roof.

"Fuck! Missed!"

Why the hell were they shooting at her? She hadn't done anything. Maybe they had taken over this area, claimed it as theirs and figured she was trespassing. But surely they could've just yelled at her to get off their lawn or something.

She carefully took out her binoculars and peeked around the tree trunk. She couldn't see anyone at the bottom of the factory, but spotted a couple of people on the roof. One seemed to be looking for her through a sniper rifle. She quickly hid again and pulled Canigou close.

"We'll wait them out," she said, "You let me know if anyone is getting near."

She sat against the tree trunk, her pistol in hand, and listened. She could hear some distant gunfire, but nothing too close. Canigou's ears were perked and stiff, listening for any sound. They waited an hour before moving. Lillian waved a scarf to the side but there were no shots towards them. They cautiously made their way back to the road, with Lillian keeping a close eye on the roof of the factory. She couldn't see any more movement.

They were well past Lexington and Lillian was about to finally relax a bit when her Pipboy made an alerting beep. She looked down. A new radio signal? She tuned in to listen.

"... message repeating. This is Scribe Haylen of Reconnaissance Squad Gladius to any unit in transmission range. Authorization Arx. Ferrum. Nine. Five. Our unit has sustained casualties and we're running low on supplies. Requesting support or evac from our position at Cambridge Police Station. Automated message repeating... This is -"

She turned it off as rain started to fall. Poor souls. Probably a cry for help from long ago and never got the chance to turn off the broadcast. It sounded like the army, but she never heard of anyone with the rank of Scribe. Maybe it was just after the bombs dropped. From what she's seen so far, the army probably didn't exist any more. But it did give her the idea to check out the police station. It wasn't too far.

The rain was now pouring down and she pulled her hood up. At the very least she could take shelter at the police station. She could feel safe there. She then mentally kicked herself. If the army wasn't around any more, then neither were the police. There was no one there to keep her safe. But still, she wanted to see for herself. She'd just need to be careful.

As they neared the back of the police station from the back, the sounds of shouting and laser guns filled the air. They seemed to be coming from directly in front of the police station. Lillian paused, took out her pistol, and crept along the fence. Inhuman growls now added to the noise. All of her instincts told her to run but something told her to stay. She could hear the shouting more clearly as she got closer to the front.

"Fuck, it's jammed!"

"Keane, behind you!"

"AARRRGGHHHH!"

"Keane! No! Shit!"

"Watch out, more on the right!"

"There's too many of them!"

Lillian peeked through a hole in the fence and saw a man in power armour firing his laser gun at... people? No, they were all withered and deformed. Whatever they were, they were attacking ferociously. Four of the things swarmed the man in power armour, knocking him off balance. Lillian kicked open the gate and started firing. Canigou leapt on one of the things, dragging it off the man.

"Check your fire, civilian in the perimeter!" the man shouted as he stood up and fired at more coming through the front entry. Canigou had killed the first one and attacked another. Lillian kept firing, almost surprised with how calm she was. She'd only shot paper targets before the bombs dropped and giant bugs since leaving the vault.

Another wave of these horrible things ran in through another entry way. Canigou made quick work of many of them, mauling them to death. Clearly he had met these things before. The man in power armour disintegrated many others with his laser gun while Lillian shot a few more. Then finally it was over.

"Is that all of them?" a woman near the front of the police station asked. Lillian checked out the gate she had kicked open while the man in power armour looked out the main entry. There was no more sign of movement so she closed the gate. The man confirmed that it was clear. Lillian stared down at the dead bodies. They looked human, but what WERE they?

"Haylen, report," the man in power armour demanded.

"Rhys has superficial wounds, but he'll live. I only have a few scratches." the woman replied.

"Good." the man turned to Lillian, but she was staring down at the carnage. "Thanks for the assistance, civilian, but what's your business here?"

There was a pause before Lillian spoke.

"What the FUCK are those things?"

"You've never seen ghouls before?" the man raised his eyebrows.

"Ghouls? What are those?" She finally looked up at him.

"Ghouls are irradiated people," he explained, his brow furrowing, "The radiation has destroyed most of their brain and being. They're feral and savage."

Lillian's eyes widened. "These were human? Like us?"

"They were but not any more," the man said. "It's our duty to destroy them."

"Oh. Well, I guess that's more humane." She looked down at the dead ghouls sadly. These used to be people. Actual people. Is this what happened to those who didn't make it inside the vaults? How long were they like this? Who were they before they became ghouls?

"Ahem," the man cleared his throat.

"Sorry, it's just - I didn't know it was like this."

"Are you from a vault?" he asked.

"Yes. And no. It's a long story."

"What brings you here?"

"Looking for shelter, supplies, and help."

The man narrowed his eyes. He wasn't sure if this was some sort of trick. She did help them out. And now with another man down, they could use all the help they could get.

"We can offer shelter as thanks for your assistance, but we're running low on supplies ourselves."

"Okay, that'll suit me. But who are you?"

"I'm Paladin Danse of the Brotherhood of Steel, and that's Scribe Haylen and Knight Rhys. We're on recon from the Capital Wasteland."

"Sir, perhaps we could continue this inside, out of the rain," said Haylen.

"Of course," Paladin Danse agreed. "I'll take care of this mess out here and you tend to your and Rhys's wounds. And you," he turned to Lillian, "find yourself a place to sleep, but be warned. We won't tolerate any level of hostility or misbehaviour."

"Understood." She thought she saw a faint smile on his face as he turned around. She went up the stairs to the front door as Haylen and Rhys were going in. Lillian turned back and saw Paladin Danse heading up the walkway above the main entry. He tossed the body of a ghoul over the side and she saw the body of their fourth member. She turned away and went inside.

The police station was in disarray. The main lobby had tables and sleeping bags set up and a terminal in the corner. A room to the left was a mess of debris and desks. She picked her way through the room to a hallway. There was an interrogation room that was full of dirt. But she opted to drop her backpack in the lockup. She placed her hand on one of the cell door locks. It was the perfect height.

She heard heavy footsteps in the hallway that stopped just outside the door. She turned as she removed her hood, running her fingers through her vibrant red hair, damp from the rain.

"If it's okay with you, I'll stay in here," she said.

Paladin Danse stared at her for a moment then spoke. "That's fine. Is there anything you need?"

"Don't suppose there's a working shower here, huh?" she said, only half-joking.

"Hmf, I wish," he said. "I'm afraid you'll have to make do without."

"Okay. I'm just going to change into dry clothes." She turned, took her jacket off and draped it over a nearby chair. She was about to remove her shirt when she realised she hadn't heard any footsteps walking away. She turned back to see Danse still in the doorway. "Sorry, do I need supervision to get naked?"

"Hm? No, of course not." She could practically hear him blushing. "Just... don't walk around here in a state of undress." He left to the lobby.

She smiled to herself, removed her shirt and draped it on the dusty desk. Ugh, she'd have to give it all a proper wash later. She dug into her backpack and took out a pair of shorts and a tank top which she changed into. She changed into clean, dry socks then had a proper look around. It was so dusty. She found a broom in a supply closet and started sweeping up.

"At least someone's trying to clean this place." Lillian turned and saw Haylen in the doorway holding a clipboard.

"Seems like the whole world is a mess now," Lillian replied.

"Paladin Danse is going to ask for your help with an important task, but I need to get some information from you first."

"What kind of task? And what kind of information?"

"He'll explain when we're finished here," Haylen entered the room, stopping at the desk. "And this is for our records, if you don't mind. So first off, your full name please."

"Lillian Frances Parker."

"Date of birth?"

"May 5, 2052."

Haylen raised her eyebrows. "Don't you mean 2252?"

"No. I was born in 2052. Before the bombs dropped. We were cryogenically frozen in Vault 111."

Haylen stared at her. "What? Are you serious? Hold on, vault 111? I'm not sure we have a record of that one."

"It's just outside Sanctuary Hills. My home."

"But... hold on." She dropped her clipboard on the desk and rushed out. She returned a few moments later with Paladin Danse who was still in his power armour. "Tell him what you just told me."

Lillian did so. Danse's eyes widened then his brow furrowed again.

"So no wonder - How many came out of the Vault with you?" he asked.

Lillian bit her lip. "Everyone else is dead. Except me. And my baby. But someone took him. Someone took Shaun and shot my husband dead while doing it."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Haylen said gently.

"That's why I'm here, I need to find my son. I need to bring him home."

Haylen and Danse looked at each other. They knew trying to find a missing infant was near impossible. If he had even survived.

"When did you leave the vault?" asked Haylen.

"Five, no, six days ago."

They stood in silence for a few moments before Danse spoke.

"I'll leave you to the rest of your examination, Haylen."

"So I, um, guess I can skip the next of kin information," Haylen said when they were alone again. "What was your job before?"

"Well, I was about to start my new job in a law office. But before that I was a ballet dancer."

"A dancer, huh? I think I've seen references to ballet in some books. Not much use for that these days."

Haylen continued to ask Lillian questions regarding her health, though she was desperate to ask her more detailed questions about life before the bombs dropped. It was a Scribe's dream come true. An honest to goodness pre-war human who was not a ghoul. But she knew it would have to wait until after Paladin Danse spoke with her.

When they had finished they went into the lobby where Danse, still in his power armour, and Rhys, bandaged up and eating a tin of Cram, were waiting.

"Couldn't be bothered to get dressed?" Rhys scowled at her.

"Couldn't be bothered to say hello?" Lillian snapped back. Haylen hid a smile. Oh, she liked this new girl.

"Alright, enough." Danse said sternly. He turned to Lillian. "So we've been trying to get in contact with HQ back in the Capital Wasteland, but our radio signal isn't strong enough. We need to get a long range transmitter and the only place to get one is located at ArcJet Systems. That's where you come in. I'd like you to accompany me to ArcJet so we can retrieve the transmitter. I'd rather not leave any of my team, including myself, alone so we need the extra gun."

"I'll be glad to help. Should we go now, or wait until morning?" said Lillian.

"I think morning will be best," replied Danse. "I have some other duties to attend to tonight."

Lillian nodded and returned to the lockup to finish sweeping up. She draped her damp sleeping bag on some overturned jail cots then returned to the lobby. Rhys was now lying in one of the sleeping bags there while Haylen was typing on the terminal.

"Is there anything I can do?" Lillian asked.

"I think you've helped out enough for one day," replied Haylen. "Even if the other guys don't say anything, we appreciate it."

Outside behind the police station, once he was sure it was clear, Paladin Danse exited his power armour and reached for the shovel. He was angry to have to use it again. Another man gone. Damn it. Would they even be able to survive until backup arrived? He furiously started digging. He was sore and tired and just wanted this damn mission to be over. He didn't know what he would do if he lost another member of his team. No, he can't think about that right now. He needed to focus. But how could he focus on anything when someone was watching him?

He stopped digging and looked up. Lillian was standing beside his empty power armour suit, still in her shorts and tank top. Her arms were crossed, trying to keep herself warm from the cold. He noticed how slim she was, but very toned.

"Hi, can I help?" she asked.

"No, I have everything under control." He continued digging.

"Wouldn't it be easier to do that with the power armour?"

"Yes, but it's better this way," he replied. He noticed her walking towards him out of the corner of his eye and he stopped. She walked around him to the other three graves, each marked with a makeshift cross, and read each name.

"This is the fourth loss we've had," he explained. "You can see why we're desperate for assistance."

"I'm sorry," she said.

"They knew the risks of coming out here, it's just.. I didn't think we'd lose anyone."

"How did they die?"

"Raiders. Super mutants." he angrily started digging again. Lillian was silent then stepped away from the graves. Danse dug deeper into the ground and assumed that she had gone back inside. The rain had stopped but it was pretty cold out here. Even he was feeling chilly through his power armour uniform. When he had dug deep enough, he climbed out. He saw Lillian approaching the other graves again but now she had a small bunch of flowers in her hand. She placed a few on each of the graves.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Putting flowers on their graves," she replied. "Do people not do this any more?"

"People are lucky to even get buried when they die, let alone have flowers placed on their graves."

"Oh. Well, I hope you don't mind. It just seems like the right thing to do."

Danse didn't reply but nodded, picked up Keane's body and placed it in the grave. He covered it up and hammered in another makeshift cross. Lillian placed the rest of the flowers at the base of it then stood next to Danse.

"I'm going back inside, I'll see you later." She put her hand on his arm reassuringly and left. Danse felt a warm feeling rush through him when she touched him.

He grabbed her hand and pulled her in, kissing her. She kissed him back, throwing her arms around his neck.

Danse felt a sharp pain in his head and snapped out of his daydream. What was that about? He hadn't had those type of thoughts in a very long time. Maybe he's just working too hard. He stayed outside for a short bit longer before going in to repair his power armour in the motorpool.

He was hot after digging the grave so he took his hood cap off. He ran his hand through his hair and got to work. But he was distracted. This new girl, there was something about her. Not just her being pre-war, but... something. It was the way she paid her respects to his fallen brothers, even though she didn't know them. The way she wasn't bothered by Rhys's grouchiness. The way she looked in those shorts. Now he knew what they meant by the phrase 'legs for days'.

He felt himself blushing again. He had no time to think such thoughts, especially of someone he just met. Especially of someone who was married. Well, widowed, he supposed. But still. He had to consider more important things, like getting that transmitter. He almost regretted asking her to come along, but he had no choice. While Rhys or Haylen would be more ideal, he just couldn't risk it. But he didn't want to risk Lillian's life either.

Finally finishing up on his power armour, Danse went upstairs to grab something to drink. Rhys should be on patrol tonight. As he neared the top of the stairs he could hear humming from the lock up. He looked in and saw Lillian standing next to the jail cell, holding the cell door with one hand while the other was up in the air. She was balancing on the ball of her left foot while her right leg was stretched straight out behind her. Her eyes were closed and she was humming a tune he didn't recognize. She slowly brought her leg down then raised it again in front of her. He didn't realise anyone could be so flexible. It was beautiful.

"Hello."

Danse jumped and felt his face flush up again as she opened her eyes.

"Sorry, I mean, hi," he stammered. What was wrong with him? This is ridiculous. Get a grip. "How did you know I was here?"

"Canigou," she pointed at her dog who he just now noticed was now sitting right up to her leg.

"Oh. He's very protective, isn't he?"

"Seems to be. I've only known him for a couple days, but so far no trouble." She scratched Canigou behind the ears.

"Anyway, I'll leave you to it. I'll see you in the morning."

"Good night, Paladin Danse."

Lillian watched Danse turn and leave. She didn't realise how tall he was until she saw him outside of his power armour, at least six inches taller than Nate. Great hair, though.

She cleared her throat, even though Canigou was the only other one in the room. He looked up at her with his head tilted and she scratched him behind the ears. Despite her dislike of the army and anyone who's similar to the army, she figured this group might be the best bet so far to find her son. She'll help them get their transmitter, they can bring in reinforcements, and maybe then they can help her. She just needed to be patient and trust that they will help her.